Zoo prepares for pandas’ debut

Zoo prepares for pandas’ debut

Zoo prepares for pandas’ debut

Posted: 20 May 2014 09:01 AM PDT

21 May 2014| last updated at 12:34AM
By BALQIS NASIR AND TEOH PEI YING | news@nst.com.my

Zoo Negara deputy president Rosly Rahmat Ahmat Lana said a special quarantine area had been prepared to cater   to the needs of Fu Wa and Feng Yi.

"Their activities and movements will be monitored 24 hours a day for security and safety purposes.

"The quarantine room will be the pandas' night quarters after a month of adapting to their new home once they are ready to be introduced to the public."

Rosly said the veterinarians comprised three Malaysians and one from China.

"All of our veterinarians and caretakers received intensive training in Chiangmai, Singapore and Chengdu in China.  "They are well-prepared to look after the pandas and cater to their needs."

Rosly said he was confident that the pandas would breed in a span of 10 years.

"Fu Wa and Feng Yi will be monitored by the vets in terms of their mating season and hormones, as male and female pandas can only be together for 72 hours a year.

"If they do breed, Malaysia can only keep the cubs for two years, after which they will be returned to China."

The panda complex  is the latest design and concept where animals and visitors can be in one room so that the latter can get a feel of the  pandas' habitat.

Rosly said the panda enclosure would be opened to the public next month. "We expect a big crowd once the pandas are exhibited to the public. The complex will be opened from 9am to 5pm daily."

"If the response is overwhelming, we will extend closing time to 6pm. The panda complex is able to cater to 3,800 visitors a day.

"Every visitor is  allowed to spend a maximum duration of 20 minutes in the enclosure as the place can only hold 120 patrons at  one time."

He said they expected half a million visitors in the first year.

Ticket prices are RM20 for adults, RM10 for children and senior citizens, and free for the disabled.

Forest Research Institute of Malaysia  director-general Datuk Dr Abdul Latif Mohmod said a panda expert from China had checked on the suitability of local bamboo as food for the animals last year.

"The pandas were fed  buluh madu, buluh galah and buluh pagar before coming to Malaysia.

"They can adapt to local bamboo and they also accepted the bamboo biscuits and bamboo cakes made from shoots, as well as carrots and apples."

Latif said the institute had planted these particular species of bamboo in the beginning of 2012.

"More than six kinds of bamboo, including buluh betong, buluh siam and buluh botol, are suitable for pandas. All six varieties can be planted and found easily."

"However, Zoo Negara will still import Chinese bamboo if the pandas refuse to consume the local bamboo."

 

Car thief shot by cops

Posted: 20 May 2014 09:01 AM PDT

21 May 2014| last updated at 12:42AM

Selangor Criminal Investigation Department chief Datuk Mohd Adnan Abdullah said police received information that a refrigerator truck carrying frozen foodstuff, including frozen vegetables, was stolen in Jinjang, Kuala Lumpur, at 8.20am yesterday.

At 8.30am, a mobile patrol vehicle (MPV) located the truck at the Merbau Sempah intersection in Sungai Buloh and pursued it for 20km to Batu 28, Ijok, where the suspect then turned the vehicle into a dirt road heading for an oil palm plantation.

"The suspect suddenly reversed the truck at high speed into the police MPV when the MPV tried to overtake it, pushing the MPV back 13m.

"A police officer jumped out of the moving vehicle and ordered the suspect to stop but he refused, forcing the officer to fire two shots.

"The suspect got out of the vehicle and fell about 5m from the truck and succumbed to his injuries."

The suspect's body was taken to Tanjung Karang Hospital for post-mortem.

The stolen truck that was used to ram a police patrol vehicle in Kuala Selangor yesterday The driver, a habitual vehicle thief, was shot dead after refusing to stop the truck. Pic by Rosdan Wahid

PKR members demand fresh polls

Posted: 20 May 2014 09:01 AM PDT

21 May 2014| last updated at 12:50AM

Party leaders found themselves embroiled in shouting matches with some members, who claimed the PKR electoral process was manipulated by the party election committee itself. Several banners demanding action be taken against PKR deputy president Azmin Ali and women's wing chief, Zuraida Kamaruddin, were on display.

They called for fresh polls to be held since 27 branch elections had been postponed and claimed more than 800 reports lodged about discrepancies had yet to be resolved.

PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who was on his way to a meeting with the party political bureau there, was stopped in his tracks by disgruntled party members. Anwar then launched into tirade against the protestors, labelling some of them as traitors for "bringing shame" to the party and turning themselves into cannon fodder for political rivals.

"What are you doing? Why do you have to gather like this and bring shame to the party? Why can't we resolve any issues peacefully? You are bringing shame (to PKR)! Those who organised this (protest) can be expelled from the party."

He then turned on a protester, former Setiawangsa PKR branch chief Ahmad Jufliz Faiza, and accused him of holding the rally and called him traitor.

Ahmad, when met later, said Anwar had probably mistaken him for someone else as that was the first time the two met.

PKR vice-president Tian Chua was sent out to meet the protesters. As he was being mobbed by protesters demanding swift action to be taken against allegedly corrupt party leaders, the Batu member of parliament also became entangled in a verbal skirmish.

PKR vice-president Tian Chua meeting angry members outside the party's headquarters in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. Pic by Muhd Zaaba Zakeria

Govt urged against bailing out MAS

Posted: 20 May 2014 09:01 AM PDT

21 May 2014| last updated at 12:57AM
By LAVANYA LINGAN AND BALQIS LIM | news@nst.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: ECONOMISTS said yesterday  the government should not bail out Malaysia Airlines,    but instead,  take drastic action to revive the national carrier.

Prof Dr Hoo Ke Ping said privatisation was an option to salvage MAS, but it should be de-listed first.

"The AirAsia-MAS share swap two years ago taught us a lesson to be more transparent if any form of privatisation is being considered.

"Even before the deal was finalised, insider trading was taking place. It should not have happened."

He said the government and people should view the issue from an economic perspective.

"The term 'national' has been abused. If the government keeps salvaging MAS because of the country's sentiments over the national carrier, the rakyat's money will go to waste."

Hoo said the government should allow the market to decide MAS' future.

A Hong Leong Investment Bank analyst, who did not want to be named, said MAS could not survive any more, given the sharp decline in its market value, even if the company decided to head down the privatisation route.

"Even if it is privatised, there are a lot of issues to take into account," he said, stressing that there was no one-stop solution, as there were many factors that came into play, such as MAS' internal management, market environment and airline competition.

He said MAS' organisational structure was messy, with employees not fully supporting the company, as seen in the call by Malaysia Airlines System Employees Union for MAS leaders to step down.

The Public Accounts Committee urged the government to review its financial aid for MAS.

Its chairman, Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed, lauded government efforts to review the National Aviation Policy (NAP), adding that the focus should be to review MAS' financial performance.

"NAP was initially created to improve transportation and connectivity with the rest of the world, while still (allowing for) profit.

"But, the operational model has ceased to serve its purpose, since MAS is shrinking by cutting routes and losing money."

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had announced last month that the government would enact NAP to accelerate the aviation industry's growth by recommending measures to boost the aviation ecosystem.

Nur Jazlan said with the Asean Open Skies Policy, which is expected to be introduced next year, MAS would face stiff competition from more budget airlines.

"The government can reduce its stake in MAS by selling to investors and not being the major stakeholder. MAS is part of public policy. If the policy cannot support it any more, then the airline must run as a commercial entity."

MAS posted a net loss of RM443.4 million in the first quarter of the year, compared with a net loss of RM278.8 million in the same period last year. Additional reporting by Rahmat Khairulijal

Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed says the National Aviation Policy should focus on reviewing MAS' financial performance. Pic by Sairien Nafis

Sabah gets 'tunnel vision'

Posted: 20 May 2014 09:01 AM PDT

21 May 2014| last updated at 12:41AM
By KRISTY INUS | news@nst.com.my

 KOTA KINABALU: THE  Sabah government will consider tunnelling technology  to overcome    the state's hilly terrain,   following the  implementation of the state's first road tunnelling project   in Sepanggar, which is expected to be completed by April next year. 

The RM66 million project, involving road tunnelling works from Sepanggar port to Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) here, aims to cut the distance between the two points to 7km, compared with the existing route.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman, when launching the hole-through ceremony for the 600m twin tunnel near the port yesterday, said while tunnels were more expensive compared with clearing hills to build roads, they were more financially viable because of lower long-term maintenance.

"This is not something new in Malaysia, but the use of this technology in Sabah is a meaningful starting point for the construction sector.

"I congratulate the state Infrastructure Development Ministry, including the Public Works Department, which is one of its agencies.

"It is also an environmentally friendly approach, as it does not affect natural structures on the ground.

"We will consider this approach for other hilly areas in the state, in line with the nation's emphasis on green technology," said Musa.

Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, who is also state infrastructure development minister, proposed that tunnelling could be used to connect the hilly areas of Tamparuli-Ranau, Beaufort-Keningau and Moyog-Tambunan.

Sabah PWD director Datuk John Anthony said the twin tunnel was at 73 per cent completion.

Construction of the tunnels began in July last year.

The tunnels are expected to boost the road linkage in and out of the port, as well as reduce traffic congestion and improve export and import.

He said slope repair for roads in the state was a costly affair, adding that the Tamparuli-Ranau road remedial work cost RM110 million for a five-year plan, or RM22 million a year.

"We want to capitalise on eco-friendly technologies, such as tunnelling, which will help the state save on maintenance costs."

Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman (centre) inspecting the hole-through of the 600m twin tunnel, linking Sepanggar port with Universiti Teknologi Mara, in Kota Kinabalu yesterday. Pic by Edmund Samunting

DPM: Liberalism, religious pluralism threat to Islam

Posted: 20 May 2014 09:01 AM PDT

21 May 2014| last updated at 01:00AM

He said groups promoting liberalism and religious pluralism threatened Islam.

Muhyiddin said in Malaysia, the spread of the two ideologies was significant with the emergence of groups questioning the authority of Islamic religious bodies, fatwa institutions and the courts.

"These groups claim they are championing freedom and human rights.

"They questioned Islamic rules, which were decided according to the principles of qat'i (based on the Quran and the sunnah of Prophet Muhammad), restricting its followers from consuming alcohol drinks, close proximity, apostasy and same-sex marriage.

"There are also groups that want the Islamic legal system, which has long been implemented in the country, to be scrapped as they claim that it is against the principles of human rights," he said in his speech during a Tasawwur seminar for Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah at the Federal Territory Mosque here yesterday.

To stop the spread of liberalism and religious pluralism, Muhyiddin called for more efforts and programmes to enlighten Muslims on the basic principles of Islam.

He said such programmes would educate Muslims on the reasons behind Islamic rules and the hikmah (good tidings) they bring.

He called upon Islamic academicians and ulama to intensify efforts to restore the country's position as the centre of knowledge for Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah teachings in the region.

He said the principles promoted by the teachings, which are adopted by Muslims in the country, contributed to the nation's peace, stability and harmony.

"The principles promoted by the teachings are the main factor the Islamic community here adopted moderate values and avoided extreme actions in maintaining relationships with people of other races and religions."

He said the government was prepared to cooperate with and help Islamic scholars and Islamic non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to carry out more dakwah (preaching of Islam) and tarbiyyah (advice based on Islamic teachings) programmes.

"I also hope dakwah institutions and Islamic NGOs can play an important role and work with the government to protect and strengthen the faith of Muslims in the country."

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin launching a book at a Tasawwur seminar for Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah at the Federal Territory Mosque yesterday. Pic by Khairull Azry Bidin