KUCHING: For the second consecutive year, Mother’s Day will be celebrated in a modest manner in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.
It is still unsafe for people to gather on a large scale and people have been advised to celebrate...
KUCHING: The Ministry of Education (MOE) has announced the cancellation of the Primary School Achievement Test (UPSR) for good.
This has received encouraging responses from parents and guardians.
Teachers are also in favour of the decision because they think the cancellation...
KUCHING: Teachers can now focus more on the personality development of students following the cancellation of Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR), said teacher Ahmad Faizal Osman.
The senior teacher at SK Pulau Seduku Lingga, Sri Aman said teachers could also...
KUCHING: The decision to open up a yellow noodle production business during these unstable times due to Covid-19 has given B’Mori Mi Kuning Zaidah founder Mohammad Nazri Aboi a sense of relief as his products have received encouraging response...
KUCHING: Food manufacturers who have yet to modernise their operations have been urged to acquire modern technology in order to meet the needs and wants of the market, said Datuk Mohd Naroden Majais.
The Assistant Minister of International Trade and...
KOTA SAMARAHAN: A leader of the people, for the people.
That’s exactly how the residents of Kampung Sindang Baru here described Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg when both of them visited the residents today (April 2).
Resident Aris Julaihi expressed ‘shock’ when he was informed that Muhyiddin and Abang Johari would visit his house.
“This is the first time I met him (Muhyiddin) in person, and I feel very proud and thankful to him for coming to my house.
“I see that both of our leaders are people-centric and very good, even the prime minister’s speech that I heard on television did not ‘touch’ on anyone but only focused on talking about the rakyat,” he said.
The former imam and bilal said this when met by reporters after receiving a visit from Muhyiddin and Abang Johari during the Ziarah Prihatin programme.
Meanwhile, Sajili Busrah, a former penghulu of Kampung Sindang Baru, said that it was his first time meeting both state and national leaders in the village.
“This proves that both our leaders truly care for the people, otherwise they will not come to meet the less fortunate our area.
“I am indeed grateful to see that they are willing to come here. I am so proud that the country’s top leader is sitting next to me,” he said.
During the visit, Muhyiddin presented donations to the families under the Ziarah Prihatin programme.
Among those present were Muhyiddin’s wife Puan Sri Noorainee Abdul Rahman, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, Minister of Welfare, Community, Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah, Kota Samarahan MP Rubiah Wang, Samarahan Division Resident Brahim Lumpu, and Sarawak Social Welfare Department director Noriah Ahmad.
SAMARAHAN: Muara Tuang assemblyman Datuk Idris Buang has described Nurseri Sarang Pipit as a role model for the plant nursery business in his constituency.
Idris pointed out that it is his first time seeing local and Bumiputera folk using their...
KOTA SAMARAHAN: Nurseri Sarang Pipit is different from other plant nurseries as it operates up to 10pm.
Its founder, Dahiri Saini, 54, said that the business started about three months ago and has a different concept by operating from 10am...
KUCHING: Various programmes will be implemented by Tabung Baitulmal Sarawak (TBS) leading up to the Ramadan month.
TBS general manager Datuk Abang Mohd Shibli Abang Mohd Nailie said those at the Ummah Distribution Centre (UDC) and its branches throughout Sarawak...
KUCHING: Tabung Baitulmal Sarawak (TBS) has successfully helped a total of 4,370 needy people in just a few months this year, said TBS general manager Datuk Abang Mohd Shibli Abang Mohd Nailie.
According to him, the assistance provided involved an...
KUCHING: Samling Group has clarified that the allegations contained in a post published on the Bruno Manser Fonds (BMF) on May 20 are false and lack any shred of credibility or truth.
The post by BMF contained allegations made against Samling Group in relation to the Gerenai and Ravenscourt Forest Management Units (FMUs), calling into question the certification of the two FMUs by the Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC) and alleging ‘many discrepancies between the certification requirements and its implementation’.
“The allegations have not only tarnished unfairly Samling’s image but have also brought into serious question the good reputations of both MTCC and of the certifying body, SIRIM QAS International Sdn Bhd.
“Additionally, the allegations belittle the value of forest management certification and the integrity of the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC),” said Samling in a statement today (June 2).
It said the allegations made in the post by BMF and Borneo Project (BP) had been repeated despite due clarification published by MTCC itself on Aug 13 last year, whereby MTCC clarified that Samling had indeed satisfactorily fulfilled all the requisite certification requirements.
The company also clarified that the certification process for the Gerenai and Ravenscourt FMUs was done in accordance with all requirements of the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme’s Malaysian Criteria & Indicators, which have been endorsed by the PEFC, and are therefore compliant with international certification standards.
“Part of this certification process involves the submission of third-party Economic Impact Assessment (EIA) and Social Impact Assessment (SIA) reports – both of which were duly complied with by Samling.
“The scope the EIA report is under the purview of the Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) of Sarawak and not Samling. It is a requirement of NREB that part of the EIA report must be put up for public display in the FMUs’ offices,” said Samling.
The findings of the SIA are communicated to the communities – usually by the consultant responsible for the assessment – either by a visit to an individual community or at a meeting held for a group of communities, it said.
“Contrary to what was alleged in the BMF post, Samling has not received any formal request to share either the EIA report or the SIA report. Thus, to allege that Samling has refused to release these reports is totally untrue, and to say they were not made available to the communities is also incorrect.
“This practice of lobbing baseless accusation after baseless accusation without any regard for truth or fact is a practice that is unfortunate,” the company said.
It stressed that publishing groundless accusations based on false information does little good for the communities these non-governmental organisations (NGOs) purport to support, and can in fact cause damage to the processes that have been put in place by Samling for the upliftment of the communities involved.
Samling said it valued constructive engagement with the communities and had carried out numerous community engagements on its own initiative, which have already been reported by the media.
“Samling’s own internal standard operating procedures involve direct and comprehensive engagement between the Group’s liaison officers and the local communities to ensure there is full understanding and agreement of any proposed harvesting activity in areas that lie close to or overlap with community lands recognised under the law.
“This is done before the start of any harvesting operations and holds true also for the Gerenai and Ravenscourt FMUs.”
Samling said it understood and respected the community’s dependence on forest produce and had neither denied the importance of the forest to their livelihood nor wilfully caused damage to forests that are used by the communities as food sources.
“At the same time, Samling also believes in the empowerment of local communities so that they can discern for themselves their rights and the responsibilities of the Samling Group, and engage directly with Group instead of through NGOs who claim to speak for the communities,” it said.
To help achieve this, Samling has embarked on numerous community projects aimed not only at the economic uplifting of the communities but more importantly at the educational uplifting of their children and future generations.
These projects include roads, bridges, schools, as well as medical assistance particularly Covid-19 related medical support, testing, and other equipment and facilities.
The company has been present in rural Sarawak for many decades and has been a key partner of the state government in providing roads, education, and healthcare facilities to these areas.
“Samling will always maintain its integrity as a responsible corporate citizen by adhering to all the relevant laws and regulations that have been imposed by the state and federal authorities.
“Samling accepts fair criticism and scrutiny as part and parcel of the corporate world but it will not accept baseless and false accusations hurled against the Group and will continue to speak up to defend its reputation and name,” the company said.
