Day: June 24, 2024

MELAKA, The Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKDW) aims to train and offer benefits to 1,200 rural entrepreneurs across the country this year through the implementation of the Rural Entrepreneur Digitalisation Programme (PPU).

KKDW deputy secretary-general (policy) Datuk Che Murad Sayang Ramjan said the ministry has allocated RM1.7 million to provide direct and practical exposure to rural entrepreneurs transitioning to new digital technologies.

‘The PPU under the Desamall Programme is an additional initiative implemented by the ministry to bridge the digital divide by boosting productivity and efficiency among rural entrepreneurs.

‘Our aim is for the income of these entrepreneurs to increase between 10 and 30 per cent after a year of marketing products online,’ he told reporters after officiating the South Zone PPU Series Two at the Melaka International Trade Centre (MITC) in Ayer Keroh here today.

Elaborating, Che Murad Sayang said the PPU provides participants with courses or practical train
ing designed to assist rural entrepreneurs in digitising their businesses through online marketing.

According to him, the implementation of the PPU this year encompassed five touring series in Perlis (July), Sarawak (August), Pahang (September), and Sabah (October), as well as the second series in Melaka and the first in Kota Damansara, Selangor, in February.

‘All the entrepreneurs selected to participate in this programme are from KKDW agencies such as Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara), the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda), Felcra Berhad, the Community Development Department (Kemas) and the Southeast Johor Development Authority (Kejora),’ he said.

Che Murad Sayang said the implementation of the PPU facilitated the adaptation and entry of rural entrepreneurs into online business through 12 modules developed in collaboration with the ministry’s 25 strategic partners.

‘This programme will be held in collaboration with strategic partners renowned for their expertise in fields such as fina
ncial digitisation, internet services, e-commerce platforms and content production,’ he said.

At the event, Che Murad Sayang also witnessed the exchange of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Desamall Administration and PPU’s new strategic partners, namely Lalamove, Dattle, and Beez.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

IPOH, The Perak State Park Corporation (PSPC) together with several environmental non-governmental organisations (NGO) are working on restoring the ecosystem in Pulau Sembilan, Bagan Datuk, especially its coral reefs.

Perak Tourism, Industry, Investment and Corridor Development Committee chairman Loh Sze Yee said the conservation process required time as there were hundreds of trawling nets on the seabed around the island due to illegal fishing activities.

‘Pulau Sembilan is still closed to the public as restoration efforts are still being done by experts under the NGOs. They have the responsibility to raise the trawling nets to the surface. It’s not an easy task and there are risks as the entire process is under water.

‘We have also been informed that the nets stuck at the seabed are caused by illegal fishermen who cut their nets when they are alerted to the presence of the authorities,’ he said when met by Bernama here today, adding that enforcement has been tightened to minimise illegal fishing in the
area.

‘If every fisherman has ethics, they will fish in permitted areas only. We have a special perimeter that needs to be complied with but there are some who are stubborn and fish in restricted waters,’ he said, admitting that the absence of the island from the Visit Perak Year 2024 has more or less impacted the tourist arrivals in the state.

‘Pulau Sembilan actually is among the major products we have, but for me, what we do (the closure) is more important to ensure that the island’s ecosystem returns to normal and can be enjoyed by future generations,’ he said.

Pulau Sembilan is managed completely by PSPC and has been closed to all tourism activities since April 1, 2017 to curb incursions by irresponsible parties who destroy the island’s ecosystem.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

ALOR SETAR, The Puncak Janing Forest Eco Park in Padang Terap is temporarily closed until further notice due to suspected leptospirosis cases.

Kedah Forestry Department director Muhammad Abdullah said the decision was made after a meeting with the district officer following reports of individuals exhibiting symptoms of leptospirosis after visiting the park.

‘The Padang Terap District Health Office is conducting monitoring and investigations, and we are awaiting their confirmation.

‘The park will remain closed until the situation is deemed safe. We have also put up warning tapes to prevent entry,’ he told the media today.

Earlier, the Kedah State Health Department shared on Facebook the notice announcing the closure of the eco-park from today until further notice.

The media previously reported that two visitors were treated in the intensive care unit of a hospital in the state after being suspected of contracting leptospirosis following their visit to the Lata Bayu Forest Eco Park near Baling.

Source:
BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, Applications for the 2024/2025 Private Kindergarten Early Education Subsidy and Dialysis Subsidy Programme by the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (MITRA) are now open until July 23, 2024.

MITRA Special Task Force Committee Chairman P. Prabakaran said the Private Kindergarten Early Education Subsidy aimed to ensure Malaysian Indian children aged four to six receive early education as well as to help private kindergarten operators in operating more competitive kindergartens.

‘With an allocation of RM10.8 million, the subsidy will help 4,500 Indian kindergarteners with each receiving a monthly fee subsidy of up to RM150 and meal subsidy of RM50 for the next 12 months from March 2024 to February 2025, which will be channelled through the kindergarten.

‘Eligible kindergarten operators can apply for the subsidy by filling in the Google form using the link https://shorturl.at/WW9sq at MITRA Grant website. Incomplete forms or applicants who do not meet the requirements will not be entertained,’
he told reporters at the Parliament building here today.

Prabakaran said, the MITRA Dialysis Subsidy, on the other hand, will provide treatment facilities for Indian patients suffering from end-stage renal disease (ESRD), especially patients who are less able to get dialysis treatment.

‘A sum of RM7.59 million has been allocated to help 500 patients, each of whom will receive RM10,000 for dialysis treatment, injections (RM2,800), blood tests (RM600) and transportation cost (RM1,500) for a year.

All applications, which must be endorsed by a medical officer and dialysis centre, can be submitted through the Google Form at https://shorturl.at/K7GGL, he added.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, A total of 652 accidents involving heavy vehicles such as container lorries, lorries, and express buses were reported in the first quarter of 2024, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Hasbi Habibollah said of this number, 287 accidents resulted in fatalities, 95 with serious injuries and light injuries (270).

‘The accidents involving heavy vehicles in Malaysia were caused by drivers’ negligence such as driving while drowsy, driving over the speed limit and due to vehicles not properly maintained,” he said during the oral question-and-answer session.

He said this to a question from Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh (PH-Ledang) who wanted to know the statistics of accidents involving heavy vehicles in the first quarter of the year as well as measures taken to reduce the number of accidents.

Hasbi said the Ministry of Transport (MOT), through its agency the Road Transport Department (JPJ), always carries out studies regarding the best strategy to deal with the issue of heavy v
ehicles that do not comply with the rules and cause road accidents.

‘One of the main actions implemented to address the issue is increasing enforcement activities by the JPJ involving the regulation of vehicle load and speed limits for heavy vehicles, in addition to operating 53 enforcement stations (or weighing stations) nationwide. The JPJ is also supplied with 75 units of portable weighing equipment for enforcement purposes,’ he said.

He said for last year, a total of 45,015 summons notices were issued that involved offences for carrying dangerous loads and overloading whereas until April (this year), a total of 9,214 summons notices had been issued.

Hasbi said the MOT and Public Works Ministry are also in the final stages of developing the ”High Speed – Weigh in Motion” (HS-WIM) system to enable heavy vehicle enforcement activities to be conducted in real time and automatically without the need for the vehicle to stop to be weighed.

He said the HS-WIM system is expected to be able to expand the reac
h, and improve compliance and further strengthen the effectiveness of enforcement on vehicle load limit regulations as well as be a long-term solution in dealing with the issue of heavy vehicle load limits.

In response to Syed Ibrahim’s additional question about the action taken on the issue of heavy vehicles stopping on the sides of the highways near the rest and recreation (RandR) areas, Hasbi said that summonses were issued to those who parked vehicles in unauthorised areas.

“We hope the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) and the operator of the North-South Expressway (PLUS) in the long term will have or build more parking lots for lorries in the RandR areas,” he also said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency