Day: April 18, 2022

IPOH, April18 (Bernama) — The Perak Innovation and Creative Resource Centre (PINCER) in Meru Raya, here, is being redeveloped without the use of public funds.

Ipoh mayor, Datuk Rumaizi Baharin said the PINCER studio was expected to be operational from this July and implemented under the Public-Private Partnership and is part of the Ipoh City Council’s plan to give added value to the city’s tourism sector through the ‘Cultural City’ element.

“The reactivating of this studio is fully funded by a private company, PINCER MBI Studio Sdn Bhd which was set up last month to manage the studio which has been neglected since four years ago.

“The PINCER studio was developed by the Perak State Development Corporation (PKNP) at a cost of RM20 million in 2011. It was managed by a private company from 2013 but four years later, the company stopped managing the studio and it became idle.

“So, we are redeveloping this studio but without using public funds. To me, it should not involve public funding at all as it’s better to use the funds to build roads or drains,” he said after visiting the PINCER studio.

Last Saturday, Rumaizi said that reactivating the studio which would offer various facilities including green screens, creative studios, voice recording, multimedia recording and studio services could also attract foreign investors such as from China and Indonesia. Hence, Ipoh could become one of Malaysia’s advanced creative industry hubs, after Cyberjaya in Selangor and Johor Bahru, Johor.

However, many netizens have questioned whether it is apt to reactivate the PINCER studio as they feel it would be a waste of public funds.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KOTA BHARU, April 18 (Bernama) — TEKUN Nasional has disbursed RM200 million under the Informal and Micro Financing Scheme (SPIM) to 31,000b entrepreneurs nationwide, said Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Minister Tan Sri Noh Omar.

He said under the scheme, traders were eligible to receive a maximum financing of up to RM10,000 without profit charge and a moratorium for 12 months.

“This initiative by the government is to help informal entrepreneurs, including those who do business from home and without a business license. Some are eligible to receive financing of RM3,000 and a maximum of RM10,000 depending on their needs,” he said and hoped the recipients concerned would make their repayments as scheduled to enable others to also benefit from it.

He told this to reporters at the presentation of aid to Keluarga Malaysia entrepreneurs affected by the floods, which was also attended by Tekun Nasional managing director Datuk Adam Abdul Ghani.

Earlier, he presented the Keluarga Malaysia Flood Relief Grant (BBKM) worth RM3,000 each to a total of 1,677 Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM) and TEKUN Nasional entrepreneurs in Kelantan, involving an allocation of RM5 million.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, April 18 (Bernama) — Prices of flight tickets have been reduced by over 30 per cent after the Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) agreed to cooperate in lowering the rates during the festive season.

Transport Ministry secretary-general Datuk Isham Ishak, however, said the commission would issue a detailed statement on its efforts to look into the reduced fares.

“Some people say that the price (flight tickets) has increased by 70 per cent but we have managed to reduce the rate and prices have already gone down as of this morning.

“This is because we have managed to increase flight frequency by having the planes redeployed to focus on this (festival) sector,” he told reporters after a ceremony to send off Express Rail Link (ERL) staff to assist the Al Mashaaer Al Mugaddassah Metro Line operation for the 2022 Haj season at KL Sentral, today.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob reminded airline operators not to make excessive profits by raising the price of flight tickets to Sabah and Sarawak exorbitantly during this festive season.

Of late, the issue over flight ticket prices to Sabah and Sarawak has become a hot topic after the price displayed on an airline’s website was said to have increased to RM2,000 for return flights to Sabah or Sarawak, compared to the usual price of RM300 for the same trip.

Meanwhile, referring to the proposal on the establishment of the National Rail Centre of Excellence (NRCOE), as a centre of excellence for the railway industry, Isham said it was expected to be approved by the Cabinet soon.

He said the country’s rail transport industry still lacked local expertise and it is hoped that the NRCOE would be able to ensure that the local rail industry development is according to the Malaysian standard requirements.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, April 18 (Bernama) — Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd (ERL) will be sending 25 of its staff to Saudi Arabia to support the operations of the Al Mashaaer Al Mugaddasah Metro Line (Makkah Metro) in conjunction with the haj season this year.

ERL chief executive officer Noormah Mohd Noor said this year marked ERL’s ninth year involvement in providing operational support to the Makkah Metro since 2012.

She said this was the result of the collaboration with China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) which was appointed by the Saudi Arabian government to operate the Makkah Metro line.

“ERL is honoured to be given the trust once again by CRCC to provide experienced and competent staff (to support the operations of the Makkah Metro) for the next three years until 2024.

“However, unlike previous years, they will face new challenges in carrying out their duties this time as the pandemic is not over yet,” she said at the sending-off ceremony of ERL staff to support the operations of the Makkah Metro for the 2022 haj season, at KL Sentral today.

The 25 ERL employees will be seconded for a period of two to three months and the first team will leave next Wednesday followed by the second team on May 20.

They will be providing operational support to the Makkah Metro including station management, platform and waiting room operations, operation control centre and train drivers.

Saudi Arabia had previously announced that it would allow one million pilgrims from within and outside the country to perform the haj pilgrimage this year.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

SEMPORNA, 18 April (Bernama) — Losing seven family members in the boat capsize tragedy in the waters of Kampung Tandoan, Pulau Timbun Mata on April 14 has left Mazlan Harimalam traumatised.

Mazlan, 24, the survivor of the incident, had lost his mother, two younger sisters, two sons, as well as his niece and nephew in the tragedy.

“When we left from Kampung Bakung-Bakung to Tandoan, the weather was good. But, after 10 minutes, we were suddenly struck by strong winds and high waves, causing the boat to overturn.

“I only thought of the safety of the children, but it was dark at that time. With the strong winds and high waves, I only managed to pull three people before clinging to the boat,” he told Bernama.

Mazlan, the sixth of nine siblings, said they wanted to visit family members in Kampung Tandoan and celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri there.

On April 14, five people were reported drowned, two missing, while another 14 survived after the boat they were in capsized in the waters of Kampung Tandoan.

The bodies of the last two victims of the boat capsize tragedy were found floating near the scene on April 16, bringing the total casualties of the incident to seven people out of 21 passengers of the boat.

Meanwhile, 39-year-old Bilah Ahmad, another survivor, said he did all he could to survive after clinging to the boat for over two hours while holding his one-year-old daughter and nephew in the rough sea conditions.

“I thought I would die. At that time, I felt weak and my voice was barely audible because I shouted for help many times,” he said.

Recounting the anxious moments, he said after the boat capsized, the situation became chaotic, with victims struggling to swim to safety.

“Many were swept away by strong waves, including my mother-in-law. My wife was almost washed away as she did not know how to swim. Fortunately, I managed to pull her hand.

“We were drifted to the shore. It just so happened that someone was walking near the shore and heard our screams for help. We were rescued by nearby residents who came with two boats at about 9 pm,” he said.

The tragedy also caught the attention of Semporna UMNO Division chief Abdul Manan Indanan, who presented financial assistance and groceries to the survivors and victims’ next-of-kin.

Abdul Manan, who is also the Sulabayan Community Development Leader, reminded all parties to always prioritise safety.

“I will raise the issues, such as wearing life jackets and ferrying passengers within the load limit and capacity, to the District Action Meeting to remind boat operators to always take care of their passengers’ safety.

“We will also conduct an awareness campaign to ensure that the safety aspect is not taken lightly by the public,” he added.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

MELAKA, April 18 (Bernama) — The Melaka state government today introduced the use of e-wallets through the Touch ‘n Go app for trishaw services in the state, Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali said.

He said the initiative, introduced by the Tourism Promotion Division, was in line with the development of technology and was user friendly and was a step to stop the spread of COVID-19 infections.

“As of today, almost 80 per cent of trishaw pullers in Melaka have received payments through the Touch ‘n Go e-wallet and it is estimated that all 305 registered trishaw pullers will use this method of payment soon.

“Melaka trishaws are the first in the country to use the e-wallet app and I congratulate those who have transitioned to using the Touch ‘n Go app,” he told reporters after presenting Hari Raya Aidilfitri donations to trishaw pullers in the state at Bandar Hilir here today.

Sulaiman said the 305 registered trishaw pullers in the state received RM200 in cash and basic necessities and the one-off donation was an annual agenda for the state government in its efforts to ensure the welfare of the group. He hoped that the donations would reduce their burden and help them in their preparation for the festivities after being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, trishaw puller, Amran Hashim, 50, said the introduction of the e-wallet would add value to the industry in terms of the use of technology and help trishaw pullers to become more tech-savvy.

Amran, how has been plying his trade for a decade, said the method gave customers more payment choices as most domestic tourists preferred cashless payment methods.

“Moving on, we hope more tourists will use e-wallet payments as it makes payments easy. It’s easier and safer as we are still not free of COVID-19,” he said.

Another trishaw puller, Mohd Izwan Taib, 31, said the use of e-wallets was more secure as the payments would be deposited directly into their accounts, and help them avoid from losing the money accidentally and curb unnecessary spending.

“When customers pay with e-wallet, we don’t have to hold cash like before. So when we don’t have money in hand, expenses can be controlled,” the six-year trishaw veteran said.

He added that the method also helped them to save some of their income and also had a more systematic inflow of money into their bank accounts.

Fellow trishaw puller, Mohd Safwan Aziz, 29, shared that the e-wallet payments made paying for trishaw rides easy as they did not have to worry about having spare change for customer payments.

“Trishaw rides cost RM25 and RM50 per trip according to determined distance. So previously we would have to prepare spare change for customers,” he added.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, April 18 (Bernama) — The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) is targeting the participation of 1.5 million people including school and tertiary students, educators and scientists, as well as from the public and private sectors, and non-governmental organisations at the Keluarga Malaysia National Science Week (MSN) 2022.

MOSTI, as the main organiser of MSN, said the event this time would feature a different concept each month from this April to October, based on seven shortlisted focus areas with each focusing on inculcating the theme of cross-cluster.

“The seven focus areas are Planet Health, Chemistry and Biotechnology, Peaceful Use of Nuclear, Social Innovations, Engineering, Nanotechnology and Space.

“The cross-cluster theme, meanwhile, comprises Creativity, Innovation, Science of Communication, Security, Economy, People’s Well-Being, International Cooperation, Culcuralization and Awareness, and Environmental Sustainability – 41R,” said MOSTI in a statement.

Themed ‘Merakyatkan Sains, Menginsankan Teknologi’ (Popularising Science, Humanising Technology) this time, the MSN returns for the fifth year and rebranded as MSN Keluarga Malaysia 2022.

According to the statement, the theme choice is in line with the aim of making science the norm for the people and technology as an economic catalyst.

“MSN Keluarga Malaysia 2022 is also a platform that supports the government’s efforts towards producing more scientists and researchers in the future.

“It will be fully conducted online with the holding of over 110 activities and programmes including competitions, seminars, talks, quizzes, virtual exhibitions and workshops, appointment of a science, technology and innovation (TI) icon, virtual explore race, video-making competition, and virtual greet-and-meet sessions.

“Throughout this event, the main focus is on the involvement of students, besides education and culturalization of STI from the primary school level to inculcate interest in the field.

“This is in line with the efforts undertaken in facing the challenges of Industrial Revolution 4.0 which demands renewal or discovery of new technologies in fields such as robotic automation, electric power generation, artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR) and so on,” it said.

To register for and follow the online activities and programmes, go to the MSN Keluarga Malaysia 2022 official website at www.minggusainsnegara.com.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency