Day: December 1, 2022

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 (Bernama) — The Department of Meteorology Malaysia (MetMalaysia) has issued an alert-level continuous rain warning for seven states until this Sunday (Dec 4).

 

In a statement today, it said continuous heavy rain was expected to occur in Perlis, Kedah, Penang, Perak (Hulu Perak), Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang (Jerantut, Kuantan and Pekan).

 

In a separate statement, MetMalaysia also issued a warning of strong winds and rough seas of the first category expected to occur in Terengganu and Kelantan waters until Monday (Dec 5).

 

 

 

“Strong north-easterly winds of 40 kilometres per hour (km/h) to 50 km/h with waves reaching up to 3.5 metres high may occur in Terengganu and Kelantan waters,” it said adding that strong winds are also expected in the waters of Samui, north of Tioman, Condore, Reef North, Layang-Layang and Palawan throughout the period.

 

MetMalaysia warned that the rough conditions will make all shipping and coastal activities – including fishing, water recreational activities and water sports dangerous.

 

 

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

 

KUALA TERENGGANU, Dec 1 (Bernama) — The Terengganu state assembly today passed the Syariah Criminal Offences (Takzir) (Amendment) Enactment 2022, which among other things, includes Section 3A involving witchcraft and sorcery activities.

 

State Syariah Implementation, Education and Higher Education Committee chairman Datuk Satiful Bahari Mamat said the amendment to the enactment also involved Section 33A (women acting like men); Section 36A (preparation for sodomy); and Section 29A (pregnant or giving birth to a child out of wedlock).

 

“We are trying to make use of the opportunity made available by maximising the punishment based on Section 356, namely a three-year jail term, a fine of RM5,000 and six lashes.

 

 

 

“With this amendment, we hope that the well-being of Muslims, especially in Terengganu, will be better protected,” he told reporters after the state assembly session at Wisma Darul Iman, here today.

 

Satiful Bahari said on the inclusion of the section involving witchcraft and sorcery, a special committee had been established under the Terengganu Religious Affairs Department to monitor the matter to ensure that the Muslim community in Terengganu did not seek alternative treatments that conflicted with Islamic law and that punishment would only be meted out on individuals who provide such treatments, and not patients.

 

As for adding the section on women acting like men, he said this was because the existing legal provisions only involved men acting like women.

 

 

 

“Because in the past, there might not have been much of this issue (women acting like men). But we see now that ‘pengkid’ (tomboy or lesbian) cases and the like are becoming more widespread, so the state government intends to curb this issue,” he said.

 

In addition to the inclusion of the four sections, he said today’s amendment also involved 21 existing sections and would come into force after receiving the consent of the Sultan of Terengganu Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin.

 

 

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

 

 

KUCHING, Dec 1 (Bernama) — The Sarawak State Legislative assembly today approved the 2023 state budget amounting to RM10.797 billion after it was debated and winded up.

 

Speaker Tan Sri Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar said the proposed Supply Bill (2023) was approved with a majority vote.

 

On Nov 21, Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg tabled the budget which is expected to generate a surplus of RM238 million with a projected revenue of RM11.035 billion and a total ordinary expenditure of RM10.797 billion.

 

 

 

 

The proposed budget, themed “Sarawak First: Towards an Inclusive, Prosperous and Harmonious Society,” is anchored on five principles, which include developing a more robust, competitive, and equitable economy.

 

Meanwhile, Abang Johari in his winding-up speech on the budget today said the first regulated forest carbon project will commence in Sarawak in the first quarter next year.

 

He said this initiative will be driven by the private sector entities with the technological know-how and financial resources to ensure the success and sustainability of these projects.

 

 

 

 

“Sarawak, because of its stable geological formations, has the biggest carbon storage capacity in offshore areas. It is estimated that Sarawak has 30 trillion cubic meters of carbon storage capacity in the seabed of its continental shelf.

 

“Rules will soon be drafted by the State Cabinet to regulate forest carbon activities and the storage of carbon dioxide in both the offshore and onshore areas of Sarawak. These activities will yield tradable carbon credits and provide a new source of revenue for Sarawak,” he said.

 

 

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

 

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 (Bernama) — Media organisations and practitioners need to embrace changes and evolve because rapid technological advancement has transformed the way people interact with the media.

 

Senior Lecturer at the School of Communication and Media College of Computing, Informatics and Media Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Dr Suffian Hadi Ayub said the audience now has the freedom to choose what they want to see with the myriad of media choices and, as such, the media industry must revamp to remain sustainable.

 

“Media (practitioners) cannot have the idea of doing things that they want, instead they have to (tailor it to) suit the needs of the people. The main component of communication, albeit to contrary belief, is not talking or sending a message… listening is the most important.

 

 

 

“The media needs to listen to the needs of the people as receivers of information so that they can follow and create content with regards to what the receivers want,” he said at the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) Future of Media Seminar here today.

 

Suffian said adapting to the latest technology and applications would facilitate the smooth transition of mainstream media to catch up with media trends such as user-generated content.

 

However, raising the question of whether media shapes society or mirrors society, he said media has an important role to educate society through social invention mechanisms.

 

 

 

He said in order to create a holistic and digital society where people are able to consciously and ethically use the information they have, an ecosystem needs to be created to strike a balance between media, society and information.

 

Meanwhile, BAC Education Group chief marketing officer Lawrence Chan said the need for media literacy is crucial at the moment as the effects of new media included enabling users to choose the content they prefer and when to consume it as well as to create their own content.

 

“The effects of new media are empowering yet, at the same time, frightening because they pose a big threat to broadcasters and, more so, the youth of today as they are the largest consumers of this medium.

 

“In order to prepare youth for social media, parents and educators need to start the conversation with the kids on social media very early on. This will help them understand ethics (on new media) and differentiate what’s real or (what’s) not on social media,” he said.

 

The seminar also witnessed the launch of the Asia Media Summit 2022 proceedings publication by AIBD, Korea Information Society Development Institute (KISDI) and the Korea Communications Commission (KCC).

 

The seminar, titled “The Future of Media” and co-organised by AIBD, KISDI and KCC, discusses the different challenges and opportunities for the regional broadcasting industry and was attended by over 90 media practitioners, industry players, scholars and stakeholders.

 

AIBD, as an international inter-governmental organisation with 106 members, is mandated to develop media in the region and across the globe through policy and resource development.

 

 

 

Source: BERNAMA News Agency