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[ "Chan (fifth left) presents a memento to Wen (ninth right), witnessed by the KCGCCI president Tan Jit Kee (centre) and other KCGCCI Committee members.", "KUCHNG: A delegation from Alibaba Group in China headed by Global Channel Manager Jason Wen, made a courtesy visit to cum dialogue with the Kuching Chinese General Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCGCCI) recently.", "The visitors were welcomed by president of the KCGCCI Tan Jit Kee and Chairman of the Chamber’s Digital Economy Committee Rodger Chan Siong Boh, together with senior members of the Chamber.", "At the dialogue, Wen briefed the Chamber members on Alibaba’s e-commerce platform and Malaysia’s Digital Free Trade Zone (DFTZ).", "He said that whilst the majority of over 1,500 business participants of DFTZ were from West Malaysia, he hoped to get more Sarawak SMEs involved in the DFTZ.", "Tan enquired on the prerequisites and application procedures of Alibaba’s e-commerce platform and the DFTZ.", "He said that this was an important issue to be addressed because there were still many local businesses especially the SMEs who were not familiar with the actual operation details of Alibaba’s e-commerce and the DFTZ.", "Chan echoed Tan’s remarks and hoped that more dialogue and awareness seminars could be jointly held by Alibaba and local partners together with the Chinese Chamber for the common good of the Chamber’s members and Alibaba.", "Wen responded positively to the remarks and requests and looked forward to working with the Chamber.", "Also present were local partners of Alibaba Group David Chew who is the CEO of FAME International College and Steve Chea, the Chief Operating Officer of URCE." ]

[ "BORN TO BE WILD: The Kota Samarahan Motocross Circuit will start today but riders from all over the state and neighbouring countries are already testing out the dusty and challenge track.", "KOTA SAMARAHAN: Motocross fans are in for a treat when the Kota Samarahan Motocross Circuit starts today.", "The Borneo Post was at the race track yesterday to interview some of the early arrivals who went for the practice sessions.", "Willys Halim and his team from Indonesia were among the early birds to arrive at the circuit venue and riders from Sanggau, West Kalimantan, Indonesian team will compete in all categories.", "According to Willys, team was impressed with the state of the motocross track and considered the dusty challenging track as one of the best in Borneo.", "“Our team was here last year and we know that it is a good race track which tests our skills to the fullest…we will do our best to emerge overall champions this year,” he said.", "A representative of the organising committee had also revealed that the Brunei team is scheduled to arrive today.", "Apart from international riders, the local wannabes are also optimistic about their chances at the competition.", "“I will do my best to finish top five in my category and do my best not let my team down,” said 17-year-old Engkamat Gagarin from Lundu.", "Winner of the 2011 Motocross Veteran category Hii Chang Hoon on the other hand commented that he will also do his best to win the category again this year.", "Five categories namely Motocross 125, Motocross Open, Motocross Veteran, Scrambler Open and Star Rookies Cup will be contested during the competition.", "For the record, about 80 riders from Sarawak, Brunei, Sabah, Peninsular Malaysia and Indonesia will compete for top honours at the AAM Borneo Motocross Challenge from April 27 to 28." ]

[ "Austin (seventh left) and organising chairman Dr Benedict Poris with the 12 finalists.", "KUCHING: Members of the Bidayuh community have been asked to stop being timid.", "Kuching Division Bidayuh community leader Temenggong Austin Dimin Niyon made this call yesterday at the Dayung Sangon 2014 beauty pageant preliminary round at Eastern Mall, Siburan.", "“It is okay to be peaceful people, but don’t be timid. Part of the reason why we are holding this beauty pageant is to allow Bidayuh ladies to show their confidence and to train them to be confident in the outside world,” he said.", "The Dayung Sangon beauty pageant is the first to be held by the Dayak Bidayuh National Association (DBNA) and saw 41 contestants vying to be in the final 12.", "“The finalists were chosen not just for their beauty, but also for their intelligence, as it will play a big part in determining the final three in this pageant,” said Austin, an event advisor.", "Elssey Lessianna Richard, Sandy Dominic, Iesha Bezzain, Jesseni Lewi, Alvey Joha, Andrea Natalia Jaed, Dolly Charles Saches, Madelina Lija, Denna Sikanok, Elviana Temit, Jacqualine Ayong and Bellynie Johnek Ayong will be judged on their costume (20 per cent), posing (10 per cent), intelligence (20 per cent) and beauty (50 per cent) during the final night on May 10 at DBNA headquarters.", "Meanwhile, tickets for the dinner of the finals are on sale at RM1,000, RM850, RM500 and RM300 per table and are available from DBNA headquarters." ]

[ "Abang Johari (third left) looks at a drone on display.", "KOTA SAMARAHAN: Sarawak has to increase its food production to meet the increasing demand for food in the South East Asia region and Asia as a whole, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg has said.", "He, however, said this objective can be achieved if farmers used modern technology.", "“Sarawak and Malaysia as a whole must export agriculture produce because according to reports we need about US$800 million to produce food to meet the needs in Asia alone.", "“By the year 2050, the population of the world is expected to be about seven billion and half of this are in Asia – India, China, East Asia and Asean. That one is already about 4.3 billion, and from Kuching to all these places it is only about five hours’ flight,” he said at the opening of the 2nd International Conference of Computer & Drone Applications (IconDA) at UiTM Sarawak here yesterday.", "Abang Johari said Asia alone is a huge market for Sarawak and Malaysia, and based on statistics, in terms of food security Singapore is Number one while Malaysia is Number 10 though it should be the other way round as Singapore has no land.", "“There is something wrong somewhere. Therefore, once we have identified that there is something wrong in terms of production of food, that we are not productive, we have to take necessary action,” he said.", "“I have been taking about food over the last two to three years. We have increased our production, but this must be done with technology application,” he said.", "Abang Johari said when he took over as chief minister, he had tried to transform and imagine what type of economy Sarawak was heading to.", "He believed that to have a successful economy, the state must have big market but cautioned that the market nowadays is not like the market before.", "“We can extend the market today, provided of course you have to provide the information as well as to entice the consumers by your products. Knowing the technology available today, I think it is only appropriate that Sarawak has no choice but to adopt technology,” he said." ]

[ "IT’S AGREED: (Seated from right) Dr Radin and Khaled signing the agreement, witnessed by Tourism Assistant Minister Datuk Talib Zulpilip (standing second left) and others.", "BINTULU: Government policies and planning are the main reference for Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) to develop quality human capital for the country, said its new vice-chancellor Datuk Dr Radin Umar Radin Sohadi.", "“By constantly reviewing the government’s development policies, the university will be able to identify, introduce and add value to the present courses and programmes with impact; whether in the form of research, education programmes and professional services relevant to the country’s development objective,” he said.", "Radin was speaking at the launch of ‘Diploma Preparation Programme’ and opening ceremony of Dewan Sri Kenyalang at UPM Bintulu campus last Thursday.", "The event was officiated by Minister of Higher Education Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.", "Radin said UPM would continue to enhance and elevate the country’s agricultural sector.", "“Agricultural sector is the power of the image embedded in the public view when describing UPM’s identity,” he said.", "He saw the preparation diploma programme as one of the best platforms to meet the needs of society, particularly SPM school leavers as an alternative route to continue their studies at diploma and higher levels.", "The students will be enriched with knowledge and basic skills to enable them to prepare and be eligible to take diploma programmes in agriculture, fishery, forestry and food estate management.", "“This programme will definitely add value to the achievement of the UPM strategic plan 2011-2013.", "”It is consistent with the goal of UPM in strengthening community participation for generating and sharing knowledge and empowering UPM as a centre for educational, research and service of tropical agriculture and bio-resources,” he added.", "Radin said it was parallel with the first core objective of PSPTN or higher education strategic plan of expanding access and improving quality of education.", "“It coincides with the recommendations of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to strengthen the value management in the civil service where the public will get the benefit,” he said. He cited Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) as a fine example of a development project that require semi-skilled and skilled human force. The programme will be able to cater to the needs of related industries.", "“We do hope the students will be able to change their attitude, emotion and thought to improve their livelihood,” he said." ]

[ "MIRI: Tung Sports here will be organising a badminton clinic in its hall at Pujut Padang Kerbau from May 28 to June 1.", "The clinic will feature former national chief coach Yap Kim Hock who will be conducting lessons to badminton enthusiasts here for five days.", "Yap was Malaysia’s chief coach for the national badminton squad from 2002 to 2012.", "There will be two sessions each day from 8.30 to 10.30am and from 3 to 5pm.", "The last day of registration for those interested is May 15." ]

[ "KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian owned blockchain company (CSD) has made its mark in the region by becoming the first of its kind to announce Initial Public Offering (IPO) in the United States, as a step to Nasdaq.", "CSD chief executive officer Nathaniel King stressed on the multi-growth potential of getting a blockchain-based investment listed in a global capital market.", "He said, “A typical blockchain-based company may have only one type of market, probably through listing in different platforms. With CSD, not only will it be available in a blockchain-based market, it appeals to the capital market as well. We are ready and well prepared to be listed as an Initial Public Offering (IPO) in popular global financial markets”.", "The emergence of blockchain technologies have successfully created means for the global public to spend, invest and transfer wealth easily at a much cheaper cost. However, the current investment adoption by the public is still not as large compared to current financial instruments such as stocks and contract for difference (CFD).", "Recognising that CFD is a mainstream trading instrument, CSD created a blockchain-based financial instrument which includes a state-of-the-art CFD trading platform. This combination creates an innovative solution that further reduces investment costs, high return efficacies and/or customized investment portfolios and personalized financial services for investors.", "These advantages are made possible as CSD identifies the potential of bringing current popular investment instruments like CFD to blockchain-based markets and platforms which undoubtedly will only grow at exponential rates.", "Nathaniel also expressed his confidence that this winning combination will attract investors and traders who are currently active in mainstream investment/trading platforms whilst at the same time attract investors who are exposed to the prospect of investing in blockchain-based investment.", "“Investing and trading in blockchain-based platforms are relatively new and foreign to many new aspiring individuals, which may prove unfamiliar and risky due to lack of understanding. This is in contrast with familiar investment instruments like CFD whereby the market is large and active,” stated Nathaniel.", "He added, “With CSD, the answer is simple: Why not both? By introducing a familiar market into blockchain-based exposure with tremendous growth potential, investors/traders can now enjoy best of both worlds with CSD.” — Bernama" ]

[ "Doppa president Napolean R Ningkos said the achievements of the Dayaks in Sarawak, who have chosen to embrace the palm oil industry, are now threatened by the increasing call of the EU to ban palm oil imports. – Bernama photo", "MIRI (April 22): Sarawak Dayak Oil Palm Planters Association (Doppa) has hit out at what it sees is an ongoing campaign by the European Union (EU) to exclude indigenous Dayak smallholders from the entire palm oil supply chain.", "Doppa president Napolean R Ningkos said the achievements of the Dayaks in Sarawak, who have chosen to embrace the palm oil industry, are now threatened by the increasing call of the EU to ban palm oil imports.", "“The EU’s ambassador to Malaysia has denied that there is a ban on palm oil imports to the EU. Yet we see that member states of the EU have banned palm oil from subsidies granted to sources of renewable energy.", "“The Dayak people share the EU’s vision for a sustainable society. Some of the indigenous Dayak smallholders have even gone the expensive way of certifying their farms under the RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) to share their common views for sustainable palm oil.", "“Unfortunately, most of the indigenous Dayak smallholders in Sarawak cannot afford to pay for NGO certifications. Given the choice of whether to spend our hard-earned income on NGO certification or our children’s college funds, we would prefer to save for our children’s education,” he said in a statement.", "At the same time, he lauded the call for the inclusion of indigenous people to fight climate change, which was made at the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Montreal, Canada at the end of last year.", "He said based on data from the Malaysian Palm Oil Certification Council (MPOCC) at the end of 2022, more than 40,500 independent smallholders are covering an area of more than 234,812 hectares in Sarawak with oil palm.", "These smallholders represent 27 per cent of the state’s total agriculture area, he added.", "“For a long time, the indigenous farmers whose main livelihood is farming have been ignored in every discussion of their role in aspects related to climate change amongst other major issues.”", "Napolean said the traditional Dayak culture and livelihoods are perfect examples of a sustainable society where they live within the means of what nature provides.", "“It has therefore saddened and angered the Dayak communities to see an ongoing campaign by the EU to exclude indigenous Dayak smallholders from the entire palm oil supply chain, irrespective of the fact that they have already been fully involved in cultivation and on most of the same land for generations.", "“Our ancestors depended on shifting cultivation to grow rice and other food crops. Once the lands were depleted of nutrients, they burnt the residues of the last crop to provide nutrients to the soil while they cleared new areas for farming,” he said.", "He said shifting agriculture, especially with the burning of spent fields, has been discouraged by the Sarawak government as the state looks to reduce Malaysia’s carbon emissions and establish land rights among the many indigenous tribes, some of which were nomadic.", "Thus, in this situation where Dayak farmers must rely on small pieces of land for food and income, he said the Dayaks have adapted to market conditions just as in the Western world.", "“Many Dayak farmers moved from rice cultivation to rubber cultivation when rubber fetched good prices due to foreign demand. Unfortunately, the rubber industry also crashed, driving the Dayak farmers into poverty.", "“Incidentally, with the move from shifting cultivation to tree crops like rubber and later to oil palm, the natives have in fact helped reduce adverse impact on the environment. For once, we have a crop that has consistent foreign demand, which pays well and can be harvested at least once a month,” he said.", "He stressed that there are many misperceptions of palm oil which have clearly created a negative opinion of the crop today.", "The EU, he said, should also listen to the voices of European industries like the European Vegetable Oil and Protein Meal Industry (Fediol), which is urging the policymakers of the EU to engage with palm oil-producing countries to find a common path where the needs of the Union for food, can be met.", "“Without stakeholder engagement, the EU’s demands on the sustainability of palm oil for whatever end use, have made it impossible for indigenous Dayak landowners to be a part of the sustainability journey.", "“The case in point is the adoption of a ‘No Deforestation’, ‘No Peat’, ‘No Exploitation’ (NDPE) commitment by the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) standards with a cut-off date of Dec 31, 2019, which we see as a commitment to appease the EU.", "“While this may meet the demands of the EU for sustainable palm oil production, it will exclude the indigenous Dayak farmers from joining the sustainable society for the future,” he said.", "Therefore, he said Doppa, representing the indigenous Dayak smallholders, has appealed to the MSPO standard for an exclusion for indigenous Dayak farmers in their NDPE commitment, adding that Dayak farmers will continue to fight for their legal right to use their ancestral lands for oil palm cultivation.", "“Doppa hopes that the EU will extend the same rights to the indigenous Dayaks of Sarawak and, together, contribute to a sustainable global community. Dayak-produced palm oil is a sustainable source of edible oils for the citizens of the EU as certified by the MSPO standards.", "“Doppa urges the EU with their commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to respect the rights of indigenous people and to engage with the indigenous Dayak palm oil smallholders in the EUs’ goals for a sustainable planet,” he said." ]

[ "CTOS’ latest development is earnings accretive and would open new opportunities for the group in the bond rating space as well as including value-enhancing offerings to clients, analysts say.", "KUCHING: Analysts are positive on CTOS Digital Bhd’s (CTOS) intention to commence a general offer to increase its stake in RAM Holdings Bhd (RAM) from 19.2 per cent to 55 per cent to 60 per cent.", "According to the research arm of Kenanga Investment Bank Bhd (Kenanga Research), the latest development is earnings accretive and would open new opportunities for the group in the bond rating space as well as including value-enhancing offerings to clients.", "”RAM’s current implied blended valuation stands at RM280 million to RM300 million which translates to circa 18-fold price earnings ratio (PER), close to the group’s previous acquisitions’ valuation,” Kenanga Research gathered from CTOS’ sharing session.", "“Depending if the group would ultimately end up with a final stake of 55 per cent or 60 per cent, funds required would amount to between RM100 million and RM122 million.", "“For now, Creador (via Oscar Matrix) is interested to disposing its entire 19.9 per cent stake in RAM and would agree to transact at a discounted price (up to 10 per cent).”", "Kenanga Research also noted that the group expressed to fund the entire exercise via internally generated funds and borrowings.", "“Hence, no share dilution should be expected.”", "The research arm further noted that currently, the group is in a net cash position, and a full undertaking via debt will place the group at a net gearing level of 0.3-fold in financial year 2021 (FY21).", "“The group projects RAM to be able to at least sustain an earnings performance of RM13 million to RM15 million.", "“This calls for the group to increase their FY23E earnings guidance to RM95 million to RM100 million (from RM90 million to RM94 million) before incorporating any synergies from the acquisition.”", "That said, Kenanga Research opined that any new offerings would take time to hit the market given the need to integrate and align new propositions as bond ratings and credit scoring products are starkly different.", "“Key targets to the group would still be small and medium enterprises (SMEs).”", "Post update, Kenanga Research made no changes to its FY22E-FY23E assumptions as the acquisition is still subject to shareholders’ approval.", "As such, the research arm’s FY22E-FY23E core net profit remained at RM79.2 million and RM92.4 million, respectively." ]

[ "KUALA LUMPUR: Enforcing the newly introduced requirement for traders to apply for retail licence to sell controlled goods may not stop hoarding and instead could create an opportunity for bribery, says a member of the MCA Central Committee.The government recently announced that traders would have to apply for a retail licence to sell controlled items like sugar, palm oil based cooking oil and wheat floor.", "A media report yesterday said the move was part of tough measures to prevent hoarding of controlled items.", "The licence requires an annual fee of RM10 and it will take two weeks for the applications to be processed.", "In a statement yesterday,  MCA Central Committee member Loh Seng Kok said the MCA was of the view that such a condition will only add to the bureaucracy of the approving authorities, and create an opportunity for bribery to ensure a smooth process for successful licence applicants.", "Besides, petty traders, grocers and shopkeepers presently must hold and renew their licences for their daily operations, he said.", "Loh, who is also a member of the MCA Presidential Council, and deputy chairman of MCA Publicity Bureau said the new condition failed to address what traders should do with their current stocks of controlled items should their retail licence applications be rejected as they can neither keep nor sell the supplies.", "These traders might be compelled to dump or force sell which will cause an artificial market, he said.", "“Moreover, there are no guarantees that holding a controlled goods retail licence will thwart hoarding.", "“Such malpractices could still continue,” he added. — Bernama" ]

[ "Hazland (sixth right) presents a souvenir to the Norwegian Ambassador to Malaysia Morten Paulsen during a courtesy visit at his office in Bangunan Baitulmakmur today.", "KUCHING (Jan 5): Norway is keen to work with Sarawak in developing renewable energy production in the state, said Deputy Minister of Energy and Environmental Sustainability Dr Hazland Abang Hipni.", "According to him, Norway had demonstrated its interest to explore Sarawak’s potential in the Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) industry during a courtesy call by the country’s ambassador Morten Paulsen at his office in Bangunan Baitulmakmur today.", "“The commitment of the Sarawak government in exploring new energy to achieve its vision of becoming a developed state by 2030 has received the attention of the Norwegian government which is interested in finding opportunities for cooperation for both parties,” he said in a statement.", "Hazland said Norway was also enthusiastic in Sarawak’s development plan under the Post-Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030.", "“The determination of the Sarawak government in developing new energy sources such as hydrogen is greatly admired and this has encouraged the Norwegian government to establish cooperation with the Sarawak government to realise Sarawak’s development plan for a period of 10 years which is the Post-Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030.", "“The Sarawak government’s policy of promoting green energy and technology also attracted the Norwegian government’s interest in making the state an attractive investment destination, especially in the field of green energy.”", "He also said Sarawak’s potential in CCUS had gained Norway’s interest to facilitate the state and was prepared to share their expertise and technologies to develop green energy in the state.", "“Sarawak has potential in this CCUS since the state has a large and vast area and its geological structure is suitable for storing carbon dioxide.", "“For that, the Norwegian government is ready to help the Sarawak government to make this CCUS a success by providing and supplying advanced and up-to-date technology that enables a balance between the amount of greenhouse gases produced and the amount released from the atmosphere,” he added.", "Earlier, Morten Paulsen and his delegation paid a courtesy call to Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg at his office in Wisma Bapa Malaysia." ]

[ "KUCHING: Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) has called on its members and all Malaysians for that matter to stand firm on their ground of moderation amid recent political development involving Kelantan state assembly’s passing of Syariah Criminal Code II 1993 (Amendment 2015).", "Its president Senator Datuk Prof Dr Sim Kui Hian said the implementation of hudud law would not only affect Muslims but also the lifestyles of non-Muslims. The party would go all out to maintain a secular Malaysia.", "“It is a very sad day for a multi-cultural, multi-religious and moderate nation called Malaysia. Rather than moving forward, we are now moving backward to become a closed and extreme society,” Dr Sim said in a statement on Tuesday.", "“If hudud law were to be implemented in Malaysia, the religious, cultural and racial freedom which have been enjoyed by different ethnic groups will be taken away,” claimed Dr Sim.", "Describing PAS’ choice of making Kelantan a theocratic state to achieve its political aim as suicidal, he said the implications of this law in the country, were far more devastating as it would slowly erode its multiracial and multi-religious nature.", "Dr Sim holds DAP responsible for allowing this to happen and challenged the opposition party to sever its alliance with PAS which DAP has been doing for political mileage while sacrificing the people and their rights along the way.", "He said for too long DAP had been misleading the voters especially the Chinese community into believing that DAP could stop PAS from implementing hudud law.", "“DAP must apologise to the people for misleading them and explain what the party is going to do after Kelantan has embraced theocracy.", "“DAP has failed to stop PAS. This means if one day PR were to take over the government, the secular nature of Malaysia will be threatened because both DAP and PKR are powerless in checking PAS.”", "He said all these showed that PR was just an opportunistic coalition where its component parties – DAP and PKR – were too weak to fight or defend the rights of the people." ]

[ "Datu Dr Penguang Manggil", "SIBU: The use of smartphone IPeople application is one of the many initiatives that the local authorities (LAs) are embarking to enhance their service delivery.", "Assistant Minister of Local Government Datu Dr Penguang Manggil said: “As I have mentioned many times in the media before, the LAs are the third level of our government administration and the closest to the people and hence, whatever they can or cannot do reflect the efficiency of entire government machinery.", "“Therefore, it is incumbent upon the LAs to continuously improve our delivery system to meet the demand of the modern day society.”", "He added: “Besides process re-engineering and standardising and harmonising the structure, system, processes and the people (human resource), the LAs have also computerised many business processes and are now developing a number\nof apps in stages beginning with the city and municipal councils…to facilitate and to shorten the business processes for the public.”", "The Marudi assemblyman said this yesterday when asked to comment on how soon other local councils in Sarawak were expected to be installed with this smart app, following Minister of Housing and Local Government Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian’s recent statement that he was very keen to extend the use of IPeople application to all local councils because ‘talian khidmat’ service was very slow to respond, and sometimes there was no reply at all.", "According to Dr Sim, IPeople application would enable the people to make complaints, pay assessment rates and other services.", "Dr Sim also said extending the use of smartphone IPeople application to all local councils is necessary because the majority (80 per cent) of complaints to ‘talian khidmat’ are issues related to local councils." ]

[ "KUCHING: Staff of Kolej Sunway Kuching recently paid a courtesy visit to the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Malaysia office here to introduce the new staff to the range of support services provided by ACCA.The delegation, led by its marketing manager Johnny Kon included six new administrative and marketing personnel recruited as part of the college’s current expansion programme.", "They were warmly greeted by ACCA professional  development senior executive Jane Chiong and business relations executive Donny Lau.", "Kon said: “As our college specialises in ACCA and Certified Accounting Technician (CAT) qualifications, we regard ACCA Kuching as a key strategic partner.", "“In carrying out their duties, our new colleagues will from time to time need to liaise with Jane and Donny. This visit is important because it gives everyone a chance to get to know one another,” he added.", "The visitors were briefed on the role of the Kuching branch in servicing tuition providers, students and ACCA members. Particular emphasis was placed on the ways in which the association could assist the college, in areas like promotion, student counseling, training and job placement.", "The visitors also received the latest updates relevant to Approved Learning Partners including the ACCA student registration process, procedures to apply for exemption and procedures to opt for the Oxford Brookes University (OBU) programme.", "Kolej Sunway Kuching is an ACCA Approved Learning Partner, with a ‘Gold’ Approval level.", "The endorsement is granted only to those high-quality tuition providers that ACCA is pleased to recommend to students.", "As an Approved Learning Partner, ACCA provides Sunway Kuching with all the necessary point of sale materials and the college’s name is listed in ACCA print publications and the official ACCA website.", "Kon, who was delighted with the outcome of the visit said: “My colleagues and I now have a better idea about the activities of ACCA Malaysia. We look forward to working closely with their Kuching branch to achieve our common aim of promoting ACCA and CAT qualifications in the state.”", "Those interested in knowing more about the ACCA and CAT qualifications can contact Kolej Sunway Kuching at 082-236666." ]

[ "KUCHING: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Betong candidate Cecilia Siti Una promised to bring the voice of her constituents to Parliament if she were elected as its MP for the next five years.", "Cecilia, whose candidacy was confirmed last Friday by party de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, said the people of Betong are still being deprived of basic infrastructure even after 46 years of Barisan Nasional (BN) in power in Sarawak.", "“In Betong, despite the fact that there were two senior ministers and an assistant minister, the constituency still remain backward in terms of basic infrastructure such as road, treated water and electricity,” she told a press conference here yesterday.", "Betong parliamentary constituency is represented by Datuk Sri Douglas Uggah Embas who is also Natural Resources and Environment Minister.", "The state assemblymen in the Betong parliamentary constituency are Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang, the people’s representative for Layar, while Assistant Minister of Welfare Robert Lawson Chuat is the state assemblyman for Bukit Saban.", "Cecilia claimed that the failure of BN in bringing development to Betong shows that the federal government under BN is not serious in developing the rural areas.", "“BN had promised to build a road to Ulu Spak since Jabu became deputy chief minister for over 30 years and until now it is still not being fulfilled.”", "She also claimed that the landowners and shopkeepers had complained to her that they were not able to renew their land lease at a three-kilometre radius from Betong town from the Land District office after its expiry.", "“Therefore, I urge the state government to reconsider the issue.”", "Cecilia said she also received complaints from ex-policemen who had served during the emergency period from 1962 to 1974 that they had not received the RM1,000 and RM3,000 one-off payment as promised by the government.", "“The RM1,000 was promised some eight years ago and the RM3,000 was announced during Budget 2012 by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. Therefore, I urge the government to pay the amount promised to the ex-policemen.”", "She said the constituents are all aware of the Global Witness video clip and the natives are particularly offended to be call “squatters of their own land”.", "Meanwhile, Cecilia refuted suggestion that she was reluctant to contest in Betong saying that she would discharge any responsibility entrusted to her by the party and promised to do her best to win Betong parliamentary constituency for Pakatan Rakyat.", "“My struggle is for the people. I have served in Betong as a health nurse for six year. During the duration, I travelled throughout the area with the village health team to deliver health services by road, boat and flying doctor service. I have met people from all corners of Betong.”" ]

[ "SEPANG: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak returned to the country yesterday after an eight-day official visit abroad which took him to Turkmenistan, the United Kingdom and Italy.", "Najib, accompanied by his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, flew in to the KL International Airport in a special aircraft at 9.45 am.", "Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein were among 3,000 people who greeted Najib upon his return.", "Najib began a two-day visit to Turkmenistan on July 11 at the invitation of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. Then to London for a four-day official visit to step up relations between Malaysia and the United Kingdom.", "He left for Italy for a two-day visit beginning July 17. — Bernama" ]

[ "SIBU: A number of Malaysia Volleyball Association (MAVA) affiliates have filed a written complaint to the Sports Commissioner on the alleged fraud and irregularities on the election process in the just concluded election of MAVA\noffice-bearers for 2014-2015.", "They claimed the meeting not only lacked transparency but also failed to comply and follow the democratic process of MAVA’s Constitution in the election of the office-bearers.", "They wanted the Sports Commissioner to immediately conduct a probe into the alleged irregularities on the election process.", "They also claimed MAVA had not been holding executive council and executive Board meetings for the past two years which was in direct contravention of MAVA’s Constitution.", "“To sum that up, we feel that there is a serious flaw in the recent election process of the office-bearers for MAVA for 2014-2015 and we hope the Sports Commissioner will immediately look into this issue,” Sarawak Volleyball Association (SVA) chairman Dr William Ting Wei Ung said.", "The controversy over the election process arose following a tie of eight votes each for the two presidential candidates, Dr Gregory Hii Sui Chen from SVA and Dato Seri Low Jee Keong, at the election on August 24.", "A total of 17 affiliates of MAVA took part in the election and there was one spoilt vote.", "Following the tie, MAVA’s deputy president Dato Chai Kim Sen, who is also the candidate for the deputy president post, cast the deciding vote as the presiding chairman of the AGM.", "He eventually declared Low as the winner. Ting said being a candidate himself, Chai should not have presided at the meeting.", "“It is therefore very ridiculous and a clear contravention of MAVA’s Constitution that a candidate for the deputy president post can doubled his role as a Returning Officer (RO) to cast his vote when there was a tie,” he said.", "Ting said what Chai was doing was illegal and should not have been allowed.", "He said the RO ought to be elected first by the members at the AGM before he could conduct the election process.", "“Unfortunately, at no time was the RO elected at the AGM,” he said.", "“As far as Low is concerned, there is also no seconder for his candidacy in the president post and none of us know which state he comes from as it was not stated in the nomination forms.", "All this speaks of rampant fraud and lack of transparency for not following the democratic election process.", "“Hopefully, the Sports Commissioner will look into this matter with urgency as all this incident will bring about a direct impact on the volleyball development in the country,” said Ting." ]

[ "Abang Wahap (right) and DBKU Health Division head Rudzaimer Malek posing inside one of the new vehicles at the DBKU headquarters yesterday. — Photo by Chimon Upon (File Photo)", "KUCHING: Members of public can lodge their complaints to Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) under the ‘Biro Maklum Mesra’ transformation programme to help the council to create a conducive environment with community involvement and excellent service.", "Members of public can WhatsApp their complaints or suggestions to DBKU 24-hour service centre at 016-8864466.", "They should type their name, identity card number, address, phone number, information and location of the incident and photo.Besides, members of the public can also call DBKU 24-hour Hotline at 082-446644 and their team will go to the scene when necessary.", "Members of public are urged to cooperate with DBKU to bring socio-economic development and make Kuching ‘Clean, Beautiful, and Safe’ under its CBS concept (2013 to 2017)." ]

[ "Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob (third left) is accompanied by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Economy) Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed (third right) during his arrival at the Parliament building to table the 12th Malaysia Plan in Dewan Rakyat today.  – Bernama photo", "KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 27): The government’s financial position is expected to improve in 2023 with the strengthening of the economy after being hit by the Covid-19 pandemic for two consecutive years, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today.", "He said the pandemic had also impacted the global economy, which contracted by 3.2 per cent in 2020 compared with a 2.8 per cent growth in 2019.", "“Malaysia also has not been spared from the effects of the pandemic. Looking back at the achievements during the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP) period from 2016 to 2020, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by an average of 2.7 per cent per annum, which was below the original target,” he said in his speech when tabling the the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) 2021-2025 in Parliament today.", "On the effect on the government’s financial position, he said in 2020, the fiscal deficit widened to 6.2 per cent of GDP while the government’s statutory debt stood at 57.9 per cent of GDP.", "The eight assistance and economic stimulus packages implemented starting March 27 had successfully stabilised the country’s economy, he said, adding that the GDP rebounded by 16.1 per cent in the second quarter of 2021 after four consecutive quarters of contraction.", "The packages are valued at more than RM530 billion.", "“God willing, we expect the government’s financial position will improve in 2023 when the economy becomes stronger,” he said, citing the fifth verse of the Quran’s Surah Al-Insyirah, “Verily, after hardship, there will be relief.”", "He said that in the 11MP, the government had spent RM248.5 billion for development, of which 58 per cent was expenses for the economic sector, 28 per cent social expenses, 11 per cent security and defence expenses, and five per cent general administrative expenses.", "For the economic sector, the largest expenditure was for the provision of infrastructure and basic utilities. Of this, 46 per cent was distributed among six states that required a stronger focus, namely, Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis, Sabah, Sarawak dan Terengganu.", "“I understand that Keluarga Malaysia places high hopes on the government to address the health and economic crises. The government has received many suggestions from the public, Members of Parliament and state governments,” he said.", "Nonetheless, due to the significant need to safeguard lives and livelihoods in 2020 and 2021, he said there was very limited room to implement development projects.", "“The situation is expected to continue until next year. Therefore, the government’s development allocation will focus on continuation of projects,” the Prime Minister added. – Bernama" ]

[ "KUCHING: International reserves at Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) were broadly unchanged in mid-January 2016 compared to end-2015, due to limited currency intervention despite the weak ringgit.", "Analysts from AmResearch Sdn Bhd (AmResearch) noted that the international reserves of BNM amounted to RM408.5 billion as at mid-January 2015. In dollar terms, reserves declined slightly by US$200 million from end-December 2015.", "The reserves position is sufficient to finance 8.5 months of retained imports and is 1.1 times the short-term external debt.", "“We note that the reserve at BNM was broadly unchanged compared to end-2015 despite further weaknesses in ringgit. Overall, we believe that the ringgit is significantly undervalued due to depressed levels of crude oil and weak commodity markets,” it said in its research report.", "In 2015, ringgit had depreciated against all regional currencies. Reserves stood at RM95.1 billion as at mid-January 2016 and have remained above RM94 billion since it dipped to US$93.3 billion in September 2015.", "Compared to end-2015, reserves fell in ringgit terms by RM609.2 million in first half January 2016.", "Thus, outflows of funds will adversely affect the balance of payment.", "That said, reserves at BNM continue to stay above the international thresholds.", "The minimum threshold for reserves as per retained imports is three months and one times the short-term external debt.", "The ringgit had deteriorated sharply against its regional counterparts in 2015 and continued to remain weak during the start of 2016. In part, the weak global crude oil prices and uncertainties domestically are ongoing challenges for the ringgit.", "The local currency was lacklustre in 2015, hovering at an average of RM3.90 per dollar for the full-year. ringgit remained volatile in January and closed at 4.2995 on Friday." ]

[ "A firefighter extinguishing the fire that destroyed a wooden house.", "KUCHING: A wooden house at Jalan Jambori, Stakan was destroyed in a fire around 12.30pm yesterday.", "The Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) in a statement said a call was received from a member of the public who witnessed smoke billowing from the house.", "The house which measured about 28 square metres was home to seven men and four women who were all not injured in the incident. Firefighters from Batu Lintang and Kota Samarahan fire stations rushed to the scene and the operation ended at 2.58pm.", "The cause of the fire is still under investigation." ]

[ "MARUDI: All young athletes must always maintain their discipline – in and outside the playing fields.", "Mulu assemblyman Dato Gerawat Gala highlighted this in his speech yesterday at the opening of the ‘Sukan Gabungan Tiga Sekawan 2017’ – an inaugural sports carnival co-hosted by three schools at SK Kuala Tutoh, which is about one-and-half-hour express boat ride from here. The other co-organisers were SK Sungai Peking and SK Benawa.", "“Accomplished sports personalities like Watson Nyambek and Pandelela Rinong would not have achieved success if they did not have strong discipline. With strong determination and discipline, there is no stopping for you.", "“For those in team sports, uphold unity, teamwork and good sportsmanship.", "“Having said this, excellence in sports should serve as a platform for you to move to the next stage. Always be ready to compete — not just on the field, but also in life,” he stressed.", "On a separate matter, Gerawat said he brought along an assistant engineer from the Public Works Department (JKR) Miri to conduct a study on the possibility of constructing a 8km road linking Kampung Benawa with Kuala Tutoh, as requested by the villagers.", "Another issue pointed out by the assemblyman was electricity supply to this rural area.", "“It would take some time for this area to be connected with the main grid via the sub-station slated for Loagan Bunut, which has yet to be implemented.", "“On the other hand, I’m thinking about the viability of solar hybrid power generation system for Kuala Tutoh – this, we need the SEB (Sarawak Energy Bhd) to run a study on its process.”", "In addition, Gerawat brought good news to the residents who are adversely affected by the riverbank erosion in Kuala Tutoh.", "“I now have an allocation of RM575,000 for the building of a retaining wall, spanning 100m along the banks. Our (JKR) assistant district engineer Stephen Ung is with us here today to review further measures.”", "Later, Gerawat announced Minor Rural Project (MRP) grants of RM2,500 for SK Sungai Peking, RM2,500 for SK Benawa, RM3,500 for SK Kuala Tutoh, RM3,000 to the People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela) Unit of Kuala Tutoh and RM35,000 Kuala Tutoh village security and development committee (JKKK)." ]

[ "This woman shows great pride in wearing the BN logo and it should be to the delight of BN members and supporters.", "IT was a disturbing Sunday.", "Fifty residents staged a protest on April 19 against a church housed at a shoplot in Taman Medan, Petaling Jaya, for putting up a cross on the frontage of the building. The demonstrators gathered outside the church at about 10am while a congregation of 15 was attending their worship service.", "The group’s grouse was that the sight of a cross in a Muslim-majority area was an affront to Islam and the faith of the Muslim residents there – and it could also influence young Muslim minds.", "“After meeting with the priest, the church agreed to take down the cross by next Sunday. If they have the authority to operate, we cannot stop it. But we ask – out of concern that this is a predominantly Malay area – that they take down the cross,” a Taman Medan leader, Datuk Abdullah Abu Bakar, was quoted as saying.", "By the way, Abdullah Abu Bakar is the brother of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar, who later claimed he was there as a mediator to prevent any untoward incident to happen.", "One can justifiably be exonerated for expecting the brother of the top cop who protects and safeguards the security and safety of the nation, to know the law better than the ordinary citizens and that he should not take the law into his own hands but seek to address and resolve the matter amicably through the proper channels.", "Following the protest, the church took the cross down within hours.", "The way I see it, this was probably an initial attempt to settle the matter peacefully. The church’s small congregation could be uncertain if they were allowed to house a place of worship in a shoplot, choosing to seek clarification first and would then address the matter after obtaining the clarification – either way – from the authority concerned.", "No one, especially Christians, should reprimand this small congregation for taking this swift action and criticize them “to bow to oppression and threats and question their faith”.", "Incidentally, a disturbing Sunday was followed by a worrying Monday.", "On April 20, holding placards with the word “misleading”, written on them, seven Youth Wing members from the Bawang Assan and Pelawan branches of the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) staged a protest in front of two signboards with the BN logo, put up by the United People’s Party (UPP) at the roadside to show the community service that the party had done for the people.", "After that, the members uprooted the signboards, lodged a police report and held a press conference.", "A picture provided by the members themselves showed there were only seven of them but the organisers said their numbers were more than a dozen. SUPP Bawang Assan Youth chief Marcus Yek said it was a clear case of abuse when UPP put up two roadside signboards bearing the BN logo as UPP, being outside the BN, had no right to use the BN logo.", "“It is misleading,” he stressed.", "A disturbing Sunday and a worrying Monday have led me to visualize Malaysians at “cross-road” – is this going to happen?", "One day, as you walked into a busy market with a majority of Malay stalls, 50 people surrounded you and asked you to get rid of the cross (and chain) you were wearing around your neck because they said you were trying to challenge their faith. Then a dozen fierce-looking young people, holding placards saying “misleading,” stripped you of your T-shirts bearing the BN logo because you were a member of a non-BN component party.", "This is not funny with the way some leaders are using – or misusing – people to suit their own political agenda or the way political parties, in the name of grooming youth leaders, are actually leading them down the wrong path – that of taking the law into their own hands.", "However, be thankful for a sanguine Tuesday (April 21) – hopefully, from hopeless to hopeful and hereafter.", "Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, in his immediate response, took a tough stance against the cross demonstrators, declaring their actions were seditious, and promising action.", "Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, after a Cabinet meeting, said “police will investigate and take action if the protesters are found to have violated the law.” Many Muslims took to the social media and news portals to apologise to the church.", "One said: “To the church that became a victim of bullying, maybe even by a politically motivated Muslim mob, I extend my apologies as a Muslim, even if I’m not exactly the pinnacle of piety.", "“Put your cross back up. The cross is your symbol, so wear it with pride. You have every right to put it on the building, provided you have the licence for it. You are not propagating your Christianity to be masses. You are exercising your constitutional right to practise your faith.”", "Christians will not want anybody punished on account of sheer ignorance that putting up a cross is an act of challenging people from other faiths. The cross is a reminder to Christians of how our Lord loves us and how He sent His son to die on the cross for our sins.", "Could this be the time for the protesters and those who believe they are “challenged” by the sight of cross to know the true meaning of the cross to Christians? The Lord always speaks through circumstances and I firmly hold on to this belief.", "Apropos the signboards protest, from the reaction of the leaders, I was convinced that those who removed the signboards had the consent of their leaders, most of whom are professionals – people well-versed with the law.", "How are we teaching our youths? Are we using them to challenge the law, endorse the unlawful act, then wait and see what’s next before we step out to “rescue” them?", "I may sound undiplomatic but the way I see it, the political parties, in the name of grooming the youths in giving them opportunities, are actually doing so not by way of proper training and guidance – either morally, ethically or in a law-abiding fashion.", "Rival politicians were quick to point out that the 50 Muslim residents of Taman Medan may not even have been outside the church to demonstrate on their own but were sent there for some political motives of some parties.", "Likewise, the dozen of SUPP youths may not even have been there to voluntarily protest the use of the BN logo by UPP and took the law into their own hands but were sanctioned to do so by those who want to advance their party leaders’ political interests.", "May His will be done that both the offenders and the offended in both incidents be blessed, healed and restored." ]

[ "KUALA LUMPUR: Civil servants affected by floods and are using loan services under the Malaysian Treasury’s Housing Loan Division (BPP) are advised to submit natural disaster insurance claims to their respective panels.", "In a statement yesterday, the Finance Ministry said their insurance could cover damage to building structure such as walls, floors, roofs, ceilings, house break-ins and burst water tanks.", "They can  also  make claims for third party  injuries resulting from accidents in the house, as well as hotel accommodation or house rental incurred for the duration they are unable to occupy the house.", "The division hopes that flood victims would quickly submit their claims to the insurance companies involved namely Takaful Malaysia (03-8890 3588), Etiqa Insurance/Takaful (southern zone, east coast of Sabah and Sarawak 03-4270 7735) (northern and central zone 03-7989 0311/03-7989 0310) and PruBSN Takaful Berhad (03-2053 1119/03-2053 1059), HSBC Amanah Takaful (Malaysia) 03-8888 1240/42 or 1-800-88-9659), Sun Life Malaysia (03-2692 8188) and Takaful Ikhlas (03-8890 3100), the statement added.", "For more information, visit http://bpp.treasury.gov.my or call the flood help desk at 03-8880 2121/2021/2312/2949/2626. — Bernama" ]

[ "LONDON: A London judge on Monday jailed for life a man convicted of trying to “kill as many people as possible” with his car outside Britain’s parliament last year.", "Judge Maura McGowan told Salih Khater, 30, he would serve a minimum of 15 years in jail following his conviction for attempted murder in July.", "A jury found that Khater deliberately tried to plough his car into cyclists, pedestrians and police in Westminster in August 2018, in an attack that McGowan said aimed to imitate previous terror incidents.", "“Your undoubted intention was to kill as many people as possible and by doing so spread fear and terror,” she told London’s Old Bailey court in passing the sentence.", "“You replicated the acts of others who undoubtedly have acted with terrorist motives,” she added, noting Khater presented “a significant risk of causing serious harm to the public in the future”.", "The Sudanese-born British national did not kill anyone in the August 14 attack, which saw his car end up crashing into security barriers. Several people were injured.", "During his trial, the court heard that Khater – who was granted asylum in Britain in 2010 – drove around Parliament Square several times before veering off at speed to strike a jogger.", "He then mowed down a group of 14 cyclists before accelerating towards two uniformed police officers standing by a security barrier outside parliament, who leapt away to avoid being hit.", "The jogger was left lying on the ground with abrasions and heavy bruising, while six of the cyclists received injuries including a broken collar bone and bruising.", "Khater later claimed that the incident was an accident.", "But an accident investigator who analysed security camera footage of the incident concluded that he had deliberately manoeuvred his car in the moments leading up to the attack ‘with a high level of concentration’. It emerged that the resident of Birmingham had unsuccessfully applied for a fast-track British passport the previous day, before driving straight to London. — AFP" ]

[ "WITH the latest announcement that the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) has been extended until Dec 31, 2020, it looks like travel outside our borders will not be possible for the next four months.", "However, that shouldn’t keep you at home if you’re one of those restless with the travel bug, who can’t stay in one place for longer than a couple of months and needs to get out and take a hike, by hook or by crook. It’s the best time there is to travel and see the rest of your own country; this includes (travel restrictions permitting) neighbouring Sabah, Brunei, and across the South China Sea to the peninsula. If you’ve always wanted to visit Penang or Sipadan, now’s the best time. Almost all the hotels and lodges have either reopened, fully or partially, and would warmly welcome your local tourist ringgit!", "I count myself lucky as one of those who, during my working days, had the chance to see almost all the different places in our lovely country Malaysia – indeed from Langkawi way up northwest on the peninsula, to the tip of the eastern-most town in Sabah, Tawau.", "Let’s start from nearest to Kuching.", "Nowadays home and village stays are very popular and you can choose from a wide variety of four-star to simple accommodation with your personal interests in mind – upcountry hiking mountain trails; remote Iban, Bidayuh, or Orang Ulu homestays; or if you’re the beach-loving type, with nearby beaches or waterways.", "Your choices are many and all you need to do is either Google or go to Facebook, or just ask around among your adventurous friends who may give you tips from what they’ve experienced themselves.", "I can suggest a few based on either personal experience or from feedback from friends. Kuching-based Borneo Adventure is probably the longest experienced in this field (since 1987) and they have their own Ulu Ai project at Nanga Sumpa, an Iban community in Batang Ai.", "Then there’s Saloma’s Village Stay in a Bidayuh village at Kampung Sadir, Padawan in the first division. For more luxurious four-star comfort and if you love the seaside, there’s the exclusive Singgahsana Village House at Santubong with the beach just a strong stone’s throw away, and the rustic fishing village and glorious seafood at Kampung Buntal within a few minutes’ drive.", "For the more adventurous, who want to rough it out for a couple of nights or even up to a week, Borneo Exploration Tours can tailor make a suitable package trip for you up the Lemanak River in the second division, which takes you deep into Iban territory. You’d be able to experience the daily routine with them as you stay among the longhouse folk, eat and sleep, and even go padi planting (in season) or hunting if you plan ahead.", "Photo shows travel guides and maps to plan a local holiday.", "However, be prepared to eat what’s on offer, usually local wild ferns, river-caught fish, hill padi, and wild boar meat (if not available, local pig is substituted), and drink voluminous amounts of ‘tuak’ and arak. You’d also be sleeping on four-inch thick mattresses with mosquito netting provided.", "Mornings are met with brushing your teeth and bathing in simple washrooms with either gravity-fed mountain spring water, or in the dry season in the nearby swiftly flowing river, usually so shallow and so clear that you can see the pebbles and the little fishes swimming by as you gargle.", "One can also plan a road trip which takes one all the way from Kuching passing by Serian, then Sri Aman (a stopover at Simanggang if the tidal bore or ‘benak’ season is on) with a night’s stay over at either Betong or Saratok being ideal – the freshwater prawns and local terubok fish are famous.", "Next morning, it’s onwards to Sarikei and then Sibu and if you want to experience an express boat ride, now’s the time to do it on the Sibu-Kapit sector; it takes three hours plus and costs RM30. Kapit is the real heartland of the Iban community and you can even venture further upriver to Belaga and Long Lama if you have the time and the urge to do so. There’s plenty to see and experience along the way and upon arrival.", "The famous Bario Highlands and its lesser known sister, Ba Kelalan, beckon you next. These are more logistically challenging locations as they require air transport and these are both costly and irregular. But once you get there, you’d be able to experience the remoteness as well as the serenity of the place – there are again many lodging houses and all you need is to Google or Facebook search for them and pick one you like.", "The Mulu Caves must not be missed; there you have a choice of five-star comfort at Mulu Marriott Resort, National Park, Benarat Lodge, or Mulu Backpackers Lodge (nearest to the Mulu Airport, you can just walk there). You can arrange for either a personal tour guide or be part of a group tour if there’s one going. The caves are captivating and awesome.", "For the more historical minded visitor, don’t miss the Niah caves, located midway between Bintulu and Miri, with a brief road diversion.", "Don’t forget that Bintulu, Miri, Marudi, Mukah, and Limbang are all worth visiting too! I’d skip Brunei for the time being as I am not too sure what its current travel restrictions are.", "Sabah, our neighbouring state, is such a big and wonderful place where you can get almost everything you want under the sun! There are splendid gorgeous beaches; the scuba and deep sea diving is to die for; the seafood is fresh and plentiful (although no longer as reasonably priced as during the 2000s); and Kinabalu Park is well worth the visit, although nowadays the management is restricting the number of visitors, and the fees to go up the mountain have been raised to such a level that limits its wider appeal.", "There’s nightlife aplenty in KK and the population is cosmopolitan, while Sabah’s towns are always abuzz with fun, activity, and colour.", "If you love the wetlands of Kinabatangan where the Sumatran elephants, Proboscis monkeys, and orang-utans roam freely, try a stay at the world-acclaimed and much-awarded Sukau Rainforest Lodge built in 1995 and operated by renown environmentalist and photographer Albert Teo.", "Danum Valley and the Meliau Basin are well worth visiting too. They are more remote and rather costly to get to and lodgings can be expensive. Of course, the main attractions in Sabah are the islands of Sipadan and Mabul, but make sure you have planned well in advance as they have very few rooms and again can be expensive.", "If you follow my plan and suggestions, you won’t be able to visit all these delightful places – villages, towns, and cities – from now till December! You’d probably need more than four months to get them all in. But don’t worry, they will always be there, waiting for you.", "Give yourself a treat. Go see your own country – Sarawak and Sabah!", "Comments can reach the writer via [email protected]." ]

[ "A screengrab taken from one of the viral videos that captured the fight that erupted between two gangs on Valentine’s Day at Green Road.", "KUCHING (Feb 18): The police are ready to provide assistance to the Ministry of Health to locate the woman believed to be the cause of the gang fight that took place on Valentine’s Day, said Sarawak Police Commissioner Datuk Aidi Ismail.", "He added that the woman might be a possible close contact of two out of the nine male suspects who tested positive for Covid-19 yesterday.", "“We will provide assistance to the ministry to locate the woman if the need arises,” said Aidi, adding that the woman has yet to be arrested by the police.", "He also added that the remaining seven suspects had tested negative for the virus.", "All nine suspects were arrested following a gang fight which involved the use of dangerous weapons near Chong Lin Plaza, Green Road at around 5pm on Feb 14.", "Meanwhile, Aidi said that all suspects who are currently detained by the police had undergone a second swab test after learning that the two suspects had tested positive for Covid-19.", "A total of 10 police officers and 99 personnel from the Sekama, Gita and Tabuan Jaya police stations were also ordered to undergo a swab test yesterday.", "Sanitisation works by the Fire and Rescue Department were also conducted at all three police stations and results from the various swab tests are still pending." ]

[ "Chartered accountant Wong Ching Yong", "SIBU (June 24): Chartered accountant Wong Ching Yong said practising accountants being investigated by the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA) should seek legal opinion if they feel that the Disciplinary Committee did not comply with the rules and regulations of the disciplinary by-laws and was unfair in the hearing proper.", "Speaking at the press conference here yesterday, he said accountants should not have a fallacy that paying a fine is the end of the matter, because publication of a sentencing in a gazette or a newspaper is a permanent black mark in one’s professional career.", "He said to the best of his knowledge, there were many senior practising accountants in Sarawak who were also found guilty of not complying with auditing standards in their audit working papers.", "“They were fined a certain sum of monies and their sentences were subsequently published in the gazette and national newspapers.", "“Many senior practising accountants told me that they were deeply embarrassed by the publication of their sentences,” he said.", "Wong called for the press conference following the recent decision by the Court of Appeal which unanimously ruled that the MIA Disciplinary Committee had committed errors of procedural improprieties in their case against him.", "He said the appellate court ruled that there was a procedural impropriety in the disciplinary hearing because the Disciplinary Committee did not call any witnesses to testify and, as such, the rule of natural justice was breached.", "“This is a landmark decision for accountancy practices. I am happy and relieved with the outcome of the appellate court. It has been six years for the appellate court to give a ruling in my favour,” he added.", "Sometime in 2018, Wong was summoned for a disciplinary hearing by MIA over allegation of non-compliance with certain accountancy standards during the members’ practice review exercise; thereby breaching Rule 2 of MIA (No 2) Disciplinary Regulations.", "He explained that during the hearing held in September 2017, he steadfastly refused to admit the charge made by the Disciplinary Committee that the non-compliance of auditing standards of his audit working papers was an unprofessional conduct which would bring disrepute and discredit to the accounting profession.", "As such, he requested for a full trial to which the committee agreed.", "“Its secretary informed me that the Investigation Committee would also bring their witnesses and relevant documents to the full trial.", "“I was advised that I could be accompanied by my own lawyers too and they were Datuk Wong Rhen Yen and Victor Lau,” he said.", "However, Wong said in the full trial of the hearing held in March 2018, the Disciplinary Committee did not produce any witnesses.", "“After legal arguments, the chairman of the committee requested both parties to prepare submissions. After exchanging submissions, I was then found guilty and fined RM3,000,” he said, adding his subsequent appeal to the Disciplinary Appeal Board was not successful.", "Wong said after discussing with his counsel, he decided to file a judicial review in the High Court here. He lost the case but filed an appeal to the Court of Appeal.", "Wong meanwhile expressed his warmest gratitude to his lead counsel Albert Tang and other counsels Rhen Yen, Lau, Gordon Tang and Wong Woan Yi.", "“My heartfelt thanks to Dr Chew Peng Hui and George Lim too. During the last six years, all the above counsels had worked tirelessly and professionally on a pro bono basis,” he said." ]

[ "PARIS (France): Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) has created so many success stories in the year 2013, with the latest being the award and recognition received by its vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Kamarudin Hussin as one of the world’s outstanding scientists of the 21st century.", "He received ‘The Name In Science’ award from Europe Business Assembly (EBA) in conjunction with the four-day Oxford Summit of Leaders: Science and Education, which ended on Dec 19 in Oxford, United Kingdom.", "The award confirmed that Kamarudin’s name would be recorded in the World Register of Outstanding Scientists of the 21st Century.", "In an interview with Bernama here after ending UniMAP delegation’s working visit to France last Sunday, Kamarudin said the award did not only reflect his own success, but also the success of UniMAP and Malaysia as a whole.", "“It will definitely boost my spirit to take UniMAP to greater heights and to turn the university into one of the world’s elite universities,” he said.", "Also present at the award ceremony was Raja Muda of Perlis Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Jamalullail, who is also UniMAP Chancellor.", "At the ceremony, UniMAP was also declared as the winner of the ‘Best Campus’ category.", "Last April, Kamarudin was named the recipient of EBA’s ‘Best Manager’ award, while UniMAP received the ‘Best Enterprise’ award.", "Kamarudin said 11-year-old UniMAP had been placed among the 300 best universities in Asia in the QS University Rankings Asia 2013 issued recently.", "The geopolymer technology researcher also said the improvement from 418th place last year to 242nd place this year was mostly due to the success of UniMAP’s research and innovations, which won various awards locally and abroad.", "In October, the university received the prestigious business award, ‘The Bizz 2013’, by the World Confederation of Businesses (WORLDCOB).", "The success was made even sweeter when WORLDCOB also named Kamarudin as the recipient of its ‘World Business Leader’ award and the ‘World Leader Business Person’ award.", "It also enabled UniMAP to be at par with business giants, such as Abu Dhabi University, Credit Libanais (Lebanon), Doha Bank (Qatar), Imperial Hotel (India), Near East University Hospital (Turkey) and Ethiopian Airlines (Ethiopia).", "Kamarudin said it also proved that a university should not only serve as an educational institution to produce competitive human capital, but also as a business entity.", "Earlier this month, UniMAP had also made Malaysia proud by garnering nine recognitions in research at the Second World Inventor Order Festival (WIAF) in South Korea. Heading the list of recognition was Kamarudin, who was awarded the ‘Merit of Commandeur’, the highest recognition and award from the Belgian Chamber of Inventors (BCI) in collaboration with Korea Invention News (KINEWS).", "The university also excelled at the Seoul International Invention Fair (SIIF) 2013 as nine of its innovations won three gold, four silver and two bronze medals. — Bernama" ]

[ "MIRI: The Fisheries Department has warned boat skippers that their licences for zone A and B (self-employed) would be revoked if they do not comply with regulations.", "Miri branch chief Abdul Rahman Hamdan said self-employed boat skippers must be on the boat when it is out fishing at sea.", "“It is against the Fisheries Department’s regulations if licensed boat skippers known as tekong are found not complying,” he told The Borneo Post yesterday.", "Abdul Rahman stressed that the licences are granted to those who fish themselves within Sarawak waters, hence those found engaging others to do so would have their licenses revoked.", "As of yesterday, 160 longboats for zone A had renewed their yearly licences, he said, adding that these license holders can fish from Kuala Baram up to Suai.", "“It is a standard procedure to inspect if these boats are fit to go to sea or seaworthy,” he said.", "A total of 577 boats are registered under zone class A, B, C, and C2 here." ]

[ "Family members sit outside their gutted home in the aftermath of the fire.", "KUCHING: A raging fire tore through seven houses at Kampung Tupong Hulu, Jalan Astana here leaving 69 people homeless early yesterday morning.", "Residents rushed to safety after the blaze, which ultimately gutted four houses and damaged three others, broke out around 2.30am.", "No injuries or casualties were reported during the incident.", "A total of 24 firefighters from the Petra Jaya and Padungan fire stations battled the blaze for about an hour before extinguishing the flames around 4.30am.", "A victim, Zulikram Bujang, 31 when met said he was still in a state of shock over the incident which affected 13 members of his family.", "However, he expressed his relief knowing that all residents affected by the blaze were safe.", "“I tried my best to extinguish the fire but failed and had to evacuate the house. The most important thing now is that everyone is safe.”", "State Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) assistant operations director Tiong Ling Hii said firemen arrived at the scene", "at 2.53am following a distress call.", "He said when Bomba personnel arrived, two houses had already been razed to the ground, adding that it took about 20 minutes to control the flames and prevented it from spreading to nearby homes.", "“A total of seven houses were involved. (We) only managed to save three adjacent units,” he said when met yesterday.", "Tiong pointed out that Bomba did not face any problems in dousing the fire despite the 200-metre distance from the fire hydrant to the affected area, as well as the narrow roads which made it difficult for fire engines to enter the village.", "“Nevertheless, we are well-prepared in facing such situations involving narrow roads and other issues,” he said, adding the cause of fire is being investigated while total losses have yet to be ascertained.", "Tupong assemblyman Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman was among those present at the scene yesterday in the aftermath of the fire." ]

[ "GEORGE TOWN: The Education Ministry is in need of a new model for university administration to enhance collaboration between universities and industry players.", "Second Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh said the change in the administration of a university should be changed to facilitate research and development, which indirectly, could generate the country’s economy through the commercialisation of R&D products.", "“At present, relations between the industries and universities are still new. We need a new model on how a university should be administered and how the ministry should administer a university,” he told reporters after appearing as a guest in an industrial forum, ‘The Role of Universities in Propelling R&D in Local Business’ here yesterday.", "Idris said that over the past five years, the commercialisation of R&D products had reaped in RM1.2 billion and believed the amount would increase further with five universities being accorded the research university status. — Bernama" ]

[ "The MV MSC Messina reported the fire on its way to the Malacca Strait. – AFP photo", "A container ship left adrift in the Indian Ocean after an engine room fire was being towed to Singapore on Saturday, Sri Lanka’s navy said.", "The Indian coastguard helped extinguish the blaze after it erupted aboard the MV MSC Messina on Friday about 425 nautical miles (787 kilometres) from Port Blair in India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands.", "“We were informed that the fire was completely doused by this afternoon and the ship is being towed to Singapore,” Sri Lanka navy spokesman Indika de Silva told AFP.", "One of the 28 crew members remains missing after the fire.", "Sri Lanka’s navy helped coordinate communications with the stricken ship and other vessels in the area.", "The Liberian-registered MSC Messina left a Colombo port on Wednesday en route to Singapore and reported the fire halfway to the Malacca Strait.", "It is the second ship to catch fire in the Indian Ocean in recent weeks, with the Singapore-registered MV X-Press Pearl going up in flames and sinking off Colombo earlier this month.", "The MV X-Press Pearl was carrying large quantities of chemicals and plastics and the accident has caused extensive damage to Sri Lanka’s marine ecosystem. – AFP" ]

[ "Eligible customers of Sarawak Energy’s 700,000 account holders from the domestic, commercial and industrial categories will have their electricity bills from Apr 1 to Sept 30 discounted. – File photo", "KUCHING: Eligible customers of Sarawak Energy’s 700,000 account holders from the domestic, commercial and industrial categories will have their electricity bills from Apr 1 to Sept 30 discounted.", "The utilities company in a statement today said that the discount package provided over those six months is expected to total over RM166 million and all eligible customers will have their bills automatically computed for their relevant discounts over the stipulated period.", "The discounts range between five per cent and 25 per cent and falls under the people-focused aid package of the federal government’s Prihatin Economic Stimulus Package with a further top up by the Sarawak Government’s own Sarawakku Sayang Special Assistance Package.", "The highest 25 per cent discount rate will be for domestic households and comes from a combination of two per cent borne by the federal government and 23 per cent borne by the state government.", "Commercial (C1, C2 and C3) consumers, which are premises with commercial or trading activities, are eligible for a 15 per cent discount rate while Industrial (I1 and I2) consumers can enjoy a 10 per cent discount and a 5 per cent discount for Industrial I3 consumers.", "More details on the discounts can be obtained through the Ministry of Utilities website at https://mou.sarawak.gov.my and on Sarawak Energy’s website at www.sarawakenergy.com." ]

[ "(From right) Sempurai hands over a souvenir to Lee witnessed by Lau and Kong.", "SIBU: Sibu Rural District Council (SRDC) need to organise events on a regular basis to attract people, particularly tourists to come to Sibu Jaya.", "According to Assistant Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture Datuk Lee Khim Shin, Sibu Jaya is a vibrant new township with a growing population of over 30,000 and well-planned development.", "“This young, vibrant town is strategically located along the Pan-Borneo Highway and near to the Sibu Airport. Hence it has potential as a business hub,” he said at the opening ceremony of Pesta Sibu Jaya 2017 at Sibu Jaya Town square on Friday night.", "Lee said for an event to be developed into a tourism event it was imperative for the organisers to ensure that it is able to attract people from outside Sibu or Sarawak to come and participate in or watch it.", "Such events would be able to bring in visitors or tourists and generate income for the local people in particular and the state and country in general.", "“For any event that you wish to include in the State Tourism calendar, you need to liaise with the Resident of the Division. In the case of Sibu Jaya, it is the Sibu Resident.", "“He is the chairman of the Division Tourism Task-Force Group or TTG. He coordinates all the tourism activities in the division.", "“All the relevant tourism stake holders are represented in the TTG. The local council is also a member of the TTG,” he said.", "According to Lee, Pesta Sibu Jaya has attracted some participants from other parts of Sarawak and even a small number from Peninsular Malaysia, Brunei and Sabah.", "He therefore hoped that this event would grow and become a tourism event, able to attract participants and visitors from outside Sarawak to Sibu.", "Besides sports activities, he said the Pesta Sibu Jaya 2017 also gave the public an opportunity to generate income by renting stalls that were being provided by SRDC to sell their products.", "Themed ‘Young Vibrant Extreme’ Pesta Sibu Jaya aims to promote healthy and sport activities through events like Ironman, Zumba, Mountain Biking, 3X3 Basketball, Anti-drug awareness campaign, Beauty contest, Hash Run and English reading competition.", "Also present were SRDC chairman Sempurai Petrus Ngelai, his deputy Robert Lau, SRDC secretary Justani Joni and organising chairman Kong Chek King." ]

[ "KUCHING: SMK Kuching High’s 1st Cadet combined division St John Ambulance is encouraged to lead by example and take an active role in making the community a better place.", "Chairman and commander of St John Ambulance Sarawak Dato Sri Ang Lai Soon praised the cadets for their good work that has led others to continue rendering services to society at large.", "“As the pioneer division of St John Ambulance Sarawak, you are encouraged to continue to show good example to other divisions to take active part in activities organised either at headquarters level or at school level,” he said.", "“By your good performance, more students will be attracted to join St John Ambulance as their first choice in their selection of co-curricular activities, thus increasing the size of membership and participation both in your school and other schools,” he added.", "His text-of-speech was read by headquarters State Staff Officer of St John Ambulance Sarawak, Chen Chon Yu, at the school’s 43 annual Inspection yesterday.", "Ang said St John Ambulance division of SMK Kuching High was the oldest in Sarawak with 43 years of history.", "“During the past 43 years, you have a good record of participation and leadership in the activities and have taken an active part in community services including regular annual inspection,” he commended.", "Ang expressed his high expectations for the division and hopes they will grow from strength to strength.", "He also congratulated them for their participation in the 42nd anniversary Commemoration Parade held in July 6, 2013.", "“Your contribution and participation greatly helped to make the parade grand and exhibited solidarity in the fraternity of St John Ambulance family,” he added.", "Meanwhile, school principal Phang Chun Yow said 20 members had attended the Advanced First Aid Course recently, in which eight cadets passed the examination.", "“The first aid knowledge that you learned through the course will certainly come in handy in the management of casualty at accident scenes and basic life support,” he reminded the cadets.", "The school’s St John Ambulance, he added, has since its establishment organised and carried out many humanitarian activities based on its vision and mission.", "The division has rendered its services to Sarawak General Hospital during festive seasons, various national, state, district and school -level activities and functions organised by ministries and government agencies as well as social and sports events.", "Phang was proud that the division has become one of the most active and strongest uniformed bodies at the school.", "The annual inspection was followed by the reading pledge of ‘Cadet Code of Chivalry’ and a brief tour at the exhibition area." ]

[ "TAWAU: Following several motorcycle theft cases in the district recently, motorcyclists here have been advised to park their motorcycles in safe places and lock them with duplicate keys.", "According to district police chief ASP Awang Besar Dullah, two motorcycles were reported missing at the Tawau General Hospital car park and Felda Umas here recently.", "The first case involved a Honda EX5 motorcycle which was reported missing by a 25-year-old man at the hospital here on June 6 when he went there to pick up his medicines.", "The police found the stolen motorcycle at the Sri Balung residential area on June 9. A 20-year-old local suspect was detained and the Magistrate’s Court here yesterday sentenced him to one year’s imprisonment.", "“In the second case, we received a report from a 53-year-old man who claimed his Modenas motorcycle was missing at Felda Umas on June 5.", "“The police will continue to investigate this case under Section 379A of the Penal Code, which carries a jail term of not less than one year and maximum of seven years and fine, if convicted,” Awang pointed out yesterday.", "He also said most of the motorcycles that were reported stolen were due to the owners’ negligence." ]

[ "KUALA LUMPUR: World number one men’s singles shuttler,\nDatuk Lee Chong Wei is edging closer to clinch his fifth Japan Open title after\nsmashing his way into the final of the tournament held at the Tokyo Metropolitan\nGymnasium. ", "In the semi-final match today, the 31-year old Penangite, who was the\ndefending champion, took 47 minute to dislodge fourth seed, Japanese Kenichi\nTago with a 21-15 and 21-17 win in the match which was telecast live by a local\nprivate television station. ", "Chong Wei will meet eighth seed, Hu Yun of Hong Kong in the final match on\nSunday. ", "Hu Yun cruised to the final after pulling off a major suprise by defeating\nthird seed, Jan O Jorgensen of Denmark; 21-13, 19-21 and 21-15 in another\nsemi-final encounter which lasted 62 minutes. ", "For the record, Chong Wei has won the Japan Open four times — 2007, 2010,\n2012 and 2013.", "He lost to China’s Chen Long; 8-21, 21-10 and 19-21 in the final match in\n2011.-Bernama" ]

[ "Strong waves pound the waterfront as weather patterns from Typhoon Yutu affect Manila Bay. — AFP photo", "MANILA: Typhoon Yutu slammed into the Philippines yesterday with fierce winds that sheared off roofs and snapped trees in half, after thousands were evacuated ahead of the powerful storm’s arrival.", "Cutting a path just south of last month’s Typhoon Mangkhut, which killed dozens, the new storm tore across the Philippines’ most populous island and dumped heavy rains along the way.", "Search crews were just beginning to assess the damage wrought by Yutu, which made landfall yesterday with sustained winds of 150 kilometres per hour and gusts up to 210 kph.", "Authorities said they were probing reports of one person missing after a boat capsized as the storm was barrelling toward the disaster-prone nation.", "“We see some branches on the roads and so on, but it is the flooding that is destroying houses here,” International Federation of the Red Cross spokeswoman Caroline Haga told AFP from Nueva Vizcaya province.", "“People are needing to be rescued.”", "Nearly 10,000 people fled their homes ahead of Yutu’s arrival because they live in low-lying areas susceptible to flooding and rivers tend to overflow their banks.", "The high winds flattened flimsy homes, tore the roofs off others and downed power poles as well as trees.", "Philippine disaster officials said the storm was less powerful than Mangkhut, which struck six weeks ago and left more than 100 dead.", "Most of the fatalities were due to a deadly landslide in the mining area of Itogon.", "A month of heavy monsoon rains had left mountainous areas in the northern Philippines primed for landslides, which were unleashed by the Mangkhut’s torrential downpours.", "Authorities near last month’s deadly landslide evacuated at least 1,000 people from the Itogon area as Yutu approached.", "An average of 20 typhoons and storms lash the Philippines each year, killing hundreds of people and leaving millions in near-perpetual poverty.", "The Philippines’ deadliest storm on record is Super Typhoon Haiyan, which left more than 7,350 people dead or missing across the central Philippines in November 2013. — AFP" ]

[ "KUALA LUMPUR: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said there was no other more suitable candidate than Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to helm the nation and Barisan Nasional (BN).", "“I don’t have any candidate and I don’t expect that to happen,” said the former prime minister when asked whether Najib should step down if BN fails to do well in the coming 13th general election.", "He said theoretically, if Najib did not do well, his position would indeed not be stable…”but I have no candidates or anything like that”.", "He was speaking to reporters after delivering a keynote address on “Strength in Innovation: How to Stay Competitive in the Fast Developing World” at the World Conference on Global Innovation at the Putra World Trade Centre, (PWTC), here, today.", "Meanwhile, Dr Mahathir agreed with the opinion of former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin that Najib should be fielding many new faces in the upcoming 13th general election.", "On the open admission by former PAS life member Zainol Ismail to want to meet personally with Dr Mahathir to apologise for planning to kill him in 1988, the former premier said he was at first shocked with Zainol’s admission.", "He said this was because political animosity to the extent of wanting to kill someone was not part of Malaysian culture.", "However, he believes that Zainol, better known as CN Afghani, had been influenced by the “Amanat Haji Hadi” which labelled Umno members as infidels.", "“But Alhamdulillah (All Praise to Allah), he has realised (his mistake) and is no longer fanatical over PAS’ ideology, and has made a statement that he wants to apologise… I am prepared to forgive anyone,” said Dr Mahathir.", "Asked when Parliament would be dissolved, Dr Mahathir said he himself had been waiting for the announcement.", "“If I am the prime minister, I would have dissolved it last year,” he said in jest. – Bernama" ]

[ "Chelsea's Ivorian striker Didier Drogba (R) vies with Barcelona's Spanish midfielder Sergio Busquets (L) during their UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg football football match at Stamford Bridge in London, England. Chelsea won 1-0", "Didier Drogba scored the only goal as Chelsea stunned holders Barcelona to score a 1-0 upset victory in their Champions League semi-final first-leg match here on Wednesday.", "Drogba left Chelsea dreaming of advancing to their first final since 2008 in next week’s return leg at Camp Nou after pouncing on the stroke of half-time as Barcelona suffered their first European reverse of the season.", "Drogba’s goal was Chelsea’s only attempt on target in a match where Barcelona carved out chance after chance only to be denied by some desperate defending by their Premier League opponents.", "“It’s a good result. Now we will go there and try and qualify,” said Drogba.", "“I am happy to play these games. We have had difficult times, but now we are winning games.”", "Skipper John Terry said the performance was one of Chelsea’s best in the tournament.", "“We had to ve very patient. They are a great side and we had to work hard in midfield,” said Terry. “Didier gave a tireless performance up front on his own. He works like a Trojan.”", "Chelsea boss Roberto di Matteo praised his side.", "“It was almost perfect. It’s a great result for us,” said the manager.", "“When you play Barcelona you have to do a lot of defending and they have all the possession, you have to limit their threat and be clinical when you get your chances.”", "Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola meanwhile said the defeat had left Chelsea as favourites to advance to next month’s final in Munich.", "“They are favourites,” Guardiola said. “They have a good result but at least we have the challenge to play 90 minutes more. And in that time we have the opportunity to create chances. But 1-0 is a very good result for them.”", "Chelsea had taken the lead in first-half injury-time after an opening 45 minutes in which they had been comprehensively outplayed.", "Frank Lampard released Ramires down the left flank with a superb cross-field pass and the Brazilian threaded his pass across the area to Drogba, who swept a low shot past scrambling Barca goalkeeper Victor Valdes.", "Until then, Chelsea had been clinging on as Barcelona dominated for long periods with their customary slick passing game.", "The Catalans might have taken the lead after only nine minutes when Andres Iniesta picked out Alexis Sanchez with a delightful chipped pass, only for the Chilean international’s lob over Petr Cech to hit the bar.", "Chelsea, who had opted for the muscular presence of Drogba in attack ahead of Fernando Torres, signalled their intentions early on, pumping a series of long balls forward for the Ivorian.", "However, genuine chances for Chelsea were few and far between while at the other end Cech was working overtime in the face of a relentless Barca.", "Cech had to be alert on 18 minutes after Lionel Messi darted into the box and cut back for Iniesta, whose fierce low shot was well saved by the Chelsea custodian before Cesc Fabregas scuffed his follow-up wide.", "Fabregas tested Cech soon afterwards, his angled shot beaten away on 26 minutes.", "Cech was pressed into action two minutes later, saving after Messi met a Sanchez cross with a downward header.", "A goal seemed a certainty two minutes from the half-time when Messi won the ball in midfield and raced forwards menacingly.", "The Argentinian threaded his pass through to Fabregas, who dinked his shot over the advancing Cech. The former Arsenal star’s effort just appeared to be spinning in but Ashley Cole was on hand to hook the ball clear.", "That appeared to be the final twist of the half until Drogba’s dramatic strike shot Chelsea into the lead two minutes into time added on.", "Unsurprisingly, Chelsea’s goal was the cue for a sustained Barca onslaught after the break, yet the home side once again were able to frustrate the visitors despite their near-monopoly of possession.", "Adriano was the first to test Chelsea again on 51 minutes, skipping over a challenge from Branislav Ivanovic and unleashing a venomous shot that Cech, diving at full stretch, parried to safety.", "Moments later it was Messi’s turn, advancing forwards only for his shot to be well blocked by Terry.", "On 57 minutes Barcelona threatened again when Fabregas lofted a sublime pass into the area for Sanchez, but a desperate covering tackle from Cole was enough to unbalance the Chilean, who shot wide.", "Barcelona continued to dominate but with Chelsea defending deep and in numbers, they were unable to find a breakthrough.", "They came close to an equaliser on 87 minutes but once again Cech came to the rescue. Messi whipped in a low free-kick and Carles Puyol stooped to glance a header goalwards, only for Cech to dive and turn behind for a corner.", "In stoppage time Pedro struck the woodwork and then Sergio Busquets blazed over as Chelsea hung on for a famous win. –AFP" ]

[ "PETALING JAYA: The police will not hesitate to act against errant members of the People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela), or those from the Civil Defence Department (JPAM) who are also Police Volunteer Reserve (PVR) members.", "Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar said the police would not hesitate to take severe action against those who abused their powers, including withdrawing the powers.", "“Before being appointed, they (Rela and JPAM members) were trained for three weeks, according to standard operating procedures (SOP) of the Royal Malaysian Police.", "“During the course, they are briefed on the legal aspects and limits of police power,” he told reporters after attending a police conference here yesterday.", "Recently, the government implemented the Blue Ocean Strategy to increase the number of policemen on the streets to prevent crimes by enlisting the assistance of staff of government agencies, such as Rela and JPAM.", "The method is in line with the Government Transformation Programme to reduce crimes in the country to achieve objectives of the National Key Result Areas (NKRA).", "Ismail said PVRs were not accorded with full powers of a policeman, adding that the police would still head any joint patrol.", "“We will evaluate their assistance and if it brings good results, we will implement more joint patrols, if required,” he said, apart from targeting to increase them to 60,000 members, compared to the current 20,000. — Bernama" ]

[ "KENINGAU: A disabled twin sisters at Kampung Alab Lanas Sook here have attracted the attention of Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister, Datuk Ellron Alfred Angin.", "The twin sisters are now stranded at home due to polio and receive a monthly assistance of RM300 each from the government through the Social Welfare Department’s chronic care assistance scheme.", "While visiting the two children yesterday, Ellron said the government was concerned for the welfare of the three brothers and sisters because they are now under the care of their grandmother following their parents’ divorce.", "“Another younger sister of the twins also belongs to people with special needs. Like the twin sisters, the younger sister also gets aid from the Social Welfare Department through one of its care schemes.", "“The department maintains and monitors the needs of the siblings from time to time,” he said in response to allegations of Pensiangan Muslim Care chairman Hishamudin Sulaiman through social media Facebook recently.", "Ellron, who is also Sook assemblyman, said Hishamuddin claimed that the government had ignored the plight of the three children which was not true.", "“We do not block any non-governmental organization (NGO) from providing assistance but let the aid be given in good faith and should not be exploited for publicity and deny the assistance being provided by the government,” he said.", "Hishamuddin, in a brief video clip in Facebook recently, claimed that the government did not take note of the plight of three disabled sisters in the village.", "According to Ellron, the three disabled sisters had actually been receiving monthly assistance for a long time from the government through the Social Welfare Department.", "Ellron and Sook Sub-District welfare officer Dollie Juliet Gabrine visited the home of the three children and presented food items and daily necessities on Thursday.", "Others who also visited the children were Sook Sub-District Assistant District Officer Primus Takom, Sook Community Development Leader Charles Ikang, Sook Community Development Officer Abdul Kunin Saili, Sook Social Welfare Department officials and Sook Community Development Leader Unit staff.", "On the same day, Ellron and his entourage also attended a breaking of fast ceremony at Kampung Mansiat Sook.", "Speaking at the event, Ellron said allocation for the village’s KAFA Class building costing RM250,000 had been approved by the government.", "He also presented food contributions to 20 needy families in the village." ]

[ "Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate for the Bera P090 Parliament constituency, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob speaking at the Ramah Mesra Program with the residents of Kampung Batu Bor in conjunction with the campaign period for the 15th General Election. — Bernama photo", "KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 11): Individuals who have information or evidence of bribery or corruption during the postal voting process in Bera parliamentary constituency in Pahang have been urged to report to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).", "The Election Commission (EC) said this in a statement issued today in response to allegations of rigging or corruption during the postal voting process in the Bera parliamentary seat.", "Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman who is also PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today reportedly claimed that there were military personnel, especially in the Bera parliamentary constituency, who have already voted for the 15th general election (GE15).", "Anwar also claimed that the military personnel involved were paid RM300 to do so.", "Earlier, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the allegations were slanderous and malicious accusations against the security forces.", "Ismail said the allegations also defame the image of the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) and insults military personnel not only in Bera but throughout the country who have served to defend the country and are respected by the people. — Bernama" ]

[ "IPOH: The implementation of the minimum wage according to sectors will only be implemented at the earliest, in two years, said Human Resources Minister M Kula Segaran.", "He said according to the National Wages Consultative Council Act (NWCC) 2011, a review of the minimum wage should be carried out every two years.", "“Many people are unaware that that matters on wages are determined by a committee (National Wage Legislative Technical Committee), the minister has no power.", "“Before the implementation of the minimum wage of RM1,100, discussions were held to cover all aspects, but according to the NWCC Act 2011, the matter will be reviewed and it is for later, not for now,” he added.", "He was speaking to reporters after the Meet & Greet Session at the Satria 4.0 & TVET (Technical Vocational Education and Training) Seminar 2019 at the Ipoh Industrial Training Institute in Meru yesterday.", "Last Monday, media reports had said that the government would review the minimum wage rates according to job sectors.", "Meanwhile, in his speech at the event, Kula Segaran, who is MP for Ipoh Barat, told the trainees that those who possess TVET qualifications have bright career prospects, including in the film industry. — Bernama" ]

[ "See to table Bill to allow for citizens-initiated referendum", "See (right) during the press conference yesterday. He is accompanied by his personal assistant Jeffery Mok.", "KUCHING: The coming State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting to be held from May 11 to 22 will see the tabling of a private member’s bill to enact a state law to provide for the holding of citizens-initiated referendum (CIR) in Sarawak.", "“The indicative referendum will show the opinion of Sarawakians on specific questions but will not be binding on the government,” said Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How, who submitted his private member’s bill last week.", "See who is state PKR vice chairman stressed that the proposed specific question to be put to voters in the petition for CIR must be within the constitutional and jurisdiction purview of Sarawak.", "Besides the specific objective of this enactment, See said the Citizens Initiated Referendum Bill 2017 will fulfil two particular purposes; firstly, the need for a national or state legislation to provide for the holding of referendum and secondly, to dispel the misconception that referendum is a radical or extreme measure to express displeasure or resentment towards the government.", "“The CIR which is initiated by the people will empower them to play a constructive role for a more vibrant and transparent democratic system in Sarawak. On the other hand, being an indicative referendum, the result of the referendum is merely indicative of the views held by the people, the government is not bound to legislate or change its policy to conform with the referendum,” he told a press conference here yesterday.", "With this proposal, See said the two apprehensions are hence addressed and Sarawakians can all move forward to strengthen democracy in Sarawak, and possibly chart the way for other state assemblies and even the Parliament to enact and pass the same legislature.", "“CIR is a form of direct democracy whereby the citizens directly participate in decision making. This is in contrast to indirect or representative democracy in which the citizens vote to elect their representatives to make public policy decisions.”", "According to See, in all the countries that make provisions to hold referendums, the practice and significance of representative democracy are not in any way diminished or weakened.", "Rather, he said different forms of CIR are added to the existing representative democratic systems to strengthen it.", "See said besides all the developed democracies in Europe, North and South America, Australia and New Zealand, many Asian countries have also legislated to provide for different forms of referendums or referenda namely; Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, East Timor, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq and Taiwan.", "In Indonesia, he said referendum was made a legitimate political process in 1985 but revoked in 1999.", "Compared to the other countries (Switzerland introduced and passed the first direct legislature by the people at the national level in 1874, Australia first introduced theirs in 1891), See said this CIR Bill is long overdue, but Sarawak must take this first important step to better and strengthen the state’s democratic system.", "“Switzerland has shown the way. They have a proud record of voting in more than 500 referendums initiated by their citizens. Australians have voted in a few dozen referendums in a short last few decades. Amongst all the nations, the favourite questions concerned healthcare, taxes, welfare, drug policy, public transport, immigration, asylum and education.”", "See said the Bill affirms and re-emphasises the fundamental principal of democracy, that it is each citizen’s right and duty to participate in the governance of the nation and that it is each citizen’s right to be heard.", "“The process of CIR will ensure that all Sarawakians will have an equal and fair say to any particular question on matters or issues of concern to all Sarawakians and making a persuasive representation for the better governance of Sarawak.”" ]

[ "Nurses transfer the patients’ documents. — Bernama photo", "JOHOR BAHRU: Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba yesterday confirmed that a fire broke out in the women’s ward of the Sultanah Aminah Hospital (HSA) at 3pm and all 24 patients were evacuated to safety.", "He said that a small fire broke out, and was extinguished by the hospital’s Emergency Response Team (ERT) but the fire started to spread again.", "“The firefighters arrived at the scene within five minutes and managed to put out the fire 10 minutes later”, he said.", "As of press time, 10 out of 24 patients have been transferred to the Permai Hospital while the rest have been placed in other wards in the HSA.", "Dr Adham also urged the families of the affected patients to obtain further information on the matter from the hospital.", "He said the cause of the fire was still being investigated by the Johor Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM).", "Asked if the cause of the fire was similar to the October 2016 fire incident, he said: “We will wait for the JPBM’s forensic report to determine if there are similarities. We will make sure the investigation is completed first.", "“In the meantime, the complex (building) which houses the ward will also be closed until a green light given by JPBM and the Public Works Department to be reopened”, he said.", "Asked whether the Ministry of Health would re-inspect the entire HSA building following concerns over recurrences of fire in the future, Dr Adham said that it would look into the matter.", "In October 2016, a fire broke out on the second floor of the hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU) which left six dead. — Bernama" ]

[ "The teenager lying face down on the road with his hands tied behind his back. Also seen is his bag containing the unpaid for shampoo bottles.", "SIBU: A teenager who was caught shoplifting in a Sibu Jaya store yesterday was handed over to the police.", "In the 9.30am incident, the 19-year-old had walked out of the store with 10 unpaid bottles of shampoo hidden in his bag.", "A cashier informed his colleague and when they tried to stop him, he put up a struggle.", "This led members of the public to help the workers pin him down.", "When the workers handed the teen over to the police in Sibu Jaya, his hands were bound with a rope behind his back." ]

[ "Adenan, flanked by Awang Tengah and Paulus (right), performing a traditional Bisaya ritual before the start of the Babulang Festival.", "BATU DANAU: Incumbent assemblyman Paulus Palu Gumbang is likely to be retained as the Barisan Nasional  (BN)’s pick for this state constituency in the next state election, if hints dropped by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem are anything to go by.", "Speaking at ‘Babulang Festival 2015’ at Kampung Batu Danau here yesterday, Adenan said: “In my opinion, he (Paulus) should be re-nominated, but let’s wait till the elections.”", "The chief minister, who is also state BN chairman and PBB president, also stated his stand on the BN Plus formula, which he said was aimed at reducing divisive politics.", "The formula was endorsed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak during a BN rally held in Kuching on Wednesday.", "The split within SUPP and SPDP, which resulted in almost all their assemblymen quitting, had led to the setup of United People’s Party (UPP) and Parti Tenaga Rakyat Sarawak (Teras).", "At the function yesterday, Adenan announced the approval of allocations worth RM500,000 to Sarawak Bisaya Association – comprising RM300,000 for its Bisaya Cultural Centre, RM100,000 for its building and another RM100,000 for its activities – as well as RM30,000 in annual grant to the organising committee of the festival.", "The chief minister commended the community on their commitment in preserving their cultural heritage through the holding of the Babulang Festival.", "“Although you are a minority among all ethnic groups in Sarawak, you should be proud that you are members of a cultured and educated community,” he said.", "On the request to boost buffalo-rearing activities in Limbang, Adenan said he would look into the matter and engage the Agriculture Department, adding that he agreed with Paulus on such need in view of the implementation of a new Native Customary Reserve (NCR) land initiative here.", "“It would be unthinkable to have Babulang Festival losing its lustre because it could no longer hold buffalo races, which are so synonymous with the Bisaya community,” he quipped.", "Earlier on, Miri Resident Antonio Kahti Galis – who is also Sarawak Bisaya Association president –  thanked Adenan for honouring the community by coming to officiate at the festival, despite having to rush from Mukah after attending the state-level birthday celebration of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.", "“You walk the talk, that you are the chief minister for all,” he said.", "Antonio said this year’s festival had just been inducted onto the national “Calendar of Events’ by the federal Tourism and Culture Ministry.", "“We look forward towards further improving this event, with more economic spin-offs coming from the local cottage industry and homestay programmes.”", "The function yesterday was also attended by Second Resource Planning and Environment Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, DUN Speaker Datuk Amar Mohd Asfia Awang Nassar, Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department (Bumiputera Entrepreneurs Development) Datuk Mohd Naroden", "Majais, Limbang MP Hasbi Habibolah, Bukit Kota assemblymen Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail  and state Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) controller Peter Sawal, who is vice president of Sarawak Bisaya Association.", "A buffalo race is among the highlights of the annual festival." ]

[ "SIBU: Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) is pushing for more direct flights, particularly the Sibu-Kota Kinabalu (KK) route, as it gears up for the Visit Sibu Year 2016 which is expected to see many visitors from Korea and Japan.", "Council deputy chairman Dato Andrew Wong said they were targeting the revival of Sibu-KK flight by AirAsia.", "“In Sibu, we are very realistic as we are not calling for direct flights from Europe. We are eyeing direct flights from major air transit hubs.", "“During Visit Sibu Year, we want to introduce more youth-related events like cyber gaming and comic convention, which are huge events in Korea and Japan. There are many flights from Korea to KK. Therefore, if we can get Korea-KK-Sibu through AirAsia, that will be fantastic.", "“So we need to make sure that these tourists are able to come in. That is why we are pushing for the Sibu-KK direct flight by AirAsia to be revived.", "“If you rank them in terms of priority, Sibu-KK is the number one priority,” Wong told The Borneo Post.", "With all due respect, he figured MasWings had smaller aircraft, fewer flights and their fares cost more.", "Citing his own research, he said it was cheaper to fly from KK to Kuching and Sibu on other airlines than on a KK-Sibu MasWings direct flight.", "Wong disclosed that they were also fighting for Sibu-Singapore direct flight, saying Singapore was also a major transit hub.", "He said European tourists coming for the Visit Sibu Year would transit Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.", "The other direct flights on their list of priority include the Sibu-Guangzhou route.", "While there had been numerous calls for direct flight to Fujian province, Wong said “with due respect to Fujian, it is not an international transportation hub.”", "He said they had carried out their own research, where one could fly to Hong Kong and ShenZhen from Guangzhou.", "Turning to the events for Visit Sibu Year, he explained that the organisers could either hold them annually or bi-annually, and not just stop after the Visit Sibu Year." ]

[ "Johor police chief Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said the victim is a businesswoman whose husband passed away recently. – Bernama photo", "JOHOR BAHRU (Sept 18): A young 23-year-old widow has fallen victim to a ‘love scam’ after realising she had been duped into parting with RM395,200 to a man who claimed he was from London.", "Johor police chief Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said the victim is a businesswoman whose husband passed away recently.", "He said she made a police report on Sept 17 after realising that she had been tricked by the individual.", "Datuk Ayob said the victim knew the suspect through an Instagram site using the account name ‘CHONGWEI4580’ since April.", "The relationship continued until April through WhatsApp application and she eventually she fell in love with the suspect.", "Datuk Ayob Khan said the man contacted the victim on Sept 10 supposedly to express his sympathy to the victim who had just lost her husband and also wanted to pass an item containing US$950,000 cash to the victim.", "“Three days later, the victim received an e-mail from a delivery company which asked the victim to settle a fee of RM6,200 for the release of the item from Customs.", "“The man also threatened the victim to make the payment and other payments which he had demanded. If she refuses, the victim will be caught for abetting in money laundering activities,” he said in a statement today.", "Ayob Khan said fearing that action would be taken against her, the victim followed all instructions and made 24 online transactions in three days from Sept 13 to 11 different accounts totalling RM395,200.", "“Till now, the victim has yet to receive any delivery as promised and she soon realised that she had been duped,” he said.", "Ayob Khan said the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code. If convicted, the person could be sentenced to jail for a maximum of 10 years and may be subject to whipping and fines.", "Following this, Ayob Khan urged the public to be more careful and be more sensitive to crime trends especially involving transactions, investments, online acquaintances through social media.", "“Use the online review application introduced by the authorities such as Semak Mule before doing a financial transaction,” he added. – Bernama" ]

[ "The fire broke out at the two-floor semi permanent house in the wee hours of the morning.", "SIBU (Oct 15): Five people were left homeless, after their house at Kampung Skrang, Igan near here was gutted in the wee hours today.", "Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) operation centre, said the five residents managed to escape to safety.", "A team of firemen from Mukah Fire Station were deployed to the location, some 45km away, after receiving the distress call at 2.10am, it added.", "“The commander of operation (Azman Hanapis) reported that a two-floor semi permanent house was 80 per cent gutted.", "“Firemen then used water from the fire engine and open source to extinguish the fire.", "“The operation ended at 5.15am,” it said.", "No casualties were reported in the incident and the cause of fire is still under investigation." ]

[ "BANGKOK: Thai cops shot dead a smuggler and seized 15 million meth pills at a checkpoint in Thailand’s portion of the ‘Golden Triangle’, officials said yesterday, the latest death in an intensifying drug crackdown.", "Millions of dollars worth of methamphetamine pour into Thailand each week from neighbouring Myanmar, where drug lords are flooding the market with narcotics.", "The Golden Triangle is a notorious lawless border zone that straddles Laos, Myanmar and Thailand.", "Experts say drug lords in the zone, mainly in neighbouring Myanmar’s self-administered Wa state, have been churning out more drugs than ever in a trade worth tens of billions of dollars annually.", "Thai drug police and military have ramped up operations in the northern gateway to Myanmar, killing and arresting smugglers who are often from ethnic hill tribes who live across the lawless area.", "The latest shootout happened as three trucks were stopped late Thursday night in Chiang Rai province.", "“They fought back … one smuggler was shot dead,” said Major General Pornchai Charoenwong, deputy commander of the Narcotics Suppression Police.", "It is the 15th death of an alleged smuggler in just over a month in northern Thailand as authorities intensify a crackdown on the rampant trade in meth tablets, the crystallised ‘ice’ version, and heroin.", "In the trucks were a total of 75 sacks with the numbers ‘999’ printed on them, a brand used by Myanmar drug lords.", "“Each bag had 200,000 tablets … we estimate there are around 15 million tablets.”", "Two other men escaped in the dark, said the major general.", "More than 79 million meth tablets have been seized by authorities in the north’s 17 provinces over the past seven weeks, said third army commander Chalongchai Chaiyuakham.", "“They are all from the same group of smugglers,” he said. — AFP" ]

[ "People look at the wreckage of a bus that plunged into a gorge while transporting children from Arusha to Karatu, on May 6, 2017. AFP Photo", "At least 29 final year primary school pupils were killed in a bus crash in northern Tanzania on Saturday, along with two teachers and the driver, the school’s director said.", "“We lost 29 students and two of our staff, and the driver died too,” said Innocent Mushi, director of the Lucky Vincent Primary School in the northern city of Arusha, which the children attended. The dead included 12 boys and 17 girls, he said.", "At least three survivors were pulled from the crash site by rescuers and rushed to hospital.", "“It’s a huge tragedy,” Mushi said.", "The accident happened early on Saturday when the bus went off the road and into the Marera river gorge in Karatu district.", "The final year primary pupils — commonly aged between 12 and 14 years old — were on their way to sit mock examinations ahead of seeking places at secondary school.", "President John Magufuli sent his condolences to the families of the dead.", "“This accident extinguishes the dreams of these children who were preparing to serve the nation, it is an immense pain for the families involved and for the whole nation,” Magufuli said in a statement. – AFP" ]

[ "Workers make a road diversion at KM53 of the Sri Aman-Kuching Road. — File photo", "KUCHING: Some 355 Sarawakians could lose their jobs as a result of the federal government’s decision to terminate Lebuhraya Borneo Utara Sdn Bhd (LBU) as Project Delivery Partner (PDP) in the construction of the Pan Borneo Highway, the State Legislative Assembly was told today.", "Highlighting this in his ministerial winding up speech, Infrastructure and Ports Development Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing expressed his hope that the affected Sarawakians would be able to find new jobs quickly.", "“Sadly, the termination of the PDP Agreement on Feb 19 next year may impact 507 employees, out of which 355, or 70 per cent, are Sarawakians, which is very unfortunate.", "“Nevertheless, equipped with the skills, knowledge and experience that they have acquired over the years while managing the construction of the Pan Borneo Highway, it is hoped that the laid off employees will be able to secure jobs elsewhere within a short period of time,” he said.", "Masing said potential jobs could include working with the new project management consultant , which would be appointed by the Federal Works Ministry.", "He said as part of the Federal government’s decision, the role of PDP would be assigned to the Public Works Department, acting on behalf of the Works Ministry.", "“My ministry will monitor and continue to provide support on behalf of the state government,” Masing stated.", "According to Masing, LBU has accomplished numerous achievements including being an industry leader in the digitalisation of highway construction as well as using Building Information Modelling (BIM) to design, plan and monitor the construction of the Pan Borneo Highway." ]

[ "WHAT’S YOUR NAME?: Lo greeting the young graduates upon his arrival at the ceremony. Partially seen is Ling.", "KUCHING: It was a memorable day for parents and around 50 children from four Tadika Mas kindergarten centres when they received their certificates at a graduation ceremony held at the Kuching South City Council (MBKS) auditorium yesterday.", "Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) chairman Lo Khere Chiang presented the certificates to the children who graduated from Tadika Mas Greenwood Park, Taman Matang Jaya, Taman Genesis and Taman Samarindah.", "The founder and chairperson Anna Ling was also present.", "In his opening speech, Lo said Tadika Mas had come a long way since it started in 2001 and it continued to grow successfully.", "“You have shown by way of example in this industry for providing a high quality service, for your well trained and committed team, experienced management, and most importantly, the delivery of a safe, clean, healthy, child-friendly, well-equipped and conducive environment for your little ones.", "“I am very proud to see what Tadika Mas has done for the community and on behalf of PMC, I thank Tadika Mas for its important contribution to its neighbourhoods,” he said.", "He said the government had emphasised that it was important for children to start their education from as young as three years old.", "This is the reason why the government had also provided the ‘private pre-school fee assistance’ to children under the Government Transformation Programme 2013.", "This assistance is only available for registered kindergarten with valid licences.", "“The government is working together with private pre-schools to provide good education facilities to little ones from three years old. The government alone cannot provide enough places for kindergarten children and that is why they are now working together with private pre-schools,” he said.", "Ling who also spoke said Tadika Mas was started in 2001 with 26 children and today they had more than 100 children.", "Yesterday was the 13th batch of graduates.", "“Some of the teachers are still teaching since the day Tadika Mas opened its doors in 2001. They had worked hard and are really dedicated teachers who have sincere love for children.", "“As parents and teachers, we do put a lot of time and effort into preparing our children for their future. We equip them with life-long skills to prepare them for adulthood. It is our collective responsibility as we guide and mould them,” she said.", "She said the enrolment for 2014 is now open. Those who enrol and pay up in full on or before Dec 7 will be given two sets of uniform for free." ]

[ "JAKARTA: Two Islamic parties have proposed legislation that would ban all consumption of alcoholic drinks and bring jail terms of up to two years for offenders in Indonesia, home to the world’s largest Muslim population.", "It was not immediately clear how much support there would be for the parties’ bill put to parliament, although previous moves to crack down on alcohol consumption have been seen as posturing to appeal to voters before the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.", "A lawmaker for one of the parties said the bill, which could become law as early as the end of this year, was driven by concern for people’s health rather than any ideological motives.", "“This is not a religious or ideological issue,” Abdul Hakim of the Prosperous Justice Party told Reuters.", "“This is purely for the protection of the children of the nation.”", "The bill seeks to ban the sale, production, distribution and consumption of all beverages containing more than one percent of alcohol, including local brews such as rice wine that are popular in many parts of the sprawling Indonesian archipelago.", "To become law it would have to be signed by President Joko Widodo, who has taken a hard line against drug offenders since he came into office last October.", "The proposed legislation banning all alcohol consumption would exempt some locations to protect tourism such as five-star hotels and the resort island of Bali.", "Indonesia, which has a population of around 250 million, has seen fast-growing sales of alcoholic drinks such as the Bintang beer brand brewed by PT Multi Bintang Indonesia Tbk, which is majority owned by Heineken.", "Other drinks makers with a footprint in Indonesia include Diageo and Carlsberg.", "Indonesia is the tenth-largest beer consumer in Asia and has the most Guinness stout drinkers in the region.", "Beer sales have climbed 54 per cent over the past decade.", "“Of course I don’t agree with it, why would you prohibit someone’s hobby to drink? So after banning drinks, what else would they ban? Smoking?” said Diponagara, a 28-year-old worker at a non-government organisation in Jakarta.", "However, a survey by market researcher Nielsen found that, in 2014, only 2.2 per cent of Indonesians over the age of 20 had consumed alcohol in the previous 12 months.", "Alcohol consumption is frowned upon by many Muslims in Indonesia and bars are sometimes attacked by vigilante groups, particularly during Ramadan.", "A regulation banning the sale of alcoholic drinks at mini-markets will come into force on Thursday, although they will still be sold at supermarkets, hotels, bars and restaurants.", "A complete ban would have a devastating effect on the drinks industry and distribution businesses, and put as many as 200,000 jobs at risk, Charles Poluan, executive director of the Indonesian Malt Beverage Producers Association, told Reuters.", "“By next year, if it goes through this year, all the tourists won’t think it fun anymore to go to Indonesia,” he said. — Reuters" ]

[ "Lee (right) gives away the prize to Helmi.", "KUCHING: Helmi Abang was crowned the champion of the A Medal category of the NIOSH Golf Invitational Tournament at Kelab Golf Sarawak last Sunday after he scored 39 points.", "The runner-up was Anselm Chang who beat five others Ting Kee Suen, Lincoln Leong, Edward Chin and Joseph Lau into third to sixth placings on count back (OCB) after they had all scored 37 points.", "Finishing in seventh spot with 36 points was Mazlan M Salleh.", "The B Medal was won by Chong Boon Khuin who beat Chin Haw Shun, Tan Ting Huat and Alan Sim into second to fourth positions OCB. The four golfers were all tied on 37 points while the fifth to seventh spots were also decided by OCB, with Kamal Madeni finishing ahead of Law Boon Seng and Kee Lan Woon. They all scored 36 points.", "Kho Hua Sin was the overall winner with 39 points.", "Meanwhile, Josephine Kong won the Ladies title with 35 points and second with 34 points was Christina Teo.", "The winner of the Invited Guest section was Ronnie Ong who scored 37 points, beating Datu Mohd Sepuan, Michael Lee, Dato Khir and Peter Sim into second to fifth positions OCB while finishing in sixth and seventh spots were Mohtar Musri (36 OCB) and Dato Sarudu Hoklai (36).", "The tournament was organised in conjunction with the Borneo Occupational Safety and Health Conference.", "National Institute of Safety and Health (NIOSH) chairman Tan Sri Dato Seri Lee Lam Thye closed the event and gave away the main prizes." ]

[ "Ahmad Shabery and his Ministry’s deputy secretary-general (Policy) Tani Sallehhuddin Hassan (right) get a taste of fresh Kelulut honey. — Bernama photo.", "SIBU: Sarawak has great potential in producing more high quality honey from the kelulut bee species because the state’s rich natural environment is still very much intact.", "Minister for Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Datuk Sri Ahmad Shabery Cheek said high quality food sources for the bees were readily available in the state.", "‘Sarawak is among the few states in the country still having vast tropical forests where the world’s best kelulut bees live. This means Sarawak has great potential in producing high quality kelulut bee honey,’’ he said when officiating at the kelulut bee farm owned by RH Bee Farms Sdn Bhd in Nanga Dap here yesterday.", "Rimbunan Hujau Group of Companies chairman Tan Sri Datuk Sir Tiong Hiew King was also present.", "Ahmad Shabery noted that the source of woods to make the nests of kelulut bees were not only easily available in the state but were also cheaper than those sold in the peninsula.", "Its price in Sarawak is between RM100 and RM200 per piece, but in the peninsula, it costs about RM1,000.", "“Anyway, the cutting of forests should be controlled so that the woods used to make kelulut bees’ nests will not vanish.’’", "He gave an assurance that his ministry would work closely with Rimbunan Hijau and all players in this industry nationwide to promote kelulut bee honey among Malaysians.", "‘Among the activities is the ‘Kelulut Walk 2016’, which will involve kelulut bee honey’s loyal consumer Pok Sabri Ali, from Terengganu.", "‘’Pok Sabri will be going on a solo walk nationwide, including Sarawak. The distance is 2,000km in 50 days, and the feat will be recorded in the Malaysia Book of Records.”" ]

[ "Eugene (fourth left-front row) with the participants of the forum that introduces Caterpillar marine products.", "SIBU: Some 60 shipbuilders and marine product vendors converged on Tanahmas Hotel here yesterday for a forum to promote the sale of Caterpillar marine products.", "Organised by Tractors Malaysia, the forum provided information on the Caterpillar’s `Harbour Tug Complete Propulsion System’.", "In his welcoming speech, Sime Darby Industrial Sdn Bhd’s head of marine sales Eugene Cheong said the forum was to introduce the new marine asset intelligence service which offers condition-based monitoring and improving vessel operation.", "“Vessel owners would get to know about the various Caterpillar financing packages,” he added.", "He said Sibu was chosen as the key focus area for the marine propulsion system because this town has more than 40 shipyards.", "“It is also the hub of shipbuilding for East Malaysia; which is where our customers are”, he added", "On the `Harbour Tug Complete Propulsion System’, Eugene explained that it was a custom-made full system which saves fuel through its small engines.", "He also mentioned another product called `Marine Asset Intelligence’ which is a system that allows all equipment information of a vessel to be tracked and monitored in real time.", "Marine Asset Intelligence can come up with a predictive analysis on a part failure and thus optimise operation of the vessel, he said.", "Additionally, the operation behaviour can also be analysed to minimise fuel consumption and curtail maintenance cost, he said." ]

[ "GOOD EXTRA INCOME: Thomas unloads durians at Sibu Central market and makes good money as a side income in the current bumper season.", "SIBU: The current durian season is giving youths who work as labourers a good opportunity to earn extra income by loading and unloading durians from express boats to Sibu Central Market.", "Thomas Kam and his friends are definitely taking full advantage of the opportunity.", "“This year’s season is very good as it provides us with handsome extra income because almost everyday durians arrive by express boats from Kapit, Song, Belaga and Kanowit.", "“There are so many durians coming in daily that Sibu Central Market is being flooded with the king of the fruits,” he said at the market yesterday.", "Thomas, 36, added that he has been working as a labourer since he was at a very young age.", "“I love this job because it only needs physical strength.", "“To sweat everyday as I carry the heavy loads helps to keep me healthy,” he said with a broad smile.", "Thomas who comes from Kanowit with his catchy blonde-dyed ‘Mohican’ hair cut added that besides durians, it is also the dabai season.", "In Sarawak the dabai fruits can only be found in the central region, he added." ]

[ "KUCHING: United People’s Party (UPP) deputy president Datuk Dr Jerip Susil opined that allocation of the newly created Batu Kitang state constituency should be left to the Chief Minister and state BN chairman Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem to decide.", "“The final decision of seat allocation lies with YAB Chief Minister. I am confident it shall be done in the best of his wisdom,” Dr Jerip told The Borneo Post on the sidelines of the State Legislative Assembly meeting here yesterday.", "He was commenting on Wanita PBB secretary-general Nancy Shukri’s statement that her party was interested to contest in Batu Kitang in the 11th state election, which must be called by June 20 next year.", "Nancy had said if the Election Commission’s recommendation for 11 new state seats were approved, PBB would want five of them, which might include Batu Kitang. She said that Adenan, who is also PBB president, had voiced his wish for PBB to get at least five of the 11 new seats, and this could include Batu Kitang.", "Nancy, who is also Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, said this at PBB Batu Kawa Zone 1 sub-branch’s Hari Raya gathering at Kampung Sebuak last Saturday.", "She also revealed that PBB Batu Kawa branch had recently recruited 200 new voters and hoped they could hit their target of 1,000 new voters soon.", "Dr Jerip, who was present at the event, said he was inclined to think that when Nancy made the claim, it was upon the request and aspiration of some sectors of voters in Batu Kitang.", "“I am given to understand that PBB through its Batu Kawah branch has been actively serving the communities of all strata all this while and the participation of multi-racial communities has been felt keenly by voters.", "“This has augured well with the philosophy of PBB whereas all parties are included in the mainstream of development,” said the Bengoh assemblyman and Assistant Minister of Public Health.", "The new seats are expected to be tabled in Parliament in October for approval and endorsement by Yang di-Pertuan Agong and are expected to be included in the coming state election which might be held soon." ]

[ "KUCHING: Sony’s latest addition to its acclaimed Alpha 7R series full-frame mirrorless camera line-up; the Alpha 7R IV (A7R IV), is versatile and powerful, featuring the world’s first 35mm full-frame 61.0 MP back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS image sensor with latest-generation BIONZ X image processor.", "The new sensor’s back-illuminated structure and effective noise reduction techniques combine to deliver extremely low-noise, high sensitivity performance ensuring the absolute maximum image quality. The camera also boasts an impressive 15-stop dynamic range at low sensitivities, resulting in smooth natural gradations ranging from deep shadows to highlights, and utilises algorithms from many of the latest Alpha cameras to maintain outstanding colour reproduction.", "This new full-frame model is equipped with an innovative 5-axis optical inbody image stabilisation system that has been fine-tuned to support its high-resolution shooting capacity, resulting in a shutter speed advantage of 5.5-steps.", "The Alpha 7R IV also includes Sony’s highest resolution viewfinder in any camera, a 5.76 million dot UXGA OLED Tru-finder EVF. About 1.6-folds the resolution of the EVF in the Alpha 7R III, this new viewfinder provides an extremely accurate, true-to-life depiction of the scene being framed. The display quality can be set to ‘Standard’ or ‘High’ mode, and to either 60fps or 120fps refresh rate to best match the subject and shooting conditions.", "The upgraded focusing system of the A7R IV is comprised of 567 focalplane phase-detection AF points that cover approximately 74 per cent of the image area.", "There are also 425 contrast AF points that add extra precision and reliability for low light and other situations that are best served by contrast AF.", "The higher AF sensor density and refined tracking algorithms of the new camera produce a notable improvement in tracking performance, allowing complex subject motion and sudden subject movements to be reliably tracked with greater precision than ever.", "The A7R IV also supports Real-time Eye AF, which employs artificial intelligence to detect and process eye location data in real-time, stay locked onto the subject’s eye with extreme precision. This is available for both animal and human subjects, with an option to select either animal or human Eye AF mode depending on the shooting situation.", "The new A7R IV also debuts Real-time Eye AF for movie shooting,a first in any of Sony’s cameras. When activated, the eye of a subject is automatically tracked with high precision and reliability, allowing the shooter to focus on the content itself as opposed to what is in focus or not in focus. The Touch Tracking functionality will also automatically initiate Eye AF when a human subject is selected.", "To maximise durability, the new A7R IV features upgraded dust and moisture resistance,with additional sealing provided at all body seams, the battery compartment cover and media slots.", "Despite its 1.5x pixel count, the battery life has also been improved – with a CIPA measurement of up to 670 still images per charge using LCD monitor,or 530 images with EVF. The Sony A7R IV is now available in Malaysia.", "Lens compatibility: Sony E-mount lenses", "Number of pixels (effective): Approximately 61 megapixels", "Number of pixels (total): Approximately 62.5 megapixels", "Sensor type: 35mm full frame (35.7×23.8mm), Exmor R CMOS sensor", "ISO sensitivity (recommended exposure index): Still images ISO 100-32000 (ISO numbers up from ISO 50 to ISO 102400 can be set as expanded ISO range), AUTO (ISO 100-12800, selectable lower limit and upper limit), movies ISO 100-32000 equivalent, AUTO (ISO 100-12800, selectable lower limit and upper limit)", "Battery life (still images): Approximately 530 shots (viewfinder)/approximately 670 shots LCD monitor (CIPA standard)", "Viewfinder type: 1.3 cm (0.5 type) electronic viewfinder (colour), UXGA OLED", "Monitor type: 7.5cm (3.0-type) type TFT", "In the box: Power cord, Rechargeable Battery NP-FZ100, Cable Protector, Battery Charger BC-QZ1, Shoulder strap, Body cap, Accessory shoe cap, Eyepiece cup, USB Type-C cable" ]

[ "THE relationship between Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sarawak and their president and Prime Minister-in-waiting Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has hit a new low after the party’s recent election.", "This frosty rapport will put PKR in a very tricky position in its attempt to sway the people of Sarawak into voting for a change of government.", "Former PKR member Badrul Hisham Shahrin, popularly known as Chegubard has said it loud and clear that Anwar’s alliance with a certain political figure in Sarawak does not augur well for the party.", "This is not the first time the political jingle has been played to PKR’s disadvantage. The first time the same tune was sung was in 2009. Maybe Anwar and his men have forgotten.", "Back then, Anwar was leading the first wave of attack to crush the Barisan Nasional (BN) after serving his jail sentence.", "In those days, PKR, still under the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) banner, contested in three by- elections, taking place almost simultaneously for various reasons.", "Coffeeshop talks dubbed the scenario at the time as the two ‘Bukits’ and one ‘Batang’ by-elections. The two Bukits were Bukit Gantang, Perak, and Bukit Selambau, Kedah, while the one Batang was Batang Ai, Sarawak.", "In Bukit Gantang, Perak, former Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin took over from Roslan Shaharum who had passed away due to a heart attack, while in Bukit Selambau, PR fielded S Manikumar to replace V Arumugam who had resigned for personal reasons.", "In Batang Ai, a relatively unknown engineer, Malcolm Mussen Lamoh from Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) was fielded against former Lubok Antu MP Jawah Gerang.", "PR won almost too easily in the two Bukits but was soundly beaten in Batang Ai where Malcom, now an assistant minister, polled 3,907 votes to Jawah’s 2,053.", "The Batang Ai contest had grabbed the headlines over a sarcastic remark from PAS president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang that PR had lost in a place where ‘people lack thinking capacity and still dressed in loincloth’.", "What many people seem to have forgotten is that the man, linked to the PR candidate (Jawah Gerang) in Batang Ai is none other than the very man linked to Rafizi Ramli’s challenge against Azmin Ali for the PKR deputy president seat – Datuk Sng Chee Hua.", "The irony, as Malaysiakini columnist Terrence Netto once wrote, was that Datuk Sng was the first person to arrive at the 2010 Hari Raya Open House of Azmin, the man he tried to unseat from the deputy presidency this time around. Indeed, the nature of politics is very fluid.", "To quote the Malaysiakini columnist’s words in 2011: “The way a reception room in a Petaling Jaya hotel emptied one evening last November when Sng wafted in upon Anwar’s arrival to meet Dayak delegates to the PKR Annual Congress, should have told the opposition leader something.", "“Even Baru Bian, the Sarawak PKR chapter leader, and an ex-PBDS stalwart, was obliged to sidle towards the exit, upon sighting Sng.”", "From what had transpired, it’s patently clear that Anwar knew very well PKR Sarawak does not welcome Sng, whereas, on the other hand, the very same PKR Sarawak leader is still in charge, and getting popular over the years for championing Native Land Rights issues.", "Out of the 29 PKR branches in Sarawak, Sng’s team won in Sarikei, Julau, Kapit and maybe Limbang. Twenty-five other branches are still with Baru Bian who happens to be the only Dayak in the Pakatan Harapan federal cabinet.", "PKR Sarawak has been campaigning hard for Saratok MP and Krian assemblyman, Ali Biju, to be included in the PKR Central Committee.", "However, not a single Dayak has earned a place in the Central Committee via the e-voting system although there are five Dayak-majority parliamentary seats now flying PKR flag. Only Larry Sng has won a seat in the Committee after garnering one of the highest votes.", "For reasons best known to Baru Bian and Anwar, the PKR Sarawak chairman did not show up at the Party Convention. This incurred the ire of Anwar who rebuked him in his speech, followed by some strong words for Baru Bian in a post-Convention press conference.", "Baru Bian’s reply to the whole controversy was rather non-chalant. He posted a photo of him and his wife, enjoying the famous Ikan Patin at a highway RnR restaurant.", "Baru also insisted that he had informed the organising committee he would not be attending due to work commitments – which was very clearly a lame excuse as such prior engagements were apparently very minor ones.", "With two reports lodged with Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) by PKR Sarawak over alleged election irregularities, the problems besetting the 20-year-old party are far from over.", "Many police reports have also been made on the suspect electoral list and tampering of electronic gadgets, used in the e-voting system, coupled with a statutory declaration by PKR Sarawak Information Chief, Vernon Aji Kedit, detailing alleged fraudulent acts.", "With a thumb-drive already in MACC’s hands, only time will tell whether the information and evidence, said to be stored in the device, will cause PKR to implode.", "PKR’s enemies – some now turned political allies – had been trying very hard to destabilise the party, including sending their top leader to prison on what had been claimed to be ‘trumped up charges’, and persuading their supporters to switch sides in an apparent attempt to cripple the once mosquito party.", "Now, the party is hanging precariously by a thread over bitter internecine factional rivalries at the expense of their status as the largest component of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) ruling coalition.", "Unless the feuding parties are prepared to let bygone be bygone and start afresh after the acrimonious wrangle for the Number Two post, the highly charged internal bickering – if allowed to fester and ferment without being defused with a mutually satisfactory solution — will most likely have an adverse impact on the future of PKR as a political party — and very possibly also see a shift in the power-sharing structure, or in the worse scenario, even the rupture of the PH government." ]

[ "Dr Noor Hisham revealed that Selangor remained at the top with 4,985 cases while Kuala Lumpur held the number two spot with 1,740 cases. – Bernama photo", "KUCHING (July 17): Sarawak recorded 388 new Covid-19 cases the whole nation continues its five-digit trend with a total of 12,528 cases today, said Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.", "This brought the total positive cases in Sarawak to 71,039 to-date.", "In a Facebook post, Dr Noor Hisham revealed that Selangor remained at the top with 4,985 cases while Kuala Lumpur held the number two spot with 1,740 cases.", "Malaysia’s cumulative total of positive cases is 905,851 to-date.", "Other states that had recorded new cases were Negeri Sembilan with 1,280, Kedah (701), Sabah (647), Johor (625), Melaka (569), Perak (428), Penang (396), Pahang (317), Kelantan (211), Terengganu (177), Putrajaya (41), Labuan (22) and Perlis (1)." ]

[ "SANDAKAN: The first school session for the new year, which began yesterday, saw parents and their children, especially those enrolled in Year One, experiencing mixed feelings of excitement and sadness.", "From surveys made by The Borneo Post here at several primary schools, excitement and happy feeling could be seen on the faces of the seven-year-old children as they meet their former pre-school friends and made new friends.", "A number of parents related that their children were so anxious and excited to begin school that they woke up early and dressed up in their school uniform by themselves. Some, however, appeared to have misgivings about going to school and broke down in tears thus making the parents apprehensive and doing just about everything to console and convince their children to start school.", "Apart from that, some parents shared their stories on the school expenses they have to bear now. One such parent was Salasiah Utik, 44, who accompanied her son for his first day in Year One at SK Tanjung Papat 1.", "Salasiah said that she spent some RM200 to buy her son’s school items. And, she also had to spend RM10 per day for boat and bus fares since they lived on Berhala Island.", "“The school expenses have increased compared to last year when my son was at pre-school on the island. We now have to spent and additional RM10 per day for transportation,” said Salasiah, whose husband is a fisherman.", "Despite the hardship, the mother of eight said that she and her husband are committed to sending their seven-year-old son to school as the child aspires to be a naval officer when he grows up. The mother also said that she will be accompanying her son to school every day to ensure he arrives safely at the school." ]

[ "Sazali Samad and Lilian Tan biting their gold medals which they had won in the WBFP Championships in Mumba, India. -Bernama photo", "SEPANG: Malaysia’s most successful bodybuilder Sazali Abd Samad won his tenth Mr Universe title at the World Bodybuilding and Fitness Physique (WBFP) Championships in Mumbai, India, from Dec 5-10.", "Sazali, who won the world title in six consecutive years, said it was not easy for him to maintain excellent performance as the other bodybuilders gave stiff competition.", "“Winning the Mr Universe title for the tenth time is not easy. I have done my best, winning or losing is part of competition. I was aiming for this win since early this year.", "“It is all because of my hard work and sacrifices. I have been active in bodybuilding for 27 years and can be proud of my achievements,” he told reporters upon arrival at KL International Airport (KLIA) here, today.", "The tenth Mr Universe title was all the more sweeter because Sazali had to grapple with injury in the knee and shoulder.", "Commenting on competition in the 75kg class, the police officer said he received stiff competition from bodybuilders from India and Iran.", "“The bodybuilders from Iran and India were very good. In terms of the judging, I think the jury has been fair,” he added.", "Asked whether he would turn professional, Sazali said he was satisfied being an amateur bodybuilder and wanted to give more commitment to his family.", "Another proud Malaysian was Lilian Tan who won the Miss Universe title for the second time in Mumbai.", "Tan first won the Miss Universe title in Bangkok two years ago.", "She plans to vie for her third Miss Universe title in Brazali in 2016. -Bernama" ]

[ "A houseboat on the scenic Kenyir Lake. — Bernama photo", "KUALA BERANG: With 340 islands, 14 waterfalls, rapids, forest reserves and limestone caves, Lake Kenyir is indeed brimming with attractions that would appeal to any nature lover.", "The area has experienced rapid development ever since it was taken over by the Terengganu Tengah Development Authority (Ketengah).", "Starting Aug 1, the Kenyir Lake has also been announced as a duty-free zone, giving it an extra boost as a tourism destination. A good way to explore all the expansive lake has to offer is by spending a few nights in a houseboat.", "Ketengah invited a group of journalists to the Kenyir Lake in September to get a closer look at the unique vacation destination by spending three days and two nights on a houseboat.", "There are 79 houseboats, 79 speedboats and 53 car topper boats licensed for operation in Lake Kenyir. The largest houseboat here is the Bahtera Kenyir 1.", "The three-storey houseboat can accommodate 100 passengers at any given time. The smallest houseboat can accommodate a maximum of 10 passengers but most houseboats have a capacity of between 25 and 30 passengers.", "Our group comprising journalists from Bernama, Sinar Harian, Utusan Malaysia, Majalah Santai, Malaysian Namban and Oriental Daily stayed on the ‘Persona Houseboat 2’ (PH2)", "It can accommodate up to 30 passengers and its owner, Kamaruddin Razali, also owns another houseboat of roughly the same size.", "The 47-year-old said that every houseboat has different features, amenities and rental rates. Houseboats at the lake typically provides sleeping quarters, a common room, cooking and barbecuing facilities, television and karaoke sets as well as angling equipment. Boats like the PH2 also have a multipurpose room that can be converted into an activity room, mini theatre as well as meeting room.", "Kamaruddin believed that a houseboat was the most efficient way to explore Lake Kenyir for tourists who wanted to get the most out of their vacation.", "“We can travel from Pengkalan Gawi (main jetty) to the Saok Waterfall by boat and dock it there.", "“After engaging in water activities there, we can enjoy the evening with a barbecue, by fishing and watching the starry night sky. We will spend the night there.", "“Early tomorrow morning we can sail to the Kelah Sanctuary and after lunch we can go to Taman Herba or wherever the passengers wish,” he said.", "Among the attractions that can be visited via the houseboat are the Lasir Waterfall, Tropical Garden, Butterfly Garden, the Kenyir Elephant Conservation Village and the Bewah Cave and Taat Cave, both said to be human settlements during the Mesolithic era.", "As many of the areas are inaccessible by land, speedboats or houseboats are the most viable alternatives. Besides being the more adventurous option, travelling by houseboat also seems to be more time and cost-saving as tourists need not make return trips to their landed accommodation.", "For avid photographers and videographers, the breath-taking panoramic view along the trip is indeed capture-worthy.", "If they are lucky, they would even be able to catch eagles skimming along the water to catch fish that have been swimming too close to the surface.", "Those who travel via boathouses also gain an additional advantage as boathouse operators are given priority in the issuance of tourist permits into protected areas like forest reserves and the Kelah Sancturary.", "A view inside the houseboat. — Bernama photo", "There are two types of boat rentals offered, depending on whether passengers want to cook the meals themselves or to engage the services of the boathouse staff.", "Those choosing to prepare meals themselves will have to pay between RM1,000 and RM12,000 for a two-day one-night package. The rate is subject to the size of the boat and amenities provided.", "Houseboats with a capacity of up 30 people like the PH2 can be rented for RM2,500 for the period stated. Those who select the package need to prepare their own raw cooking supplies to be brought onto the boat. They are allowed to use the cooking utensils, refrigerator and tableware provided onboard.", "Those would like the engage the services of a cook on PH2 would have to pay RM250 per head with a minimum order from 20 passengers for a two-day one-night package.", "Meals provided are breakfast, snacks, lunch, tea, dinner and supper. This writer found that he hardly had a chance to get hungry as it seemed to always be time for another meal!", "According to Ketengah General Manager, Omar Ismail, the Kenyir Lake houseboat services have come a long way since the days when it was raft-based.", "“What we are most proud of is that all the houseboats in Kenyir Lake are operated by Terengganu-born locals. We will continue to support by guiding them in the improvement of their services,” he said.", "He praised the attitude of the operators who persevered in their endeavour despite receiving no form of financial support from Ketengah.", "“They saw the opportunity, believed in the business potential and invested their own money to start the houseboat business. The only help we provided was indirectly such as in houseboat design, safety features and waste disposal management. Wastes are not disposed of in the lake to prevent pollution,” he explained.", "Other forms of assistance provided by Ketengah include continual promotion of Kenyir Lake to tourists, priority in getting permits into protected areas and the organisation of year-round events to attract tourists. — Bernama" ]

[ "Loretto with participants of the furniture making course.", "KENINGAU: Yayasan Sabah Group through Pusat Kraftangan Sabah (PKS) collaborated with Wood Industry Skills Development Centre (WISDEC) under the Malaysian Timber Industry Board of the Ministry of Primary Industries in organising a Furniture Making Course (Kitchen Cabinet) on September 23-26.", "The closing ceremony was held on October 8 at PKS and officiated by nominated assemblyman Datuk Loretto Sipin Padua.", "In his speech, the director of Yayasan Sabah, Datuk Haji Jamalul Kiram bin Datuk Haji Mohd Zakaria said in 2017, PKS introduced a Start-Up Programme where selected trainees were given funds to start up their businesses and venture into entrepreneurship. From 2017 to 2019,  63 trainees were selected for this programme and five of them were then upgraded to the Scale-Up programme.", "His speech was delivered by Zaiton Bakri, Group Manager of Pusat Kraftangan Sabah.", "The objective of the programmes is to assist trainees in expanding their business in the handicraft industry. Funds for these programmes were utilised from Program Khas Anak Negeri – PKAN, Sabah 2019 that were being coordinated and monitored by the Implementation Coordination Unit, Prime Minister’s Department.", "“Through these programmes, PKS boosts the potentials of these trainees. As many as 15 trainees from the woodcraft field were further trained and have completed their Furniture Making Course (Kitchen Cabinet) where the innovation of epoxy was applied in the training,” Jamalul added.", "He also explained that in recent years, epoxy resins have become very popular in the market. Initially, it was used for the manufacture of glue or insulating varnish. Nowadays, it is widely used by industry players to develop a range of designs that use epoxy materials in the production of more exclusive ready-made products such as dining table, home décor, kitchen cabinet and more.", "Jamalul expressed his hopes that the trainees will apply the knowledge and skills that they have learned throughout their training.", "“This is part of Yayasan Sabah Group’s initiative to help PKS trainees develop their skills further. I hope that the trainees will benefit from this course and produce more value-added handicrafts,” he said.", "This is the third training course organised  in collaboration with WISDEC.", "Yayasan Sabah Group through PKS collaborates with government agencies namely Ministry of Tourism Sabah, Keningau District Office, Ministry of Youth and Sports Sabah, MyIPO, SIRIM, MARA and Malaysia Handicraft Development Corporation, in developing skilled individuals to become competitive entrepreneurs and meet the needs of the handicraft industry in the State." ]

[ "LONDON: British energy major BP said that it will axe more than 4,000 jobs worldwide over the next two years in response to collapsing oil prices.", "The company said in a statement that it would “reduce BP upstream staff globally from 24,000 to somewhere below 20,000 by year-end 2017”.", "The cutbacks will include 600 job losses at BP’s North Sea activities.", "London-listed energy giant BP had already slashed 4,000 jobs last year as it prepared for a prolonged period of low prices.", "Brent North Sea crude prices tumbled to fresh 12-year lows on Tuesday and have shed more than 15 per cent so far this year.", "The oil market had plunged by 35 per cent in 2015, its third consecutive annual decline, plagued by chronic oversupply.", "Mark Thomas, regional president for BP North Sea, said that “given the well-documented challenges of operating in this maturing region and in toughening market conditions, we need to take specific steps to ensure our business remains competitive and robust”.", "“An inevitable outcome of this will be an impact on headcount and we expect a reduction of around 600 staff and agency contractor roles by the end of 2017, with the majority of these taking place this year,” he added.", "Oil dived close to US$30 per barrel on Tuesday on global oversupply, as OPEC member Nigeria called for an emergency meeting to address collapsing prices that has ravaged revenues and hurt the profits of energy majors.", "BP stressed however on Tuesday that it is “committed to the North Sea”. The group said it would invest about US$2 billion of capital into North Sea projects this year.", "“This will sustain many hundreds of supply chain contractor jobs going forward,” it added.", "British production of oil and gas rose in 2015 for the first time in 15 years but may struggle to maintain the performance amid low energy prices.", "Output is expected to have risen by as much as eight per cent last year after a strong first 10 months, industry body Oil and Gas UK said last week.", "BP profits meanwhile collapsed in the third quarter of 2015 as oil prices halved on the back of the stubborn global supply glut.", "That forced the British energy giant to scale back investment and sell more assets, also after it was ravaged by the catastrophic 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill.", "David Elmes, professor at Warwick Business School, said that the news was a reflection that energy prices would remain at low levels for some time.", "“BP’s announcement of job cuts is sad news for the staff and communities involved but (they) are a reflection that world prices for oil and gas look set to be lower for longer,” he said.", "“World prices have fallen in the past, but recovered soon after. The current drop in prices started more than a year ago and prices are still falling.” — AFP" ]

[ "The reunion dinner tradition is synonymous with the Chinese New Year celebration and usually relatives within the country will join the get-together with the aim of strengthening family ties. Bernama Photo", "KUALA LUMPUR: The excitement of the Chinese New Year reunion dinner is still being felt despite strict adherence to the new normal nationwide.", "This year, the government stipulated that only 15 immediate family members, living within a 10 kilometre radius, can congregate for the traditional eve reunion dinner tonight. Crossing district and state borders has been prohibited for family members.", "The reunion dinner tradition is synonymous with the Chinese New Year celebration and usually relatives within the country will join the get-together with the aim of strengthening family ties.", "A family in Penang, for example, who usually celebrates Chinese New Year’s eve with the whole family at a restaurant, will this year only gather at home with the immediate family members.", "Yap Li Qiang, 52, who is celebrating the occasion with his wife and 25-year-old youngest daughter said this year’s Chinese New Year will be a modest affair and not as festive as before.", "“I did not decorate the house as usual. Tomorrow, we will pray at home and I will really ask for us to quickly overcome this COVID-19 as we long to gather with the family again,” he told Bernama.", "Penang police chief Datuk Sahabudin Abd Manan when contacted said a police task force had conducted checks on houses and places of worship to ensure that no party violated the standard operating procedures (SOPs) and that the 15-person limit is observed.", "Another family in Taman Mutiara Rini, Johor also continued their reunion tradition which has become symbolic of the festival, although the tradition was described this time as “incomplete” without families meeting and dining together.", "Sunny Soo, 48, also expressed relief when the government allowed the family reunion to continue with strict SOPs, despite not being able to have a big meal with his sister who is in Singapore.", "“Big feasts are still held but more moderately. This year the celebration is really quiet, no preparations, no decorations or buying of clothes…but that’s okay, I hope next year I can celebrate in the usual way,” said the father of three.", "Soo said he and his family will not go anywhere tomorrow and will only be at home because they are worried about the spread of Covid-19. — Bernama" ]

[ "BANGI: The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry is to disseminate to men information on women’s rights in marriage and the family so that child custody and support cases can be resolved properly and fairly.", "Minister Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim said the information must be circulated to men as many involved in divorce cases did not regard child support and custody claims seriously.", "“Awareness of the rights of women as provided for by law is very important so that women are not victimised and harmed.", "“Men should also have the knowledge and information on women’s rights, especially after divorce,” she said in her speech at the launch of a book on the role of women’s organisations in fighting for women’s rights, titled ‘Pergerakan Wanita Dalam Memperjuangkan Hak’ at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) here yesterday.", "The text of her speech was read out by the deputy minister, Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun, who represented her at the event.", "Rohani said that among the ministry’s programmes which focused on men was the Legal Literacy Programme held in conjunction with the National Women’s Day celebrations last August.", "Commenting on the book, Rohani said it provided information on the role of women and their rights in national development.", "The book, which was published by UKM, was written by Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Nik Safiah Karim and Dr Rokiah Talib.", "It provides information on the history of the struggle of Malaysian women in attaining recognition as well as equal rights in all areas. — Bernama" ]

[ "KUCHING: News organisations should set aside financial allocation to buy the relevant equipment and provide training for journalists covering news in hostile environment areas.", "Matt Walsh, who has worked with CNN, said knowledge and understanding were vital for journalists covering news in high risk areas involving natural disaster, conflict zone and disease outbreak to avoid becoming a victim themselves.", "He said it was high time to give journalists proper training, especially those covering conflict zones, unlike before whereby the media covering similar incidents were not as exposed to dangers like now.", "“The media are now being targetted, also,” he said when answering questions from journalists in the ‘Media Talk-Protocol For Journalists Covering Disaster, Disease and Conflict Zones’, organised by the Kuching Division Journalists Association here yesterday.", "He said one of the main reasons the media now had been targetted was due to action by certain disgruntled groups which viewed certain media reports as not being in their favour.", "He said, in terms of covering disease outbreak areas, news organisations could opt to buy special protective gear like face mask, through the internet, which were cheaper and of high quality.", "He said journalists should not take a huge gamble covering news in hostile environment if they thought it was too dangerous, without proper tranining and equipment.", "At the same time, they have the right to refuse if directed by their employers.", "More information on safety for journalists covering hostile environment could be obtained at www.cpj.org,www.icfj.org,www.journalistatrisk.org,www.dartcenter.org and www.newssafety.com.", "Walsh has spent about 30 years in the media and most recently, 12 years with CNN International, CNN Headline News and CNN Airport Network.", "He was CNN Hong Kong’s chief trainer for new staff, veteran journalists and conducted training seminar for the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union. — Bernama" ]

[ "KUCHING: Padungan assemblyman Wong King Wei losing his cool in the august House after being ruled by Deputy Speaker Dato Gerawat Gala that he was not qualified, under Standing Order 82, to debate the ministerial motion. Gerawat ruled that Wong was not qualified to debate because the latter represented Pujut assemblyman Dr Ting Tiong Choon in both the Court of Appeal and the High Court in their attempt to see Dr Ting being reinstated as the rightful elected representative.", "Earlier, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah moved a motion to apply for leave of application to appeal against the recent decision of the Court of Appeal in upholding the decision of the High Court to reinstate Dr Ting Tiong Choon as the Pujut assemblyman.", "On Friday (July 13) , the Court of Appeal, in a two-to-one decision, dismissed the appeals of Sarawak State Legislative Assembly (DUN), DUN speaker Datuk Amar Asfia Awang Nasar and Second Minister of Finance Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh against a High Court’s decision to reinstate Dr Ting as Pujut assemblyman." ]

[ "KUALA LUMPUR: The Maritime Institute of Malaysia (MIMA) has mooted for the Sabah Government to have a holistic approach in outlining the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM) territorial development programmes.", "MIMA centre head and research fellow, Captain Martin A. Sebastian said the approach for ESSCOM’s territory should not merely focus on security but also consider the development of its economy, social, politics and environment preservation.", "“The result of the research has been presented by MIMA to the ESSCOM Coordinator, as well as Sabah Cabinet and we are now waiting for their reponse,” he told reporters at MIMA with Media Day here today.", "ESSCOM was established on April 1, 2013, following intrusion into Sabah by armed men from the Southern Philippines, which threatened the country’s sovereignity.", "Its area comprises Sabah’s east coast region including Kudat, Tawau, Kunak, Sandakan and Lahad Datu. — BERNAMA" ]

[ "Members of the public keep a close watch over the bound snatcher before the police arrived.", "KUCHING: Swift action by the public led to the capture of a snatch thief after he and an accomplice targeted a woman at a supermarket’sparking lot at Mile 4 1/2 here yesterday.", "The incident happened around 3.30pm when the 20-something woman was walking towards her car from the supermarket.", "According to witnesses, two men on a black scrambler-type motorcycle grabbed the victim’s handbag as they rode past her. She was dragged when she refused to let go. At that point, several witnesses chased the snatchers who released their hold on the woman’s handbag and attempted to speed off.", "In their haste to escape, they crashed into the rear of a parked car several metres away and fell. The pillion rider managed to flee but left his slightly-injured accomplice who was apprehended by those in pursue. He was given a dose of street justice before being bound.", "Police arrived after being notified of the incident and took custody of the snatcher. The woman, who suffered light injuries to her elbow, lodged a police report." ]

[ "India Street Pedestrian Mall.", "KUCHING: The India Street Pedestrian Mall Management Committee is waiting for a rainstorm to strike so any defect in the mall’s drainage system would show up.", "Committee chairman Dato Wee Hong Seng, when contacted yesterday, said Kuching was presently experiencing a dry spell which made it difficult for the committee members to pin-point problems, especially along the shoplots’ rain gutters.", "“A team will be mobilised once it starts to rain to determine the leaks at the gutters as well as ascertain the effectiveness of the drainage system, through which water flows out from the five-foot-way to the main drains,” Wee, who is also Sarawak Tourism Federation chairman, said yesterday.", "Works to construct drains leading from the five-foot-way to the main drains at the mall were 70 per cent complete, he told shopkeepers who had complained about rainwater pooling at the five-foot-way during torrential rains last month.", "Wee together with Kuching North Datuk Bandar Datuk Abdul Wahap Abang Julai on May 20 went to the ground to check, assuring that the situation would be rectified soon. They did a walkabout during which they found that during a heavy downpour, rainwater would overflow from the shop’s gutters and form pools at the five-foot-way. The committee together with Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) decided to solve the problem by putting extra gutters along the roofs of shoplots to channel away the copious volume of rainwater so the five-foot-way would be kept dry.", "Currently, shopkeepers at India Street are displaying various items for Hari Raya Aidilfitri at the Hari Raya Bazaar, to run until July 6." ]

[ "The victorious Kuching team athletes, coaches and officials celebrate their achievement at the end of the competition at Stadium Perpaduan Negeri Sarawak in Petra Jaya.", "KUCHING: Brunei enjoyed a fruitful trip to Kuching last week when they won the challenge trophy in the 1st Sarawak International Wuwang Cup Wushu Invitation Championship at Stadium Perpaduan Negeri Sarawak in Petra Jaya on Sunday.", "The Brunei team comprising Mohd Adi Salihin Roslan, Mohd Adi Sya’rani Roslan and Basma Lachkar collected 9.41 points in changquan, 9.39 points in nandao and 9.35 points in taijiquan for a total of 28.15 points in the Wuwang Cup challenge to beat Sarawak (Sukma) by only 0.01 points.", "Sarawak (Sukma) team was represented by Clement Ting Su Wei who scored 9.54 points in changquan, Lee Hui Xian who scored 9.34 points in nandao and Muhammad Asri Abdul Wahab with 9.26 points in taijiquan.", "Brunei also brought home 14 gold, five silver and four bronze medals for a fourth place finish in the medals standings while the Sarawak (Sukma) team collected 15 gold, 11 silver and three bronze medals in the individual events, three golds in duilian and six golds in group events, to finish second overall in the two-day meet.", "In the male taolu individual all-rounder chanquan category, Clement Ting was the champion after he scored 19.20 points ahead of teammate Elvic Bong Qian Zheng (18.52) and Brunei’s Ericsson Bong Cheng Loong (17.69).", "The Brunei team with (from left) James Ting, assistant head judge Ling Ung Hee, Allen Wong, Lucas Lim and invited guest Lee Chee Beng, the principal of Chung Hua Middle School No 3 after the prize presentation. — Photos by Teo Chi Wei", "Sarawak Sukma athlete Stephanie Ngu Chai Ern won the female taolu individual all-rounder chanquan category after she collected 18.66 points while Brunei’s Lim Yee Sean was second with 16.81 points and Kuching’s nine-year old Andra Chan Zhi was third with 16.72 points.", "Mohd Adi Salihin picked up another prize in the male individual all-rounder nanquan category when he won with 18.26 points, with the second and third placings going to Sarawak’s Chiew Sow Hong (18.02) and Clement Thian Fung Seng (17.37) respectively.", "National youth athlete Lee Hu Xian topped the female individual all-rounder nanquan category when she scored 18.15 points.", "Brunei’s Koh Yun C was second with 17.57 points while her teammate Nur Batrisyia Ripin came in third on 17.35 points.", "Muhammad Asri won the male individual all-rounder taiji category with 9.48 points in taijiquan and 9.50 points in tajijian for a total of 18.98 points.", "Second and third placings went to Brunei’s Hosea Wong Zheng Yu (17.97) and Kuching’s Yong Wei Sen (17.24) respectively.", "The top three finishers in the female individual all-rounder taiji category were Basma Lachkar of Brunei, Mo Shin Qi of Miri and Ann Sim Jia Eng of Kuching with 18.47, 16.95 and 16.93 points respectively.", "Meanwhile, the male individual all-rounder traditional category saw Kuching Sim Sze Kiat taking the top prize after he collected 16.64 points, followed by teammates Dickson Teo Shoon Jie (16.47) and Canigga Yow Kelvin (16.37).", "Another state Sukma athlete Yong Arifah Khairul Kok was the winner of the female individual all-rounder traditional category where she scored 17.36 points ahead of teammate Bong Yun En (17.17) and Kuching’s Lai Shi Yu (16.95).", "The overall champions were Kuching with 27 gold, 26 silver and 17 bronze medals.", "In fourth to fifth spots were Miri (10-5-5), Sarikei (5-3-2), Sibu (4-12-15) and Singapore (0-0-0).", "MBKS councillor Wilfred Yap, who represented Minister of Local Government and Housing Datuk Prof Dr Sim Kian Hui, closed the event. Also present were Wushu Federation of Sarawak (WFS) cum organising chairman Allen Wong Siew Poh, deputy president cum tournament ambassador James Ting and tournament secretary Lucas Lim.", "The international meet organised by WFS and supported by Sarawak Sports Corporation and Sarawak State Sports Council was aimed at giving state Sukma athletes exposure and further promoting wushu as a high performance sport in Sarawak." ]

[ "KUCHING: Those donning yellow T-shirts with the unmistakable ‘Bersih 4’ sign imprinted on them are considered to have committed an illegal act, following a gazetted order by the Home Affairs Ministry.", "According to the Attorney General Chamber website the order signed by Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, states that in exercise of the powers conferred by Subsection 7(1) of Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984, the ministry prohibits the printing, importation, production and reproduction, publishing, sale and issue, circulation, distribution or possession of the ‘publication’ — namely the T-shirts, which is likely to be prejudicial to public order, security, contrary to any law and national interest.", "“This order may be cited as the Printing Presses and Publications (Control of Undesirable Publications) (No 22) Order 2015, which comes into operation on Aug 28 (yesterday).", "“The schedule covers any yellow-coloured clothing that contains the words ‘Bersih 4’,” it said in the order issued last night.", "The ministry said the schedule also included printed materials.", "“These include printed materials and pamphlets that lead to Bersih 4 rally.”", "The two-day Bersih 4.0 assembly kicks off today, with the Song Kheng Hai Ground near Jalan Padungan being the venue here." ]

[ "PAPAR: Health Deputy Minister Datuk Rosnah Abd Rashid Shirlin said the ministry was already looking into the issue of regulating the use of corrosive substances such as acid.", "Speaking to reporters after presenting 1Malaysia computer netbooks to 1,844 students here, today, she said the ministry viewed the matter as urgent.", "Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil recently said that she would raise to the cabinet, the issue of the sale and purchase of acid for a more stringent law to be imposed.", "Her statement was in reference to the spate of acid attacks in the Klang Valley and other areas, especially targeting women.", "Police received more than 20 reports of such incidents.", "Supporting the proposal, Rosnah concurred that drastic action was needed.", "“There needs to be control, not only on acid but other harmful substances, the use of which could be abused,” she said.", "“However, the ministry would have to look at the implementation mechanisms including the technical aspects.", "“God willing, something will be done soon,” she added. – Bernama" ]

[ "Yii (back row, left) talking with MCC officials during his visit to Sarawak Services Counter at UTC Miri .", "MIRI: The service counters of federal agencies at the Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) here remain close until further notice.", "Miri mayor Adam Yii confirmed this after being briefed by UTC Miri manager Mohammad Nurhisham Ismail during his visit to the centre yesterday.", "Currently, only Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB), LAKU (Water Board) Management Sdn Bhd, Miri City Council and State Treasury Department counters are open at the centre.", "These counters provide services for bill payment, bill enquiry, application for utility services and renewal of trading licence.", "Yii said the National Registration Department (JPN), Road and Transport  (JPJ), Inland Revenue Board (IRB), Immigration Department and Health and Dental Clinics only provide services at the their respective headquarters premises here.", "Yii also disclosed that the construction of Miri City Hall had resumed two\nweeks ago.", "“The City Hall construction project has been reviewed under the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) along with the council’s other city services such as grass cutting and drainage cleaning where these services had been stopped during the Movement Control Order (MCO) implementation except for garbage collection services.”" ]