Month: June 2021

— The Department of Environment (DoE) is investigating the cause of dead fish in Sungai Damansara as reported in social media yesterday.

Selangor DoE director Nor Aziah Jaafar said the dead fish, mainly suckermouth catfish (Hypostomus plecostomus) and Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus), were found over a five-kilometre stretch of the river.

She also said that an in situ test at Sungai Kayu Ara near a log boom revealed foam in the river river and the dissolved oxygen concentration was 4.5 milligrams per litre. Healthy water usually has dissolved oxygen concentrations above 6.5 to 8 mg per litre.

Nor Aziah said the DoE had scoured the upstream and downstream stretches of the river for potential sources of pollution within a 10 km radius from the location where the dead fish were found.

This involved inspections at several food and beverage-based factories, commercial centres, storm water discharges from residential areas and two public sewage treatment plants, she added.

Nor Aziah advised people who had information on the incident to come forward and assist the DoE in the investigation, saying the DoE always took firm action against environmental criminals.

Complaints of pollution can be reported via the DoE toll-free line at 1-800-88-2727 or email to aduan_k@doe.gov.my or the DoE e-complaint portal at https://eaduan.doe.gov.my.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

— The close connection he has with his pets is very special for Muhammad Amir Mustapa, 29, whose jungle fowl and cat are inseparable and easy to carry anywhere on a motorcycle.

Muhammad Amir said it has become his daily routine to bring ‘Long’ which is the affectionate nickname for his jungle fowl and ‘Adik Kiss’ for his cat to go for a ride almost every day, even to Dungun, Terengganu.

He said this had also attracted the attention of road users who were excited to see them and would take pictures while some had expressed concern that his pets might fall off the bike.

“Initially, I only took Adik Kiss for the rides but eventually, when I took Long along I was pleasantly surprised to find them both so calm and didn’t move much on the motorcycle.

“Before the country was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, I had taken both of them to Dungun and during the trip, they just enjoyed the scenery and stayed put,” he said when met by reporters at his house in Kampung Cherodok, here, today.

“I have never trained both of them to be so, it was all a spontaneous action. Probably due to my close connection with Adik Kiss and Long, they don’t misbehave and seem to enjoy the ride,” said the eighth child of 11 siblings.

“Usually, I will put both of them on the back seat and sometimes on the handlebars but their favourite spot is my shoulder. I will ride at a safe speed so as not to scare them,” he said.

Muhammad Amir and his trusted pets riding the bike has gone viral on the social media site Facebook and got almost 40,000 views, besides positive responses from netizens who expressed their wonder over the extraordinary situation.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

The provision of RM100 daily allowance to volunteers serving persons with disabilities (PwD) will certainly boost their spirit to continue to provide the best service to the special group.

OKU Sentral president Senator Datuk Ras Adiba Radzi said currently, there are about 100 volunteers under the non-governmental organisation who provide free services to help ensure the smooth running of the COVID-19 vaccination process at vaccination centre (PPV) specifically for PwD.

“OKU Sentral has helped a lot of PwD friends out there, especially at the PPV and they have been doing it voluntarily.

“Therefore, the assistance (allowance) given will definitely facilitate our work…encourage us to help more disabled people out there,” she told Bernama after accompanying Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin visiting the OKU Sentral drive-through vaccination centre at Menara Sime Darby Plantation here today.

Also present was Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rina Harun.

Earlier, the Prime Minister in his press conference announced that the allowance increase for healthcare volunteers involved in the COVID-19 vaccination process and management would also be given to volunteers serving PwD.

Ras Adiba who is also the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) chairman said OKU Sentral could not register its volunteers under the Malaysia Vaccine Support Volunteers (MyVac) initiative because the registration period had expired.

However, she said out of a sense of responsibility, OKU Sentral volunteers continue to serve the PwD community as they realised that the group needed assistance to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

“Even though the registration has been closed, we still carry out our duties to help our PwD friends because we know that many of them need support, especially those with physical disabilities,” she said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

Five localities in Sabah and two more in Kedah will come under the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) from June 26 to July 9, Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said.

The localities affected in Sabah are Kampung Muhibbah, Menggatal in Kota Kinabalu; Tawau Prison and the prison quarters in Taman Ehsan (Tawau); Kampung Kuala Merotai (Kalabakan); Kampung Tahak, Membakut (Beaufort) and Indah Jaya flats (Sandakan).

In Kedah, it will involve the Sultanah Bahiyah Polytechnic in Kulim and the Bestgrade Industrial area in Pokok Sena.

“The EMCO will help the Ministry of Health (MOH) curb the spread of infection from these localities to other areas and facilitate monitoring of quarantined residents,” he said in a statement today.

Meanwhile, he said several localities under the EMCO in Terengganu, Pahang, Johor, Sarawak and Negeri Sembilan were declared ended according to schedule and earlier than scheduled due to a decrease in cases, clusters brought under control and also after positive cases having received treatment.

The EMCO in Kampung Tajin, Kuala Berang, Terengganu; Taman Temerloh Jaya, Taman Temerloh Jaya Indah and Taman Temerloh Makmur in Temerloh (Pahang); Ladang Tereh Mill, Kluang (Johor) and Kampung Kolong 2, Kuching in Sarawak will be lifted tomorrow as scheduled.

The EMCO in Kampung Lakai, Jelebu, Negeri Sembilan which is slated to end on June 27 will end tomorrow.

Also ending tomorrow, ahead of schedule is the EMCO enforced at Rumah Panjang Bala anak Umba, Rumah Panjang Tulu anak Sli, Rumah Panjang Duah anak Entingi, Rumah Panjang Balik anak Gema, Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) St Luke and the Nanga Baoh Health Clinic in Mukah, Sarawak.

On the MCO standard operating procedure (SOP) compliance Ismail Sabri said a total of 761 individuals were arrested for violating the SOP yesterday with 741 of them being compounded, 19 remanded while another was bailed.

Meanwhile, he said, 14 illegal immigrants were arrested and six land vehicles were seized in Op Benteng yesterday.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency