Category: General

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 3 (Bernama) — The working paper on the living allowance of students sponsored by Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) will be presented to the Cabinet at the end of this month, said Rural Development Minister, Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid.

He said the study not only involved the rate of living allowance for students in the United Kingdom, Europe, the United States, Australia and Japan, but also involved students in the country.

He added that the study was considering that many students were affected by the cost of living in the countries concerned, involving electricity, water, gas, public transport and house rental costs.

“In the past, one person could rent a place for (around) £80 (RM433.88) to £120 (RM650.83) a week, (but) now you can’t get that price,” he said when met by reporters after closing the Career in Engineering and Technology Seminar and Exhibition, here today.

In another development, he said the marketability of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) graduates and professionals produced by MARA has reached 94 per cent, thus proving that graduates of the MARA educational institutions (IPMA) have holistic characteristics and high basic skills that meet the needs of industry.

Meanwhile, regarding today’s programme, Mahdzir said more than 1,500 job opportunities in the field of engineering and technology were offered by 10 companies to MARA graduates, with a total of 1,200 graduates having been matched with careers.

He said about 3,000 MARA students and graduates attended the two-day programme to find their career matches.

MARA’s career matching initiative is part of the Keluarga Malaysia Agenda, under the JaminKerja Keluarga Malaysia, which focuses on a few main programmes including Malaysia Short-term Employment Programme (MySTEP), and upskilling and re-skilling programmes (Upskill Malaysia).

“The organisation of a programme like this is in line with the government’s efforts to reduce the unemployment rate of Bumiputera graduates, by reducing the problem of mismatch between fields of study and scope of work in industry.

“The government is always committed to providing employment opportunities for graduates, and I believe that MARA’s continuous efforts will ensure that Bumiputera graduates do not drop out, and secure jobs according to their qualifications,” he said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

IPOH, Aug 3 (Bernama) – A lorry carrying a load of canned sardines overturned across southbound lanes of the North-South Expressway (PLUS) at KM265.9 around 12.43 today closing the road temporarily to traffic from the Menora Tunnel to Ipoh.

PLUS Malaysia Bhd (PLUS) said on Twitter that traffic was backed up for three kilometres and that travellers heading south were being diverted to the Kuala Kangsar exit.

“A contraflow lane was started from KM267.0 to KM265.1 northbound and traffic is slow,” PLUS said.

Bernama saw ruptured cans of sardines in tomato sauce littering the road which had turned it red and that work to remove the overturned lorry was continuing.

Kuala Kangsar district police chief, ACP Omar Bakhtiar Yaacob, said the road will be reopened after the clean-up and removal is done.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

SHAH ALAM, Aug 3 (Bernama) — The Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (KUSKOP) will create a special scheme to help the online entrepreneurial community further stimulate and expand their businesses.

Its Minister, Tan Sri Noh Omar, said the special scheme to be proposed to the government under the upcoming budget would also assist the youth community, in particular, who seemingly tend to gravitate towards online business.

“Based on record (data) from the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) during the period from March 1 till Oct 31, 2020, a total of 373,213 entities registered their business with SSM for the online business category.

“Online business is extraordinary and flexible so much so that one can work from home, with government servants capable of achieving income more than their salary. Hence, KUSKOP has aksed all its agencies to provide a special scheme to help online entrepreneurs,” he told reporters after officiating the closing ceremony of the Selangor small traders and hawkers strengthening programme (PPPPK) here, today.

Noh said the special scheme plan would provide the maximum allocation allowed according to the respective agencies under the ministry.

“Priority will be given to more than 2,000 participants who have attended the (PPPPK) programme to become the first batch of recipients for this scheme under the ministry’s agencies,” he said.

The programme which successfully gathered 2,836 hawkers and traders is held over 10 series nationwide and Selangor was selected as the final destination for the event.

Meanwhile, he said, in order to make the ministry’s digital platform, MyMall, as the leading e-commerce provider that is capable of competing with existing platforms, four e-commerce platforms, namely ODELA by SME Bank, Pybli by Pernas, Angsana Virtual Mall by UDA Holdings and WarongKu had merged and were put under MyMall.

He said the ministry acknowledged that to compete with the existing e-commerce platforms is not an easy task, however, he hoped MyMall is able to be on par with them in the future.

“Currently, the response is very encouraging and (the ministry) will strive to attract more online entrepreneurs to join the platform,” he added.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUDAT, Aug 3 (Bernama) — The Karakit police station in Pulau Banggi, off Kudat and situated in the northern region of Sabah needs to be upgraded to provide a more conducive working environment for police personnel stationed on the island and to beef up security in and around the island.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani said 38 police personnel stationed in Karakit and headed by an Assistant Superintendant of Police (ASP), were finding it difficult to carry out their duties well, due to a lack of facilities.

The building is old and lacks space for the contingent members to carry out their daily duties.

He said since the island had a vast potential to develop into a tourist destination, there was an urgent need to upgrade facilities related to security in and around the island.

“The police quarters especially can only accommodate 12 personnel and that certainly does not provide a conducive environment for the police personnel…furthermore there is a lack of houses that can be rented since most people live in their own property.

“I came to (Pulau Banggi) today to carry out the Outreach Community Policing programme and finalise a working paper to be submitted to the government for the upgrading process,” said Acryl Sani who was accompanied by Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Idris Abdullah.

It takes about two hours by boat from Kudat to reach Pulau Banggi which is situated about 185km from Kota Kinabalu.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 2 (Bernama) — The Malaysian Parliament and the United States (US) House of Representatives have agreed to continue to communicate and engage in various issues in addition to strengthening their bilateral relations, said Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun.

He said the maiden visit of US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, accompanied by her congressional delegation, to Malaysia, particularly to the Malaysian Parliament, was very historic as it could serve as a platform for discussion between the parliamentary institutions of the two countries.

According to Azhar, Pelosi’s visit gave the Malaysian Parliament room to learn more about the role of special select committees.

“Their response was very good..it was somewhat beyond their expectations. She (Pelosi and the delegation) came here with an open heart to learn from our (Malaysian Parliament) experiences and we are also open to learning from their experiences.

“I really hope that the Malaysian Parliament can learn from the US experience in this matter (special select committees) because they have been using the initiative for a long time,” he told a press conference at the Parliament Building, today.

Earlier, Pelosi and the US congressional delegation arrived at the Parliament building this afternoon and held a discussion for almost an hour with Azhar, who was also joined by several Malaysian Members of Parliament.

Azhar said the meeting, among others, discussed several issues including Malaysia’s Tier Three ranking in the Trafficking in Persons Report 2022 based on the US Department of State annual report, as well as issues related to the palm oil industry, sustainability, flood disasters and global warming.

“On the Malaysia’s position in the US Department of State annual report, I told them (the US delegation), our (Home) minister is briefing the Dewan Rakyat and I also emphasised that Malaysia should take stronger action to improve the situation.

“As for the palm oil issue, I told them that Malaysia has nothing to hide,” he said.

Pelosi, together with the congressional delegation arrived in Malaysia today as part of the official visit to four Asian countries.

The special aircraft carrying Pelosi and her entourage touched down at the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) base in Subang near here at 10.33 am.

The Speaker of the US House of Representatives also held a meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob in the federal capital later today.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 2 (Bernama) — Speaker Dewan Rakyat Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun amended the result of a bloc vote on 20 July on the motion to extend the effective period of Subsection 4(5) of the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (SOSMA).

He said with the amendment, 104 MPs agreed compared to 105 earlier, 33 were absent compared to 32 and the dissenting vote remained at 83 however it did not affect the voting results for the motion.

He said, the decision was made based on Standing Order 100 which states that all matters that are not expressly required in these regulations and all matters related to the implementation of these regulations on one thing only, must be arranged in a manner that does not conflict with the regulations, as ordered by the Speaker from time to time.

Previously, the issue of Pasir Salak MP Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman who was suspended for two days, on 20 and 21 July, was raised by Teo Nie Ching (PH-Kulai) following the hansard on 20 July which recorded that Tajuddin was still in the House and was involved in the voting of the motion.

“Actually, I chaired the meeting (during the bloc vote) but I was not informed about the suspension (by Deputy Speaker Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon) and I did not know about the suspension.

“…If I had known about this matter, of course I would not have allowed Yang Berhormat Pasir Salak to vote on the Home Minister’s proposal,” he said here today.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

GEORGE TOWN, Aug 2 (Bernama) — The close, loving relationship between Chee Hoi Lan, 84, and her adopted daughter, Rohana Abdullah, 22, is viewed as unique and very meaningful to be reflected upon by everyone in the spirit of Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Family).

Penang mufti, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Salim Wan Mohd Noor said it proved that coming from different ethnic and religious backgrounds was not an obstacle to establishing a good and cordial relationship between individuals.

“I’ve been deeply touched upon reading the news article and seeing the photo of the Universiti Teknikal Malaysia (UtEM) student wiping away her tears as she would be away from her foster mother whom she addresses as ‘laoshi’ and who has been taking care of her since she was a baby.

“In my view, this very cordial relationship between a mother and her adopted daughter from a different race and religion shows a unique and very meaningful one. In fact, the two has shown their noble nature that should be emulated by everyone.

“What is even more amazing is that Chee has been looking after Rohana all this while without changing her religion. In fact, this kind woman has been bringing up her adopted daughter in the Islamic way in ensuring that she performs her prayers and fast during the month of Ramadan,” he added.

Wan Salim said Islam indeed enjoined such a relationship even between parents and children professing different religions as the family relationship must remain and not severed in any situation.

“In maintaining a good and cordial relationship between the child and parents in such a situation, it is a must in Islam for the child to obey the real parents as long as he or she is not asked to do something that is ‘syirik’ (polytheism), involving in vice or other things deemed unIsIamic.

Rohana is among 660 diploma-level students from five courses offered by UTeM where she registered at the university’s main campus yesterday.

The girl’s life story had gone viral on social media as she has been brought up by her Chinese foster mother since she was two months’ old after being left by her Indonesian mother who returned to her country.

Also viralled was her initial inability to further her studies as she had no identity card but her problem received the attention of the media as well as Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and it was resolved.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency