Day: January 4, 2022

SHAH ALAM, Jan 4 — The owner of a driving school in Taman Sri Muda in Section 25 here could only sigh after seeing the premises he has been operating from for almost 23 years completely damaged by the floods of Dec 18 last year.

ManduCekap Hi_Tec Sdn Bhd chairman and owner E. Vennarajan estimated his loss at RM350,000, as he would have to repair all damaged facilities, electrical equipment and vehicles at the driving school, just three months after the centre resumed operations in mid-September 2021.

“Our premises suffered 100 per cent damage, including equipment in the office. Kurikulum Pendidikan Pemandu (KPP) books for students, and students’ L and P licences were also damaged and scattered about and we could not salvage them to be distributed to students on Monday (Dec 20).

“A total of 50 cars, 33 motorcycles including three high-powered motorcycles, two Hino lorries, all for the use of student training, could not be removed before the incident because the outside area was flooded. We were besieged and at that time I just had to accept what happened,” he said when met by Bernama here today.

He said the driving school area was not usually flooded even when flash floods hit before because of its slightly higher location than other places in Taman Sri Muda.

“This time, the water rose to 1.6 metres and remained for up to three days. No one expected it as in the history of this driving school, there has never been a flood like this.

“But we will still try our best to reopen this school so that it can operate next Wednesday (Jan 12),” said Vennarajan, who was monitoring the cleaning and repair works at the driving school.

Asked whether the driving school would be relocated to a safer place, he said it had crossed his mind due to the huge losses he had suffered.

“But then people in Shah Alam already know this place. When there is a flood, I have a plan to relocate the office at the school to a higher area that may reduce the impact of floods after this,” he said.

He said the Selangor Road Transport Department would help him manage KPP books and damaged students’ driving licences.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

HULU LANGAT, Jan 4 — A total of 800 veterans and personnel of the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) have been identified as flood victims nationwide who are eligible for aid, said Deputy Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz.

He said they were given RM500 in cash aid and rice cookers to ease their burden.

“Besides that, they received daily necessities such as toothbrushes, soap, rice, oil, sardines and other items from Angkasa Mukmin Sdn Bhd.

“Mindef (Ministry of Defence) is the only ministry that has created a special department, namely the Department of Veteran Affairs (JHEV) to look after the welfare of MAF veterans,” he said in a press conference at Taman Sri Nanding here today.

Ikmal Hisham said the assistance was in addition to aid provided by the government to flood victims.

He said the ministry would intensify assistance to veterans affected by floods under the MAF Cakna Veteran programme.

“For today, we are focusing on Taman Sri Nanding and will ensure that all MAF veterans receive assistance. God willing, this Friday I will go to Klang to help the veterans there,” he said.

Earlier, Ikmal Hisham visited five families of veterans in Taman Sri Nanding, Hulu Langat and provided assistance to them.

Veteran Nordin Mohammad, 65, who was one of the recipients, expressed his appreciation for MAF’s concern.

“I am proud of MAF. Even though I have retired for 22 years, they still take care of our welfare,” he said.

Also present was JHEV director-general Maj Gen Datuk Dzulkarnain Ahmad.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 4 — Pengurusan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Air Selangor) will waive the January 2022 water bill of domestic account holders (Tariff Code 10) in nine areas here affected by the recent floods.

Air Selangor, in a statement today, said among the areas eligible for the bill payment exemption are Kampung Pasir, Jalan Batu Bata and Jalan Rahmat (near WTC KL), Jalan Raja Chulan, Kampung Chubadak, Kampung Delima, Kampung Kasipillay, Kampung Kolam Air, Lorong Jambu Laut and Lorong Raja Mahadi.

According to Air Selangor, customers in the flood-hit areas will automatically receive the waiver for a period of one month which does not require them to fill out or submit any form to the water utility company.

“During this payment exemption period, monthly water bills will still be issued by Air Selangor. However, customers who are eligible to receive the waiver will not have to make any payment for the specified period,” it said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 4 — The number of flood evacuees at relief centres rose in Johor and Pahang tonight compared to this evening and declined in Negeri Sembilan, Melaka and Sabah, while the number of evacuees in Selangor and Terengganu remained the same.

In JOHOR, state Health and Environment Committee chairman R. Vidyananthan said there were 5,923 evacuees from 1,585 families at 81 relief centres in seven districts, compared to 5,888 people this evening.

“Segamat still holds the highest number of evacuees, with 4,311 people, Tangkak (601), Mersing (540), Kota Tinggi (131), Kluang (120), Muar (118) and Batu Pahat (102).

“Currently only Batu Pahat is experiencing rain, while it is cloudy in Segamat, Kluang, Kota Tinggi and Mersing. There is fair weather in Tangkak and Muar,” he said in a statement tonight.

In PAHANG, the number of evacuees rose slightly tonight, to 2,308 people compared to 2,265 people this evening with 37 centres operating in the districts of Raub, Jerantut, Temerloh, Bera, Maran, Kuantan, Pekan and Rompin.

The publicinfobanjir.water.gov.my website meanwhile reported that water levels of Sungai Pahang in Kuala Sungai Chini, Pekan and Sungai Serting in Padang Gudang, Bera were still above danger levels but have shown downward trends tonight.

In NEGERI SEMBILAN, the number of evacuees has dropped to 1,628 people from 448 families at 15 centres tonight compared to 1,666 people (462 families) at 16 centres this evening.

The number of evacuees also dropped in MELAKA, with 1,771 people from 472 families at 8 pm compared to 2,155 people from 565 families at 4 pm. The floods have caused evacuations in 14 areas in Alor Gajah, nine areas in Melaka Tengah, and 11 areas in Jasin.

A total of 318 people from 92 families are currently housed in six relief centres in Alor Gajah, 1,154 people from 300 families are at nine centres in Melaka Tengah while 299 people from 80 families are at three centres in Jasin.

The situation was the same in SABAH, with evacuees dropping to 3,365 people from 1,331 families tonight compared to 3,377 people from 1,330 families this evening, according to the Sabah state disaster management secretariat.

The secretariat said a centre at Dewan Kampung Kiabau in Telupid was closed while 30 more remained open in six flood-affected districts in the state.

Kota Marudu district still had the highest number of evacuees, with 2,659 people from 1,115 families at 14 centres, followed by Pitas (307 people, 127 families, four centres), Telupid (216 people, 49 families, seven centres), Sandakan (46 people, seven families, one centre) Beluran (38 people, 10 families, one centre) and Paitan sub-district (99 people, 23 families and three centres).

Three landslides occurred in Ranau district that affected Jalan Bongkud, Jalan Stadium Ranau and Jalan Timbau-Melinsau. Also, three more incidents were detected in Kinabatangan, in Ladang SLDB Sukau, Kampung Sagaliud Seberang and Kampung Wariasan.

In SELANGOR, the number of evacuees remained unchanged at 40 people in Kuala Langat district, being housed at Dewan Orang Ramai Kampung Kelanang (25 people) and Balai Raya Majlis Pengurusan Komuniti Kampung (MPKK) Banting (15 people).

Besides that, the publicinfobanjir.water.gov.my website showed that water levels at Sungai Bernam in Rimba KDR, Sabak Bernam remained above the danger level while Sungai Langat in Bukit Changgang, Kuala Langat, which was at warning level this evening has dropped to alert level as of 8 pm.

In TERENGGANU, the number of evacuees remained at 19 people from five families at two centres in Kemaman tonight.

Nine people from three families are being housed at the centre in Sekolah Kebangsaan Lembah Jabor while 10 people from two families are housed at the centre in Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Geliga .

Also, the Terengganu state disaster management committee said that rescue teams would be monitoring at coastal areas following a forecasted tidal surge phenomenon expected to reach 3.7 metres high tonight,” he said

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

MANJUNG, Jan 4 — Turtle landing and eco-tourism activities as well as the physical structure of Pasir Panjang beach will be destroyed if the state government does not re-gazette the area, said Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM).

SAM field researcher Meor Razak Meor Abdul Rahman said the area was de-gazetted on Feb 2, 1989 and since then various tree planting programmes had been implemented before being threatened by an illegal sand extraction project since last November.

He said several non-governmental organisations have filed a complaint about the illegal activity on Nov 4.

“The community in the area informed that the authorities entered the area in early December and thought actions had been taken but were shocked to see movement of sand mining machinery in the area which has been fenced on Dec 28,” he said.

“We went to the area two days ago and found that trees in the forest area had been cut down to make way for heavy vehicles to transport the extracted sand out of the area. Cut trees were piled up in addition to environmental destruction. This is very sad, “he said.

He told this to reporters in a media conference today at the site, about 91 kilometres from Ipoh.

Also present were villagers from the surrounding area who held a peaceful protest against the sand mining project.

Meor Razak claimed that to date, about 30 per cent of the 130 hectares area had been encroached and it was feared that this would affect the turtle landing site, the coastal ecosystems as well as animals such as the Sun Bear and their natural habitats.

He said based on the National Physical Plan, all turtle landing sites in the Peninsula including in Pasir Panjang beach were categorised as Rank 1 ESA (environmentally sensitive area) which can only be used for activities involving low-impact tourism, education and research.

Checks by Bernama found felled trees, piles of wood as well as the presence of three sand dredgers in the area which had been marked with barricade tapes by the authorities.

Bernama had previously reported that the Manjung Municipal Council (MPM) had not received any application for the sand mining activity and had issued a stop-work order against the project.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUCHING, Jan 4 — Today’s swearing-in ceremony of the new Sarawak Cabinet and assistant ministers created its own history when it was held virtually in front of the Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly building here.

Also present to witness the hybrid ceremony were Chief Minister Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg and his wife, Puan Sri Juma’ani Tun Tuanku Bujang.

The swearing-in ceremony was led by the three deputy chief ministers – Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan and Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian.

This was followed by the other ministers, namely Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah, Datuk Seri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Datuk Seri Lee Kim Shin, Datuk John Sikie Tayai, Datuk Julaihi Narawi and Datuk Roland Sagah Wee Inn.

This was followed by the assistant ministers, comprising Datuk Francis Harden Hollis, Datuk Dr Jerip Susil, Datuk Liwan Lagang, Datuk Rosey Yunus, Datuk Len Talif Saleh, Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi, Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail, Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Syeed Aman Ghazali, Dr Annuar Rapa’ee, Datuk Dr Malcolm Mussen Lamoh, Datuk Dr Penguang Manggil, Datuk Snowdan Lawan, Datuk Abdullah Saidol and Datuk Sebastian Ting Chiew Yew.

The Sarawak Cabinet, which comprises 10 ministers and 26 assistant ministers, also featured 12 new faces, namely Datuk Gerawat Gala, Dr Hazland Abang Hipni, Datuk Juanda Jaya, Aidel Lariwoo, Datuk Henry Harry Jinep, Dr Ripin Lamat, Mohamad Razi Sitam, Martin Ben, Datuk Majang Renggi, Jefferson Jamit Unyat, Gerald Rentap Jabu and Micheal Tiong Ming Tee.

Abang Johari, who is also the Gedong assemblyman and chairman of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), was sworn in on Dec 18 immediately after GPS won the 12th State Election.

GPS, which comprises Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), won 76 of the 82 state seats contested in the election.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency