INSIDE page page Growing gains 2 Blessed 4 TELLING IT AS IT IS from discarded Ramadan for durian seeds ex-terror supporter ON WEDNESDAY APRIL 21, 2021 No. 7766 PP 2644/12/2012 (031195) www.thesundaily.my CURBING COVID ... A security guard putting up a closure notice at SMK USJ 23 in Subang Jaya after the school and 18 others in Selangor were ordered shut to facilitate sanitisation works. – ADIB RAWI YAHYA/THESUN Power play █ BY ALISHA NUR MOHD NOOR leave of absence to deal with his legal troubles. [email protected] “Unlike Muhyiddin, Ahmad Zahid and even oNew battle lines being drawn for GE15 Anwar, Tok Mat does not have any political ETALING JAYA: With Datuk Seri liability,” Jeniri said. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in troubled minister position if Umno-led Barisan Nasional Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and PKR Another political analyst, Khoo Kay Peng, waters, the field is now open for the (BN) wrests power from Perikatan Nasional president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. said the split within Umno will likely rule out post of Umno president. (PN) in the next general election (GE15). Umno has announced that it will no longer any possibility of early party elections. PThe obvious choice is current deputy Mohamad, popularly known as Tok Mat, is be a part of PN when the nation goes to the “Ahmad Zahid still has very strong president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, but known as a likeable person and is acceptable to polls again. grassroots support and he will put up a fight to Sombrong division head Datuk Seri all races but lacks power, an analyst said. That raises the possibility of three coalitions remain in power,” he said. Hishammuddin Hussein and Ketereh division “Mohamad’s recent statements, particularly – BN, PN and Pakatan Harapan (PH) – jostling While he acknowledged that Mohamad is chief Tan Sri Annuar Musa are also in on the economy and politics, have resonated for power, a first for Malaysia. a “viable challenger”, he believes that Ahmad contention, according to political analysts who well with the people,” said Malaysian Council of There is a high possibility that Muhyiddin Zahid has the edge over his number two in spoke to theSun. Professors senior fellow Dr Jeniri Amir. will seek his first mandate before the next the party. However, it is still too early to rule out He said Mohamad also has better leadership elections are due. He indicated this when he Even within BN, Ahmad Zahid incumbent president Ahmad Zahid. direction and is a potential candidate for the announced on March 1 that elections would be still commands respect. Khoo Despite calls from within Umno for fresh prime minister’s post if BN regains power. held “as soon as the country recovers from the said component parties MCA Turn to party elections, an analyst said he still In Jeniri’s view, that could possibly put him Covid-19 pandemic”. and MIC will continue to — commands very strong grassroots support. in a three-way fight for the country’s top Ahmad Zahid, who is facing a litany of support him, unless Umno elects page 3 More importantly, at stake is the prime leadership position, against incumbent Prime corruption charges, has taken a six-month a new leader. 2 theSUN ON WEDNESDAY | APRIL 21, 2021 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS Talks with Growing gains from Belgian envoy on commodities discarded durian seeds BANGI: Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry officials are expected to meet the Belgian with failure but he did not allow that to dampen ambassador to Malaysia on oEnterprising businessman produces saplings of D24 and his spirits. He kept going until he succeeded commodity issues early next month. and today, he is earning up to RM20,000 a Its Minister Datuk Mohd Musang King species by bud-grafting choice shoots month from his nursery business. Khairuddin Aman Razali said the The durian saplings are ready for sale when meeting will not necessarily be they are three to four months old. The Musang confined to palm oil issues but could KOTA BELUD: The idiom “one man’s trash is Kampung Rangalau in Sabah since 2017, said King species fetches between RM38 and RM150 also be a platform for discussing another man’s treasure” holds true for Donny the idea of starting his own durian nursery per sapling, depending on the size. matters related to other national Ien, who runs a profitable enterprise growing came when he was working in Penang about Donny’s customers are mainly from Kota commodities, including cocoa. saplings of high-value durian species using eight years ago. Belud and Tawau. He also has customers in “The Belgian ambassador has discarded durian seeds. “I saw a lot of potential in durian cultivation other districts but due to the current requested to meet me but due to time During the fruit season between July and because in Penang then, Musang King was inter-district travel ban in Sabah, he sends constraints, our meeting will be held December when durians are plentiful, he buys priced at up to RM100 a kilogramme,” he told saplings to them via postal service. when I pay a courtesy call on the Yang seeds at about RM3 to RM4 a kilogramme from Bernama, adding that he and his wife later To meet the demand for durian saplings, he di-Pertua Negeri of Malacca in early durian stallholders who collect them after returned to Sabah to learn how to grow durian also procures small durian plants from Pasir May,” he told reporters in customers have finished eating. trees. Mas in Kelantan at RM10 each. conjunction with the pre-launch of He then sows the seeds in his nursery to Donny, who gets his stock of Musang King At his nursery, Donny cultivates the Dalit the Malaysian Palm Oil Board produce rootstock, after which selected buds from his aunt’s orchard, said the bud- durian, which has orange-coloured flesh, and Transfer of Technology Seminar and premium durian species such as Musang King, grafting process, which takes about 21 days to durian Bunga Merah, which is popular in Exhibition 2021 yesterday. Tembaga and D24 are bud-grafted onto them. complete, has to be done carefully to ensure Sabah, as well as fruits such as pulasan, Mohd Khairuddin said what is Donny, 39, who has been operating his success. mangosteen and even avocado and important is that both parties can nursery called Don’s Nursery at his village in In his early days of bud-grafting, Donny met pandan coconut. discuss issues related to Malaysia’s commodities and cooperation that Donny with can be forged. the durian On April 13, the international saplings in his media reported that biofuels made nursery. – from palm oil and soybean will no BERNAMAPIX longer be allowed in the Belgian market, as well as in its transport sector starting next year, as part of its efforts to reduce global deforestation. Commenting on Sri Lanka’s ban on Malaysian palm oil imports, Mohd Khairuddin said Malaysia is always open to talks on the issue. “We have received high demand for palm oil. Our supply is not enough. “So, we are confident that our palm oil market remains competitive and at the same time, we are also exploring new markets, especially in Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and Asean countries.” Meanwhile, the Malaysian Palm Oil Board yesterday signed agreements with four local companies for the commercialisation of technologies it has developed on fertiliser formulations, plantation mechanisation and palm-based polyols. The companies are FGV Fertiliser Sdn Bhd, Palmyra Polyurethane Systems Sdn Bhd, Fulle Technik Sdn Bhd and RZtech Resources Sdn Bhd. The seminar and exhibition, which will be held on July 1, is an important Figures in report misinterpreted, says ministry EPF: Age limit of 75 annual platform to introduce technologies and innovations in the PUTRAJAYA: Reports of 1,684 deaths involving using motorcycles. no longer applicable palm oil industry developed by the p-Hailing riders within nine months of the The post also included Transport Minister board’s researchers. movement control order (MCO) last year had Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong’s quotes during the KUALA LUMPUR: The Employees It is one of the board’s strategies to been misinterpreted, the Transport Ministry campaign, in which he said: “Despite the Provident Fund (EPF) said an old statement increase the commercialisation of said yesterday. implementation of the MCO, deaths (averaged) regarding the maximum age of 75 years for technology. In a post on its Facebook page, the ministry 12 a day, which is not a small number. In contributors to receive dividend payments is The commercialisation rate of said the numbers provided during the general, more than 60%, or almost two-thirds outdated and no longer applicable. patented technology has so far P-Hailing Safety Campaign programme held on involved motorcyclists. The pension fund clarified this yesterday reached 32.4% while the April 9 did not specifically refer to two-thirds of “However, the ones who most used the after a statement on the maximum commercialisation rate is 30.4%. the total 2,576 road deaths involving p-hailing roads during the MCO were those involved in age for dividend payment went viral, So far, 221 technologies have been riders. essential services.” circulating via WhatsApp and other online commercialised, with a market value P-hailing is defined as services involving The ministry expressed hope that inaccurate platforms. of RM3 billion. – Bernama delivery of food, drinks and parcels by riders reports will not be spread. – Bernama “We urge members to be cautious of misleading or unsubstantiated information received through social media platforms and refrain from circulating them.