Day: September 18, 2024

KUALA LUMPUR, Acting deputy director-general of operations of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), Rear Admiral (Maritime) Datuk Mohd Rosli Abdullah, has been appointed as the seventh MMEA director-general, effective yesterday. MMEA said in a statement today that he has nearly three decades of experience in maritime security and is an expert in planning and executing maritime operations, particularly in combating cross-border crimes such as illegal immigration, drug and contraband smuggling, and sea piracy. “One of his major achievements was leading Ops Pelantar Merah, which resulted in high-profile arrests and a reduction in crime around the oil platforms in the

PUTRAJAYA, Immigration officers stationed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 are now prohibited from using mobile phones while on duty to prevent a recurrence of ‘counter setting’ syndicates, which allow foreign nationals to enter the country through ‘special counter lanes’. Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Commissioner, Tan Sri Azam Baki, said this is among the key improvements the Immigration Department must implement, adding that there is also a need for alternative communication systems during working hours, ensuring that immigration officers, including supervisors, do not carry their mobile phones while on duty to avoid being contacted

KUALA LUMPUR, The Kuala Lumpur rubber market closed mixed on Wednesday in tandem with regional rubber futures markets as strong United States (US) economic data weakened prospects of an aggressive US interest rate cut, said a dealer. She said market sentiment was dented by losses in crude oil prices and as the ringgit strengthened against the US dollar. ‘Nevertheless, further losses were capped by concerns for tight natural rubber (NR) supply due to unfavourable weather conditions in major NR-producing countries,’ she told Bernama. The dealer said Shanghai rubber futures rose more than four per cent on Wednesday as trading resumed

PUTRAJAYA, The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (KPKM) today launched Start-Up and Scale-Up Grants to help young people in the agriculture and agro-food sector reduce start-up costs and expand agricultural projects. Its deputy minister Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup in a statement said the Start-Up Grant is an improvement on the Young Agropreneur Grant offered by the ministry earlier. He said through the new grant, the value of aid in kind was increased to RM30,000 compared to RM20,000 previously, Besides, the age limit which used to be from 18 to 40 years is now increased to 43 years. Meanwhile, the

ISKANDAR PUTERI, A total of 75,000 students in Johor are expected to benefit from the Kad Siswa Johor, a student card which will be introduced by the state government starting next month. Johor Menteri Besar (MB) Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said nine companies have agreed to offer discounts of up to 20 per cent through the Kad Siswa Johor to students in the state who are furthering their studies at public institutions of higher learning (IPTA), the Johor Education Foundation College (KYPJ), as well as community colleges and polytechnics. According to him, YPJ will open accounts at Bank Muamalat as