Category: General

SEREMBAN, The Negeri Sembilan government doesn’t neglect state constituencies represented by the opposition as it has, in fact, channelled allocations through development projects for the wellbeing of the people.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun said that in line with the MADANI government’s principles, a total of RM34.49 million for 119 projects were approved for five opposition-held state constituencies last year.

“The Bagan Pinang constituency had 25 projects worth RM5.84 million last year and 11 projects with an allocation of RM2.34 million this year. As for the Gemas constituency, there were 29 projects (allocation of RM6.09 million) last year and 39 projects (allocation of RM6.34 million) this year.

“The Labu constituency, meanwhile, had 10 projects (allocation of RM2.01 million) last year and 11 projects (allocation of RM2.06 million) this year. For the Paroi constituency, there were 19 projects (allocation of RM12.07 million) last year and 13 projects (allocation of RM3.22 million) this yea
r,’ he said when winding up the debate on the motion of thanks for the royal address at the state assembly sitting today.

Aminuddin said that the Serting constituency, meanwhile, had 36 projects (allocation of RM8.48 million) last year and 17 projects (allocation of RM2.5 million) this year, in addition to the state government also prepared to look at increasing the salary of state assemblymen and the state’s civil servants.

Meanwhile, state Agriculture, Food Security and Cost of Living Committee chairman Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias said the construction of a dairy cattle farm facility in Pasir Besar, Gemas by FandN Holdings Berhad is underway and the first group of 2,000 cows from the United States is scheduled to arrive in November.

He said the facility copied the dairy farm technology used in China, which has been adapted to local factors following visits to the Wei Gang Dairy Farm and Wei Gang Taichuangyuan Smart Farm, Nanjing on April 23 and April 24.

“The technology includes an automatic milk extrac
tion system, automatic cleaning of cow excrement using anti-odour drainage, automatic and natural ventilation control and the most advanced deodorisation system in the world,’ he said.

He said that according to the Basic Census Data by the Negeri Sembilan Department of Veterinary Service, the self-sufficiency rate for fresh milk in the state last year was 122.8 per cent.

“This means there is a sufficient supply of fresh milk in the state and the dairy farm will increase supply in the local market and meet the market needs of other states, including the international market, besides offering job opportunities,’ he said.

Jalaluddin said the production of udang galah (freshwater prawns) in the state recorded revenue of over RM3.48 million from 51.13 tonnes last year involving 41 breeders registered with the Kuala Pilah District Department. Kuala Pilah is the highest producer of fishery resources.

State Local Government Development, Housing and Transport Committee chairman J. Arul Kumar, meanwhile, said the M
inistry of Transport had appointed two operators to implement bus services in the state from April 1 for five years.

He said the operators would provide 100 new buses, including four electric buses, to provide bus services statewide from July 1.

The sitting today also passed the Poultry Farming Control and Licensing and Poultry Farming Related Activities (Amendment) Bill 2024 and the State Development Corporation, Negeri Sembilan (Amendment) Bill 2024.

Aminuddin said the amendments were aimed at making the content clearer, the governance more efficient and the enforcement more comprehensive.

The sitting was then postponed to a date to be announced later.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

The Lao Ministry of National Defence recently held a dialogue on the Dien Bien Phu Victory on the occasion of its 70th anniversary, providing the Lao officials and soldiers with an insight into the solidarity of the Vietnam-Laos special combatant alliance.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnam International Café Show 2024 – a coffee, food, and beverage exhibition, and the first Vietnam International Tea Show opened in Ho Chi Minh City on May 9, attracting more than 500 domestic and international exhibitors. Organised by Exporum Vietnam Company, the Vietnam Coffee Cocoa Association, Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Association, and domestic and foreign trade promotion agencies, the events gathered leading companies in the food and beverage manufacturing and processing industry. It features equipment, machinery, and technology for the restaurant and hotel management industry.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

MANILA: Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) acting chair Don Artes on Thursday warned the agency’s personnel against breaking traffic laws after two former employees, including a traffic enforcer, were apprehended for illegally passing through the EDSA Busway.

All MMDA personnel, including high-ranking officials and director-level employees, are barred from using the busway.

‘Hindi dapat pamarisan ang mga ganitong gawain na pagpapakilala na kawani ng MMDA para makalusot sa batas trapiko. Ang paglabag sa batas trapiko ay may kaakibat na multa (These actions should not be emulated, such as pretending to be from the MMDA to flout traffic laws. Breaking traffic laws comes with corresponding fines),’ Artes said.

On Tuesday, the Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation (SAICT) apprehended a driver who introduced himself as a member of the MMDA Traffic Discipline Office.

Artes said the driver has been identified as Henry Closa who left the agency on March 31.

On May 2, an MMDA e
nforcer was fired for driving his motorcycle through the EDSA Busway on April 30.

SAICT personnel identified the former MMDA enforcer as Dexter Rasonabe who was caught on camera tailgating a bus near the Santolan station of the EDSA Busway in Quezon City.

Meanwhile, a total of 1,525 unauthorized vehicles, mostly motorcycles, using the busway were apprehended from Jan. 1 to May 9 this year.

Among these were 595 motorcycles, 500 private or public vehicles, 20 government units/ambulances and 410 unauthorized buses or trucks.

Source: Philippines News Agency

DUMAGUETE CITY: The Negros Oriental provincial government is set to procure thousands of rice bags worth PHP20 million for distribution to farmers and fisherfolk who have been affected by the El Niño-induced drought.

Adrian Sedillo, the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer (LDRRMO) of Negros Oriental, told the Philippine News Agency on Wednesday that the money is available and will be taken from the province’s Quick Response Fund (QRF).

The QRF is a 30 percent portion of the province’s Calamity Fund that can now be used following the declaration placing the province under the state of calamity, he said.

‘The latest report submitted by the Department of Agriculture showed that roughly 14,000 farmers have been badly hit by the El Niño and each will be given a 25-kilo sack of rice,’ he added.

Meanwhile, other interventions by the provincial government to cushion the negative impact of the phenomenon include the procurement of 100 portable water pumps and some PHP100 million worth of tractors,
mini dump trucks and other heavy equipment.

On Tuesday, Gov. Manuel Sagarbarria led other government officials in blessing the heavy equipment at the Capitol grounds.

These will be distributed to various local government units (LGUs) to help in recovery efforts and in preparation for the rainy season or the expected La Niña to hit the province in the coming months, Sagarbarria said.

The portable water pumps will be loaned to LGUs or farmers’ associations so they can draw water to irrigate farmlands that still have the chance for recovery, he said.

As of the latest report, Negros Oriental incurred some PHP541-million worth of damage in agricultural losses.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday said it may reach its target of three million new voters for the May 2025 midterm elections “probably by June”.

In a phone interview, Comelec chairperson George Garcia said they expect to reach the figure based “on the current trend.’

“We may reach 3.3 to 3.4 million (voters) by Sept. 30,” he added.

Based on Comelec data as of May 7, the number of applicants who are looking to register as voters is at 2,725,089, since the start of voter sign-up activities on Feb. 12.

Region 4-A (Calabarzon) topped the list of voter applicants with 493,392.

The National Capital Region is in second place with 420,212, followed by Central Luzon with 314,324.

The other regions also having a high number of applicants are Central Visayas, 190,393; Davao Region, 150,111; Western Visayas, 142,742; Northern Mindanao, 132,449; Soccsksargen, 113,191; Bicol, 113,139; Ilocos, 103,884 and Zamboanga Peninsula, 103,402.

The regions with the lowest number of registrants are the
Cordillera Administrative Region with 34,608; Region 4-B (Mimaropa) with 67,670; and Caraga with 70,147.

The voter registration is only until Sept. 30.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Thursday said the three arrested South Korean nationals who are wanted in their homeland for robbery charges will remain in its custody.

‘They will remain in the BI’s facility in Bicutan, Taguig. We will be checking if they have pending cases here in the Philippines. If they have no pending cases and their travel documents are ready as provided by their embassy, then we can implement the deportation,” BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said in a statement.

The BI’s fugitive search unit arrested the three suspects — Han Jungwoo, 37; Jo Woongje, 36; and Lee Chihoon, 25 — in Talisay City, Cebu province on May 3.

The three are all subjects of red notices issued by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) after the Seoul eastern district court ordered their arrest in January due to robbery charges.

Rendel Ryan Sy, BI-FSU acting chief, said the suspects were accused of using sophisticated instruments such as tracking devices and surveillance cameras to sec
retly monitor their victims and obtain their passwords and personal information.

The suspects then used the data they have obtained to breach security in the homes of their victims, where they were able to steal various items worth more than 4.5 million Korean won (around US$3,300).

The foreigners will also be placed on the BI blacklist and banned from reentering the country.

Source: Philippines News Agency