The heat is on at Bahrain GP in Sepang

 Drivers will need to keep cool after heat-hazard race is declared, with temperatures expected to reach up to 33°C during this weekend's event.

According to the BBC, the designation for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia is the third heat-hazard classification of the season, following the Austrian and Italian grands prix. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

This weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia has been declared a heat-hazard race, with temperatures expected to reach up to 33°C during the event.

According to the BBC, the designation is the third heat-hazard classification of the season, following the Austrian and Italian grands prix.

A heat hazard is an official status given to a race when temperatures are forecast to exceed 31°C at some point during the event.

Temperatures are forecast to range between 31°C and 33°C throughout the race weekend, with high humidity and a chance of rain each day.

The race is being held in Malaysia as a replacement for the Bahrain Grand Prix, which was postponed from its original April date because of the war in the Middle East.

The heat-hazard classification allows drivers to use an in-car cooling system that circulates a cooled liquid, such as glycol, through pipes in a fireproof top worn underneath their overalls. The cooling kit is optional.

However, drivers who choose not to use it must carry 5kg of ballast in their cars to ensure they do not gain a competitive advantage.

The designation was first introduced last year after technology for the cooling vest had been developed.

Some drivers have opted not to use the cooling system because of discomfort and concerns that the coolant could run out before the race ends.

If that happens, the liquid can reach the temperature of the car, which is considerably higher than the ambient temperature.

Cockpit temperatures in an F1 car can exceed 40°C, while drivers wear several layers of fireproof clothing in addition to a balaclava and helmet.

The combination makes overheating a significant concern during races held in extreme heat.

Sepang International Circuit CEO Azhan Shafriman Hanif said the circuit is fully prepared ahead of this weekend’s race.

Azhan said nearly 100,000 tickets have been sold, setting a record for the highest ticket sales in the history of races held at the circuit. - FMT

Show proof Myanmar nationals a ‘financial burden’, home ministry told

 Former MP Charles Santiago also asks if the community is more of a 'security threat' than undocumented migrant workers.

Charles Santiago, co-chair of Asean Parliamentarians for Human Rights, said transparency and independent scrutiny have become ‘even more urgent’ with the repatriation of Myanmar nationals under way. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

A former DAP MP has challenged the home minister to furnish proof that Myanmar nationals were a “financial burden” or a “security threat”.

Charles Santiago said the home ministry should reveal how much public funds are spent on the wellbeing of Myanmar nationals and list the security threats supposedly posed by the community.

“Malaysians deserve evidence,” Santiago, a former three-term MP for Klang and the co-chair of Asean Parliamentarians for Human Rights, said in a statement.

Yesterday, the ministry claimed that the lapse in managing asylum-seekers in Malaysia, particularly those from Myanmar, has led “to a huge financial burden on the country”.

The ministry said the lapse has also triggered a serious social crisis and “introduced a real security threat” in Malaysia.

This follows the repatriation of about 1,500 Myanmar nationals, including children, yesterday, as part of a refugee repatriation programme.

The group is the first of 5,000 Myanmar nationals Malaysia says have agreed to “voluntary” repatriation from detention centres.

Santiago also questioned if the Myanmar nationals were more of a threat than the two million undocumented migrant workers who have arrived in the country in the last 20 years.

He said his call for the home ministry to back up its claims was not about asking Malaysia to abandon immigration enforcement or national sovereignty.

“It is about insisting that national sovereignty and the rule of law must operate alongside due process and evidence,” he said.

Santiago, who has been a vocal advocate for migrant rights, said now that repatriation has begun, transparency and independent scrutiny have become “even more urgent”. - FMT

Boy, 17, hurt after oil palm tree falls into house near KLIA

 

PETALING JAYA: A 17-year-old boy was injured after a fallen oil palm tree crashed into a house at Kampung Orang Asli Kelinsing near the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on Wednesday (Sept 30).

Selangor Fire and Rescue Department assistant director of operations Ashrul Riezal Asbar said the victim sustained injuries to his leg and was moved to safety by members of the public before firefighters arrived.

He said the department received a distress call at 5.26pm, with six personnel from the KLIA Fire and Rescue Station arriving at the scene at 5.36pm.

“The fallen oil palm tree crashed into the room of the house. The victim was moved by members of the public before firefighters arrived and sustained injuries to his leg,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.

In a separate incident, a car was damaged after a tree fell onto it along Jalan Abim, Kampung Sungai Ramal Dalam, also on the same day.

Ashrul Riezal said the department received the call at 4.35pm and six personnel from the Bangi Fire and Rescue Station arrived at the scene six minutes later.

“The tree fell onto a car. Firefighters were carrying out work to remove the tree and no injuries were reported,” he said.

Both incidents involved six firefighters and one Fire and Rescue Department vehicle each. - Star

Three houses in village near Sg Petani hit by mudslide

 

SUNGAI PETANI: Three houses in Kampung Serukam here were affected by a mudslide following heavy rain Wednesday (Sept 30) afternoon.

The incident is believed to have occurred after heavy rain began at about 12.30pm, causing a collapse at a nearby housing project site, before water and mud flowed into residents' homes.

One of the victims, Siti Aishah Hassan, 44, said her parents-in-law's house was inundated with water to a depth of about 0.5m, but both had been moved to a safe location before the incident as they had suffered strokes.

"I cannot imagine what would have happened if my parents-in-law had been in the house. The heavy rain caused the water to flow strongly and rapidly, and it rose within a very short time.

"Household furnishings and electrical appliances, including the refrigerator and washing machine, were overturned, while other belongings were scattered. The inside of the house was also covered in mud," she told reporters here.

She said her brother-in-law, Rashid Khamis, 44, who was asleep in the lower part of the house, also managed to save himself after realising that water and mud had entered the house.

Meanwhile, Scientex SP Astana project site supervisor Mohd Haniff Ramli said three houses were affected in the incident, including two located within the project site.

"About a year ago, a similar incident also occurred. We sent a team to clean the affected houses and also cleared the road.

"For now, the residents' houses are being cleaned. After this, we will assess the damage for further action," he said.

It is understood that the affected residents living within the project site had been informed of a proposal to relocate them to another location, but the matter is still being negotiated between both parties.

The housing project is currently in the earthworks and construction phase. - Bernama

Flash floods: Nine workers trapped by floodwaters at Cyberjaya project site

 

Two of the workers were trapped on an excavator.

PETALING JAYA: Nine construction workers were trapped by floodwaters at a river widening project in Apartment Semarak, Jalan Putra Perdana 1A, Cyberjaya, on Wednesday (Sept 30).

Selangor Fire and Rescue Department assistant operations director Ashrul Riezal Asbar said two of the victims were stranded on an excavator while the other seven were on the ground, but firefighters were initially unable to reach them due to the strong water current.

He said the department received a distress call at 6.26pm, with eight personnel from the Cyberjaya Fire and Rescue Station arriving at the scene at 6.40pm.

“Two of the victims were on an excavator while the other seven were on the ground. However, the route to the victims could not be accessed due to the strong current,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.

He said rescue operations were underway to bring all nine victims to safety.

In a separate incident, seven people, including four children, were rescued after flash floods hit a residential area at Jalan Keris 12, Kawasan 16, Taman Rashna, Klang, on Wednesday.

Ashrul Riezal said the department received a distress call at 7pm and seven personnel from the Klang Selatan Fire and Rescue Station arrived at the scene at 7.12pm.

“The floodwaters at the location were waist-deep and the fire engine could not enter the area due to the high water level. Firefighters had to walk about 2km to reach the affected residential area,” he said.

He said the victims, comprising three adults and four children, were subsequently found and brought to safety at about 7.42pm.

The three adults comprised one man and two women, while the children were one boy and three girls.

Meanwhile, Bernama reported that several locations in Shah Alam and Klang were also inundated, causing disruptions to several main routes and slow traffic movement.

The national news agency also reported that social media posts had showed several main routes in Shah Alam and Klang flooded following continuous heavy rain.

Among the reported locations were around Section 7, Desa Alam in Shah Alam and Bandar Baru Klang.

Earlier Wednesday evening, the Shah Alam City Council issued a flash flood warning and advised the public to remain vigilant following a rise in water levels detected near the i-City traffic lights in Section 7 and the Padang Jawa traffic lights in Section 16.

A Bernama survey of the main roads in the Section 7 area Wednesday night found that water levels had begun to recede and traffic flow had returned to normal. - Star

SpaceX contributes 50 Starlink kits to support Malaysia’s disaster preparedness

 Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says he also discussed expanding network access in rural areas during his meeting with US aerospace company SpaceX today.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim during his meeting with the SpaceX delegation in Putrajaya today. (PMO pic)

KUALA LUMPUR:

US aerospace company SpaceX today donated 50 Starlink kits to Malaysia to support the country’s disaster preparedness.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the contribution was presented by a SpaceX delegation during a courtesy call on him in Putrajaya, which was also attended by communications minister Fahmi Fadzil.

Anwar said the meeting discussed efforts to strengthen strategic cooperation through Starlink, the company’s satellite internet service, particularly to expand network access for residents in rural areas.

“I appreciate Starlink’s role in supporting the government’s efforts to expand coverage and improve the quality of internet access, including in rural areas of Sabah and Sarawak, as well as Orang Asli settlements in the peninsula.

“I also welcome the operation of Starlink’s infrastructure in Cyberjaya to facilitate local data traffic and improve service quality for users,” he said in a Facebook post.

Anwar also stressed that technological advancement must bring tangible benefits to the people, while cybersecurity, data protection and safe internet use must remain priorities as internet access expands.

“We want to ensure that communities in rural areas also enjoy quality and safe internet access so that they are not left behind in the country’s progress,” he said. - FMT