Critical Public Services Protected - PM | Nightline, 30 May 2026

Added: 2026-06-01

[00:00:08][music] [music] >> Hello there. I'm Nadia Izzat Bi and this is Nightline.

[00:00:21]>> [music] >> Here are the top stories.

[00:00:24]Prime Minister announces strict fiscal tightening plan for 2027 [music] budget to shield potential national welfare from global economic instability.

[00:00:32][music] And Trump announces lifting of US blockade on Strait of Hormuz [music] as the US president enters critical meetings to finalize breakthrough peace deal with Iran. [music] Good morning. Donald Trump on Friday said he is now making a final decision on whether or not to strike a peace deal with Iran during a meeting in the White House Situation Room. In a social media post, the US president said that Washington would lift its naval blockade on Iranian ports if Tehran agrees to never obtain a nuclear weapon. He also said that the Strait of Hormuz must be open to traffic in both directions without tolls and Iran removing any remaining mines left in the Strait. In the meantime, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told his Omani counterpart that reaching a deal with the US depended on Washington dropping its excessive demands. US and Iranian negotiators are edging toward a deal to extend that fragile ceasefire by 60 days, but the potential breakthrough still hinges on Trump's approval. Under the reported framework, the deal could allow unrestricted passage through the Strait of Hormuz, give Iran 30 days to clear mines and see the US lift its blockade and issue sanctions waivers to to oil exports.

[00:02:01]In another development, the death toll from Israeli strikes across Lebanon has risen to 28 as the Zionist regime intensified its assault and issued new mass evacuation orders across the region. The attacks included dozens of air strikes and artillery barrages targeting residential areas, commercial districts, and main roads across southern Lebanon. Among those killed were six children, five women, two Lebanese soldiers, and members of a family who were attempting to flee the violence. In Sidon, an airstrike on a vehicle carrying a family killed six people, including two children and their parents, while another strike on a residential building left five dead and more than 20 injured. Israel also issued fresh evacuation warnings in Tyre as its military expanded bombardments targeting roads, homes, and civilian infrastructure across southern Lebanon.

[00:03:00]Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday he had ordered the country's military to take control of 70% of the Gaza Strip in defiance of the terms of fragile ceasefire that took effect in October.

[00:03:17]>> Speaking at a conference in an occupied West Bank settlement, Netanyahu said Israel was squeezing Hamas and that the expansion would be carried out in phases. He claimed Israeli forces had previously controlled about 50% of Gaza under the ceasefire arrangement before he ordered the military to extend its hold to 70%. Under the agreement, Israeli troops were supposed to withdraw behind a so-called yellow line separating areas controlled by Hamas and the Israeli military. However, Israel faced accusations of violating the deal after Netanyahu announced on May 15th that the military had expanded its operations across Gaza. Meanwhile, Gaza's health ministry said more than 900 people have been killed since the ceasefire took effect.

[00:04:07]Meanwhile, Palestinian officials condemned Netanyahu's remarks calling them a violation of US President Donald Trump's vision and a serious breach of the ceasefire framework. In a statement, the Palestinian foreign ministry also accused Israel of deliberately undermining international efforts to end the aggression, prevent forced displacement, and advance a political solution for a Palestinian state. It described Israel's actions in Gaza as a war of extermination, killing, and destruction saying the attacks violate international law and the terms of the ceasefire agreement. The ministry also urged the United States and other mediators to take immediate action and pressure Israel to halt its attacks on Palestinian civilians.

[00:04:54]Back at home, Putrajaya has expressed deep sorrow over the continuous suffering of Muslims, particularly in Iran, Gaza, and Southern Lebanon. Prime Minister Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim also condemned the hypocrisy of Western powers for failing to take firm action against the ongoing violence by the Zionist regime.

[00:05:31]Anwar said he has held discussions with several leaders in order to strengthen the unity of the Islamic world. This includes the president of Iran, the president of Pakistan, the president of Turkey, and also the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. He said this after performing Friday prayers at the Saidina Hamzah mosque in Kampung Batu Muda in the federal capital.

[00:05:55]And amid growing global pressures from the West Asia conflict, the government maintains its commitment to students by continuing the nationwide 100 ringgit Buku Madani voucher initiative. The Prime Minister said the aid will be channeled directly through a discount mechanism when purchasing books.

[00:06:15]Speaking at the launch of the Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair on Friday, Anwar said the government remains committed to prioritizing education and reading despite fiscal constraints. He described the voucher program as essential to building a knowledgeable and civilized society.

[00:06:54]Anwar explained that the vouchers would be implemented similarly to previous years. However, the assistance would now be transferred directly to the students.

[00:07:03]He urged parents to ensure the vouchers were used to buy books and to monitor their children's reading habits.

[00:07:11]The 2027 budget is set to feature more cost-saving measures. This follows continued global economic pressures that have impacted the nation's fiscal position.

[00:07:24]The Prime Minister said there are many areas where costs can be reduced, stressing that any savings will not affect critical public services such as education and health care. Each ministry must also ensure optimal spending for the [music] benefit of the people. This includes reducing non-critical costs.

[00:08:00]Anwar said that although all sectors may require [music] additional allocations, their current economic climate demands prudent spending, better management of weaknesses, and stronger prioritization.

[00:08:14]The Finance Ministry has issued a stern warning that no party is allowed to use another individual's MyKad without consent to obtain subsidy benefits under the BUDI MADANI RON95 or BUDI 95 initiative. In a statement Friday, the MOF said it takes seriously several recent complaints regarding alleged unauthorized use of MyKad information in BUDI 95 transactions. It also stressed that the use or possession of another person's MyKad without lawful authority is a serious offense under the National Registration Regulations, which carries a fine of up to 20,000 ringgit, imprisonment for up to 3 years, or both upon conviction. The MOF added it has therefore instructed fuel retail companies to tighten compliance with the standard operating procedures SOP for MyKad verification in every BUDI 95 transaction. Any transactions carried out manually without prior physical verification of the MyKad are not permitted as they open the door to unauthorized transactions, subsidy abuse, and breaches of the integrity of program implementation. The Ministry has also directed fuel retail companies to conduct further investigations into transactions identified as violating the SOP and to take appropriate follow-up action against the stations involved. It also will continue to monitor booty 95 transaction patterns at all petrol stations and will not compromise on any non-compliance with SOPs or misuse of targeted subsidies.

[00:09:51]The special task force formed to probe the LRT train derailment has been given 30 days to complete its report.

[00:09:58]Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said the team is led by air accident investigation bureau director general Brigadier General Tan Sri Chee Kiong.

[00:10:10]A day after issuing a warning to Prasarana, the transport minister on Friday went to the site of the incident.

[00:10:16]With the probe now focusing on the cause of the incident, three areas will be examined: human negligence, system failure, and maintenance issues. He said the team does not include representatives from Prasarana to ensure the investigation is conducted transparently.

[00:10:43]He further clarified that LRT services on Ampang and Sri Petaling Line will resume on June 3rd. On Thursday, a train on the Ampang Sri Petaling Line was derailed due to a track switch failure while passing through the Chan Sow Lin LRT station. No injuries were reported with all 25 passengers on board during the incident safely evacuated.

[00:11:08]Meanwhile, the Land Transport Agency APAD said that it had opened an investigation into the incident. In a statement on Friday, the agency said it had conducted two site inspections on Thursday to assess the initial circumstances of the incident, the level of operational safety, and the necessary follow-up actions to be taken by the operator. APAD also directed Prasarana to submit a full report on the incident as soon as possible. The report will be thoroughly reviewed before further inquiries and detailed investigations are carried out.

[00:11:53]>> [music] >> The Prime Minister stressed that responsible reporting is crucial to ensure that facts are conveyed accurately, ethically, and without undermining social harmony in an era of information overload and borderless news dissemination. Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim said this in his social media posting on Friday in conjunction with National Journalists Day. According to Anwar, the role of the media goes beyond merely reporting news, but also entails a responsibility to uphold the truth with integrity, credibility, courage, and a strong sense of accountability. The Prime Minister also hailed Malaysian journalists as a crucial pillar of the nation's democracy and the true voice of the people. May 29th is gazetted as National Journalists Day in conjunction with the publication of the first edition of the Utusan Melayu newspaper on May 29th, 1939 to honor the contributions and services of media practitioners and veteran journalists in the nation's development.

[00:13:03]RAM Ratings has maintained a positive outlook on Malaysia's energy sector driven by the country's accelerating energy transition and a strong regulatory framework backed by key national policies. The credit rating agency said renewable energy accounted for 12 gigawatts or 31% of Malaysia's total installed power capacity as of end December 2025. It said the achievement places Malaysia on track to meet its interim renewable energy targets of 40% by 2035 and 70% by 2050. RAM ratings added that Malaysia's renewable energy sector is expanding rapidly driven by the rollout of large-scale solar photovoltaic projects and the early deployment of grid-scale battery energy storage systems. The agency also noted that the energy sector raised 9.2 billion ringgit through green social sustainability and sustainability linked bonds and sukuk in 2025, bringing total outstanding issuance to 20.9 billion ringgit at the end of 2025.

[00:14:13]The US economy expanded less than initially estimated in the first quarter, while a key inflation gauge separately hit a 3-year high on fallout from the West Asia war. The Commerce Department said on Thursday that gross domestic product GDP expanded at an annual rate of 1.6% in the first 3 months of the year, down from the earlier estimate of 2%. It noted that the downward revision was mainly due to weaker investment and slower consumer spending. Meanwhile, the US annual inflation rate climbed to 3.8% in April, the highest level since May 2023, up from 3.5% in March. Rising prices have continued to erode household income with disposable income falling for a third straight month, while the savings rate dropped to its lowest level in 4 years.

[00:15:09]>> [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> At least 130 people [music] left homeless. This and more after this breather.

[00:16:24]>> [music and singing] [music] [music] >> Sorry.

[00:17:28]>> [music] [music] [laughter] >> Welcome back. As Gawai preparations enter their final stages in Sarawak, celebrations will be absent for residents of the Nelson Lincoln longhouse in Bekenu after it was destroyed in a massive fire on Thursday.

[00:18:07]The blaze left 138 residents homeless and displaced just less than 48 hours before the festivities.

[00:18:19]>> [crying] >> According to the Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department, they were alerted of the incident at about 1:17 a.m. Firefighters from the Batu Niah Fire and Rescue Station and the Miri Central Fire and Rescue Station were deployed to the location. Upon arrival, firefighters found that the 21-door structure was entirely engulfed in flames. Due to the severity of the blaze, fire personnel took about 7 hours to control the fire before finally extinguishing the fire at approximately 8:00 a.m. No injuries were reported in the incident while the cause of the fire and total losses are still under investigation.

[00:19:04]In Pahang, a private ambulance driver was charged at the Magistrate's Court in Temerloh with the murder of a 2-year-old boy. No plea was recorded from the accused, Muhammad Iqbal Fitri Maslan, 29, as murder cases fall under the jurisdiction of the High Court. The charge was read out before Magistrate Anis Adlina Abu Johari. The man is accused of murdering Muhammad Haidar Abdul Mukmin at a house in Taman Seberang Temerloh at about 9:00 a.m. on May 11th. The charge was framed under the Penal Code, which provides for the death penalty or imprisonment of between 30 and 40 years and whipping of not less than 12 strokes if the death death sentence is not imposed. The court fixed September 1st for mention of the case with no bail granted to the accused.

[00:19:52]In Malacca, police have arrested a 40-year-old man following the discovery of a decomposing body wrapped in a mattress at a shophouse in Klebang on Thursday. State police chief Dato Zulkhairi Mukhtar said the suspect tested positive for shabu when he was detained.

[00:20:10]Zulkhairi said police received a report at about 7:00 p.m. from the premises owner who had gone to inspect the property with a potential tenant.

[00:20:19]The body was discovered when they noticed a foul stench and spotted a suspicious bundle in the living room, prompting them to contact the authorities. Upon arrival, officers discovered the body wrapped inside a folded mattress. The identity and gender of the victim have yet to be determined due to the advanced state of decomposition. Investigators believe that the victim died between 2 weeks and a month ago. Preliminary investigations indicated foul play based on the condition of the scene. The unit was originally rented by a woman before being occupied by her son, who is the suspect. The suspect has been remanded for 7 days starting Friday to assist in investigations under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.

[00:21:03]>> [music] >> Blue Origin rocket blows up during test.

[00:21:07]The details when Nightline returns.

[00:21:13]>> LADIES AND [music] GENTLEMEN, MPL MALAYSIA season 17.

[00:21:27]>> [music] [music] [music] >> Modesty is not weakness and halal is not just a label. Halal industry itself is about trust, yes, possibility, [music] sustainability, involvement of women will provide a better perspective in the industry. You can still be modest.

[00:22:02]You can still be a mother and a leader.

[00:22:05]I think I have a big role in helping women nowadays. Only on [music] TV 3.

[00:22:10]Stream now on Tonton.

[00:22:35]www.wowtix.com.my >> Assalamualaikum, Rudy.

[00:22:57]>> [music] >> Welcome back. In the US, a Blue Origin's massive New Glenn rocket erupted into a huge fireball during a routine hot fire test at its launch pad in Cape Canaveral, Florida on Thursday.

[00:23:26]Officials confirmed that no injuries or fatalities were reported.

[00:23:32]>> Video from the scene showed smoke rising from beneath the 98-m tall rocket moments before it burst into flames. In a statement, Blue Origin said it had experienced an anomaly during the test and added that all personnel were accounted for. The incident marks another setback for the space company founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, coming just weeks after a separate engine failure caused a New Glenn rocket to miss its target orbit. Bezos described it as a very rough day, but said the company would rebuild and get the rocket flying again. The cause of the incident remains under investigation.

[00:24:12]>> Japan's population has fallen by a record 2.5% over the past 5 years as the world's fourth largest economy struggles with a deepening demographic crisis.

[00:24:23]Preliminary census data shows the population dropped to 123 million in 2025, a decline of more than 3 million since the last survey in 2020. It marks the sharpest fall since the survey began in 1920, more than triple the drop recorded between 2015 and 2020.

[00:24:42]Government spokesman Minoru Kihara confirmed the decline is deepening as births fell for a 10th straight year to just over 700,000. Authorities have introduced measures to encourage marriage and boost birth rates, including dating apps and increased childcare support, but with limited success.

[00:25:05]>> [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> On to sports now, badminton and the 2026 Singapore Open. It was another disappointing day for the Malaysian camp as their campaign at the Super 750 tournament came to a premature end in the quarterfinals on Friday.

[00:26:02]Defending champions Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik surrendered their men's doubles title after losing 15-21, 15-21 to China's world number five Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang. The duo who lifted the title last year have since struggled to find success on the world tour, raising concerns for national men's doubles head coach Harry E ahead of next week's Indonesia Open. It was also a clean sweep of exits for Malaysia as Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani along with Aaron Chia and Kang Kai Shen were knocked out earlier in the day.

[00:26:36]Meanwhile, world champions Chan Peng Soon and Toh Ee Wei conceded a walkover while leading 18-16 after Ee Wei suffered a knee injury.

[00:27:05]>> [music] [music] >> And that concludes Nightline this time around. We leave you with visuals of hundreds of thousands of pilgrims standing resilient beneath the blazing sun in Mina, United in fulfilling the final rite of Hajj, the stoning of the Jamarat. With that, I'm Nadia Azmi.

[00:27:33]Thank you for watching and we'll see you next time.