Day: May 30, 2023

For two consecutive years, Malaysia became the first country to obtain approval from the Saudi Arabian government to run health facilities for haj pilgrims.

Malaysian Haj delegation head Datuk Seri Syed Saleh Syed Abdul Rahman said the Tabung Haji (TH) health centre in Madinah passed the strict screening and inspection of the Saudi Health Ministry on May 25.

“This is a recognition of our health services. It also shows that our preparations and facilities have reached a high level which allows us to obtain the approval to operate,” he told a press conference here.

Elaborating, he said this year’s screening was stricter than last year, with the country having to meet the criteria in terms of facilities, equipment, operating space, number of specialists and clinical waste management.

Syed Saleh said getting the approval was made easier by Malaysia’s health care sector’s good practices and standard operating procedures, in addition to the good relationship between the two countries, especially the Malaysian Haj delegation with Saudi Haj and Umrah Ministry.

“In terms of the ratio of facilities provided such as beds and doctors to the number of pilgrims, I think we cannot deny that we are the best and highest compared to others,” he said.

Meanwhile, Syed Saleh said that a total of 9,078 haj pilgrims had arrived in the Holy Land via 30 flights with 6,112 pilgrims in Madinah and 2,966 others in Makkah.

He said so far, six pilgrims have been admitted to the TH health centre ward in Madinah while two pilgrims are in the hospital in Makkah due to health problems.

One of them was injured in the leg due to a fall while the others had a lung infection, adding that all of them aged 60 and above and are in stable condition.

He said the pilgrims’ family members had been informed about the matter.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said that there has been no discussion on a Cabinet reshuffle.

“I have not heard anything about it. There is no discussion about that. That is the sole prerogative of the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim),” he said when asked about talks of an imminent Cabinet reshuffle.

“I’m a working man. I follow orders,” Fadillah, who is also the Minister of Plantation and Commodities, told Malaysian media here today.

He reiterated that Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) is committed to ensuring a strong and stable government.

“We from GPS have given our commitment, and what we need now is a strong and stable government.

“Because without stability, we cannot turn around the economy’s performance, and investors will not come as there will be no clear policy, no continuity in terms of government,” he said.

Only political stability and good governance would attract investors, said Fadillah, who is the GPS parliamentary chief whip.

“This is paramount as far as Sarawak is concerned, and that has been our commitment as far as this Unity Government is concerned,” he noted.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) rescued a British angler who was stranded on Pulau Lalang here yesterday.

Melaka and Negeri Sembilan MMEA director Maritime Captain Iskandar Ishak said the victim, Russel Walter Boyd, 40, who lives in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, was found safe without any injury after being stranded on the island for about three hours.

Iskandar said before the incident, the victim went out alone for a fishing trip to the island before his rubber boat was swept away by the currents because it was not tied down.

“We received an alert from the Johor Bahru Maritime Rescue Sub Centre (MRSC) through the MERS 999 line at 2.30 am yesterday before deploying Bot Kilat 19, which was in the nearby area to rescue the victim.

“The man was then taken to the Marina Jetty for further action,” he said in a statement here today.

He advised the public to report any information or emergency to the Melaka and Negeri Sembilan Maritime Operations Centre at 06-3876730 or the MERS 999 line for assistance.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today took Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor to task for claiming that Penang still belongs to Kedah.

Anwar said as Menteri Besar, Muhammad Sanusi should understand the Constitution and be bound by legal aspects.

“Sometimes, when a leader speaks, he has to understand the Constitution, he has to understand what is an agreement.

“The agreement may have been signed 300, 1000 years ago, (but) there is the final agreement of establishing the Federation of Malaya and that is clear.

“To say things in terms of political drama is another matter but as Menteri Besar, I think it is only appropriate to be bound by legislation,” he told the media after officiating the Fikrah Siddiq Fadzil seminar at Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) here today.

Anwar said all leaders need to respect the Constitution agreement that has been consented to by all the Malay Rulers, including the Sultan of Kedah on the issue.

Yesterday, Muhammad Sanusi was reported to have said that Kedah and Penang do not have a border because Penang still belongs to Kedah, claiming further that Kedah only shares a border with Perak and Perlis.

Meanwhile, Anwar said the allegation that there was an offer for PAS to join the Unity Government was never discussed with the leadership.

“I’ve never been informed (on this), and I am unaware. I do not know who (who alleged this), is it a branch leader (for) I am unaware, but the important thing is it is not from me and not from the leadership,” Anwar said.

When told that the matter was raised by PAS members themselves, the prime minister replied: “That you’ve got to ask them. It was never brought to us in PH (Pakatan Harapan) or BN (Barisan Nasional)”.

Last Saturday, the media reported that PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang had claimed that he was contacted by several individuals with an offer for PAS to join the unity government.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

The Ministry of Health (MOH) will expand the programme of releasing Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes to states that have seen an increase in dengue fever cases.

Deputy Health Minister Lukanisman Awang Sauni said the programme has so far involved 27 localities in four states, namely Melaka, Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, and Penang, and will be expanded to Sabah as part of dengue control measures.

“In Melaka, 300,000 mosquitoes have been released since March 2022, with Taman Bemban Jaya selected for this programme based on the criteria set by the MOH and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

“In the first phase, the project used the method of releasing eggs of Aedes mosquitoes carrying the Wolbachia strain, and now it is entering the second phase, which is releasing adult mosquitoes with Wolbachia,” he told a press conference after releasing the mosquitoes for the second phase at Taman Bemban Jaya here today.

He said that for the second phase, nearly 100,000 adult mosquitoes with Wolbachia will be released, 10,000 per release, for eight consecutive weeks starting today.

On the impact of the mosquito release, Lukanisman said that no cases of dengue fever were reported from the locality in the 21st epidemiological week, demonstrating a very positive result.

“In addition to no cases being reported, the density of Aedes mosquitoes with Wolbachia has reached the MOH’s target of 80 per cent and the second locality in the state will be selected in accordance with MOH and WHO regulations.

“Therefore, monitoring will be carried out in addition to providing information to the community on a continuous basis so that they do not kill these mosquitoes, as it is one of the safest and most effective methods of combating the dengue outbreak,” he said.

Melaka had 385 dengue cases reported as of May 27, including one reported active outbreak, with a total of 15 outbreaks registered for the 21st epidemiological week, 13 of which were controlled outbreaks, one recurrent outbreak, and one hotspot.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has announced the allocation of 1 million Malaysian Ringgit for media practitioners, including former and veteran journalists, in need of help. The leader made the announcement during the highlights of the three-day National Journalists’ Day 2023 or Hari Wartawan Nasional (Hawana) at Hotel Casuarina in Ipoh, Perak in Malaysia on May 28. The event attended by more than 1,000 media practitioners, including foreign journalists, celebrated the role played by the industry in the country’s development, according to various media reports. The allocation was the initiative of the Communications and Digital Ministry to be implemented by the Berita Nasional Malaysia or Bernama, the country’s news agency. Anwar, in his address mostly in Malay, told the media to inculcate values and morality and to give voice to the concerns of the public. He said those who have differing views from the government should be given the right to speak without being disparaged which he experienced when he was in the opposition. The prime minister also called on the Malaysian media to remain independent and be free from any external influence and pressure. He tapped the help of news outlets to safeguard the nation’s harmony by avoiding reports that could stir up racial and religious friction. Malaysia is a multiracial and multicultural country. May 29 is declared National Journalists’ Day to celebrate the publication of the first edition of the Malay newspaper, Utusan Melayu, in 1939, according to a Bernama news report. The celebration in Ipoh started on May 27.

Source: Philippines News Agency

The New People’s Army (NPA) in Eastern Visayas (Region 8) has suffered a big blow with the recent arrest of one of its leaders and the deaths of four fighters, the Philippine Army said on Tuesday. Major Gen. Camilo Ligayo, commander of the Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Division, said the arrest of Rosita Solayao Taboy alias Laling, secretary of the NPA Regional Organization Department and member of the rebel’s executive committee in Eastern Visayas, is a victory to the government’s efforts to end the insurgency. Taboy and her husband, alias Beto, were arrested by police and soldiers in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan last May 26. Beto was a demolition expert of the NPA’s national operations command. The couple was also said to be responsible for numerous atrocities committed in the Eastern Visayas region, including the burning of the Smart Communication tower in Catbalogan City in 2000, the assassination of Cafgu Active Auxillary Danilo Nuguit in 2006, and the ambush of military personnel that resulted in the death of 10 soldiers and a 9-year-old civilian in 2010. In a statement on Tuesday, Ligayo said the NPA’s downfall is now more evident as its top leaders are either captured, surrendered or killed. ‘The arrest of the couple is another victory for the combined efforts of the Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines in pursuit of peace and security. This is a great development in attaining justice in honor of the victims of violence perpetrated by the communist terrorist group in Eastern Visayas,’ Ligayo said. Troops seized in their possession one .45-caliber pistol, one .38-caliber pistol, one commercial C4 bomb, blasting caps, assorted mobile phones, laptop, and subversive documents. Meanwhile, on the deaths of four NPA combatants in a clash in Catarman, Northern Samar last May 28, the Philippine Army also said the incident is a huge setback to the NPA’s plan to reinforce a dismantled guerilla front. The report said two male and two female combatants died during the 15-minute clash that took place in upland Mabini village in Catarman town. After the clash, soldiers recovered two M16 rifles, two .45 caliber pistols, magazines, and the rebels’ personal belongings. Lt. Colonel Manuel Degay, Jr., commander of the Army’s 43rd Infantry Battalion, said in a statement Tuesday that the seven rebels who figured in the clash with government troops was led by Mario Sevillano alias Durok, a notorious rebel leader who perpetrated numerous atrocities in Northern Samar province. “Furthermore, from the traces of blood observed in the encounter site, and the items left behind, it cannot be denied that there were NPA members who were wounded during the encounter,’ Degay said. The military has been monitoring the movement of two remaining guerilla fronts in Eastern Visayas, all operating in Northern Samar. They are reportedly hiding in the upland villages of Catubig, Las Navas, Silvino Lobos, Palapag, Mapanas and Gamay towns. Several upland communities in the province are considered the hotbed of the communist terrorist group due to thick forests and poor road networks.

Source: Philippines News Agency