18/03/2025

TUESDAY | MAR 18, 2025 5 Fourth visit to MACC by Ismail Sabri PUTRAJAYA: Former prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob was at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters yesterday to continue giving his statement in a corruption and money laundering investigation linked to him. This is his fourth appearance at the MACC headquarters. The investigation focuses on funding sources and expenditures related to promotional and publicity activities of the Keluarga Malaysia programme during his tenure from Aug 2021 to Nov 2022. It is being investigated under the MACC Act 2009 and Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001. On March 3, MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said Ismail Sabri is a suspect in the case, following the discovery of approximately RM170 million in various currencies and 16 kg of gold bars in a safehouse during a raid. The MACC froze 13 bank accounts. Ismail Sabri had previously given a statement in January last year regarding the use of RM700 million for government publicity during his administration. On Feb 10, he submitted his asset declaration before his statement was recorded on Feb 19. He was scheduled to appear on March 5, but was unable to do so due to health issues. He resumed his statement after his medical leave ended on March 12. Earlier, the media reported that MACC had recorded statements from 32 witnesses and detained four former aides of Ismail Sabri in connection with the investigation. – Bernama BAGAN DATUK: Police have received reports from seven students of a boarding school in Teluk Intan claiming to be victims of bullying by senior students in an incident on March 8. Bagan Datuk police chief Supt Mohammad Ali Mohd Jali said the reports were filed by Form Two and Form Four students who alleged they were bullied by two Form Five students, and suffered swelling in their arms and muscle pain. “Preliminary investigations revealed that the two Form Five students had instructed 62 lower form students to do 200 push-ups, claiming it was to discipline them. “We have only received seven reports from the affected students,” Mohammad Ali said on Sunday. He said it was revealed the bullying stemmed from senior students wanting to discipline junior students, adding that the case is being investigated under Section 323 of the Penal Code. – BERNAMA Housewife loses RM50,000 in scam CHUKAI: A housewife lost RM50,550 after being deceived by an online job scam, Kemaman district police chief Supt Mohd Razi Rosli said. He added that the housewife, 47, saw a part-time job offer on Instagram on March 3 and contacted a suspect, also a woman, on Whatsapp to get further details. “The victim was given an assignment to make several payments for hotel bookings online of different values and was promised commissions between 4% and 10%. “She made 24 transactions totalling RM50,500 between March 5 and March 14. “The victim only realised she was scammed when she did not receive any of the promised commissions, and lodged a police report at the Chukai police station in Kemaman on Saturday afternoon.” Mohd Razi said the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code. – Bernama Students report alleged bullying

Elephants threatened by human-wildlife conflict

PETALING JAYA: With only 1,000 Bornean elephants left in Sabah, the species faces an urgent crisis due to escalating human-elephant conflicts, pushing them closer to extinction. Listed as endangered on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, these elephants struggle to survive amid expanding human activities and widespread habitat destruction. WWF-Malaysia Sabah Landscapes Programme protection head Dr Cheryl Cheah said habitat loss, fragmentation and human encroachment have disrupted the elephants’ traditional movement patterns. “Large-scale land use changes during the 1970s and 1980s, including the expansion of plantations and infrastructure development, have confined elephant populations to fragmented landscapes. “As a result, elephants are forced to venture into plantations and settlements in search of food and water, leading to increased conflicts.” She said authorities have implemented measures such as electric fences and relocation to address the problem. However, she said the success of the measures depends on their design, maintenance and placement. “Carefully constructed and well maintained electric fences have proven effective in deterring elephants and protecting large plantations. “However, poorly designed or uncoordinated fences often fail, as elephants can break through or find ways around them. Some of them have adapted to the fences and exploit weak points to bypass barriers.” Cheah advocated for an integrated approach combining fencing with other strategies, such as securing wildlife corridors, implementing early warning systems and establishing community ranger teams. “A proactive approach that includes joint electric fencing initiatives between neighbouring plantations, habitat restoration and community engagement offers a more sustainable solution.” Cheah also said smallholders and local communities face significant challenges in o Large-scale land use changes, expansion of plantations and infrastructure development exacerbate problem Ű BY HARITH KAMAL newsdesk@thensundaily.com

Cheah said elephants are forced to venture into plantations and settlements for food, which leads to increased conflict. – BERNAMAPIC

adopting electric fencing due to its high cost and the technical expertise required. “For smallholders, low-cost alternatives, such as community ranger teams and early warning systems are more practical. “Elephant relocation or translocation should be a last resort, as it often fails to resolve conflicts effectively.” She said wildlife corridors are critical to reconnecting fragmented elephant habitats and enabling safe movement between forested areas. “Without the corridors, elephants are forced to navigate plantations and settlements, increasing the risk of conflict,” she said, adding that the importance of wildlife-friendly infrastructure designs, such as viaducts and elevated highways, could reduce habitat fragmentation and wildlife-vehicle collisions. Despite numerous efforts, habitat fragmentation continues to pose a major challenge. Cheah called for stronger enforcement, policy integration, and collaboration with industries to ensure the long-term protection of wildlife corridors. “Expanding and securing these corridors must remain a priority to reduce human- elephant conflicts in Sabah. “It requires collective effort from

the government, plantations and local communities. “Education and awareness programmes in schools are essential to instil a deep respect for Sabah’s biodiversity and empower future generations to protect wildlife and natural habitats. “Maintaining elephant movement corridors, preventing habitat fragmentation and strengthening conflict mitigation strategies are essential to reducing tensions between elephants, local communities and plantations while ensuring long-term coexistence.” Last November, Natural Resources and Environment Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said since 2018, Malaysia recorded 80,375 cases of human-wildlife conflicts, resulting in RM62.5 million losses. “The key issue is habitat destruction, and we acknowledge that we are playing catch-up in addressing wildlife conflicts and biodiversity conservation. “It requires a comprehensive approach while ensuring the preservation of the country’s rich biodiversity,” he said, adding that the government was working to enhance coverage under the Wildlife and National Parks Department and focus on high impact areas with significant conflicts.

Act of provocation threat to social harmony: Minister PETALING JAYA: National Unity Minister Datuk Seri Aaron Ago Dagang has condemned the assault of a youth at a convenience store in Johor Bahru, calling it a provocative act that threatens Malaysia’s racial harmony. diverse country. Such actions must be stopped immediately. “I strongly condemn any form of violence, discrimination and prejudice that can damage racial harmony,” he said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter). me in public. I can accept the apology, but I can’t let this go,” Elijah said. Aaron urged Malaysians to uphold the values of mutual understanding, respect and acceptance to preserve national unity.

The altercation, captured and shared on social media in a one-minute 20-second video, showed an elderly man confronting the victim for eating during Ramadan and had allegedly slapped him. Aaron said such incidents must not be taken lightly in a multicultural society and warned against actions that could disrupt national unity. “It is an act of provocation and does not reflect the spirit of unity and harmony in our

“This country will only progress if we respect each other and live in peace, free from racial or religious tension.” Elijah has since lodged a report at the Tampoi Police Station . Authorities are investigating the case under Section 323 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt. “I hope all parties will cooperate and allow the police to conduct a thorough investigation,” Aaron added.

The victim, identified as Elijah, shared his experience on X under the handle @bingbinge656. He said the man had first asked if he was Chinese before demanding to see his identity card. “The situation escalated when the man became aggressive and reprimanded me. Thankfully, his son tried to calm the situation and even apologised for his father. “But the man was disrespectful and slapped