Latest news with #MAB
New Straits Times
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
Winners prove being blind is no impediment
KUALA LUMPUR: Being blind shouldn't stop anyone from taking part in competitions, even typing contests. That's what the Malaysian Association for the Blind (MAB) proved through its inaugural Black Screen Typist Competition, a typing contest designed for the visually impaired. More than 23 participants took part, relying on audio cues to test their hearing and typing skills. They were scored on accuracy and speed. Rishan Ponraj Sivaaj won the Bahasa Melayu category with a score of 92.5 out of 100. He was surprised by his win, saying it was his first time competing in such a contest. Blind since birth, Rishan said one of his biggest challenges was accepting his condition. "As a child, it was hard to understand why I was different. I didn't have many friends to play with, which made things more isolating." With his family's support, he gradually adapted. Now 25, he is pursuing a graduate programme at a bank and hopes that the competition will raise awareness of what visually impaired people can do. "I hope that this competition opens society's eyes to the fact that we are just as capable of using computers as sighted people." Tang Kah Hung, who won the English category with a score of 80.5, credited his speed to helping with his family's photocopying business. He lost his vision at 16 due to a brain tumour. He said while the experience was devastating, time and support helped him adjust. "At first, I felt despair. But with time, I learnt to accept my blindness and appreciate my remaining senses — hearing, touch, taste and smell," he said. He added that such contests promoted typing skills and encouraged others not to hesitate to seek help. "Don't be shy about asking for help — whether from a senior or a blind association offering computer courses." MAB ICT senior executive Hafiyyan Lali said the event highlighted the technological capabilities of the visually impaired. "The goal is to show that with digital accessibility, blind people can perform on par with everyone else." Due to the positive response, MAB plans to make the contest an annual event and is considering including sighted participants to promote inclusivity.
The Star
02-07-2025
- The Star
Blind Malaysians invited to join typing contest with over RM3,000 in prizes
'We also want to show the public that the blind are just as capable and deserving of equal opportunities,' says Haffiyan. Photo: Haffiyan Lali The Malaysian Association for the Blind (MAB) is aiming to make history with its first-ever typing contest for the blind - Black Screen Typist Competition - in a bid to enter the Malaysia Book of Records. The event will take place on Saturday (July 5) at 8.30am at MAB in Brickfields, Kuala far, 23 visually impaired participants have signed up, and MAB is calling for more to join. Up to RM3,600 in cash prizes are up for grabs. MAB's information and communications technology (ICT) senior executive Haffiyan Lali, 35, who is blind himself, says the competition seeks to challenge misconceptions about the blind in today's digital age. "Many people are still unaware that visually impaired individuals can be just as productive as everyone else, provided they are given the right equipment and environment. "We hope the competition highlights the importance of digital accessibility. We also want to show the public that the blind are just as capable and deserving of equal opportunities. The visually impaired can be just as productive as anyone else," says Haffiyan in an email interview from Kuala Lumpur. The Black Screen Typist competition aims to showcase how the blind can thrive in the digital world with the right support and technology. Photos: 123rf The contest will be held in two categories: Bahasa Malaysia and English. It is open to any visually impaired Malaysian with an OKU (Orang Kurang Upaya) card. Participants must be familiar with using a computer that runs on the Windows operating system, including navigating file explorer and working with Microsoft Word. They should also be proficient in using screen reader softwares for the blind, such as Non-Visual Desktop Access (NVDA) or Job Access With Speech (JAWS). Candidates must possess at least intermediate-level keyboarding skills. During the competition, blindfolded participants must use the NVDA and are required to type along to a pre-recorded audio. They will be scored based on speed and accuracy. Winners in both language categories will receive RM1,000 (first prize), RM500 (second) and RM300 (third). When the blind are empowered to succeed, it promotes inclusion and breaks down stereotypes. Beyond the prizes, Haffiyan hopes participants will walk away with a sense of empowerment and confidence. "For many, this may be their first time showcasing their digital skills in a public setting, and we want them to feel proud of their abilities. We also hope they gain a deeper sense of community, knowing they are not alone, and that there are others like them pushing boundaries and breaking stereotypes. "This competition is also a chance for participants to build self-belief, develop soft skills like focus and resilience, and inspire them to keep pursuing opportunities in education, employment and beyond. We want them to know that their skills matter, their voices are heard, and their contributions are valuable." Through the competition, Haffiyan also hopes the public will realise that life without sight doesn't mean life without capability. "Blind and visually impaired individuals are just as intelligent, skilled and productive as anyone else, especially when accessibility is prioritised. We want to challenge the common misconceptions about blindness and show that with the right tools and inclusive environments, the blind community can thrive, contribute meaningfully, and even outperform expectations in areas many assume are beyond their reach. "Ultimately, this is about shifting perspectives, from seeing disability as a limitation to understanding it as a part of human diversity that deserves equal opportunity and support." To register, click on or call 03-2272 2677 (ext 143).
Forbes
18-06-2025
- General
- Forbes
UNESCO's Man And Biosphere World Changing Program, That Needs More Awareness
The UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Program is a remarkable initiative carried out by resourceful, dedicated communities around the world who develop multi-pronged, sustainable ecosystems with economic, quality of life, and environmental benefits. Each biosphere reserve functions as a 'living laboratory' for sustainable development with hundreds of local initiatives ranging from biodiversity conservation, to regenerative agriculture, and green tourism. Though MAB has been in existence since 1971, and today there are 759 UNESCO biosphere reserves across 136 countries, including 28 in the U.S., and more than 250 million people live in biosphere reserves globally, the program has limited awareness in much of the world. Increased resources to communicate what the program is all about and the value it provides, could have a tremendous impact on further growth. In late March I attended the U.K.'s UNESCO Man and Biosphere summit in Brighton and Hove in Sussex England (south of London) that brought together the country's 7 biospheres, including The Living Coast (Brighton and Hove), Wester Ross, Galloway and Southern Ayrshire, the Dyfi Valley, the Isle of White, Isle of Man, and North Devon. Representatives from each UK biosphere met to share their progress and learnings, and better understand the successes in Brighton and Hove including: Mauro Colagreco, the remarkable chef who has done as much as any chef in the world to promote biodiversity and sustainability, is using his perch as a world renown chef to help UNESCO increase awareness for MAB. In 2022 Mauro was designated UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity, the first chef named to this role. Mauro's restaurant, Mirazur, in Menton, France was chosen '#1 In The World' in 2019. Aside from serving only biodynamic food supplied from the restaurant's 5 biodynamic gardens and carefully chosen local suppliers, Mirazur's kitchen is the first and only Michelin 3-star restaurant that's both 100% plastic free, and also a B-Corp. He shares his pioneering work on biodynamics and the total elimination of plastic in kitchens with other chefs, as Vice President of Chefs for the global Relais & Chateaux Association, and also at his other 26 restaurants on 4 continents. At the extraordinary Goldstone Primary School in Hove, its principal and educators work throughout the district to integrate sustainability into all aspects of the curriculum. The school was blessed with a large plot of land, and that day, one of the first warm, sunny days of Spring, all the kids were outside learning from nature. A 4th grade class was studying British history during World War II by planting and harvesting a victory garden. Mauro visited the elementary school and spoke with 4th graders who asked extremely thoughtful questions about the importance and impact of sustainability on his restaurants, on local communities, and on the planet. During the week before the UNESCO UK MAB summit, the Mauro Colagreco Michelin-Star Restaurant at London's historic, 5-star Raffles at The OWO Hotel, offered an extraordinary meal that honored the 7 UK biospheres. Dishes inspired by each region featured produce, fish, meat, poultry, and dairy products from those biospheres, beautifully presented, like ceviche with seafood from North Devon served inside a hollowed-out kohlrabi, and a beautiful, honey-based dessert with ingredients from the Isle of Man. The OWO Hotel, opened in 2023, is an extraordinary restoration of the Old War Office (OWO) for the U.K.'s Department of Defense, where Winston Churchihill ran England's WWII operations. I had not previously known of the important work of the UNESCO MAB initiatives around the world, and when I described my extraordinary experience to people on both sides of the Atlantic, I didn't find anyone else who was familiar the Biosphere Reserves. I researched UNESCO MAB and learned that the U.S. had 28 biospheres, but the last one that joined the program was 35 years ago, in 1990. Having worked at Disney in the licensing division and managed Disney toy line licenses for Mattel globally, I noticed some parallels with UNESCO. In the corporate world, licensors create the name, standards, overall awareness, and brand image that all products and programs under its umbrella must live up to. Licensees market their own executions of the brand, and play a major role in creating awareness for their specific initiatives. While UNESCO is not a commercial brand, its Man and the Biosphere (MAB) program provides a unifying identity, framework, and international recognition for the over 700 biosphere reserves worldwide. It facilitates cooperation, and each reserve brings the concept to life in ways that reflect its unique ecological, social, and economic context. Given the program's tremendous economic and quality of life benefits to communities and the environment globally, and given the importance of the UN 17 Sustainability Goals that have been adopted by governments and organizations around the world, greater awareness of the UNESCO Man and Biosphere program would be additive and a virtuous cycle. It would help each biosphere with 'place marketing' (promoting locations to attract tourism, investment and business growth), showcasing each as a great place: - For people to live - For businesses to locate and find talent - For university students to study - For tourists and eco-tourists to visit - For products to proudly display they are from Individual UNESCO Biospheres often operate on tight limited budgets, with local partners' and regional funding. The small core teams who operate them are usually experts in biodiversity and community engagement, but not marketing. Given the seemingly low global awareness of the UNESCO Man and Biosphere programs, it's important that more dollars be spent at the global level to increase awareness, knowledge of, and the value of the program to encourage other communities to join. UNESCO, is currently setting up national and international partnerships with businesses and organizations interested in supporting these local sustainability labs that bring so many health and wellbeing and economic benefits to their residents. The positive flywheel of support and guidance will help grow the movement: - Increasing the likelihood new communities will want to qualify - Increasing the value to participant communities, as more people will want to visit, students will want to study, and businesses will want to locate there because of the MAB designation - Businesses can claim their products are from their biosphere, benefiting from associations with health and sustainability. On-package biosphere designations can also help grow biosphere awareness around the world, wherever the products are sold, even hundreds of miles away. I found this wonderful Cheddar with the Isle of Man MAB designation in New York City food shop.
Express Tribune
16-06-2025
- Express Tribune
K-P Wildlife Dept accused of bid fraud
Rare caracal spotted in Cholistan for the first time, marking a milestone in wildlife monitoring. Photo: FILE A legal notice has been served to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Wildlife & National Parks Department, accusing it of serious irregularities, favouritism, and legal violations in the recent tender process for an eco-tourism project at Ayubia National Park. The notice demands immediate corrective action. Issued by Advocate Malik Saeed Akhtar on behalf of the firm Titanic 2000, the legal notice alleges that the tender process was manipulated to benefit "pre-selected, blue-eyed" bidders in collusion with department officials. The notice highlights that the department unlawfully bypassed the UNESCO Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme's mandated Biosphere Management Committee, violating international commitments. It also accuses the department of duplicityopposing the Ayubia Chairlift Project on ecological grounds while allegedly advancing a similar initiative under a non-transparent Request for Proposals (RFP). Citing "concrete evidence," the notice claims that technical evaluation scores were arbitrarily altered post-submission to favour specific bidders, breaching KPPRA Rule 47. It also expresses strong suspicion that financial bids may be tampered with after submission, violating KPPRA Rule 34. The document outlines additional procedural breaches, including: Absence of the Bid Evaluation Committee Chairman during the opening of bids, unlawful delegation of decision-making authority to a single individual and marginalisation of official committee members while two Wildlife Department officials handled the process. Formation of a "parallel evaluation committee," which allegedly opened bids and showed clear favouritism toward one bidder. Moreover, bidders were reportedly given an unrealistic six-day deadline to submit Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), despite legal obligations under the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997, placing this responsibility on the project proponentnot bidders. This requirement was allegedly omitted from the RFP. Significant delays in the evaluation process occurred without formal communication, and the department's actions are said to violate the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Wildlife and Biodiversity Act, 2015, KPPRA Rules, and other governing laws. Titanic 2000 has demanded that the Divisional Forest Officer: Immediately rectify all legal and procedural violations. Ensure compliance with KPPRA Rules 2014 and other environmental and procurement laws, transfer responsibility to the officially notified committee and take corrective action against officials involved in the alleged misconduct. The firm warned that failure to comply within seven days would result in legal proceedings at the department's risk and cost. Concerns raised In a related development, Sardar M Sabir, Vice Chairman of the Biosphere Management Committee, has written to the Secretary of the Forest & Wildlife Department, Government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. In a two-page letter, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, he raised concerns over alleged bid manipulation, procedural violations, and the committee's exclusion from the entire processdespite its governance role under the UNESCO MAB Programme. Sabir stated that technical scores were altered to favour a particular bidder and alleged attempts to modify financial bids post-submission. He also noted that no committee members were involved in bid evaluation, with all authority centralised in one individual. The absence of the Conservator Wildlife, the committee's chairman, during the bid opening was also highlighted. He called for an impartial investigation into bid-rigging and procurement violations, immediate cancellation of the current tender process and inclusion of the Biosphere Management Committee in all future planning and decision-making. The controversy echoes a similar uproar surrounding the earlier Ayubia Chairlift Project, which also faced backlash over procedural irregularities and ecological concerns. In that case, the Galiyat Development Authority (GDA) leased 110 kanals of land to the Monal Group for commercial use, raising alarms about potential harm to the park's ecological balance. Ayubia National Park's status as a UNESCO-designated Biosphere Reserve underscores the need for rigorous environmental protection and transparent governance to ensure its biodiversity and ecological integrity are preserved.
7NEWS
09-06-2025
- Business
- 7NEWS
A refined master plan for one of Adelaide's newest suburbs in the south
A grand plan is underway to build more homes in the seaside south of Adelaide suburb Port Stanvac. The site of the former oil refinery is set to undergo drastic changes that is expected to create another beachside suburb in Adelaide's sprawling south. About 8000 people are expected to live in the new-look area and the local economy is expected to get a $508 million boost. Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today The release of the Master Plan and the new code amendment means planning for the development site can proceed. The new code amendment seeks to unlock the 230-hectare area, allowing for up to 3600 new dwellings that will include apartments, town houses, aged care and serviced accommodation. The Malinauskas-led government, developer MAB and site owner Exxon Mobil, last year announced plans to unlock the site for homes, open space, employment, community facilities, and beach access to what is a currently inaccessible stretch of Adelaide's coast. Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Nick Champion, said, 'The transformation of Port Stanvac will set a new benchmark for how we can repurpose underutilized land.' 'We are committed to ensuring that this development not only delivers homes and jobs, but also returns a beautiful stretch of our coastline to the community for everyone to enjoy. 'With the initiation of this code amendment, the new Port Stanvac goes from being a concept to a work in progress.' About 64 hectares of the area will be dedicated to areas for retail and commercial activity, creating 1700 new jobs. The development will also unlock 40 hectares of coastline, while more than 30 per cent of the site will be an open space. City of Onkaparinga mayor Moira Were described the development of Port Stanvac as a 'unique, one-off opportunity to drive new economic, social and environmental benefits to Onkaparinga and the state'.
