Day: September 24, 2021

JELEBU, Sept 24 — The Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) is targeting to supply selected fruit and vegetable seedlings to farmers with agricultural land area of 200 hectares (494 acres) by the end of this year.

Director-general Datuk Dr Mohamad Zabawi Abdul Ghani said the seedlings to be given free, were for farmers who legally own the land or occupying a leased or rented property, while the crops would include durian, starfruit and sweet potatoes.

He said the farmers would be given guidance by MARDI, from the first stage of planting until the end when the project bears fruit, throughout the four-year period.

“However, this project will only be given to farmers who are genuinely interested and willing to comply with the standard operating procedures (SOP) set by MARDI.

“The farmers will only be given one selected crop or vegetable for cultivation and for now, we have identified the farmers who will be involved,” he told reporters after a food basket presentation by the Agriculture and Food Industries Ministry (MAFI) here today.

Also present were MAFI Deputy Minister 1 Datuk Seri Ahmad Hamzah and Federal Territories Deputy Minister Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias.

Meanwhile Mohamad Zabawi said MAFI was also targeting to get farmers to cultivate 1,000 hectares of land using clones to be supplied by MARDI in 2025.

He added that various types of fruit crops including pomelos would be planted on 250 hectares of land owned by MARDI in Simpang Durian to boost the country’s local fruit industry, apart from making Jelebu synonymous with pomelos.

Earlier, Ahmad presented MAFI Prihatin food baskets to 350 recipients around Jelebu who were affected following the COVID-19 pandemic besides donating 100 fruit seedlings to them.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

SHAH ALAM, Sept 24 — The COVID-19 vaccination rate for students of higher learning institutions has reached 73 per cent while that for staff has hit 91 per cent as at Sept 22, according to Deputy Minister of Higher Education Datuk Dr Ahmad Masrizal Muhammad.

He said these vaccination rates were considered high and showed the universities’ readiness to receive students back for face-to-face classes.

“Every university has its own profile and standard operating procedure but they have a common understanding that this matter (fighting COVID-19) is serious and important to students,” he told reporters after visiting Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) here today.

The visit to UiTM was his third after similar visits to Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia to check on preparations being made for the intake of students for the 2021/2022 academic session starting October.

Ahmad Masrizal expressed confidence that it is safe for parents to send their children back to campus as every university had adopted good measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

PUTRAJAYA, Sept 24 — The Ministry of Health (KKM) today received a donation of medical equipment from five companies worth RM9.48 million.

Axiata Group Sdn Bhd donated RM5 million towards the purchase of medical equipment and peripheral health needs while the Malaysian Stock Exchange Foundation donated 310 units of oxygen generator worth RM1.99 million.

Ninety-Nine (99) Speedmart donated 142 units of oxygen generator, hospital beds and health accessories worth RM1.88 million.

Sime Darby Plantation donated 5,000 units of pulse oximeter estimated at RM375,000 while Wang Zheng Berhad’s donation included 600 cartons of adult diapers worth RM224,640.

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin received the donations from representatives of all five companies at a presentation ceremony held at the MOH here today.

Khairy in a brief speech said the total in non-cash donations which the ministry has received since January 2020 have now breached RM148 million, with 70 per cent of the equipment comprising personal protection equipment (PPE).

“For a country bracing to enter the endemic phase, hopefully aside from PPE, we will receive more donations like pulse oximeter and self-test kits, because the RM19.90 retail ceiling price (for test-kit) is still a burden for B40 families,” he said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUCHING, Sept 24 — The Sarawak State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) today declared three new COVID-19 clusters, with two in the community and one at the workplace.

In a statement, SDMC said the Sungai Merusa cluster involved residents of a longhouse placed under the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) at the Sungai Merusa area in Subis, where 44 people have been found positive so far, including the index case.

The Kanawa Baram cluster in Marudi involved residents of a village under the EMCO, with 29 individuals found to be positive including the index case.

For the workplace Haidah cluster in Bintulu, it involved workers and crew of a logistics ship and other transportation modes docked on the Bintulu shoreline, who are now quarantined under the EMCO after 92 individuals tested positive, including the index case.

Sarawak today recorded 2,825 new cases, with 99.54 per cent categorised as asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic while 0.46 per cent had lung infection which required oxygen support and ventilators.

The death toll rose to 739 after 14 new fatalities were reported, eight of which were logged from Sept 14-21, five cases on Sept 22 and one case on Sept 23.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

ALOR SETAR, Sept 24 — A total of 12,607 tourists have visited Langkawi since the reopening of the tourism industry on the resort island under the tourism bubble pilot project from Sept 16 up till yesterday (Sept 22).

State Tourism, Arts and Culture, Youth and Sports, Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Committee chairman Mohd Firdaus Ahmad said the number involved 11,853 domestic tourists and 754 foreign tourists.

“There were 8,587 tourists who came to Langkawi by air, while 4,020 used the ferry service,” he said at a press conference after visiting the Kuala Kedah Ferry Terminal here today.

He said the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture had previously targeted about 30,000 tourists to visit Langkawi this month, but it is not likely to be achieved due to the strict standard operating procedures imposed on tourists.

Mohd Firdaus stressed, however, that the mandatory COVID-19 early detection test conducted on tourists was important to control the spread of the disease among those who visit Langkawi.

“Maybe now the number of tourists has decreased a little but in November and December, we expect the number to go up, as the school holidays would have begun at the time,” he said.

Meanwhile, state Agriculture and Agro-Resources, Transport and Primary Industries Committee chairman Azman Nasrudin, who was also present, said the number of ferry trips to Langkawi would be increased if there was a higher demand from tourists.

“Currently, there are only two ferry trips a day, one from Kuala Kedah to Langkawi Island and one trip from Langkawi Island to Kuala Kedah. If the number of tourists increases, we will ask the Ministry of Transport to allow more ferry trips,” he said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency