Day: March 4, 2023

KUCHING, March 4 (Bernama) — The last temporary relief centre for flood victims in Sarawak, the Sports Complex in Julau, closed today.

The state disaster management committee secretariat said the relief centre, which before this housed 14 people from five families was closed at 2 pm.

Floods hit Sarawak since Tuesday following continuous rain involving Kuching, Bau, Siburan, Engkelili, Debak and Julau.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

BATU PAHAT, March 4 (Bernama) — Over 300 flood victims placed at the relief centre set up at SK Sri Sejati near Kampung Parit Warijo, Sri Medan here, have been forced to relocate as the centre was also flooded today.

Batu Pahat District Police chief ACP Ismail Dollah said the evacuation of all the victims at the relief centre as well as some residents who were still stranded at their homes would be done in stages by the agencies involved.

“The centre was flooded up to one metre since early today. There are also more than 15 families identified to be still stuck at their homes in the village area,” he said when met while inspecting the rescue operation at the village here, today.

Ismail said 241 personnel from various agencies were assigned to evacuate the victims.

“Apart from the police, the mission also involves rescuers from the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM), the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM), the Civil Defence Force (APM) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs),” he said.

According to Ismail, the police will also mobilise two jet skis to monitor the affected areas.

However, he expressed disappointment over the fact that some residents refused to leave their homes, making rescue work difficult.

He said the police had received rescue calls involving 15 families, but he believed the number could be higher than that.

“This is because there are still other villages involved in the cluster such as Kampung Jayus 1 to 9, Kampung Basri Darat, and Kampung Singgahan,” he added.

Checks by Bernama at the entrance of Kampung Parit Warijo found many boats as well as lorries and tractors being used by the authorities and private individuals to evacuate residents and livestock.

It is believed that there is a cluster of more than 20 villages within Kampung Parit Warijo.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

ARAU, March 4 (Bernama) — The East Wind Festival 2023 (PAT 2023) here is capable of helping to rejuvenate the economy, especially the tourism sector, which had been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, said the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC).

MOTAC secretary-general Datuk Saraya Arbi said the ministry was actively implementing various initiatives in Perlis to boost the state’s tourism sector.

“Among the efforts taken in Perlis is upgrading ecotourism attractions to give more space and business opportunities for industry players.

“Arts and culture practitioners too can seize the opportunities arising from areas identified for ecotourism,’’ she said when visiting the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) booth at PAT 2023 in Kampung Sungai Padang here today.

The three-day PAT 2023 was jointly organised by MOTAC and the Perlis state government.

Among the activities featured at the annual event are traditional games like ‘tarik upih pokok pinang’ (traditional betel nut speed game) competitions, top-spinning contests, ‘kasut tempurung’ (walking on coconut shell) games, fishing competitions, and padi fields motocross competitions.

Saraya said the 2020 edition of PAT had attracted 127,160 visitors and generated a revenue of RM492,000.

This was an improvement over the 2019 figures of RM481,000 in revenue and 122,182 visitors, she said.

She said that in 2021, PAT2021@online, which was held virtually for two days, generated RM468,540 through telecommunications companies, with 82,200 online visitors, including from other countries.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

JASIN, March 4 (Bernama) — Continuous rain in the past few days resulted in several houses and rice fields in Kampung Parit Sidang Seman Benteng in the Sungai Rambai area being submerged under water since yesterday.

Flood victim, Nur Faezah Zabidin, 26, said the floods also caused 1.21 hectares out of 3.24 hectares of rice fields to be damaged. The paddy was supposed to be harvested next April.

“We had expected to harvest the paddy during Hari Raya but now we can only afford to pray and hope that the flood water would subside soon to avoid suffering bigger losses.

“The floods that hit this time were completely unexpected and we are worried that if this kind of weather persists, it may be a repeat of what happened in 2006,” she said when met by reporters today.

Nur Faezah, who is now seeking shelter at the Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Parit Gantong temporary relief centre (PPS), said the flood caused many of her electrical items to be damaged.

Meanwhile, her neighbour, Zulhilmi Monjani, 22, who works as an oil palm plantation worker, said his income was also affected because there was no work over the past few days due to the flooding.

“Normally, in a day’s work I can collect a ton of palm and I will be paid around RM80 and I am hoping the floodwaters would subside soon, I know this is a test from God,” he said.

Another resident, Nor Hidayah Sulaiman, 37 from Kampung Batu Gajah said she managed to rescue and move the items to safety before the floodwaters rose.

“Furthermore, the slope near my house had been upgraded which caused the water to rise slowly and my three children and I were able to move things before we moved to the relief centre at SK Batu Gajah.

“I am happy with the facilities at the relief centre, including the food and lodging but if more people are relocated here, then other relief centres would have to open,” she said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

CAMERON HIGHLANDS, March 4 (Bernama) — Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah graced the groundbreaking ceremony for the Cameron Highlands District Police Headquarters (IPD) surau in Brinchang.

The King was accompanied by Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah Almarhum Al-Mutawakkil Alallah Sultan Iskandar Al-Haj,

Pahang Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Hussain, Pahang police chief, Datuk Ser Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf, Cameron Highlands MP Datuk Ramli Md Nor and LBS executive director Datuk Seri Lim Hock Sing were also present at the ceremony.

The surau, which will be a new landmark in Cameron Highlands, will be built on an acre (0.404 hectares) of land and is expected to be completed by mid-2024.

With a built-up area of 6,016 sq ft (0.055 sq hectares), the surau would be able to accommodate 200 worshippers at any one time and will benefit the Cameron Highlands police personnel as well as the local community.

The facilities provided at the surau include an audio room, the imam’s room, toilets, a square water tank for ablution, a meeting room, a morgue, a dining room and a car park.

It is expected to cost almost RM5 million, which is borne by LBS Bina Group Berhad as part of its corporate social responsibility programme.

Meanwhile, Razarudin said in his speech on behalf of the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), expressed his appreciation for the Pahang state government’s efforts and commitment towards the construction of the surau.

“This surau not only provides comfort to team members to perform their prayers but will also serve as a centre for education and the dissemination of Islamic teachings for the development of the Ummah,” he said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KOTA TINGGI, March 4 (Bernama) — Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said has insisted that she was not involved in the re-appointment of Attorney-General Tan Sri Idrus Harun.

She said the Attorney-General is only accountable to the Prime Minister.

“I was not personally involved in the process of re-appointing the Attorney-General.

“I want to stress that perhaps the Prime Minister has his own reasons for extending the Attorney-General’s appointment for six more months. But, to me, what we really need to look at is that perhaps he (Idrus) has some unfinished business,” she told a media conference after officiating the launching of the Financial Literacy Programme for Legal Aid and Insolvency Clinics, here, today.

She said this when asked to comment on allegations by certain parties on social media, questioning the involvement of the Pengeran Member of Parliament in the appointment of the Attorney-General.

Azalina explained that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah had approved the reappointment of Idrus in accordance with Clause (1) Article 145 of the Federal Constitution.

Yesterday, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali announced the reappointment of Idrus as the Attorney-General for six months effective Monday (March 6).

Meanwhile, Azalina said the Insolvency Act 1967 (Act 360), which will be amended, will be tabled in Parliament early next month.

He said six policy proposals will be tabled, including making improvements so that individuals can be released from bankruptcy in a short period of time.

“The Prime Minister, in his Budget speech recently, did mention insolvency for release from bankruptcy, and we target the release from this amendment to the Insolvency Act to benefit 130,000 individuals from 260,000 bankruptcy cases,” she said.

Meanwhile, she said the Prime Minister’s Department will improve and expand the jurisdiction of the Legal Aid Department, in addition to the National Legal Aid Foundation (NLAF) also being improved through specific acts and certain agencies to provide services involving criminal cases.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA TERENGGANU, March 4 (Bernama) — The government has allocated RM150 million for the Vessel Modernisation Programme and the Catch Mechanism Programme to boost the total of fish landings for food supply.

Fisheries Department deputy director-general Wan Muhammad Aznan Abdullah said the financing under the Food Security Fund programme is open to Zone A, B, C and C2 fishermen.

“The interest rate is set at 3 per cent for Zone A and B fishermen, and 3.5 per cent for Zone C and C2 fishermen.

“The department has set a target of 315 vessels, 28 for the modernisation programme and 287 for the catch mechanism programme,” he said in a statement today.

As of Jan 31, Agrobank has approved RM131 million from the fund and the remaining allocation is open to any interested party.

Also, Wan Muhammad Aznan said that 27 Zone C2 deep sea vessels in Terengganu recorded landing 291 metric tons of fish in 2021.

“During a working visit to Amir Vision Sdn Bhd in Kuala Terengganu today, (Agriculture and Food Security Minister) Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said the construction of modern vessels should be expanded to replace traditional boats,” he said.

Amir Vision is a bumiputera company involved in constructing modern Zone C2 vessels in Terengganu.

He added that the Fisheries Department is targetting 1.3 metric tons of both coastal and deep sea catch for 2023.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency