Sports

SINGAPORE, Discussion between Singapore and Malaysia on the latter’s request to defer the High Speed Rail (HSR) project is ongoing, according to Singapore’s Ministry of Transport (MOT).

The HSR Bilateral Agreement remains in force, unless Singapore and Malaysia mutually agree to vary it, the ministry’s spokesperson said in an email to Bernama.

Singapore Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan and Malaysia’s Minister of Economic Affairs Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali met on Aug 23 in Kuala Lumpur to continue the discussion they had on Aug 11 on the project.

It was earlier reported by The Straits Times that the two countries had agreed to put the HSR on hold after the ministers in charge met on Aug 23, with senior officials now tasked with negotiating the terms of the deferment.

Quoting sources, the report said both countries are studying how long the project should be shelved for, before returning to the discussion table.

Source: NAM News Network

MIRI: Sarawak Forestry Department should consider culling crocodiles in Bakong River in Miri Division in view of the increasing number of attacks by the reptiles on people and to prevent the situation from getting out of control.

Assistant Minister of Local Government Datu Dr Penguang Manggil, who is Marudi assemblyman, made this suggestion when commenting on the latest crocodile attack on a resident of Rumah Benang in Marudi constituency on Sunday.

I urge the Forest Department to look into the possibility of culling the crocs before it goes out of control as croc attacks went up as far as Sungai Peking as well as upper Bakong which was never heard of previously, he said.

Penguang, who comes from an Iban longhouse in Sungai Entulang, said the crocodiles along Bakong River and its tributaries are getting more daring and attack pigs and poultry which are caged behind longhouses by the river side.

The reptiles are also often seen sunbathing at Kampung Beluru near Beluru bazaar and along river banks, he added.

As Bakong River has become seriously crocodile�infested, he advised the riverine community and those wishing to fish there to exercise extra care and go in groups of two persons or more.

Penguang said the latest victim, Mangku Sulo, 56, from Rumah Penghulu Benang was fishing in the river with five others from the same longhouse on Sunday when he was attacked but was lucky to have survived and is now recuperating in Miri Hospital.

Mangku said he was casting his fishing net at 2pm when a crocodile sneaked up and attacked him.

It happened so fast that he did not know what happened but felt something bit his right foot and dragged him into the water far from the river bank.

However, the crocodile let go of his foot and Mangku made a desperate swim to the river bank.

When he reached the bank, he turned to look back and saw the crocodile with only its head visible, thankful that he survived the attack with only a 12cm-long cut on his right foot.

As provided by the Wild Life Protection Ordinance 1998 (WLPO) Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) has undertaken culling of crocodiles deemed to pose danger to the public or when attack on humans occurs.

Last year, it issued five licences to cull crocodiles following fatal attacks in Santubung, Pusa, Baram, Sebuyau, Selalang and Paloh.

In 2016, Forest Department director Sapuan Ahmad said crocodiles are found plentiful in 10 rivers in Sarawak and surveys conducted from 2012 to 2014 showed that these rivers had eight to 14 crocodiles for every kilometre, with Batang Lupar having the most.

He said the 10 rivers were among 45 rivers with a total length of 2,108.38 km where an estimated 12,000 crocodiles live.

The rivers are Batang Sadong, Sungai Tuang, Batang Kerian, Sungai Seblak, Sungai Linga, Sungai Sebuyau, Batang Lupar, Batang Saribas, Batang Baram and Sungai Bakong.

Culling is based on the WLPO. The Swift Wildlife Action Team (or SWAT) undertakes to remove or cull crocodiles that attack humans but licences are issued for contract culling in selected rivers with quota and permits on hunting, killing and selling of crocodiles.

With the down-listing in the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), there is a permitted quota of wild caught or harvested crocodile that may be traded internationally.

CITES is an international agreement between governments with an aim to ensure that trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.

Source: SARAWAK GOVERNMENT

MIRI: Sarawak Forestry Department should consider culling crocodiles in Bakong River in Miri Division in view of the increasing number of attacks by the reptiles on people and to prevent the situation from getting out of control.

Assistant Minister of Local Government Datu Dr Penguang Manggil, who is Marudi assemblyman, made this suggestion when commenting on the latest crocodile attack on a resident of Rumah Benang in Marudi constituency on Sunday.

I urge the Forest Department to look into the possibility of culling the crocs before it goes out of control as croc attacks went up as far as Sungai Peking as well as upper Bakong which was never heard of previously, he said.

Penguang, who comes from an Iban longhouse in Sungai Entulang, said the crocodiles along Bakong River and its tributaries are getting more daring and attack pigs and poultry which are caged behind longhouses by the river side.

The reptiles are also often seen sunbathing at Kampung Beluru near Beluru bazaar and along river banks, he added.

As Bakong River has become seriously crocodile�infested, he advised the riverine community and those wishing to fish there to exercise extra care and go in groups of two persons or more.

Penguang said the latest victim, Mangku Sulo, 56, from Rumah Penghulu Benang was fishing in the river with five others from the same longhouse on Sunday when he was attacked but was lucky to have survived and is now recuperating in Miri Hospital.

Mangku said he was casting his fishing net at 2pm when a crocodile sneaked up and attacked him.

It happened so fast that he did not know what happened but felt something bit his right foot and dragged him into the water far from the river bank.

However, the crocodile let go of his foot and Mangku made a desperate swim to the river bank.

When he reached the bank, he turned to look back and saw the crocodile with only its head visible, thankful that he survived the attack with only a 12cm-long cut on his right foot.

As provided by the Wild Life Protection Ordinance 1998 (WLPO) Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) has undertaken culling of crocodiles deemed to pose danger to the public or when attack on humans occurs.

Last year, it issued five licences to cull crocodiles following fatal attacks in Santubung, Pusa, Baram, Sebuyau, Selalang and Paloh.

In 2016, Forest Department director Sapuan Ahmad said crocodiles are found plentiful in 10 rivers in Sarawak and surveys conducted from 2012 to 2014 showed that these rivers had eight to 14 crocodiles for every kilometre, with Batang Lupar having the most.

He said the 10 rivers were among 45 rivers with a total length of 2,108.38 km where an estimated 12,000 crocodiles live.

The rivers are Batang Sadong, Sungai Tuang, Batang Kerian, Sungai Seblak, Sungai Linga, Sungai Sebuyau, Batang Lupar, Batang Saribas, Batang Baram and Sungai Bakong.

Culling is based on the WLPO. The Swift Wildlife Action Team (or SWAT) undertakes to remove or cull crocodiles that attack humans but licences are issued for contract culling in selected rivers with quota and permits on hunting, killing and selling of crocodiles.

With the down-listing in the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), there is a permitted quota of wild caught or harvested crocodile that may be traded internationally.

CITES is an international agreement between governments with an aim to ensure that trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.

Source: SARAWAK GOVERNMENT

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia The police have arrested a RapidKL stage bus driver undergoing treatment at the Ampang Hospital after he crashed into seven vehicles apparently while fleeing from an accident in Jalan Ampang last night.

Kuala Lumpur Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department chief ACP Zulkefly Yahya said today the driver was being treated for a head injury.

The driver has been subjected to a urine test and the sample has been sent to the Chemistry Department for analysis, he said when contacted by Bernama.

The seven vehicles were badly damaged after the bus crashed into them as the driver weaved the vehicle through traffic at about 8 pm following the accident in front of the Risda building.

A video clip of one minute 37 seconds duration on the bus weaving through traffic and crashing into vehicles had gone viral on social media.

Zulkefly dismissed as untrue a viral social media message that the driver had died.

He said the driver was scheduled to be discharged from the hospital today.

Zulkefly said the police would conduct an investigation if the driver lodged a report that he was assaulted.

No passengers were in the bus during the incident, he added.

Source: NAM News Network

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia The police have arrested a RapidKL stage bus driver undergoing treatment at the Ampang Hospital after he crashed into seven vehicles apparently while fleeing from an accident in Jalan Ampang last night.

Kuala Lumpur Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department chief ACP Zulkefly Yahya said today the driver was being treated for a head injury.

The driver has been subjected to a urine test and the sample has been sent to the Chemistry Department for analysis, he said when contacted by Bernama.

The seven vehicles were badly damaged after the bus crashed into them as the driver weaved the vehicle through traffic at about 8 pm following the accident in front of the Risda building.

A video clip of one minute 37 seconds duration on the bus weaving through traffic and crashing into vehicles had gone viral on social media.

Zulkefly dismissed as untrue a viral social media message that the driver had died.

He said the driver was scheduled to be discharged from the hospital today.

Zulkefly said the police would conduct an investigation if the driver lodged a report that he was assaulted.

No passengers were in the bus during the incident, he added.

Source: NAM News Network

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia Aug 15 () – The government is intensifying marketing efforts to increase palm oil exports and enhance trade ties with China in the face of challenging market conditions, says Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok.

The ministry would sign a collaboration memorandum and initiate free trade discussions with China in order to facilitate further export of Malaysian palm oil products to that country .

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s trip to China, scheduled for later this month, will be used as a platform to hold meetings and discussions on cooperation with the Chinese government, Kok told the Dewan Rakyat today in reply to a question from Dr Azman Ismail (PKR-Kuala Kedah) who asked about the government’s strategy to increase palm oil exports to Europe and China.

The minister’s response was read out by Deputy Primary Industries Minister Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin.

Kok said the government, via the Malaysia Palm Oil Board, would organise various forums and conduct research on the use of palm oil and palm oil-based products in China in order to enhance palm oil exports to the country.

Other activities to be intensified include working visits, economic and technical missions to the European Union (EU), as well as, participation in various conferences, trade expositions and exhibitions.

These activities are aimed at interacting with players with vested interest in the vegetable oils and fats industry, she added.

Meanwhile, Kok said the Malaysia-EU Free Trade Agreement, still under negotiations, would benefit efforts to increase the palm oil trade to Europe.

There will be alliances in EU with parties involved in the palm industry, including the European Palm Oil Alliance, European Sustainable Palm Oil Advocacy Group and Belgian Sustainable Palm Oil, to encourage the use of palm oil.

These alliances will help spread a positive image of palm oil in the EU and increase the acceptance and use of the commodity, she added.

Source: NAM News Network

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia Aug 15 () – The government is intensifying marketing efforts to increase palm oil exports and enhance trade ties with China in the face of challenging market conditions, says Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok.

The ministry would sign a collaboration memorandum and initiate free trade discussions with China in order to facilitate further export of Malaysian palm oil products to that country .

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s trip to China, scheduled for later this month, will be used as a platform to hold meetings and discussions on cooperation with the Chinese government, Kok told the Dewan Rakyat today in reply to a question from Dr Azman Ismail (PKR-Kuala Kedah) who asked about the government’s strategy to increase palm oil exports to Europe and China.

The minister’s response was read out by Deputy Primary Industries Minister Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin.

Kok said the government, via the Malaysia Palm Oil Board, would organise various forums and conduct research on the use of palm oil and palm oil-based products in China in order to enhance palm oil exports to the country.

Other activities to be intensified include working visits, economic and technical missions to the European Union (EU), as well as, participation in various conferences, trade expositions and exhibitions.

These activities are aimed at interacting with players with vested interest in the vegetable oils and fats industry, she added.

Meanwhile, Kok said the Malaysia-EU Free Trade Agreement, still under negotiations, would benefit efforts to increase the palm oil trade to Europe.

There will be alliances in EU with parties involved in the palm industry, including the European Palm Oil Alliance, European Sustainable Palm Oil Advocacy Group and Belgian Sustainable Palm Oil, to encourage the use of palm oil.

These alliances will help spread a positive image of palm oil in the EU and increase the acceptance and use of the commodity, she added.

Source: NAM News Network