Conservationist expresses concern about Ramadan fad, while lemang sellers say they are using non-endangered species.
Primary Industries Ministry encourages palm oil smallholders to get MPSO certification
.jpg "Deputy Primary Industries Minister Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin said the certification was crucial in ensuring increased productivity and quality of palm oil products through good farming practices, while generating higher income. — Picture by Mukhriz Hazim")
JASIN, June 1 — The Primary Industries Ministry and Malaysian Palm Oil Board will continue to raise awareness amongst oil palm smallholders to comply with standards under the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification programme.
Deputy Primary Industries Minister Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin said the certification was crucial in ensuring increased productivity and quality of palm oil products through good farming practices, while generating higher income.
“The palm oil industry is facing a number of issues including sustainability and environment-related ones such as deforestation and being a threat to wildlife habitats, all of which have brought a negative impact to the industry.
“Hence, to counter the campaign to mar the image of the palm oil industry, the government has implemented various initiatives to strengthen palm oil production in an effort to further enhance the competitiveness of the country’s palm oil industry with 17 other vegetable oils in the world market,” he told Bernama here today.
As of April 30, 119 of 162 Sustainable Palm Oil Clusters nationwide have been MSPO-certified, involving 9,171 private smallholders across 35,207 hectares of plantations.
Shamsul Iskandar, who is also Hang Tuah Jaya MP, said the government was aware of the high cost of obtaining MSPO certification which would be made mandatory by the end of the year, and had thus allocated RM30 million to help smallholders cover the cost of fees, training, provision of chemical storage shelves and personal protective equipment. — Bernama
Alienated youngsters split over Tiananmen vigil in Hong Kong
<p>YOUNG people in Hong Kong youth are shunning their city’s annual Tiananmen vigil, focused on fighting their own pro-democracy battles instead of commemorating a historical atrocity against compatriots from whom they feel steadily more alienated.</p> <p>Students and youngsters have been at the vanguard of democracy protests that have convulsed Hong Kong in recent years as anger rises over inequality and Beijing’s moves to chip away at the financial hub’s unique freedoms.</p>
A ‘certain country’ should heed Dr Mahathir’s advice to be fair, says China
<p>CHINA hopes a “certain country” will heed the advice of Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad on being fair to the developing countries.</p> <p>Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said this at a press conference yesterday, while commending Dr Mahathir for staying impartial in the US-Huawei debacle.</p>
Jangan guna Gawai Dayak pecah belahkan kami, kata kerajaan Sarawak
KUCHING: Timbalan Ketua Menteri Sarawak, James Masing memberi amaran kepada kaum lain supaya tidak menggunakan sambutan Gawai Dayak sebagai aktiviti politik atau gimik untuk memecahbelahkan masyarakat Dayak.
Katanya, hanya orang Dayak berhak menganjurkan sambutan Gawai Dayak peringkat negeri, tetapi kaum lain dialu-alukan menyertai sambutan itu.
“Ia milik kami, oleh itu kita perlu kekalkan. Ia adalah milik kita untuk menganjurkannya.
“Orang Dayak tidak boleh membenarkan diri mereka dipergunakan secara politik oleh kaum lain,” katanya dalam kenyataan hari ini.
Beliau berkata, sambutan Gawai Dayak peringkat negeri dianjurkan 3 badan bukan kerajaan Dayak, iaitu Kesatuan Kebangsaan Dayak Sarawak, Persatuan Kebangsaan Dayak Bidayuh dan Persatuan Kebangsaan Orang Ulu.
“NGO ini yang diberikan penghormatan menganjurkan sambutan Gawai peringkat negeri setiap tahun, sejak Gawai Dayak diiktiraf kerajaan Sarawak pada 1960-an sebagai perayaan kebudayaan Dayak.”
Beliau berkata, tiada faktor sama yang boleh mengenal pasti 3 kumpulan utama Dayak – Iban, Bidayuh dan Orang Ulu – sebagai unit tunggal.
Walaupun agama memainkan peranan dalam masyarakat Melayu, katanya, ia tidak menyatukan orang Dayak.
“Kita tiada objektif sosial sama yang boleh menyatukan diri kita sebagai satu entiti sosial. Politik boleh menjadi kaedah untuk menyatukan Dayak, tetapi sebaliknya ia terus memecahbelahkan kami.”
Bagaimanapun, katanya, sambutan Gawai Dayak ialah kaitan sama antara masyarakat Dayak.
“Oleh itu, mari kita jadikan ia untuk mengikat dan menyatukan semua masyarakat Dayak.
“Mari kita gunakan ia sebagai perayaan kebudayaan yang dinikmati semua rakyat Malaysia.”
No more cruelty to animals, Penang vows
The state government has set up a facility to neuter the stray animal population.
Pompeo says Iran attacked oil tankers to raise global oil price
WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday blamed Iran for attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf, saying it was an effort by Tehran to raise the global price of oil.
“These were efforts by the Iranians to raise the price of crude oil throughout the world,” Pompeo told reporters shortly before leaving on a trip to Europe.
He suggested he had seen evidence of Iran’s involvement cited earlier on Thursday by White House National Security Adviser John Bolton.
Speaking in London, Bolton said evidence that Iran was behind the attacks would be presented to the United Nations Security Council next week.
Asked if he had seen the evidence, Pompeo said: “Oh yes. Ambassador Bolton got it right.”
Arab leaders are meeting in the Saudi city of Mecca to discuss drone strikes on oil installations in Saudi Arabia and attacks on four vessels, including two Saudi tankers, off the coast earlier this month.
Tehran has denied involvement.
US envoy to Iran Brian Hook on Thursday warned that the United States will respond with military force if its interests are attacked by Iran
Ministry: Gebeng groundwater contamination not from Lynas
Mestecc’s deputy sec-gen says a spike in heavy metals in the water appears to be a one-off event, but the source is still undetermined.
Bodies of two children who drowned in Sibu recovered
KUCHING, May 31 — The bodies of two children, who failed to resurface after diving into a river near a longhouse in Sibu two days ago, have been found by a search and rescue (SAR) team this morning.
A Sungai Merah Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) spokesman said the body of 12-year-old Nurul Syahiera Salam was found at about 7.05am, while 13-year-old Trance Gong was sighted about 15 minutes later.
“Their bodies were found floating in Rasau area, not far from SMK Batang Igan, and about 5km from the spot where they dived from a jetty of Sungai Nanga Tutus longhouse on May 29,” he said.
He said their bodies have been handed over to the police for further action.
The body of Trisha Janggok, 12, was found yesterday.
The three children disappeared underwater after diving for the second time into the river near their longhouse at about 4pm on Wednesday.
A search and rescue team was then formed by the Sungai Merah Bomba after receiving a call from Sungai Nanga Tutus longhouse.
He said Sungai Merah Bomba, which received the emergency call at about 4.10pm, immediately dispatched eight personnel and a boat to Sungai Nanga Tutus longhouse to search for the three children.
Dr Mahathir, Japan’s Abe hold bilateral talks in Tokyo
TOKYO, May 31 — Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad held a bilateral meeting with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe today at the Prime Minister’s Office in Nagato-cho, Chiyoda-ku, here.
It is anticipated that the two leaders are likely to discuss matters of mutual concern and interest to strengthen bilateral ties and collaboration in many fields, encompassing also trade, education and defence.
Dr Mahathir, in his opening remarks, said Malaysia highly appreciates the support from Japan and hopes the good relationship between the two countries will continue.
“We are also very happy that the business community in Japan pledge their support for investment and we look forward to more collaborations with Japan,” he said.
Abe, in his speech, said Japan will continue to support Malaysia and looks forward to reaffirming a Japan-Malaysia relationship that suits the new era in various fields and sectors.
“The ‘Look East’ Policy is the beacon of Japan and Malaysia friendship and bilateral ties,” he said.
The ‘Look East’ Policy, an initiative introduced by Dr Mahathir after he became the Malaysian prime minister for the first time in 1981, encourages the emulating of work ethics and business techniques from countries in the East, such as Japan and South Korea.
Abe also expressed his admiration for Malaysia’s relentless initiatives to improve transparency and reduce the national debt.
Dr Mahathir is on the final day of a three-day working visit to Japan during which he also delivered a keynote address to the 25th International Conference on the Future of Asia or the Nikkei Conference.
This is Dr Mahathir’s fourth visit to Japan after becoming Malaysia’s prime minister for the second time following the country’s 14th general election on May 9 last year. — Bernama