Day: April 28, 2022

KUANTAN, April 28 (Bernama) — Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah today visited four house fire victims who are being treated at the intensive care unit (ICU) of Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan (HTAA), here.

Al-Sultan Abdullah arrived at the HTAA main lobby at 3.15 pm, accompanied by Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah and two sons, the Regent of Pahang Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah and Tengku Panglima Raja Tengku Amir Nasser Ibrahim Shah.

Also present during the visit were Pahang Fire and Rescue Department director, Datuk Dr Wan Mohammad Zaidi Wan Isa; Pahang Health director, Datuk Dr Nor Azimi Yunus and Kuantan district police chief, ACP Wan Mohd Zahari Wan Busu.

Their Majesties then spent about 35 minutes visiting the fire victims at the ICU and were briefed on the fire incident by Wan Mohammad Zaidi before leaving the hospital at 3.55 pm.

A two-year-old male child perished in the fire involving two single-storey, semi-detached houses in Jalan Permatang Badak Perdana 2, here, at 3.15 am today.

Wan Mohd Zahari said the fatal victim was Aisliki Mohd Saupi and those seriously injured were the child’s father, Mohd Saupi Mat Daud, 37, his wife Nurolzila Mohd Nor, 31, his sister Shaida, 32, and his friend, Mohd Azwan Kali, 35.

“The fire is believed to have started from the living room of Mohd Saupi’s house followed by an explosion.

“The fire then spread to the adjoining house of a couple and their son, aged five years, and eight-month-old daughter. However, they were unhurt,” he said when contacted.

Wan Mohd Zahari said the cause of the fire and estimated losses were still being investigated.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

JOHOR BAHRU, April 28 (Bernama) — Eighteen complaints on the sale of subsidised RON95 petrol to foreign-registered vehicles were received by the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) from Jan 1 until yesterday.

Its Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said all the cases were reported in Johor and from the total, nine investigation papers had been opened with operators of the petrol station involved being called to have their statement recorded.

“The cases are being investigated under the Control of Supplies Act 1961 and there are no plans yet to take action against the owners of the foreign-registered vehicles.

“That is why we encourage petrol station operators to put up signs (prohibiting the sale of RON95 petrol to foreign-registered vehicles),” he told a press conference after visiting a petrol station, here today.

Malaysia has imposed a ban on the sale of RON95 petrol to foreign-registered vehicles since Aug 1, 2010 to ensure that the petrol subsidy is given only to Malaysians.

Meanwhile, Nanta said the government through the National Action Council on Cost of Living (NACCOL) meeting chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob recently has agreed to extend the implementation of the Festive Season Maximum Price Scheme for Hari Raya Puasa (SHMMP HRP) 2022 until May 10.

He said through the meeting, the government also agreed to maintain the maximum retail price of standard chicken of RM8.90 per kilogramme until June 5.

The government, through NACCOL, has decided to reduce the maximum retail price of standard chicken by 20 sen to RM8.90 per kg, from the fixed ceiling price of RM9.10.

On Op Pantau, conducted from April 3 to last Tuesday, Nanta said 89,674 premises were inspected nationwide and of the total, 631 complaints were received.

A total of 463 investigation papers were opened involving various offences and compounds totalling RM123,900 had been issued to errant traders, he said in a statement.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

PUTRAJAYA, April 28 (Bernama) — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob today hosted a breaking of fast ceremony for village heads from throughout the country at his official residence Seri Perdana here.

More than 1,000 guests turned up for the event, which was also attended by Rural Development Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid, Deputy Rural Development Minister Datuk Hasbi Habibollah and the ministry’s secretary-general Datuk Ramlan Harun.

Among those present were Lipis parliamentary constituency village head representative in Pahang Datuk Zulkifli Othman, Limbang parliamentary constituency village head representative in Sarawak, Pemanca Abu Bakar@ Abu bin Tinggal, Melaka village head representative Zulkilfi Mohamad and Johor representative Abd Halim Abd Razak.

Ismail Sabri also played host to 37 orphans from Rumah Bakti Al-Kausar in Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor and presented Hari Raya Aidilfitri contributions to them.

He then performed maghrib prayers with those present.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

LAHAD DATU, April 28 (Bernama) — The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) has received 182 applications from registered homestay operators for the homestay repair matching grants, said its Minister, Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.

She said all the applications from registered operators under the Malaysia Homestay Experience Programme as of April 25 were currently being reviewed by the ministry’s Technical Evaluation Committee.

“Of the 182 applications, 19 are from homestay operators in Sabah.

“Apart from that, as of April 25, MOTAC also received 16 applications from operators of budget hotels with orchid status nationwide for the same grant,” she said during the roadshow on grants for the cultural sector (GSSK) here today.

The Federal Government, through Budget 2022, had allocated RM30 million for the purpose of giving out matching grants for the purpose of homestay and budget hotel repairs under MOTAC.

Nancy, however, expects the number of applications for the grants to increase before the April 30 closing date.

Meanwhile, she said MOTAC was aggressively carrying out its roadshow nationwide to give a detailed explanation to tourism industry players regarding grants worth RM50 million that are provided by the government.

“Alhamdulillah, for the roadshow in Lahad Datu that was held earlier, I was told that six cultural non-governmental organisations (NGOs) were present and eligible for the GSSK assistance,” she said.

At the roadshow, Nancy also presented financial assistance to 10 representatives of tourism industry players in Sabah.

Five licensed tour operators and travel agencies received RM9,000 each while five homestay operators received RM1,800 each.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, April 28 (Bernama) — The new minimum wage of RM1,500 a month effective May 1 was officially gazetted yesterday.

The Minimum Wages Order issued by Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M.Saravanan was published in the Federal Government Gazette and uploaded on the official website of the Attorney-General’s Chambers today.

According to the gazette under Paragraph 4 (1), an employee who is not paid basic wages but is paid based on piece rate, tonnage, task, trip or commission, the monthly wage rate payable to the employee with effect from May 1, 2022 shall not be less than RM1,500.

“For six working days, the employee should be paid RM57.69 a day, RM69.23 a day for five working days and RM86.54 a day for working four days equivalent to an hourly rate of RM7.21.

“This paragraph shall apply to an employee employed by an employer who employs five or more employees,” according to the gazette titled National Wages Consultative Council Act 2011, Minimum Wages Order 2022.

The paragraph also applies to an employee regardless of the number of employees employed, an employer who carries out a professional activity classified under the Malaysian Standard Classification of Occupations (MASCO) as published officially by the Ministry of Human Resources.

In addition the gazette states that the minimum wage of RM1,500 on May 1 is exempted for an employer who employs less than five employees and the implementation will only take effect on January 1, 2023.

Meanwhile, in relation to an employee who is paid according to the place of employment for the period May 1 to Dec 31, the monthly wage is RM1,200 in City Council or Municipal Council areas and RM1,100 for areas other than City Council or Municipal Council areas.

With that, the minimum wages order 2020 is now revoked.

Earlier, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced a minimum wage rate of RM1,500 per month nationwide, starting May 1.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

GEORGE TOWN, April 28 (Bernama) — The Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry (KPDNHEP) has taken action in 355 cases of trade offences in Penang so far this year.

Its Penang director Mohd Ridzuan Ab Ghapar said these cases, detected from inspections on 18,971 premises, resulted in seizures totalling RM263,038.25 and issuance of compound notices worth RM88,100.

“Most of the offences were under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act with 178 cases, followed by the Weights and Measures Act 1972 with 140 cases, Trademarks Act with 11 cases, Copyright Act with eight cases, Trade Descriptions Act 2011 with four cases and seven cases each under the Consumer Protection Act and Control of Supplies Act,” he told reporters here today.

Earlier, Mohd Ridzuan together with the Penang Trade, Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Committee chairman Datuk Abdul Halim Hussain launched the Hari Raya Festive Season Maximum Price Scheme (SHMMP) at the Bayan Baru public market here.

Mohd Ridzuan said KPDNHEP was constantly monitoring the situation to ensure traders abide by the regulations, especially during festive seasons.

Mohd Ridzuan said 19 types of goods comprising meat, seafood, vegetables, dry goods and coconut had been gazetted under the Hari Raya SHMMP.

“The determination of the maximum price for producers, wholesalers and retailers is done according to the current market price, taking into account factors like price changes especially of imported products,” he said.

He gave an assurance that there is adequate supply of chicken, eggs, meat and other essentials for the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration next week.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

PUTRAJAYA, April 28 (Bernama) — The Health Ministry (MOH) can focus on managing the non-communicable diseases (NCDs) epidemic now that the COVID-19 pandemic has been brought under control, said Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

He said although the COVID-19 pandemic was an emergency from the public health aspect, it is only for a short period compared to NCDs which are more long term in nature.

“If we are infected with COVID-19, we see the symptoms in three or four days, but if we have NCDs, the symptoms or ill effects may only be seen in the next few years,” he said at the launch of the B40 Healthcare Scheme Report (PeKa B40 ) 2021 here today.

“COVID-19 is a clear and present danger to us but NCDs are like a ticking bomb; it’s there but will explode one day and when it does (explode) it will be too late as we need to take care or treat it. We cannot take action to prevent the NCDs from becoming worse for the people,” he said.

According to Khairy, the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2019 reported that NCDs accounted for 67 per cent of premature deaths.

The NHMS report said one out of five adults or 3.9 million people, aged 18 and above, in Malaysia suffer from diabetes; three out of 10 or 6.4 million people have high blood pressure; and four out of 10 people or eight million people suffer from high cholesterol, he said.

Therefore, Khairy said regular health screening was able to detect an NCD earlier, and then intervention and treatment could be given before a disease became more serious or severe.

He said the Skim PeKa B40, a government initiative under the MOH and run by ProtectHealth Corporation Sdn Bhd, was aimed at addressing the growing burden of NCDs, especially among the B40 group. From its introduction in 2019 until March 31 this year, PeKa B40 has screened 582,746 people.

The main focus of the initiative is early prevention strategies through four health benefits offered, namely free health screening, medical device assistance, incentives to complete cancer treatment and transportation incentives, he said.

“Most of them (who were screened) did not know that they were suffering from a disease or chronic illness that could be treated through the MOH. Of those screened, 186,610 people were detected to have at least one NCD.

“This (matter) is very worrying because there are many who are eligible for the PeKa B40 but do not come forward to do the health screenings and they do not know their health status,” he added.

Meanwhile, ProtectHealth Corporation Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Datuk Dr Anas Alam Faizli said the three highest NCDs in the B40 group are high blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes.

For the medical device assistance benefit, from 2019 to Dec 31, 2021, a total of 30,864 applications were approved for surgical and non-surgical equipment.

“Intraocular lens recorded the highest applications at 41.7 per cent of the total applications, followed by hearing aids (22.5 per cent) and cardiac stents at 6.7 per cent,” he said.

For the incentive to complete cancer treatment benefit, 4,721 applications were approved for 2021.

Dr Anas said the top three types of cancer detected throughout 2021 were breast cancer, followed by digestive system cancer, and ear, nose and throat cancer.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency