Latest news with #PPR
New Straits Times
16 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Man falls to death from PPR unit
KUALA LUMPUR: A 25-year-old man was found dead after falling from the 11th floor of the Beringin People's Housing Project (PPR) at Jalan Miri in Jinjang here last night. Sentul district police chief Assistant Commissioner Ahmad Sukarno Mohd Zakaria said the deceased was believed to have been on a phone call with his girlfriend moments before the incident. "Police received a call from the public at 7.39pm alerting authorities to the incident. "Initial investigations at the scene revealed that the victim fell from the corridor in front of his unit on the 11th floor, where a plastic chair was also found," he said. Sukarno said based on accounts from several witnesses on the 11th and 9th floors, the man was heard shouting during a phone conversation prior to the fall. "His mother told police that she saw him speaking on the phone with his girlfriend, a Vietnamese national, at around 5pm before he left the house. "We are now waiting to record the girlfriend's statement, but she has not been contactable." He said the case has been classified as a sudden death report (SDR) pending further investigation.
Barnama
16 hours ago
- Business
- Barnama
Continue Support, Expand K2K Programme
GENERAL KUALA LUMPUR, June 28 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, wife of the Prime Minister, has called for continued support and expansion of the Kita-Untuk-Kita (K2K) Programme to benefit more communities in public housing areas. The Bandar Tun Razak MP said the programme, launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in April 2023, is part of efforts to empower communities in People's Housing Projects (PPR) in a comprehensive and inclusive manner. She said the programme comprises four key components, namely community empowerment, co-management of public housing, economic and income enhancement, as well as advocacy and policy reform. 'Through the implementation of this strategy, more than 50,000 residents in the Klang Valley are now part of a wave of transformation that is making their communities more resilient and sustainable,' she said in her speech at a ceremony to celebrate the academic excellence of Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) students from PPR Taman Mulia under the programme here today. Also present were political secretary to the Prime Minister, Datuk Azman Abidin and K2K Programme director Dr Shahridan Faiez. Dr Wan Azizah said the PPR Taman Mulia community had chosen to implement the Free SPM Tuition Project under the K2K Community Grant Programme, which not only had a direct impact on over 40 students there but also strengthened the spirit of solidarity and shared responsibility. She said the project had received RM17,052 in funding through the K2K Community Grant, managed by Think City. 'With this funding, a total of 48 classes for core subjects were successfully conducted. In addition, learning facilities such as tables, chairs, printers and projectors were also provided to create a conducive learning environment even after the grant period ends,' she said. She added that the K2K Community Grant not only supports PPR Taman Mulia but also targets 10 public housing areas in the Klang Valley, with a total of 39 community projects worth over RM1 million.
Daily Express
4 days ago
- General
- Daily Express
New Papar sub-station, meters for Inanam: SE
Published on: Wednesday, June 25, 2025 Published on: Wed, Jun 25, 2025 By: Sidney Skinner Text Size: A new substation is coming up along this section of the access road to Kg Kawakahan. SABAH Electricity (SE) has begun building a new substation near a Papar village and is in the midst of processing applications for meters at some low-cost flats in Inanam. This action was prompted by feedback about the power irregularities in Kg Kawakahan, as well as the delay which some occupants of the 'Projek Perumahan Rakyat (PPR, People's Housing Project)' Kionsom had experienced in having a supply extended to their units. A Papar consumer was under the impression that her village might not be receiving enough electricity as her household appliances had not been operating at their maximum capacity for some time. An Inanam senior citizen, on the other hand, was dismayed to find that there was still no electricity in her flat, more than 10 days after she had applied for a supply. Both individuals provided Hotline with the pertinent details regarding their grievances, which were forwarded to the company. A SE spokesman said about 20 per cent of the substation had been completed so far, since construction got underway on May 19. Advertisement 'Barring any unforeseen circumstances, we tentatively hope to finish the remaining 80 per cent of the work by October 16,' he said. 'The nominal level of the voltage to our customers in Kg Kawakahan should increase to around 230volts, once the substation becomes operational.' He explained that a voltage drop was to blame for the electricity woes in this part of the district. 'The existing substation is located about 2.5 kilometres away from the village. It generates between 210V and 215V during the peak period of electricity usage He said the problems in Kg Kawakahan stemmed from the increasing development taking place around Papar. The spokesman said SE had been aware about the irregularities in the village since last year. 'We refurbished the existing transformer and, for a time, the situation seemed to stabilise. 'Later, we carried out a load-shedding exercise and even tried having new overhead lines put in place to service the village.' 'In January, our technicians changed the tapping points for some of these premises to a different phase.' He said each of these strategies did not provide its consumers with lasting improvements. Meanwhile, SE's effort to provide PPR Kionsom occupants with power was partly held up due to the management company's (MC's) failure to complete the 'tagging' at the cabinets prepared for the meters. A SE spokeswoman said the MC was informed that the 'tagging' was still outstanding a whole fortnight before the keys were handed out to the first group of tenants in the middle of June. 'Tagging involves applying labels, tags or seals to the cabinets for identification, security and proper management of the meters,' she said. 'The tags help prevent tampering, ensure accurate billing and facilitate meter maintenance.' She said the oversight involving the tagging was only addressed after some of those who received their keys began grousing about their failure to receive an electricity supply, let alone have meters installed for their units. 'Once the tagging was done, our technicians immediately went in to have meters put in place for those whose applications had been approved. 'In some cases, the processing of these applications was delayed because of incomplete documentation, including the failure to provide signed copies of the tenancy agreements.' A spokesman for DBKK Holdings Sdn Bhd, the MC for the flats, said a miscommunication between the firm and its appointed contractor was to blame for the hold up with the tagging. 'A check of our records shows that, as of June 18, keys had been given out for 43 units whose tenants had paid their deposits,' he said. 'To date, occupational certificates have been issued for about 400 units.' He said PPR Kionsom comprised 1000 units overall, with DBKK Holdings tentatively targeting completion of the remaining flats by August. DBKK Holdings Sdn Bhd is the corporate arm of City Hall. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Zawya
4 days ago
- Health
- Zawya
Halting a sheep and goat plague outbreak to protect livelihoods in Sierra Leone
When an outbreak of peste des petits ruminants (PPR)—also known as sheep and goat plague—threatened to wipe out people's livelihoods in Kamasasa village, Sierra Leone, quick action from trained Sierra Leone Red Cross Society volunteers and local authorities stopped the spread of disease and minimized its damage on the community. Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a highly contagious viral disease affecting small animals, such as sheep and goats. PPR can be fatal and outbreaks, if left undetected, can have devastating consequences for people's livelihoods, particularly in pastoral communities. In Kamasasa, a village in north-west Sierra Leone where people are reliant on goat and sheep farming to make a living, an outbreak of PPR struck in September 2022 and threatened to wreak havoc in the community. 'It was all over the town," explains Pa Adikali Sesay, Chief of Kamasasa village."Everywhere you would go, people would say that their goats were sick. Some people would be crying because they were losing hope. If there was an emergency and they or their children got sick or if they need to pay school fees for their children, how would they pay for those things if all the animals died?' Having never experienced a PPR outbreak before, people were unsure what to do. And misinformation was spreading alongside the disease. Some farmers even fled the village, believing that their animals were under some form of mystical attack. But thankfully, local Sierra Leone Red Cross Society volunteers were on hand to support the community. Trained in epidemic control and community-based surveillance through the Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Programme (CP3), they immediately recognized the disease as PPR, rapidly reported the outbreak to local animal health authorities, and mounted an effective response to halt its spread. 'Our volunteers started mobilizing the community, sensitizing them, telling them not to eat these animals," says Osman Justin Conteh, CP3 Manager with the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society."We separated the sick from those that are not sick so that then the disease will not continue to spread. Then specimens were collected and sent to the lab. We supported the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to treat these animals, vaccinating more than 10,000 goats and sheep against PPR." This quick, coordinated action made sure that PPR stopped spreading in the community and that sick animals were able to recover, with volunteers earning thanks and recognition from community members. Sorie Daba Sesay, a farmer from Kamasasa village, says: ' The Red Cross arrived and told us to look for animals that were sick or had died. They helped get medicine to the sick goats so they would get better and not get sick again. We say to the Red Cross, thank you!' And Kamasasa village chief, Pa Adikali, adds: 'The Red Cross did an incredible job. Without their intervention, we could have lost all our animals. The Red Cross arrived right when we needed their help.' This PPR outbreak response is just one example of many disease outbreaks detected, reported and responded to through the CP3 programme in Kambia. Since the programme began in 2018, Sierra Leone Red Cross Society teams have improved their capacity to prepare for and respond to epidemics and developed close partnerships with human, animal and environmental health authorities to keep communities healthy and safe. 'The coming of CP3 and the Red Cross has helped us greatly in trying to mitigate the death toll of goats and sheep," says Ibrahim Harri Sesay, District Livestock Officer with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in Kambia. "They have trained over 250 volunteers across the districts here. CP3 volunteers are all over in the communities. They are with them, they know their problems. If there are any problems with disease, be it animal or human, they report to us directly and we react appropriately.' The activities featured in this article were delivered as part of the multi-country Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Programme (CP3) which ran from 2018-2025. Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), CP3 supported communities, Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and other partners to prepare for, prevent, detect and respond to disease threats. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
Barnama
5 days ago
- Climate
- Barnama
Sustainable, Comfortable, Future-Ready: The Way Forward For Affordable Homes
A s night falls, Isham Romli opens the windows of her ninth-floor flat to cool down the interior of her home. Residing in Block A of the Lembah Subang 1 People's Housing Project (PPR), Selangor, Isham is forced to close all the windows at 10 am due to the extreme heat in the Klang Valley, where daily temperatures have been reaching 35 to 40 degrees Celsius. 'Sometimes, if it's not too hot, I leave the windows open during the day, especially when there's a strong wind blowing. But I can't open them too wide, otherwise light items in the living room will get blown around. 'I'd like to leave my front door open as well to let more air in, but since my unit faces the staircase and a lot of people pass by, I prefer to keep it shut,' she told Bernama. To avoid being stuck indoors in her 650-square-foot (sq ft) unit all day, Isham, 62, participates in various community activities at the PPR, including running sewing workshops for residents, especially housewives. 'Rather than being cooped up at home in the sweltering heat, the women are encouraged to join our sewing workshops, which also help them generate extra income,' she said. The situation is somewhat different for private sector employee Siti Nuraisyah Abdul Hamid, 35, who rents a unit on the top floor of a six-storey apartment block in Section 2, Wangsa Maju, Kuala Lumpur. 'The flat I live in is over 30 years old, so its design includes a spacious balcony and plenty of windows, which help with air circulation even when the weather is hot. 'So if I'm home all day, especially while working from home, I don't feel too warm because, in addition to opening the windows, I've decorated my living room and balcony with greenery to provide a cooler and more comfortable environment for everyone in the house,' she said. POOR VENTILATION Isham and Siti Nuraisyah, are among thousands of flat and apartment dwellers affected by the heat wave that has gripped the country since May 10 – the reason for this being the lack of proper ventilation shafts to facilitate air circulation in many newer low-cost strata housing developments. On June 17, the Malaysian Meteorological Department said the influence of the Southwest Monsoon, which began on May 10, has led to dry and hot weather conditions in the country, with the increase in number of dry days expected to continue until September. People residing in high-rise, low-cost flats and apartments – comprising residential units with total floor areas of below 900 sq ft – are feeling the effects of the heat wave more than others. This is because their buildings, usually designed with cost-effectiveness in mind, tend to be more compact and congested and lack good air circulation and ventilation systems. In short, their homes are heat traps. Malaysian Institute of Architects Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) chairman Axxu Hoi Jung Wai said poor ventilation and heat entrapment are common issues in Malaysia's low-cost housing sector, particularly in PPR and other affordable housing developments. 'Low-cost units are usually very compact… the rooms are small and in many cases, there isn't even space to fit a washing machine in the yard. These cramped designs lead to overcrowding and poor air circulation,' he told Bernama recently. He said many affordable housing projects today adopt monotonous, high-efficiency layouts like double corridors with minimal windows and no courtyards, reducing opportunities for natural ventilation and light. 'You'll notice that when you visit most low-cost flats, there's often a lingering smell while the air is stuffy due to inadequate airflow,' he added. Hoi, who is also the managing partner and practicing architect at Axial Design Architects Sdn Bhd, said poor ventilation is not just a by-product of affordability but also a sign of unsustainable design practices. 'In many units, air conditioning becomes a necessity, not a choice. That's not sustainable at all,' he said, referring to the heat build-up in these units, especially during the hot season. Citing older flats like Happy Mansion in Petaling Jaya, Hoi said older designs tend to perform better in terms of ventilation and sustainability. 'Back then, buildings had features like louvered windows, cross-ventilation single-loaded corridors and functional yard spaces but today, such elements have been lost to faster and cheaper construction methods,' he said. CLIMATE-BASED APPROACH As the impacts of climate change become increasingly evident, more people are thinking about how well their homes can cope with intensifying flooding events, hotter weather and prolonged droughts. According to Hoi, the rising demand for affordable housing should compel the government to lead the way in building homes that are not only cost-efficient but also climate-responsive and comfortable for long-term living. He urged the government and developers to consider a climate-based approach, which integrates detailed environmental analysis into the early design phase to enhance the liveability of affordable homes without significantly increasing costs. He recommends that sun path and shadow analysis be conducted to ensure that the lower floors receive adequate daylight, as well as avoid the issue of having dark, stuffy interiors caused by densely packed buildings. 'Such analysis can guide better placement of structures and identify optimal areas for playgrounds and green spaces that remain cool and usable throughout the day. 'Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) can also be used to study wind flow and improve natural ventilation between buildings to create tunnel effects that enhance airflow and reduce heat build-up,' he said. His other recommendations include conducting daylight analysis to identify dark zones in corridors or shared areas and reduce reliance on artificial lighting, improving both comfort and energy efficiency. Developers integrating these simple but impactful climate strategies could set new standards for affordable living, offering homes that are not just accessible but also sustainable, comfortable and future-ready, added Hoi. 'While keeping costs low is important, we can still prioritise liveability and comfort. 'Sustainable designs shouldn't be seen as a luxury — it can and should be integrated into affordable housing to improve residents' quality of life.' PRIORITISE CLIMATE RESILIENCE As climate threats such as extreme heat and flooding intensify across Malaysia, building affordable homes that are not only accessible but also liveable and climate resilient is becoming increasingly urgent, said Rose Afrina Mansor, climate resilience manager at Think City, an impact organisation focused on improving the liveability, sustainability and inclusivity of cities. She stressed that affordable housing must be designed to withstand environmental pressures without compromising comfort or dignity. Importantly, she noted, climate resilience does not have to come at a high cost. With the right planning, cost-effective strategies can be integrated into housing design to improve both sustainability and long-term affordability. She said while tools like the Green Building Index (GBI) promote green construction, they remain voluntary and are often seen as added costs in the context of low-income housing. To address this, the government has introduced measures such as a 50 percent reduction in registration fees for affordable housing projects, supporting its push for more liveable and sustainable public housing. To move beyond policy into practice, Rose Afrina said climate resilience can be effectively achieved through the integration of nature-based solutions (NbS) into housing design. Approaches such as rain gardens, rooftop and podium greening, pervious paving, and urban tree planting can help manage flood and heat risks while improving thermal comfort and reducing energy use. When embedded from the outset, these measures can make affordable homes more climate-ready and comfortable without compromising their accessibility or affordability. Rose Afrina pointed to Malaysia's first urban climate adaptation initiative, the Nature-based Climate Adaptation Programme for Urban Areas of Penang Island, as an example of cost-effective intervention. The programme focuses on strategic urban tree planting to lower urban temperatures, with species selected based on their resilience to future climate conditions. She said Think City's Climate-resilient Street Tree Species Study supports this effort by guiding the selection of trees that can withstand prolonged heat or drought. Urban greening, even with just a few well-placed climate-appropriate trees, is a cost-effective way to reduce the urban heat island effect, improve microclimates and lower energy consumption. 'Nature-based solutions not only reduce environmental risks but also enhance comfort, improve amenity and the overall quality of life for residents,' she added. ENERGY EFFICIENCY As Malaysia continues to push for more inclusive and sustainable urban living, experts say affordable housing must go beyond just low prices, it must also be energy-efficient and climate-responsive. Malaysia Association of Energy Service Companies president Zulkifli Zahari said much of the discomforts experienced by low-cost housing residents stems from not incorporating passive design attributes which contribute to the energy-efficient design of the building at the very beginning. 'Passive design elements are crucial. Things like building orientation, window shading, roof insulation, natural ventilation, and even building materials and colours all impact how much heat the building retains. 'When you get these right, you reduce the need for active cooling like air-conditioning or reduce the energy consumption of air-conditioners,' he told Bernama. Zulkifli suggested that the government introduce targeted incentives for developers that use sustainable materials or energy-efficient attributes in low-cost housing, whether in the form of rebates or subsidies if the project can justify its energy-saving components. 'One of the good opportunities lies in solar energy which can reduce electricity costs in common areas like corridors or community spaces as well as reduce or minimise management fees. 'If there's a government-backed programme to equip low-cost housing with solar panels, it could ease the burden on residents,' he said. Zulkifli said with the electricity tariffs expected to be adjusted on a monthly basis from July 2025 onwards and climate conditions becoming more extreme, it is time to reimagine affordable housing as climate-resilient, energy-conscious and future-ready. 'It is possible… it's not about making things expensive but about designing consciously and providing support where it's needed,' he said. According to the Energy Commission (EC), electricity tariffs in Peninsular Malaysia will be adjusted on a monthly basis starting July, instead of twice a year, until December 2027. These revisions, driven by fluctuations in fuel and generation costs, will be implemented through an automatic fuel cost adjustment mechanism. The agency also confirmed that the base tariff per kilowatt-hour (kWh) will increase from 39.95 sen under the third regulatory period (RP3) to 45.4 sen under the fourth regulatory period (RP4). (This story was produced as part of the PANAS! Climate Change Stories in Malaysia initiative by Science Media Centre Malaysia with the support of the International Science Council Regional Focal Point for Asia and the Pacific and funded by the Australian Department of Industry, Science and Resources, and led by the Australian Academy of Science. (It is also supported by the International Network for Governmental Science Advice Asia [INGSA-Asia], funded by the Québec government and the Fonds de Recherche du Québec).
