Day: June 29, 2021

— Sarawak Energy Berhad (Sarawak Energy) has adopted a new distribution system technology known as Medium Voltage Covered Conductor (MVCC) to connect Lawas town with the interior settlement of Ba’Kelalan in the Sarawak’s northernmost district.

Sarawak Energy Group chief executive officer Datuk Sharbini Suhaili said the technology was adopted due to the harsh geographical condition in the area which is remote and mountainous, with the first phase had commenced and to be synchronised with the Lawas Town Extra High Voltage substation in 2022.

“MVCC is able to withstand momentary contact with crops or vegetation without causing interruptions and this will help in strengthening supply reliability,” he said in a statement today.

Ba’Kelalan, located about eight hours drive through former logging roads from Lawas town, are known for its highland salts and “Adan” rice produced by farmers there in an environment-friendly and a chemical-free farming method called System of Rice Intensification (SRI).

However, due to the distance from the town, the farmers were rarely able to sell their produce to bigger markets, while the rice had to be processed manually or by machines powered by diesel generators which could only run for a limited period.

In the same statement, Sarawak Utilities Minister Datuk Seri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom assured the communities there that with steady electricity supply by 2023, they would have access to refrigeration as well as modern machinery to boost their farming productivity.

“The communities in rural Lawas will be able to process their produce and sell them in bigger and further away towns and similar planning and implementation of rural electrifications throughout Sarawak are undertaken to achieve full supply coverage,” he said.

According to the minister, about 18,000 rural households in Limbang Division, where Lawas is part of it, had enjoyed reliable and affordable supply through the simultaneous implementation of the Rural Electrification Scheme or RES and Sarawak Alternative Rural Electrification Scheme (SARES).

“By the end of 2021, almost 200 more households in the division will be connected to the (main electricity) grid. By 2023 a further 866 households will have access to reliable 24-hour electricity to achieve full electrification for the entire division,” he added.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

Three young Malaysians have become the pride of the nation when they were listed among over 300 recipients of the United Kingdom’s 2021 Diana Award for their active involvement and contribution involving social actions and humanitarian work.

The three of them, Mogesh Sabapathy, 23, Yi Kang Choo, 22 and Sahana Kaur, 16, were awarded the prestigious recognition at a virtual award ceremony, last night.

Established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, The Diana Award is given out by the charity of the same name. Young people, aged nine to 25, are honoured with the award for going above and beyond in their daily lives to create and sustain positive change and for their social actions or humanitarian work.

According to diana-award.org.uk/roll-of-honour-2021/, Sahana, from Garden International School, Kuala Lumpur wants policymakers to listen to the views of young people where she has taken on several leadership roles such as Chair of Amnesty International Malaysia’s Youth Committee.

She assisted her local Amnesty branch’s collection of 2,000 petition postcards for ‘Write for Rights’, a campaign which, in 2020, led to 19-year-old Magai Matiop Ngong being freed from death row and also talked about youth activism at United Nations-affiliated events, spoken out against Burmese refugee deportation and coordinated a COVID-19 food relief drive to support refugee children.

Meanwhile, Mogesh’s love for the oceans led him to co-found Project Ocean Hope in 2017 where he committed to drawing attention to the need for marine conservation and ran a waste management forum in 2018, before taking Project Ocean Hope into schools, visiting 10 schools a year.

Since then, Mogesh and the Project Ocean Hope team have run a series of webinars around ocean literacy, reaching more than 10,000 people from 15 countries.

Meanwhile, Yi launched the Welfare Task Force for Malaysian Students Abroad where he provided valuable support to young people who couldn’t return home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, or who were experiencing mental health challenges as a result of being isolated in a foreign country.

“Yi is also a trained volunteer counsellor for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC). As part of this role, he supports young people in the UK on various important issues including bullying, abuse, self-harm and family relationships,” according to the website.

In a surprise address at a virtual award ceremony for The Diana Award, the Duke of Sussex Prince Harry honoured all the recipients from across the world for going above and beyond in their daily lives to create and sustain positive change.

“Our mum believed that young people have the power to change the world. She believed in your strength because she saw it day in and day out and in the faces of young people exactly like you, she witnessed a boundless enthusiasm and passion,” he said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency