Day: May 26, 2023

The granting of subsidy to the wealthy is a mistake which needs to be corrected,” said Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan.

He said the present government is addressing the issue so that it is fair to the people, especially the B40.

“The rich do not need subsidy, so why are we according them the privilege?

“Which country in the world gives subsidies to the rich? It’s a mistake,” he told a media conference after launching the Sustainable Investment Standards Document (SIS) at the Finance Ministry here today.

Ahmad said the government is formulating the implementation of targeted subsidies so that the T20 will not be suddenly affected.

Earlier, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said those in the high-income group such as the T20 should not be receiving the benefit of electricity and haj subsidies.

Anwar said the Central Database Hub (PADU) will be used to manage and coordinate the distribution of subsidies to those eligible.

“Yesterday the Minister of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said in the Dewan Rakyat that the targeted electricity subsidy savings from January 1 to June is RM5.6 billion. With that amount, we can do various things for the people,” said Ahmad.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

This year’s National Journalists Day (HAWANA) celebration has created history as for the first time media practitioners were granted the opportunity to deliver Friday’s sermon at three selected mosques in the state.

Yesterday, the Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Shah gave his consent for three media practitioners in the state to deliver the sermon in conjunction with HAWANA 2023.

Perak Sinar Harian head journalist Saifullah Ahmad, 38, who hails from Bagan Datuk, said he was deeply touched by the honour of a lifetime which is a major moment in his more than 15 years of experience as a journalist.

Saifullah said the opportunity was the highest recognition for media practitioners in the country, adding appreciation should also be given to all practitioners who are at the forefront of delivering authentic news and accurate information to the people for their sacrifices.

“The duty as conveyors of news to the community must be done responsibly based on Islamic values so that the deed is accepted as an act of worship and rewarded by Allah SWT,” he told Bernama.

Meanwhile, Perak Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) programme producer Muhamad Fahmi Mohd Nor, 30, who is from Bota, said for preparations he repeatedly checked the prepared sermon text and consulted with several ustaz to ensure he delivers it smoothly.

“This is the most valuable experience in my life because it is not easy to get an opportunity like this. When given a stage like this, I take it as a trust to represent my department and practitioners from all over the country so that the public can understand the role and challenges faced by journalists,” he said.

Meanwhile, Berita Harian’s religion and literary editor Mohd Nazmi Yaakub who hails from Kota Bharu, Kelantan shared that when he stepped on the mimbar (a pulpit in the form of short steps where the imam stands to deliver sermon), he surrendered totally to Allah SWT.

“We carry out the task (reading the text) not only for ourselves but also for our fellow media practitioners and the community,” he said.

Saifullah delivered the text at the Sultan Azlan Shah Mosque, Muhamad Fahmi at the Muhibbuddin Shah Mosque, and Mohd Nazmi read the sermon at the state mosque (Sultan Idris Shah II Mosque).

According to the sermon, titled ‘Journalism: Accomplishing Tasks Based on Islamic Values’ journalists carry out the duties entrusted to them honestly, sincerely, and guided by good manners based on Islamic values, including being open, fair and equitable, balanced, without being defamatory so that their job is accepted as an act of worship.

It said practitioners must check and verify the validity of the information they receive, as practised by scholars when narrating hadiths by ensuring the source and validity.

“(Journalists) are taking the responsibility to help develop a country that is peaceful and prosperous, independent and sovereign, whose people are strongly united, highly unified, living in harmony and peace, in the spirit of goodwill and mutual respect despite different religious beliefs and various racial backgrounds,” read the text.

The HAWANA 2023 celebration will be held here from May 27 to 29 with the theme Media Bebas, Tunjang Demokrasi (Free Media, Pillar of Democracy) to re-emphasise the issue of media freedom for journalists in carrying out their duties.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is scheduled to grace the highlight of the celebration on May 28.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Friday disclosed that ‘significant progress’ has been made on the long-standing issue of unpaid claims of overseas Filipino workers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) amid talks with the Saudi government.

‘Doon sa mga naghihintay po na maayos itong claims, malinaw po at damang-dama namin yung commitment ng Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, significant progress na po ang nakamit natin (To those claimants waiting, it is clear and we really feel the commitment of the KSA, we have already achieved a significant progress),’ DMW Secretary Susan Ople said in a virtual press briefing.

‘This is a firm commitment on the part of the Saudi government, by virtue of order coming from the Crown Prince (Mohammed bin Salman) himself,’ she added.

Ople said authorization has already been given for funds to be processed, not only for Filipino claimants, but also for other nationalities including that of KSA.

‘The funds to pay for the unpaid claims are now with the Ministry of Finance of the Saudi government, under the full authorization of the central government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,’ she said.

Although the committee of the KSA government is still in the discussion stage for the implementation of claims’ processing, Ople noted that the country will have direct coordination for updates through the newly designated focal persons.

‘They requested for a specific focal person from the Philippines side, and they appointed one focal person, dati kasi puro by committees, ngayon (before it was mostly by committees now) two individuals were designated as the focal person for each country,’ she said, referring to Migrant Undersecretary Bernard Olalia as the country’s focal person.

Payment rollout

Ople, meanwhile, said that details, such as the exact figure of claims as well as the mechanism for claiming, are still to be disclosed in the next coming weeks or months.

As to the rollout, the Migrant Workers secretary did not give a specific timeline.

However, she mentioned that the DMW has proposed a government-to-government payment mechanism for easier processing of OFW claims, especially considering the cases of deceased claimants.

Moreover, Olalia said that claimants shall receive their full payment alongside end-of-service benefits for the entitled ones.

The KSA government is said to conduct its validation and processing of claims through its employment database and other legal references.

‘Mahigit 12,000 po yung na-validate natin at ininclude natin sa tinatawag nating green list, at nai-submit po natin bago yung May 24, nai-submit natin yung list of claimants na yun, at yun po ay tinanggap po ng kanilang representative (We have validated over 12,000 [claimants], and we included them in what we call green list that we have submitted before May 24. We have submitted the list of those claimants and their representative received it),’ he said.

Olalia likewise said that the KSA shall still include those claimants only found in their employment database, even if their profiles are not found in the updated list of claimants submitted. (

Source: Philippines News Agency

Jerom Lastimosa and Xiandi Chua headline a number of University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) players who will receive special awards from the league for their participation in the recent Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Phnom Penh during Season 85’s closing ceremonies on Saturday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.

Lastimosa, Adamson’s current King Falcon, was part of the Gilas Pilipinas lineup that reclaimed the gold medal in the men’s 5×5 basketball event after losing it to Indonesia last year in Hanoi.

On the other hand, Chua, a member of La Salle’s swimming team, broke the SEA Games record in the women’s 200-meter backstroke event after ruling the final at a time of two minutes and 13.2 seconds.

Other SEA Games gold medalists to be feted are National University’s (NU) Kurt Barbosa for taekwondo, University of Santo Tomas’ (UST) Maria Nicole Labayne and Aidalane Laxa for poomsae, University of the East’s (UE) Mecca Cortizano for obstacle course racing and University of the Philippines’ (UP) Erika Burgos for aquathlon.

A total of 73 UAAP student-athletes competed for Team Philippines in the 32nd SEA Games.

The closing rites begin with the return of the street dance event at 2 p.m.

The La Salle Dance Company-Street finally gets to defend its street dance title after a four-year wait, while fellow top contenders Company of Ateneo Dancers and UP Streetdance Club look to bring the street dance championship back to Quezon City.

Also joining are the NU Dance Company, FEU Street Alliance, UST-Prime, and Adamson University Dance Company-Street.

Meanwhile, it’s a three-way battle in the high school division as UST-Galvanize will defend its title against Adamson University Dance Company-Street SHS and FEU-X.

During the ceremony, the league will award the Athlete of the Year in Team and Individual Sports in the High School and College Divisions, as well as the High School and College General Champions.

Adamson University will then pass on the hosting responsibilities to UE, which will oversee Season 86.

Source: Philippines News Agency

Several local government units (LGU) in Cebu province ordered on Friday the suspension of classes in the elementary and high school levels in anticipation of Super Typhoon Mawar.

The storm signal is now back to super typhoon category and is expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by Friday night or early Saturday morning, the state weather bureau said.

On Thursday, the towns of Minglanilla, Argao, Daanbantayan,

Consolacion and San Fernando as well as the cities of Talisay and Naga were the first to declare the suspension of classes.

The southern towns of Alcoy, Ginatilan, Sibonga, as well as Tabogon and Liloan in the north, announced Friday the start of suspension of classes at all levels to protect the learners from the effect of the incoming typhoon.

Talisay City Mayor Gerald Anthony Gullas said although the classes have been canceled, students should continue learning through modules.

Alfredo Quiblat Jr., the chief weather specialist at the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA)-Mactan, urged Cebuanos to prepare for the weather disturbance.

However, Quiblat said Mawar would not be a cause for panic since it will not make landfall anywhere in the country.

The super typhoon, he said, will enter the PAR somewhere in the ‘extreme north’ of Luzon but the consistent forecast showed that by Monday or Tuesday, it will recurve away straight to Japan.

‘Central and Eastern Visayas can expect light to moderate rain and occasionally heavy rain if there will be thunderstorms,’ Quiblat said.

Harold Alcontin, head of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (CCDRRMO), said they have prepositioned emergency response personnel and equipment in the upland area as part of the preparation for possible landslide in the upland villages.

The capital city has about 30 mountain villages, some of which have a history of landslides during bad weather.

Source: Philippines News Agency