Malaysia among countries especially prone to landslides
Malaysia sits among the top 10 countries that had a high number of landslides over the past decade. According to data from NASA, Malaysia had 171 landslides between 2007 and March 2016, making the country ranked the 10th highest in frequency of landslides. Ranked first is the United States (2,992), followed by India (1,265) and China (426). It was found that the number of landslides have been increasing in Malaysia, almost with each year, reaching a peak of 33 occurrences in 2014. Malaysia ranked 5th for landslides per square kilometre among countries that have a land area greater than 100,000sq km. Nepal is the country with the highest number of landslides per square kilometre, followed by the Philippines, Britain and Guatemala. (The Star Online)
Law being drawn up for development of houses of worship
The housing and local government ministry is drawing up a law to make compulsory for approval to be obtained for construction of houses of worship. Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin said an exercise would be carried out to register existing houses of worship and their location. “If they are located at sites that do not belong to them , we will advise them to move to other location,” she said. She added that there should be procedures for construction of houses of worship. (The Edge Markets)
DPM: Govt formulating gender equality bill for women
The Malaysian government is committed to ensuring that women enjoy their human rights and fundamental freedom, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail. In realising this commitment, the government is working towards formulating a gender equality bill as an investment for the country at several levels. “Currently, we have five women ministers (17.86%) out of 28 ministers and 4 women deputy ministers (14.81%) out of 27 deputy ministers,” she said. There are 32 women (14.41%) out of 222 members in the House of Representatives and 13 women (19.4%) out of 67 in the Senate. The increase in percentage of women in the field of politics would ensure more women’s voices could be heard at the highest level of decision making in the country, she added. (NST Online)
Island Medical City will be the first of its kind medical hub in Malaysia
The Island Medical City (IMC) will be the first of its kind medical hub in Malaysia, complete with state-of-the-art medical equipment and the largest and most advanced tertiary care facility in Penang. Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the development of IMC would be an expansion to the current medical facility in Island Hospital which would encompass in total a 600-bed medical complex, medical suites as well as a medical tourist hotel as part of its facilities. The total project, with a GDV close to RM2 billion, will take five years to complete, with phase one expected to be completed by the beginning of 2021. Chow said the economic value of the project is expected to exceed RM7 billion with benefits spilling over to the other industries as well, creating sustainable progress for Penang. (The Sun Daily)
Jho Low to be charged in absentia over 1MDB scandal
Fugitive businessman Jho Low is expected to be charged in absentia at the Sessions Courts at the Jalan Duta Courts Complex today (Dec 4). Four others are also expected to be charged without their presence. They would be facing charges relating to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal. The five will be charged in separate courts. Low is currently wanted in Malaysia, Singapore and other countries over investigations into 1MDB. Malaysia has applied for a Red Notice to seek assistance from countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, India, Myanmar, China and Hong Kong via Interpol, and Taiwan via diplomatic channels to arrest Low. (The Star Online)
