Day: March 20, 2022

KUALA NERUS, March 20 (Bernama) — It was double joy for Nurulafifah Yahya when she and her younger sister, Nurul Ezzah, graduated together after completing their studies for a doctorate in philosophy (PhD) and a bachelor’s degree, respectively, at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu‘s (UMT) 19th convocation ceremony today.

Nurulafifah, 34, graduated with a PhD in marine science, while Nurul Ezzah, 25, obtained a first-class bachelor’s degree in tourism management.

The siblings were among 2,540 students who received their scrolls at the ceremony, which began today and runs until March 23.

The ceremony went smoothly with compliance to the standard operating procedure (SOP) set by the Health Ministry.

Currently, Nurulafifah works as an assistant lecturer at UMT, while her sister is pursuing a master’s degree in tourism management at Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin.

“My mother’s, Rabiah Hamzah, 62, perseverance in bringing us up after my father’s death is our inspiration to achieve excellence in our studies to change the fate of the family,” said Nurulafifah, who received MyBrain15 (MyMaster and MyPhD) sponsorship from the Higher Education Ministry.

The UMT Senate also agreed to award the honorary doctorate in economics to the former UMT Board of Directors chairman, Tan Sri Mohammad Azlan Hashim, and the honorary Master of Social Sciences degree to national track cycling champion Datuk Azizulhasni Awang.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, March 20 (Bernama) — The Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, and the Raja Permaisuri Agong, Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, today congratulated the Tunku Azizah Hospital (HTA) here for conducting the first successful separation of premature conjoined twins in Malaysia.

Istana Negara, in a posting on its official Facebook page, said Their Majesties also expressed their gratitude when the ‘Omphalopagus’ conjoined twins were successfully separated yesterday without major complications.

“Their Majesties prayed that the conjoined twins would be in good health and recover quickly and be able to live a life like other children,” said the posting.

HTA team led by Datuk Dr Zakaria Zahari including 13 specialists from all over the country, as well as about 20 nurses and staff at the paediatric operating theater, successfully separated the 17-day-old conjoined twins who were the youngest ever in the country to have undergone the procedure.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, March 20 (Bernama) — A total of 153 cases or 0.68 per cent of the 22,341 new COVID-19 cases reported yesterday (March 19) involved categories three to five, said Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

He said the remaining 22,188 cases were in categories one and two, thus taking the cumulative number of COVID-19 infections in the country to 3,974,019.

Meanwhile, 33,347 recovered cases were reported yesterday, bringing the cumulative number of recoveries to 3,656,415.

“Of the 153 cases in categories three to five, 48 involved unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated individuals, 61 had received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine but not the booster shot and 44 cases had received the booster dose,” he said in a statement today.

Dr Noor Hisham said 1,394 COVID-19 cases were admitted to the hospital yesterday, with 554 cases or 39.7 per cent involving categories three to five, while 840 cases or 60.3 per cent comprised categories one and two.

He said a total of 390 patients required treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU) and 291 of them required respiratory assistance.

Meanwhile, nine states showed more than 50 per cent usage of ICU beds, namely Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya (67 per cent); Perlis (64 per cent); Kelantan (63 per cent); Johor (59 per cent); Selangor (58 per cent); Sarawak (53 per cent); as well as Perak and Penang (51 per cent).

Dr Noor Hisham said the infectivity rate (Rt) in the country is now at 0.92, with Sarawak having the highest value at 1.06.

Other states with Rt exceeding 1.0 are Kuala Lumpur (1.03) as well as Negeri Sembilan and Perak (1.01 each).

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

JOHOR BAHRU, March 20 (Bernama) — The Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) has planned various strategies and mechanisms to assist flood relief operations, especially in badly affected areas, for the monsoon transition phase that is expected to last till May.

Army Western Field Commander Lieutenant-General Datuk Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan said the matter has been discussed at the state and district level disaster management committees so that all arrangements would go according to plan.

“We are always prepared to deal with the monsoon transition phase. Systems and mechanisms are there. For mobilisation in the early stages, (focus) is on affected areas followed by sending assets to expected high-risk areas,” he said at the launch of the Semangat Bersatu Series 26/2022 joint exercise between the Malaysian Army and the Singapore Army at Ulu Tiram Camp, Army Combat Training Centre (PULADA) here today.

Also present was Singapore Armed Forces Commander, Training and Doctrine Command, Brigadier General Andrew Lim Heng Tiew.

Regarding the Semangat Bersatu exercise, Muhammad Hafizuddeain said it was aimed to strengthen military cooperation between teams of both countries and build understanding and tolerance between countries.

He said the exercise, from March 18 to 25, involved 295 MAF officers and personnel 95 Singaporean officers and personnel.

The exercise is focused in offensive operations, involving two phases of conventional warfare in the general area of Ulu Tebrau.

He added that the exercise would test the infantry units function with the involvement of various combat elements and combat assistance in taking on any threat and achieving bilateral relations between both countries.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, March 20 (Bernama) — Bantuan Keluarga Malaysia (BKM) aid will be paid in stages with Phase One payment involving an allocation of almost RM2 billion credited from March 28.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob in a statement today said 8.6 million recipients would be receiving payment of between RM100 to RM300 based on the eligibility of each recipient encompassing four million households, 1.2 million senior citizens (single or without spouse) and 3.4 million single individuals.

“For household, senior citizen and single individual recipients, the date of payment will start from March 28 to April 8 and it would be credited directly into their bank accounts.

For recipients who have no bank accounts (including Sabah and Sarawak), payment will start from March 30 through Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) branches. BSN will issue the guiding standard operating procedures (SOP) from time to time,” he said.

BKM is a direct cash aid initiative announced in Budget 2022 to benefit the B40 group.

Ismail Sabri said the payment is also to lighten the financial burden of the people especially those celebrating the month of Ramadan.

“Checks on BKM approval status can be carried from March 28 2022 via https://bkm.hasil.gov.my,” he said.

To ensure the BKM programme reached the targeted eligible groups, the Prime Minister said the period for appeal would be opened for one month from May 2.

He said the process for the reconsideration of applications which were not approved by giving space for them to submit their appeals with relevant documents to be reviewed by the Inland Revenue Board (IRB).

“The government is always sensitive to the current needs of the people and would continue to be committed to ensure the well-being of the Malaysian Family especially the target groups,” he said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KOTA BHARU, March 20 (Bernama) — The Ministry of Communications and Multimedia (K-KOMM) has issued a stern warning to all television company operators not to display any scenes that touch on religious and other sensitivities in the country.

Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa said the ministry would not hesitate to take action if there were television stations that violated the guidelines set.

“Under the current regulation, the government gives the authority to censor drama content to the television station itself, where they are required to control it themselves.

“If we find that the television station does not follow certain guidelines, especially touching on issues related to religion, culture, customs and so on, then I will review the facility (censorship authority), and we may revoke it,” he told reporters after presenting donations to Form Six students in the Ketereh parliamentary constituency in conjunction with the ‘Back To School’ program, here today.

He was asked to comment on a video uploaded by a local actor on his Instagram account which featured hot scenes believed to be from a drama that had yet to be aired.

Annuar said the facilities provided on a trust basis by the government under the Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) should not be taken lightly by television companies.

“For me, scenes that are not in line with the culture of the Malays and Muslims, and that offend the Malays and Muslims should not even reach a stage where the ministry needs to step in and reprimand, because we need to understand for ourselves, the boundaries of scenes that are inappropriate,” he said.

Commenting further, Annuar said he had asked the parties involved in the drama to provide a written explanation, and if it was not deemed satisfactory, the drama would not be allowed to be aired.

After a video clip of the scenes went viral, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Idris Ahmad through his Facebook had also informed that he would be contacting the parties involved to resolve the matter.

Meanwhile, Sistem Televisyen Malaysia Berhad (TV3) in a media statement yesterday said that the scenes shown in the clip were not suitable to be broadcast and were neither discussed nor approved by the television station.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency