Rep wants more homes for Orang Asli in Bekok
MORE housing units for the Orang Asli community are needed in Bekok, says its assemblyman Tan Chong.
He said many from the community had voiced hope for Johor government to address the lack of houses for them in the constituency in Segamat district.
'I often receive complaints from Orang Asli village chiefs on the need to increase housing, complete with water and electricity supplies, for them.
'To my knowledge, more than 140 applications from the community in Bekok have been submitted to Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa) for houses,' he told the state assembly during a debate session at Bangunan Sultan Ismail in Kota Iskandar.
Tan said at present, there were six Orang Asli villages in his constituency – Kampung Kudung, Kampung RPS Tembayan, Kampung Tamok, Kampung Kemidak, Kampung Selai dan Kampung Lenek.
'We hope the state government through Jakoa will consider their requests so that the Orang Asli can live comfortably.'
He also highlighted that better roads were needed between Kampung Lenek and Kampung Baru Sungai Karas in Labis.
Tan said the distance between the two villages was 6km but the time taken to travel between them was long due to lack of proper roads.
'Residents wanting to travel to Labis town for daily errands have to take the long way using Jalan Utama Segamat-Yong Peng.
'If proper roads can be constructed, it will benefit hundreds of residents in the surrounding area, including Kampung Panca Jaya,' he said.
Meanwhile, Tan told the state assembly that he was against the implementation of a paid parking system in Labis, as it was a small town located within Segamat district.
'Residents mostly use motorcycles as their main mode of transport, so there is not much need for local council paid parking bays.
'It will also be a burden to small-town folk,' he said, adding that he had spoken out against the implementation of such a system years ago.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Cambodia remains safe destination for investors says Malaysian trade body
PHNOM PENH: The Malaysian Business Chamber in Cambodia (MBCC) said the kingdom remains a safe destination for businesses and foreign investors despite border tensions with Thailand. The Phnom Penh-based chamber's president, Tan Khee Meng, said MBCC will continue to share relevant information with the business community on the prevailing situation. "We will continue to provide reliable information to international business partners, assuring them that operations in Cambodia remain secure and that the country is safe for travel and business activities as usual,' Tan said in a statement. The peaceful northern region of Cambodia has been rocked by armed conflict since July 24, with 13 people, including soldiers and civilians, having perished. The Ministry of National Defence disclosed that over 80,000 people have been displaced, and about 500 schools in several northern provinces have been temporarily closed. "MBCC calls upon all parties involved to seek peaceful resolutions and support international efforts to restore harmony and safety to the region,' said Tan. In Phnom Penh, business is as usual, as the border conflict is going on in remote areas, hundreds of kilometres away from the capital. - Bernama
The Star
9 hours ago
- The Star
Not feasible for Singapore to avoid net‑zero; all options to cut energy emissions on table
SINGAPORE: It is no longer feasible nor practical for Singapore to avoid working towards a net-zero future, said Dr Tan See Leng (pic), Singapore's Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science & Technology. Fluctuations in the prices of fossil fuels due to geopolitical conflicts have driven up energy prices. Dealing with the impacts of climate change, such as rising sea levels, is also critical for Singapore, he said. 'Energy is existential for us, just like water was existential in the 90s,' said Dr Tan in his first formal interview as Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science & Technology on July 21. The portfolio sits under the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and was created in the latest round of Cabinet changes in May. Dr Tan was previously Second Minister for Trade and Industry, and he continues to helm the Manpower Ministry in the new Cabinet. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had said that science and technology are key drivers of growth, while energy – especially clean energy – will be an important part of his Government's agenda. Singapore now relies on natural gas, a fossil fuel, for about 95 per cent of its energy needs. The Republic's goal is to reach net-zero emissions – where the total amount of emissions is balanced by activities to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere – by 2050. Achieving this would require the energy sector, which makes up about 40 per cent of the nation's total emissions, to cut its emissions. Dr Tan said Singapore is exploring all possible options in its energy transition to ensure its energy needs are met in a sustainable, resilient and cost-effective way. 'Nothing is off the table. We will explore every single pathway, every single possibility, and... make sure it is cost-effective and sustainable,' he said. During the 90-minute interview, Dr Tan fielded a range of questions about Singapore's energy future, from developments in the Asean power grid, to the country's exploration of nuclear and geothermal energy, and the role of emerging technologies such as carbon capture and storage. He acknowledged that Singapore's energy transition will result in higher costs, and said the Government will provide support to help people cope. For example, utility rebates such as the U-Save rebates help households to offset utility expenses, while climate vouchers are meant to encourage them to switch to green appliances. Meanwhile, he said the Government will work with businesses such as through energy efficiency grants to help them manage this impact. 'It is not going to be possible for the cost to not go up,' Dr Tan said. 'But what we will endeavour to do is to manage that gradient... and supplement it with rebates, with grants to help our local population, our households and businesses.' Dr Tan said that in the near term, renewable energy imports hold the most promise for Singapore. The Republic has limited access to renewable energy resources, so importing clean electricity generated elsewhere can help. In 2024, Singapore raised its low-carbon electricity import target from four gigawatts (GW) to six GW by 2035. This is expected to make up around a third of the country's energy needs by 2035. Dr Tan said there is a possibility to increase the target beyond this, depending on partnerships. The Asean power grid – which will allow countries to share renewable energy resources – is also gaining traction, with a growing number of bilateral discussions on the issue. For example, Singapore and Indonesia in June inked three key agreements to strengthen cooperation in clean energy and sustainable development, including agreements on cross-border electricity trade. A regional grid is a win-win for countries importing and exporting renewable energy, Dr Tan noted. It will not only help Asean achieve its net-zero ambitions earlier, he said, but also bring about economic growth to the countries. 'Given the vast amount of potential that is within Asean itself, you could unlock significant economic opportunities,' he added. A US-Singapore study on energy connectivity in South-East Asia had assessed that building the Asean power grid can generate US$2 billion (S$2.6 billion) annually in research and development, and create as many as 9,000 jobs a year. Asked if the breakdown of multilateralism around the world helped to focus attention on the importance of the regional grid, Dr Tan said: 'I think that in a way, we've all been encouraged as a result of all of the recent developments.' He added: 'I don't think there's any one major particular push. It's a whole series of nudges. I think the tariffs could also be one of those reminders to encourage all of us to come together and work even more closely as one united Asean.' Dr Tan said the other pathways that Singapore is exploring – such as the use of carbon capture technologies, the potential of hydrogen as a clean fuel, or tapping nuclear energy – are 'still some distance away'. 'So I think in the foreseeable next five years, you will see a lot of work on renewable energy imports, and at the same time, still natural gas, and how to decarbonise natural gas.' Calling his new portfolio a 'redesignation' since he had also overseen energy issues as Second Minister for Trade and Industry, Dr Tan said the new title will help him up the ante in international partnerships. 'It allows a more seamless coordination across the different government agencies within Singapore and also at the same time, when we negotiate internationally,' he said, noting that many countries have dedicated energy ministers. Dr Tan said that while progress on the Asean grid has been made, challenges remain. These include logistical issues like the need to upgrade existing infrastructure to transfer energy. This is where Singapore could step in to provide investments, such as initial funding to crowd in more capital for cross-border energy projects. For example, the Government has appointed Singapore Energy Interconnections, a newly incorporated government-linked company, to specialise in developing cross-border power infrastructure. Singapore's S$10 billion Future Energy Fund – set up to catalyse investments in clean energy technology that may involve high upfront costs and significant commercial, technological and geopolitical risks – could also provide initial funding. But to attract other sources of capital, such as from the private sector, government-to-government frameworks will be needed to give investors greater certainty, said Dr Tan. That would improve the 'bankability' of such projects, he said. 'I think it will attract significant investments, both from public capital, private capital, and even longer-term philanthropic capital.' Going forward, Dr Tan said natural gas will likely remain a core pillar in Singapore's energy mix. But its share will change depending on the development of technologies. 'A good position for Singapore is that by the mid-2040s, natural gas will be around just slightly below 50 per cent of our mix,' he said. - The Straits Times/ANN
Focus Malaysia
a day ago
- Focus Malaysia
On-the-ground Ramasamy: ‘Turun Anwar' rally attracted '150k-200k turnout despite slight shower'
THE Turun Anwar rally yesterday (July 26), was a tremendous success in terms of the numbers that turned out; with the crowd stretching from Sogo to Masjid Negara, it was a virtual ocean of crowd. The conservative and deliberate attempts to convey picture of 10,000 to 15,000 participants pales in significance to the actual turnout from 150,000 to 200,000 – even the slight shower did not dampen the enthusiasm of the crowd. Some leaders of the opposition could have exaggerated the extent of the size of the crowd that swelled on the Saturday afternoon. But the numbers were there to prove beyond doubt that it was decisive rally that wanted Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to relinquish his position. It was essentially a proverbial case of Anwar getting the taste of his own medicine in calling for the reformasi movement when he was in the opposition. Mostly all the senior leaders of Perikatan Nasional (PN) – from centenarian twice former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to the coalition's chairman/Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to PAS president Tan Sri Hadi Awang – were present to address the crowd on why Anwar has to go. Non-Malay rally-goers Judicial interference, the deliberate use of the MACC to prosecute the opposition leaders, the downplaying of incidents of corruption among leaders of the Pakatan Harapan (PH)-led coalition, the spiralling cost of living, the hypocritical package of sweeteners, Anwar's own personal involvement in sexual misconduct and plenty other issues were raised as to why he has to go. Although the those who gathered were mainly Malays coming from different states, there was significant presence of Chinese and Indian participants. Gerakan brought the Chinese crowd while Urimai (United Rights of Malaysian Party) and the MIPP (Malaysian Indian People's Party) roped in the Indian crowd. Urimai's supporters from Penang, Selangor, Federal Territory and Negeri Sembilan marched together from the 'famed' Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman Hindu temple in Jalan Masjid India to join the crowd at Sogo. Urimai deliberately made the starting point at the Hindu temple that was forcefully relocated under the direction of Anwar supported by the shameless Indian sycophants in the DAP, PKR and MIC on March 27 to make way for the Masjid Madani. The temple has yet to be relocated and if Anwar and his government falls in power, I assured the crowd that the Hindu place of worship 130-years old would remain in the present place. Although I am not superstitious, many Hindus believe that Anwar's growing unpopularity could be due to his forceful and undemocratic move to relocate the historic and heritage temple that was built during the colonial days. Remember that it was on the same date in the late 1990s that Anwar was responsible for forcefully relocating a Hindu temple in Kampung Rawa in Penang arising out of ethnic and religious clash be Hindus and Muslims. Yesterday's rally was the beginning and not the last in the public wanting the removal of Anwar from holding the position of prime minter. With a matter of two-years, Anwar has proven to be an ineffective leader who says one thing for public consumption and does another for political expediency. Anwar is not interested in managing the country to the best of his ability but to stay as premier for as long as he can. There is general feeling in the country that Anwar has outlived his usefulness and has to go before the country plunges into further the crises. As the Malays have made up their mind that Anwar has to go, the Chinese and Indians must decide sooner or later. Sitting on the fence expecting Anwar to emerge miraculously from the present crisis is nothing but a very tall and impossible order. Asking questions like who is going to be Anwar's replacement and others seem to be planted by the cheerleaders seeking to prolong his stay in power. Anwar wants the opposition to take the parliamentary route to decide whether he should remain the PM or not by passing a vote of non-confidence knowing very well that they don't have the required numbers. As one opposition leader aptly pointed out, taking the democratic route of mass public gathering is much more effective in showing Anwar's standing than the indirect parliamentary route. – July 27, 2025 Former DAP stalwart and Penang chief minister II Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy is chairman of the United Rights of Malaysian Party (Urimai) interim council. The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
