February 5, 2023

Kampung Tersang residents urge authorities to solve problem of stagnant floodwaters

PASIR MAS, Feb 5 (Bernama) — Residents of Kampung Tersang, Rantau Panjang, near here, have expressed concern over a recurrence of floods in the village as a result of the confluence of Sungai Lanchang and Sungai Golok.

Construction worker Mohd Shahrul Fahmi Rosli, 26, said heavy rainfall last Friday had caused the water level in both rivers to rise.

He said the situation got worse when the flow of water from Sungai Lachang to Sungai Golok was disrupted by the construction of the Integrated River Basin Development Project (PLSB) in Sungai Golok.

“Waist-high floodwaters have inundated my house compound since yesterday morning. This is the fourth time our village has been hit by floods since February, November and December last year,” he said when met by Bernama, today.

A Bernama check found that residents have made early preparations by parking their vehicles on higher ground to prevent them from being damaged.

Mohd Shahrul said his family’s life was just about to get back to normal, but they had to go through the same ordeal again.

“Now we have to deal with stagnant floodwaters which often take up to a week to recede,” he said.

For Khairul Annuar Mohammad, 39, his family was still tired from cleaning their house that was flooded in December last year.

“It has been less than a month since our village was flooded. It is exhausting and we still haven’t finished cleaning,” he said.

Rubber tapper Abdullah Che Kub, 71, hopes that the authorities can find a solution to this predicament.

“We have to cope with three to four floods a year which cost us tens of thousands of ringgit in damages and therefore I hope this matter can be resolved immediately by the authorities,” he said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

February 5, 2023

Thaipusam: Sultan Johor’s presence shows racial tolerance – Exco

JOHOR BAHRU, Feb 5 (Bernama) — The presence of the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar at a vegetarian luncheon in conjunction with the Thaipusam celebration at the Arulmigu Sri Balasubramaniar temple, Skudai here, demonstrates the practice of racial and cultural tolerance in the state.

State Health and Unity Committee chairman Ling Tian Soon said the guidelines issued by the Palace and the Johor Islamic Religious Council (MAINJ) were clear and he hoped that there would be no more confusion and speculation related to religious sentiments.

“As the head of Islam in the state, His Highness has attended the luncheon in conjunction with Thaipusam and this can be emulated by everyone,” he told reporters at the luncheon here today.

Last Friday, Sultan Ibrahim said that the fatwa (decree) prohibiting Muslims from attending and participating in religious rituals of other faiths in the state was in no way in conflict with interfaith values of tolerance, unity and understanding as espoused under the ‘Bangsa Johor’ concept.

Sultan Ibrahim has consented to the fatwa which was issued by MAINJ last Thursday.

Earlier, about 10,000 Hindus thronged the 50-year-old temple in conjunction with the Thaipusam celebration.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

February 5, 2023

JPJ detects widespread scam of ‘flying’ licence’

KOTA BHARU, Feb 5 (Bernama) — The Road Transport Department (JPJ) has detected a widespread scam in the forgery of fake driving licences which is still prevalent on social media to this day, said JPJ deputy director-general (management) M. Janagarajan.

He appealed to drivers to exercise more caution in obtaining driving licences and not become victims of forged licences, or which are more popularly known as ‘flying licences’ because they are non-valid.

“Actually this is not an issue of a ‘flying licence’, the real issue is forgery. The licence is not a legitimate one. It is an offence committed by scammers whereby this ‘licence’ has no record nor does it exist in the JPJ system.

“If a driver obtains a licence by this means, he or she doesn’t actually own a valid licence and needs to remember that it is fake,” he said.

He said this during a press conference after a ceremony to close a team development course for drivers of Express Bus Konsortium E-Mutiara Berhad at the Jalan Wilayah Timur Transport Academy here today.

Also present were Road Transport Academy director Mohd Kifli Ma Hassan, Kelantan JPJ director Mohd Misuari Abdullah and executive chairman of Consortium E-Mutiara Berhad Che Ibrahim Che Ismail.

Janagarajan said his department has identified many victims of licence scammers and action is being taken through the JPJ’s driving licensing integrity department.

“The modus operandi of these scammers is to offer advertisements on social media saying that the document is a valid licence when in fact, it is not valid.

“Some victims make payments and, if they get lucky, are issued with what is a fake licence, while there are also victims complaining that the scammer’s account is closed and cannot be traced once payment is made,” he said.

He said that through cooperation with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and police, court action would be taken against suspects who scam the public.

“What the public needs to remember is that any holder of this fake licence can only use it for a short time before this forgery is detected when the driver tries to renew the driving licence the following year,” he said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

February 5, 2023

Body of man found floating near jetty in Kuala Selangor

SHAH ALAM, Feb 5 (Bernama) — The body of a man believed to have drowned was found floating 500 metres from Bagan Muara Esbee Jetty near the Sungai Buloh Sasaran Bridge in Jeram, Kuala Selangor this morning.

Kuala Selangor district police chief Supt Ramli Kasa said a member of the public called to inform of the discovery at 8.05 am and the body was taken to Tanjung Karang Hospital for a post-mortem.

“Investigations are ongoing and the case has been classified as sudden death,” he said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Ramli said the case was believed to be related to the Ops Tapis operation which was conducted at 6.30pm, last Friday (Feb 3) at a jetty near the area.

He said when the police approached the jetty, a group of men had jumped into the river and swam to the other side.

Meanwhile, Selangor Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) director Datuk Norazam Khamis in a statement said he received a call that a group of men had jumped into the river on the night of Feb 3.

He said 15 JBPM members from the Kuala Selangor Fire and Rescue Station (BBP) and the Selangor Water Rescue Team (PPDA) were deployed in the search and rescue of the victims.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

February 5, 2023

MOE expresses grief over fatal crash involving teachers at LPT2

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 5 (Bernama) — The Ministry of Education (MOE) has expressed condolences over the passing of a husband and wife who were teachers at Sekolah Menengah Agama Persekutuan Kajang in an accident on the East Coast Highway 2 (LPT2) yesterday afternoon.

Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek in a Facebook post today expressed her deepest condolences to the family of Arbain Baharudin, 47, and his wife Rosmawati Bakar @ Lalar, 48.

“May the family be patient and persevere through this huge test. We pray that both of their souls will be blessed and placed among the believers. Al-Fatihah,” read the post.

In the 4 pm incident, the couple were killed when their multi-purpose vehicle crashed at KM274 of the LPT2 near the Cheneh toll plaza exit.

The couple’s children, Farah Najwa, 20, Fatin Najla, 10, and Faikal Nabila, eight, sustained minor injuries.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency