11/01/2026

NATIONAL 5 theSun on Sunday JAN 11, 2026

Welfare home for girls appeals for public aid

MMEA to focus on strategic assets, modern tech PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) is focusing on the procurement of strategic assets, infrastructure development and the adoption of modern technology, following a surge in its development expenditure to RM1.2 billion this year. MMEA director-general Maritime Admiral Datuk Mohd Rosli Abdullah said the procurement of maritime surveillance aircraft, an operational vehicle replacement plan and the construction and upgrading of maritime complexes and jetties at strategic locations remain among the agency’s top priorities. “The development allocation for this year shows a significant increase of 101.43% compared with the previous year, reflecting the Madani government’s commitment to strengthening MMEA’s role as the nation’s primary maritime security agency under the Home Ministry,” he said in a statement. Mohd Rosli added that the first multi-purpose mission ship project has reached 58.3% completion, ahead of its original schedule and is expected to be fully completed next year. Meanwhile, the procurement of four AW189 Medium Lift helicopters has reached 44.66% progress, with the first aircraft expected to be received in July, Bernama reported. Under Budget 2026, MMEA has been allocated a total of RM2.29 billion, comprising RM1.09 billion for operating expenditure and RM1.2 billion for development expenditure. On the agency’s direction, Mohd Rosli said the Home Ministry has set a target to increase operational days at sea to 280 days, up from 250 days last year, in line with the need to strengthen presence in national waters. “MMEA will continue to practise a ‘whole-of-government’ approach through integrated cooperation with agencies under the ministry, including intelligence-sharing and joint operations, to ensure enforcement effectiveness for the safety of our waters, national sovereignty and the people’s wellbeing,” he said.

Rawang-based charity urgently needs to raise RM140,000 to secure property vital to education programmes

“The owner has offered the house to us at RM800,000, and we have been given until Jan 31 to raise the funds,” Meena said. She added that the welfare home has never owned property and has sustained its operations through public donations, annual food grants from the Social Welfare Department, in-kind contributions, educational assistance from the Hong Leong Foundation and food sponsorships from kind individuals. “If we are unable to secure this house, it would severely disrupt our daily and much needed operations. “We do not have a relocation plan as we have invested so much effort into making these houses conducive for living, learning and skills development for all our girls here,” she said. Currently, 20 children attend kindergarten and primary school at SJKT Rawang, while 34 others are pursuing Level 3 certification and diploma programmes in early childhood education under a vocational institution. The home also runs skill-based and cultural programmes, including diploma courses in baking and pastries, Bharatanatyam traditional dance, Silambam traditional martial arts, yoga, veenai , music, Mandarin, brain gym development and arts. Under the care of Dr Kumaran Adakalam, an officially appointed Pembantu Pelindung JKM , the home also receives and rehabilitates at-risk children referred by authorities. “Owning this house would mean stability and permanence,” Meena said. “It’s not just a building. It’s a sanctuary and a transformational space in which these girls feel safe, supported and hopeful about their future,” she added. The association is appealing to the public, companies and donors to help raise the remaining RM140,000 needed to secure the property and ensure continuity of care for the children. Donations can be made to Persatuan Kebajikan Sri Saradha Devi Illam Malaysia at RHB Bank account number 212 1340 0071 019, with contributors asked to indicate “Donation for House Purchase” and forward the transaction slip for receipt issuance. For more information, the association can be contacted at 016-906 7380 (Kumaran) or 014-643 5964 (Meena).

Ű BY KIRTINEE RAMESH newsdesk@thesundaily.com

PETALING JAYA: A welfare home for girls that has sheltered and nurtured underprivileged children for nearly three decades is appealing to the public for help to raise RM140,000 to purchase an RM800,000 house that is central to its daily operations and educational programmes. Currently, about RM660,000 has been raised through public generosity, leaving a balance of about RM140,000 to permanently secure the house. Persatuan Kebajikan Sri Saradha Devi Illam Malaysia, based in Rawang, was established in 1998 by devotees of Swami Srila Sri Paramahamsathasar to provide shelter, education and

Today, Sri Saradha Devi Illam houses 54 girls of different ages, many of whom are orphans or come from broken or single-parent backgrounds. Over the past 28 years, the home has nurtured more than 500 children. The association currently operates from two rented houses, paying RM1,200 and RM1,000 monthly. One of the houses, used for the main kitchen, dormitory, living room, activity spaces and areas for baking and culinary classes, has now been put up for sale by the owner, who is migrating overseas.

holistic to underprivileged young girls from across the country. According to its secretary V. Meena, the welfare home roots trace back to 1996, when the late Swami envisioned a safe space dedicated specifically to girls under the name of Holy Mother Sri Saradha Devi. In 1998, six girls were housed at a rented single-storey bungalow in Taman Sri Garing, Rawang. Over the years, as the number of residents grew and operations expanded, the home was moved to a larger rented premises in Taman Hijau, Rawang. development

Meena said the welfare home has invested effort into making the houses conducive for living, learning and skills development for girls. – Ɛ PIC COURTESY OF PERSATUAN KEBAJIKAN SRI SARADHA DEVI ILLAM MALAYSIA

Court to rule on emergency Parliament suspension challenge KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court fixed April 29 to deliver its decision on a judicial review application by two lawmakers challenging former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s advice to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to suspend Parliament during the Covid-19 emergency in 2021. lawmakers, submitted that the issue raised by his clients is of public importance and that the court has jurisdiction to decide the matter. Gurdial further submitted that sections 11, 14 and 15 of the Emergency Ordinance are unnecessary, irrational, mandatory provisions under Article 150(3) and Article 150(5) of the Federal Constitution, which require emergency ordinances to be debated in Parliament. “The requirement is mandatory that it shall be laid before the houses of Parliament, and it is for the Parliament to decide,” he added. Shamsul also submitted that the mandatory court orders sought against the prime minister were no longer possible, as he had resigned on Aug 16, 2021. “In short, it is submitted that the relevance of the remedies and reliefs sought by the applicants had been overtaken by events,” he added.

unreasonable and disproportionate. He argued that the incapacitation of Parliament and the state legislative assemblies under sections 14 and 15 was unreasonable for the purpose of combating the Covid-19 pandemic. “There was no basis whatsoever for the Parliament and the state legislative assemblies to be suspended, as other economic sectors, including night markets, were allowed to operate,” he said. Gurdial also submitted that the government had breached

Meanwhile, Senior Federal Counsel Shamsul Bolhassan, representing the prime minister at the material time and the government, submitted that the judicial review application is academic as the Emergency Ordinance expired in August 2021. “Parliament has already debated and revoked the Emergency Ordinance on Oct 25, 2021. Therefore, the application before this court doesn’t serve any utility,” he said.

Judge Datuk Aliza Sulaiman on Friday also fixed the same date to decide on two originating summons filed by the Malaysian Bar and Bersih 2.0, along with seven others. On July 24, 2024, the Federal Court granted leave to Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Karim and Perak state assemblyman Abdul Aziz Bari to commence the judicial review and remitted the case to the High Court for a hearing on its merits. Earlier, counsel Datuk Dr Gurdial Singh Nijar, representing the two

The applicants are seeking a declaration that the Cabinet’s decision, led by Muhyiddin, to advise the then 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah to promulgate Section 14 of the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance 2021, which resulted in the suspension of Parliament, is unconstitutional, unlawful, without legal effect and ultra vires . – Bernama