{
  "id": 3677011,
  "title": "Don’t let Rohingya issue overshadow Merdeka celebrations, Defence Minister tells Malaysians",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/dont-let-rohingya-issue-overshadow-merdeka-celebrations-defence",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-27T05:07:35.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Malay Mail",
    "slug": "malay-mail",
    "url": "https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2026/08/27/dont-let-rohingya-issue-overshadow-merdeka-celebrations-defence-minister-tells-malaysians/232854"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Malaysians should not let the Rohingya issue overshadow the National Day celebrations, according to Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin. He urged the nation to express their love for the country and demonstrate their commitment to protecting Malaysia, instead of using it as a platform for foreign elements. \"Malaysia is our home. As the owners, we should not stop protecting and preserving our homes just because we disagree on the presence of people who came here uninvited,\" Khaled said during the National Day celebration at the Defence Ministry.\n\nHis comments followed social media users urging Malaysians to boycott the celebrations or bring banners supporting the Rohingya cause. Separately, two of the Malaysian Armed Forces' latest land assets, Tedung and Kala Jengking, made their debut at the celebrations. Tedung, based on Brazil's Agrale Marruá AM250 Double Cab, is a high-mobility vehicle capable of carrying automatic grenade launchers and heavy machine guns. The MAF has acquired 80 units with AGL and 83 units with HMG for RM92.91 million. Kala Jengking, a high-mobility reconnaissance vehicle, has been equipped with a dual-phase 980 steel cage for tactical mobility across various terrains, with 100 units purchased for RM72 million.",
  "summary": "KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 27 — Malaysians should not boycott National Day celebrations because of their sentiments towards...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "Don’t let Rohingya issue overshadow Merdeka celebrations, Defence Minister tells Malaysians",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/dont-let-rohingya-issue-overshadow-merdeka-celebrations-defence-3678070",
        "published": "2026-08-27T05:07:35.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Vibes",
        "title": "Haze: Penang may shelve Merdeka Day celebrations, says CM",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/haze-penang-may-shelve-merdeka-day-celebrations-says-cm",
        "published": "2026-08-27T08:36:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}