Set on reaching and Shopee’s Hope still grows Becoming guardians herd immunity digital dream in Sentosa of a river

5 7 10 11 FREE l JUNE 2021 EDITION l www.selangorjournal.my SELANGOR

Malaysia is on the brink of a fourth wave of Covid-19 infection. The onslaught of cases in recent weeks — peaking at 8,290 on May 28 — coupled with the deadly variants that have slipped A RACE through our borders, have compelled the Federal gov- ernment to declare the first phase of a total lockdown for the whole nation from June 1 to 14. Selangor, too, is confront- ing the enemy head-on. The state is ramping up testing by employing the FTTIS method to quickly find, test, trace, isolate and support as many infected people as possible before more succumb to the raging virus. MORE ON PAGE 3,8&9 2 NEWS Selangor Journal l JUNE 2021

Group check-ins now possible with SELangkah

By MUSTAKIM RAMLI announced three new features to its mo- ‘Bubble’ works for group check-ins in- SELangkah was introduced on May 5, bile application, namely ‘multi-scanner’, volving members of a family, friends or 2020, as a contact tracing tool that allows - The state-developed con- ‘bubble’ and ‘AfMap’. colleagues. its users to register themselves at public tact-tracing app SELangkah (Step In, Safe- Based on video sharing, the ‘multi-scan- ‘AfMap’ serves to inform users of the places quickly and easily. ly) is now updated with new functions in ner’ allows individuals to scan any QR code level of risk in an area, through the display It is available for download to smart- conjunction with its first year anniversary. including the MySejahtera QR code. Indi- of maps that show Covid-19 infections de- phones via Apple’s App Store or Google’s SELangkah, through a Facebook post, rectly it also checks in its users to a location. tected within a 14-day time span. Play Store.

Unfair to omit population ratio in stats: STFC

SHAH ALAM - The Federal that frontliners are exposed government has to look into to the virus each day, Dr Dz- population density and its ra- ulkefly said that the MySe- tio as a determining factor of jahtera app and the contact the Covid-19 infectivity rate in tracing process have to be each state. digitalised and automated to Selangor Task Force for ramp up the FTTIS approach Covid-19 (STFC) chairman Da- in order to control the trans- tuk Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad ex- mission rate. plained that if the calculation “As long as the government is based on the ratio does not succeed (with a per 100,000 popu- strategic approach), lation, we will be playing would be the catch-up with state with the the virus and highest in- not overcome fection rate. it,” he said. “It is un- The former fair to say health minis- that Selangor ter cited how has the high- just last year the Amirudin receives a mock cheque to the fund from PKNS chief executive officer Siti Zubaidah Abdul Jabar est number of STFC was able to infections. Indeed, predict the location we have recorded the of outbreaks when the highest figure, but the popu- Federal government shared lation density and ratio play a its data with the state admin- Selangor to raise role in infectious diseases. istration. “If we want to measure (the “We have done it previous- infectivity rate), we cannot ly when they shared the data only look at mere figures. We with us, but now that the data have to compare apple with is not available, we are almost RM1m for Palestine apple,” said Dr Dzulkefly at a blind and cannot do so. forum titled ‘Pandemic and “There should be pro- SHAH ALAM - The Selangor gov- the Selangor Prihatin Humani- be used to buy ambulances and Vaccination, Is There a Need grammes using AI and now ernment has launched the Selan- tarian Fund. multipurpose vehicles that will for an Emergency?’ in Kuala Bank Negara has in- gor Prihatin Humanitarian Fund “The campaign is in collabora- be equipped with medical sup- Lumpur that was broadcast troduced the HIDE initiative. to help Palestinians currently tion with a non-governmental or- plies for the Palestinian people. live on YouTube on May 5. We hope that HIDE would facing continued aggressions by ganisation via the e-government The rest of the funds will be Dr Dzulkefly also said Pu- become an integrated and the state of Israel in Jerusalem. system, with funds channelled used to buy food supplies and trajaya’s delay in using dig- automated tool that would Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri from people’s representatives, petroleum. italisation and artificial in- employ the FTTIS approach,” Amirudin Shari said a 10-day state government subsidiaries “Those who contribute will be telligence (AI) to trace and said Dr Dzulkefly in reference campaign beginning May 19 and private contributions,” said offered tax exemptions,” Amiru- predict Covid-19 outbreaks to the Hotspots Identification has been launched to raise up Amirudin at a press conference din said, adding that it is his sin- has caused a rise in numbers. for Dynamic Engagement sys- to RM1 million in funds to be on May 19. cere wish that more companies He said the Federal gov- tem which was introduced by channelled to the Palestinians He added that the Selangor and individuals will contribute as ernment should have in the on May 4. through the Selangor Peduli Pal- State Executive Council has ap- it would mean so much to those beginning come up with a “This is the strategic key. estine Mission. proved for the funds to be chan- who are suffering. strategic move to contain the The rest, such as the SOP As of May 25, a total of nelled through the Global Peace In the long term, the Selangor transmission of the coronavi- (standard operating proce- RM223,957.77 has been collected. Mission Malaysia. Prihatin Humanitarian Fund will rus by using the FTTIS — find- dure), is just a tactical move. “In a show of solidarity with Once the RM1 million tar- serve to channel funds to worth- ing, tracing, testing, isolating But in war terms ... to win the the Palestinian people, the Se- get in donations is reached, while causes here in Malaysia and supporting — approach. war, there has to be a bigger langor government has set up RM800,000 from the amount will and around the world. Expressing his concern strategy.” Selangor Journal l JUNE 2021 NEWS 3

Stopping the virus in its tracks SHAH ALAM - Putrajaya has implement- The move follows the virus's sharp up- volve large gatherings and those that can tions across the country, Selangor has ed a total lockdown nationwide for two ward trend and the increasingly limited comply with physical distancing. also continued with its efforts to purchase weeks, beginning June 1 to 14, marking capacity of hospitals nationwide to treat Prior to the enforcement of the full vaccines for its people in order to more the first phase of restrictions on the peo- Covid-19 patients. lockdown, the Selangor government un- quickly reach herd immunity. ple's movement to contain Covid-19 as After the first phase ends and should dertook several initiatives of its own and Selangor is also providing the State daily cases exceeded 8,000 on May 28. the country succeed in reducing the daily ramped up testing by employing the FT- Health Department with vital resources The first phase bars all social and eco- infection figure, the Federal government TIS method to quickly find, test, trace, iso- like medical equipment and beds for the nomic sectors from operating except will implement the second phase for a pe- late and support as many infected people quarantine centres, and enhancing the for those listed by the National Security riod of four weeks which would see the as possible. SELangkah application, in a concerted ef- Council. reopening of some sectors that do not in- Following the slow rollout of inocula- fort to contain Covid-19. Cases surge as testing ramped up Free Covid-19 screening as of May 27

Date Constituency Individuals Suspected screened Covid-19

May 8 1,052 85 May 8 629 31 May 9 Sungai Ramal 1,130 51 May 9 1,618 60 May 10 Teratai 1,267 53 May 10 733 13 May 11 1,576 67 May 11 580 28 May 18 1,438 109 May 18 Hulu Kelang 1,811 146 May 19 Sungai Tua 1,884 106 May 19 Gombak Setia 2,027 167 SHAH ALAM - In mid April, Ma- government quickly offered con- Selangor Menteri Besar Dato’ May 20 Rawang 2,098 94 laysians began to notice a steady solation: one of the contributing Seri Amirudin Shari on May 25 May 20 Taman Templer 2,015 161 increase in daily Covid-19 cases, factors to the daily spike in the said the state administration is May 21 1,955 94 as infections climbed and then state is the free Covid-19 mass mulling house-to-house testing surpassed the 2,000 figure mark. screening operations that have after the current screening pro- May 21 2,518 88 This came after the country been rolled out since May 8, that gramme ends in June. May 22 Kinrara 2,435 66 saw a dip in the number of cases will continue till June 10. He also expressed relief that May 22 Seri Serdang 2,473 75 in March. The state government had the screenings were able to iden- May 23 5,096 130 However, the numbers contin- decided to conduct widespread tify many silent carriers of the vi- May 23 Seri Setia 2,445 171 ued to climb and saw an alarm- testing by offering free screen- rus. Numbers show that about May 24 Taman Medan 1,683 89 ing jump from 4,865 daily in- ings across the 56 state constitu- 80 per cent of those suspected May 24 Bukit Gasing 1,650 55 fections on May 18 to 6,075 the encies to ensure that cases in the to be positive for Covid-19 were May 25 Kampung Tunku 2,504 30 following day. community are traced to enable asymptomatic. May 25 2,418 67 On May 28, Malaysia broke its the healthcare system to isolate As of May 27, a total of 56,463 May 26 2,939 103 record-high in daily cases with the cases and break the chain of participants have taken part in May 26 2,924 94 a total of 8,290 new infections, infection. the programme at community May 27 Kota Anggerik 2,548 49 with 2,052 recorded in Selangor The programme utilises the halls in 28 state constituencies, May 27 3,017 103 alone. antigen rapid test kit (RTK-Ag) and the number of suspected While the statistics caused that is able to give a result in 30 cases registered is 2,385 or some Total 56,463 2,385 alarm for many, the Selangor minutes. 4 per cent of the total number. Not too late to emulate others, says expert

By IDA NADIRAH IBRAHIM She said some of the approaches that stead of doing contract tracing, we just er about the dangers of the virus and can be emulated by Malaysia include go in and conduct mass testing. This is awareness programmes. SHAH ALAM - The recent upsurge in the use of advanced technology and the the strategy done in other countries “This is something we are lacking be- Covid-19 infections in the country has whole-of-society approach. such as Slovakia,” said Dr Adeeba during cause now, what we can see is that the raised public concern as to whether Ma- “Of course, Taiwan and South Korea an online forum titled ‘Ask Anything: people are only depending on the gov- laysia’s health system would soon be are developed nations that are able to Covid-19 Kills’ that was broadcast live on ernment to act. We only adhere to the overwhelmed like the situation in India. extensively use advanced technology. Facebook on May 10. rules because we are afraid of getting Selangor Task Force for Covid-19 But this is something we can follow as we Dr Adeeba said the whole-of-society fined or jailed. (STFC) committee member Prof Datuk do have experts who can help with the approach had helped less developed “We have come to a point where we Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman, however, has technology. countries such as Vietnam, Bhutan and ourselves must know how we can get in- cited several countries that have success- “If we can use technology, like how it Rwanda in containing the pandemic, fected and how to avoid it instead of just fully contained the virus that Malaysia is done in Selangor, we identify the areas which involves communities working waiting for the government to act before can learn from. that have a high infectivity rate and in- closely together to teach one anoth- we actually do something,” she added. 4 NEWS Selangor Journal l JUNE 2021

Time to get tested, says exco

PETALING JAYA - The people of Selan- Rajiv explained that many govern- gor are urged to get themselves tested ment clinics that provide the service for Covid-19 at the free mass commu- require people to make appointments nity screenings currently being held in beforehand and priority is given to each state constituency. close contacts of Covid-19 patients. State executive councillor Hee Loy Private hospitals that do testing, Sian, when met at the Bukit Gasing on the other hand, charge a high fee community screening event at the which many people cannot afford. MBPJ Community Hall, here, on May “Therefore, I would like to make a 24, said mass testing is vital to iden- suggestion for the state government tify and isolate those who have been to have a fixed venue somewhere in infected. Selangor that continuously does free “The people, especially those who testing. I am confident that many do not show any symptoms, are highly more people will show up to get tested encouraged to take this chance to get and they will in turn notify their fami- tested. lies and friends about the service,” said “We do not want silent spreaders in Rajiv. the community,” he said. Meanwhile, the free screenings At the same event, state assembly- in each constituency will continue man for Bukit Gasing R. Rajiv voiced through the month of May till June 10 the need for Selangor to have a per- and hope to draw all members of the manent Covid-19 screening centre, to community, especially those who are reduce the hassle many people face in at higher risk or show symptoms of finding a place to get tested. the disease. MB: Don’t overcrowd Malawati Stadium CAC

SHAH ALAM - Covid-19 Assess- travel ban and visit their near- Health Office ■ Klinik Kesihatan Sabak Bernam end of January to assess patients’ ment Centres (CACs) have been est CAC to ease matters,” said ■ Klinik Kesihatan Kuang ■ Klinik Kesihatan Parit Baru conditions and ascertain whether set up across the nine districts the Menteri Besar on May 16. ■ Klinik Kesihatan ■ Klinik Kesihatan Sungai it is safe for them to quarantine in in Selangor to determine if in- ■ Klinik Kesihatan AU2 Air Tawar their own homes or whether they dividuals who have been infect- The location of the CACs in the ■ Klinik Kesihatan Batu 8 ■ Klinik Kesihatan Bagan Terap should be brought to the treat- ed with the Covid-19 virus need nine districts are as follows: ■ Klinik Kesihatan Taman Ehsan ■ Klinik Kesihatan Merbau Berdarah ment and quarantine centres or further treatment. ■ Klinik Kesihatan Hulu Kelang the hospital for further treatment. Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari Health Office ■ Klinik Kesihatan Health For more information on the has urged the public to vis- ■ Stadium Malawati Shah Alam ■ Klinik Kesihatan Baru Office contact numbers and operating it the CACs in their respective ■ Klinik Kesihatan Rawang ■ Dewan Komuniti Taman hours of the CACs, visit the Se- districts to avoid overcrowding District Health Office ■ Klinik Kesihatan Gombak Setia Kajang Utama langor State Health Department’s at the Malawati Stadium CAC, ■ Klinik Kesihatan Facebook page at www.facebook. here. Pelabuhan Klang Health The CACs were set up at the com/jknselangor. “There have been patients ■ Klinik Kesihatan Office from outside of Selangor com- ■ Klinik Kesihatan Sungai Bertik ■ Klinik Desa Lama ing to the Malawati Stadium ■ Klinik Kesihatan Anika CAC, causing overcrowdedness ■ Klinik Kesihatan Bukit Kuda and delays in waiting time. ■ Klinik Kesihatan Meru Health Office “I would like to urge every- ■ Klinik Kesihatan Bandar ■ Klinik Kesihatan one to abide by the interstate Botanik Telok Panglima Garang ■ Klinik Kesihatan Telok Datok ADVISOR: Editorial Advisory Board ■ Klinik Kesihatan GROUP EDITOR: Fathi Aris Omar Bukit Changgang EDITOR: Ida Nadirah Ibrahim ■ Klinik Kesihatan ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR: Alang Bendahara SUB EDITOR: Nur Anis Audrey Ong District Health Office ■ Stadium Mini Bandar Baru

BOARD MARKETING & ADVERTISING: Nadhrah Azlan [email protected] Syahir Khadri [email protected] District Health Office PHOTOGRAPHER: Asri Sapfie, Raheemie Arifin, ■ Klinik Kesihatan Hafiz Othman & Fikri Yusof Health GRAPHIC & LAYOUT: Graphics Department MSSB Office

EDITORIAL EDITORIAL Level 11, Menara Bank Rakyat, No. 1, Jalan Indah 14/8, ■ Klinik Kesihatan Seksyen 14, 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor ■ Klinik Kesihatan Sungai Lima Tel : 03-5523 4856 Fax : 03-5523 5856 Email: [email protected] Frontline workers evaluate the health status of patients at the ■ Klinik Kesihatan Malawati Stadium CAC Selangor Journal l JUNE 2021 NEWS 5

Health clinics to be used for vaccination ‘Vaccine claims false,

SHAH ALAM - The Selangor Health Department (JKNS) intends to utilise all health clinics in the state as venues to administer the Covid-19 vaccine, its di- malicious in intent’ rector Datuk Dr Sha’ari Ngadiman said. "We have proposed this to the Health Ministry. They strongly support the move and I will get official By ZAREEF MUZAMMIL it buys to employers and will allocate ernment has finalised the agreement permission,” he told reporters after visiting the Ideal some for the people. with the manufacturers. Convention Center (IDCC) Shah Alam here on May 24 GOMBAK - The Selangor govern- “What we intend to do is to com- He said the terms and conditions for the first day of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine ment’s plan to purchase Covid-19 plement the Federal government’s of the agreement are still being re- opt-in exercise. vaccines for its people is to comple- national immunisation programme,” viewed and the state administration In addition, he said the department will also car- ment the National Covid-19 Immu- said the Menteri Besar when met will expect the vaccines to be distrib- ry out an immunisation exercise for bedridden pa- nisation Programme initiated by the during the free Covid-19 screening uted to the people in June. tients through an outreach programme conducted Federal administration. programme at Dewan Beringin in State executive councillor for pub- by state health workers. Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari stressed Gombak Setia, here on May 19. lic health Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud on In the meantime, a total of 42,000 doses of the As- that the offer made to employers to Several media sources have re- May 17 denied a viral message that traZeneca vaccine will be set aside for the IDCC with buy the vaccines from the state gov- ported that the Selangor adminis- claims the state will be rolling out an estimate of 3,000 doses to be administered each ernment for their staff is not meant tration is offering employers to buy 500,000 Sinovac vaccines to the peo- day starting May 24 until June 6. to gain profit as claimed by certain Covid-19 vaccines for their workers ple of Selangor, describing it as false. Dr Sha’ari also advised the public not to try their parties. by registering through SELangkah. She said statements on the vac- luck with ‘walk-ins’ or to linger at vaccination centres He said the claims were made to However, the type of vaccine has cine will only be issued by the Selan- (PPV) to prevent congestion. purposely tarnish the image of the not been disclosed. gor Menteri Besar or herself. “We already have a waiting list, so there is no Selangor government. On May 18, Amirudin had said the Selangor intends to procure some need for them to try their luck coming to the PPV. “We will be announcing the com- announcement on the delivery of five million doses for the people in We have never given vaccines to walk-in cases,” he plete plan. The state government is vaccines to the people of Selangor the state and has set aside at least said. - Bernama not planning to sell all the vaccines will only be made after the state gov- RM100 million for the purchase. More beds for MAEPS as admissions soar Electric bikes for

SHAH ALAM - The Covid-19 Integrated GOF frontliners Quarantine and Treatment Centre (PKRC) 2.0 at Malaysia Agro Expo Park Serdang SHAH ALAM - The Selangor government (MAEPS) is in the process of setting up an- has donated electric motorbikes to the other hall to accommodate the increas- General Operations Force (GOF) at the ing number of patients from around the Sungai Belangkan Post Tactical Head- . quarters. The Selangor Health Department Selangor Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri (JKNS) in a post on Facebook said cur- Amirudin Shari said 170 GOF personnel rently the facility has 5,869 beds and is are currently involved in Covid-19’s Op housing 3,454 patients, with 80 per cent Benteng that is tasked to monitor the of them locals. state’s borders. The average number of patient admis- “I am touched and proud of the com- sion, it said, is around 600 a day and it mitment and spirit shown by the GOF once reached 1,800 people. personnel in carrying out their duties,” “At the initial stage of setting up the he posted on Twitter. MAEPS Integrated PKRC, it was aimed at The motorbikes were handed over to placing categories 1 and 2 stable patients the GOF personnel on May 10, the same while elderly patients over the age of 70 day Amirudin presented Hari Raya Aid- and children under two years would be ilfitri contributions to members of the placed at the National Leprosy Control force. Centre (PKKN) in Sungai Buloh. “Due to the sudden increase in pa- tandas jijik’ (Six hours to get a bed, ex- “Physical distancing is not an issue in tients at present, PKKN has not been tremely cold temperature, not enough the quarantine centre because all the pa- able to accommodate the number of pa- to eat, disgusting toilets) which was pub- tients involved have been confirmed as tients in that category and they had to lished in a news portal on May 17. Covid-19 positive,” it said. be placed in the Integrated PKRC 2.0 at “Toilets are cleaned four times a day, JKNS said it is also trying its level best MAEPS,” it said. with shifts from 10am-12 noon, 3pm- to provide food in sufficient quantities According to JKNS, the latest figures 5pm, 8pm-10pm and 2am-4am,” said and to avoid wastage. also saw a sharp increase in category 3 JKNS. It added that the Integrated PKRC 2.0 cases. Initially, the integrated PKRC at JKNS said a survey conducted among at MAEPS is always trying different ap- MAEPS only provided 60 beds for that patients also found that 75 per cent of proaches such as providing free food un- category but has since increased its ca- them were satisfied with the level of til 10 pm to accommodate the number of pacity to 752 beds and aims to provide cleanliness of the toilets and 91 per cent new patients. 1,000 beds in the days to come. of patients were satisfied with the level of After 10pm, it said each new patient JKNS also commented on the article cleanliness of the hall. Positive comments would receive a dry ration of bread, kaya titled ‘Enam jam untuk dapat katil, suhu have also been received from patients spread, biscuits, mineral water and a terlampau sejuk, makanan tak cukup, through various social media platforms. packet drink. - Bernama 6 ECONOMY Selangor Journal l JUNE 2021

KPS marks strong start to 2021

SHAH ALAM - Kumpulan Perangsang Se- It registered a higher sales number giv- langor Berhad (KPS) on May 27 report- en higher traction of demand from the KPS’s Q1 highlights ed a 31.6 per cent growth in revenue to Healthcare and Other industry segments. RM308.4 million in total revenue RM308.4 million for the quarter end- KKMW contributed the remaining ed March 31, 2021, as compared with manufacturing revenue of RM27.2 mil- RM234.4 million in the corresponding lion, stronger by RM5.5 million, support- quarter last year. ed by an improved retail sentiment and Riding on an improvement in sales optimism in the US. Manufacturing 86.6% from the manufacturing business, albeit A further RM26.6 million of KPS’s rev- RM267m at a lower gross profit margin and higher enue was derived from the trading busi- other income, KPS improved its operating ness, represented by Aqua-Flo Sdn Bhd Trading 8.6% profits, posting a 35.4 per cent growth to (Aqua-Flo), whose revenue moderated by RM26.6m RM24.3 million from RM17.9 million in the 18.7 per cent from RM32.7 million in the corresponding period last year. corresponding quarter last year due to Licensing 3.0% KPS’s Profit Attributable to Owner of lower sales of chemicals. At RM26.6 mil- the Parent for the quarter more than lion, Aqua-Flo contributed 8.6 per cent to RM9.4m tripled, coming in at RM11.0 million as the group’s revenue. compared with RM3.1 million in the cor- The licensing business, King Koil Li- Infrastructure 1.1% responding quarter in the previous year. censing Company Inc (KKLC), contributed RM9.4 million. During the quarter under RM3.3m Manufacturing leads the way review, KKLC’s revenue contribution to Investment holding & the group eased by 18.3 per cent from property investment 0.7% The manufacturing business recorded RM11.5 million due to lower traction from 43.8 per cent revenue growth YoY, con- international royalties. KKLC contribut- RM2.1m tributing RM267 million to the group’s ed 3 per cent to the group’s revenue this revenue as compared with RM185.7 mil- quarter. Company profile lion in the corresponding quarter last The infrastructure business, which is ■ Incorporated on Aug 11, 1975 ■ Has core investments in the manufac- year. represented by KPS-HCM Sdn Bhd (KPS- ■ Led by managing director and group turing, trading, licensing and infrastruc- At RM267 million, the manufacturing HCM) and Smartpipe Technology Sdn Bhd CEO Ahmad Fariz Hassan ture sectors businesses that comprise Toyoplas Man- (Smartpipe), contributed RM3.3 million ■ A public limited liability company listed ■ Committed to providing contributions ufacturing (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (Toyoplas), against RM1.8 million in the correspond- on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia towards sustainable development of the Century Bond Bhd (CBB), CPI () ing quarter last year. The infrastructure Securities Berhad economy, environment and social causes Sdn Bhd (CPI) and King Koil Manufactur- business contributed only 1.1 per cent to ing West LLC (KKMW), contributed 86.6 KPS’s revenue this quarter. per cent to the group’s revenue. The remaining revenue contribution nue and operating profit is a testament to level and may be negotiating a cost- With better sales performances from of RM2.1 million, or 0.7 per cent, to the successful execution of our business pass-through mechanism with selective its Indonesia, China, Malaysia, and Viet- the group’s revenue, was from invest- strategy.” customers. nam operations, Toyoplas led the reve- ment holding and property investment, “While we shall remain steadfast in nue contribution with RM125.7 million, as mainly from rental income from Plaza Rising above challenges rising above the short-term challenges, compared with RM76.1 million contribut- Perangsang. we are also encouraged by the favour- ed in the corresponding quarter last year. KPS’s managing director and group KPS remains optimistic that the over- able prospect that comes with these This was followed by CBB, contributing chief executive officer, Ahmad Fariz Has- all economic environment and the end challenges and thus optimistic about RM59.1 million as compared with RM48 san, said: “In a better footing with our markets it serves remain stable and the growth opportunities they offer million contributed in the corresponding geographical and sectoral diversified continue to trend positively in the near from the medium term onward,” said quarter last year. business, KPS has made a strong start to term. The group will continue to expand Ahmad Fariz. CPI contributed RM50.8 million, higher 2021 as businesses globally have started the network of suppliers for more com- “Amidst this outlook, we are laser-fo- than what was posted in the correspond- to show a positive sign of improvement. petitive prices, roll out more optimised cussed on delivering sustainable and better ing quarter last year by RM11.6 million. “The strong show of growth in reve- production planning against inventory results in the following quarters this year.” Application deadline for SME grant extended

SHAH ALAM - The application deadline for on April 15, the grant has received an over- Covid-19 pandemic. ■ Must have a business or operation ad- the Selangor SME Digitalisation Matching whelming response with 200 applications Selangor SMEs can apply for the grant dress registered in Selangor Grant has been extended to June 15 from as of May 10. through the five digitalisation areas offered: ■ Must be in operation for at least one May 15 following the enforced movement “It is hoped that the extension of the clos- e-commerce, the HR and payroll system, year control order (MCO) in several districts in ing date for the Selangor SME Digitalisation cloud accounting, digital marketing, the ■ Required to have a minimum annual the state. Matching Grant from May 15 to June 15 can electronic point of sales (ePos) system, and sales turnover of RM300,000 and not ex- Selangor Information Technology and help more Selangor SMEs to digitalise their payment gateway. ceeding RM1 million Digital Economy Corporation (Sidec) in a businesses,” the statement read. ■ Application limited to one per company statement on May 10 said the extension The matching grant, worth RM5 million, The eligibility criteria for the participat- only. However, SMEs are allowed to ap- was based on feedback received from SMEs was launched by Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri ing SMEs are as follows: ply for up to three digital services with who say more time is needed to complete Amirudin Shari on April 12. one or more service providers that are the application process as the MCO has Amirudin had said the initiative aims to ■ Must be registered under the relevant endorsed by Sidec. greatly impacted the operations of the benefit at least 1,000 businesses and was laws of Malaysia SMEs. introduced to aid the digitalisation process ■ Must be at least 51 per cent owned by For further information, visit www.sidec. “Since the opening of the registration of SMEs that are facing challenges from the Malaysians com.my/selangorgrant2021. Selangor Journal l JUNE 2021 FOCUS 7

Private-public alliance to develop e-commerce

By IDA NADIRAH IBRAHIM team, it boils down to training and that is something we already HE Covid-19 pandem- provide for free via Shopee Uni- ic shocked the world versity,” said Ho. when it first emerged The training is inclusive of a in late 2019 and very three-level course with over 30 quickly moved to para- different modules that teaches lyse global activities in its path. how to write product descrip- TEntire industries, from travel tions, how to take good photos, to construction, came to almost and how to market the products. a halt. Ho said Shopee is also work- However, while the corona- ing on encouraging the digital- virus did impair many sectors, isation of offline business oper- it accelerated the advancement ations to use their mobile wallet of digital technology, helping, in ShopeePay, which helps busi- the process, to save thousands of ness owners to upgrade from jobs in sectors like retail and ed- manual bookkeeping. ucation. The Selangor government lev- Playing a crucial role eraged this. It took the opportu- nity to speed up its smart state vi- Shopee, said Ho, will continue sion, and went on an offensive to their focus to play a major role help digitalise the businesses of in Malaysia’s e-commerce and entrepreneurs and small traders digital economy as the demand in the state. is expected to remain robust as To date, RM360 million has more Malaysians switch to on- been allocated for this effort. line purchasing. Among its many initiatives to He said the growing confi- achieve wide-scale digitalisation dence of Malaysians in adopting for the people of Selangor, its e-commerce can be seen in their collaboration with leading e-com- Malaysia has solid banking, internet and logistics infrastructure to grow its digital economy, says purchasing habits where the merce platform Shopee stands Shopee MD Ho people are making online trans- out, not just in terms of economic actions for a range of services, returns but in the number of lives “Malaysia has solid banking, A private-public partnership to this partnership, we convert- from buying fresh produce to in- they have helped to change. internet and logistics infrastruc- ed 100 per cent of the Selangor surance packages, making book- Shopee is no stranger to most ture as well as a business-friendly Ho said for retailers to achieve government’s assistance into ings for a vehicle, as well as pay- Malaysians. The multinational environment. In other words, we a good online strategy, Shopee, vouchers to spur the sales of ing utility bills and student loans. company has been a lifeline for are in a good place to do better with the Selangor government, the participating sellers, which “E-commerce has evolved and many shoppers forced to adhere and the environment is favour- has worked to focus on three fac- have collectively generated sales it will continue to. Nevertheless, to the country’s movement con- able for the growth of the digital tors. amounting to RM77.25 million,” it is now more crucial than ever trol orders. economy. They are to get more traders he said. that we remain committed to Shopee regional managing “The most difficult part for any to set up their e-commerce store; providing accessibility, conve- director Ian Ho said in 2020, the business in starting their digi- assist them with vouchers, free Future plans nience and value to our users. Malaysian e-commerce sector talisation journey is to take the shipping, marketing campaigns “Shopee’s aim has always contributed an estimated 7 per business online and that is just and exposure to give them visi- Ho said there is a lot of room been to change lives and impact cent to total retail in the country, the first step. The real challenge bility; and provide ongoing train- to get more local SMEs on board the communities that we are in but there is certainly room for the in e-commerce is to bring in ing for free via Shopee University to e-commerce, especially manu- with our technology,” he said. industry to grow. footfall or visitors to their online on how to provide better quality facturers. While Ho was unable to reveal The 7 per cent is modest when platform,” said Ho in an email re- services. He said some of the larg- any specifics on future collabo- compared to e-commerce figures sponse to Selangor Journal. The state government has to er-scale manufacturers that are ration with the Selangor admin- in some other countries like Chi- The impact of the Covid-19 date, done four campaign collab- used to selling offline would reap istration, he said the Shopee will na, where 40 per cent of its popu- pandemic, Ho said, has caused orations with Shopee: the Selan- benefits in taking their business continue on with initiatives that lation buy things online. businesses to learn to equip gor e-Bazar Raya 2020, the Selan- online to reach a larger audi- would aim to help Selangor en- The global average is 16 per themselves to become more agile gor e-Bazar 11.11 Mega Sales, the ence. Unfortunately, many are trepreneurs leverage the poten- cent. and prepared in handling a crisis. Selangor e-Bazar CNY 2021, and hesitant due to the idea of leg- tial of e-commerce and the digi- Ho said Shopee remains stead- “Businesses are now fu- the Selangor e-Bazar Raya 2021. acy. tal economy in order to become fast in capturing the potential of ture-proofing themselves more “Through these four initia- “In those cases, the govern- future-ready. the Malaysian economy and this than ever and realise the impor- tives, we have digitised over ment can nudge these business- “We look forward to continu- can be done through collabora- tance of digitalisation. Therefore, 40,000 and supported more than es perhaps with bigger tax re- ing our efforts with the Selan- tions between the private and we think that businesses are un- 200,000 Selangor-based traders bates or waivers. gor state government to support public sectors, particularly in likely to deprioritise online even if and small and medium business- “As for smaller SMEs, without their vision to make Selangor a speeding up digitalisation in in- things go back to what they used es (SMEs). the capacity to hire e-commerce liveable Smart state by 2025,” he dustries that are lagging behind. to be,” he said. “As part of our commitment experts or form an e-commerce added. 8 FOCUS Selangor Journal l JUNE 2021 FOCUS 9

elangor is bunkering down for the long haul in its battle against Covid-19. Its Menteri Besar, Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari, recently outlined several moves as part of his Fighting misconceptions, Sadministration’s plan to improve the operations at, and reduce the burden of, the Covid-19 Assessment Centres (CACs) and quarantine centres in the state. Stage set to win one by one Foremost will be to beef up staff numbers. Some 150 volunteers — a much-welcomed set of fresh EVERYWHERE in the world, statistics have The state has to keep protecting its hands — will be stationed at the Malawati Stadium played a critical role in how governments enormous population. CAC in the Petaling district as well as in Klang, Kuala handle the Covid-19 pandemic. Quantifying “Selangor is teeming with workers, Selangor, Sabak Bernam, Gombak, Hulu Selangor, cases of infection and death organises crowded with industries, and has a high Hulu Langat, Sepang and Kuala Langat. them into something concrete for leaders rate of human mobility. A high contact This will ease the workload and fatigue to manage. For the rest of the people, rate in a state with 6.9 million people can experienced by the existing frontline workers of the the Covid-19 war however, numbers are either a consolation only bring up the virus’ transmission and CACs. or a cause for alarm. infectivity,” he said. “The 150 volunteers will include civil servants, local Category 3 patients are those who show For weeks now the statistics for Selangor The state is also the country’s biggest council enforcement officers, Selcare health workers symptoms and have lung infections. They need seem damning. The state received contributor to the GDP (at 25 percent) and any and medical students from private universities, who frequent and thorough monitoring by medical staff. brickbats from the public for not bringing clusters at worksites, factories, and the living will facilitate the management of traffic and Covid-19 At present, many of them are placed at halls near the number of infections down. Yet, are the quarters of workers — and their subsequent patients as well as their assessments,” said Amirudin the temporary intensive care units as a safe but accusations fair? closure — will gravely affect the livelihoods of in a statement on May 17. stopgap measure. On May 24, Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, many and the country’s economy. “The state government will also set up special All this will change once 1,300 additional beds chairman of the Selangor Task Force for “It is the Selangor government’s duty counters for those who come to the Malawati are set up at MAEPS, said Amirudin. He promised Covid-19 (STFC), took time on Facebook to care for the wellbeing of the people, Stadium CAC to have their quarantine wristbands that his administration will help the Selangor State to clear the air on matters pertaining to especially those in the B40 category and removed or to end home quarantine. This would ease Health Department in any way possible to alleviate how the state is managing the pandemic. the self-employed, and mass testing will the congestion there and at the same time reduce the difficulties in accommodating more people who For the former health minister, the race to increase their chances of getting the the risk of infection for those who have ended their need medical attention. Be it volunteers or facilities, fight incorrect perceptions is as ongoing as protection they need,” he stressed. quarantine period,” the Menteri Besar added. the state will provide, he said. fighting the virus itself. Moreover, the cost of all the testing is Being the biggest and busiest CAC in the state, Amirudin also made a recent announcement borne by the state government. This serves to the Malawati Stadium has also recently been fit with that MAEPS will soon “be dedicated to only treating Why are the numbers in Selangor so high? lighten the load of families, especially larger 20 tents that are equipped with fans, chairs, and a patients from Selangor and ” following ones, that need to get tested. Paying for public address system for the comfort and ease of the Federal government’s decision to set up similar Dr Dzulkefly answered this swiftly. The everyone’s Covid-19 test, regardless of their the workers and patients there. centres in , Melaka, and first reason is that the state has been economic status, is the state government’s The state administration hopes that with the . actively doing mass testing since late way of not leaving anyone behind. changes put in place, the stress often experienced He also made a plea to the public to visit the CACs last year. More recently on May 8, the by people under quarantine would be considerably in their respective districts to avoid overcrowding at administration again kick-started statewide What is the state’s strategy at this point? reduced. the Malawati Stadium. screenings, offering them for free in town The stadium has been operating as a CAC for the halls across its 56 constituencies. Logically, The Selangor government fully ‘Don’t come to us, we come to you’ Petaling district since Feb 8, with an original capacity he said, numbers will remain high. recommends the FTTIS method, which to assess between 1,000 and 1,200 patients daily. The other reason is the lag in identifying is to find, test, trace, isolate and support It is common practice for dedicated general These figures seem modest now, but they were not the close contacts of cluster patients. all Covid-19 patients. It is committed to practitioners to make house calls whenever their so just three months ago. This creates a ‘spillover’ of cases who will using all its digital capabilities to trace patients are too ill to visit a clinic. The idea for In real situations of war, strategies change as and wrongly be identified as sporadic cases in and monitor the people who are already house calls for Covid-19 patients under home when needed to win a battle. The current situation the community. The number of sporadic infected, including those already in low- quarantine thus makes perfect sense to the Selangor with Covid-19 in Selangor is no different. The stage cases have caught up with, if not exceeded, risk Covid-19 Assessment Centres. administration. has been set for the long haul. Selangor’s servicemen the number of patients in cluster cases in In terms of vaccination, it is making At one of the State Security Council Committee and women will fight on. many districts in the state. persistent calls to the Federal government meetings chaired by Amirudin, plans were made to prioritise the people in the state, since to kick-start the Home Surveillance Order (HSO) Why does Selangor continue to do mass infection rates are the highest here. to reduce the need for patients undergoing self testing when cases are already widespread? Dr Dzulkefly said his team is also lockdown to venture out to seek medical help or Will this not cause panic among the people? determined to reduce bureaucracy when advice. dealing with Covid-19 patients. “Focus Authorisation will soon be given to 65 private Mass testing, as well as contact tracing must not be on the paperwork, but general practitioners to visit the patients at home, and isolating those who are unwell, the people. We must speed things check on their health, provide counselling and attach said Dr Dzulkefly, are vital for up and treat as many people as quarantine wristbands on those who are their close three reasons: to separate we can.” contacts. those already infected from the It is in this spirit that the A call centre manned by volunteers will be set up general community in order to STFC wants to collaborate with for this purpose. The doctors will be just a call away. prevent larger outbreaks; to private hospitals to optimise This will undoubtedly lighten the workload of the identify Covid-19 hotspots or treatment for the people. staff at the CACs. what is known as red zones; and Importantly, it calls on the to educate the people about Health Ministry to increase The state’s promise the disease, about the reality the number of hospital staff, of asymptomatic cases, and to ICU beds and medical With the recent surge in positive cases, the not be easily stressed or panic equipment that are situation at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park whenever numbers so vital in saving Serdang (MAEPS), too, has become challenging. rise. lives at this MAEPS is currently used as a quarantine and pivotal time. treatment centre for those categorised as low risk, but as more and more Category 3 patients pour in, the struggle to provide them with beds is all too real. 10 ADUN SPEAKS Selangor Journal l JUNE 2021

Sowing the seeds of hope

place where people dump their By IDA NADIRAH IBRAHIM trash. Even when the local coun- cil tried to barricade the area ENTOSA isn’t an easy and plant trees there, people place to govern. With a would still find a way to throw high crime rate and only their rubbish along the two-kilo- Sa handful of police personnel metre stretch at night. stationed in the community I spoke with the Works De- of 56,000 voters, and coupled partment (JKS) and we got with floods and rubbish-dump- the community involved and ing issues, its residents have through the initiation of the had much to endure. programme, 30 participants State assemblyman G Gu- were given one plot of land naraj, however, isn’t about to each to plant various greens. give up on his constituency. This managed to resolve the ru- Together with his team of com- bish-dumping issue. mitted individuals, Gunaraj The programme is alive till is setting out to bring about today and has helped so many change, one small plot of land people in the community to at a time. keep their mind off Covid-19. To date, we have provided 31 plots Selangor Journal (SJ): Can you and 120 people are on the wait- share with us, what is the main ing list to get theirs. industry in your constituency? Another programme I launched in March is the ‘Sihat G Gunaraj (GG): Sentosa is FROM TOP Sejahtera Sentosa’ programme a mixed development that has to keep the people healthy men- many housing estates and some Gunaraj tries his best to tally and physically. industrial areas consisting of fac- solve a water drainage Exercise consultants were in- tories, logistics companies and problem at the AMJ vited to sessions like Zumba and warehouses. We are located near Industrial Park the Bukit Gasing Walk. This was the port but a large part of Sen- before MCO 3.0 and some 420 tosa is residential. The Sentosa representative individuals participated with us. We are located between Pan- hands out provisions to 120 We also have flooding issues damaran and Sungai Kandis and families who have signed due to pockets of development have some 56,000 voters. As far up for the Foodbank and we have identified them as I am concerned, this is not a programme run by his and are working with the local large number but there are a lot office authorities and relevant agen- of housing areas such as Taman cies to solve them. Sentosa, Bukit Tinggi and Ban- People have been very disci- dar Botanic, a high-end residen- plined since the Covid-19 pan- tial project in the constituency. demic happened, therefore I hope the state and local govern- SJ: What are some of the main ments will take this opportuni- attractions in Sentosa? ty to install more amenities like GG: Sentosa, walk-up flats are not the station sometime last year. rubbish bins so that everyone GG: There are not many plac- I feel, has not well maintained un- I also supported the renovation will continue with the discipline. es of attraction here, unfortu- been given the N48 der the joint manage- works carried out at the station. SENTOSA nately, but a lot of people go to chance to prosper. ment bodies … We are always actively en- SJ: Can you share with us your the GM Klang Wholesale City as Government agencies a lot of things gaging with the police but in the problem-solving methods as a it houses various retail shops. have not played their need improve- whole of Sentosa, there are only people’s representative? Before the pandemic hit, a lot of part in ensuring that ment. two police beats and four offi- tourists would come and visit the this place thrives eco- When gov- cers on duty. They are not oper- GG: My approach is that I wholesale business complex but nomically. ernment agen- ating as a police station. prefer to go personally to the now we only see locals support- As I have men- cies play their We need to ensure that there ground and meet with the peo- ing the shops. tioned, Sentosa is a role, the people are proper police stations in ev- ple. I have formed good and I visited the place recently and mixed pocket develop- will be more socially ery state constituency, and this is close ties with the people. But I found that things are not doing ment with low to middle-cost responsible and col- in my wishlist for Sentosa. don’t do this on my own. I have so great there. residences. Both the police and lectively ensure that a a good team; it isn’t a one-man Many traders are badly affect- the local council need to help place is well kept and SJ: What would you say about show. Aside from my staff, I ed by the outbreak. Other than improve the standard of living clean. some of your achievements so have some 25 volunteers help- GM Klang, we have the Aeon here, such as making sure that For example, when I became far? ing me out. I also have a group Shopping Mall, but it is not as contractors appointed to do a the assemblyman, there was a called Sejahtera Sentosa and we popular with outsiders. job here, like keeping the grass police station in Taman Sento- GG: One of the things I con- interact daily to ensure that all cut, actually deliver. sa but it was not in operation. tributed to, with the help of oth- complaints are addressed ac- SJ: What are the concerns At the same time, a lot of the Instead, the police had rented er agencies, is solving the rub- cordingly. I make sure these are raised by your constituents houses here have been convert- one of the shophouses, but we bish dump issue in Jalan Kebun the people who truly want to and how do you address them? ed into business premises, the managed to move them back to Nanas. The area had been a serve the community. Selangor Journal l JUNE 2021 FOCUS 11

By IDA NADIRAH IBRAHIM

HE Klang River, which stretches across 122 ki- What it takes to guard lometres and intersects seven constituencies in two states, has over the years gained a reputation for be- ingT polluted. and grow a river Since 2016, the Selangor gov- ernment has taken the initiative to extract waste from the river. mindset about river protection,” In a cleanup project overseen Syaiful told Selangor Journal in an Total Volume (Metric Tonne) of Waste Collected by the Selangor Maritime Gateway email interview. (SMG) that spanned four years, Although last year’s movement under SMG until December 2020 over 67,000 metric tonnes (MT) of control order (MCO) led to a signif- floating debris was trapped and icant drop in the amount of rub- 20,000 removed. bish being thrown into the Klang 18,000 The project, carried out by Lan- River, Syaiful said the current MCO 16,000 dasan Lumayan Sdn Bhd (LLSB), will not bring about the same re- saw the monthly extraction aver- sult as the first MCO had a tighter 14,000 age of river waste reduced from restriction on movements and in 12,000 1,5000 MT to 900 MT. This also the operation of businesses. 10,000 resulted in an improvement in “Yes, there was a significant the river’s Water Quality Index in dip in the volume of waste we ex- 8,000 15,909 16,182 10,922 12,904 12,043 2020. tracted during the first month of 6,000 In conjunction with World En- MCO 1.0. However, we also rec- 4,000 vironment Day 2021 on June 6, ognise that we cannot shut down themed ‘Ecosystem Restoration’, our economy in order to achieve 2,000 LLSB shares with Selangor Journal a near-zero waste volume in our 0 the latest updates on the Klang rivers. What we need are stron- 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 River cleanup. ger and more consistent penal- LLSB managing director Syaiful ties against polluters and a higher Azmen Nordin said under Phase 1 consciousness amongst people initiated to spur the community fills, without attempts to recover namely river cleaning, river reha- of the SMG (2018 - 2022), the com- about river guardianship,” he said. to use green innovation to convert its value. As such, over the last bilitation, and riverfront develop- pany had targeted 30 per cent of river waste into functional sustain- five years, 67,000 MT of waste ment. waste to be extracted from the riv- The value of trash able products with commercial from the Klang River ended up in He said this is combined with er. Currently, the figure stands at value. landfills,” he said, adding that the the development of eco-tourism 27 per cent. In its bid to go beyond extract- “One of our mandates is to turn programme is also supported by and the idea of sustainable living “This means we are on track to ing waste from the Klang River, what we now register as waste the Selangor’s municipality waste and is projected to complete by achieving our goal. Under Phase 2 LLSB has launched a challenge, into resources in line with the Se- management provider, KDEB 2030, in line with the Smart Selan- (2023 onwards) we are targeting a the ‘SMG Innovation Challenge: langor government’s green tech- Waste Management Sdn Bhd, gor vision. 40 per cent reduction. Upcycling River Waste To Wealth’, nology and waste recovery agen- Dutch NGO, The Ocean Cleanup Several projects have been “However, the extraction vol- on May 19, in collaboration with da. (the innovator of the Interceptor) identified to kickstart the initia- ume, which is reducing, will at the Malaysian Global Innovation & “At present, all the waste re- and Selangor Information Tech- tive, such as giving the historical some point start to plateau unless Creativity Centre (MaGIC). trieved from the river (like mu- nology & Digital Economy Corpo- Pangkalan Batu Jetty a facelift, there is a drastic shift in people’s Syaiful said the challenge was nicipality waste) is sent to land- ration (Sidec). introducing the SMG River Taxi Those interested to know more service and creating Malaysia’s about the challenge can visit www. first biophilic nature park at Man- selangormaritimegateway.com/ grove Point. innovation-challenge-2. The clos- ing date for applications is June A collective effort 23. Syaiful said the biggest chal- Back to nature lenge now is to change how soci- ety views rivers. Industries need Aside from the river clean-up to stop dumping waste into our and embarking on turning waste waterways — be it drains, mon- into profit, LLSB is also tasked to soon drains, tributaries, or rivers. clean and rejuvenate 56km of the He said the government must Klang River from Mid Valley in also tighten surveillance and im- Kuala Lumpur to the river mouth plement stronger enforcement, at . such as what is being done by Se- Syaiful explained that the proj- langor. ect’s objective is to not treat river “People are generally compla- cleaning as a sustainable business cent until the water in their taps but to look into the growth of re- is cut off. Then they blame the juvenation activities for the river authorities. People need to start and bring people closer to nature. realising that 90 per cent of our Through the recognition of water comes from rivers. Until ev- Klang River as an economic driver, ery single person and business is Syaiful said the state government mindful of this, we will never com- had focused on three key pillars, pletely resolve our water issues.” 12 LOCAL Selangor Journal l JUNE 2021

Kajang’s Rumah Selangorku ready by year end

By SHEEDA FATHIL

SHAH ALAM - The Rumah Selangorku Idaman project in Kajang is expected to be completed by the end of the year, says Selangor Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari. He said the 1,052 sq ft apartments will be equipped with furniture and buyers will also get two covered park- ing spaces. “This house, priced at RM250,000, comes with an af- fordable financing scheme specifically for the people of Selangor,” he said in a video clip on Twitter. The video shows Amirudin visiting the Rumah Idaman project site at Tropicana Kajang 2. The Selangor government has approved the construc- tion of 80,650 units of Rumah Selangorku Idaman dan Harapan through 41 projects scheduled to be completed within four years. Of that number, more than 77,000 units will be of- fered to the public while the rest will be given to the state government for the implementation of the Rent-to-Own Smart Scheme.

Six women appointed as village heads More affordable

SABAK BERNAM - A total of 79 individuals, including six homes in the pipeline women, have received their letters of appointment as chairman of the Village Community Management Council KAJANG - The Selangor government has given approv- (MPKK) in the Sabak Bernam district. al for the construction of 80,650 units of Rumah Selan- Their appointment letters were presented by the state gorku Idaman and Rumah Selangorku Harapan through executive councillor for rural development Borhan Aman 41 projects. Shah during a ceremony at Dewan Seri Sekinchan here Selangor Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari said on May 7. of the total, more than 77,000 units will be offered to the Borhan said each MPKK chairman, who is also the vil- public, while the rest will be given to the state govern- lage head, had to go through a rigorous evaluation pro- ment for the implementation of the Rent-to-Own Smart cess including interviews before being selected. Scheme (2Stay). Among the women who were appointed, Nur Farehan “By the end of this year, we expect to have another 900 Nieza Osman stood out as the youngest individual to take units for the 2stay scheme but with a capacity of less than on the role. 1,000 square feet. At only 28, Nur Farehan described her appointment as “The state government will also use the fines imposed the village head of Kampung Parit 16 Binjai Patah, on developers who failed to sell Bumiputera units to build , as a recognition to young women. houses for the 2Stay scheme,” he said after the key han- “The trust that is given to me is very big, especially dover ceremony for Rumah Selangorku Residensi Adelia when I first held the post, as the acceptance by the com- here on May 2. munity was divided. Nur Farehan holds up her letter of appointment at Earlier, he had visited the Rumah Selangorku Idaman “However, after eight months, the community began the Dewan Seri Sekinchan on May 7 project site at Persiaran Tropicana near here. to support me and work together to make the MPKK pro- Meanwhile, Amirudin said the approval for a housing gramme a success for the benefit of everyone,” she said the state’s target of having 30 per cent of women in lead- project that is complete with facilities proves that the after receiving her letter of appointment. ership roles. state government is serious about helping people to own Meanwhile, the MPKK chairman for Kampung Parit Meanwhile, Borhan said he is willing to make a pro- homes. 5/6, Gambut, Mukim Panchang Bendena, Mas Lina Hu- posal to Selangor Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari He said in the next four years, the state government is sein, said being a village head gives her the opportunity to increase the monthly allowance of the MPKK chairmen confident of being able to provide fully-furnished homes to reach out to single mothers. from RM1,200 to RM1,500 if the village heads perform to the people. “Most single mothers are not comfortable interacting their duties well. “After this, we can discard the view that low-cost hous- with men, so helping them has become one of my main Earlier, he presented RM235,000 in aid contribut- ing have poor facilities, are scary or disappointing,” he goals,” said the 40-year-old. ed by the Menteri Besar Selangor (Incorporated) to five said. Salasiah Sahak, 45, who is MPKK chairman of Kam- mosques in the Sabak Bernam district. In the 2021 Selangor Budget, Amirudin announced the pung Parot 16, Binjai Jaya, Mukim Sungai Panjang, hopes In conjunction with Hari Raya Aidilfitri, RM1,000 was allocation of RM20 million for the Smart Rental Scheme that more women will have the opportunity to take up also given to each community leader in the state through programme using the Bumiputera Quota Regulation Ex- positions in the village administration and help to achieve a Special Financial Aid initiative. emption Trust Fund. Selangor Journal l JUNE 2021 LOCAL 13

Positive cases among MBSJ staff SHAH ALAM - A total of 87 Sub- four state constituencies under ang Jaya City Council (MBSJ) the purview of the local coun- staff have been tested positive cil have conducted the free for Covid-19 since the start of Covid-19 community screen- the pandemic early last year. ing. They are Seri Kembangan, Its mayor, Noraini Roslan, Seri Serdang, Kinrara and Sub- said to date there are 17 active ang Jaya, involving 12,522 tests cases involving its staff. in total. “A total of 590 staff have “The purpose of the test- received the Covid-19 vaccine ing is to ensure that all levels and out of the total, 572 have of the society would be able to completed two doses,” said get themselves screened, in- Noraini during the council’s full cluding those who are asymp- board meeting held online on tomatic, to reduce the risks May 25. of workplace and community Meanwhile, Noraini said transmission,” she said. The Mah Meri tribe of performs their traditional dance during the Indigenous Art Fes- tival at the Shah Alam National Botanical Garden, on Aug 3, 2019 Nutrition programme PNSB assures for B40 children transparency

By IDA NADIRAH IBRAHIM some current issues,” it said in re- to be submitted to the parties in- sponse to a report by The Malay- volved,” the statement read. SHAH ALAM - Permodalan Neg- sian Insight (TMI) on May 14. PNSB said the submission of eri Selangor Berhad (PNSB) will The state-owned subsidi- the notice, with the joint coop- look into a request by the Mah ary said the TMI report, which eration of the Sepang Land Of- Meri tribe for an exten- claimed that the Mah Meri tribe fice and the police, was carried sion of the eviction notice from were to be evicted for the land to out without any objection on the state’s land in , be developed into a tourism site, April 20. Sepang. was inaccurate as the issue had “The eviction notice was to In a statement issued on May been discussed as early as 2017 inform the residents that their 14, PNSB said the state agency with the Sepang Land Office as premises are encroaching on has received a letter of appeal well as on Nov 27, 2020, and April land owned by PNSB,” it said. from the Tok Batin of Kampung 12. PNSB also clarified that the Orang Asli Bukit Bangkong. “As a transparent and con- area is not the original settle- “We received the appeal letter cerned administration of the peo- ment of the Mah Meri tribe and Rodziah hands out duit raya to a Seldec rider on May 12 on April 26 requesting an exten- ple, the state government has all decisions will be made in ac- sion to evict the site. already conducted negotiations cordance with legal procedures. SHAH ALAM - The Selangor aid to Selangor Digital e-Sup- “Based on the letter, PNSB is with the parties involved through “All agreements and solu- Child Nutrition Programme ply Chain (Seldec) riders at the open to the next phase of the existing procedures and laws. tions that will be reached will be for kids from low-income fam- Shah Alam Convention Centre negotiation and is ready to con- “PNSB has followed the pro- based on the concepts of trans- ilies (B40) is expected to begin (SACC) here on May 12. sider the residents’ appeal for an cess and governance procedures parency, integrity and humani- in June, says state executive The 2021 Selangor Bud- extension by taking into account in preparing the eviction notice ty,” it added. councillor for urban wellbeing get allocated RM6 million for Rodziah Ismail. the Selangor Food Bank pro- She said the children will be gramme in all 56 state constit- provided with a balanced diet uencies. for six months through an allo- A total of RM1 million from Call to beef up police presence in Sentosa cation of RM1 million from the that allocation is used for the state. Selangor Children Nutritional SHAH ALAM - The government is people. he told SelangorKini. “This initiative targets urban Programme that focuses on urged to increase the number of “There’s only one police sta- Although the number of po- children in the People’s Hous- those aged six and below. police personnel in Sentosa fol- tion in Sentosa with only three to lice personnel is low, Gunarajah ing Project (PPR) flats and low- On Oct 30 last year, Selan- lowing a recent increase in crimi- four policemen on duty at a time. said the existing officers are al- cost houses who do not get nu- gor Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri nal cases there. “I also found out that this sta- ways ready to provide their ser- tritious food due to poverty. Amirudin Shari said a study by Sentosa state assemblyman tion is not equipped with patrol vice. “We have created a ques- the Selangor State Health De- Dr G Gunarajah said facilities at cars which makes it difficult for “Their lack of numbers does tionnaire for the target group. partment (JKNS) at the Kota the police station in Taman Sen- the policemen to do surveillance. not prevent them from carrying God willing, this program will Damansara PPR found that 33 tosa also need to be improved Therefore, these two aspects out crime prevention activities be successful with the cooper- per cent of the children there to cater for the growing popu- should be given special attention and we support them in execut- ation of various parties,” she have stunted growth and nutri- lation that now exceeds 150,000 in order to lower the crime rate,” ing their duties,” he said. said after presenting Aidilfitri tional deficiencies. 14 OPINION Selangor Journal l JUNE 2021

By JAY JAY DENIS

he Covid-19 pandemic has add- ed a few words into the ‘use at all times’ category in our respective dictionaries. TIt started with ‘Wuhan’ and ‘coronavi- rus’, then moved swiftly to ‘Covid-19’ after the World Health Organisation named the disease on Feb 11, 2020, followed by phrases like ‘new normal’ and ‘work from home’, which carried meanings contain- ing measures to curb the virus’ spread. In the backend of 2020, ‘vaccines’ became the buzzword in town, after 91-year-old Margaret Keenan in the Unit- ed Kingdom became the first person to receive the Pfizer Covid-19 jab on Dec 8. That 11-month duration from naming the Covid-19 disease to prevention in the form of a vaccine rollout by Pfizer-BioN- Tech to combat the virus was done in re- cord time. That record speed has been matched with growing hesitancy among popula- tions across the globe who are concerned and fearful of getting that formula inject- ed into their arms. Vaccines: However, this isn’t exactly a new thing. On May 14, 1796, English doctor Ed- ward Jenner inoculated an 8-year-old boy who suffered from cowpox, the first ever More than a shot reported case of vaccination. The word ‘vaccination’ comes from the name of the cowpox virus called vaccin- ia virus. Vaccinia, in turn, originates from cine is the cheat code and your friend is the Latin word for cow, ‘vaca’. the virus. in the arm In the mid-1800s, crowds gathered on Historically, the aim of vaccines was the many proteins in a particular virus, seen produced collectively by the United the streets of Victorian England after a achieved through three main ways; the in the development of the HPV vaccine. States, China, the United Kingdom, Rus- government mandate to ensure people whole virus, part of a disease, or just the However, vaccines for Covid-19 have sia, India, and Kazakhstan. were vaccinated against cowpox. genetic material — cheat code — for your mainly embarked on the genetic material Traditionally, vaccines have taken a Reports suggest protesters were body to make the required proteins to route to both scale production and fast- considerably longer time to reach the afraid that after receiving the cowpox fight a virus. track the learning process a human im- regulatory approval process and get vaccine, they would turn into cows. The first method uses an inactivated mune system would generally take for the mass-produced for distribution. That misinformation is not too dissim- version of a particular virus to develop a prior two methods. Due to the gravity of the disease, a ilar from what is being seen today, and vaccine. This was how vaccines for polio This genetic material is developed number of phases like testing on animals probably played a role for cowpox taking and the flu were made. through a molecule, RNA, through which and clinical trials on humans were over- nearly 225 years to be declared eradicat- However, as this method required use a code is created called ‘messenger RNA’ lapped. Along with the aid of technology, ed by the World Health Organisation. of the virus, production capacity faced or ‘mRNA’. From the moment the mR- 11 months was all it took for the first per- Cowpox remains the only disease to scale-up challenges. NA-based vaccine is injected into your son to receive the vaccine. be eradicated to date. The second method deploys a subunit arm, it carries the coded instructions to These achievements have allowed It is also important to acknowledge at method, utilising a selected protein from other cells in your body to create certain governments to put a foot on the gas in this point that government institutions proteins which are critical against the an attempt to halt the fourth wave of the can do better to engage and correct in- SARS-CoV-2 Covid-19 virus. outbreak in many countries. accurate material with a stream of con- Vaccines by Pfizer-BioNTech and Mod- Back home in Selangor, while state crete, science-driven, evidenced-based While leaders were erna were developed according to this leaders were trying to save the lives and information. trying to save the lives playbook. livelihoods of the people last year, the The long arc of vaccines is a testament As this process is still in its adolescence, science used to develop vaccines did not and celebration of human immunologi- and livelihoods of and fragile, these vaccines have to be kept get the attention and scientific focus it cal development, from that first cowpox extremely cold: -80°C for Pfizer and -20°C should have. vaccine. the people last year, for the Moderna vaccine. This has created the perfect storm for Prior to the Covid-19 vaccine, there the science used to Vaccines developed by AstraZeneca and anti-vaxxers to make their move. were at least 14 others in public use for Johnson & Johnson use a different meth- At the end of the day, after digesting diseases like polio, tetanus, influenza, develop vaccines did od through what is termed as adenovirus all the facts backed by science, getting Hepatitis B, Measles, Pneumococcal Dis- vectors. the shot in the arm becomes an individ- ease, Mumps, Chicken Pox and others. not get the attention While still relying on coding genetic ma- ual as well as a collective responsibility. In each of these cases, the aim of vac- it should have. This terial, the divergence deployed here ap- Vaccines and lockdowns have the cines was similar: giving you a cheat code plies a family of viruses that have up to a same purpose; reducing the burden on to your favourite game so when the time created the perfect hundred members, which work together the healthcare system to allow doctors comes for you to play against your friend, to defang the proteins of the Covid-19 vi- and nurses to breathe so that enough there will only be one winner. storm for anti-vaxxers rus when it enters a human body. people get care. In an epidemiological context, the vac- to make their move To date, there have been 14 vaccines The choice is clear. Selangor Journal l JUNE 2021 SPORTS 15

No new signings for Selangor FC

By MUSTAKIM RAMLI team, including import play- he said. Selangor FC is now in fifth ers. Mahfizul Rusydin also said standing in the Super League, SHAH ALAM - Selangor FC will “We have no plans to sign up that none of his players have after having collected 19 not be adding new players to new players and will be relying been approached by other points through 13 matches. the team in the second trans- on our existing line-up. clubs since the transfer win- The M League is on a fer window of the year for the “We’ve had a few players like dow opened at the start of two-month hiatus to make Malaysian Super League (M Nik Sharif Haseefy, Tim Heu- May. way for the World Cup League). bach and Safuwan Baharudin “However, anything can 2022 and Asian Cup Team Manager Mahfizul who were out of action due to happen between now and 2023 qualifiers, and also Rusydin Abdul Rashid con- injury but they are expected to May 31. Should there be new the Asian Club Champion- firmed that there are also no make a full recovery by the time transfers we will make the an- ship and the AFC Champions plans to drop anyone from the the league starts again in July,” nouncement,” he added. League.

Big turnout as Xtiv Virtual Vaccines: enters second year SHAH ALAM - The Selangor Xtiv Vir- “Aside from that, some 158 par- tual 2021 e-sports challenge, one of ticipants registered for the Selangor the events in the Selangor Xtiv Virtual Xtiv Virtual Youth Busking and 82 par- More than a shot 2021, recently attracted 27,968 partic- ticipants for the Selangor Xtiv Virtual ipants — the highest number since it Martial Arts challenge. was launched in March. “The remaining two competitions, State executive councillor for the Selangor Xtiv Virtual Ride and the sports Mohd Khairuddin Othman Selangor Xtiv Virtual Jump Rope Chal- in the arm said the entire virtual competition, lenge, will start in the middle of this which enters its second year, received month (May),” he said, adding that 31,617 entries as of May 5. a total of 450,000 participants are The competition offers partici- targeted to participate in the entire pants a chance to compete in popular event which runs until December. online games like PUBG, Mobile Leg- The Selangor Xtiv Virtual 2021 of- ends Bang Bang, Call of Duty Mobile, fers a total prize pool of RM411,680. Pro Evolution Soccer 2021 and FIFA Last year, it received an unexpect- Pro Club. ed response with 250,631 entries and Mohd Khairuddin said other games 18 million views on social media plat- such as the Selangor Xtiv Virtual Mar- forms. athon recorded 3,009 participants More information on the compe- while the Selangor Xtiv Virtual Chess tition is available at www.facebook. recorded 400 entries. com/selangorxtiv2020. Largest e-sports centre in region nears completion

SHAH ALAM - The largest e-sports more than RM10 million, and is the development centre in Southeast Asia result of a financial collaboration be- will be built in Selangor at a cost of tween the private sector and the state more than RM10 million. government,” he said at the agree- State executive councillor for sports ment signing ceremony between Ser- Mohd Khairuddin Othman said the ba Dinamik Group Berhad and the centre is expected to be operational e-sports association at Hotel Mardhi- from next year and will be equipped yyah here on April 30. with a training academy, accommoda- Mohd Khairuddin said the centre tion and studios. will be housed in the former Carlton “Today’s programme is the most im- Hotel in Section 13, which will be fully portant in the history of the Selangor renovated by the end of this year. government because this agreement “This year we have a RM3 million signing ceremony aims to support the allocation for us to go down to the state government’s efforts to create an districts for e-sports development e-sports development centre. and next year we will use this centre,” “This centre is expected to cost he added. Covid-19 variants of concern Mutations of any virus are natural and expected

Screenings are usually negative even when patients are at New variants spread serious stage faster and are related to higher mortality rates

Spreads Patients suffer joint directly to pain, lethargy and the lungs, loss of appetite inflammation detected only

by X-ray Graphic by freepix by Graphic Current wave is more Taking measures dangerous than previous

Avoid crowded Main concerns places and Variants detected in Malaysia narrow spaces Transmissibility United Kingdom (B.1.1.7) The B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 variants spread more easily and more Always First detected: quickly September 2020 practise physical Severity of illness distancing Studies on B.1.1.7 suggest there South African (B.1.351) could be a link to increased risk of death First detected: October 2020 Vaccine efficacy Wear a Some studies suggest B.1.351 face mask may have mutations that prevent antibodies from working as well, Indian (B.1.617.1) though further research required Wash hands often with First detected: Other lab studies show that soap/hand October 2020 vaccines train effectiveness sanitiser against B.1.351 and B.1.1.7

* Source: Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (https://www.cdc.gov/)

Published by Media Selangor Sdn Bhd (formerly known as Communication Corporation Sdn Bhd), Level 11, Menara Bank Rakyat, No. 1, Jalan Indah 14/8, Seksyen 14,40000 Shah Alam, Selangor. Printed by Percetakan Nasional Malaysia Berhad (PNMB), Jalan Chan Sow Lin, 55200, Kuala Lumpur