Nurturing the ’s economy Digitising rural Dengue hotspot Tech solutions agro sector gets a boost communities numbers rise for busy cities

4 5 11 13 8&9 FREE JUNE 2020 www.selangorjournal.my SELANGOR Back to business FOLLOWING the announcement of the recovery movement control order on June 10, many economic, social and recreational activities in Selangor have recommenced. Most businesses are now oper- ating at normal hours, markets and bazaars are slowly reopen- ing, and people are outdoors once again. Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amiru- din Shari, however, remains cau- tious and has reminded all sec- tions of the community to adhere to the standard operating proce- dure set by the National Security Council and to observe the new normal in practising good hy- giene, wearing a face mask and using the SELangkah (Langkah Masuk Dengan Selamat) system for contact tracing. Amirudin says the state govern- ment will not hesitate to impose restrictions on any businesses that breach the SOP. 3 2 NEWS Selangor Journal l JUNE 2020

Councillor calls for better by-laws to fight dengue

By AFIX REDZUAN clean-ups. She said the situation wors- RAWANG - The Selangor govern- ens when tenants adopt a lack- ment plans to discuss the need adaisical attitude or when they to amend its by-laws to enable build illegal house extensions local authorities to take stricter that become breeding grounds action to curb the spread of den- for Aedes mosquitoes. gue. “If a place is not proper- State executive councillor Dr ly maintained, cases will come Siti Mariah Mahmud said better back. Most areas that were previ- by-laws will make it easier for the ously declared dengue-free only authorities to conduct enforce- stayed that way for a short while ment. before becoming dengue zones “The current by-laws are dif- again,” she said. ficult to enforce. We have to She added that Selangor reg- find the (house or shop) owners istered a drop in dengue cases to serve the compound to, and during the recent movement (notices) cannot simply be post- control order compared to the ed anywhere,” she said during same period last year as people a media conference here on were forced to stay at home. June 10. Earlier, Dr Siti Mariah visited Dr Siti Mariah said the in- Taman Cempaka in crease in abandoned houses, which recorded 56 dengue cases especially at high-rise buildings, and one death in the last three has made it difficult for its Joint months and also Pangsapuri Ter- Management Body to conduct atai in . Stage set to welcome local Selangor on the alert for chikungunya tourists - No chikungun- especially at state borders, fol- mosquito breeding sites such ya cases have been reported lowing the steep increase in as accumulated undisposed in Selangor to date despite the cases reported in . garbage, unoccupied homes, SHAH ALAM - Tourism Se- sudden spike reported in other “Even though no cases have and drainages,” she said. langor has set a new target states, says Dr Siti Mariah Mah- been recorded in Selangor, pre- On May 30, it was reported of six million tourists this mud. cautionary steps have to be taken that 454 cases of chikungunya year with its “Pusing Selangor The Selangor Health, Wel- especially in areas near the state were registered in Perak from Dulu!” campaign, as it remains fare, Women Empowerment borders, such as Hulu Selangor. January till May 23. committed to promoting the and Family Committee chair- “We also urge the people to Perak Health Department di- state to the local market. June 18. man, however, said the state keep practising good personal rector Datuk Dr Ding Lay Ming General manager Azrul Shah Azrul Shah expressed confi- government is taking precau- hygiene and ensure that their said this is 30 times more than Mohamad said the redirection dence that many tourists would tionary measures against the surrounding environment is the 13 cases recorded during to focus on local tourists was un- be interested to visit Selangor as mosquito-borne viral infection, clean, including clearing out the same period last year. avoidable as Covid-19 has great- they did in previous years. ly impacted global tourism. “We urge all tour operators to “We are strengthening our use the SELangkah system, con- digital and social media plat- duct health checks at entrances MB cautions against face mask scams forms to promote our products to premises, practise social dis- and are also working closely tancing, provide hand sanitisers, SHAH ALAM - The Selangor “Verify the purchases (of the Selangor has recorded a with both local and internation- and adhere to the guidelines set Menteri Besar has advised the face masks),” Dato’ Seri Amiru- total of 122 cases of fraud in- al media through the Media Fa- by the Malaysian Association of public to stay vigilant against din Shari wrote on his official volving the sale of face masks, miliarisation (FAM) trip,” said Az- Hotels,” he said. face mask scams on online Twitter account on June 5. which is the highest record- rul Shah in reference to the FAM Earlier this year, the Selangor platforms. Amirudin also shared a list ed figure in the country since programme, which promotes administration had aimed for This follows a surge in such of guidelines on purchasing March 18. educational tourism. eight million tourists and RM15 fraudulent cases, with the masks, which includes checking Police have opened 572 “We are planning the e-Travel billion in tourist receipts this highest number reported in buyers’ comments or reviews, investigation papers on the Fair 2020 as well while establish- year, as part of the overall Visit Selangor. avoiding wholesale purchases cases, with an estimated loss ing a new normal for tourism by 2020 campaign. “Face masks are essential in and verifying the legitimacy of amounting to RM5.5 million. emphasising on the importance The campaign was cancelled our new normal routine but we the seller by checking the Com- To date, 181 individuals have of hygiene and safety,” he told in March due to the Covid-19 sit- should avoid falling victim to mercial Crime Investigation been arrested and 53 charged SelangorKini when contacted on uation. such online syndicates. Department’s website. in court. Selangor Journal l JUNE 2020 NEWS 3

More sectors reopen as recovery phase begins

By ASHWIN KUMAR tivities are also allowed but limited to However, the SOPs a group of not more than three hikers SHAH ALAM – The Selangor govern- who have to comply with social dis- will be coordinated ment has decided to allow several sec- tancing measures,” Amirudin said in a and customised by tors that cover economic, social and statement on June 11. recreational activities in the state to He also pointed out that the re- the respective local operate during the recovery move- opening of open markets and bazaars authorities (PBT) ment control order (RMCO), says its will take place in stages from June 15 in accordance with Menteri Besar. and in accordance with the SOP set by Dato’ Seri , however, the NSC. appropriate and strategic reminded that these sectors are sub- “The SOP set by the NSC will be used standards based on jected to the standard operating pro- as a reference for implementation and Strict SOPs for cedure (SOP) set by the National Secu- enforcement purposes. However, the the conditions of their rity Council (NSC). SOPs will be coordinated and custom- respective areas market traders “The decision was made following ised by the respective local authorities a meeting between the state gov- (PBT) in accordance with appropriate AMIRUDIN SHARI ernment, mayors, local council presi- and strategic standards based on the Selangor Menteri Besar and customers dents and district officers. This follows conditions of their respective areas,” SHAH ALAM – Selangor has finalised the stan- the Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin he said. dard operating procedure (SOP) and opening Yassin’s announcement of the RMCO Amirudin also emphasised the im- “The state government will not hes- hours for morning markets, night markets which takes place from June 10 until portance of using the SELangkah itate to close or impose restrictions and bazaars, which had reopened in stages Aug 31. (Langkah Masuk Dengan Selamat) on any business premises and areas from June 15. “The state administration also de- system for contact tracing, practising deemed to be at risk due to a failure to The opening hours for morning and open cided to allow the reopening of music good hygiene habits and wearing a adhere to the SOP,” he said. markets, and pasar tani are set at between and art classes in Selangor. Hiking ac- face mask. 6am and 11am, pasar malam or night mar- kets between 4pm and 10pm and bazaars between 5pm and 12am, said Selangor Local Government, Public Transportation and New SELangkah, MySejahtera merge to widen scope Village Development Committee chairman Ng Sze Han in a statement on June 12. SHAH ALAM – The Selangor govern- The decision was made following the an- ment has merged its SELangkah (Lang- nouncement of the recovery movement con- kah Masuk Dengan Selamat) Covid-19 trol order (RMCO) on June 7 by Prime Minister contact tracing system with the MySe- Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. jahtera application developed by the Ng said the state government has agreed Federal administration. to empower local councils with the authority Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin to ensure that traders abide by the National Shari said the joint effort was made to Security Council’s SOPs, which are as follows: widen the reach in contact tracing while ■ Traders are not allowed to employ for- relying on existing measures. eigners. “This newly created integration be- ■ Only three people including the owner of tween SELangkah and MySejahtera the business and assistants are allowed at the would mean premises owners who premises. have been using SELangkah can con- ■ Only two people per family aged 13 and tinue using the system without making above are allowed to enter the markets or ba- any changes. zaars. “This would also enable the sharing ■ No time limit is imposed but customers of data between the two digital sys- are advised to keep their visits short. tems, which would make it easier for ■ Depending on the size of the market or existing SELangkah users … The users bazaar, more entry and exit points should be would be able to use the MySejahtera provided. application to scan the SELangkah QR Amirudin meets with Dr Adham (second from left) and representatives from “All parties must follow the SOPs by wear- code, aside from using the existing mo- the Health Ministry at his official residence on May 28 ing face masks, and practise social distancing dalities,” he said in a statement on June and good hygiene set by the Health Ministry,” 5. the health personnel will be integrated agencies as well as state and local au- Ng said. Amirudin said due to the over- across both the MySejahtera applica- thorities. He added that Selangor’s own SELangkah whelmingly positive response towards tion and the SELangkah system. Amirudin had on May 28 met with (Langkah Masuk Dengan Selamat) QR code SELangkah, the state government, “To date, more than 250 searches representatives from the Health Min- for contact tracing will be displayed at all through the Selangor Task Force for have already been performed (through istry, including its minister, Dr Adham premises. Covid-19, has paved the way forward the use of) SELangkah,” said Amirudin, Baba, to discuss future strategies be- Ng also reminded all traders that the Se- and trained over 30 health officers on adding that the SELangkah information tween the central and state govern- langor local authorities’ enforcement team May 20 to conduct contact tracing. logs are made accessible to enforce- ments on curbing the spread of the will not hesitate to take stern action against “The contact tracing carried out by ment officers from various government coronavirus. anyone who flouts the SOPs. 4 NEWS Selangor Journal l JUNE 2020

Pioneer screening Empowering farmers method pays off SHAH ALAM – Selangor is the pioneer state to implement the drive-through concept for Covid-19 mass community screening, rolling for better yield it out in the month of April. Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari By ASHWIN KUMAR eration to join the agriculture sector,” The plan is part of the state govern- said the initiative, which was carried out in Izham told Selangor Journal in an exclu- ment’s effort to achieve the Smart Selan- collaboration with the Selangor State Devel- SHAH ALAM – The Selangor Agro Icon sive interview. gor 2025 goals. opment Corporation’s wholly-owned subsidi- is the state government’s latest initiative “The Selangor Agro Icon is open to Izham also revealed that the state ad- ary Selcare Clinic, has prioritised those in the to empower farmers to become experts farmers eligible under the regulations ministration is in the final stage to set high-risk groups and managed to identify in their industry to help others increase set by the agriculture committee. Farm- up a centre of excellence (COE) for agri- asymptomatic individuals in the process. crop production, says Izham Hashim. ers practising modern farming and culture to increase farm produce in the “This (effort) has helped with Covid-19 The State Public Amenities, Agricul- proven to be successful will be selected. state. contact tracing in Selangor. Thank you to all tural Modernisation and Agro-based In- “The state government will audit and as- “The COE will be tasked to get in- that were involved,” said Amirudin on a Face- dustry Committee chairman said the ini- sist them in the form of financial schemes put from the Malaysian Agricultural book post on June 10. tiative aims to train farmers and equip and they will mentor other farmers. We will Research and Development Institute The drive-through testing, which focused them with the latest technology and choose the icons from different categories (Mardi) and public universities to en- on red zone areas, was assisted by several lo- farming know-how. like crop cultivation, livestock production able farmers to upgrade and modernise cal authorities. “The objective of the programme is to and fish farming,” he said. their farms. At the moment, we are the Selangor also initiated door-to-door mass identify 10 farmers in Selangor who are The programme, which comes under midst of deciding on whether to estab- community testing from April 11 to 23. keen to use modern farming techniques the Selangor Agro Transformation Plan, lish the COE under my committee or we Out of the total 5,433 samples taken, 10 and train them to become teachers or will be launched soon in collaboration let it operate as a government-linked had tested positive for the coronavirus and mentors to encourage a younger gen- with Selangor Agro TV. company,” he said. eight were found to be asymptomatic. Big plans ahead for state’s agro sector

SHAH ALAM – The state admin- markets (pasar awam) to agro the marketing channels for istration is ramping up efforts to markets. the farmers.” expand the Selangor Agro Mar- “This idea requires collabo- Izham also pointed out that ket initiative. ration with the local authorities the Selangor Agro Market is State Public Amenities, Agri- (PBTs). Aside from the upcom- the only outlet in the state that cultural Modernisation and Agro- ing agro mall in , there is selling fresh chicken and based Industry Committee chair- are already plans to expand oth- beef at below the controlled man Izham Hashim said one of er markets further. This will be price set by the Federal gov- the efforts includes formulating developed in collaboration with ernment. four plans to ensure the sustain- the private sectors,” Izham told He said chicken is sold at ability of the agro markets after Selangor Journal in an interview RM7.20 per kilogram, while Covid-19. recently. beef is priced at RM33.50 per The Selangor Mega Job Fair 2019 held at the Malaysia Agro Expo- “Even though the agro market He said the state is also scout- kilogram, 50 sen less than sition Park Serdang (Maeps) in had originated from the farm- ing for permanent locations for what has been set. er’s market (pasar tani) concept, the agro market initiative. The Selangor Agro Market it now stands strong as a place “As of now, we have nine per- has recorded more than RM13 Selangor expedites plans to that guarantees affordable pric- manent locations while the re- million in total sales since it es. The Selangor Agro Market is maining markets are based at was first launched on March here to stay and we will make the existing farmer’s market 27. hold job fair necessary changes to ensure it (pasar tani) locations. Meanwhile, Izham said the SHAH ALAM – Selangor will hold on June 16. operates smoothly. “We also have plans to up- state government has identi- a discussion with the Nation- He said they will also work One of the plans outlined by grade them into storage facilities fied 12 types of crops that can al Security Council (NSC) soon with Giat Mara and other gov- the state government is a pro- as well as to sell processed food help boost and support Selan- to come up with guidelines for ernment agencies as well as the posal to upgrade existing wet as part of our efforts to expand gor’s agriculture and planta- hosting the Job Matching Fair. private sector to offer training to tion sectors. Selangor Youth, Sports Devel- job seekers. “The agricultural sector to- ADVISOR: Editorial Advisory Board opment and Human Resource Selangor aims to bring down GROUP EDITOR: Fathi Aris Omar day is a vastly different land- Development Committee chair- its unemployment rate to 2.5 per EDITOR: Ida Nadirah Ibrahim scape and requires different man Mohd Khairuddin Othman cent from the 2.8 per cent that SUB EDITOR: Nur Anis Audrey Ong types of assistance from the said the job fair will be held was recorded between 2017 and JOURNALIST: Ashwin Kumar government. For Malaysia to throughout the state and an 2019. MARKETING & ADVERTISING: revitalise its agricultural sector, announcement will be made as On June 15 the Department Nadhrah Azlan [email protected] precision agriculture is the way soon as the green light is given of Statistics Malaysia announced Syahir Khadri [email protected] forward. by the NSC. that the national unemployment PHOTOGRAPHER: Asri Sapfie, Raheemie Arifin, “Based on our study and re- “This job fair is part of the rate rose 48.8 per cent to 778,800 Hafiz Othman & Fikri Yusof search, we have discovered 12 state’s initiative to overcome un- people as of April this year. GRAPHIC & LAYOUT: Graphics Department CCSB types of crops which can be employment as so many busi- This figure sets the unemploy- the prime movers for the coun- nesses have been forced to close ment rate at 5.0 per cent which Level 2, Carlton Holiday Hotel & Suites, No 1, Persiaran Akuatik 13/43, try’s agricultural sector. They during the movement control or- is the nation’s highest since 1989 Section 13, 40100, Shah Alam, Selangor include bananas, pineapples

EDITORIAL BOARD EDITORIAL der that started in March,” said due to the closure of many busi- Tel : 03-5523 4856 Fax : 03-5523 5856 Email: [email protected] and mushrooms,” he added. Mohd Khairuddin to SelangorKini nesses recently. Selangor Journal l JUNE 2020 NEWS 5

More mosques state-wide allowed to reopen

SHAH ALAM – , Sultan Selangor Islamic Religious Department Sharafuddin Idris Shah, has consented for (Jais). They are as follows: more mosques in Selangor to hold Friday and daily congregational prayers starting ■ Take their ablution (wudhu) at home June 19, while congregation numbers at ■ Bring their own prayer mat (sejadah) previously reopened mosques have been ■ Wear a face mask inside the mosque increased. ■ Practise social distancing at all times In a statement on June 18, private sec- retary to the Selangor Ruler, Datuk Moha- Those who are sick are prohibited from mad Munir Bani, said all mosques located performing prayers at mosques and the in the townships that have been declared congregation is reminded to also adhere green zones by the Selangor Health De- to the guidelines set by the National Secu- partment are now allowed to open and rity Council and the Health Ministry. can welcome 40 people for each congre- Meanwhile, Mohamad Munir said the gational prayer. Selangor Ruler has also decreed that the “His Royal Highness has consented that sacrificial ritual (ibadah korban) for Hari all the existing 39 mosques previously re- Raya Aidiladha is only allowed within the opened (to the public) and all mosques in compounds of the selected 39 mosques ‘mukim’ (townships) categorised as green The congregation that was allowed to perform the Friday prayers at the Masjid and the mosques located inside the green zones are to be opened for Friday and se- Jamek Ar Rahimiah in , on June 19 zones. lected daily congregational prayers start- “No sacrificial ritual is allowed at suraus ing June 19,” the statement read. not allowed. Mosque, is now allowed to welcome and Muslims are encouraged to partici- “The decision was made after taking Mohamad Munir said the Selangor Rul- 250 people for selected daily and Friday pate in this ritual only at the designated into consideration the current Covid-19 er has also consented to increase the con- prayers. The other 38 mosques can now mosques.” epidemic data and status in the state.” gregation numbers previously set for the receive 150 attendees. He added that His Royal Highness will However, congregational prayers at first 39 mosques that reopened. Mohamad Munir said all members of continue to monitor the Covid-19 situa- suraus, except those performed by the The Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah the congregation must abide by the stan- tion and will make decisions accordingly, three designated surau officials, is still Mosque, or better known as the State dard operating procedures set by the in time. Steps underway to pump up economy No more virtual

SHAH ALAM – The Selangor govern- payment period ■ Extension on rental exemp- ment is in the final stage of formu- The state government has agreed tion of premises under the pur- weddings, says Jais lating the state’s economic recovery to extend the land premium pay- view of local authorities plan, which is expected to be re- ment period to Sep 30 for notices The exemption on rental pay- SHAH ALAM – Muslim couples vealed by July, says Dato’ Seri Amiru- that have expired from Jan 1, 2020, ment offered under the previously in Selangor planning to wed din Shari. to June 9, 2020. announced state economic stimu- during the recovery condition- In a statement on June 18, the The payment of land premiums lus package will be extended anoth- al movement control order Menteri Besar said the state admin- can also be made in instalments of er month for the month of May this (RCMO) are now allowed to con- istration has also agreed to several six months until March 31, 2021, for year. duct the solemnisation ceremo- additional measures that will help to selected notices (5A and 7G) that ■ RM50,000 allocated to facili- ny in person beginning June 22, boost the state’s economy as well as have not expired. tate Selangor students abroad says the Selangor Islamic Reli- help those who have been affected “We hope that this initiative would A total of RM50,000 has been al- gious Department (Jais). by Covid-19. help in alleviating the economic located for the “Bakul Makanan” Its director Mohd Shahzihan The initiatives are as follows: pressures on the developers and in- programme, which would be chan- Ahmad (pic) said the event can be attended by no more ■ Extension on land premium vestors,” said Amirudin. nelled to some 600 Selangor stu- than 15 people — seven from the groom’s side and dents stranded in Egypt due to the eight from the bride’s side. Covid-19 situation. This excludes the bride, groom, the wali (custodian), Amirudin said the state continues to and the two witnesses. monitor the students’ condition while “There will no longer be ‘akad nikah’ (solemnisation) mulling the next course of action. ceremonies through video conferencing. “The state government, with the “The attendees of the ceremony must adhere to the cooperation of Wisma Putra, will standard operating procedure set by Jais,” he said in a (also) monitor the condition of oth- statement on June 18. er students studying abroad in other However, Mohd Shahzihan said the “akad nikah” countries that are sponsored by Se- ceremony can only be held at selected mosques or Is- langor. lamic Religious District Offices with the permission of “We appreciate the readiness of the marriage registrar. Wisma Putra to help us should the He has also reminded assistant marriage registrars situation require further action,” to facilitate the easing of the marriage application pro- Amirudin added. cess as well as the “akad nikah” ceremony. 6 OPINION Selangor Journal l JUNE 2020

Barber Harriz Ahmad, 29, dressed in personal protective equipment (PPE) preps a customer for a People are seen fishing after the government had announced haircut at the Goldcut Barbershop in the RMCO effective June 10 When sound policies, and not politics, saved the day

By JAY JAY DENIS Yassin’s administration in containing and ers with cash assistance as tourism was Seri Amirudin Shari opted for a soft land- managing Covid-19; the stimulus pack- paused, while also helping e-hailing driv- ing instead of a crash landing approach FTER the 14th General Election, ages and the movement control order ers in the state. by implementing a modified version of chief ministers throughout Ma- (MCO). Sarawak too rolled out a whopping as- the CMCO which disallowed dining in and laysia took a back seat as the First, Muhyiddin’s RM250 billion stim- sistance package which included utility certain recreational activities. Federal government took the ulus package failed the audit test after a bill rebates of up to 25 per cent a month Then Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri headlinesA after a change for the first time deeper dive showed that only RM22 bil- and extended the rental waivers for state Mukhriz Mahathir too, delayed the imple- in history. lion or 8.8 per cent was direct cash assis- housing schemes to six months, among mentation of the CMCO, with Sabah Chief All chief ministers except Sarawak were tance to the people while the remaining other measures. Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal and Neg- newly-appointed and competed for air- were a mix of grants and loans. The initiatives by these and other states eri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri time while finding ways of working with On the other hand, state governments like Kedah, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan and Aminuddin Harun following suit. the newly-minted Federal government. If adopted the helicopter money approach Johor went straight to people’s pockets, Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, Min- you weren’t working in politics, you’d be to resuscitate their respective economies especially those who earned salaries dai- ister of International Trade and Industry, hard-pressed to name all the chief minis- which were on life support. ly at a morning or night market, or coun- retaliated by claiming these state govern- ters without hitting “search” on Google. Selangor led the way in the peninsula cil-operated food courts. ments were unconstitutional and threat- However, the Covid-19 pandemic piqued by providing a combination of tax exemp- These were glaring omissions on the ened the possibility of states being sued. the public’s interest towards chief minis- tions, rental waivers and cash assistance Federal government’s part even in the lat- He is a former Menteri Besar himself. ters when the flaws of certain politicians in to day traders who lost their income as est package announced by Muhyiddin on However, no state government faced the Federal government came to light. stores could not operate during the MCO. June 5. legal challenges as the Federal Constitu- There are two aspects which have seen Penang was also quick to step in and In comparison, 75 per cent of Selan- tion is clear on the shared responsibility states depart from Tan Sri Muhyiddin help their trishaw riders and taxi driv- gor’s two stimulus packages came in the of state and federal governments which form of direct cash or payment waivers includes health and safety policies. versus the Federal Prihatin’s 8.8 per cent. In hindsight, the proactive and bold Next, Muhyiddin extended the MCO to moves by these chief ministers prove May 12 in his announcement on April 1. their decisions were vital in containing He then decided to replace the MCO on the spread of Covid-19 and these policies May 10 with the conditional movement were driven by data and science, not pol- control order (CMCO) which was slated to itics. run till June 9. As a result, we have seen the national The CMCO had allowed dining in at Covid-19 infection rate drop tremendous- restaurants as well as certain sporting ly over the past month with economic ac- and recreational activities to resume. tivity being reopened under strict guide- In response, state governments lines and procedures. pushed back with the federal govern- This pandemic has strengthened the ment’s orders in various forms. case for more responsibility and fund- This included states politically aligned ing to be given to state and local govern- to the Muhyiddin administration in Ke- ments, especially at times of crises. lantan, Pahang and Sarawak – all in uni- It also shows that when the Federal son stating that the health and welfare of government errs, state governments can Children at Tadika Anak-Anak Bestari at Section 7 Shah Alam do their learning their people had to be prioritised. and will not shy away from stepping up to while observing social distancing Similarly, Selangor Menteri Besar Dato’ the plate. Selangor Journal l JUNE 2020 MONEY 7

MB: Aerospace industry holds great promise

By KHAIRUL AZRAN HUSSIN (S-Daico). S-Daico will be at the frontline in SHAH ALAM - Selangor has much to helping the industry players by pro- gain in exploring new investments, viding information, advisory ser- and the aerospace industry, in par- vices as well as potential investment ticular, holds great promise for the opportunities. state’s economy, says its Menteri The state’s maiden action plan for Besar. the aerospace industry targets sev- With 62 per cent of aerospace-re- eral areas including infrastructure, lated companies in Malaysia operat- incentive, funding, education and ing in Selangor, Dato’ Seri Amirudin training, regulations as well as mar- Shari expressed hope that more par- ket access. ties will grab the chance at becoming In the next 10 years, Malaysia’s a part of the industry’s ecosystem. aero-manufacturing industry is ex- “There are more than 20 institutes pected to generate RM21.2 billion, of higher learning in the state that the aircraft maintenance, repair and are offering courses in aerospace, overhaul sector RM20.4 billion, and (therefore) Selangor has huge poten- the aircraft engineering and design tial in this industry,” Amirudin said in sector, RM13.6 billion. a Facebook posting on June 11. On May 18, Amirudin had said Previously, Amirudin had set the that in 2017, the maintenance, re- target for Selangor to become a ma- pair and overhaul (MRO) activity is jor player in the global aerospace the second largest contributor in industry by 2030 through the Selan- the industry with RM6.2 billion while gor Aerospace Action Plan executed manufacturing activities contribut- by the Selangor Darul Ehsan Aero- ed RM6.6 billion to the national rev- space Industry Coordination Office enue. Amirudin (left) visits an aeroplane hangar at Sepang Aircraft Engineering Sdn Bhd Selangor goes digital to Economic revival as early as December woo investors KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia's um-term reform agendas, Dr economy can be expected to be Firas said during Bernama TV’s For Malaysia to cross SHAH ALAM – The state gov- and foreign investors, the on the recovery path starting talk-show The Nation when dis- into high-income ernment will be conducting state government will also from the end of this year and re- cussing the topic “Economic Re- country status, it virtual expos, seminars and conduct a study on the poli- turn to growth into 2021, said The covery Plan (The World Bank Per- investment meet- cies and the ap- World Bank. spective)” on June 8. will have to boost ings to share plication process Its country manager for Malay- He said Malaysia should con- productivity growth, ideas with indus- of industrial de- sia, Dr Firas Raad, said the coun- tinue its efforts in the reform try players, says velopment,” he try needs to continue with its en- agenda and work on the areas and that will only Selangor Invest- told SelangorKini couraging and effective public of governance, the economy and come with great ment, Industry on June 9. health measures while bringing education, in its bid to achieve and Trade, Small On March 31, the economy back to where it was high-income nation status. investment in human and Medium In- Teng had said before the Covid-19 pandemic. “For Malaysia to cross into capital dustries Commit- that the Selangor He said pro-growth policies high-income country status, it tee chairman. administration coupled with incentives to push will have to boost productivity DR FIRAS RAAD Datuk Teng would have to de- the private sector are crucial in- growth, and that will only come World Bank country manager Chang Kim (pic) cide on whether gredients in helping the nation with great investment in human for Malaysia said the decision was made to continue with SIBS 2020, recover from the economic down- capital,” he said. after the state’s plans to which was initially scheduled turn. He added that the World Bank hold investment promotions for Oct 14 to 17 at the Kuala “The country first needs to con- is in the midst of reviewing the Business activities are resum- throughout the year both lo- Lumpur Convention Centre. tinue its effective public health economic impact of the Covid-19 ing as the country gradually cally and abroad were stunt- The international sum- measures to ensure (there is) no outbreak on Malaysia’s economy eased lockdown measures after ed due to Covid-19. mit was to feature four main second wave or the return of the before deciding whether to revise economic activity froze for more “We will host these virtual components, namely the Se- (Covid-19) virus. the country’s 2020 gross domes- than two months. programmes to replace the langor International Expo, “Aside from that, (it must) tic product (GDP) growth target The country is now entering investment and trade promo- the Selangor-Asean Business continue supporting vulnera- sometime this month. the recovery phase of Covid-19 tions planned via the Selan- Conference, the Selangor ble households and focus on the The bank in April cut Malaysia’s following a declining trend of in- gor International Business Smart City and Digital Econ- firms that need support and re- 2020 GDP growth forecast from fections. Summit (SIBS). omy Convention, and the Se- covery, especially the small and 4.5 per cent to a negative 0.1 per The majority of businesses are “Aside from providing in- langor Research and Devel- medium enterprises, and then cent against the backdrop of the allowed to reopen, albeit subject centives to attract both local opment and Innovation Expo. start to think about the medi- coronavirus. to strict conditions. — Bernama 8 FOCUS Selangor Journal l JUNE 2020 FOCUS 9 Smart infrastructure for a smart state

A personal challenge

Flood issues have become a great concern for Izham. He said the existing drainage infrastructure in the state is no longer adequate to deal with the frequent deluges. The various flood mitigation projects that have been launched over the years have done little to alleviate the problem. “The flood issue is not a matter that can By ASHWIN be resolved in an effortless manner. It is a very complicated problem that re- KUMAR quires in-depth knowledge about drainage and irrigation. nfrastructure plays “A detailed study is need- an important role in ed and should focus on rapid economic growth and the sustainability guide- the alleviation of poverty in a lines of the Drainage and country. Irrigation Department’s IAdequate infrastructure in the form management manual,” he of road and transport systems, power, air- said. ports and broadband networks is needed for These guidelines, Iz- the Malaysian economy to be on par with other economies Tech solutions ham said, would be used of the world. as a reference for the Selangor Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari had Selangor Utility Among the first significant achievements in realising the planning and develop- previously said that Selangor has good logistics infrastruc- Selangor Smart State Vision 2025 was the introduction of the Corridor ment of all flood mitigation ture such as ports, airports and roads. He also said that an Smart Selangor Command Centre (SSCC), a centralised data efforts. investment ecosystem is already in place in Selangor and collection and control room that plays a pivotal role in disas- The Selangor government will also be in- He said the state administra- these factors have attracted investors to the state. ter monitoring in the state. troducing its own Utility Corridor, designed to tion will upgrade, clean and build Leveraging on its smart technology, innovations and SSCC gathers and manages all data relating to any kind streamline all future utility infrastructure works. more retention ponds and flood con- solid infrastructure, Selangor now aspires to be Southeast of disaster. All the data is then sent for further action to the Izham said the corridor will have a comprehensive trol pumping stations. At the moment, Asia’s premier smart state by 2025. state government or the National Disaster Management database so that all maintenance and installation works Selangor has around 600 retention ponds. Smart Digital Infrastructure is one of the 12 domains Agency. can be carried out efficiently and in an organised manner. “We will restructure the retention ponds’ ownership. The that will help the state achieve its goal, and Izham Hashim Izham said the state government is also planning to in- “The main purpose of this initiative is to save cost, time problem only arises when there is a dispute in regards to said the state administration’s commitment in this area is troduce a monitoring centre to keep watch on agricultural and most importantly, to not cause inconvenience to the the retention ponds’ ownership. Such issues turn the ponds evident from the plans that have been outlined so far. activities, floods and road safety. public. into a no man’s land and their condition only worsens. We “Providing the best infrastructure is a very big task and “The state is always seeking to leverage and experiment “For example, when road repairs are needed, we have to want to end that.” it is not limited to only fixing potholes and maintaining the on the Internet of Things to come up with solutions to im- block the road and remove the existing infrastructure until Izham said the state government has placed over 100 drainage system. The state government is always doing its prove the quality of life for the people. We are experiment- the work is completed and this is going to incur a big cost. retention ponds under the care of the Selangor Irrigation best to offer the best infrastructure to its people. I can as- ing with a monitoring centre equipped with a system that is The Utility Corridor can avoid such disruption by constantly and Drainage Department. sure you that Selangor is moving in the right direction to- capable of measuring vehicles travelling at a normal or re- monitoring and providing frequent maintenance. He added that people need to be aware of infrastructure wards achieving its smart state status,” the Selangor Pub- duced traffic speed that does not require them to come to “Communications amenities like fibre optics and tele- ownership issues. lic Amenities, Agricultural Modernisation and Agro-based a stop. phone cables can also be installed in the Utility Corridor. It “(But) the rakyat just wants flood issues to be addressed, Industry Committee chairman told Selangor Journal in an “The monitoring centre will also be equipped with high-res- will allow works to be carried out quickly, saving time and so that is why I want to resolve them internally. I am going exclusive interview recently. olution cameras to monitor floods, and artificial intelligence cost, like how it is done in Japan. Utility companies can in- to take responsibility for this issue and deliver,” he said. technology to aid in detecting diseases in plants, pests, and crease their work quality in this manner.” poor plant nutrition in farms,” he said. Izham said the plan for the Selangor Utility Corridor was The monitoring centre will enable better decision-making already agreed to in principle before the movement control and improve efficiency in areas such as emergency assis- order took place. tance response. “We will be launching it soon,” he said. 10 ADUN SPEAKS Selangor Journal l JUNE 2020

Of factories, floods and fabulous food

1 By ASHWIN KUMAR 2

ATU Tiga may not be the most famous township in Selangor, but those whoB have been there remem- ber it best for one thing: its food. Its state assemblyman Rodziah Ismail knows this and plans to take advantage of the human desire for tasty meals to turn her constituency into a food haven. Rodziah is not new to . She has been the repre- sentative for the 55,034-strong electorate since 2008 and is CAPTION also currently heading the Se- langor Entrepreneur, Rural, 1. Rodziah mingles with Village and Traditional Village the people during the Development Committee port- launch of the SJK (T) folio. Ladang Ebor Awards Day in Batu Tiga Selangor Journal (SJ): What is the main industry in your con- 2 & 3. Rodziah chats with stituency? customers during the Jom Shopping programme at Rodziah Ismail (RI): We have the Kemuning Utama many factories in my constitu- Giant Hypermarket in ency. We are also seeing rapid Shah Alam population growth due to our industrial areas. Many places 3 have been converted into com- mercial and residential units. I am sure everyone remembers tures in Batu Tiga were upgrad- the closure of the JVC Kenwood N41 ed, especially the roads leading electronics factory in 2015. How- BATU TIGA to and from . It was ever, the closure of the factory a challenging period for me and did not put an end to the facto- my team. The people of Batu Tiga ry sector. In fact, more multina- know what I have contributed to tional companies relocated their them and those contributions are factories here. my legacy.

SJ: What is the main attraction SJ: Can you share with us some in your constituency? of your problem-solving meth- ods? RI: I consider myself lucky to represent my constituency be- pung Kuantan. My plan is to get RI: I make sure that I help my cause of its location, population the hawkers to set up stalls at a RI: The people in my constit- voters whenever the need arises. and food. The people who live permitted location to make it a uency always raise issues con- SJ: What are some of your The best way to solve people's here are mostly newly married must-stop for anyone travelling cerning congested residential achievements in the constitu- problems is by having dialogue couples, young families, lectur- to or through Batu Tiga. Batu areas, old houses, potholes and ency? sessions with them, together with ers, civil servants and young Tiga is also famous for its annu- floods. The population in Batu the authorities concerned. My graduates who are joining the al Bon Odori festival held as an Tiga can be described as “su- RI: Previously, the people in community service centre also workforce, and most homes are effort to promote and strength- per-sized”. Hence, we need to Sungai Rasau were frustrated by serves as a place where the locals owner-occupied. Our residents en ties between Malaysia and Ja- manage and find a way to solve flash floods that happened fre- can file their complaints or raise are known to be foodies, so it pan, as well as to showcase Jap- these issues. There are many old quently, particularly those which concerns over issues that affect is no surprise that my constit- anese culture to Malaysians. houses in Batu Tiga, especially resulted in material and finan- their livelihood. I am not a “cere- uency offers an abundance of in Section 24. Some of these old cial losses. My councillors and I monial” people’s representative; I local food at affordable prices. SJ: What are some of the con- houses have been around for worked very hard to overcome am here to address their issues. If We have Cendol Bawah Pokok, cerns that are regularly raised more than 100 years. They are this. The state government has you want to know what my secret Nasi Gunung, Popiah, Soup by your constituents and how usually wooden houses in the vil- also been instrumental in address- for being the wakil rakyat for three Power and Asam Pedas Kam- do you plan to address them? lages. ing this issue. Many infrastruc- terms is, it is simple — I don’t rest. Selangor Journal l JUNE 2020 FOCUS 11

Unlocking the digital potential of villages

By ASHWIN KUMAR munications infrastructure and to speed up the state’s digital he Covid-19 pandem- transformation. ic has proven digital As of last year, the state has transformation to be achieved a 60 per cent high- essential in driving the speed Internet penetration. economy forward. Many businesses, including Women as leaders thoseT in farming and fishery, have moved towards digitalisation and The position of village heads ventured into e-commerce to in Selangor will no longer be keep afloat during the movement restricted to men as the state control order (MCO) period due to government has amended its the restrictions imposed. policy to enable women to take With its Smart City goals in up the post. place, Selangor is set to become a Rodziah said the state gov- game changer in bringing digital- ernment is already in the pro- isation to the next level. cess of appointing more female State Entrepreneur, Rural, Vil- village heads which is in line lage and Traditional Village De- with her executive commit- velopment Committee chairman tee’s target of having a 30 per Rodziah Ismail said digital trans- cent representation of women formation is key to reshaping the in leadership positions in the economy in rural areas, which in state. turn would reduce household in- “We are in fact considering come disparity in the rural-urban to appoint qualified women in divide. the state for other village-level “Entrepreneurs should stay positions which include village creative and innovative by lever- secretary and Village Communi- aging on the various smart tech- Rodziah during an interview broadcasted on Facebook on June 5 ty Management Council (MPKK) nologies offered through the members. Hopefully, their ap- smart city initiative. They should entrepreneurs to utilise the vari- Stumbling blocks agencies, financial institutions, pointments can be made soon.” also change the way they work. ous applications and digital tools and e-wallet players. The state executive council “This would allow them to to expand and improve on the ef- Rodziah said she has often However, Rodziah said digital has already approved 371 vil- easily achieve efficiency and ef- ficiency of their respective busi- encouraged rural communities literacy and network connectiv- lage heads for the 2018/2020 fectiveness,” she told Selangor nesses. to go cashless, including for bill ity remain as stumbling blocks session. Journal in an exclusive interview “The online courses highlight payments. while her committee educates Each village head receives recently. the state government’s level of The cashless transaction ap- the communities on the cash- an allowance of RM500 from Rodziah said the state had al- seriousness in accelerating digi- proach is not something new. I less method. the Federal government and located a total of RM5.4 million tal adoption and reinforcing Se- am still advocating this approach “The knowledge gap in us- RM700 from the state. for rural and traditional village langor as an e-commerce hub. because going cashless is the ing digital devices has not been Furthermore, the Selangor developments in the recent bud- The experience they gain via the way to move forward especially bridged and this has displaced government has agreed to get. The allocation was set aside online courses will give them a in the state’s quest to achieve the senior citizens. Some rural ar- give an allocation of RM10,000 for various initiatives which in- huge advantage and increase smart state goal by 2025. eas are still facing connectivity to each village head to enable clude the Rural Economic Devel- their chances of sustaining and “However, there have been issues and this poses a big chal- them to plan and implement opment programme, the Village succeeding in their businesses. concerns over how the move lenge,” she said. programmes that are beneficial (Desa) Economic Development Some 343 out of 1,000 partici- would affect rural folks or the According to Rodziah, devel- to their people. programme, rural training cours- pants have started their online older generation once the cash- opment of the state’s Internet Rodziah is urging women, es- es, short skill courses and the Sa- business,” she said. less transaction method is fully infrastructure would be accel- pecially those in rural areas, to rang Ekonomi Desa initiative. Rodziah said the state gov- implemented. I am quite sympa- erated, especially in rural ar- grab at the opportunities avail- ernment is committed to carry- thetic towards that sentiment.” eas and places without connec- able to them to become entre- Empowering rural folk ing out efforts aimed at increas- Rodziah said the state gov- tivity, in line with the vision to preneurs. ing monthly household income ernment launched the Citizen smart up Selangor by 2025. In a related matter, Rodziah The state government has or- among rural folk. e-payment platform (CEPat) last The state government is said a total of 496 village heads ganised online courses for some “We realised that the sale of year as a single platform where working with SmartSel to wid- including those from the Indian 1,000 rural entrepreneurs during craft or handmade products on- people can make payments to en broadband coverage and community in Selangor received the MCO as part of its initiative line is booming in Selangor and all state government agencies increase the number of WiFi the Group Insurance Scheme to help small and medium entre- this clearly shows Selangor is on including for zakat, assessment hotspots throughout the state. (Skim Insurans Berkelompok) preneurs (SMEs) to market their the right path when it comes to tax, as well as parking. SmartSel is a wholly-owned at the start of June. products through e-commerce digitising the entrepreneurs in The development of CEPat subsidiary of Selangor Ment- The scheme covers Takaful platforms. rural areas. We will definitely ex- was spearheaded by the Smart eri Besar Incorporated whose coverage of up to RM15,000 as Rodziah said such online pand the online courses to more Selangor Delivery Unit in collab- objective is to develop and well as life insurance involving courses would encourage rural areas.” oration with local councils, state manage Selangor’s telecom- end-of-life cost payments. 12 LOCAL Selangor Journal l JUNE 2020

Maintenance works Water bill adjustments resume after MCO

SHAH ALAM - The Selangor state authorities will carry out immediate road and drainage mainte- in progress nance at the public parking lot area near the Shah Alam Stadium in Section 13, here, to prevent flash floods, says Izham Hashim. By NADIAH ZAMLUS issued by the National Water Services She said in general, domestic con- The State Public Amenities, Agricultural Mod- Commission (SPAN) and the adjust- sumers have shown a prorated in- ernisation and Agro-based Industry Committee SHAH ALAM - Pengurusan Air Selan- ments will be reflected in the June or crease in water usage of 15 per cent chairman said the local authorities, Drainage and gor Sdn Bhd (Air Selangor) is in the July bill. a month during the MCO. Irrigation Department (DID) and the Public Works process of adjusting the water bills “For overpayment based on the Customers who have any inquiries Department (JKR) have identified several clogged in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Pu- adjustments made before the MCO, on their water bills can contact Air Se- drains that could not be maintained during the trajaya, as meter reading was put on the balance will be recorded in the langor at 15300 or send a Whatsapp movement control order (MCO). hold during the movement control customer’s account. message to 019-2800919 or 019- “The maintenance works were halted due to the order (MCO) period. “The process is expected to re- 2816793. The company can also be MCO. However, since we are now in the recovery Its corporate communications solve in July as the complete cycle of reached via email at ecare@airse- phase, work has already started,” he told report- head Elina Basri said the calculation the bill would take about a month,” langor.com or through its Facebook, ers after visiting the stadium on June 10. method is in line with the guideline Elina said in a statement on June 5. Twitter and Instagram accounts. Izham said the state government has also sug- gested building a water retention pond near the stadium as a long-term measure to withstand heavy rainfall. “We will visit the area first, InshaAllah, we will chair a meeting and discuss the allocation to kick start building the water retention pond soon,” he added. The area was recently hit by a flash flood when the drainage system was unable to cope with a heavy downpour.

Smart busses adopt SELangkah

SHAH ALAM - Smart Selangor Bus passengers are required to scan the SELangkah (Langkah Masuk Dengan Selamat) QR code provided at the bus entrance before using the public trans- port service, says Ng Sze Han. The Selangor Local Government, Public Trans- port and New Village Development Committee chairman have advised commuters to be patient while queuing up and adhering to the standard operating procedure (SOP) set by the authorities. Mohd Rashidi (right) puts up a notice of closure at an eatery that had failed to comply with the SOP during the “Busses are allowed inspection operation at Section 19, Shah Alam, on June 2 to only carry 20 pas- sengers at a time. Therefore, the com- muters are required Eateries urged to follow guidelines to queue up and are advised to not rush SHAH ALAM - Restaurant operators action from the authorities if they do ordered to close for 14 days for vio- when taking the bus. and owners of eateries are urged to not observe the guidelines imposed. lating the SOP. “Passengers are remind- be firm when advising their custom- “Both businesses and customers The action was taken under the ed to observe the social distancing rule, wear ers to follow the standard operating are required to follow the SOP to en- Control of Prevention and Control of a face mask as well as maintain good hygiene procedure (SOP) during the recovery sure that the Covid-19 chain of infec- Infectious Diseases Act 1988 as the when using the service,” he told SelangorKini on movement control order (RMCO), tion is broken. restaurant operators failed to keep June 11. says the Shah Alam deputy mayor. “The leeway given by the govern- their premises clean, did not use the Ng also said that the busses are sanitised ac- Mohd Rashidi Ruslan said the ment has to be carefully observed SELangkah contact tracing system, cording to schedule and tell the public not to Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) has as we continue on with the new nor- and did not practice social distanc- worry when using the service. received several complaints on SOP mal,” he told a press conference after ing. On March 24, the Smart Selangor Bus service non-compliance, such as allowing an inspection operation on restau- A total of 117 enforcement officers was suspended when Covid-19 cases spiked in more than two people at a table rants and eateries here on June 2. were involved in the operation and the state, with its 138 busses that usually trav- while dining in. Meanwhile, two eateries at the received help from the Shah Alam el along 43 routes immediately ceasing opera- He said customers can face legal Section 19 business centre here were District Police. tions. Selangor Journal l JUNE 2020 LOCAL 13

Dengue hotspots on the rise

SHAH ALAM - Selangor has recorded 61 dengue hotspots The public out of the 99 detected nation- wide, with Hulu Selangor dis- is advised to trict topping the list of cases. According to information constantly portal Public Health Malay- sia, Apartmen Teratai in Hulu monitor their Selangor has registered 131 surroundings cases followed by Ban- dar Bukit Mahko- especially ta, Hulu Langat (56), Cyberia in their Smart Home, Sepang (54) homes and Ng scans the e-wallet QR code displayed at the MPSJ morning market in Bandar Baru Puchong and Mentari workplaces, Court, Petal- ing (39). prevent New den- gue hotspots dengue Ng: Plight of market were also detected in Taman Impian Ehsan in breeding grounds Hulu Langat with nine cases, and report to Apartmen Mawar, Hulu Selan- gor (10) and Taman Perindus- authorities and traders heard trian, (7). “The number of dengue-re- community By NORRASYIDAH ARSHAD operating procedures (SOPs). Meanwhile, MPSJ president lated cases continues to spike “We are aware of the plight of Noraini Roslan has called for the despite the country register- leaders for PUCHONG - A total of 417 morn- the traders who lost their source hawkers and traders association ing single-digit Covid-19 cas- prevention ing markets, night markets and of income for three months but to work together in ensuring es yesterday (June 9). bazarias in Selangor have re- we have to reopen the markets that the reopening of the mar- “The public is advised to On June 9, MOH forecasted opened in stages in selected lo- in stages. kets would run smoothly. constantly monitor their a second wave of dengue cas- cations beginning June 15. “The local authorities need “It would be difficult to leave surroundings especially in es for June until September, Selangor Local Government, time to discuss with the hawkers everything to the local coun- their homes and workplac- following an upward trend Public Transport and New Village and traders association. There cil. We hope that all parties es, prevent dengue breed- with an average increase of Development Committee chair- will be a visit to each of the mar- would adhere to the SOP so that ing grounds and report to eight per cent a week. man Ng Sze Han said the mar- ket locations and this will take there would be no emergence authorities and community A total of 48,584 dengue kets will operate on a rotational some time,” Ng told the media of a morning or night market leaders for prevention,” stat- fever cases and 84 dengue-re- basis set by the local authorities after visiting the (Covid-19) cluster. ed the portal that is operated lated deaths were reported to ensure both traders and cus- Municipal Council (MPSJ) morn- “We will also continuously by the Malaysian Health Min- from January till June 6 this tomers comply with the standard ing market on June 15. monitor the markets,” she said. istry (MOH). year.

Cash aid for families affected by landslide

SHAH ALAM - The Selangor gov- the De Palma Hotel in Ampang for the mitigation measures on slope ernment has allocated a total of 31 residents from May 30, at a total protection that are based on scien- RM54,810 in financial assistance of RM15,810. tific data,” he said in a statement to the six families affected by the Amirudin said additional funds on June 6. landslide at Taman Kelab Ukay, of RM433,800 have also been set Amirudin said the consultant . aside for works to strengthen the will be appointed by the Selangor Following the Selangor Econom- Sungai Sering riverbank, which will and Federal Territories Minerals ic Action Council (MTES) meeting be carried out by the Selangor Irri- and Geoscience Department and on June 4, Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri gation and Drainage Department. the Municipal Coun- Amirudin Shari said the breakdown “The state government will also cil. of the financial aid is as follows: carry out a detailed study on the On May 30, the Selangor Fire l RM500 in financial aid for each affected area as several landslide and Rescue Department was alert- of the six families, at a total of incidents have occurred in the last ed of the landslide in Bukit Antara- RM3,000 few years. bangsa at 2.21am and arrived at l RM1,000 to assist each family “A consultant will be appointed the scene at 2.33am. in paying rent for six months, at a to conduct the study, which will It is reported to have occurred total of RM36,000 include determining the high-risk following continuous rain, result- l Temporary accommodation at areas and analysing and reviewing ing in soil movement in the area. 14 ADUN SPEAKS Selangor Journal l JUNE 2020

‘It’s not an achievement, but my responsibility’

By ASHWIN KUMAR world. The settlement has also contrib- groups and that means I anticipate and construction of the Paya Jaras Mini Sta- uted immensely to medical research. It come across problems with illegal ven- dium and the construction of new stalls OR Paya Jaras assemblyman has been recognised as a national her- dors or people conducting business at at the business centre in Saujana Utama Khairuddin Othman, his priori- itage site. places barred by the authorities. Dia- are among my contributions to help the ty will always be his constituency logue sessions and discussions with the community. The mood can be depress- despiteF having his plate full as the Se- SJ: What are some of the concerns local authorities and enforcement agen- ing sometimes given the impact that the langor Youth, Sports Development and that are regularly raised by your con- cies are among the best methods to ad- Covid-19 outbreak has had on everyday Human Resource Development Com- stituents and how do you plan to ad- dress the issues in my constituency. On life. People have had their incomes re- mittee chairman. dress them? the large number of roadside hawkers, duced. Some even lost their jobs. He has been the representative many of whom are unlicensed, I am do- If you ask me, being there at the right for the 43,000-strong electorate since KO: The people in my constituen- ing my best to relocate them and help time when your community needs you is 2013. cy always raise issues concerning road them get permits. the biggest achievement. That is why I In an exclusive interview with Selan- congestions, floods and infrastructure advocated for the distribution of essen- gor Journal, Khairuddin said he is now issues. We have a mixed community SJ: What are some of your achieve- tial goods for the residents of Paya Jaras committed to both the state adminis- with various types of income ments in the constituency? during the movement control order. tration and his constituency, and that being a politician means having the op- KO: I wouldn’t call it an achieve- SJ: Can you share with us some of portunity to help the people you repre- ment but rather my respon- your problem-solving methods? sent. sibility, that is, to meet the voters’ needs. Like I men- KO: I always make sure that the agen- Selangor Journal (SJ): What is the main tioned earlier, infrastruc- cies and the authorities concerned hear CAPTION industry in your constituency? N38 ture issues are among out the problems that are faced by the the most common grouses people of Paya Jaras. Once we get the 1. Khairuddin meets PAYA JARAS Khairuddin Othman (KO): I would raised by the residents in response from the relevant parties, we with former Sela- say several sectors such as the Food and Paya Jaras. So, the replace- continue with dialogue sessions and we ngor athletes and para Beverage industry, and the plant nurs- ment of water pipes make sure that we act on the particular athletes for the Hari Raya ery and flower industries. They are the throughout Paya Ja- issue. My main objective is to ease the Aidilfitri celebration at the backbone of Paya Jaras. Paya Jaras has ras and the Matang burden of the community here. I feel the Selangor State Sports emerged as one of the fastest-growing Pagar area, the need to connect with the people. Council (MSNS) lobby in areas in the district due to Section 7, Shah Alam these industries. 2. Khairuddin delivers SJ: What is the main attraction? basic supplies to the people of Paya Jaras KO: I wouldn’t name it as an attrac- tion but the Sungai Buloh Leprosy Set- 3. Bringing smiles to the tlement or Hospital Kusta Sungai Buloh children from his constituency is a landmark. The settlement around during a back-to-school the hospital was renamed the National programme at Econsave Leprosy Control Centre in 1969 and was in Sungai Buloh the second-largest leprosarium in the

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3 Selangor Journal l JUNE 2020 SPORTS 15

Sukma team going for gold

By SHEEDA FATHIL

SHAH ALAM - Selangor aims to be the champion of the Malaysia Games (Suk- We aim to not only come ma), which has been postponed to March next year, says the state executive coun- out as champions in the cillor. Selangor Youth, Sports Development Sukma games but other and Human Resource Development Committee chairman Mohd Khairuddin upcoming sports events Othman said although the state has not as well clinched the top spot for some time, the performance of the athletes have im- proved significantly. KHAIRUDDIN “Many of our national athletes repre- senting the country are from Selangor. OTHMAN This shows that they have great perfor- Selangor Youth, Sports Development mance and talent. and Human Resource Development “The Selangor State Sports Coun- Committee chairman cil is also continuously monitor- 2013. Prior to that, it last won the event not allow physical activities to be conduct- ing the athletes’ performance in 2006. ed outdoors. and we aim to not only come The biennial national sports event “Therefore, we encouraged the youth out as champions in the Suk- was initially scheduled for July 11 to 19 to participate in e-sports and avoid activi- ma games but other upcoming but was postponed due to the Covid-19 ties involving mass gatherings due to the sports events as well,” he said outbreak. restrictions. But since the CMCO has been during an online talk organised On a separate matter, Mohd Khairud- lifted, things have gone back to what they by the state government’s think- din dismissed claims that the state admin- were,” he said. tank Institute Darul Ehsan on istration has recently neglected to focus The Federal government has an- June 6. on other sports like football, sepak takraw nounced the replacement of the CMCO Selangor emerged and badminton, as it moved towards pro- with the recovery MCO, effective June 10 as champions moting e-sports when the movement con- till Aug 31. of the Suk- trol order started. Sports activities have been allowed to ma games “We focused more on e-sports because resume under strict standard operating in 2016 and of the conditional MCO (CMCO), which did procedures as part of the new normal. Athletes’ training still on hold Selangor’s virtual KUALA LUMPUR - The national wait until the RTT special training force on March 18. Currently, only games prove a hit athletics squad is expected to camp in Bukit Jalil is over as they athletes preparing for the Olym- wait until July to begin full train- are conducting training under pics under the RTT programme ing even though the government quarantine. We have to adhere to have returned for training. SHAH ALAM - The Selangor Xtiv has allowed many sporting and the complete procedure including Most are based at Bukit Jalil, Virtual 2020 programme contin- recreational activities to resume obtaining the approval of the gov- while the badminton squad is ues to receive an overwhelm- under the recovery movement ernment, especially the National based in Bukit Kiara and the sail- ing response with 82,694 reg- control order (RMCO). Security Council to start training. ing team in Langkawi. istrations recorded since it was The National Sport Council “However, our athletes would Asked if there have been pro- launched on May 4. (MSN) is currently giving priority continue to train on their own at posals to hold training at alter- State Youth, Sports and Hu- to the athletes under the Road suitable venues under the super- native venues, Mohd Manshahar man Capital Development Com- to Tokyo (RTT) programme by vision of their respective coach- said many aspects have to be mittee chairman Mohd Khairud- closing the facilities in Bukit Jalil es. The coaches would, in turn, evaluated such as SOP, facilities din Othman said the Selangor to other athletes until the special send their training reports to me and equipment as well as accom- administration remains committed to providing activities for the training camp ends on June 30. and MSN every week,” he told modation. public, especially the youth, to participate in. National athletics chief coach Bernama on June 15. He expressed hope that the “The state government’s role is to support the public’s interests Mohd Manshahar Abd Jalil said The national athletics squad is Covid-19 restrictions would end by providing them with a platform,” he told SelangorKini when he would be holding a meeting made up of about 50 athletes in- soon so that athletes can contin- contacted on June 9. with MSN soon to discuss a suit- cluding elite and junior athletes. ue their training which has halt- The inaugural virtual event includes the Selangor Xtiv Virtual able date to resume training for Most of them undergo training ed for three months. e-Sport, the Selangor Virtual Run as well as the Selangor Martial all the other athletes as well as at MSN, Bukit Jalil and the Tunku “I hope the athletes will re- Art Xtiv with a total cash prize of RM431,000. the standard operating proce- Mahkota Ismail Sports School. main motivated and be ready to The online tournament, which aims to encourage youths to dure (SOP) required. All national athletes were told start full training as we are plan- participate in beneficial activities during the movement control “For the time being, training to vacate their hostel and return ning the best for them,” he said. order period enforced on March 18, is carried out in eight phases has not started, (it) may have to home before the MCO came into — Bernama and will end on Dec 31.