11/08/2025

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Timeless affinity for ‘physical feel’ of newspapers

Orang Asli community lauds aid initiative KOTA BHARU: For many members of the Orang Asli community in Gua Musang, the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara) initiative means they can now eat better. “We no longer have to replace rice with tapioca. Sara has transformed our daily lives, particularly in securing basic food supplies,” said Amoi Asud, 36, of the Temiar community from Kampung Jader, Pos Simpor in Gua Musang. With just his MyKad, she said her husband could buy rice and dry food such as noodles and vermicelli. “Since this aid came along, it has helped us ensure we always have food and no longer have to depend on tapioca when our rice supply runs out,” she said. Suria Kamarul, 24, a Mendriq housewife from Kampung Kuala Lah, said her MyKad now serves as a ‘multi purpose card’, enabling her to purchase basic items at registered grocery shops, even those located some 10km from her home. “We make the most of this RM100 monthly aid to buy groceries and daily necessities,” said Suria, who plants lemongrass with her husband. A rubber tapper from the same district, Harun Abus, 24, said the MyKad-based system is more practical compared with cash assistance as it helps control spending. It is also more convenient as the number of registered shops are growing. “Sara has had a big impact on our community, most of whom have no steady income. With more village shops registered under Sara, it’s easier for those of us living far from town.” Meanwhile, fisherman Awang Mat Sulaiman, 67, from Tok Bali in Pasir Puteh, said the MyKad purchasing method is especially convenient for the elderly. His wife, Zainun Sidi, 65, also commended the ease of the buying process and the availability of special counters for Sara recipients at supermarkets. Single mother of five Zariana Awang Mat, 34, said the assistance she has received since January has enabled her to purchase her children’s needs without preparing cash in advance. Sara is a targeted cash aid initiative now expanded to 5.4 million recipients, comprising 700,000 existing eKasih beneficiaries and 4.7 million Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) recipients. Under Budget 2025, the allocation for STR and Sara was increased to RM13 billion from RM10 billion previously, while the annual Sara rate rose to RM2,100 from RM1,200 last year. In conjunction with National Day, the government has announced a one-off RM100 cash aid for all Malaysians aged 18 and above under the Sara programme. The aid, benefiting 22 million people, involves an extra RM2 billion and raises the total STR and Sara allocation this year to RM15 billion, the highest in the nation’s cash aid history. As of July 29, about 4,500 registered retail outlets nationwide have joined the Sara programme, offering over 90,000 essential items in 14 categories, including rice, eggs, medicines, cleaning supplies, school supplies and personal hygiene products. – Bernama

Matang Selama Welfare Organisation, hopes to eventually market the product overseas. Meanwhile, Mohammad Hazwan describes kantan as a hardy plant with low disease risk, producing flowers within 14 months with proper care. Beyond seedlings, the entrepreneurs also supply kantan – unopened, partially or fully bloomed – to markets and wholesalers, priced at about RM50 sen each. He expressed gratitude to the Perak Agriculture Department and other agencies for their support and encouraged more youth to enter the field. “Instead of leaving land idle, planting kantan is a good option. It is low-maintenance, has steady demand and can provide a side income.” – Bernama and and analyses,” he said. Manimaran has written three books, including one co-authored with former Election Commission chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman titled “Pilihan Raya Demokrasi Malaysia: Tanding, Pilih, Menang & Tadbir”, completed in just three months during the Covid-19 lockdown. Three more books are expected in the coming months. His love for news was shaped in his youth, watching “wayang pacak” – outdoor screenings by the Information Department in the 70s and 80s that entertained and informed rural communities. That early exposure, coupled with a fascination for current affairs, led him to a communication degree from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, an internship at Bernama and a journalism career with Utusan Malaysia . “Years of reading, archiving and analysing news naturally shaped my path into becoming a media consultant and analyst. It’s all connected,” he said. Manimaran acknowledges the challenges facing print media but remains optimistic. “The role of newspapers today should not just be about breaking news as people get that online instantly. What’s needed is value added content, insightful analyses and exclusives,” he said, likening it to how the traditional kopitiam blend familiarity with innovation. “Maybe someday we will read news on our smartwatches, or newspapers may be printed in A4 format, which I have seen in Cambodia in 2006. But the core, credible journalism must stay.” While his vast collection of clippings have yet to be fully digitised, he has started passing on the habit to his 10-year-old daughter, encouraging her to embrace the same reading routine that fuelled his lifelong passion.

reporting,” he said. Today, he subscribes to 10 Bahasa Malaysia, English and Tamil dailies, costing him about RM600 a month, and adds Chinese papers (solely for archiving purposes as he does not read Mandarin) during major national events such as general elections or Budget announcements. More than just reading material, newspapers are part of his identity and professional toolkit. His home houses a personal library stacked with archived clippings, election reports and books. Even while on vacation, he catches up on every paper he missed upon returning. “I cut and keep clippings of important stories, especially on politics and policy. “When I need to refer to something, I don’t have to search online as I already have it. This habit has helped me immensely in writing

o While receptive to digital content, former journalist spends RM600 monthly in subscriptions for print publications

KUALA LUMPUR: In an era when most people skim headlines on social media, former journalist and editor Dr G. Manimaran still flips through printed pages – not one but 10 newspapers daily. For the past 30 years, the 58-year old media consultant and political analyst has spent more than RM7,000 annually on print publications, a habit many might consider excessive in the digital age. But to him, it is a worthwhile investment in knowledge. “I don’t see it as a waste of money. Some say you can read news online for free, but not everything is

available on portals. Many insights, especially detailed reports or archives, are still best found in print,” he told Bernama when met at his home recently. Growing up in Paloh, a small town in Kluang, Johor, Manimaran’s hunger for knowledge began early. As a primary school pupil, he would save pocket money to buy a newspaper, then priced at 50 sen, a hefty sum for a child. “When I was working as a journalist and editor, I would read at least six newspapers a day to keep up with developments and because of the competitive nature of news

Manimaran said many insights, especially detailed reports or archives, are still best found in print editions. – BERNAMAPIC

Blossoming success in kantan farming TAIPING: Who would have thought that plants that complement the flavours of dishes such as asam pedas, laksa and kerabu could become a profitable source of income for those with the vision to seize the opportunity? kantan cultivation. “A friend suggested we focus on producing kantan seeds instead of just planting them for the flowers. Hazwan encouraged me to try germinating seeds from the flower itself rather than using rhizomes like ginger or turmeric,” he said. low-income groups, encouraging them to use their home yards for kantan seedling cultivation.

He said several of the asnaf families were able to cultivate between 2,000 to 3,000 seedlings. His team buys back their produce, thus helping to boost their household income. Seedlings sell for RM3.50 to RM60, depending on size and age. “The high demand allows us to sell 400 to 500 seeds a week, generating an average income of about RM2,500 a month.“ In 2023, they sold more than 40,000 seedlings, yet demand still exceeds supply. They have since diversified into downstream products, including kantan sambal bilis , which has received encouraging response. Abd Halim, who is also deputy chairman of the Al-Akram Larut

For former engineer Abd Halim Abd Majid, 50, from Kampung Batu 9 in Trong, venturing into kantan (torch ginger flower bud) farming not only provides a steady income but also opened doors to new agricultural opportunities, particularly in producing and selling kantan seedlings. As Taiping Kantan Project manager, Abd Halim said the idea took root during the Covid-19 movement control order after discussions with his partner, Mohammad Hazwan Mohamad Nor, 45, who had 15 years’ experience in

In March 2022, the experiment succeeded, producing 800 seedlings in about three months, each reaching 20cm in height. Bulk orders started coming coming in soon after, 300 plants at a time, confirming high market demand. To date, they have produced more than 15,000 seedlings, marketed primarily through Facebook. Buyers are mainly from Perak, Johor, Kelantan, Pahang, Kedah and Perlis. With growing demand, Abd Halim extended opportunities to the “asnaf” (tithe recipients) and