Traffic builds up on major highways as holiday travellers return

 

KUALA LUMPUR: Traffic started to build up on several major highways on Sunday (May 24) as Malaysians began making their way home after the Aidiladha holiday break.

The Malaysian Highway Authority (MHA) on Facebook said the return rush had started about 5pm, with several key routes reporting slow-moving traffic.

Among the affected stretches was the Kuala Lumpur-Karak Expressway, where traffic was slow eastbound from Gombak towards Bentong, including areas near Bukit Tinggi and Bentong.

On the North-South Expressway, congestion was reported northbound from Pedas Linggi towards Port Dickson.

Traffic was also slow after the Sungai Besi Toll Plaza heading towards Kuala Lumpur city centre, while congestion was reported in both directions at the Johor Causeway.

The evening traffic build-up was further compounded by several incidents on the PLUS highway.

MHA said an accident at KM159.5 northbound from Jawi towards Bandar Cassia had initially blocked the right lane and caused delays.

The right lane was later reopened as of 5.01pm, although the emergency lane remained closed.

In a separate incident, a trailer broke down at KM231.4 southbound from Changkat Jering towards Kuala Kangsar at 5.09pm.

The breakdown blocked the left lane and caused traffic to slow in the area.

“Motorists are advised to follow instructions from highway personnel and maintain a safe distance between vehicles,” MHA said.

The authority had earlier said that about 2.8 million vehicles were expected to use major highways on Sunday as road users returned from the Aidiladha holidays.

Traffic Management Centre supervisor Muhammad Aliff Syafiq Md Takiyudin said the figure was the highest daily traffic volume recorded since the start of the festive period.

To ease the journey, MHA advised those travelling from the north to consider using the West Coast Expressway between Taiping Utara and Hutan Melintang.

Road users returning from the east coast were also encouraged to use federal roads to avoid heavy congestion on major highways.

Motorists were urged to plan their journeys by checking the Travel Time Advisory through the MyPlus-TTA app or the AFA Prime website.

For the latest traffic updates or enquiries, the public can contact the MHA toll-free hotline at 1-800-88-7752. - Star

28 Malaysian Gaza flotilla volunteers return home after Israeli detention [WATCH]

SEPANG: Twenty-eight Malaysian volunteers from the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) 2.0 mission returned home tonight after being detained by Israeli forces while attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The group arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 1 (KLIA1) at 9.53pm to an emotional welcome by family members, supporters and members of the public, many of whom had been waiting at the arrival hall since 8pm.

However, one volunteer, Razman Mat Ali, 38, from Bayan Lepas, Penang, was unable to return with the delegation after suffering a punctured lung, allegedly following an assault by Israeli soldiers.

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The group arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 1 (KLIA1) at 9.53pm to an emotional welcome by family members, supporters and members of the public, many of whom had been waiting at the arrival hall since 8pm. - NSTP/HAIRUL ANUAR RAHIM

Razman is currently receiving treatment in Istanbul, Türkiye, and is expected to remain there for at least two more weeks following surgery.

Earlier, it was reported that 428 GSF 2.0 activists, including 29 Malaysians, were detained after Israeli forces intercepted the humanitarian mission en route to Gaza.

All were reportedly released two days ago and allowed to return to their respective countries. NST

MORE TO COME

Twenty-eight Malaysian volunteers from the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) 2.0 mission returned home tonight after being detained by Israeli forces while attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. - NSTP/HAIRUL ANUAR RAHIM

3 maut insiden latihan kecemasan pelantar minyak, menurut laporan

 Empat mangsa dipercayai dalam bot keselamatan tertutup sebelum tali menyokong bot tiba-tiba putus.

Tiga lelaki dilapor meninggal dunia sebaik tiba di Jabatan Kecemasan Hospital Sultanah Nur Zahirah (HSNZ), Kuala Terengganu untuk rawatan. (Gambar Facebook)

PETALING JAYA:

Tiga maut selepas bot keselamatan dinaiki terhempas dari pelantar minyak dalam kejadian di luar pesisir Terengganu-Pahang, tengah hari tadi.

Dalam kejadian sekitar 12 tengah hari itu, empat mangsa dipercayai dalam bot keselamatan tertutup bagi menjalani latihan pemindahan kecemasan, sebelum tali yang menyokong bot berkenaan tiba-tiba putus.

Kesan daripada impak berkenaan mengakibatkan semua mangsa dilaporkan parah.

Harian Metro memetik sumber sebagai berkata, sejurus kejadian semua mangsa dibawa keluar dari lokasi oleh pasukan penyelamat dan agensi berkaitan sebelum dihantar ke Hospital Sultanah Nur Zahirah (HSNZ), Kuala Terengganu untuk rawatan lanjut.

“Bagaimanapun, tiga daripada mangsa disahkan meninggal dunia sebaik tiba di Jabatan Kecemasan hospital berkenaan,” kata sumber berkenaan dipetik.

Laporan menyebut mangsa maut adalah Muhammad Faezuan Hakim Mohammad Bustaman, 28, Ahmad Fikri Zakaria, 38, dan Nik Muhammad Hafifi Asri Ab Majid, 37. Jenazah mereka kemudian dibawa ke Jabatan Forensik HSNZ untuk proses bedah siasat.

Seorang lagi mangsa, Muhammad Taufik Mohd Ruslan, 36, dilaporkan cedera dan sedang menerima rawatan.

Punca kejadian masih dalam siasatan pihak berkuasa. - FMT

Kuala Terengganu company fined over ‘indecent’ behaviour at event

 Organiser violated entertainment licence conditions, says mayor.

Kuala Terengganu mayor Lizan Che Mat said organisers must strictly adhere to conditions stipulated under their entertainment licences. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA:

The Kuala Terengganu City Council has fined a company that organised an entertainment event for violating its licensing conditions, after a video went viral showing attendees at Dataran Shahbandar allegedly behaving indecently.

Kuala Terengganu mayor Lizan Che Mat said the fine was issued under the Entertainment and Places of Entertainment Enactment 2002, which carries a fine of up to RM10,000, imprisonment of up to three years, or both.

“Approvals of entertainment licences under the enactment come with conditions that organisers must strictly adhere to,” Bernama reported him as saying today.

He said the council would not compromise on the event licensing conditions, particularly entertainment programmes that disrupt public peace.

A video of the event shows a man putting his arm around a woman, in an apparent breach of the state’s khalwat, or proximity, laws. - FMT

Sarawak to keep 6mil hectares as permanent forest reserves

 An additional 1 million hectares will be gazetted as totally protected areas, says deputy premier Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.

Deputy premier Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said more than 62% of Sarawak’s total land area of 14.2 million hectares remains forested through sustainable forest management practices. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

Sarawak has more than four million hectares of permanent forest reserve land, as part of its long-term commitment to sustainable forest management, says deputy premier Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.

Awang Tengah, who is also the state natural resources and urban development minister II, said Sarawak aims to maintain at least six million hectares as permanent forest reserves, with an additional one million to be gazetted as totally protected areas.

“Of Sarawak’s total land area of 14.2 million hectares, more than 62% remains forested through sustainable forest management practices,” Borneo Post reported him as saying in Miri today.

Awang Tengah, who is additionally the state international trade, industry and investment minister, said Sarawak’s rich biodiversity presents opportunities in carbon economy initiatives, ecotourism, carbon trading, bioeconomy and biomass energy.

“Sarawak is also focussing on downstream timber industries, including furniture manufacturing, engineered wood products and modern construction materials, to strengthen export value and economic returns,” he said.

He said Sarawak remains committed to combating illegal logging through stricter monitoring, modern technology, and coordinated enforcement involving multiple agencies.

He urged local communities and leaders to immediately report encroachment or illegal logging to the forest department. - FMT

Trio, including 2 women, nabbed after trying to mow down cops

 Police say they opened fire on the suspects, who have extensive criminal records, as their actions threatened the officers’ safety.

Kajang police said the suspects, who were travelling in a car with false registration plates, are wanted in connection with an ongoing case.

PETALING JAYA:

Three people, including two women, with criminal records were arrested after they tried to ram into police officers while evading arrest at Jalan Batu 15 1/4 in Dusun Tua, Hulu Langat, yesterday.

Kajang police chief Naazron Abdul Yusof said the policemen opened fire during the 9.30pm incident as the suspects’ actions threatened their safety.

Naazron said a team from the Tampin criminal investigation division attempted to arrest the suspects, who were travelling in a vehicle with false registration plates, in connection with an ongoing case.

The first suspect has a record for six criminal offences and three narcotics-related offences, the second has a record for four criminal and 11 narcotics-related offences; and the third has a record for six criminal and two narcotics-related offences, Bernama reported him as saying today.

He said the case is being investigated under Section 307 and Section 186 of the Penal Code for attempted murder and obstruction of a public servant. - FMT

We knew the recipe for disaster. Now we have the receipt

 

Letter to Editor

FOR DECADES, the relationship between burning fossil fuels and cooking the planet has been treated like an inconvenient rumour—something we suspected but couldn’t quite prove in a court of science.

But a new study from researchers at Patuakhali Science and Technology University (Siddik et al., December 2021) has pulled back the curtain with surgical precision.

Their message is as stark as it is simple: The correlation is no longer just strong. It is ironclad.

In their paper published in the International Journal of Energy, Environment and Economics, the team did not just rehash old climate axioms.

They ran the numbers across time, geography, and sectors. And what they found should shake us out of our collective complacency. The diagnosis: A perfect positive storm.

First, the status quo. The study confirms what many have feared: Global fossil fuel consumption—coal, oil, and natural gas—has not plateaued.

Despite the rise of renewables, we are still digging, drilling, and burning more than ever before. And here is the kicker: The correlation coefficient between that consumption and total greenhouse gas emissions is approaching +0.95 in many of their models.

For the non-statisticians among us, that means the two variables move in almost perfect lockstep.No more doubt.

You want to reduce emissions? You cannot “manage” them away with carbon credits or vague net-zero pledges while simultaneously breaking records for oil extraction.

The math doesn’t lie. As Siddik and his colleagues show, every uptick in fossil fuel use is followed, with grim predictability, by an uptick in atmospheric CO2 equivalent.

We love to point fingers. The West blames China’s coal plants. China blames America’s historic emissions. Europe blames OPEC.

But the study’s cross-sectional analysis offers a more uncomfortable truth: All large emitters are behaving similarly.

The correlation holds in wealthy post-industrial nations and in rapidly developing economies alike. The only difference is the stage of the fire.

In fact, the authors highlight a dangerous paradox: In some developing nations, fossil fuel consumption is rising faster than GDP growth—meaning we are becoming less efficient with every new factory and car.

That is not development; that is self-sabotage. One of the study’s most striking findings is about natural gas.

For years, industry lobbyists have sold gas as a “bridge fuel”—cleaner than coal, they said. But Siddik et al. find that while gas emits less CO2 per unit of energy than coal, its rapid expansion has not displaced fossil fuels overall.

Instead, it has added a new layer of consumption on top of existing coal and oil use. The result? Total emissions keep climbing. A bridge to nowhere is still a bridge to nowhere.

Correlation, as the statisticians warn, is not causation. But when the correlation is this persistent—across decades, across continents, across every economic cycle—denial becomes a form of delusion.

The paper does not just diagnose; it implies the cure. If fossil fuel consumption and emissions are this tightly bound, then incrementalism is a lie.

We cannot tweak our way out. We cannot efficiency our way out. We must substitute our way out. Every therm of natural gas, every barrel of oil, every lump of coal that is not replaced by a zero-carbon alternative is a vote for the status quo.

The authors stop short of policy prescriptions, but the inference is inescapable: Carbon pricing, fossil fuel subsidy removal, and a wartime-level mobilization for renewables are not ideological choices. They are arithmetic necessities.

The Bottom Line: This December 2021 study arrived quietly, in an academic journal, read by a few hundred specialists. But its message deserves a megaphone.

We have spent thirty years debating whether climate change is real. Siddik and his team have handed us the definitive proof of its primary driver.

The correlation is clear. The causation is settled. The only question left is whether we have the courage to act like it.

Because right now, the data shows we are still fueling the fire—and wondering why the house is getting hot. 

Professor Dato Dr Ahmad Ibrahim is an Adjunct Professor at the Ungku Aziz Centre for Development Studies, Universiti Malaya.

The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of  MMKtT.

- Focus Malaysia.