Mawan disburses RM150,000 in grants to support community, youth groups
KUCHING (July 5): A total of RM150,000 in government grants was disbursed yesterday by Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom.
The recipients included the Sarawak Dayak National Union (SDNU) headquarters, along with its Kota Samarahan, Siol Kandis, Taman Geng Guan, and Bandar Riyal branches, as well as the Serakup Indu Dayak Sarawak (SIDS) Siol Kandis branch and the Scout Council Sarawak (SSC).
Mawan, who serves as an advisor in the Sarawak Premier's Office (Food Industry, Commodity and Rural Development), is also the Pakan assemblyman and SDNU president.
The cheque presentation ceremony took place at his office at Rubber Road here.
In a statement, Mawan said the grants were intended to support the recipients' annual programmes and activities. grants scout SDNU SIDS William Mawan
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Borneo Post
6 hours ago
- Borneo Post
Mawan disburses RM150,000 in grants to support community, youth groups
Mawan (ninth right) in a group photo SDNU members held after the cheque presentation KUCHING (July 5): A total of RM150,000 in government grants was disbursed yesterday by Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom. The recipients included the Sarawak Dayak National Union (SDNU) headquarters, along with its Kota Samarahan, Siol Kandis, Taman Geng Guan, and Bandar Riyal branches, as well as the Serakup Indu Dayak Sarawak (SIDS) Siol Kandis branch and the Scout Council Sarawak (SSC). Mawan, who serves as an advisor in the Sarawak Premier's Office (Food Industry, Commodity and Rural Development), is also the Pakan assemblyman and SDNU president. The cheque presentation ceremony took place at his office at Rubber Road here. In a statement, Mawan said the grants were intended to support the recipients' annual programmes and activities. grants scout SDNU SIDS William Mawan
New Straits Times
8 hours ago
- New Straits Times
MNCF: Cycling is not a rich man's sport, reconsider SST
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia National Cycling Federation (MNCF) hopes the government will reconsider its decision to impose a 10 per cent tax on racing bikes under the expanded Sales and Service Tax (SST) scheme. MNCF secretary Arif Astaman said the move, which came into effect July 1, will affect development costs in the sport at both the grassroots and high-performance levels. Racing bikes - better known as road bikes - were previously exempted from SST. "There is an unfair perception that cycling is a rich man's sport which in reality is far from the truth," said Arif when contacted today (July 5). "None of the riders in our programmes are from the T5 or T10 (income bracket) families. Those who the authorities perceive to be rich are recreational riders who ride their RM50,000 to RM60,000 super bikes to Pangsun on the weekends. "As soon as the (tax) announcement was made we, the federation, wrote a letter to the Finance Minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim), asking for the government to reconsider it. "And if a reversal or reduction in tax is not possible, we have asked the government to consider giving us the power to issue end user certificates (for purpose of tax exemption) for riders under national and state development programmes. "End user certificates have already been implemented by various government agencies and we ask that this power be extended to us as well. "MNCF and the National Sports Council should have the authority to certify riders who are eligible for exemption from the tax when there is a need to buy new bikes for them. "Otherwise, this new tax would cause a significant increase in costs for us to run programmes when in fact, these programmes are partly funded by the government itself. "To add to that, there are no local Malaysian manufacturers or brands which produce racing bikes who need to be protected, such as in the automotive industry." Arif added that the SST levied on racing bikes could cause parents to direct their children to other, more affordable, sports. "Long before this SST on road bikes, other types of bikes such as BMX, folding and mountain bikes as well as items such as helmets, cycling shoes and spare parts have been charged a 15 per cent sales tax," said Arif. "This is less than ideal when we are trying to advocate cycling for all and is something we have asked customs to reconsider for a while now." Malaysia Pro Cycling (MPC) team principal Sayuti Zahit believes taxation on bikes should be implemented using a tiered system. "I believe bikes under RM10,000, which for the most part only gets you an entry level road bike, should not be taxed," said Sayuti when contacted today (July 5). "The tax should be gradually increased for bikes above that, or perhaps only start taxing once bikes are above RM30,000. "Otherwise, this would place a huge burden on parents who may already be struggling to pay RM3,000 to RM5,000 for a bike for their 13-year-olds who are only starting to get involved in junior programmes." Sayuti admitted that the SST on racing bikes is likely to hit MPC, a UCI continental road racing team, hard. "High-end racing bikes cost a lot of money, especially time trial bikes. A time trial bike that would normally cost us RM70,000 would now cost us RM77,000, that is a lot for us," he said. "Although we do have a sponsorship deal with bike manufacturers, we only get a discount and do not get our bikes for free." While they may sound like simple sports to the uninitiated, road and track cycling racing are both technologically advanced disciplines. A huge emphasis is placed on aerodynamics, structural rigidity, weight saving as well as drivetrain efficiency when producing racing bikes. A decent bike for professional road racing costs in the region of RM40,000 to RM60,000. Time trial bikes cost even more while at the top end are track racing bikes. The Vorteq WX-R track bikes used by the national squad at the 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympics cost RM20.5 million to develop over the two Olympic cycles and was listed at RM300,000 retail, per bike.
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
HR Ministry mulls mechanism for post-retirement employment
MELAKA: The Human Resources Ministry is studying the introduction of a dedicated mechanism to facilitate post-retirement employment, says minister Steven Sim. In doing so, the ministry recognised the need to balance opportunities for senior workers with the interests of the younger workforce, he added. Sim said his ministry is reviewing certain provisions within the Employment Act 1955, considered to be 'outdated', to ensure that returning retirees are given fair protection while also safeguarding hiring and promotion prospects for younger employees. 'We are looking at how to support post-retirement employment in a way that benefits both groups. "Senior workers today are healthier, living longer and bringing valuable experience but we must also be fair to young people entering the workforce,' he said after presenting RM50,000 in financial aid to St. John Ambulance at Ayer Keroh on Friday (July 4). Also present were Kota Melaka MP Khoo Poay Tiong, Ayer Keroh assemblyman Kerk Chee Yee and Kota Laksamana rep Low Chee Leong. Sim said that while suggestions had been received from various quarters on how to encourage seniors to re-enter the job market, the government must carefully assess the legal framework to weigh the pros and cons. 'Our labour law is so old that it dates back to an era when our police officers wore short pants. "Some provisions are no longer relevant and must be abolished as part of this reform process,' he said. Sim stressed that any mechanism for hiring retirees must include appropriate protection and safeguards and such measures would be aligned with a broader review of 28 existing labour laws aimed at modernising Malaysia's labour market. 'We are building a framework that focuses on welfare, skills development and productivity. "This is part of our commitment to labour market reform,' he added. Separately, Sim announced that his ministry plans to train 10,000 workers in basic emergency response skills, focusing on those in high-risk sectors. The initiative, he said, aims to reduce workplace fatalities and disabilities and to enhance compliance with national safety standards.
