Month: August 2022

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8,652 HFMD cases in Johor, fifth highest

JOHOR BAHRU, Aug 1 (Bernama) — Johor is ranked fifth among the states with a high cumulative number of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) cases since Jan 1 until July 29, this year.

State Health and Unity Committee chairman, Ling Tian Soon said a total of 8,652 cases were reported during the period, an increase of 81.6 times compared to 106 cases for the same period last year.

He said the other states that recorded a high number of cumulative cases were Selangor with 35,575, Perak (13,487), Federal Territories (13,434) and Sarawak (8,727).

“This increase has been projected to happen this year due to relaxation of the standard operating procedure and in line with the rise in cases in Malaysia. However, the situation is still under control.

“This is proven by the significant decrease in the trend of HFMD cases reported in Johor starting from the Epidemiology Week (ME) 22/2022 until ME30/2022,” he said in a statement, here, today.

Ling said most of the HFMD cases in Johor involved children under the age of six, with 7,451 cases, followed by 1,033 cases among those aged seven to 12 and the rest were aged over 13.

He said the district of Johor Bahru recorded the highest number of cases at 2,989, Kluang (1,119), Tangkak (888), Batu Pahat (887), Segamat (775), Kota Tinggi (690), Pontian (578), Muar (330), Kulai (269) and Mersing (127).

“Until now, only two active outbreaks of HFMD were reported in the state involving Johor Bahru district,” he added.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

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Selangor DOSH investigates death of worker hit by an iron billet

SHAH ALAM, Aug 1 (Bernama) — The Selangor Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) will conduct further investigations to identify the cause of death and parties responsible for the fatal accident of a male worker who was hit by an iron billet that was lifted by an overhead travelling crane (OTC) last Friday.

In a statement today, Selangor DOSH said the accident involving the 51-year-old local worker happened at about 10 am, at a metal manufacturing factory located in Jalan Waja Bukit Raja Industrial Estate in Klang.

The department said a team of investigating officers was ordered to conduct an investigation, immediately after receiving news about the incident.

“From the preliminary investigation carried out, Selangor DOSH found that the victim was carrying out tundish (valve) maintenance work located on the OTC route in the scrap section.

“However, after placing the iron billet in the scrap section that was lifted from the loading area, the OTC operator then realised that the victim was lying in the area,” he said.

According to the department, when discovered, the victim was seriously injured and was confirmed dead at the scene by medical personnel.

Following that, Selangor DOSH issued a Prohibition of Disturbance at the incident scene to the employer and an Immediate Prohibition Notice was also issued to stop lifting works using OTC as well as a Repair Notice to conduct safe work procedures for machinery maintenance.

“Selangor DOSH will take legal action against the responsible party if there is a violation under the provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994,” he said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

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Orang Asli woman injured in elephant attack, case referred to Perhilitan – MB

IPOH, Aug 1 (Bernama) — The state government has left it to the Perak Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) to overcome the wild elephant issue following an Orang Asli woman being seriously injured when attacked by a wild elephant in Gerik, last Saturday.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad said the matter would be discussed with the state Perhilitan director as relocating the wild elephants was not the ultimate decision.

“Perhilitan is the expert on how to prevent wild elephants from roaming into villages. Chasing away the elephants is not easy as the location is their habitat.

“The Kemar Resettlement Scheme is in a forest area and the villagers share it with the elephants. This is not the first time elephants have strayed into the area. The villagers also have to be careful so as not to enter their habitat.”

He said this to reporters after attending a programme with ex-servicemen at the Taman Perpaduan Community Complex in Ulu Kinta, here, today.

Saarani hoped that Perhilitan would take the initiative of looking into ways to prevent elephants from disturbing the villagers.

It was reported that the 30-year-old Orang Asli woman suffered a broken arm and leg, as well as bruises on her abdomen, in the said attack by a wild elephant behind her house in the Kampung Katong Resettlement Scheme, Kemar in Gerik about 6.30 pm last Saturday.

The victim is now receiving further treatment at the Taiping Hospital’s intensive care unit.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

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Police complete recording Apandi Ali’s statement

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 1 (Bernama) — The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) have completed recording the statement of former Attorney General Tan Sri Apandi Ali on a police report by a member of Parliament over the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) investigation today.

PDRM secretary Datuk Noorsiah Mohd Saaduddin in a statement said the Bukit Aman Classified Crime Investigation Unit (USJT) and CID had completed taking the statement of Apandi from 2.30 pm to 3.45 pm.

Last Friday, the media reported that police received a report by Klang MP Charles Santiago who was not satisfied with the 1MDB investigation by Apandi when he was the Attorney General and accused Apandi of abusing his power in the case.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

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Heard a loud crash, saw plane flying very low – Witnesses

IPOH, Aug 1 (Bernama) — A witness who lives near the plane crash site in Jalan Dr Nazrin Shah, Sungai Rokam, Medan Gopeng here tonight was shocked when he heard a strange noise before seeing a plane flying at low level.

The man, who only wanted to be known as Wan, 41, said he had just finished refueling at a nearby petrol station when he saw the plane hit a lamp post near the water lock.

“The plane was seen flying at a low level and crashed into the pole. Following that I made a U-turn and went to see the condition of the plane,” he said when met at the scene of the incident.

Meanwhile, a resident of a nearby house, Haizad, 22, said he heard a loud crash while he was at home when the incident happened at around 7 pm.

“I didn’t go straight out to the house because I thought it was a normal accident until my friend informed me via WhatsApp that a plane had crashed, after seeing the picture I realised the incident was very close to my house,” he said.

A flight instructor, Fajim Juffa Mustafa Kamal, 52, from Semenyih, Selangor died while another Muhammad Din Fikri Zainal Abidin, 62, from Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur was injured in the incident.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

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International ecotourism centre in KSNP still under study – Exco

SHAH ALAM, Aug 1 (Bernama) — The proposed development of an international ecotourism centre in Kuala Selangor National Park (KSNP) is still being studied, said Selangor Tourism, Environment, Green Technology and Orang Asli Affairs Committee chairman Hee Loy Sian.

Speaking at the Selangor State Assembly today, Hee said the study involved the State Economic Planning Unit (UPEN), the Selangor Forestry Department, Tourism Selangor Sdn Bhd, and other technical agencies on a land area of 84.13 hectares (ha) or 28 per cent of the entire area of the KSNP.

Hee said although there are plans to develop the ecotourism centre, the entire area is still within the Permanent Forest Reserve (HSK) because we have never degazetted an inch of the forest land.

“The area still has permanent forest reserve status. We will allow it (to be developed as an international ecotourism centre), but we (state government) will only give a permit for use,” he said at the roll-out session of the First Selangor Plan Proposal (RS-1) 2021-2025 today.

Hee said to date HSK, in Selangor, covers an area of 250,250.33 ha.

“From the area covered, 148,590.41 ha or 59 per cent represents terrestrial forests; 82,661.92 ha or 33 per cent is peat swamp forest, and eight per cent of the entire HSK comprises sea swamp forests measuring 18,998 ha,” he said.

Hee said KSNP’s gazetting process is being implemented and is currently at the stage of preparing the gazette plan.

“Of the total area, 148,590.41 ha or 59 per cent is land forest; an area of 82,661.92 ha or 33 per cent is peat swamp forest; and eight per cent of the entire HSK is sea swamp forest which covers an area of 18,998 ha.” he said.

At the same time, he also said that KSNP’s gazetting process is being implemented and is currently at the stage of preparing the gazette plan.

He added that the gazetting process was following the state government’s decision through the state executive council meeting (MMKN) in 2018 to gazette the KSNP as an HSK.

The Selangor state assembly session continues tomorrow.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

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Student councils’ views will be considered in fight against inflation – Annuar

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 1 (Bernama) — The Special Task Force on Jihad against Inflation will conduct engagement sessions with student leaders at institutes of higher learning to listen to their views on rising prices of products as well as inflation, especially relating to their standard of living.

Task force chairman, Tan Sri Annuar Musa said this was because the government understood that the campus community and students are among groups considered vulnerable and easily affected by inflation as well as rising prices of goods.

“Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed (Minister in Prime Minister’s Department (Economy)) will conduct a programme for continuous engagement that we will carry out together with student leadership in public and private universities.

“We have identified around 80 universities that have student bodies that will also be involved in the engagement programme,” he said at a media conference at the Parliament Building after chairing the task force meeting here today.

Annuar, who is also Communications and Multimedia Minister, said the task force thanked the Ministry of Higher Education for the many steps taken, including implementing the cooked food at RM3.50 scheme at over 800 canteens and premises on campuses in the country.

Annuar also said that such engagements were also conducted with industry players to enable the task force to understand their problems better.

He explained that the task force was currently meeting with the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) to allow them to air their views and proposals about rising costs in the manufacturing sector.

He said the efforts will be followed by engagement sessions with various other associations and industry players in other sectors.

“This approach is not only an effort to control rising prices of certain products, but we must conduct engagement with larger segments in line with our focus on three scopes.

“Besides involving the scope of expenses incurred by Keluarga Malaysia for food necessities, we will also focus on expenditure for transport and housing,” he said.

He added that the task force was evaluating and taking necessary action to avoid situations that would contribute to the rise in the country’s inflation rate.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency