Latest news with #MohdRASFAN
eNCA
05-07-2025
- eNCA
'Frogging' takes off in Borneo's jungle
KUCHING - Dodging fire-ants, snakes and millions of nighttime creepy-crawlies, a group of trekkers advances through the humid Bornean rainforest, scanning with torches for some of the jungle's most unlikely stars: frogs. "There's another one! And it's massive," British tourist Lauren Heywood exclaimed as she spotted the telltale reflective glint off a pair of blinking eyes, seemingly waiting to be photographed by admirers. "Frogging", or the hunt for the exotic amphibians that call the rainforest home, is taking off in Malaysia's Sarawak state in Borneo. AFP | Mohd RASFAN And herpetologists say few places rival Kubah National Park, around half an hour's drive from state capital Kuching. It is home to some of the world's smallest and most unusual frog species. While many visitors flock to Borneo's jungle to see charismatic large species like orangutans or elephants, some of its tiniest residents are increasingly getting their turn in the spotlight, according to Kubah park ranger Muhammed Tajuddin. "More and more people are coming to see our frogs," he told AFP. - Frog central - AFP | Nicholas SHEARMAN The tour begins at dusk, with Indigenous Dayak guide Dominic Jikie leading a 45-minute hike up Mount Serapi, the highest peak in the area, to frog central. Here, surrounded by ancient jungle trees is a shallow pond around the size of two swimming pools. Scientists say it serves as the primary breeding ground for many of the 180 frog and toad species found on Borneo -- the world's third-largest island, divided between Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. Dozens of species dot almost every surface, submerged in the torchlit water, or perched on leaves, branches or tree trunks, placid and unbothered by their human fans. AFP | Mohd RASFAN "There is something special here," said Jikie, 64, a retired park ranger who now specialises as a frogging guide. "People come to the park because they don't have the species that we have here back at home." Among the stars of the show on this visit are pinkish harlequin flying frogs with mottled underbellies, file-eared tree frogs with distinctive sharp noses and white-lipped frogs whose lurid green backs give way to a stripe of white along their bottom jaw. One of Borneo's most famous species, the giant river toad nicknamed "frogzilla" for its dinner-plate size, is not seen in Kubah. But there are other more delicate types, according to Jikie. "We have one of the world's smallest frog species, that breed inside pitcher plants," he said, training his sharp spotlight on a pair of amphibian eyes just up the steep mountain road. The Matang narrow-mouthed frog was officially described by Malaysian and German herpetologists in 2010 after its discovery in Kubah. AFP | Mohd RASFAN It grows to a maximum of just 11 millimetres as an adult. British tourist Thom Harris and his fellow visitors spotted 11 species on their nighttime trek. "This was an amazing experience," he told AFP. "They are just stunning creatures." "There are a few fire ants and a few other things to be careful of -- and a lot of bugs," he laughed. "But it's definitely worth it. And it's a lot of fun!" - 'I love nature' - AFP | Mohd RASFAN The rising popularity of the forest frogs is a chance for environmentalists to highlight the serious threats they face. Deforestation, climate change and overhunting are all putting pressure on the tropical island's frog population, scientists say. "Even slight changes in the temperature and climate may affect the survival of the frog species in a particular habitat," University of Malaysia, Sarawak researchers Nur Hidayah Zulkefli and Ramlah Zainudin wrote in 2022. AFP | Mohd RASFAN Deforestation in Sarawak remains significant and ongoing, statistics by environmental group Global Forest Watch showed, including for timber and to make way for palm oil plantations. Sarawak's government said it backed community conservation movements to preserve the amphibians and it ran well-protected game and nature reserves like Kubah National Park. AFP | Mohd RASFAN Awareness events include the annual International Bornean Frog Race, which sees scientists and the public compete to spot and photograph as many frog species as possible within a set timeframe and area. For park ranger Tajuddin, the more people are able to engage with the unique creatures, the more they will understand the need to protect them and their habitats. "I love nature," he said. "Frogging is a unique way for me to share that love with all our visitors." by Jan Hennop
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Oh no!': Malaysian PM sticks boot into booed Man Utd
Fans cheer before the friendly between Manchester United and ASEAN All-Stars (Mohd RASFAN) Malaysia's prime minister has stuck the boot into Manchester United by suggesting they could be relegated next season, having watched the fallen Premier League giants booed off in Kuala Lumpur. Ruben Amorim's demoralised side suffered an embarrassing 1-0 friendly defeat to a Southeast Asian XI in front of more than 70,000 in the Malaysian capital on Wednesday. Advertisement That came after United finished a lowly 15th in the league and failed to lift a trophy, one of their poorest seasons in recent memory. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was in the crowd at Bukit Jalil National Stadium and could not resist a dig afterwards. "Oh no! Manchester United failed to win a trophy again. Looks like you guys are going to have a 'headache' next season," Anwar wrote on Facebook. "Hopefully you don't get relegated to the Championship," he added, referring to England's second tier of football. Amorim's side play the Hong Kong team on Friday in their second and final match of their Asian post-season tour. The game at the 40,000-capacity Hong Kong Stadium was yet to sell out on the eve of the friendly. bur-pst/pbt
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Toothless Man Utd beaten in Malaysia friendly
Fans before the friendly football match between Manchester United and Asean All-Stars (Mohd RASFAN) Manchester United's dismal season suffered fresh embarrassment as they were beaten 1-0 by a Southeast Asian XI in sweltering Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday in front of a crowd of 72,550. Ruben Amorim's side, who finished 15th in the Premier League for their worst season since 1974, looked lethargic and devoid of ideas in the heat. Advertisement Some fans at Bukit Jalil national stadium left before the end and a few boos rang out at the final whistle. In their first of two post-season games in Asia, United started with several regulars including Harry Maguire, Rasmus Hojlund, Casemiro, Diogo Dalot, Manuel Ugarte, Kobbie Mainoo and Andre Onana. In temperatures of 32 degrees Celsius (90 Fahrenheit) at kickoff, it was the ASEAN All Stars who looked more threatening. Filipino defender Amani Aguinaldo blasted a shot just wide in the 16th minute. Onana was called into action midway through the first half with a low save that endeared him to the largely United-supporting crowd. Advertisement Mainoo provided the first real threat for Manchester Utd with a 25-yard effort that was turned behind for a corner, before the young midfielder saw his shot cleared off the line in the 38th minute. Captain Bruno Fernandes came on in the second half and his half-volley drew a loud cheer after a drab restart. The Southeast Asian side stunned Amorim's men through a brilliant counter-attack in the 71st minute. Burmese attacker Maung Maung Lwin found himself clean through on goal and the 29-year-old fired emphatically into the top corner past Tom Heaton. The home team could have had a second soon after, but Heaton came to the rescue to prevent further embarrassment. United now head to Hong Kong for a friendly on Friday. str/pst
The Star
03-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Singapore's ruling party PAP on course for election win, preliminary results show
People gather at Serangoon Stadium to wait for the results of the general election in Singapore on Saturday, May 3, 2025. Polls closed on May 3 in an election where Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong faces his first major test against a rejuvenated opposition in uncertain economic times for the trade-centred nation. -- Photo by Mohd RASFAN / AFP SINGAPORE (Reuters): Singapore's People's Action Party was on course on Saturday for a decisive victory for a 14th successive election, samples of official vote counts showed, as the party looked set to extend its unbroken six-decade rule of the city-state. Samples of voting in 15 of the 32 constituencies being contested showed the PAP had won all but one of the races tracked, translating to more than a quarter of house seats.T he vote count was ongoing and more sample counts were being released by the election commission. The election was a bellwether of the popularity of the PAP, which has ruled since before Singapore's 1965 independence, with attention on whether the opposition can challenge the ruling party's tight grip on power and make further inroads after small but unprecedented gains in the last contest. Though the PAP has consistently won in landslides with about 90% of seats, its share of the popular vote is closely watched as a measure of the strength of its mandate, with new premier Lawrence Wong keen to improve on the PAP's 60.1% in the 2020 election - one of its worst performances on record. A final result was expected in the early hours of Sunday. The early vote counts released by the election commission were from random samples of 100 votes taken in each polling station, with a 4% margin of error. LOPSIDED CONTEST Although a PAP defeat was extremely unlikely, some analysts have said the election could alter the political dynamic in the years ahead if the opposition can make more headway, with younger voters keen to see alternative voices, greater scrutiny and more robust debate. But that could take time. Like previous elections, Saturday's contest was a lopsided affair, with 46% of all candidates representing the PAP, which contested all 97 seats compared to 26 for its biggest rival, the Workers' Party, which won 10 last time, the most by an opposition party. The PAP has long had the upper hand, with a big membership to draw from, influence in state institutions and far greater resources than its untested opponents, which ran in only a small number of constituencies. The PAP had five seats in the bag even before polling day, with no opponent in one multi-member constituency. The Workers' Party won in one constituency worth five seats, the early sample voting count showed. The election was the PAP's first under the leadership of Wong, 52, who became the Asian financial hub's fourth prime minister last year, promising continuity, new blood and to lead the country of 6 million people his own way. He took over at the end of the two-decade premiership of Lee Hsien Loong, the son of former leader Lee Kuan Yew, the founder of modern Singapore. Living costs and housing availability in one of the world's most expensive cities were key issues in Saturday's election and remain a significant challenge for Wong, whose government has warned of recession if the trade-dependent economy becomes collateral damage in the war over steep US tariffs. The PAP was keen to avoid upsets and had warned voters of the consequences of seat losses for key cabinet members, whom Wong said were critical to balancing ties between the United States and China and navigating Singapore through potentially choppy economic waters. (Reporting by Xinghui Kok, Jun Yuan Yong and Bing Hong Lok; Editing by Martin Petty) - Reuters
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Asian football chief fears 'chaos' if 2030 World Cup expands to 64 teams
President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa is opposed to a 64-team World Cup in 2030 (Mohd RASFAN) Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, on Saturday opposed a South American request to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams, saying such increases in numbers would lead to "chaos". Advertisement The centenary edition, hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco with three matches also being staged in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay, is already set to welcome 48 teams - a far cry from the 13 in the inaugural event in Uruguay in 1930. "Personally, I don't agree," the Bahraini leader told AFP, adding the 2030 edition had settled on 48 teams "so the matter is settled". His counterpart from South American football's governing body CONMEBOL, Alejandro Dominguez, on Thursday called on FIFA to expand the event in a one-off gesture. He also asked for South America to host the first round of one of the groups, instead of just three matches. Advertisement The global event is due to expand from 32 to 48 teams at the 2026 World Cup, hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. "If the issue remains open to change, then the door will not only be open to expanding the tournament to 64 teams, but someone might come along and demand raising the number to 132 teams," said Salman on the sidelines of the 35th AFC Congress in Kuala Lumpur. "Where would we end up then? It would become chaos." However, the Asian leader refused to close the door on a change after the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia, which will host 48 teams. "If we want to discuss subsequent tournaments... that's a different matter," he said. Advertisement UEFA boss Aleksander Ceferin, dismissed it as a "bad idea" but FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom said the world body would "analyse" the South American proposal. "There are many things that need to be studied, and we will take our time, consult everyone," he said. str/bur/cyj/iwd
