Day: November 22, 2021

LABUAN, Nov 22 — The development of tuna landing infrastructure needs to be reviewed to help increase the volume of tuna landings in the country, said Agriculture and Food Industries Minister Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee.

He said most of the infrastructure nationwide was 20 years old and needs to be improved in line with new challenges and growth of the tuna industry.

“The tuna landing facilities established 20 years ago needs to be reviewed for improvement in accordance with the tuna landing performance and the needs of industry players,” he told reporters after launching the South China Sea, Sulu Sea, and Sulawesi Sea Tuna Industry Strategic Development Plan 2021-2030 here today.

He said the active involvement of industry players was needed in developing the country’s tuna industry.

Ronald added that since the first strategic development plan of the tuna industry was launched 20 years ago, the performance of tuna landings had grown positively through the cooperation of industry players.

Meanwhile, he said the country was still facing threats such as encroachment and illegal fishing by foreign fishermen.

“This is among the challenges to the tuna industry that needs to be addressed effectively. That is why we need to have a protocol and enforcement against these illegal activities must be done continuously,” he said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

ISKANDAR PUTERI, Nov 22 — Malaysia has so far only gazetted 4.3 per cent of the country’s waters as marine protected areas (MPAs), the Johor State Assembly was told today.

State Agriculture, Agro-based Industry and Rural Development Committee chairman Datuk Samsolbari Jamali said Malaysia, as a member of the United Nations (UN) and Convention on Biological Diversity, needs to gazette at least 10 per cent of its waters as MPAs.

Referring to the gazetting of the Mersing archipelago, he said there were additional gazetting of waters in the archipelago — seven islands and four rocks covering an area of 299 square kilometres.

“The gazetting of these islands as Sultan Iskandar Marine Park under Section 41, Fisheries Act 1985 (Act 317) is important for the following justifications, among them, to preserve the species and natural habitat of the marine life.

“These gazetting efforts will contribute towards achieving the targets set under the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, the Convention on Biological Diversity and Goal 14: Life Below Water under the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” he said during the 14th State Legislative Assembly at the Sultan Ismail Building, here, today.

Samsolbari (Umno-Semarang) said this when replying to Liow Cai Tung (PH-Johor Jaya), in the oral question-and-answer session, about the state government’s efforts to protect the country’s valuable marine wildlife in the Mersing archipelago other than the area being just a tourist attraction.

He said the Sultan Iskandar Marine Park is rich in rocks and coral reefs, and its waters are the main migration passage for a variety of marine species including turtles, dolphins and dugongs.

“The Johor Fisheries Department has confirmed the presence of dugongs, whale sharks, manta rays and dolphins in this marine park. If these waters are gazetted, the marine wildlife here will be able to reproduce and grow well without disturbance and threat to its habitat,” he added.

He said the fisherman’s economic resources will also be secured as the habitat and breeding areas of the marine life will be protected.

In addition, the presence of the wildlife species will be a direct source of income for locals who venture into ecotourism due to the diversity of marine life that can also attract visitors, especially divers who want to enjoy the beauty of the ocean floor, he said.

He said through various programmes and facilities, the fisheries community there could shift their focus to tourism, transportation and services sectors to generate income.

Apart from that, the gazetting will also address the risk of encroachment by foreign fishermen as well as the encroachment of fishing zones that damage the marine ecosystem, he said, adding that there will also be potential for pharmaceutical and biotechnology research purposes.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 22 –The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) has announced that its Jalan Raja Chulan branch office in Changkat Raja Chulan here will be permanently closed effective Dec 16.

In a statement today, EPF said contributors and employers were advised to visit nearby branches such as at Jalan Raja Laut , Wangsa Maju, Kepong, Petaling Jaya or Seri Petaling for any transaction.

“For other alternatives, contributors and employers are also advised to access EPF’s services online through i-Akaun,” said the statement.

More information can be obtained at EPF’s official website at www.kwsp.gov.my or by contacting EPF’s Relationship Management Centre at 03-8922 6000.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA TERENGGANU, Nov 22 — The Social Welfare Department’s (JKM) Cashless Assistance Payment Pilot Project, implemented by the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry (KPWKM) from February to July this year at certain locations has generated transactions totalling RM334,059.

KPWKM minister, Datuk Seri Rina Mohd Harun said phase one of the cashless payment pilot project in collaboration with Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad (BIMB), involved JKM aid recipients in several districts in Perlis, Kedah and Melaka, with the participation of 246 premises.

“A feasibility study of the pilot project was also conducted between June 14 and July 10 at all pilot locations involving 1,066 participants.

“A total of 845 participants or 79.3 per cent gave their full support to the implementation of the programme as it had a positive impact in terms of controlling expenditure of aid money,” she said at the official launch of the expansion of the cashless payment programme in Taman Sinar Harapan, here, today

Rina said the project has been expanded to Perlis, Kedah and Melaka as well as to Terengganu, Kelantan and Selangor, involving 178 premises. She also said the second phase of this programme will begin early next year involving Sabah and Labuan, while phase three would kick off in 2023 in all other states.

Rina added that the ministry was optimistic that the programme’s expansion was a high-impact one to improve delivery to JKM recipients, and it was also in line with the Malaysian Digital Economy Blueprint 2021 to drive the transformation of public sector digital services to support the digital society.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency