Cambodia News Gazette

KOTA BHARU, The pondok school system should integrate vocational and technical skills training to produce graduates who are knowledgeable and serve as community references.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar said the government will always strive, in cooperation with the state Islamic religious authorities, to assist and facilitate the management of pondok schools and Islamic education institutions in this matter.

‘The excellence of Islamic boarding education in producing reputable scholars is certainly the priority of the Madani government in disseminating knowledge and wisdom to the Muslim community in this country.

‘At a time when some parties are trying to portray a negative image of Islam and the Muslim community, Malaysia stands out in showcasing the beauty and excellence of Islam, a religion of compassion, respectfulness and civility that upholds the values of moderation and humanity,’ he said.

His speech text was delivered by the Yayasan Da
kwah Islamiah Malaysia (YADIM) chairman Datuk Hasanuddin Mohd Yunus, at the ‘Ijtimak Madani Ulama dan Umara 2024’ gathering here today.

He said religious scholars, scientists and leaders need to work together to promote the understanding of moderation, wisdom, and compassion to be manifested in various spaces and opportunities so that negative perceptions associated with Islam can be eradicated.

‘In recent times, many challenges have occurred and will continue to arise, undoubtedly requiring our unity and sincerity to safeguard the Muslim community.

‘It is extremely important for all scholars to correct misunderstandings related to religion. Efforts to counter extremist views need to be mobilised collectively and cohesively based on the Ahli Sunnah Waljamaah teachings,’ he said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, The Japan Prize Foundation recently held an award ceremony to confer the Japan Prize on scientists who have achieved creative and dramatic accomplishments in global scientific and technological development, and contributed significantly to realising peace and prosperity for all humanity at Imperial Hotel Tokyo in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward.

Prof Brian J. Hoskins of the United Kingdom and Prof John Michael Wallace of the United States (US), were the winners in the field of Resources, Energy, the Environment, and Social Infrastructure; while Prof Ronald M. Evans (US), won the Medical Science and Pharmaceutical Science field.

According to a statement, each field was awarded 100 million Japanese yen together with a certificate and a medal. (100 Japanese yen = RM3.08)

Japan’s Emperor and Empress attended the ceremony alongside heads of the three branches of government and other related officials, representatives from various other elements of society, in addition to 150 guests.

His Majesty the Emperor
delivered remarks, followed by speeches by the three winners, and congratulatory remarks by the House of Councilors President, Hidehisa Otsuji.

Each year, the winners of the Japan prize are recommended by approximately 15,500 prominent scientists and engineers worldwide, and decided by a rigorous examination taking about one year.

This year’s winners were selected from a total of 328 candidates, in which the foundation received 130 nominations for the fields of Resources, Energy, the Environment, and Social Infrastructure, and 198 nominations for the fields of Medical Science and Pharmaceutical Science.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, Three female personnel and two squadron commanding officers were among the 10 who died in a crash involving two helicopters at the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) Base in Lumut, Perak at about 9.30 am today.

RMN in a statement said the three women on board the M503-3 Maritime Operations Helicopter (HOM) were Warrant Officer II TNL Noorfarahimi Mohd Saedy, Petty Officer TNL Noor Rahiza Anuar and Able Rate JJM Joanna Felicia Rohna, all of whom were passengers.

Meanwhile, the two commanding officers were Commanding Officer of Squadron 503, Commander Muhammad Firdaus Ramli and Commanding Officer of Squadron 502, Commander Muhamad Amir Mohamad.

The identities of the other five victims are as follows:

HOM (M503-3)

Lt Commander Wan Rezaudeen Kamal Wan Zainal Abidin

Lt Commander Mohammad Amirulfaris Mohamad Marzukhi

Warrant Officer II TLR (AQM) Muhammad Faisol Tamadun

Fennec (M502-6)

Lieutenant Sivasutan Thanjappan

Warrant Officer II TMK Mohd Shahrizan Mohd Termizi

“TLDM offers its condolences to
the families of the victims involved. The management of the remains will be carried out soon in accordance with naval tradition,” read the statement.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, The 46th session of King Faisal Prize has acknowledged exceptional accomplishments in the fields of gene therapy for neuromuscular diseases and groundbreaking Ribonucleic acid (RNA) discoveries.

Revolutionary scientist Professor Jerry Mendell was awarded the Medicine Prize for his groundbreaking contributions to the screening, early diagnosis, and treatment of neuromuscular disorders, notably spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).

Meanwhile, Professor Howard Chang received the Science Prize for unveiling the intrinsic role of long non-coding RNAs in gene regulation and function, a previously overlooked area of study, according to a statement.

Through innovative gene therapy approaches, Professor Mendell, a Director of Gene Therapy Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Curran Peters Chair in Pediatric Research, has revolutionised treatment strategies, offering hope to countless patients worldwide.

On the frontier of molecular biology, physician-scientist
and Professor of Dermatology and Genetics, and Virginia and D.K. Ludwig Professor of Cancer Research at Stanford University, Professor Chang’s elucidation of the role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in gene regulation has revolutionised the understanding of cellular processes and disease mechanisms.

Through innovative genome-wide methodologies, Professor Chang has uncovered the intricate interplay between lncRNAs and gene expression, shedding light on fundamental biological processes underlying development, cancer, and ageing.

In addition to honouring advancements in medicine and science, the King Faisal Prize also recognised exemplary contributions in Islamic Studies to Professor Wael Hallaq, while the Japan Muslim Association and Mohammad El Sammak were honoured for their exemplary leadership in serving Islam and humanity.

King Faisal Prize for Arabic Language and Literature for 2024 on the topic of ‘Non-Arab Institutions and their Endeavors to Promote Arabic’ was withheld due to nominated works not el
evating to the criteria of the prize.

Launched by the King Faisal Foundation and granted for the first time since 1979, King Faisal Prize in its five different categories has awarded 295 laureates who have made distinguished contributions to different sciences and causes.

Each prize laureate is endowed with US$200,000; a 24-carat gold medal weighing 200 grammes, and a Certificate inscribed with the Laureate’s name and a summary of their work which qualified them for the prize. (US$1=RM4.77)

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia highly encourages literary promotion of great works of The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries during its chairmanship of the bloc next year to promote intercultural exchange, said Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.

He said ASEAN bibliophiles should work hand in hand to promote intercultural exchange within the region.

‘There are famous Indonesian literature works by Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Hamka, WS Rendra, and also Jose Rizal in the Philippines,’ he told reporters after launching ‘Let’s Read 10 Minutes Programme@BERNAMA’ at Wisma Bernama here today.

Also present were Swedish Ambassador to Malaysia Dr Joachim Bergstrom and The Malaysian National News Agency (BERNAMA) chairman Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai.

Fahmi said promoting such work will require coordination and collaboration between ministries.

He said Malaysia will also work on data protection and fighting online harm during its chairmanship of ASEAN next year.

‘There is still a lot to do to bring
ASEAN close together, have greater dialogue and more conversations among ASEAN nations.

‘Right now, many of my counterpart in ASEAN express concern about scam in ASEAN, and the social media platform is not doing enough to protect citizens of ASEAN from scams,’ said Fahmi.

Meanwhile, Dr Bergstrom said Sweden will foster dialogue on sustainability, health and human rights with the region during Malaysia chairmanship of ASEAN next year.

‘We (Sweden) will press forward all conversation that we had with Malaysia (at ASEAN level), next year,’ he said.

Bergstrom said Sweden will reach out to libraries and reach new audience to cooperate with in order to raise conversation and converse ideas.

‘Health issues and social issues as well as issues relating to children are good areas to engage and foster dialogue,’ he added.

According to Bergstrom, Malaysia and Sweden enjoy good bilateral relations, and there are currently 100 Swedish companies operating in Malaysia.

He also said green transition, eco-friendliness,
planetary health and combating climate change dominates the agenda for Malaysia-Sweden relations.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency