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By SHYAFIQ DZULKIFLI PETALING JAYA: Ahead of Budget 2027, which is due to be tabled on Oct 9, The Star looks back at a decade of federal expenditure. An analysis of 11 budget tablings between 2016 and 2026 shows that the Education Ministry, Finance Ministry, and Health Ministry have remained among the three largest recipients of federal allocations. The crown for the highest-funded portfolio, however, has changed hands between the Education and Finance ministries over the years. The Education Ministry held the top spot from 2016 to 2018 before reclaiming it in 2020 and 2021, and again in 2025 and 2026. The Finance Ministry, meanwhile, rose to the top in 2019 and dominated the rankings from 2022 to 2024. The Health Ministry, meanwhile, remained at number three spot throughout all 11 years. At the other end of the ranking, the bottom three positions were more frequently, with the National Unity, Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development, and P...

By SHYAFIQ DZULKIFLI PETALING JAYA: Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) has retained its position as the Asia-Pacific region’s most connected airport, ahead of major hubs in Seoul, Tokyo and Singapore. KLIA also maintained its fourth-place global ranking in the OAG Megahubs 2026 report, ranking behind Istanbul Airport, London Heathrow Airport and Amsterdam Airport. According to the report, AirAsia remained the dominant carrier at KLIA, accounting for 34% of all flights at the airport. The airport has increased the number of destinations it serves from 151 to 154, while overall capacity grew 6.9%. This was the highest growth among its Southeast Asian peers, apart from Hanoi’s airport, which recorded an 11.8% increase. KLIA also topped the Low-Cost Megahubs index, offering almost 15,000 possible low-cost connections to and from 154 destinations. Seoul’s Incheon International Airport ranked sixth globally, followed by Tokyo’s Haneda Ai...

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By SHYAFIQ DZULKIFLI PETALING JAYA: Almost 15,000 hotspots were detected in Indonesia's Kalimantan and Sumatra between January and August this year, according to data from the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC). As of Aug 28, of 14,964 hotspots detected across the two regions, 11,697 were in Kalimantan, accounting for 78.1% of the combined total. Meanwhile, Sumatra recorded 3,267 hotspots.  Most of Kalimantan’s hotspot activity occurred in July and August, rising from 1,339 detections in July to 9,334 in August. Together, the two months accounted for 10,673 hotspots, or 91.2% of Kalimantan’s January-to-August total. The 9,334 hotspots recorded in August alone were 72.7% higher than the 5,406 detected in Kalimantan in the whole of 2025. Sumatra also recorded its highest monthly hotspot count of the year in August, with 1,596 detections. However, the increase in Sumatra was less pronounced, with August accounting for 48.9% of...

By SHYAFIQ DZULKIFLI PETALING JAYA: Malaysians are increasingly turning to hybrid cars, with registrations surging nearly 30,000 units in the first seven months of the year. According to figures from data.gov.my, a total of 29,769 hybrid cars were registered between January and July, up by 78.9% from 16,643 during the same period last year. The growth outpaced the overall car market, which grew 3.6% from 472,492 registrations to 489,340. Fully electric vehicle (EV) registrations also surged 94.1% year-on-year to 38,675 from 19,935 during January to July last year. As a result, hybrids accounted for 6.1% of all car registrations this year, up from 3.5% share last year. The increase also accelerated as the year progressed. Hybrid registrations rose 47.7% year-on-year in March, 117.8% in April, 89.4% in May, 172.8% in June and 127% in July. In July alone, 5,622 hybrid cars were registered, more than double the 2,476 hybrid registrations re...

By SHYAFIQ DZULKIFLI PETALING JAYA: Releasing an unwanted exotic pet into a river, lake or natural area may seem like an easy solution, but it could create a new environmental threat by allowing invasive species to spread. The Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS) unit under the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry (NRES) said members of the public should never release unwanted exotic pets or non-native species into the environment.  MyBIS said some released species may survive, reproduce and spread beyond their original locations, potentially competing with native wildlife for food and habitat, and disrupting local ecosystems. Instead, owners who are no longer able to care for exotic pets should seek guidance from the relevant authorities or responsible agencies on proper surrender or disposal options. For terrestrial wildlife and exotic animals, members of the public can contact the Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia (P...