Day: June 24, 2024

KUCHING, Sarawak Premier, Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg hinted that the new President of the Senate will be a Sarawakian.

However, he refused to reveal any name and the matter will be announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim himself.

“We are waiting for the announcement by the Prime Minister. I am also waiting… a Sarawakian of course,” he told reporters after officiating the Iban Culture Symposium here today.

The seat of the Senate President is currently vacant following the death of Datuk Mutang Tagal on May 10.

Mutang, 70, was the first Orang Ulu to be appointed Dewan Negara President and had served as Member of Parliament for Bukit Mas, Sarawak from 1982 to 1990.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

RANAU, A landslide occurred at the foot of Mount Kinabalu in Mesilou, Kundasang here this morning.

A spokesman for the Sabah Fire and Rescue Department Operations Centre said it did not receive any emergency calls and no property damage or casualties were reported.

“Initial action was taken by a team from the Ranau Fire and Rescue Station who went to the scene, and monitoring of the incident is still being conducted,” he told Bernama when contacted.

Meanwhile, Ahmad Raqif Hamzali, 47, a homestay owner in Mesilou, said residents in the area felt tremors between 9 am and 10 am today.

“When I went outside, it looked like water was coming down from the mountain (Mount Kinabalu) causing the landslide. However, this incident occurred far from residential areas and hiking trails. We are not worried but are taking precautions,” he said.

He said the incident caused the river in the area, Sungai Mesilou, to become muddy and turbid.

Ranau fire station chief Ridwan Mohd Taib said immediate monitoring with members
of the Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM) was conducted near the landslide to ensure the safety of the nearby community.

He urged the public not to panic about the incident and to report immediately to the department or other authorities if they encounter any emergencies.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

NIBONG TEBAL, There is truth to the proverb that a great person can produce many good works, but a great teacher can singlehandedly produce thousands of great students.

Perhaps this describes the character and personality of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate for the Sungai Bakap state by-election, Dr Joohari Ariffin, shared by his former student at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama (SMKA) Nibong Tebal (now known as SMKA Sheikh Abdullah Fahim).

Recalling memories of being Joohari’s student in Form 2 at the national religious school in 1997, Nor Asyikin Abdullah, 41, remembers vividly Cikgu Joohari’s diligence as a math teacher by day and the warden for the school’s dormitory by night.

Nor Asyikin described Joohari as soft-spoken and patient in tutoring his students and inspired by Joohari, she is now a math teacher at Sekolah Kebangsaan Sungai Burong in Kuala Kurau, Perak.

“Many of us felt comfortable with him…his teaching was focused on not one but many facets of a student’s character,’ she spoke to B
ernama yesterday after meeting with Joohari at Taman Sungai Kechil.

The native of Sungai Bakap said as a school warden, Joohari cared for the students like his own children with genuine concern about their welfare.

Another former SMKA Nibong Tebal student, Mohd Hafiz Ali Mohd Anuar, 40, said Joohari went beyond the call of duty as a teacher and warden by spending his money to buy school equipment for less able students.

Mohd Hafiz Ali, an officer at Universiti Sains Malaysia, said Joohari would reach out to students and listen to their problems.

These two former students of Joohari believe that if he is given the mandate to be a representative of the Sungai Bakap constituents, he will go beyond his best ability to help people in need, just as he has done for his students.

Joohari is being challenged by the Nibong Tebal PAS vice president Abidin Ismail of Perikatan Nasional (PN) in a one-on-one clash on July 6.

The seat for the constituency, which has 39,279 registered voters, including 57 police personn
el, fell vacant following the death of its incumbent, Nor Zamri Latiff, on May 24 due to stomach inflammation.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, The construction status of the second Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) has currently reached 64.66 per cent completion, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said.

He said total payments made for the construction of the second LCS are based on the signed contract, which stipulates payments are not made according to the progress of each ship individually.

‘Instead, payments are made according to the overall progress of the LCS project as recommended by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the Investigation Committee on Public Governance, Procurement and Finance (JKSTUPKK).

‘In line with this, the government has paid RM7.15 billion, equivalent to 63.69 per cent, compared to the original payment plan of 68.43 per cent based on the contract, according to the current progress of the procurement of all five LCS ships,’ he said in Parliament today.

He was replying to a question from Datuk Seri Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz (PN-Tanah Merah) who inquired about the latest percentage of
the construction of the second LCS and the total payments made by the Defence Ministry to Lumut Naval Shipyard (LUNAS).

Mohamed Khaled also said that the current status of the third LCS is at 56.48 per cent, the fourth LCS at 51.10 per cent, and the fifth LCS at 42.33 per cent.

He expressed confidence that the five LCS ships can be delivered to the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) within the planned timeline, starting from August 2026.

To a supplementary question from Ikmal Hisham, who wanted to know whether the government is interested in acquiring the recently decommissioned HMAS Anzac from Australia for temporary use by the RMN, he said the ship is not suitable for temporary use.

‘After review, the RMN concluded that the ship in question is not suitable. This is based on issues such as equipment commonality and the acquisition cost, which would not be beneficial to the government, especially if we proceed with the procurement…

‘The procurement process is expected to take a long time, until 2027, by which
time we will already have been supplied with the first and second LCS ships. These ships will be handed over to the RMN and begin operations in 2027,’ he said.

Furthermore, Mohamed Khaled said the government has recently procured three Littoral Mission Ships (LMS) from Turkiye, which are expected to be completed by the end of 2027.

‘So, five ships will begin service with the RMN, and since almost all the HMAS Anzac ships use different equipment, we have decided it is not suitable and not in the interest of the government and the people,’ he said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, Lazada, a leading eCommerce platform in Southeast Asia, announced its official partnership with UEFA EURO 2024, becoming the first Southeast Asian eCommerce partner of the highly anticipated football event, which is currently take place in Germany.

In a statement today, Lazada said this exclusive partnership sits within the existing agreement that the business-to-consumer (B2C) eCommerce platform AliExpress has with UEFA EURO 2024.

As part of the partnership, Lazada invited football enthusiasts and online consumers to join in the hype with extraordinary discounts and deals offered during its All-Star Champions Sale from July 1 to 3.

‘Kicking off from July 1 to 3, 2024, online consumers in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam can shop to their hearts’ content with a special sale across all categories.

‘Whether it’s the essentials for football fanatics to cheer on their favourite teams, or summer must-haves for casual sport fans, Lazada offers something for everyone at the be
st prices,’ said the statement.

To add a fun twist to the campaign, Lazada will release limited-edition promotional jersey pyjamas (PJs) merchandise that fans can win through interactive competitions on social media, amongst other attractive prizes.

‘With only 500 pieces available, this limited-edition PJ is designed with premium sports rounded collars, comfy sleeves and pants to let fans show their love for the beautiful game in maximum swag and comfort.

‘Lazada’s jersey PJs also come in a set for both football fans and their furry friends, so everyone at home can be part of the UEFA EURO 2024 frenzy,’ the statement added.

In celebration of the excitement and fervour on the pitch, it said Lazada Malaysia social media followers can look forward to catching former Malaysian footballer and striker, “Super Safee” Sali who will be featured in Lazada Malaysia’s TikTok where he will attempt to train cats in the art of playing football.

Moreover, fans can also share their own videos of themselves training their
pet cats using the hashtag #LazadaAjarKucing, with the best entries standing a chance to win the limited-edition jersey PJs.

Followers of Lazada Malaysia on Instagram and X can also take part in other various social media activities to win the jersey PJs.

To learn more about the All-Star Champions Sale, check out the Lazada app or visit www.lazada.com.my.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency