Day: May 31, 2022

BAGAN SERAI, May 31 (Bernama) — The residents here are urging the Perak state government to immediately do cloud seeding over the Bukit Merah Dam area as the water level in the dam has dropped due to drought.

They are confident that this measure will bring rainfall to the area, thus enabling a rise in the dam’s water level and sufficient water supply for consumption and irrigation in the paddy-growing area here.

It was observed today that the water level in the Bukit Merah Dam had dropped significantly, also forcing the Orang Utan Island in Bukit Merah Laketown to close since two weeks ago as the boats could not operate due to the situation.

The Bukit Merah Dam, a water retention pond for domestic consumption, irrigation and the industries in Kamunting, Taiping had experienced a water level drop due to the El Nino phenomenon in 2016.

Tebuk Panchor Village Security and Development Committee member, Mohd Khairul Nizam Yusop, 40, said there had been no rain over Bukit Merah since a month ago, causing the water level in the dam to drop.

“This is also worrying the Arowana fish breeders who are also using water from the dam, as well as the paddy farmers who have been working their fields for a month now and their output could be adversely affected,” he said when met, here, today.

Paddy farmer Mohd Khaizir Md Din, 42, said if the situation continued, the paddy fields could be affected just like during the El Nino phenomenon.

Johar Bakar, 63, meanwhile, is worried about the shortage of water for drinking and other household uses.

“Water in the dam cannot be kept for long as it becomes shallow and muddy. The lack of water in the dam can also reduce the fish population there, thus reducing the income of inland fishermen in the area,” he added.

The Kerian district has 19,200 hectares of paddy land involving 8,640 farmers who depend on water supply from the Bukit Merah Dam.

Yesterday, Perak Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Saraani Mohamad reportedly said the state government would carry out cloud seeding to overcome the decreasing water level in the dam.

It is understood that sunat hajat and sunat istiqa’ prayers will be held at Dataran Pejabat Kolam Bukit Merah Tebuk Panchor this Friday to pray for rain.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, May 31 (Bernama) — The National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) is carrying out the Graduate Executive Marketer for Simpan SSPN Plus (GEMS) programme in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education (KPT) and Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) to assist PTPTN borrowers who have graduated.

PTPTN said the programme is one of the initiatives under the PENJANA KPT-CAP (Career Advancement Programme) which is the government’s effort in addressing the challenges of graduate marketability and reducing unemployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This programme is offered to PTPTN borrowers who graduated in the field of Arts in 2019 and 2020. Through the training modules provided, PTPTN borrowers can practise entrepreneurial knowledge thus enable them to generate their own income,” it said in a statement today.

According to the statement, PTPTN has identified eligible borrowers as GEMS participants based on the conditions set and selected borrowers will receive offers via email starting tomorrow (June 1).

PTPTN said borrowers need to update their personal information and undergo a psychometric test by June 19.

Borrowers who graduated in the field of Arts in 2019 and 2020 but did not receive an offer via email, can check their eligibility at https: //www.ptptn.gov.my/program-gems/ from tomorrow until June 19, it said.

According to PTPTN, GEMS programme participants will be given comprehensive online training by UMK lecturers for 16 days before marketing the Simpan SSPN Plus product and they will be supervised by a mentor comprising PTPTN officers.

“Training modules will be given to participants and each successful participant will receive a monthly allowance for a period of 12 months,” the statement read.

The statement also said that apart from the monthly allowance, other benefits for GEMS participants are free group takaful coverage (for a period of 12 months), opportunity to receive commissions on successful product sales, flexible working hours as well as continuous marketing support through trainings and guidance.

Other advantage of the programme is that GEMS certificate can be used to apply for micro-credentials to further studies to master’s level at UMK.

According to the statement, the GEMS programme is expected to provide the opportunities for PTPTN borrowers to continue to progress, be competitive and have a good income in facing the current economic challenges.

Hopefully, this effort will not only generate income, but also increase financial literacy and savings awareness among PTPTN borrowers, it said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency