Day: October 15, 2021

IPOH, Oct 15 — A man was found drowned at the Lubuk Degong waterfall, Bidor, about 70 kilometres from here, today.

Tapah district police chief Supt Wan Azharuddin Wan Ismail said the body of R. Tharsan, 20, was found by the rescue team at 11 am.

He said the victim had gone to the waterfall area with his female friend, in her 20s, yesterday.

“The victim told his friend that he wanted to go to a higher area. The victim’s friend only followed him halfway and returned back as she wanted to look after their belongings.

“The victim had gone up alone, however he had failed to return, prompting his friend to seek help from the Orang Asli settlement nearby,” he said in a statement, here, today.

Wan Azharuddin said the victim’s body was taken to the Tapah Hospital for a post-mortem.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 15 — Water supply in 998 areas in Petaling, Klang/Shah Alam, Gombak, Kuala Lumpur, Hulu Selangor, Kuala Langat and Kuala Selangor has been restored by 68 per cent as at noon today.

Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Air Selangor) corporate communication head Elina Baseri, in a statement today, said water supply in Hulu Selangor has been fully restored, while in Kuala Selangor, it was 99.4 per cent and 94.2 per cent in Shah Alam.

In Petaling, it was 89.8 per cent, Kuala Langat (85.7 per cent), Kuala Lumpur (38.6 per cent) and Klang (16.8 per cent).

“The duration of water supply disruption and restoration in the affected areas will vary depending on the location of the consumer’s premises and the water pressure on the water supply distribution system.

“Air Selangor continues to mobilise alternative water supply assistance via tanker trucks to critical premises such as hospitals, dialysis centres, COVID-19 Quarantine and Treatment Centres (PKRC) and Vaccination Centres (PPV), as well as for use at funeral ceremony,” she said.

Water supply was disrupted in the affected areas due to work to improve and maintain critical assets at the Sungai Selangor Water Treatment Plant Phase 1 (LRA SSP1) last Oct 13.

She advised consumers to let the taps flow for while until the water turns clear before using the water and to use water prudently to ensure the recovery process in the affected area runs smoothly as scheduled.

The status of water supply restoration will be updated from time to time through Air Selangor’s official communication channels including its website www.airselangor.com, Air Selangor application, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Consumers can also call the call center at 15300.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 15 — The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) will implement light touch regulation on cloud services in Malaysia from Jan 1 next year.

Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa said in a statement today that the decision was taken after the MCMC considered the views of local and foreign industries who were concerned about the regulatory impact on investment in the cloud service sector, including operating costs.

Annuar said the light touch regulation would be implemented through cloud service licensing under the Application Service Provider Class [‘ASP (C)’] licence which was liberalised in 2012 allowing foreign shareholding of up to 100 per cent with a registration fee of RM2,500 a year only.

He said through the light touch regulation, MCMC would have the opportunity to work with service providers to produce regulatory instruments such as technical codes as well as standard operating procedures (SOPs) on data security and protection based on international benchmarks.

“Adherence to these jointly developed instruments is important to ensure the stability and uniformity of cloud services to create a trusted and secure environment,” he said.

Annuar said it was important for cloud services to be regulated to ensure data security, data privacy, data protection and user data flow.

The government is implementing a cloud first policy strategy which will increase the use of cloud services in line with the launch of the Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint (MyDIGITAL).

MyDIGITAL, launched on Feb 19, is expected to create 500,000 jobs in the digital economy and will contribute 22.6 per cent to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 15 — This is the time for the government, private sector and civil society organisations (CSOs) to step up and collaborate closely to eradicate hardcore poverty in Malaysia as the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the issue, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Economy) Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed.

In his keynote address at the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (IDEP) 2021 Conference today, he stressed that apart from collaboration, speedy and effective implementation are also essential to combat the issue and achieve the goal by 2025, as committed in the 12th Malaysia Plan.

“A structured and coordinated framework for collaboration will ensure the effective deployment of resources by the government, the private sector, and CSOs. This will help reduce overlaps and redundancies, thus ensuring help is delivered to those most in need.

“We need to act with urgency to resolve the issue of poverty. In order to have a greater impact, we must work smartly and pool our resources together. Collaboration is key,” he said.

Mustapa reiterated that the pandemic has resulted in Malaysia’s poverty rate spiking to 8.4 per cent in 2020 and around 20 per cent or 580,000 households in the M40 income group have regressed into the B40.

The IDEP 2021 Conference was organised by Yayasan Sejahtera in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank Group in commemorating IDEP which is observed globally on Oct 17 each year.

The conference today gathered 24 local and international speakers and over 100 participants who are policymakers, CSOs, private organisations, academia and youth.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KOTA BHARU, Oct 15 — Residents in Kota Bharu expressed their gratitude today as they were finally able to return to perform Friday prayers at the mosque after a long time, following the COVID-19 pandemic situation.

Kelantan, which is currently in Phase Two of the National Recovery Plan (PPN), has allowed obligatory and Friday prayers to be held in congregations, according to the total capacity of mosques and surau throughout the state.

Checks at the Muhammadi Mosque here found that more than 700 pilgrims who were present complied with the standard operating procedures (SOP) set, and showed their digital vaccination certificates through the MySejahtera application to the staff at the entrance of the mosque.

Congregants also observed the physical distancing rule of staying 1.5m apart, besides checking their body temperature before entering the prayer area and bringing their own prayer mats.

A congregant, Rozman Abdul Razak, 49, told Bernama that the permission to resume prayers in congregations at full capacity of the prayer hall should be appreciated and well received by the people.

“We need to make full use of the permission to conduct prayers as best we can, and implement whatever rules are imposed as best as possible,” said Rozman, who hails from Kuala Krai.

Shaari Isyak, 63, also felt the difference in the atmosphere at the mosque during Friday prayers today with a higher number of congregants in attendance.

“Of course, I am happy and grateful to be able to go to the mosque for Friday prayers. I pray that the COVID-19 epidemic will end soon so that the congregation can perform prayers as usual,” he said.

Prior to this, only four congregants including the imam were allowed to perform congregational and Friday prayers at mosques and surau in the state in an effort to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 15 — A total of 60 fully vaccinated cancer patients received the third dose of COVID-19 vaccine at the National Cancer Institute (IKN) here today.

National Cancer Institute (IKN) Medical deputy director 1 Dr Puteri Norliza Megat Ramli said the 60 were patients being treated at the IKN and were chosen for the third dose because they had low immunity.

“Administering the third dose will prevent them from being infected with COVID-19 or from severe complications if infected. We will identify other cancer patients who will be given the third dose,” she told Bernama after observing the process of administering the third dose to the patients.

One of the recipients, 51-year-old Aldrin Henry Serub said he actually wanted to get the third dose as it could help protect him from being infected with the COVID-19 virus.

“So, when I received a call from IKN last Wednesday, I immediately confirmed my attendance. As a cancer patient, I have been fully vaccinated, but I need the third dose for complete protection against COVID-19,” he said.

“There is nothing to be worried about (the third dose) because I am still alive after being fully vaccinated. It is for our own good,” he said, adding that he did not experience any side effects after getting the third dose.

Norashikin San Abdullah said she too decided to get the third dose to protect herself against COVID-19.

“I didn’t experience any side effects either. Everybody must get the third dose to protect ourselves from the virus,” said the 68-year-old.

According to Dr Puteri Norliza, the third dose is specifically for those with low immunity and is given 28 days after they have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while senior citizens and frontliners would have to wait for at least six months after being fully vaccinated to get the booster jab.

So far, she said the IKN had only been tasked with administering the third dose to cancer patients using the Pfizer-BioNTech’s Comirnaty vaccine.

Meanwhile, IKN Occupational Safety and Health Unit head Dr Melvyn Chin Yin Chung said the third dose was voluntary and the recipients must sign a new consent form before they are inoculated.

“The recipients will be given a physical card to confirm that they had been vaccinated,” he said, adding that IKN would monitor the health of patients who received the third dose.

On Wednesday (Oct 13), Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the Ministry of Health (MOH) would start to administer COVID-19 vaccine booster dose to senior citizens aged 60 and above and frontliners who have completed vaccination at least six months ago.

He also said that the dispensing of an extra dose would be given to individuals who have low immunity (immunocompromised) such as cancer patients, organ recipients and kidney patients undergoing dialysis.

The National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) began on Feb 24 this year as a move to control the pandemic. To date, 91.2 per cent or 21,355,550 of the adult population have been fully vaccinated.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

SANDAKAN, Oct 15 — The Joint Khazanah Operation or Operasi Bersepadu Khazanah (OBK) in Sabah, has to continue to ensure Malaysia’s natural treasures in the state are protected, said Bukit Aman Internal Security and Public Order Department director Datuk Hazani Ghazali today.

He said the operation, which was supposed to end today after 67 days since it was launched, had garnered positive response from the public following its effectiveness in preventing the exploitation of Sabah’s flora and fauna.

“I am supposed to close this operation, but I don’t want to. In fact, I will extend the model of this operation here, to the peninsula and Sarawak because in 67 days, there were 66 cases involving a total of 73 arrests and about RM3.2 million in seizure.

“To me, other than arresting and bringing culprits to court, I want to suggest drastic approaches, including actions to be taken under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (SOSMA) and Prevention of Crime Act (POCA) as well as Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act (AMLA),” he told reporters after visiting the Sabah OBK operation centre here today.

Hazani said the impact of the crimes was detrimental to the ecology of the forests, which should be inherited by the future generations in its glorious form.

“”As these illegal activities bring great profits to the criminals, I am sure there are syndicates involved. That is why we are losing hundreds of millions of ringgit every year due to illegal activities involving our natural treasures,” he said.

Hazani said the discovery of an illegal gold-mining site in the Ulu Segama-Malua Forest Reserve near Lahad Datu during OBK urged him to suggest to the government to widen the scope of a Wildlife Crime Bureau which was approved by the government in June.

He said the bureau should also focus on related issues involving the forests and its inhabitants, including illegal logging, mining, hunting and exploitation of flora and fauna.

Earlier, Sabah General Operations Force Brigade deputy commander, ACP Toipi Lamat, who is Sabah OBK field commanding officer, said the operation discovered 103 holes dug-up on the ground near Sungai Bole at the Ulu Segama-Malua Forest Reserve, which led to the discovery of a tunnel about 10-17 metres deep where it is believed to contain gold.

He said the area had been active for commercial purposes during the 1990s when it was a Class II Commercial Forest Reserve, but word of mouth among the locals said that illegal miners tend to enter the forest, which prompted the OBK team to check.

“We discovered tents and treehouses and even a basketball court as well as a garden where they had planted food including durian, leading us to believe that the miners have been there for years. But since the OBK was launched in August, we believe the miners left for fear of being captured,” he said.

Toipi said the site was discovered on Aug 18 and further investigation was carried out on Aug 25-29, at which time the team demolished the miners’ site.

Sabah chief conservator of forests Datuk Frederick Kugan said the impact of the mining activity had destroyed most of the trees of riparian species and excavation works could be harmful to the wildlife due to the discovery of holes on the ground and a tunnel that had caused the soil to collapse.

He said the forest reserve had been reclassified as Class I Protection Forest Reserve in 2012 due to the existence of orangutan population.

“Following the mining discovery, enforcement might require assistance from the Department of Minerals and Geoscience as the Forestry Department is limited to enforcing the Sabah Forestry Enactment, which outlines what is illegal in forest reserves such as felling of trees.

“We also need to fine-tune our management plans in terms of action that can be taken by our enforcement team. For example, there are many roads into the forest, which need to be demolished,” he said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency