Day: September 14, 2021

PUTRAJAYA, Sept 14 — Students of higher learning institutions (IPT) will be allowed to return to campus in stages beginning Oct 15, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad announced today.

However, she said the permission was only given to fully-vaccinated students in all categories and involved all phases of the National Recovery Plan.

She said the process will also be carried out in compliance with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) of the higher education sector.

Noraini also said that only fully-vaccinated academic and non-academic staff would be allowed on campus.

“This will create a safe social community as well as a Phase Four of PPN environment on campus. Strict SOPs must be complied with to manage the in and out movements,” she told a virtual press conference today.

Noraini said most of the total 1.2 million IPT students have undergone online teaching and learning (PdP) for more than three consecutive semesters due to the COVID-19 pandemic where the safety aspect in the operation of IPTs was highly emphasised.

She said the decision to allow students to return to campus was made after taking into account the views of the National Security Council (MKN), Ministry of Health (MOH), IPT management, representatives of private higher learning institutions (IPTS) as well as IPT student unions and associations.

Noraini also announced a 20 per cent fee reduction to all Malaysian students at public universities for first semester of 2021/2022 academic session, which will benefit 555,340 students through an initiative worth RM175 million.

On the students’ movement to return to campus, Noraini said it would depend on the IPT academic calendar as the IPT was also required to make a proper plan to identify their students, coordinate movement schedule and ensure that the returning students and staff undergo strict health screenings.

She said the students would need to get the permission letter to return to campus from their respective IPT and also from the police to travel interstate.

Students in Sarawak, Sabah and Labuan should also take the RT-PCR test before returning to their campuses.

Noraini said all IPT should provide an isolation centre to manage symptomatic cases among their students.

Permission to enter Malaysia would also be given to these categories of international students, namely those from the United Kingdom, those under the Mobility and Edutourism programmes, as well as their legal dependents.

Noraini said those international students must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and registered with the Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS) before they can be allowed to enter the country.

“They must also take COVID-19 RT-PCR test three days before entering Malaysia and will have to undergo health screening and quarantine at the designated location upon arrival in Malaysia,” she said.

The minister said the teaching and learning method for the IPT students would be conducted in a hybrid manner and in compliance with the SOP set by the MKN.

On COVID-19 vaccination, Noraini said her ministry projected 100 per cent of IPT students and staff to be fully vaccinated by end of next month.

Right now, she said only 66 per cent of existing students and 90 per cent of IPT staff were fully vaccinated.

“Existing students and staff who are yet to get vaccinated can go for walk-in vaccination at any vaccination centre. They just need to bring their student/staff card and MyKad of passport.

“As for new students, they need to bring their university offer letter and MyKad or passport,” she added.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 14 — The difference in the policy of Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) Programme and immigration rules between Peninsular Malaysia and the states of Sabah and Sarawak is the special provisions enjoyed by both states under Section 64 and 65 of the Immigration Act 1959/63.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin said the provisions in Section 64 and 65 of the Immigration Act allowed both states to manage immigration matters on the entry of foreigners and the period of stay of foreigners.

“Therefore, the Sabah and Sarawak state governments can adjust conditions for participation in the programme for the purpose of issuing social visit passes,” he said during the Ministers’ Question Time during Parliament sitting today.

However, Hamzah said he would discuss with Sabah and Sarawak to standardise the MM2H programme with the peninsula.

He was responding to Wong Hon Wai (PH-Bukit Bendera) who asked for clarification on the ‘one country, two systems’ whereby Sarawak’s policy on MM2H is more liberal that the federal government.

Hamzah also said the government’s intention to improve the condition for participation in the MM2H programme was to ensure quality candidates and their ability to contribute to the country’s economy.

He said flexibility could be given to existing MM2H holders from meeting current conditions, such as having a fixed deposit of at least RM1 million and with maximum withdrawal of 50 per cent allowed on the principal value for purchase of property and children’s health and education needs.

Other conditions included declaration of liquid assets of at least RM1.5 million and offshore income of at least RM40,000 per month, he added.

He said the new participants would have to meet all the condition to ensure the are truly genuine, of high quality, and able to make a positive contribution to the country’s economic growth.

The MM2H programme, introduced in 2002, allows foreigners to purchase property and reside in Malaysia on a long-term basis. It was temporarily frozen in August 2020 to enable the Home Ministry and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture to study and review the programme.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA TERENGGANU, Sept 14 — The unemployment rate in Terengganu was 4.2 per cent or involving 20,000 individuals in the second quarter of this year compared to 4.1 per cent or 19,800 individuals in 2020.

State Trade, Industry, Regional Development and Administrative Wellbeing Committee chairman Datuk Tengku Hassan Tengku Omar said this was due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic which resulted in the implementation of the Movement Control Order.

“So far, the unemployment rate in Terengganu is still below the national level despite an increase in the second quarter of 2021,” he told the State Assembly sitting at Wisma Darul Iman here today.

He was responding to a question from Datuk Rozi Mamat (BN-Telemong) on the unemployment rate in Terengganu.

Tengku Hassan said based on the data from the Department of Statistics, the unemployment rate in Malaysia was 4.8 per cent in the second quarter of 2021 compared to 4.55 per cent in the previous year.

He also said that the state government was implementing various efforts to address the unemployment issue including organising the state-level Penjana Career Carnival 2021 last April.

The carnival, a joint effort between the Terengganu Human Resource Development Centre (T-HRDC) and the Social Security Organisation (Socso), had offered jobs to 982 candidates, he said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA TERENGGANU, Sept 14 — The Terengganu government has been urged to find a solution which could be implemented quickly to solve the alarming problem of domestic violence in the state.

Assemblywoman, Zuraida Md Noor said based on the statistics of the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP), 288 cases of domestic violence occurred in Terengganu in 2020.

“The One Stop Crisis Center (OSCC) of Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital (HSNZ), recorded 114 cases of domestic violence in the state from January to August this year.

“Cases reported encompassed rape, sodomy, as well as domestic abuse involving children,” she said when debating the motion of thanks on the address of the Sultan of Terengganu Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin at the Terengganu State Legislative Assembly sitting at Wisma Darul Iman, here today.

Zuraida said the most worrying is the awareness of the victims who reported the incidents on facing threats to keep the family’s honour.

She said her discussion with OSCC in HSNZ, showed the management of domestic violence victims who reported became complicated after office hours and on public holidays.

“Often the victims were told to return home after receiving treatment as there was no shelter for them. When OSCC phoned again, during working hours , most of the victims did not want to continue with the procedure. What’s even more unfortunate, the victim continued to be exposed to repeated threats against them,” she said.

She said despite the availability of welfare institutions under the Social Welfare Department, namely Taman Sinar Harapan as a temporary shelter for victims, the process takes a long time and only operates during office hours.

“There is an absence of temporary shelter which operates 24 hours to place victims while awaiting investigation by the authorities,” she said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 14 — The Health Ministry has identified a site to set up a field hospital in Tawau, Sabah, for COVID-19 patients in the area.

Its minister, Khairy Jamaluddin said the government would provide about 100 beds, as well as adequate ventilators and oxygen cylinders, in the east coast of Sabah to increase the capacity for COVID-19 treatment.

He said the ministry had learnt from what happened in Sabah and would monitor on situation in states having an increase in cases and in need of breathing apparatus, besides ensuring adequate beds with ventilators.

“The ministry will set up a Rapid Deployment Unit, which is a modular Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and breathing apparatus and oxygen can be sent quickly to any state with a spike of cases,” he told the Parliament today.

He was responding to a question from Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal (Warisan-Semporna) on the shortage of beds at health facilities in Sabah for COVID-19 patients.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

SEREMBAN, Sept 14 — The public is reminded not to get too excited when holiday in Negeri Sembilan and to strictly comply with the standard operating procedure (SOP) set by the government in curbing the spread of COVID-19 in the state.

Negeri Sembilan police chief, Datuk Mohamad Mat Yusop said now that the people were allowed to holiday in the state with it moving to Phase Three of the National Recovery Plan (PPN), they should avoid forming crowds at the focal spots and ensure physical distancing.

“Currently, the number of COVID-19 cases in this state has gone down, so we don’t want to see the relaxation given to economic and social activities to cause an increase of infection cases again.

“So far, the reports that I have received from the Port Dickson police and district enforcement authorities that the situation is still under control but monitoring is required at the popular spots to ensure the public adhere to the SOP,” he told reporters at his office, here, today.

Mohamad said police and the local authorities were indeed monitoring to ensure SOP compliance.

He urged the people to act responsibly by obeying the regulations set by the government in curbing the spread of COVID-19.

His statement came after a number of photos and videos appeared on social media showing families back to enjoying themselves at various popular spots like the Port Dickson beach.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 14 — The government is working to streamline the existing standard operating procedures (SOPs) related to COVID-19 so that it is better understood by the people, industry players and enforcement agencies.

Senior Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said currently, there were 181 SOPs covering all four phases of the National Recovery Plan (PPN) and the government plans to reduce them to only 10.

“The move to streamline the SOPs which we have been using for more than a year will definitely take some time, however, the government is committed to resolving the matter before we transition to the endemic phase,” he said in a news conference on the outcome of the COVID-19 Ministerial Quartet Meeting in Parliament today.

Also present were Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa, Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz and Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

In order to determine how the existing SOPs could be streamlined, Hishammuddin said the government would not only take into account scientific data, especially from the Health Ministry (MOH), but also the feedback and views from experts and industries.

“The development on this matter will be informed from time to time. We will probably take between two and three weeks to complete it,” he added.

In the meantime, Hishammuddin said the Special Committee on Pandemic Management meeting has agreed to provide more relaxation of SOPs especially those in the low-risk category.

He said the government took into account the pressure and fatigue experienced by the people after more than a year living in a pandemic situation that restricted activities and movement.

“We cannot allow this situation to continue because it could lead to a more serious impact, especially on mental health.

“The Prime Minister will announce the additional relaxation for the social and economic sectors in the near future,” he said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency