Sabah chief minister thanks federal govt for RM25 million aid

 

Sabah chief minister Hajiji Noor said the state government was prepared for the upcoming northeast monsoon disaster, with 14,209 personnel from various rescue and safety agencies on standby. (Bernama pic)

KOTA KINABALU: 

Sabah chief minister Hajiji Noor has welcomed the RM25 million in aid announced by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, describing the funds as crucial to help repair damaged infrastructure and assist flood victims in the state.

He expressed gratitude for the immediate assistance, which includes RM1,000 for every family affected by the disaster, calling it vital for alleviating the hardship faced by flood victims.

“The state government thanks the federal government for this immediate assistance, which will certainly help ease the burden on Sabah’s residents affected by the disaster,” he said in a statement today.

On his Facebook page, Anwar said he had announced a RM25 million allocation during his speech at the Kenduri Rakyat event in Ipoh, Perak.

He said the funds would go towards repairing infrastructure damaged by floods, landslides and fires in Sabah and Sarawak, along with RM1,000 for each affected family.

The Sabah state disaster management committee reported that the number of flood victims had dropped to 5,162, from 1,789 families, as of 4pm today.

Five temporary relief centres (PPS) have closed, leaving 34 still operational across nine districts.

Hajiji also announced that the state government was prepared for the upcoming northeast monsoon disaster, with 14,209 personnel from various rescue and safety agencies on standby.

“All district officers, who chair the district disaster management committees have been asked to cancel their leave,” he said.

Flood victim Ahmad Faizal Murad, a 45-year-old farmer from Beaufort at the Dewan Selagon relief centre, appreciated the government’s swift support.

“The RM1,000 assistance is a big help, especially after losing most of our household items in the flood.

“I’m also relieved that the repairs are under way as the main road to our village has been cut off,” he said.

Another victim, Tialang Majius, 38, a shop assistant from Kota Marudu staying at Sekolah Kebangsaan Taritipan, also appreciated the financial aid.

“As flood victims, we’re grateful for the support, but I hope infrastructure repairs can be done quickly, as it’s affecting the movement of villagers, especially schoolchildren.” - FMT

FRIDAY NOTES FROM THE QURAN (31/1/2025) - 'nor did We send to them before you any warner'.

 

NON-MUSLIMS CAN SKIP THIS. THANK YOU.

 

Here are four short verses which are self explanatory. They carry a heavy meaning.

1)  Surah 34:44  وَمَآ ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُم مِّن كُتُبٍۢ يَدْرُسُونَهَا ۖ وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَيْهِمْ قَبْلَكَ مِن نَّذِيرٍۢ

"And We did not give them any scriptures which they could study, nor did We send to them before you any warner."

 

2)  Surah 32:2-3 

2. "The revelation of the Book, in which there is no doubt, is from the Lord of the worlds."

3. "Or do they say, 'He invented it'?" Nay, it is the truth from your Lord, that you may warn a people to whom no warner has come before you, that they may be guided."

   ( مَّآ أَتَىٰهُم مِّن نَّذِيرٍۢ مِّن قَبْلِكَ  )
   

 

3)  Surah 36:6    لِتُنذِرَ قَوْمًۭا مَّآ أُنذِرَ ءَابَآؤُهُمْ فَهُمْ غَـٰفِلُونَ  

That you may warn a people whose forefathers were not warned, so they are unaware.

4)  Surah 28:46    And you were not at the side of the mount when We called but as a mercy from your Lord to warn a people to whom no warner had come before you that they might be reminded   (   لِتُنذِرَ قَوْمًۭا مَّآ أَتَىٰهُم مِّن نَّذِيرٍۢ مِّن قَبْلِكَ  )

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

DUIT ITU TAK AKAN SAMPAI. PAK ARAB AKAN SAKAU.

 As usual - in the present climate - 'No Names' ok.

Ingat tak seorang Pak Arab pernah datang ke negara kita dulu dan mengadu semua duit derma yang dikutip atas nama mereka tak pernah sampai kepada mereka?  Duit itu di sakau orang.

Lepas itu ada pula CEO NGO yang kutip derma untuk bantu Pak Arab ditangkap Polis atas tuduhan songlap duit derma yang dikutip? Do you all remember that? 

Percayalah itu yang akan berlaku dengan cadangan nak bagi duit  kepada Pak Arab sekali lagi. 

Tuan-Tuan tahu tak segala bantuan makanan dan barang keperluan yang dikirim oleh Yunaited Nesyen di hijack oleh kumpulan tertentu. Mereka bersenjata dan tembak mati sesiapa saja yang cuba 'menerima' bantuan makanan UN secara direct. Just Google atau search dalam YouTube you can find it.

Bantuan makanan dan bantuan lain di hijack oleh kumpulan bersenjata dan kemudian dijual dengan harga tinggi kepada penduduk dan mangsa peperangan. Itulah yang sedang berlaku. Itulah cara mereka ambil untung atas angin untuk funding aktiviti bersenjata mereka.

Kumpulan bersenjata itu control segala laluan masuk ke kawasan itu dan segala projek pembinaan akan terpaksa guna "orang tengah" mereka juga. Lori, simen, besi, labour supply semua mereka control.

Tapi yang lebih merunsingkan adalah taktik kotor yang telah digunakan oleh CEO NGO yang sudah ditangkap Polis itu. Maksudnya, dia kutip duit tetapi tidak pernah berniat hantar duit itu kepada Pak Arab. Dont let this happen again.

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

Chinese Fusion Reactor Achieves 1066 Seconds (17 Minutes)

 Ok folks I dont want to keep boring you with China, China, China. But just one more bit of Chinese tech news. I have posted about the Chinese fusion reactor technology a few times already. It keeps moving forward.

If fusion reactor technology is perfected and it works it will mean the end of oil, gas, coal, solar, hydro power plants. The world will change permanently. 

Sometime last year I updated the information that the Chinese Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak reactor or EAST had achieved  new milestones. The latest news is the EAST reactor has achieved a 1,066 second run (17 minutes).

They can maintain a 100 million degree Centigrade plasma inside a doughnut shaped vessel (the Tokamak) for 17 minutes. This is a major achievement. 

If they can go past one hour, they will likely keep it going permanently. Another short video. 

 

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

i-City gantung operasi gelongsor air kaca

 

Seorang pengunjung i-City cedera ringan setelah ditimpa belon pelampung daripada sebuah gelongsor air kaca pada Rabu lepas.

PETALING JAYA: 

Taman tema i-City Shah Alam menggantung operasi gelongsor air kaca SkyCity Tower ketika siasatan polis sedang berjalan berhubung kejadian seorang pengunjung cedera ringan selepas ditimpa belon pelampung daripada permainan itu.

Jurucakap taman tema itu berkata, pengunjung yang telah membeli tiket boleh menukar tiket ke tarikan i-City lain atau meminta bayaran balik penuh dengan menghubungi pihak taman tema menerusi talian 03-5521 8800.

“Kami kekal komited menyokong Tahun Melawat Selangor 2025 dan Tahun Melawat Malaysia 2026 dengan menonjolkan Selangor sebagai destinasi pelancongan utama,” katanya dalam kenyataan.

Kejadian berlaku pada kira-kira 11 malam Rabu ketika mangsa, seorang wanita berusia 20an, dan keluarganya mengunjungi taman tema itu.

Ketika sedang berjalan di bawah gelongsor air kaca itu, sebuah belon pelampung tiba-tiba tercampak dan menimpanya.

Terdahulu, Ketua Polis Shah Alam Iqbal Ibrahim berkata, siasatan awal menunjukkan Majlis Bandaraya Shah Alam (MBSA) telah mengeluarkan kompaun terhadap i-City pada 14 Nov 2024 kerana membangunkan taman tema itu tanpa kelulusan bertulis.

Katanya, siasatan berhubung kejadian itu dijalankan mengikut Seksyen 6 Enakmen Hiburan dan Tempat-Tempat Hiburan Selangor 1995 kerana beroperasi tanpa lesen, kesalahan Yang boleh didenda maksimum RM25,000 atau penjara hingga tiga tahun.

Iqbal berkata, kes itu juga disiasat mengikut Seksyen 337 Kanun Keseksaan atas kesalahan yang boleh dihukum penjara hingga enam bulan atau denda maksimum RM1,000. - FMT

Abang Jo announces extra RM10mil allocation for S’wak flood relief

 

Sarawak premier Abang Johari Openg visiting flood and landslide victims at the Malaysian Red Crescent temporary relief centre in Miri today. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: 

Sarawak premier Abang Johari Openg has announced an additional allocation of RM10 million for Sarawak’s state disaster management committee to aid ongoing flood relief efforts in the state.

Bernama also quoted him as stressing that the state’s floods were not due to drainage issues, but rather the impact of climate change.

“The floods that have affected almost all areas in Sarawak were caused by an extraordinary amount of rainfall over the past few days, followed by continuous rain, which then coincided with the high tide,” he told reporters today after visiting the Malaysian Red Crescent temporary relief centre in Miri.

Abang Johari said the flooding in Bintulu was the worst it had seen in 30 years and drew parallels with the wildfires in California, attributing both disasters to climate change.

“This is why Sarawak is deeply concerned about climate change and is actively addressing it by transitioning towards green energy, such as hydrogen,” he added.

Yesterday, Bintulu MP Tiong King Sing attributed the severe flooding in Bintulu to flaws in the district’s drainage system and the failure to implement the Sungai Sibiew riverbed project.

Tiong said these issues prevented excess water from three days and two nights of heavy rain from being effectively discharged, leading to a rapid surge in river levels.

He said the worst-affected areas were those surrounding Sungai Sibiew, a direct consequence of the failure to deepen and widen the riverbed.

Separately, the Borneo Post reported that the floods in most parts of Sarawak eased slightly this evening, even as the region experienced a king tide of up to 6.1m at 6.49pm.

The state irrigation and drainage department has forecast another king tide of the same magnitude for tomorrow at 7.24pm.

Earlier today, deputy premier Douglas Uggah Embas said several areas in Sarawak were on high alert due to rising water levels as the state prepared for the king tide. - FMT

Festivals like CNY can revive and foster goodwill and national unity

 

2024 was a year replete with a lot of polemics and controversies concerning racial and religious issues that tore at the harmonious fabric of the nation. Not a week passed by without someone bringing divisive issues to inflame the situation.

Many of the polemicists felt embolden when action was not being taken against them and as such had begun to up the ante of hatred and antagonisms against fellow Malaysians.

The inaction of the authorities was mainly to blame as many leaders did not want to rock the fragile partnership of the coalition parties in the national unity government.

The result has been more recriminations and accusations that are now tearing at the fragile fabric of the nation held together by goodwill or muhibah since Independence.

Nowadays sensitive religious issue are coming to the fore and the political and community leaders’ feeble response is a cause for concern as the polemicists and hatred-sowing leaders act with impunity.

Most of the national leaders still value unity and harmony but the unstable political set-up at present which was the result of changes in the past few elections may have contributed to this.

The festive Open House which was a unique concept not practised in any other country. Initially sponsored by the federal and state governments over time the MPs and state representatives too began hosting open houses of their own in their constituencies.

The Open House provided a good opportunity for the nation’s diverse communities to come together and forge better understanding and goodwill. It offers a wide array of tempting Malaysian food and delicacies that even the tourists and diplomatic staff of various countries enjoy.

(Image: Malay Mail)

At the same time Malaysians too started their own open house tradition by inviting neighbours and friends for the festive celebrations at home.

Malaysia due to its diversity has one of the highest number of festivals and celebrations, and the Open Houses linked to them have even become major tourist attractions giving much credence to the nation’s tourism tagline – Malaysia truly Asia!

The government has been persistent and consistent in holding Open Houses which remain fully attended by all communities.

However, over the decades the neighbourhoods have experienced many changes where people visiting Open Houses of people of different races have been much reduced due to people becoming more sensitive about religious issues.

For Malaysia to be united and progressive there had to be more communal integration. The newly mushrooming housing estates after Merdeka were a good opportunity to overcome this problem.

There was a need to integrate the communities and the housing estates in the urban setting provided a timely opportunity.

Although the Chinese were initially the main urban community, after the 1980s more Malays and Indians began residing in the housing estates in urban areas. This was a positive development auguring well for the unity of the country.

However, in the last few decades negative things have begun to happen such as the separation of communities even in the housing estates. Malaysians are becoming overly sensitive to religious and racial issues.

Malaysian political, community and religious leaders who value unity and harmony in the country for its continued stability and socio-economic progress need to rise to the occasion.

They need to set matters right by their timely intervention when hatred and tension are aroused by some rabblerousers and controversialists who deliberately politicise and sensationalise matters for their own benefit.

The non-Malay/Muslim communities had been subjected to much criticisms lately and it is time to stop the enmity and renew the amity among the communities, and this year’s Chinese New Year (CNY) provides a good opportunity to do this.

In this regard I would like to make a comment concerning the traditional Yee Sang event hosted a few days ago by Transport Minister Anthony Loke which was attended by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the DPMs and also East Malaysian leaders.

(Image: The Star)

However, there was conspicuously not a single Indian to represent the nation’s third largest community. Many Indians who saw the video were disappointed at the non-representation of Indians in this festive unity event.

Indian leaders from the unity government’s coalition partners such as the MIC, PKR or DAP could have been symbolically included as that is how the nation’s diversity is always and normally portrayed.

Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo or Deputy Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister R. Ramanan could have represented the Indians. Deputy Minister K. Saraswathy from the National Unity Ministry could also have been the right choice.

This is regrettably an indication of how the Indians are being slowly relegated or rather effaced officially by the government in mainstream affairs.

Since the demise of Tun Samy Vellu not only have Indians lost their leadership positions but also the influence and clout they once had. The Indian community that easily fell for the electoral guiles, promises and ruses of the fake multi-racialism of politicians and parties should share the main blame for its own self-destruction.

The government, being more responsible that politicians and parties, needs to ensure that the nation’s diversity continues to be nurtured despite challenges, differences and changes.

It is celebrations like CNY that make us truly Malaysians in spirit when we extend festive greetings and well wishes to friends and neighbours.

Malaysians must go to the CNY Open Houses in large numbers to make it a big success this year. Collectively, it makes a big impact to our national theme of ‘Unity in Diversity’.

In the true spirit of goodwill and friendship let us all wish the Chinese community a Happy New Year for their great contributions to the country.

V. Thomas is a Focus Malaysia viewer.

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

- Focus Malaysia.