Month: April 2022

KUCHING, April 19 (Bernama) — For 20 years, Mohd Firdaus Abdullah has been gazing at timepieces, and more so now with the upcoming Aidilfitri festive season, enabling him to earn RM4,000 a month by repairing them.

It is imperative for the 38-year-old watchmaker to have good vision as he is working with tiny parts when repairing clocks and watches.

“Precision and patience as well skills to use the necessary equipment are vital in repairing these timepieces,” he told Bernama.

Hailing from the Bau district, near here, Mohd Firdaus became interested in the trade when he was 18 years old after working at a watch shop here.

Without undergoing formal training to become a watchmaker, he gained experience working in different watch shops for several years until he decided to open his own business.

He began in 2009 with just a small cart at a shopping mall in Jalan P Ramlee, here, where he did repair and maintenance services for mechanical watches.

In the beginning, his clientele included only friends and relatives, but his business soon grew and became well-known in the city.

“There are times that I have to serve 40 customers a day, and now that Hari Raya is drawing closer, customers come wanting to service about four to eight watches,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mohd Firdaus said there have been challenges to keep his business afloat, especially during the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO) as well as with the current trend of wearing smartwatches.

“Every business has its challenges but I will continue doing what I love to do. I do not mind gazing at timepieces for hours on end just to repair them. It is satisfying for a watchmaker to be able to repair or bring a damaged timepiece back to life,” he added.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

SEREMBAN, April 19 (Bernama) — A Negeri Sembilan assemblyman today suggested that the state government form an action committee to address climate change, especially to combat unexpected flood disasters in the future.

Chennah assemblyman Anthony Loke Siew Fook said a holistic approach should be expedited with a specific portfolio on policies to address disasters with the involvement of various agencies including the meteorological, environment and public works departments.

“In the past, we may have flash floods, but we have never seen such a large scale of floods like last December. Jelebu is the driest place, but with extremely heavy rains a major flood occurred.

“Heavy rains not only cause floods but also landslides that endanger the population and all these disasters led to big and global problems, as such climate change will affect everyone,” he said.

He said this when debating the motion of thanks for the Royal address at the first sitting of the fifth term of the 14th Negeri Sembilan State Legislative Assembly here.

Loke, who is also Seremban MP, said the setting up of the committee was also important to oversee and plan initial actions before and after the disaster, thus minimising the impact on the people and the environment.

He said the state government should also take proactive steps to review and improve the structure of the disaster committees so that more coordination between departments and assistance could be given to the victims quickly.

Loke, who is also the DAP secretary-general, also suggested that a specific law on anti-party hopping be created at the Negeri Sembilan government level to prohibit any elected representative from either the government bloc or the opposition from leaving the party.

He said although the Negeri Sembilan government had not changed since 2018 and no assemblymen had jumped the party, there should be legal guarantees so that the state government formed could be maintained throughout the mandate period.

“I want to suggest and state here that the state government should take immediate steps to draft the law with amendments to the constitution of the Negeri Sembilan government,” he said.

The sitting continues tomorrow.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA NERUS, April 19 (Bernama) — The Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives has channelled an allocation of RM9.5 million to 150 cooperatives affected by COVID-19 this year.

Minister Tan Sri Noh Omar said the assistance was channelled through the Cooperative Movement Economic Transformation (Transfer) programme to help increase the activities of the institutions during post-COVID-19 period.

Under the programme, he said a grant worth up to RM100,000 was given to each cooperative to actively carry out various activities for the benefit of its members.

“This programme was launched last year along with three other COVID-19 rehabilitation programmes under the Cooperative Commission of Malaysia (SKM) and is hoped to help revive cooperatives in Malaysia.

“Nineteen cooperatives in Selangor have received this assistance, which is the highest, followed by Perak (18 cooperatives) and Terengganu (16 cooperatives),” he said after visiting an animal feed factory KPFB Bersepadu Sdn Bhd here today.

The factory is fully owned by Koperasi Peserta-Peserta Felcra Malaysia Berhad which started operating in March 2020.

Meanwhile, Noh said the ministry had also channelled an allocation of RM2.85 million to 235 cooperatives nationwide for the implementation of the Prihatin Rakyat Cooperative Sales (JKPR) programme this year.

“For disaster relief such as floods and others, we have contributed RM746,000 to 37 affected cooperatives in seven states this year,” he added.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

LAHAD DATU, April 19 (Bernama) — A two-year-old girl was found charred in a fire involving 11 houses on water in Kampung Sabah Baru, Jalan Nipah here this morning.

Lahad Datu Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) chief Sumsoa Rashid said the body of Nurul Alisha Putri Abdullah was found after the fire was extinguished.

“The Lahad Datu Fire and Rescue Station received a distress call via MERS999 regarding a house on fire in the village at 9.52 am and firemen immediately rushed to the location,” he told Bernama here today.

However, his personnel had difficulty entering the fire area due to the dilapidated and narrow bridge.

Apart from that, he said firefighters had to tear down four houses with the help of the villagers, to stop the fire from spreading.

He said the fire was brought under control at 10.55 am with the help of Kunak Fire Station as well as the Malaysian Armed Forces, Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd, Civil Defence Force, police, and villagers.

Meanwhile, the girl’s uncle, Alsad Albani, 32, said the incident happened quickly and they did not realise that the house was on fire until he saw the blaze raging from one of the rooms in the house.

“When I saw the flame, I shouted to other family members to save themselves, unfortunately, we forgot Alisha was sleeping in a hammock in another room,” he said tearfully.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

JOHOR BAHRU, April 19 (Bernama) — The Permaisuri of Johor, Raja Zarith Sofiah Almarhum Sultan Idris Shah said that any gifts from the Johor Palace should not be misused to gain popularity on social media.

Raja Zarith Sofiah said this in reference to a TikTok account user ‘shafeqyahya’, who had posted pictures of several gifts from Istana Bukit Serene here.

However, Raja Zarith Sofiah said she did not know the individual.

“I know the gifts and it is actually a gift to some senior Johor state government officers as a sincere appreciation for their services.

“I do not know who this ‘shafeqyahya’ is and I suspect the gifts have been misused to gain following and popularity on social media, seemingly having a close relationship with the Johor Royal Family,” Raja Zarith Sofiah posted on the Royal Johor Facebook page today.

Raja Zarith Sofiah said a police report would be lodged to investigate if there was an element of abuse or disguise as a Johor government officer.

Earlier, several TikTok video clips shared by the account holder depicted several gifts from the Johor Palace, such as pendants, chains, gold coins, a set of pens and Islamic prayer beads as well as samping raya (sarong).

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

PUTRAJAYA, April 19 (Bernama) — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob today breaks his fast with members of UMNO Supreme Council and the leadership of three party wings at his official residence in Seri Perdana here.

Among those present were UMNO president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, his deputy Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan and UMNO vice-president Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid.

Also present were Wanita UMNO chief Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad and Puteri UMNO chief Datuk Zahida Zarik Khan.

The ceremony was attended by about 500 guests and 29 orphans from Raudhatul Al-Faeez, Taman Lembah Keramat, Kuala Lumpur and Ismail Sabri also spent time to mingle with them before the breaking of fast.

Ismail Sabri later performed maghrib, isyak and tarawih congregational prayers in the surau led by Putra Mosque Imam Abdul Karim Zakaria Al-Hafiz.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

LABUAN, April 19 (Bernama) — Some 4,000 asnaf (those eligible for tithe) individuals received Aidilftri aid of RM800 each from the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP) involving a total allocation of RM3.2 million.

Out of the RM800, a sum of RM300 had been credited into the recipients’ bank accounts in early Ramadan and the balance of RM500 to be before Aidilfitri.

Senator Datuk Bashir Alias said the aid was to reduce the burden of the needy during Ramadan and in celebrating Aidilfitri.

He thanked MAIWP for channelling the aid fast as well as the zakat (tithe) contributors, when speaking at the Iftar and handing out of aid to the recipients at Masjid Munawar, Kg Pohon Batu, here, today.

Bashir also praised MAIWP for always keeping up with the changing times by diversifying the aid given and striving to improve the socio-economic status of the Muslim community to ensure their well-being through development efforts and good management based on Islamic law, including the optimal use of its resources.

“MAIWP is just not focusing on channelling aid but also on increasing welfare and socio-economic development efforts and human capital development of the Muslim community through the programmes it has introduced,” he said.

At the presentation of aid today, each of the asnaf received a cash contribution of RM100 and a food basket containing rice, cooking oil, biscuits, sugar, salt, canned sardines, condensed milk, dried mee and dates, all worth RM100.

The contribution this year for the 107 asnaf recipients totalled RM21,400.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency