Latest news with #PPRs
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Digital Kitchen initiative expands to 10 more PPRs in KL
KUALA LUMPUR: The Dapur Digital initiative is entering its second year by expanding to 10 more People's Housing Projects (PPRs) in the city, following strong sales and growing community engagement. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa highlighted the government's support for community-based social enterprises as Dapur Digital received a RM5 million boost from the Finance Ministry in the 2025 Budget to establish 25 additional locations nationwide. Spearheaded by Pepper Labs, the initiative has surpassed RM1.08 million in total sales since its 2024 launch, with five pilot kitchens empowering B40 communities in KL to generate income through cooking and e-commerce. "So far, the entrepreneurs involved come from five People Housing Projects (PPRs), with around 10 people per PPR. There may be more once their local communities become more engaged," Zaliha told a press conference after the KL Dapur Digital 2025 Keys Handover today. "Ultimately, what we want is for this social entrepreneurship model to be extended to more communities so that in the Federal Territory, particularly in Kuala Lumpur, we are not only talking about physical development but also about human and community development." She said the participants of the programme, which is based on a public-private partnership model, are not only trained in food preparation but also in digital marketing and financial management. The training is also conducted near participants' homes, Zaliha added, enabling convenient access and allowing the kitchens to evolve into community hubs. Dapur Digital is part of the Federal Territories Department's broader strategy to eradicate hardcore poverty under Program Usaha Jaya Insan (PUJI) action plan. In addition to support from government agencies, the initiative sees cooperation from private partners such as Media Prima, Maxis, Brahim's, PPB Group, Shopee, TikTok and Grab Malaysia.
New Straits Times
23-05-2025
- General
- New Straits Times
Five PPRs, 147 flats to undergo fire checks after blaze kills boy
MELAKA: The Fire and Rescue Department will conduct full-scale enforcement operations to strengthen fire safety systems across all People's Housing Projects (PPRs) and flats in the state after a fire claimed the life of a four-year-old boy at PPR Krubong here. Melaka Fire and Rescue Department director, Assistant Fire Commissioner Mohd Zaidi Ma'at, said the inspections would identify and eliminate fire hazards at the premises, including faulty fire safety equipment such as hydrants, hose reels and extinguishers, whether due to lack of maintenance or acts of vandalism. "I have instructed officers to carry out thorough inspections at all apartment blocks in Melaka to ensure that firefighting equipment is in good condition and fully operational during emergencies," said Zaidi. "We have identified five PPRs and 147 apartment buildings to be included in the operation. "The inspections will begin this week, and a comprehensive report will be compiled for all premises involved," he said at a press conference after officiating the JBPM Melaka 2025 Fire Organisation Seminar at a resort here yesterday," he added. The event was officiated by Housing, Local Government, Drainage, Climate Change and Disaster Management senior deputy executive councillor, Datuk Zulkiflee Mohd Zin. Also present was Fire and Rescue Department deputy director-general (development), Othman Abdullah. Mohd Zaidi said legal action could be taken under Section 8 of the Fire Services Act 1988 (Act 341) for the removal of fire hazards if it was found that residents had vandalised firefighting systems or equipment at PPRs or flats. "I urge Joint Management Bodies (JMBs) and building management to set up community fire brigades or safety organisations to carry out preliminary inspections of fire safety systems at their premises," he said.
New Straits Times
23-05-2025
- General
- New Straits Times
Five PPRs, 147 flats in Melaka to undergo fire checks
MELAKA: The Fire and Rescue Department will conduct full-scale enforcement operations to strengthen fire safety systems across all People's Housing Projects (PPRs) and flats in the state. Melaka Fire and Rescue Department director, Assistant Fire Commissioner Mohd Zaidi Ma'at, said the inspections would identify and eliminate fire hazards at the premises, including faulty fire safety equipment such as hydrants, hose reels and extinguishers, whether due to lack of maintenance or acts of vandalism. Zaidi said the initiative followed a recent fire incident at PPR Krubong which claimed the life of a four-year-old boy. "I have instructed officers to carry out thorough inspections at all apartment blocks in Melaka to ensure that firefighting equipment is in good condition and fully operational during emergencies. "We have identified five PPRs and 147 apartment buildings to be included in the operation. "The inspections will begin this week, and a comprehensive report will be compiled for all premises involved," he said at a press conference after officiating the JBPM Melaka 2025 Fire Organisation Seminar at a resort here yesterday. The event was officiated by Housing, Local Government, Drainage, Climate Change and Disaster Management senior deputy executive councillor, Datuk Zulkiflee Mohd Zin. Also present was Fire and Rescue Department deputy director-general (development), Othman Abdullah. Mohd Zaidi said legal action could be taken under Section 8 of the Fire Services Act 1988 (Act 341) for the removal of fire hazards if it was found that residents had vandalised firefighting systems or equipment at PPRs or flats. "I urge Joint Management Bodies (JMBs) and building management to set up community fire brigades or safety organisations to carry out preliminary inspections of fire safety systems at their premises," he said.
Focus Malaysia
24-04-2025
- General
- Focus Malaysia
The (really) long road ahead for SPM graduates
SPM results are out today. For many 17-year-olds across the country, this will be a day to remember. For some, it's the best day of their lives—finally seeing the fruits of their sleepless nights, the tuition marathons, and the prayers of hopeful parents. For others, it may feel like the end of the world. I've seen both sides. I've been both. My SPM results came out in 1992. That was 33 years ago. And yet, I still remember the pressure—not so much about the grades themselves, but what came after. The pressure to choose the 'correct' path. The 'right' course. The 'perfect' university. The 'sure-win' future. And the truth is, at 17, who really knows? Well, I certainly didn't. But I did what many do—I followed my childhood ambition. I wanted to become a doctor. It sounded noble, respectable, and, honestly, a little cool. Plus, I had the results to back it up. So when I was offered a spot in the foundation programme for a medical school in Australia under a JPA scholarship, it felt like a dream come true. All systems go. Until it wasn't. I failed my first year. Not just barely—properly failed. The kind of fail where you don't just repeat a paper, but the whole year, because the system ran by terms. It was embarrassing. Painful. Confusing. Still, I pushed through. Repeated the year, picked myself up, moved forward. Barely passed the first and second years. And then, I failed again in my third year. This time, JPA said, 'Come home.' Was it the wrong choice? Maybe, maybe not. Was it the right thing to happen? Maybe, maybe not. I'm now a professor of biomedical engineering at the top university in Malaysia. I've had the privilege of teaching hundreds—if not thousands—of bright young minds. I've travelled. I've spoken at conferences. I've written papers and articles and perhaps even inspired a handful of students (hopefully) along the way. In my capacity as the Fellow and Principal of UM residential colleges, I've been involved in various community work—from feeding the homeless in downtown KL to outreach programmes with urban poor children in the PPRs. It's all part of the same journey: trying to be useful, in whatever way I can. Does that mean I'm successful now? Maybe. Maybe not. You see, life is a really, really long journey. And wherever you are now—whether celebrating or crying, whether on a high or at rock bottom—you are simply at one leg of that journey. You are not defined by your results, but by what you do with them next. And more importantly, you are not the sum of your choices, but the product of your attitude towards those choices. In hindsight, maybe medicine wasn't my true path. Or maybe it was, and I just took the scenic route into academia. Maybe those failures were the universe's way of nudging me toward where I truly belong. Because here's the thing: life rarely unfolds the way we plan it. It meanders. It throws detours. It gives us wins and losses, breakthroughs and breakdowns. And through it all, we evolve. We adapt. We make meaning out of our experiences. So rather than obsessing over whether a decision is 'right' or 'wrong,' perhaps the better question is: Do I have the right attitude to see this through? At 17, you won't have all the answers. You won't know where your path will take you. But if you show up, consistently and wholeheartedly, you'll cast enough votes to become someone you can be proud of. Yes, I didn't become a doctor. But I became someone else—someone I dare say my younger self would still respect. So to those receiving your SPM results today, I offer you this: Celebrate if you've done well. You deserve it. And if you haven't done as well as you hoped, grieve if you need to. It's okay. But don't stop there. Whatever path you choose next—pre-U, A-Levels, IB, matriculation, diploma, STPM, or even taking a break—commit to it fully. Be present. Be curious. Be kind. Work hard. Not because the world is watching, but because your future self is counting on you. Don't be paralysed by the need to pick the 'right' road. Life is not a one-way street. It's more like a roundabout—with plenty of exits, re-entries, and unexpected turns. You'll find your way, even if it takes a few extra loops, or a re-route after you missed an exit. And in the end, wherever you are—that's where you were meant to be. – April 24, 2025 Ir. Dr. Nahrizul Adib Kadri is a professor of biomedical engineering and Principal of Ibnu Sina Residential College, Universiti Malaya. The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia. Main image: Pexels/Jeff Stapleton
