5MY Programme to tackle urban poverty issues in Federal Territory
Cost of living, sustenance and poverty eradication issues in the Federal Territory will be the government’s main focus through various approaches taken under the Urban Poverty Programme (5MY), Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said. He said to achieve this, the Federal Territories Ministry has launched the MYJobs@Wilayah, MYGrocer@Wilayah, MYSchoolBus@Wilayah, MYMedic@Wilayah dan MYFood@Wilayah initiatives. The Prime Minister in his message also launched the 5MY programme virtually, in conjunction with Federal Territory Day 2021. Muhyiddin pointed out that to improve these initiatives, the Ministry of Federal Territories will redouble its efforts on determining the target recipients to ensure that no one is left out. The prime minister also announced that 5,750 bags of rice will be donated free of charge every week to those in the B40 target group residing in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan beginning today. (Bernama)
No laws allow for condo management to make Covid-19 tests mandatory for residents
Lawyers and property experts made it clear that there are no provisions under the Strata Management Act (SMA) 2013 that allows joint management body (JMB) or management corporation (MC) of condominiums or residential complexes to demand residents submit Covid-19 tests and bar those who fail to comply. This comes after Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that the management of condominiums can ask their residents to submit a Covid-19 report and bar those who fail to comply from entering the premises. However he later clarified that his statement was misquoted and his remarks manipulated but still insisted that this still applies to “foreigners” and not Malaysians. Constitutional lawyer Fahri Azzat explained that the government cannot make a by-law requiring people to take a swab test to enter their apartment does not fall under this as it is not related to property maintenance. (Malay Mail)
Johor hopes Malaysia-Singapore RGL scheme to continue to spur industrial growth, investment
The Johor government hopes that the Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) scheme between Malaysia and Singapore will continue to drive industrial growth and boost investment in the state. This follows the republic’s decision to temporarily suspend the reciprocal “travel bubble” arrangement with Malaysia, as well as South Korea and Germany for three months starting Monday following the resurgence of COVID-19 cases worldwide. “We believe there is a lot of investments from Singapore in Johor, so with this arrangement, it can help industries and investments from neighbouring countries that have interests in Johor. Therefore, we hope the federal government will also allow eligible industry players to continue to use RGL,” said Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Hasni Mohammad. Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday it will review the arrangement after three months. Apart from Malaysia, South Korea and Germany, the republic also implemented RGL with Brunei, Indonesia, Japan, and six provinces in China. (Bernama)
Perak exco: No limit on idle land area for agricultural development
The Perak government has not set a limit on the area of idle land that can be applied for agricultural development, as long it is being carried out as soon as possible. State Plantation, Agriculture and Food Industry Committee chairman Razman Zakaria said those with expertise, knowledge and ability to cultivate crops can make an application to the Perak Agricultural Development Corporation (PPPNP) or the Perak Development Corporation (PKNP) and will be given a Temporary Occupation Licence (TOL). “We do not want those who have received the approval to leave the land idle for a long time,” he said. Razman said the state government had set a specific period for those who want to develop idle land in the city, but not in rural areas. (Bernama)
Health Ministry admits to delay in Covid-19 reporting
The Health director-general conceded to delays in reporting Covid-19 results at the ministry’s Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC) and the Public Health Laboratory Information System (Simka). In his daily Covid-19 update, Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah also conceded that such delays were responsible for the surge in new cases reported in the country. “The Health Ministry wishes to confirm that the situation was caused by the late reporting of cases to the CPRC including cases found to be positive in 2020. There has also been reporting delays using Simka by registered private facilities, such as private clinics and hospitals,” he said. He also gave his assurance that the cases reported late — including those from last year — have been dealt with appropriately by the respective district health offices. Previously, Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari blamed the spike in new Covid-19 cases on late reporting by private healthcare operators and threatened to penalise those who continue to do so. (Malay Mail)
