Day: January 11, 2022

JASIN, Jan 11 (Bernama) — For the sake of her pets, a woman is willing to brave the stagnating floodwaters at her house in Kampung Lanchang near here for the past nine days to ensure that her cats always have enough food.

Kamsiah Umar, 50, said that despite the fact that she had to stay at her sister’s house in Merlimau to look after their sick mother, she would make a point at 8 am daily, to check on her 20 cats by bringing fish mixed with rice for them.

“Since the flood hit on Jan 2, these cats have had to be left at home, as well as the cats under the care of other siblings who live next door, but we would make sure they are all placed in a high and safe area until the water recedes.

“I worry a lot about my cats, ‘Donde’, ‘Tempe’, ‘Oren’, ‘Barleybear’, ‘Putih’, ‘Musang’ and others, if they have enough food. All my family members also love cats and there are also other siblings who also help send food for cats in the afternoon,” she said when met by Bernama here today.

Kamsiah said that she hoped the stagnant floodwaters in their house area would recede completely, as it was the second time she had faced such a calamity in less than two days, after finishing cleaning the house after the first wave of floods occurred in mid-December.

Kamsiah, who works as a factory operator in Merlimau, said that she could not go to work for almost 20 days.

“I could hardly catch a breather because after cleaning up the house the floods recurred, but such is the test of life. I just have to calm down and accept it as it is,” she said.

Meanwhile, Awang Umar, 54, said that he could not wait to return home because he had stayed at the temporary relief centre (PPS) of Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Parit Penghulu for 11 days, and another nine days at PPS SK Seri Mendapat.

He also hoped that the relevant parties could find a solution to the problem of frequent flooding soon, as he and six other families in the area did not wish to face such a situation again in the future.

“The first time the water level was only at calf level but this time it was at waist level. I only returned home for two days after the first time and the nearby river water started to overflow in the evening, and as expected our area was flooded again,” he said

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

MELAKA, Jan 11 — The Melaka state government has allocated RM900,000 to construct a bund in Teluk Berembang Lubok China in Alor Gajah and Kampung Lanchang, as well as Parit Penghulu in Jasin, to overcome flood problems in the three affected areas.

Melaka Irrigation and Drainage Department (JPS) director Abd Hakim Hamzah said the three areas were affected by the recent floods and implementation of the projects would be carried out as soon as possible.

“For Teluk Berembang, the allocation is RM500.000, which includes for repair work when 100-metre of the bunds burst during the first wave of the floods and work has now resumed since a week ago after Sungai Rembau receded.

“For Parit Penghulu, the allocation is RM200,000 and work will start tomorrow involving areas in Jalan Janda Berhias and Kampung Parit Putat Benteng, while in Kampung Lanchang, which is getting RM200,000, work will begin after the flood water in the area has completely receded,” he told reporters here today.

Abd Hakim said his party proposed the construction of tires and water channels out to the drains to reduce the risk of floods if it rains in the future around Kampung Lanchang and Parit Penghulu.

Meanwhile, Abd Hakim said the department had started pumping out the stagnant flood water in Kampung Lanchang since two days ago.

The water could not be pumped out earlier because the water could not flow out as the river water was still overflowing its banks, he added.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 11 — World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL) group managing director, Datuk Seri Dr Irmohizam Ibrahim, has been unanimously chosen as the inaugural chairman of the Convention and Exhibition (C&E) Member Advisory Council (MAC), World Trade Centres Association (WTCA), which is headquartered in New York, United States.

WTCKL said that Irmohizam’s appointment will be for a period of two years.

Previously, WTCA divided the C&E MAC into several regions – the Asia-Pacific; America; and Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), WTCKL said in a statement today.

“Recently, all WTCA board members agreed to merge all MACs into one global group. The amalgamation will increase participation in business events, exhibitions and conventions from all WTCA members.

“It is hoped that it will also benefit the rest of the world to collaborate and diversify services such as the Business Events (BE) industry.

The Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) and BE industries were heavily impacted by the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.

It is estimated that the lockdowns (full and partial) and the delays in reopening the industry have cost Malaysia, in particular, more than RM27.5 billion in gross domestic product (GDP) losses. Furthermore, the Malaysian tourism industry suffered a loss in revenue of RM45 billion.

With the new merger, it is hoped that all WTCA members can work together to rejuvenate and re-elevate the industry in the post-pandemic period.

“It is a great honour not just to be the first Malaysian, but also the first Bumiputera to hold this position in chairing the global Convention and Exhibition industry. I sincerely hope that our country’s image can be enhanced and viewed positively by the world through more cooperation and collaboration amongst WTCA members, which now comprises 326 WTCs worldwide. In order to revive this industry, an open and inclusive approach by each member is necessary,” said Irmohizam in the same statement.

Meanwhile, Okay Basbug, of WTC Istanbul, has been elected as vice-chairman.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

SANDAKAN, Jan 11 — The dilapidated Sungai Batang suspension bridge in Kampung Nelayan Tengah near here is already more than 30 years old and needs to be replaced to ensure the safety of villagers using it.

Sungai Manila Community Development chief Isgau Abdullah said the 150-metre-long bridge had seen better days since it was upgraded 20 years ago from a wooden bridge to a concrete-supported cable network structure with a wooden pathway.

“A RM100,000 allocation to repair the bridge had been requested for and processed by the Sandakan Municipal Council (MPS) on Nov 28.

“However, given its current condition, the amount is no longer adequate. Maybe around RM500,000 is needed to build a new and stronger bridge,” he said.

He said this to reporters during a gotong royong to repair the bridge by villagers here today.

Yesterday, a Bernama photograph of students crossing the dilapidated bridge went viral, generating an outpouring of sympathy and concern for those who exposed themselves to danger when using the bridge.

Isgau said as a temporary measure, Sungai Manila state assemblyman Mokran Ingkat and appointed state assemblyman Datuk Suhaimi Nasir, who is also Libaran UMNO division chief, had extended funds to replace the broken and displaced planks on the bridge.

He said about 90 residents from Kampung Nelayan Tengah and Kampung Pampang use the bridge to go to Sekolah Kebangsaan Sibugal Besar, the Nurul Hidayah Mosque and to board public buses at Kampung Sibugal Besar across the river.

He said engineers from the Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU) and MPS were scheduled to make a reassessment of the bridge on Thursday based on the RM100,000 applied for.

A Kampung Nelayan Tengah resident, Hajiril Hajid, 62, was thankful that no untoward incidents had happened at the bridge but urged the government to take speedy action because the rickety bridge posed a danger to the public.

“One of our worries is that the river has crocodiles. We do not want an incident involving the reptiles, especially when the bridge is often used by children going to school,” said Hajiril, who is a fisherman.

Army retiree Azman Beddu, 44, from the same village, said the students were often late to school as they had to take extra precautions when crossing the bridge.

“We also do not have a mosque (in Kampung Nelayan Tengah) and this bridge serves as a link to Kampung Sibugal Besar for our Friday prayers,” he said.

A Bernama check found several cables under the bridge had snapped and planks from the footpath installed on the bridge had broken or come undone.

When it was upgraded 20 years ago, the bridge could take a load of up 1,000 kilogrammes at any one time.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency