Day: January 19, 2023

KUALA LUMPUR– The top management of the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKDW) has been instructed to take immediate action on the recent findings of the Auditor General’s Report 2021, said Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Minister of Rural and Regional Development, said it includes focusing on aspects of leakages, misappropriation and abuse of power.

“There are not many leakages occurring (in KKDW). I told the KKDW top management meeting that we must take immediate steps to rectify the audit findings, which focus on several things, including leakages and irregularities.

“This matter must be given immediate attention by top management and officers,” he said at a press conference, after attending the Felcra briefing delivered by Felcra chief executive officer, Datuk Mat Roni Zakaria, here today.

Yesterday Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, was reported to have instructed Cabinet ministers to scrutinise all remarks in the Auditor-General’s Report 2021, especially involving recurring matters which have not been addressed.

Anwar said that scrutiny must be carried out, especially on expenses, leakages, and matters of non-compliance with conditions and regulations, involving their respective ministries.

Commenting on the development of the reappointment issue of former Machang Member of Parliament, Datuk Ahmad Jazlan, as Felcra chairman, Ahmad Zahid said that it will be coordinated with the appointment of chairmen in all other agencies.

On Dec 16, Ahmad Zahid announced the reappointment of Ahmad Jazlan as Felcra chairman, after taking into account the wishes of the representatives of Koperasi Peserta-Peserta Felcra Malaysia Bhd, however, the Prime Minister announced that the reappointment was postponed.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KOTA BHARU– The Kelantan Road Transport Department (RTD) issued a total of 388 summonses for various traffic offences on the first day of ‘Op Tahun Baru Cina’ yesterday.

Its director Mohd Misuari Abdullah said most of the summonses issued were for traffic offences such as having no driving licence or an expired one and and no insurance cover.

“The operation involves a total of 300 Kelantan RTD personnel and will end on Jan 27,” he said in a statement today.

Mohd Misuari said the department had also issued a road ban on goods vehicles from Jan 20 until 25.

“Restrictions on all category 1 goods vehicles including tipper lorries with a load of 7,500 kilogrammes, low loaders, pole trailers, cement tankers, platform trailers, log trucks, wheeled heavy machinery and tractors,” he said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

GEORGE TOWN– The Penang Hill Corporation (PHC) launched a special edition fast lane ticket service to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Penang Hill Railway.

The general manager of Penang Hill Corporation, Datuk Cheok Lay Leng said the special edition fast lane ticket service was launched to provide a memorable souvenir for tourists.

“Tourists usually like to keep souvenirs from a popular tourist destination. Since they pay a premium price, we would want them to have something special to take back with them.

“Thus, in conjunction with Penang Hill Railway’s 100th anniversary, we would like to do something special for tourists by providing them a special edition ticket to take back with them,” he told reporters at the launch of the Penang Hill Railway’s 100th anniversary by Penang State Exco for Tourism and Creative Economy, Yeoh Soon Hin today.

Meanwhile, when asked about the funicular train service maintenance, Cheok said that there will be daily, weekly and monthly maintenance.

“We want to minimise the funicular train service disruption, but it is also subjected to unexpected circumstances,” he said.

He added that if any service disruption occurred, an immediate diagnosis will be done and measures will be taken to resume the funicular train service.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR– The Ministry of Human Resources (KSM) is reviewing the Employees’ Social Security Act 1969 (Act 4) and the Employment Insurance System Act 2017 (Act 800) with a view to amending them to expand the coverage and improve the social security protection of employees.

Its minister, V. Sivakumar said the ministry was now preparing a Cabinet Paper to be tabled to the Cabinet.

“The decision to review and amend these two laws also aims to ensure a smooth process of applying for benefits and the delivery of social security benefits by the Social Security Organisation (Socso), he said when speaking at the 2023 Socso Chinese New Year celebration here today.

Sivakumar said apart from improving the existing Socso benefits, the ministry also planned to introduce protection not related to occupational disasters, maternity leave benefits, as well as protection for the elderly in line with the Pakatan Harapan manifesto.

In another matter, he said the ministry was targeting to get 500,000 women to register with the Housewives’ Social Security Scheme (SKSSR).

“The SKSSR is open to all housewives, full-time or not, married or single, as well as single mothers, if they have not yet reached the age of 54,” he said, adding that Socso had been instructed to promote the scheme by having more engagement and campaign activities to increase awareness among Malaysians on the importance of contributing to the scheme.

He said Malaysians should be proud as the country was the first country in the Asian region and among the first four countries in the world to introduce a protection scheme for housewives.

A total of 160 guests, consisting of single mothers, orphans and Socso beneficiaries in the Klang Valley were feted at the event.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR– Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi wants Felcra Berhad to formulate Transformation 3.0 to help the government in food security and reduce dependency on imports.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Minister of Rural and Regional Development, said the transformation plan should be formulated as soon as possible with three main elements covering social responsibility, commercial value, and helping to achieve food security.

“Come and see me so that I can be a facilitator to empower the programmes that will be formulated.

“We have at least four years to translate the implementation of this transformation which we focus on food sufficiency and production,” he said at a press conference here today.

Earlier, he was given a briefing by the Felcra Berhad chief executive officer, Datuk Mat Roni Zakaria, who, among other things touched on the implementation of Felcra’s Transformation 1.0 and 2.0, in addition to the business model and the main issues faced by the agency.

Ahmad Zahid said Felcra, as an agency established in 1966 to assist its 100,000 participants, has great potential in assisting the government to reduce food imports with more than 200,000 hectares of land that can be optimised in various sectors.

“I am of the view that the government should be assisted so that large food imports should be replaced by food production from Felcra and other agencies. It is time to reduce imports, to reduce foreign exchange,” he said.

Hence, Ahmad Zahid said Felcra should also be bolder in implementing its own programmes without depending on the injection of government funds, and he expressed confidence that the agency can do it in the near future.

He added that Felcra should learn from the experience of a government-linked company (GLC) listed on Bursa Malaysia, but ended up facing a big problem.

“Felcra can do so much more, but learn from that company’s mistakes. Felcra should be transparent, distribute profits to the participants and help cooperatives, so that leakage does not occur,” he said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

MELAKA– The Melaka government recently re-established its Road Safety Council (MKJR) after it was abolished in 2018, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali.

He said the MKJR was re-established to play a leading role in implementing various road safety programmes and campaigns with the aim of reducing the rate of road accidents and fatalities.

He said the MKJR has been placed under the Chief Minister’s Department and chaired by state Public Works, Transport, Public Facilities, Infrastructure and Flood Management Committee chairman Datuk Rahmad Mariman.

“Prior to this, I noticed an increase in the rate of road accidents in the state and I was informed of the important role or function played by the MKJR, which was abolished.

“The recruitment to fill the vacancies in the MKJR will be carried out in the near future and today we officially launched it,” he told reporters after launching the Melaka MKJR, state-level Road Safety and 2023 Chinese New Year Ops Campaign here today.

Also present were Road Transport Department (JPJ) deputy director-general (planning and operations) Aedy Fadly Ramli and Melaka JPJ director Muhammad Firdaus Shariff.

Meanwhile, Sulaiman said that a total of 14,381 road accidents, with 155 fatalities, were recorded in Melaka between January and September last year, adding that the rate of accidents in the state was still at a very worrying level.

“As such, the involvement of state government agencies, private companies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) like the MKJR is very much needed to help reduce the rate of accidents, thus creating awareness among the public.

“Motorists, especially those entering Melaka, are also requested to obey all regulations and road signs provided to ensure smooth traffic flow throughout the festive period,” he said.

He hoped that members of the public will also play their role as “enforcement personnel” by reporting any traffic violations during the Chinese New Year celebrations by channelling their complaints to the JPJ via email to aduantrafik@jpj.gov.my.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

GEORGE TOWN– A lecturer from Universiti Sains Malaysia’s (USM) Advanced Medical and Dental Institute (IPPT) in Bertam, Dr Teoh Soo Huat received the Dr Peter G. Lindner Award from the Obesity Medicine Association (OMA) in the United States.

Dr Teoh, 39, said he was the sole recipient from outside of the US to be given this award to recognise the contribution of medical experts in the field of obesity.

“The award is a motivation for me to continue to play a role in this field in Malaysia. I hope to develop this field through quality clinical services and to train doctors who are interested. This is my way of appreciating the country and USM for the support given to me to pursue this field,” he said in a statement here today.

Dr Teoh, a medical obesity doctor and family health specialist at IPPT, hopes to help the Malaysian community with serious obesity through evidence-based treatment.

OMA is the largest association of medical doctors whose members, including nurses and medical assistants, are involved in the field of obesity medicine in improving the quality of public health affected by the disease.

Dr Teoh, who hails from Jelutong, Penang, has been involved in the field of medical obesity for 12 years, seven years of which he served with the Ministry of Health (MOH) before joining USM.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency