Day: October 19, 2021

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 19 — Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Idris Ahmad agrees with Penang Mufti Datuk Seri Wan Salim Wan Mohd Noor’s call for a local alcoholic beverage company to immediately change its ‘Timah’ brand and the picture used on the bottle.

Idris said such things should not happen as they are provocative while the use of the name could cause confusion to the community and religion.

“We do not agree with the principle of using the ‘Timah’ brand name. What does the company mean by that name? Is there a new normalisation?… this is what we are worried about,” he told reporters when met at the Federal Territory 2021 Maulidur Rasul celebration here today.

Yesterday, Wan Salim, in a statement, expressed disappointment over an advertisement that has gone viral on social media, which stated that a locally-made whiskey had been given the brand name ‘Timah’ and displayed a bearded man with a skull cap (kopiah) resembling a religious man.

In addition, Idris said he would discuss the matter with the Home Ministry and the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry.

In a separate development, Idris said the department was ready to provide counselling services to Muhammad Sajjad Kamarul Zaman or Nur Sajat if the cosmetics entrepreneur returns to Malaysia.

Yesterday, media reported that Nur Sajat confirmed that she has permanently left for Australia and does not plan to return to Malaysia.

Muhammad Sajjad, 36, is sought by the authorities after the Shah Alam Syariah High Court issued an arrest warrant on Feb 23 for failing to attend proceedings over a charge of dressing as a woman.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

MELAKA, Oct 19 — A project to build a shell-shaped floating mosque in Pulau Besar costing about RM30 million is expected to begin early next year, says Melaka Islamic Religious Department (JAIM) director Datuk Che Sukri Che Mat.

He said the mosque to be built using aluminum, would be able to accommodate about 1,500 worshipers at a time.

“We are still in the discussions stage at this point, and the construction process will start after obtaining a certain amount of funds from the Federal government.

“The unique design of the mosque located on the island would indirectly make it a new attraction for tourists, and most importantly, help spread the Islamic message in the state,” he said.

He was speaking to reporters after the launching ceremony of the Pulau Besar Mosque Construction Wakaf Fund in conjunction with the state-level Maulidur Rasul celebration at the Al-Azim Mosque Auditorium in Bukit Palah here today.

The ceremony to launch the wakaf (endowment) fund today, which was officiated by Yang Dipertua Negeri Melaka Tun Mohd Ali Rustam and also attended by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali, managed to collect initial funds of RM200,000 through the mosque’s wakaf shares.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

TUARAN, Oct 19 — The proposal to increase the floor price of scrap rubber from the current RM2.50 per kilogramme (kg) to RM3.50 per kg will prevent smallholders from switching to other commodity crops, said Rural Development Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid.

He added that if no action were taken, then rubber smallholders would switch to planting other crops with higher prices, especially oil palm, which would then result in the country losing rubber commodity producers.

“Many rubber smallholders have switched to planting oil palm because the price of rubber is low. That is why I support the idea to increase the price of scrap rubber. Although it is difficult, we must find a way.

“If the floor price remains low, the rubber smallholders will switch to planting oil palm trees,” he told reporters after visiting the Sabah Rubber Industry Board (LIGS) SMR Rubber Factory in Tamparuli here today.

On Friday (Oct 15), the media reported that the government had been urged to consider raising the floor price of scrap rubber to RM3.50 per kg beginning next January to help increase the income of rubber tappers to above the poverty level.

Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda) chairman Datuk Mohd Salim Mohd Sharif was quoted as saying that the present floor price of scrap rubber, which is RM2.50 per kg, was far lower than oil palm, which could fetch up to RM1,100 per tonne.

Elaborating, Mahdzir said that apart from the floor price, more space to sell rubber products and expanding rubber plantations were two other important measures that could help rubber smallholders in the country to increase production and, thus, improve their socio-economic status.

He added that LIGS, a state government agency, played a role in helping 80,000 rubber smallholders in Sabah by providing a place to sell rubber products and that LIGS currently has three rubber processing plants in Tamparuli, Tenom and Beaufort.

“The factory in Tamparuli has 300 workers with the capacity to produce 150 tonnes of rubber per day and 50,000 tonnes per year. Apart from the local market, these products are also exported, among them to China for the manufacture of products like tyres,” he said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUCHING, Oct 19 — A total of 90.7 per cent of the adult population in Sarawak aged 18 and above have received one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine so far, according to the Sarawak Health Department.

In a statement today, it said 70.1 per cent of the total population in Sarawak had been fully vaccinated with two doses.

“For adolescents, 231,803 individuals aged between 12 and 17 years or 79.1 per cent have received the first dose and 121,030 or 41.3 per cent have been given the second dose.

“Sarawak’s target is for adolescents aged between 12 and 17 years to be fully vaccinated before Oct 31,” the statement said.

It said Sarawak started administering the booster shots on the elderly and frontliners on Oct 13.

“Senior citizens will get their booster shots at private clinics and hospitals while healthcare frontliners at their respective public and private health facilities.

“As at Oct 17, a total of 11,156 booster doses have been administered in Sarawak, with 2,372 doses in Miri,” the statement said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

MELAKA, Oct 19 — The task of managing more than 100 bodies of COVID-19 since last year has never been considered a burden for Hasnul Hussien, 52, who considers it a responsibility to fulfill the demands of fard kifayah (obligation).

He said as the COVID-19 funeral manager at Melaka Hospital he was not tired of the job despite often finding himself drenched in sweat because he had to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) in narrow spaces under intense heat.

He said handling the COVID-19 remains was quite challenging as it was different from other funeral management processes because it involved the process of tayammum (dry cleaning of the remains and ablution with clean earth) and funeral prayers until the remains were put in a van to be taken to the cemetery.

“I and the team will be on duty in the early morning and if needed will manage the remains in the evening as well.

“As long as the work is considered as an act of worship, I have never felt worried about getting infected with the virus because we followed the set standard operating procedures (SOP),” he said when met by reporters here today.

Earlier, he received the Abu Thalhah Award in conjunction with the state level Maulidur Rasul 1443 Hijrah Special Award Presentation Ceremony at the Al-Azim Mosque Auditorium, Bukit Palah.

The awards for various categories of contributions and services of recipients were presented by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Melaka Tun Mohd Ali Mohd Rustam. Also present was Chief Minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali.

Hasnul said since September, he also noticed the number of bodies managed decreasing every day compared to the previous few months.

“From July to August, sometimes the number of remains that need to be managed at the Forensic Department of Melaka Hospital reaches 15 a day.

“The situation has changed and is getting better with only one or two remains a day and sometimes there are no COVID-19-related deaths that need to be dealt with,” he said.

He also did not rule out the effectiveness of vaccination on the people in the country causing the situation to improve.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

MELAKA, Oct 19 — The Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (KPWKM) has adopted the food Poverty Line Income (PGK) limit of RM1,169 for the distribution of aid involving the hardcore poor.

Its Minister Datuk Seri Rina Mohd Harun said KPWKM had previously used the PGK on the average household income of RM980 for that purpose before increasing it to RM1,169 based on a 2019 study conducted by the Department of Statistics Malaysia.

She told reporters this after handing over a letter of offer to the welfare assistance recipients under the Social Welfare Department (JKM) in Cheng here today.

She said this to clarify the confusion especially among aid applicants regarding the use of the PGK to qualify them to obtain assistance under KPWKM.

Also present at the handing over ceremony were JKM deputy director-general for operations Fatimah Zuraidah Salleh and JKM Melaka director Burhanuddin Bachik.

Meanwhile, Rina said JKM Melaka had distributed nearly RM94 million in aid to 24,838 recipients in the state from January to September this year compared to RM90.27 million involving 24,913 recipients last year.

She said the aid includes financial assistance for children, senior citizens assistance, allowance for disabled workers, state general assistance and launch grants, among others.

“Apart from financial and psychosocial assistance, we also look at the recipients’ other needs such as helping the recipient’s children get jobs through the cooperation between the ministry and other agencies,” she said.

She also advised the disabled to register under JKM so that they can receive 32 benefits provided by the government to ease their burden.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency