KUANTAN: Operasi mencari dan menyelamat pengarah filem, Firdaus Hanif, 43, yang dikhuatiri lemas di Sungai Jelai, Kuala Lipis semalam, diperluas sehingga 30km dari lokasi mangsa kali terakhir dilihat.

Ketua Polis Daerah Lipis, Supt Azli Mohd Noor berkata operasi dimulakan pada 8 pagi tadi dengan melibatkan 15 bot, selepas dihentikan 7 malam.

“Operasi hari ini disertai 74 individu termasuk anggota dan pegawai daripada polis, bomba, Angkatan Pertahanan Awam Malaysia (APM) serta penduduk setempat.

“Lima anggota daripada pasukan penyelam bomba juga turut serta dalam operasi hari ini,” katanya ketika dihubungi.

Semalam, mangsa, yang turut dikenali sebagai Pitt Haniff, dilaporkan hilang berhampiran Jambatan Gemunchur di Mela selepas bot fiber dinaikinya bersama rakan untuk memancing terbalik dengan rakannya ditemui selamat.

Azli berkata arus di sungai berkenaan kini dalam keadaan deras dan pencarian bertumpu di permukaan buat masa ini.

MELAKA, Oct 27 — The Melaka Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) leaders stressed that they have not received any mandate from the top leadership to conduct discussions to form a state government with the opposition, said its chief Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof.

As such, Mohd Redzuan, who is also Minister of Entrepreneur Development, said Melaka Bersatu would stand firmly together with the Pakatan Harapan (PH) component parties to form a government in the state in fulfilling the trust and duty given by the people at the last general election.

‘’PH has its own joint principle of changing the Barisan Nasional (BN) government, so there is no issue of wanting to change the government through the back door (with BN), there is no discussion at all at the highest level, these are all empty talks by people with interest.

‘’Maybe there is an attempt to reap support or certain posts. We cannot run away from the people’s mandate by changing the government in an undemocratic way. Melaka Bersatu stands firm with the leadership of Chief Minister Adly Zahari,’’ he told Bernama here today.

On Friday, a news portal reported that there allegedly existed a move to replace the leadership of Adly through the formation of a backdoor government via the co-operations of two state government executive councillors (exco) who were not named.

Mohd Redzuan said the Melaka government headed by PH had implemented almost all of its manifesto and carried out numerous initiatives to give a better life to the people, so it is an illogical action to change a government which had functioned well to look after the people.

On the meeting of Melaka Bersatu deputy chief Mohd Rafiq Naizamohideen with UMNO representatives recently, Mohd Redzuan said the meeting was made on a personal capacity and not on behalf of Bersatu.

He said Bersatu had no problem over its leaders meeting with anybody including opposition leaders in their personal capacities especially in discussing on matters linked to the good of the people, state and country.

‘’It is a personal right to meet, drink coffee and exchange ideas and does not mean he is bearing the symbol of Bersatu, if I want to, I can also meet (Melaka opposition chief) (Datuk Seri) Idris (Haron), can meet (Datuk Seri) Najib (Tun Razak), the issue of plotting to change the government does not arise,’’ he said.

Asked on an allegation by Idris yesterday that Adly was weak and could not manage his excos and was at the mercy of DAP, Mohd Redzuan said he did not see such things taking place in the state government.

‘’Indeed, Adly has his challenges because we (PH component parties) are from various backgrounds but we support him (Adly) and whatever we need to raise, we discuss together at a PH platform to help him strengthen the state government’s administration,’’ he said. — Bernama

KOTA BELUD, Oct 27 — Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal hopes Budget 2020 allocation for education in Sabah will be channelled early next year.

He said budget allocation would usually come in the second half of the year.

“I think it will be much better if the allocation could reach the ground (schools) sooner, possibly in February, March or April.

“At least we can realise some of the urgent initiatives planned, I mean we are talking about poor schools” he told the media after attending the “Tamu Besar Kota Belud”, here today.

Mohd Shafie said in Sabah, more than 500 poor schools have to share buildings between primary and secondary schools.

Also present at the event were the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sabah Tun Juhar Mahiruddin and his wife Toh Puan Norlidah R.M. Jasni, and state ministers.

Earlier Mohd Shafie also announced an allocation RM200,000 for next year’s Tamu Besar Kota Belud.

He said the sum would enable facilities in the tamu area to be upgraded to attract more visitors apart from expanding exhibition site.

“We are increasing the allocation as needed by the organisers from RM50,000 previously,” he said. — Bernama

LAHAD DATU: Satu mayat ditemui di Laut Mataking, Semporna, hari ini disyaki seorang daripada tujuh mangsa yang dilaporkan hilang selepas bot dinaiki mereka dipercayai karam pada Khamis lalu.

Komander Pasukan Polis Marin (PPM) Wilayah 4 Sabah, Mohamad Pajeri Ali berkata, mayat yang belum diketahui jantina itu ditemui orang awam yang memaklumkan anggota bertugas Pasukan Gerakan Am (PGA).

“Saya percaya mayat yang ditemui ini ada hubungan atau berkaitan tujuh mangsa hilang itu.

“Kita percaya mayat ini dihanyutkan mengikut arus laut, kalau kita lihat mangsa pertama yang ditemui berada laluan arus tidak menentu,” katanya ketika ditemui di sini, hari ini.

Bagaimanapun, beliau berkata, pihaknya masih cuba mendapatkan status mayat berkenaan.

“Mayat sekarang berada di Pos PGA Mataking dan anggota PPM Semporna serta polis Bahagian Siasatan Jenayah Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah Semporna berada di pos berkenaan,” katanya.

Dalam pada itu, Pajeri berkata, radius pencarian akan diperluaskan mengikut keperluan.

“Operasi mencari dan menyelamat (SAR) mangsa hilang dijalankan untuk tempoh seminggu.”

Semalam, media melaporkan seorang lelaki selamat di perairan Merabung, manakala seorang wanita ditemui lemas di perairan Bangingod, Tungku, dekat sini. Tujuh individu yang masih hilang dikhuatiri lemas selepas bot yang dinaiki sembilan warga Fillipina itu dipercayai karam.

SUBANG JAYA: The 20 sen plastic bag charge, which currently applies to most permanent business premises, will be extended to all types of business premises from 2022.

Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said the charge will apply to all permanent business premises by the end of 2021, and extended to all types of business premises from
2022.

She said this was among the key initiatives under the Roadmap Towards Zero Single-Use Plastics 2018-2030, which includes a no-straw-by-default practice that encourages users to drink directly from a cup or a glass.

“The imposition of the plastic bag charge and the no-straw-by-default practice are part of the government’s initiatives to prevent consumers from using single-use plastics.

“At the same time, consumers are encouraged to make more eco-friendly decisions by bringing reusable bags when shopping, and drinking without using a straw,” she said when launching a “Love for Environment” campaign here today.

Wan Azizah commended the effort by the Penang government to use revenue from the plastic bag charge to conserve the environment, saying it should be emulated by other states.

The government had introduced No Plastic Bag Day on every Saturday since Jan 1, 2011.

Several states, such as Selangor, Penang, Melaka, Perlis, Perak, Terengganu, Kelantan and Sarawak have adopted this initiative.

The Federal Territories, Kedah, Penang and Selangor have also implemented the Straws on Request campaign, and from Jan 1 next year, plastic straws will also be banned in the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan.