Monday, January 31, 2022

GONG XI FA CAI 2022 (HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR)

 


Wishing all our Chinese readers, relatives and friends a HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR 2022 (GONG XI FA CAI).

Let’s hope that this lunar new year will see our Malaysia and the world finally emerging victorious in the battle against the scourge of Covid-19. 

Until such time, we must continue to strictly observe health SOPs and stay safe.

May this Chinese New Year bring prosperity, good fortune and continued good health.

Happy Holidays to everyone.


Here is that old Cantonese song. So it is also Kong Hee Fatt Choy.

20 lembu ditemukan mati dalam kandang buah naga di Taiping

 

Ketua Polis Daerah Taiping Osman Mamat berkata, pemilik lembu berusia lingkungan 30-an yang mengalami kerugian dianggarkan RM80,000 turut membuat laporan polis berhubung kejadian itu. (Gambar Facebook)

IPOH: Sebanyak 20 ekor lembu ditemukan mati dalam sebuah ladang buah naga di Sungai Rotan Padang Gajah, Taiping semalam.

Ketua Polis Daerah Taiping Osman Mamat berkata kesemua bangkai lembu itu yang ditemukan pekerja lelaki ladang itu di sekitar lingkungan dua kilometer (km) dalam kawasan ladang berkenaan pada pukul 9.45 pagi.

“Pengadu telah membuat pemeriksaan terhadap lembu itu dan dapati mati lalu datang ke balai polis untuk membuat laporan tidak mahu bertanggungjawab atas apa-apa yang berlaku,” katanya dalam kenyataan di sini hari ini.

Beliau berkata pemilik lembu berusia lingkungan 30-an yang mengalami kerugian dianggarkan RM80,000 turut membuat laporan polis terhadap kejadian itu.

Menurutnya siasatan awal mendapati jumlah kesemua lembu ternakan milik lelaki itu adalah sebanyak 160 ekor manakala jarak antara ladang buah naga dan kandang lembu adalah kira-kira 6 km.

Osman berkata, pasukan forensik Ibu Pejabat Polis Kontinjen Perak telah mengambil sampel tadahan air yang terdapat di dalam tong besi dan racun tanaman yang digunakan untuk pertanian di lokasi kejadian untuk tujuan analisis.

“Siasatan lanjut di tempat kejadian, pasukan veterinar telah membuat bedah siasat terhadap bangkai lembu di tempat kejadian telah mengambil jantung, limpa, paru-paru hati dan ginjal untuk dianalisis bagi mengetahui punca kematian,” katanya.

Permohonan laporan bedah siasat pihak veterinar akan dibuat dalam masa terdekat dan kes disiasat di bawah Seksyen 428 Kanun Keseksaan iaitu khianat dengan membunuh atau mencacatkan haiwan. - FMT

‘Umno tak diselamatkan sesiapa, kami tenggelam bersama-sama’ Tok Mat nafi kenyataan Hadi

 

Mohamad Hasan berkata, kenyataan Hadi Awang bahawa PAS menyelamatkan Umno selepas kalah pilihan raya umum lalu adalah tidak tepat.

PETALING JAYA: Timbalan Presiden Umno, Mohamad Hasan menafikan kenyataan Presiden PAS, Abdul Hadi Awang yang mendakwa PAS “menyelamatkan” Umno-Barisan Nasional apabila parti itu tumbang pada pilihan raya lalu.

Beliau berkata, Umno tidak diselamatkan oleh sesiapa dan maklumat yang diperolehi Hadi itu disifatkan sebagai tidak tepat.

“Kami (Umno) tak diselamatkan sesiapa. Kami (Umno dan PAS) tenggelam bersama-sama. Dulu (2018) kami menang 79 kerusi. Walaupun Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) keluar, kami masih tinggal 55 kerusi.

“Walaupun begitu, BN masih mempunyai 42 kerusi, terbesar dalam Parlimen. Saya rasa beliau (Hadi) mendapat maklumat yang tidak tepat,” katanya pada program Agenda Astro Awani “PRN Johor: Biarlah Rakyat Yang Pilih” hari ini.

Pada 28 Jan lalu, Hadi yang juga Ahli Parlimen Marang itu mengingatkan bahawa PAS “menyelamatkan” Umno-Barisan Nasional apabila ia tumbang pada pilihan raya lalu namun jasa itu dilupakan.

“Malangnya kita bukan nak ajar itik berenang tetapi (kita) selamatkan itik (yang) patah kaki pada PRU14. Malangnya bila kaki dah sembuh, dia nak berenang sendiri, nak tinggal kita. Jadi itu satu benda yang tidak bermaruah dan tidak betul,” kata Hadi.

Dalam pada itu, Mohamad berkata Umno tidak mendesak untuk diadakan pilihan raya negeri (PRN) Johor kerana didorong rasa gembira berikutan kemenangan besar pada PRN Melaka secara seperti yang didakwa oleh banyak pihak.

Katanya, Umno tidak terlalu yakin kerana masih mengkaji pelbagai kemungkinan yang mungkin berlaku pada pilihan raya negeri.

“Johor bukan macam Melaka. Ia mempunyai demografi pengundi yang berbeza. Ditambah (Johor) adalah negeri yang besar,” katanya.

Mohamad berkata pimpinan Umno mendesak PRN Johor diadakan kerana mahu rakyat Johor memilih kerajaan negeri mereka sendiri memandangkan kerajaan pimpinan BN-Perikatan Nasional sebelum ini tidak pernah dipilih oleh mereka.

“Ia dibentuk melalui persetujuan dalam kalangan ADUN. Tambahan pula, orang ramai mengatakan ini adalah kerajaan pintu belakang, jadi kami mahu membiarkan rakyat memilih kerajaan (negeri) seterusnya,” katanya.

“Anda mempunyai keadaan di mana anda tidak mempunyai undi majoriti kerana seorang ADUN berada di bawah kuarantin Covid. Bagaimana untuk menguruskan negeri dengan masalah ini, sedangkan anda mempunyai majoriti tipis dalam DUN”, katanya. - FMT

Politics and teachers’ moral dilemma

 

From Moaz Nair

Education, in essence, is to nurture citizens to think critically and resolve problems that are either political, economic, scientific, or otherwise. Politics is a societal realm that touches all citizens and embraces teachers and students.

How non-political should teachers be in the classroom can be a contentious issue. Teachers may face this moral dilemma when it comes to classroom teaching if they are allowed to be active in real politics, as it may lead them to have biased views that can influence their approach to teaching and at times propagandise students with their personal political understandings.

Parents, students and teachers have varied backgrounds, biases, and beliefs. Parents and students look up to teachers as role models.

As for teachers, they are the authority who holds the power to influence or coerce students to align with their views.

So, what most parents fear is when teachers’ political orientation, ideological and value systems become the only standpoint students receive in classroom teaching. They may fear that teachers would impose their political views or beliefs of any kind on students.

If teachers bring their personal views on politics into the classroom in the teaching process, then this is didactically unethical. It breaks the foundation of the elementary principles of impartiality in pedagogy.

When teachers are strictly linked to a political ideology, they may end up teaching politics simply by being who they are and delivering the curriculum in the way they prefer.

A strict adherence to neutrality may not be possible when teachers are trapped in active politics outside the classroom.

It’s not uncommon for teachers to be told they should keep politics out of the classroom. However, education, at its core, is inherently political. Teaching is a political act but there is a difference between being political and partisan.

In a way, education itself is not neutral. It’s tinkered with politics.

Schools are governed by policies set by the education ministry. They are indirectly dictated by politicians who have political interests in what is taught in schools. Textbooks adopted are decided by the ministry and they have to be politically favourable to the incumbent government.

Obviously, subjects such as history, religious and moral studies and even languages taught can be tinkered with political elements. A neutral history textbook, for instance, would tell the full history, that serves as the authority and apolitical view of history.

But this may not always be the case. Textbooks can be political. Teachers have to understand textbooks are chosen through the massive political process of textbook adoptions.

Unbiased and objective

To reconcile pedagogy with politics in democratic education requires curriculum designers to take into consideration the plurality and diversity of the society. Students have to learn to deliberate on political issues affecting society based on this democratic premise.

For this to happen, the educational process should be unbiased and objective where the dialogue space is created for all voices to be heard. The teaching also has to involve critically reflective tools for students to come to their own understanding of politics outside the classroom.

When a political issue or debate arises in the classroom, teachers have to let it evolve naturally, as long as it is respectful and can provide students with new knowledge and skills.

Intrinsically, politics is part of the classroom teaching to empower students to justly dissect and encounter rhetoric, comprehend and distinguish democratic ideals, and be dynamic citizens to serve humanity. These moral duties have to start in schools and would not be effective if politics exist only outside the classroom.

Schools are a part of a larger political system and keeping politics out of the classroom is simply impossible. So, what can be done is for teachers to be neutral when imparting knowledge and ideas to students.

Students have to think for themselves. They need to build critical-thinking skills and be taught to identify racially, socially, and morally unjust political actions. This is so that these students can see the need for a more socially-conscious and just society.

Education expects students to become innovative critical thinkers with exemplary
communication skills. If silence or neutrality is their only means to approach differences of opinions, they will be left ill-prepared to become informed, rational thinkers and future dispassionate decision-makers.

That is why students have to be presented with a multitude of perspectives on political and social issues in an impartial manner to enable them to see the real-world connections with the education they receive in the classroom.

It is thus important that schools address topics that are politically-linked social ills in society, such as corruption, poverty, racism, violence, discrimination, civil rights, and gender equality, among others. These topics should not be censured in schools.

Students have the right to know what is happening outside the classroom, as long as those topics are addressed fairly and by adapting the issues to their mental age and the community characteristics at large.

A non-partisan approach to teaching is when there is a culture of impartiality in the classroom. Teachers, with whatever political orientation they adhere to in real life, have to remain unbiased so that students can form their own opinions.

This is by encouraging students to not be afraid to express their opinions on real-life issues.

For instance, debates during class can be about politics where students are trained to become critical thinkers and develop the capacity to exchange ideas and to engage in discourse argumentatively. This creates inclusive spaces in which all students feel comfortable sharing their opinions.

Teachers follow students through each pivotal stage of their mental development. They, therefore, have to treat political issues with extreme care maintaining, at all times, a neutral position in the classroom.

They are supposed to guide learners, not think for them. Not to dictate to students what to think and accept but rather to present them with challenging political issues affecting the society.

In the process, they should not openly ratify any particular political point of view in the classroom, but discuss issues openly in ethical terms to allow students to differentiate between what is morally right or wrong. - FMT

Moaz Nair is an FMT reader.

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

In CNY address, PM wishes for prosperity as Malaysia’s economy on track to recovery

 Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob speaks during a special meeting with members of the state Umno Political Bureau at the Kelantan Umno Building in Kota Baru January 22, 2022.  ― Bernama pic

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob speaks during a special meeting with members of the state Umno Political Bureau at the Kelantan Umno Building in Kota Baru January 22, 2022. ― Bernama pic



KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 31 — In his maiden Chinese New Year address today, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob expressed hope for prosperity, as his administration works towards stabilising the nation’s economy, which was battered following a two-year battle with Covid-19.

In his speech, Ismail Sabri also hoped that the celebration this time around would be a meaningful one to strengthen family bonds, after many were forced to be apart owing to travel bans.

“The Malaysian economy is on the right track towards recovery, based on the reopening of more than 90 per cent of economic sectors, and most social activities,” he said.

“The recovery was supported by high vaccination rates with almost the entire population having been vaccinated. With the momentum of recovery, the gross domestic product is on a strong track to continue to grow between 5.5 per cent and 6.5 per cent in 2022.”

The text of his address was made available to the media.

Ismail Sabri added that the economic growth is in line with the projection by the International Monetary Fund of 6.0 per cent and the World Bank at 5.8 per cent.

He said that the growth will be driven mainly by the expanding Budget 2022 worth RM332.1 billion and the normalisation of economic and social activities.

“The resumption of projects with high multiplier effects and strong external demand, especially from major trading partners, also boosted the economic growth.

“All this is in line with the government’s aim in the 12th Malaysia Plan, to achieve a high-income nation status by 2025, through various initiatives outlined,” he added.

He also cautioned the masses to always abide by the standard operating procedures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Malaysia’s new Covid-19 cases have been hovering up and down the 5,000-case mark in the last week.

The country is currently rolling out booster Covid-19 vaccine shots, with children between five and 12 slated to get their first vaccine shots starting February. - malaymail

Vet Services Dept to meet ‘rainbow pigeon’ trader in Tumpat to check on birds’ welfare

 Trader Ismail Che Daud said the idea of ‘Merpati Pelangi’ or ‘Rainbow Pigeons’ arose when his business dipped during the monsoon season last year. — Bernama pic

Trader Ismail Che Daud said the idea of ‘Merpati Pelangi’ or ‘Rainbow Pigeons’ arose when his business dipped during the monsoon season last year. — Bernama pic



KOTA BARU, Jan 31 — The Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) will be making a visit to Tumpat soon to find out more details on the emergence of “rainbow pigeon” trading there, and if necessary, dish out some advice as well.

Kelantan DVS deputy director Dr Syarifah Asiah Mohd Amin said the department will investigate reports of pigeons there being spray-painted with rainbow colours before being sold off as pets, adding that such acts could prove detrimental to the birds’ welfare.

“This matter comes under the Animal Welfare Act 2015 (Act 722) in which the owners must be responsible for the welfare and needs of their animals.

“However, we will make a visit to get a closer look and provide them (traders) with consultation on the requirements of the law,” she said when contacted by Bernama today.

The department is also advising the public not to resort to any abusive acts that can affect their pets’ welfare, she added.

The media reported yesterday how a trader in Kampung Kepulau, Tumpat had resorted to spraying his pigeons with rainbow colours to attract more customers. — Bernama

The Focus Of The PM’s Next Six Months

 

So, six months to go before GE15. What are PM Ismail Sabri’s plans to ensure there will be money, or more money, in the voters’ pockets this 2022? As they say in America: SHOW ME THE MONEY!

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

It looks like Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has only six months more to get his house in order before he faces the next general election or GE15. His critics are already saying he is going to be the shortest prime minister in Malaysian history.

How is he going to prove his critics wrong and ensure he gets a full term (or another term) until at least 2027 or thereabouts?

About 20 years ago I attended a course conducted by the political strategist to the then Chancellor of Germany, Gerhard Schröder, from the Social Democratic Party. And it was a most interesting two-day course I have ever attended (and I have attended many such courses, two conducted by Oxford University).

What has stayed in my mind until today is what Peter (the chap conducting the course and my namesake) said:

Never mind whether it is in Europe, the US, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, or wherever, the only thing important to voters is what do they get by voting for you? What’s in it for me?

The country can be advanced, or it can be backward. At the end of the day it is all about bread-and-butter issues and about what I personally gain. Everywhere in the world it is the same, Peter said.

Those who have no problems fulfilling or financing their daily needs can afford to talk about equality, racial discrimination, freedom of speech, democracy, civil liberties, transparency, accountability, and all those ‘noble’ issues. For 90% of the voters, it is about putting food on the table, clothes on your back, and a roof over your head.

And the cost of living is going to increase drastically over the next few months (even here in the UK where charges for power, energy, council tax, national insurance, etc., are going to go up by March or April and we will need to spend 20% more this year compared to last year…sigh).

Last month I was down with Covid-19 and my oxygen level dropped to 83 (it’s now back up to 97-98). My wife, Marina, was quite worried and she kept monitoring me every hour so that, if it did not go back up, she was going to phone for an ambulance. At that time I did not even worry about the cost of living in 2022 since I might not even live to see 2022.

Today, the big issue in the UK is Boris Johnson’s party in Number 10. His enemies hope to bring him down with the ‘Partygate’ issue. Honestly, when I am still suffering for Long Covid and worry about how to pay my bills and cover my cost-of-living in 2022, do you think I care about a silly party in the PM’s office?

If Boris Johnson can figure out how to reduce or freeze the cost of council tax, electricity, water, gas, etc., he will get my vote — party or no party in Number 10. And this must be the focus for Boris these next few months.

For Ismail Sabri, this, too, must be his focus. His critics are raising all sorts of unproductive issues such as Azam Baki, Genting Hong Kong, and many more. It is aimed at distracting the government and make it appear like Ismail Sabri’s government is riddled with scandals. Anwar Ibrahim, Lim Kit Siang and Lim Guan Eng are raising all sorts of issues to give an impression that Ismail Sabri is weak and a no-action Prime Minister.

The PM must not fall into this opposition trap. He most probably has only six months to lay the groundwork for GE15. And six months is not long. Come out with plans on how to look after the welfare and wellbeing of the rakyat who will be voting in GE15.

Cost of living. Unemployment, especially amongst the youth and graduates. Minimum wage. Covid-19 and the impact on the economic wellbeing of the rakyat. Foreign investments or FDI. Money, money, money — or the lack of it in this case.

In that same two-day course I talked about earlier, Peter said the 1999 general election was a good first move to ousting Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Barisan Nasional. If we continue this way, by the 2004 or 2008 general election, Barisan Nasional would be kicked out.

However, what will happen, asked Peter, If Dr Mahathir retires before the 2004 general election and hands power to his deputy, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi? The 1999 general election was an anti-Mahathir campaign. But if Mahathir is no longer the PM in the 2004 general election, what is going to be the new campaign?

Hence, we have two years to come out with a new campaign in the event Mahathir decides to retire before the election and hand power to his number two.

But we did not do that. On 1st November 2003, Mahathir retired and handed power to Pak Lah. Four months later the general election was held. But we had no ammunition to use against Pak Lah. And the opposition got wiped out and Barisan Nasional won a record 91% of the seats in Parliament.

The voters were not interested in how evil Mahathir was. Mahathir was gone already. The new PM was Pak Lah. What the voters wanted to know was how was their welfare going to be taken care of. And the opposition had no plans. They only had a plan to jail Mahathir if Barisan Nasional was successfully kicked out (which they also did not do when they took over in May 2018).

So, six months to go before GE15. What are PM Ismail Sabri’s plans to ensure there will be money, or more money, in the voters’ pockets this 2022? As they say in America: SHOW ME THE MONEY!

Another Covid-19 education cluster in Sabah, this time at private college

 

Those who tested positive were Category 1 and 2 patients and have been sent to a quarantine centre for further treatment. (Bernama pic)

KOTA KINABALU: Another Covid-19 cluster involving an educational institute in Sabah has been detected.

The cluster, known as the Lorong Api-Api Cluster, involved 34 students of the Almacrest International College.

Sabah Covid-19 spokesman Masidi Manjun said the index case was an 18-year-old student at the college hostel in Api-Api Centre here.

“The index case first showed symptoms on Jan 18 and tested positive on Jan 21,” he told FMT, adding that 40 students had since been screened and 34 had tested positive.

Those who tested positive were Category 1 and 2 patients and have been sent to a quarantine centre for further treatment, the state local government and housing minister said.

Masidi had issued a warning earlier on the increase in the number of clusters involving schools after receiving a report from the health department on close contact screening of hostel students at six schools.

He said 367 Covid-19 cases were detected in the state today, six fewer than yesterday. - FMT

TM security guards foil bid to steal copper cables

 

Police seized 190m of copper cables, worth RM25,000, from the thieves.

TUARAN: Alert security guards helped nab seven cable thieves on Thursday.

The thieves, aged between 20 and 34, had used vehicles that had the logos of registered contracting companies to evade detection.

The incident took place at about 4pm near SK Tajau Termenung.

Tuaran district police chief Hamizi Halim said the attempt was detected by Telekom Malaysia security guards, who detained the suspects before calling the police.

Police seized 190m of copper cables, worth RM25,000, from the thieves.

Various equipment used in the theft were also confiscated.

Hamizi said all the suspects were employees of a sub-contractor responsible for installing Unifi TM optical cables.

He believed the arrests could solve eight other cases of cable theft.- FMT

Mum to pursue challenge on conversion despite court verdict, says lawyer

 

A leave application by a Buddhist mother who converted to Islam will be heard on April 12.

PUTRAJAYA: A Buddhist mother who embraced Islam but failed to convert her two children will pursue her case in the Federal Court despite the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Mais) failing to obtain leave on the issue of unilateral conversion last week.

Lawyer Arham Rahimy Hariri, who is representing the mother, said questions for his client’s leave application were framed from an administrative law perspective.

“We are not abandoning our application for leave just because Mais failed (to persuade the bench to hear the merit of their complaint).

“We are not disheartened by the apex court ruling last week,” he told FMT.

Arham said the mother’s leave application will be heard on April 12.

On Nov 24, the mother filed three questions of law, one of which was whether Article 12(4) of the Federal Constitution had been erroneously relied upon and/or applied in the case of M Indira Gandhi v Pengarah Jabatan Agama Islam Perak & Ors.

Article 12 (4) states that the religion of a person under the age of 18 shall be decided by his parent or guardian.

On Oct 27, the Court of Appeal held the High Court was right to allow the father of Buddhist faith to quash the unilateral conversion of his children to Islam by their mother.

Judge Zabidin Mohd Diah said the appeals court was bound by the 2018 apex court ruling in Indira’s case, which held that a spouse of a civil marriage who embraced Islam cannot unilaterally convert their children.

On Jan 26 this year, the Federal Court dismissed a bid by Mais to restore the conversion of five children to Islam, carried out unilaterally by their father.

Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat said the issue of unilateral conversion had been settled in Indira’s case.

Tengku Maimun also said Section 117 of the Administration of the Religion of Islam (Selangor) enactment clearly stated that both mother and father must agree to their children’s conversion.

Mais had sought to appeal against a High Court ruling that granted the 33-year-old mother’s application to revoke the conversion of her five children to Islam, carried out unilaterally by her former husband. - FMT

SMTrack offers RM42,000 reward for info on ‘scandalmongers’

 

SMTrack Bhd has denied it is involved in the implementation of the RFID lanes along highways.

PETALING JAYA: SMTrack Bhd (SMTrack) is offering US$10,000 (RM41,900) to identify those behind allegations that the company is involved in the radio frequency identification (RFID) toll payment system at toll plazas.

In a statement today, the Bursa Malaysia-listed RFID specialist said it is taking proactive measures to identify the “scandalmongers” involved in spreading “baseless accusations” against the company.

The company said the reward will be given to an informant who has factual evidence that can be used in court to implicate individuals or parties involved in spreading the allegations, with the reward to be given on a “first-come first-served basis”.

SMTrack said the reward will be distributed evenly if there is more than one informant.

“We want to take concrete steps against ‘scandalmongers’ who hide behind the name of ‘sources’ and spread fake news and misinformation,” said SMTrack’s deputy executive chairman Azmi Osman.

“Over the last few years, we have seen how propaganda and fake news has spread online and has hurt the integrity of our institutions, whether it is related to health, science, corporations, financial markets or even politics.

“While we want to ensure that whistleblowers are protected, we need to make sure that they do not hurt institutions, corporations or individuals.”

Earlier this month, social media was flooded with pictures of congestion at toll booths and complaints about the RFID payment system which came into effect along the North-South Expressway.

This was followed by claims that SMTrack was involved in the implementation of the project.

The company yesterday denied such allegations, stating that they would confuse the public about the benefits of the RFID technology and hurt the integrity of Malaysia’s capital market. - FMT

Why not liberalise APs for veg, too, says consumer group

 

Fomca says it is pointless to only have a limited number of import permits for vegetables as it will only enrich a certain segment of society.

PETALING JAYA: Consumer groups have urged Putrajaya to liberalise approved permits (APs) for vegetables, meat and seafood to reduce the escalating prices of foodstuff and put in place concrete measures to increase food security.

Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) president N Marimuthu said it was pointless to have limited permits for vegetables, including mangoes, coconuts, papayas, meat and nine different types of seafood, because it gave room to “a select few to determine the prices of food”.

“Do the right thing by getting rid of APs, including on vegetables, so that the rakyat will support you (the government).

“APs may be making only a certain segment of the people rich, at the expense of the majority,” he told FMT.

N Marimuthu.

He proposed that the government encourage free trade so that the competition would lead to a drop in prices.

“Why only liberalise APs for chicken?” he asked.

Earlier today, the government announced that it would allow all AP holders to import whole chicken, having previously limited it only to bringing in pieces.

Hypermarkets would also be allowed to import whole chicken on their own, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said in a statement after chairing a special meeting on food production with the National Action Council on Cost of Living.

In addition, the ceiling price for chicken has been reduced by 20 sen to RM8.70 per kg. The price of eggs will remain the same. This will be effective from Feb 5 to June 5.

In December, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim described the rise in chicken and vegetable prices “a national crisis”.

He told the Dewan Rakyat that the increased cost was common knowledge “but no one is aware of any immediate action by the government to tackle the problem”.

Jacob George, president of the Consumers Association of Subang and Shah Alam, echoed Fomca’s views.

However, he warned that opening up APs was still a short-term measure as the main concern was still food security.

“We are not really in control when we have to be dependent on markets beyond our borders,” he said.

George also said that the long-term solution would be to increase food security locally because the prices of imported foodstuff depended on the strength of the ringgit against the US dollar.

Fomca had previously said Malaysia had ample land to increase food production, noting that 103,563ha in Peninsular Malaysia and Labuan had been identified as being idle.

The country imported RM55.4 billion worth of foodstuff in 2020, up from RM51.46 billion in 2019. The amount till November 2021 was RM36.09 billion. - FMT

RTM to bid for 2022 World Cup broadcast rights, says Annuar

 

Communications and multimedia minister Annuar Musa says the ministry needs a little more time to finalise the negotiations on broadcasting rights for the 2022 World Cup. (AFP pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: The government has in principle agreed for Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) to negotiate with the agent appointed by world football governing body Fifa to obtain broadcasting rights for the 2022 World Cup.

Communications and multimedia minister Annuar Musa said the decision on the negotiations would be known soon.

“We need a little more time to finalise the negotiations, but surely RTM will be one of the channels that will air the 2022 World Cup,” he said after launching a sponsorship collaboration ceremony here today.

He said this when asked regarding developments in obtaining the broadcasting rights for the 2022 World Cup.

Commenting on media access for parties contesting in the coming Johor elections, Annuar said the government had agreed to go with the model used in the Melaka and Sarawak polls, with improvements in providing space for candidates to use an RTM channel as a medium to introduce themselves.

He said this would give voters access to information and get to know the candidates who will be contesting in the polls.

“The government has agreed to let its radio and television channels give space to assist the candidates in an appropriate manner, just like in the Melaka and Sarawak polls.

“As it is a state election, we cannot fully utilise the television air time because it is a national telecast … Radio, meanwhile, is localised broadcasting for each city like Johor Bahru, and this can be further enhanced to provide space for the candidates,” he said.

The Election Commission is expected to announce the state election date after holding a special meeting on Feb 9. - FMT

Taman Idaman residents live in fear of landslides

Residents of Taman Idaman, Serendah, Hulu Selangor, has raised concerns that gradual land erosion which started last month will lead to worse natural disasters.

According to the residents, land erosion has placed 20 terrace houses located along Lorong Angsana 2, nearby a hill, in a precarious position.

A resident, 55-year-old Leong Ah Kiew, said the first landslide had occurred last Dec 20.

"The heavy rain nationwide last year had triggered the erosion.

"At around 6am, I heard a loud sound. I went out and saw the land erosion.

"It is very scary because I live not far from the land erosion, he told Malaysiakini.

Leong said the residents are afraid if a landslide happened again because it will lead to worse damages and possibly even death.

Another resident, 66-year-old P Arjunan, said the first incident had triggered subsequent erosions at the site.

"The residents here are worried and some are prepared in case of anything. Every time it rains we are afraid.

"Some of us have packed our essentials in case of the worst incident," he said.

'Project on the hill'

Aside from the houses along Lorong Angsana 2, Arjunan said Sekolah Kebangsaan Serendah nearby the hill might also be affected.

Asked about actions by the authorities, Arjunan said police along with representatives from the Land Office and Hulu Selangor Municipal Council had visited the site on the day of the landslide.

"They came on Dec 20 to see the site, and then they left.

"Since then, no one else came. No safety precautions were taken. We want them to act before it’s too late," he said.

The residents also claimed that an ongoing "project" in the area had triggered the landslide.

"We're not sure what project is going on. But there are excavation works, road works.

"We want authorities to urgently stop the project," said Arjunan.

Meanwhile, PKR Hulu Selangor committee member S Sritharan, 53, urged Hulu Selangor MP June Leow Hsiad Hui to come down to the ground and view the situation.

"Do not wait until you're called or until disaster struck. It is your duty to resolve the people's problems," said Sritharan.

When contacted, Leow told Malaysiakini she did not receive any information about the incident but pledged to take action.

"I just received this complaint. Before this, I did not receive any information.

"I will forward it to the local councillor," she said.

Malaysiakini has also reached out to Batang Kali assemblyperson Harumaini Omar for comments. - Mkini