Day: July 14, 2022

GEORGE TOWN, July 14 (Bernama) — Certain guidelines need to be enforced by the authorities to ensure comedy club owners and the patrons do not cross the moral and religious boundaries, said Penang Mufti Datuk Seri Wan Salim Wan Mohd Noor.

He said at the same time, the Islamic religious authorities such as the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) should advise the Muslim community to always preserve the purity of the religion and not make a joke out of it.

“As the religion of human nature, Islam does not prohibit entertainment including humour as long as it does not go overboard.

“There are times where we need to be serious and there are times where we need to relax,” he said when contacted today.

He was commenting on a viral video showing a woman making a mockery of Islam while performing at a comedy club in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur, recently.

Following the incident, police arrested the woman who has been charged in the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur with causing disharmony on grounds of religion among the Muslims.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

GEORGE TOWN, July 14 (Bernama) — The Penang government has been asked to provide rebates to all affected parties, including the manufacturing sector, that have suffered losses due to the water supply disruption in the state last week.

The proposal was put forward by the MCA as the water supply disruption involved 80 per cent or 528,000 of the 660,000 account holders statewide and took up to six days to be fully restored.

MCA Youth national deputy organising secretary, Tan Yang Pang, said that the water supply disruption not only caused water shortages but also affected many who suffered losses due to their businesses not being able to operate as usual.

“Last Wednesday’s incident affected many parties and they had to face a difficult situation when the water supply was cut off without prior notice.

“That is why MCA is proposing that those affected be given a rebate after having to go through the difficult situation, and apart from that, we also want the state government to set up a committee between Penang, Kedah and Perak to discuss raw water resources,” he told a press conference here, today.

On Wednesday (July 6), the operation of the Sungai Dua water treatment plant had to be stopped for four hours due to the high turbidity reading following the flooding and the water surge phenomenon in Baling, Kedah.

Meanwhile, Tan said that MCA also urged Pakatan Harapan (PH) backbenchers of the Penang state assembly to reveal the names of those who needed to be called by the state’s Public Accounts Committee to conduct an investigation into the recent water crisis.

On July 12, the Penang state assembly PH backbenchers, in a statement, called for an investigation into the water supply crisis, involving 80 per cent of account holders statewide, and for the state’s PAC to investigate Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang (PBAPP)’s readiness in dealing with such a crisis to prevent it from recurring.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

BERA, July 14 (Bernama) — The government has added 11 more building materials in the implementation of the Variation of Prices (VOP) clause to help face the rising prices of building materials, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today.

This will also ensure projects are completed on time, the prime minister said, adding that there were now 15 items in the VOP, including cement, bricks, glass and ceiling and roof materials.

“The government is aware of the unavoidable hike in building material prices following global economic uncertainties and the Russia-Ukraine geopolitical conflict. I was made to understand that building materials, including steel, which is among the main items in the implementation of projects, have gone up by 180 per cent.

“However, the government always listens and understands these issues and have reinstated the VOP to ensure projects are completed on time,” he said when opening the Pahang Malay Contractors Association’s 38th annual general meeting here today.

Also present were Pahang Public Works, Transport and Health Committee chairman Datuk Seri Norolazali Sulaiman, Malaysian Malay Contractors Association (PKMM) president Datuk Seri Mohamed Fadzill Hassan and Pahang PKMM president Abd Gapar Lambak.

In addition, Ismail Sabri said the government had also agreed in principle to increase the price of Hardcore Poor Housing Programme (PPRT) homes to help small-scale contractors earn profits.

He said this was due to complaints received from contractors that it was difficult for them to continue construction projects after the hike in building materials has not made them any profits, some to the extent of wanting to hand over back the projects.

In his speech, the prime minister said the government was always committed to reviving affected economic sectors through the implementation of development projects and micro-credit financing facilities in the construction sector.

The government, through Budget 2022, had announced many benefits for the construction industry such as continuing the construction of low-income group housing projects worth RM1.5 billion and the construction of 519 kilometers (km) of rural roads with an allocation of RM1.5 billion, he added.

Ismail Sabri said the government also continued the implementation of national infrastructure development projects worth RM3.5 billion such as the construction of the Pan Borneo Highway and Central Spine Road as well as an allocation of RM2.9 billion to continue small and medium-sized projects for Grade G1 to G4 contractors.

At the event, the prime minister approved an allocation of RM100,000 to Pahang PKMM for administrative expenses, taking into account the association’s success in looking after the welfare of its 1,800 members as well as actively helping flood victims in the state.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency