Year: 2022

PETALING JAYA, May 10 (Bernama) — The Kelana Jaya Line Light Rail Transit (LRT) service was disrupted for more than four hours, affecting around 12,000 passengers this morning, by a stalled train that suffered a brake caliper hydraulic leakage.

Rapid Rail Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Amir Hamdan said the leakage caused the brake disc not to be able to be released and required manual release by the maintenance team.

“We would like to apologise to our passengers for the delay they faced this morning, which affected their work routine.

“We deeply regret the inconvenience and anxiety caused by the incident,” he said in a press conference here today.

He also announced that affected passengers were entitled to collect a one-trip refund voucher at any LRT station counter, and the voucher would be valid for the next five days beginning today and can be used at all Rapid Rail train lines.

He also said that that Rapid Rail has engaged an external specialist starting early this year to conduct a thorough assessment on rail system improvements and the outcome will be shared with their stakeholders in the near future.

“We want to give our best service at all time and reassure the public that the rail transport service is safe,” he added.

Train service on the Kelana Jaya LRT line was disrupted from 8.16 pm when a train stalled at the Taman Jaya LRT station. Services were fully restored at 1.26 pm after work to move the train was completed.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

TUARAN, May 10 (Bernama) — Members of the public are advised to steer clear of the Sungai Rugading area here after a chemical spill was detected at the river yesterday evening.

Sabah Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) assistant director (Operations) Misran Bisara said a hazmat detector had discovered the pollution, which was in the form of scheduled waste.

He said the Tuaran Fire and Rescue Station received an emergency call from MERS 999 at 6.34 pm before a team was dispatched to the scene, situated 10 kilometres away.

“Although the pH level of the river water is 6.8 or neutral, another occurrence of chemical spill can change the reading (to polluted). As such, we don’t declare it as safe today,” he said when contacted by Bernama.

Misran said today, JBPM and other agencies had monitored the area around Sungai Rugading with a radius of two kilometres, and the Sabah Department of Chemistry had taken water samples at two locations for analysis.

“In addition, the Sabah Department of Environment has installed three special equipment to block and reduce the pollution rates at three locations in Sungai Rugading,” he said.

Misran said those with information or who have witnessed the dumping of chemical waste into the river should lodge a report with the department concerned.

Tuaran is a district on the west coast of Sabah with an area of 1,166 sq km and is situated some 34 km north of Kota Kinabalu.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

PUTRAJAYA, May 10 (Bernama) — The Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) director-general Datuk Hakimah Mohd Yusoff says it is investigating alleged violations of slaughtering procedure by a company in Australia which has been certified halal by Malaysia.

In a statement today, Hakimah said the investigation was being carried out by the Jakim Halal attaché officer in Australia and also the country’s Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE).

She said discussions between Jakim and the Counsellor (Agriculture) of the Australian Embassy in Malaysia were also held on April 28 to ensure that the findings of the investigation can be submitted to the Malaysian government as soon as possible.

“I would like to stress that Jakim will not compromise with any party if there are any errors and non-compliance involving the halal certification and accreditation process,” she said.

She also said Jakim was prepared to fully cooperate with the authorities to investigate allegations of misconduct in the matter, including those involving Jakim officers if any, as well as to meet with any party with strong evidence on the issue for the sake of all.

Recently, the Malaysia Muslim Consumers Association (PPIM) together with Pertubuhan Kemasyarakatan Rakyat (Pekemas) and Sahabat 99 alleged that a company in Australia which is approved by Jakim has breached the halal slaughtering protocols.

Pekemas president Faizan Mohd Nor said the disclosure of halal slaughter standard operating procedure violations in Australia was based on video and photo evidence as well as witnesses’ accounts.

He added that he was convinced that there were clear elements of violations of the halal slaughtering protocols.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

LONDON, May 10 (Bernama) — The country’s textile industry especially unique and creative fabrics such as weaving and batik has great potential to bring the nation to the international stage and become a profitable commodity, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

In expressing confidence that the country’s industry such as the Royal Pahang Weave, batik, songket and tekat (embroidery) is viable to be brought to the world, he said such textile industries could garner the attention of the people and generate income.

“I believe if large-scale promotion is carried out, (to introduce the national textile industry such as weaving and batik) in London, it could attract tourists to the city,” he told Malaysian journalists here.

Ismail Sabri who arrived in the capital of United Kingdom early Tuesday morning visited the Royal Pahang Weave exhibition held for the first time at the Malaysian High Commission in Belgrave Square.

Earlier, the Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah granted an audience to Ismail Sabri and delegation and Her Majesty later visited the Royal Pahang Weave exhibition which began yesterday until Sunday (May 15).

Tunku Azizah, who has been championing the country’s weaving programme, also told Ismail Sabri about the exhibition which, among others, showcased weaving from prisons and featured woven clothing including the Raja Permaisuri Agong’s woven garment collection.

The Prime Minister, who is on his way to Washington DC to attend the ASEAN-United States Summit, was in London to visit the exhibition and attend the Malaysian Family Hari Raya Aidilfitri gathering with Malaysians residing in the United Kingdom.

Ismail Sabri, who is the Member of Parliament for Bera, was proud of the encouraging response to the Royal Pahang Weave exhibition “Weaving Hope” in conjunction with London Craft Week as it involved the creativity of the inmates of Penor and Bentong Prisons in Pahang.

He said such a weaving programme could be improved, including in terms of training and skills, as well as gaining public support.

Referring to the Pahang government’s proposal to establish a weaving centre in Pekan, Pahang, the Prime Minister believed that more technical and vocational training education in the country’s textile industry would be created.

He did not rule out the possibility that more training institutes related to the country’s textile industry would be established in the future.

Ismail Sabri, who also pioneered the use of batik every Thursday among civil servants and Members of Parliament, said he was proud that the country’s batik was now more accepted and its use was getting more popular.

The Prime Minister and delegation then left for Washington DC at 5 pm local time (12 midnight Malaysian time).

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

WASHINGTON D.C, May 10 (Bernama) — A tight schedule awaits Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob when he arrives here Tuesday (Wednesday in Malaysia), ahead of a high-level meeting with United States President Joe Biden and ASEAN leaders.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah said Ismail Sabri will join Biden, US vice president Kamala Harris and other ASEAN leaders at the two-day ASEAN-US Special Summit, here, starting Thursday (Friday in Malaysia).

All the 10 ASEAN leaders are scheduled to participate in the special summit except from the Philippines and Myanmar.

“I was made to understand that Myanmar’s representative was not invited while Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will not be attending due to the ongoing general election in the country,” Saifuddin told the Malaysian media here.

It was reported that the Myanmar junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hliang was not invited following the Feb 1 coup in that country last year.

President Biden will host a dinner for the ASEAN leaders at the White House on Thursday (Friday in Malaysia).

Biden is scheduled to exchange views on regional and global issues with ASEAN leaders at the US Department of State on Friday (Saturday in Malaysia).

Saifuddin said this is the second ASEAN-US Special Summit hosted by the US president after the then-president Barack Obama welcomed ASEAN leaders in this country in 2016.

This special summit also marks the 45th anniversary of the ASEAN-US dialogue relationship, said Saifuddin.

He said vice president Harris will also hold discussions with ASEAN leaders on a wide range of issues including health, maritime cooperation, climate change and clean energy on Friday (Saturday in Malaysia) at the State Department.

“The Prime Minister will stress ASEAN’s centrality in the ASEAN-US cooperation at the summit,” he said.

Saifuddin said ASEAN leaders are expected to bring to the meeting table, among others, on the region’s interests in trade, economy and technology.

The special summit is expected to issue a Joint Vision Statement which would underscore the commitment and aspiration to enhance ASEAN-US partnership in the interest of enduring peace, stability, security and shared prosperity for all at the end of the high-level meeting.

ASEAN, the southeast Asian bloc, consist of Brunei, Cambodia Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philipines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Saifuddin said prime minister Ismail Sabri will also meet with US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and US Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai here Thursday (Friday in Malaysia).

The prime minister will also take the opportunity to meet American captains of industries as well as US-ASEAN Business Council and Chamber of Commerce here Thursday.

Ismail Sabri is slated to meet Malaysian diaspora in a Hari Raya Aidilfitri Keluarga Malaysia gathering here on Wednesday (Thursday in Malaysia).

Source: BERNAMA News Agency