Day: May 22, 2024

KUALA LUMPUR, There should be more trained community mediators in the country to help ease disputes in the community such as neighbourhood problems, said National Unity Advisory Council member Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.

He said having community mediators with expertise in resolving conflicts that could trigger racial conflict is important.

“As of today, there are 564 community mediators consisting of 163 unity officers and 379 members of the Rukun Tetangga committee, which is still insufficient.

‘Therefore efforts to increase the number of community mediators need to be taken. As such, I hope the Ministry of National Unity (KPN) can pay attention and strengthen mediation techniques in solving petty issues in the community so that they (issues) do not become big and be exploited by politicians,’ he said in a statement today.

According to the Department of National Unity and National Integration (JPNIN), community mediators are individuals whose role is to help conflicting parties work together to find a soluti
on agreed upon by both parties.

Lee also suggested that the government provide more allocation to unity agents, including community mediators, in intensifying and increasing programmes for the community.

“More training programmes need to be given to community mediators so that these agents can help solve small problems, which will not become big if they are dealt with at an early stage,” he said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

MAKKAH, Despite having to leave their families and close their businesses for over two months, two restaurant owners were undeterred in their pursuit of blessings by serving the Duyufurrahman (guests of Allah) this year.

Anas Ahmad, 35, and Ismadi Sulaiman, 47, view the opportunity to cook for Hajj pilgrims as a blessing not to be missed because such golden opportunities are rare.

“This is my second opportunity to serve in Makkah. Last year, I was here as a chef, and this year, I’m grateful to be entrusted with the responsibility of head chef.

“What motivates me to return is that these pilgrims are VVIP guests invited by Allah, so serving them is an act of worship in itself.

“I can’t afford to donate money. My contribution lies in my skills and energy to serve the Malaysian Hajj pilgrims,” Anas told media practitioners at a kitchen where food is prepared for Malaysian Hajj pilgrims.

Anas, who owns a Western-style restaurant in Perlis, has no regrets about having to close his restaurant for two months.

He believes that sustenance is divinely ordained and feels that his income has always been sufficient after serving in the Holy Land during last year’s Hajj season.

“I used to work 12 hours (at the restaurant) but now I only work 4 hours in my business. It’s enjoyable because even though the hours are short, it’s enough. The returns are not much but it is enough to meet the needs of my family,” he said.

Commenting on the challenges of being the head chef, he highlighted that in addition to communication issues, he must be creative in managing limited ingredients to ensure the food’s quality and taste meet the preferences of Malaysian pilgrims.

“The most challenging dishes on the menu are those that require a lot of spices, such as lemongrass, ginger, and galangal. These ingredients are quite hard to find here. Sometimes we have to look hard for them, so it’s quite difficult to get the same taste as back home,” he explained.

He noted that his 15 years of experience as a chef will be tested in Arafah and Mi
na where the kitchen facilities are limited and he has to cook within a designated time for the needs of many Malaysian pilgrims.

As for Ismadi, who has 10 years of experience in the hospitality industry and owns a restaurant in Puchong, applying to serve during this Hajj season was a challenge he wanted to take on, as it is said that cooking for Hajj pilgrims is demanding.

“I have never been away from my family, but I came here intending to strive in the way of Allah. Whatever our intentions, insya-Allah, they will be made easy. I closed my business in Taman Putra Perdana, Puchong, for 60 days. I’m not afraid of losses because sustenance comes from Allah,” he said.

Ismadi and Anas are among 20 Malaysian chefs working in eight kitchens for a food preparation company appointed by Tabung Haji to provide lunch and dinner for Malaysian pilgrims during the 1445H/2024 season.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

BANGKOK, The Embassy of Malaysia in Bangkok is providing assistance to nine injured Malaysians from Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight SQ321, which made an emergency landing at Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) Tuesday afternoon.

Malaysian Ambassador to Thailand Datuk Jojie Samuel said the consular officers have met all the injured victims from two separate Hospitals in Bangkok, and they are currently receiving treatment and are in stable condition.

It was communicated by Jojie that a 32-year-old Malaysian male cabin crew received two surgeries last night for head, minor spinal, and leg injuries in a hospital here.

‘As of this morning, the man is currently in stable condition after surgeries last night and the embassy will monitor the situation closely to offer any further assistance if needed.

‘The other eight Malaysians, who are suffering from fractured rib, neck pain, dizziness and minor injuries, are currently under surveillance at the normal wards at both hospitals while awaiting medical results,’ he told Ber
nama when contacted here today.

He said according to the consultation with doctors from both hospitals, all individuals have physical and internal injuries, but none are at critical stage.

Jojie confirmed that six Malaysians are being treated at the Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital and three others at the Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital, with the embassy committed to monitoring their conditions.

The flight with 211 passengers and 18 crew members were travelling from London to Singapore when it encountered sudden extreme turbulence over the Irrawaddy Basin at an altitude of 37,000 feet, approximately 10 hours after departure.

The pilot declared a medical emergency and diverted the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft to Bangkok, landing at 3.45pm local time, Tuesday.

The incident caused one death and multiple injuries. Suvarnabhumi Airport director Kittipong Kittikachorn yesterday said the only fatality in the incident was a 73-year-old British man.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KULAI, Being in a wheelchair did not prevent an elderly man from fulfilling his desire to perform the Haj after having to forgo the pilgrimage three times before.

Azmi Kassim, 64, who previously worked as a cleaner, persevered in his determination to perform the fifth pillar of Islam this time, as he considered his opportunity to be a blessing from his savings since registering with Tabung Haji in 2009.

The father of four explained that he had to decline the first offers to perform the Haj in 2020 and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in 2023 due to his poor health condition.

However, this year, despite being involved in an accident in February which resulted in the loss of five toes on his right foot and him being confined to a wheelchair, he decided to go ahead with the pilgrimage.

“I had the accident this year. Initially, I felt hesitant to go for the Haj, but with the encouragement and support from my family, friends, and doctors, I decided to go.

‘I need to be strong. Insya-Allah, I can do it.
The facilities are modern now, so we should use the available resources to perform the Haj,” he said when met by reporters at the Johor Government’s Haj Pilgrimage Group 1445H/2024M sending off ceremony at the Senai International Airport (LTAS) here today.

Azmi, who lost his wife last year, added that his eldest daughter Rashimah, 42, and her husband will also perform the Haj with him, which will help him during his stay in the Holy Land.

Besides Azmi, a family of seven also had the chance to perform the Haj together after a 15-year wait.

Prof Dr Safian Sharif, 63, a father of three, shared that the call from Tabung Haji brought joyful news for his family, who had registered in 2009.

‘Alhamdulillah, besides my wife and three children, my two sons-in-law also got the chance to perform the Haj together with us. Our feelings are indescribable at this moment, extremely grateful and happy that Allah has chosen all of us to perform the Haj together this year,’ said the director of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
(UTM) Pagoh Campus, who has performed the pilgrimage twice before.

Earlier, Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi had bid bon voyage to 137 Haj pilgrims from Johor, who were the last group from the state to depart for Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) from LTAS before continuing their journey directly to Makkah via flight MH8408 at 8 pm tonight.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, Training programmes and stakeholders’ involvement are needed for effective implementation of reforms to combat poverty, said Universiti Malaya’s Ungku Aziz Centre for Development Studies director Datin Seri Prof Dr Suhaiza Hanim Mohamad Zailani.

She said with growing attention to poverty issues and the idea of multidimensional poverty, it is imperative that stakeholders receive the necessary training to ensure that the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) is comprehended fully and applied in policy and decision-making.

‘As one of the strategies to combat poverty, training programmes based on the MPI should be developed to provide individuals and organisations the knowledge, tools, and capacity necessary to comprehend and tackle the complexities of poverty that extend beyond income-based measures,’ she said in a statement today.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, in a televised national address, said the government is serious in its efforts to increase the people’s earnings a
nd eradicate hardcore poverty in Malaysia.

Anwar said that one of the initiatives was the implementation of the People’s Income Initiative (IPR), in collaboration with state governments, which has thus far shown progress, and he described it as reassuring.

The prime minister also reiterated that the government is currently formulating a Progressive Wage Policy for the private sector, in line with improvements made to the salaries and allowances of civil servants.

Elaborating, Suhaiza Hanim said a well-thought-out training plan would provide stakeholders the tools they need to analyse and interpret data, enabling them to effectively use the MPI in intervention efforts and policy-making.

She added that training on information dissemination and capacity building should also be carried out to maximise the MPI’s impact in materialising more specialised and focused actions in addressing poverty’s unique aspects.

Suhaiza Hanim added that extensive and productive stakeholder interaction is also needed to ensure
plans are adaptive and responsive to the changing demands as well as obstacles of poverty eradication initiatives.

She said various stakeholder groups’ distinct priorities and interests should also be considered towards that end, apart from creating a sense of ownership and accountability amongst them.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency