Day: December 29, 2021

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 29 — The Social Welfare Department (JKM) has spent RM35 million to provide aid to flood victims in eight affected states.

Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff said the aid included comforters, mats, blankets, towels, sarong, hygiene kits and other basic necessities.

“More than 31,921 collapsible tents (C-tent) have been used at flood relief centres. JKM also provides cooked food at each relief centre according to the number of victims, including its staff,” she said in a statement here today.

So far, she said a total of 114,280 people from 31,921 families had been accommodated by JKM at 771 flood relief centres nationwide.

Siti Zailah said the agency had also mobilised more than 3,000 JKM officers to ensure the welfare of flood victims at relief centres.

“A total of 135 JKM officers on duty were also affected by the floods,” she said.

Siti Zailah said JKM with the strategic cooperation of Khidmat Malaysia and the National Youth Council had sent more than 10,000 volunteers to the affected states.

The department has also set up and coordinated ‘dapur rakyat’ (people’s kitchen) in each flood-hit location which has benefited more than 16,000 flood victims, she said.

She added that JKM also helped organise the movement of volunteers in post-flood work such as cleaning houses, suraus, mosques and others.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 29 — As at noon, more than 9,000 evacuees are still at the relief centres (PPS) in the five flood-hit states with Selangor, Pahang and Negeri Sembilan reporting a drop in the number of flood victims, while in Melaka and Kelantan, no change was reported.

In SABAH, continuous rain since yesterday caused flash floods in several areas in Sipitang this morning.

In SELANGOR, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari, through a post on its official Twitter, said 2,218 victims were at 17 PPS in the state at 8 am today, from 2,387 people at 19 PPS last night.

Several road stretches in the state are still affected by the floods, including at FT 31 Dengkil – Banting Bridge; Jalan Kg Kalong Tengah; Ulu Yam Baru and Jalan Genting Peras – Kuala Klawang and Jalan Kuala Kubu Bharu – Bukit Fraser heading to Peretak, as well as Jalan PJU 7, in front of MRT Mutiara Damansara and Jalan BRP 7/2 Bukit Rahman Putra, and the road leading Lapang Sasar, Subang.

In PAHANG, updates on the Welfare Department’s (JKM) Info Bencana application (app) showed that 7,201 flood victims are still at 60 PPS, from 7,730 people at 71 PPS this morning, with Temerloh recording the highest number of flood victims, followed by Pekan, Bentong, Maran, Kuantan and Bera.

According to the State Disaster Management Secretariat, 10 roads are still closed and they included Jalan Kuantan-Segamat in Pekan, Jalan Kuala Lipis-Jerantut (Jerantut), Jalan Bentong-Gua Musang (Lipis), Jalan Sungai Lembing (Kuantan) and Jalan Temerloh-Jerantut (Temerloh).

In NEGERI SEMBILAN, 36 people, involving 12 families, are still at two PPS, from 43 people at (14 families) this morning.

In KELANTAN, the number of flood evacuees remained at 54 people (15 families) at the PPS at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Tok Deh in Pasir Mas.

According to the Drainage and Irrigation Department’s flood portal, the water level in all the major rivers in the state is reported below the danger level.

In MELAKA, the is also no change in the number of evacuees, with 26 people from eight families at the PPS at Sekolah Kebangsaan Penghulu Benteng in Jasin, according to the State Civil Defence Force (APM) director Lt Col (PA) Cuthbert John Martin Quadra.

In SABAH, its Fire and Rescue Department assistant director Sabah Misran Bisara said a family of seven people from Kampung Pantai, Sindumun ini Sipitang, were rescued after they were trapped in the house.

“The department received a call at 5.55 am, follow8ing which a rescue team was sent to the scene. However, the flood water is receding and hopefully the fine weather will continue until evening, when contacted by Bernama.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 29 — LEO Pharma A/S, a global leader in medical dermatology, announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Adbry™ (tralokinumab) for the treatment of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis in adults 18 years or older whose disease is not adequately controlled with topical prescription therapies or when those therapies are not advisable.

Atopic dermatitis is a chronic, inflammatory, skin disease characterised by intense itch and eczematous lesions. Atopic dermatitis is the result of skin barrier dysfunction and immune dysregulation, leading to chronic inflammation.

According to a statement, Adbry can be used with or without topical corticosteroids. It is the first and only FDA approved biologic that specifically binds to and inhibits the IL-13 cytokine, a key driver of atopic dermatitis signs and symptoms.

“Today’s FDA approval of Adbry is a major milestone for LEO Pharma and for the millions of people living with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis who struggle to find a suitable treatment option for this chronic and debilitating disease,” said Chief Financial Officer and Acting Chief Executive Officer of LEO Pharma A/S, Anders Kronborg.

“As our first biologic in the U.S., Adbry signifies important progress in our mission of advancing the standard of care in medical dermatology.”

The approval of Adbry is based on safety and efficacy results from the ECZTRA 1, 2 and ECZTRA 3 pivotal Phase 3 trials, which included nearly 2,000 adult patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis.

Safety data was evaluated from a pool of five randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials, including ECZTRA 1, 2 and ECZTRA 3, a dose-finding trial, and a vaccine response trial.

Adbry will be available in a 150 mg/mL prefilled syringe for subcutaneous injection with an initial dose of 600mg followed by 300mg every other week.

Adbry can be used with or without TCS. A dosage of 300mg every four weeks may be considered for patients below 100kg who achieve clear or almost clear skin after 16 weeks of treatment.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

SEPANG, Dec 29 — Communications and Multimedia Ministry (KKMM) Human Resource Division employee, Roslaini Mat Riffin, 50 and her husband Kamaruddin Said panicked when they saw floodwater entering their house in Taman Intan Baiduri here on Dec 18.

Roslaini said it was the first time her housing estate was inundated after settling here in the past 11 years and they only managed to save some important documents.

“Water rose to thigh-level on Wednesday (Dec 22), and they had to clean the house with their children and office colleagues,” she told Bernama after receiving a “Kotak Kasih” (Gift Box) contribution from KKMM secretary-general Datuk Seri Mohammad Mentek, here today.

Roslaini was among the KKMM staff who were affected by the unusual flood in Sepang starting on Dec 18 which caused dozens of victims to suffer property damage and she expressed her appreciation to KKMM for the contribution.

The Kotak Kasih contribution comprising food and personal-care items were presented to 12 families in Sepang, Dengkil and Klang today by Mohammad in their respective homes.

Meanwhile, KKMM Finance Division undersecretary, Hasan Muda thanked KKMM secretary-general for taking time off to visit employees who were affected by the flood.

“I really valued the ministry’s gesture as it is a big help in time like this. The presence of the secretary-general shows he is concerned about the fate of his staff who were caught in the major flood recently,” he said.

Samiyah Mohd Sarip who is an employee of the Malaysian Digital Economic Corporation (MDEC) is grateful to KKMM for the visit and contribution.

“The flood is the worst as I did not expect it to cause so much damage and we were glad to be alive,” she said.

Among those who received the donation were the staff of KKMM, MDEC, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) as well as CyberSecurity Malaysia (CSM).

They also received cash contributions from Kelab KKMM as well as the KKMM branch of the National Association of Wives of Civil Servants and Women Civil Servants (PCKKMM).

To date, 2,518 KKMM Kotak Kasih were handed over to KKMM employees as well as residents affected by the flood disaster.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

HULU LANGAT, Dec 29 — The Communications and Multimedia Ministry today launched the ‘Operasi Bantu Hingga Selesai’ (Ops BAHIS) to help clean the houses of the flood victims.

Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa said more than 1,000 volunteers would help clean up about 500 flood-affected houses for five days until Sunday.

“We want them (flood victims) to return (to normal life) as soon as possible.

“Volunteers have to make sure that every basic item such as mattresses, pillows and others are replaced with new ones after the cleaning process is completed,” he told reporters when joining 153 volunteers to clean up flood victims’ homes in Sungai Lui near here.

The post-flood clean-up operations are being carried out at three locations badly affected by floods, namely SungaI Lui, Bukit Changgang in Kuala Langat and Taman Sri Muda in Shah Alam.

“We have allocated RM500,000 (which was) donated by various parties. This allocation includes a cash aid of RM500 to flood victims,” he said.

Meanwhile, a flood victim Zainal Mohd Rahima, 49, expressed appreciation for the assistance rendered by various parties including Annuar, volunteers and non-governmental organisations to him and other victims.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 29 — A special committee to look into the proposal to abolish the death penalty will soon submit its findings to the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.

Wan Junaidi in a statement today said he will then present the committee’s findings to the Cabinet and the final decision will be made after the Cabinet has been briefed on the matter.

“There have been repeated calls to abolish the death penalty. As the Minister, my role is to assess the effectiveness of these punishments as a deterrent. We must study this thoroughly before we come to a decision.

“We also need to see if the rehabilitation of convicts, if possible, would be the better option, and in the best interests of the greater society,” he said.

He said the committee was established in 2019 to gauge the public’s response to the proposal as well as to examine the ramifications of such a decision and was asked to look at the issue from several aspects, taking into consideration the views of various stakeholders.

“One critical remit was to evaluate the effectiveness of capital punishment as a deterrent,” said the minister.

Meanwhile, he said the study was in consonant with the government’s aspirations to rehabilitate criminals, where possible and later assimilate them back into their respective communities as valuable members of society.

“If they have done their time, paid their dues, show genuine remorse for what they have done and have been completely rehabilitated, we should not close the door on them,” he said.

According to the statement, the bill to amend laws on the death penalty, as well as other relevant laws, is expected to be tabled in Parliament by the third quarter of 2022.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

PUTRAJAYA, Dec 29 — Three mothers turned up at the National Registration Department (NRD), here, today to request for citizenship documents for their overseas-born children.

This came days after the Court of Appeal dismissed the government’s stay application and ordered the government to issue the children of Malaysian mothers who were born abroad, citizenship documents.

Sharing on what transpired at the NRD, their representative, Family Support and Welfare Selangor and Kuala Lumpur (Family Frontiers) president, Suriani Kempe said the NRD officials swiftly facilitated the process to get the citizenship confirmation certificate for these children which would be issued within three months.

After receiving their kid’s citizenship confirmation certificate, the mothers could then apply for the Malaysian identity card, MyKid or MyKad, for their children, she said.

“This is an exciting day. Today’s trip to the NRD breathed life into that decision and confirmed that Malaysian women have the equal right to confer citizenship to their children,” she told the media after accompanying the three mothers, Myra Eliza Mohd Danil, Adlyn Adam Teoh and another who only wanted to be known as Devi, to the NRD.

On Sept 9 (2021), the High Court declared that children born overseas to Malaysian mothers married to foreigners should be able to automatically pass on their Malaysian citizenship to their children born overseas.

As part of the decision, the High Court ordered the government to issue the relevant documents such as the identity card to these children in recognition of this effect.

Last Wednesday (Dec 22), the Court of Appeal dismissed the government’s application to stay the High Court ruling that children born overseas to Malaysian mothers married to foreigners are entitled to be Malaysian citizens, pending the disposal of an appeal.

The Malaysian government, Home Minister and the NRD director-general as the appellants, filed a stay application pending the hearing of their appeal. The Court of Appeal fixed March 23 next year to hear the appellants’ appeal.

With today’s progress, Suriani advised all affected mothers with a similar predicament to go to the nearest NRD to apply for the MyKad or MyKid for their children.

Myra Eliza, 30, said she had received the overseas birth registration application form and would be submitting it soon.

“As a mother, I am very happy. Since my daughter was four months old, I had tried hard to get a Malaysian citizenship for her but I’ve achieved it only now.

“Before the court’s decision was made, I was very sad as just because I am a woman married to a non-citizen, I could not ‘pass on’ my Malaysian citizenship to my daughter,” she added.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency