24/02/2026

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TUESDAY | FEB 24, 2026

/thesuntelegram FOLLOW / Malaysian Paper

ON TELEGRAM m RAM

Disabled man supports family with coconut nectar business

pellet production, reducing reliance on imported raw materials, as demonstrated by the locally developed Ecovet products,”she added. Ongoing research has integrated kenaf fibre into the automotive, construction and textile industries, while mutation breeding research using nuclear technology has produced new varieties to enhance global competitiveness. – Bernama Airports see 9.4m passengers in January KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airports’ domestic network saw 9.4 million passenger movements in January, the opening month of Visit Malaysia 2026, said Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB). It said KL International Airport (KLIA) and Penang International Airport (PEN) recorded the highest year-on-year growth within the network, with KLIA at 5.9 million passenger movements, up by 8.2%, followed by PEN with 741,183 passengers, a 3.8% increase. MAHB managing director Datuk Mohd Izani Ghani said the growth reflects strong travel demand and Malaysia’s expanding connectivity across the region as the group aspires to position Malaysia to become the most connected country in the Asia-Pacific. MAHB said its vehicle access management systems have achieved a 99% compliance rate, improving traffic flow at drop-off and pick-up points. It also said connectivity has expanded, with at least six routes introduced in January, linking Malaysia directly with Shanghai, Jinan, Hong Kong, Hefei, Guangzhou and Harbin. “These services connect to Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Tawau and Penang, supporting tourism and regional economic growth.“ – Bernama

KUALA TERENGGANU: Physical limitations have not prevented a man with disabilities from Kampung Banggol Katong here from running an air nira kelapa (coconut nectar) business that enjoys consistently high demand, especially during Ramadan. Ibrahim Mamat, 44, who has been paralysed in his right leg following a motorcycle collision seven years ago, climbs a specially built ladder tailored to his physical condition to collect sap from the six-metre-high coconut flowers. He admitted that before starting the business two years ago, he had given up and refused to work for five years as he struggled to accept his condition after the crash. “About two years ago, while sitting in my wheelchair in front of my house, fasting month to make it easier for people to purchase drink o Villager sets up roadside stall during

extract the sap. “Usually, the cut inflorescence will start producing sap after four or five days and it can continue to yield sap for up to 15 days before drying up. I collect the sap in plastic containers in the morning and evening as it usually flows more during those times.” He said on normal days, customers come to his house to buy air nira , but during the fasting month, he sets up a small roadside stall in his village to make it easier for people to purchase the drink for breaking fast. He sells air nira at RM5 and RM10 per bottle and also supplies it to palm sugar producers, particularly in Marang, Bernama reported. Thanks to his diligence and determination, Ibrahim earns about RM3,000 a month, with the amount doubling during Ramadan when more than 30 bottles of air nira are sold daily. “I am grateful that Allah moved my heart to rise again and that I am still able to work to support myself. “I am also able to support my mother Juary Ibrahim, 77, who is also a person with disabilities after her right leg was amputated below the knee due to diabetes three years ago,” he said, adding that he rears four to five cows as side income.

Ibrahim’s daily routine begins at 7am, tapping or cutting the coconut inflorescences to extract the sap. – BERNAMAPIC

tree is fitted with this ladder so that I can climb up and down by myself.” Ibrahim, who previously worked as a house builder, said he now manages to obtain about 40 litres of air nira daily from 20 coconut trees planted on a 0.4ha plot near his home. His daily routine begins at 7am, tapping or cutting the coconut inflorescences (young flowers) to

I noticed a coconut tree and thought perhaps I could do something with it. Suddenly, I felt the motivation to rise again and start a new life. “I thought of selling air nira , a favourite drink among the community, especially on the east coast. So, I asked my cousin Ahmad Rusdi Wahab, 38, to build a ladder based on my own design to make it more stable. Each coconut

Kenaf industry positioned as future green commodity PADANG BESAR: Malaysia’s kenaf (hibiscus cannabinus) industry is entering a critical transition phase, with efforts to position the crop as a future green commodity, said Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad. “For 2025, the National Kenaf and Tobacco Board has processed about 70 tonnes of kenaf seeds.” by Universiti Malaysia Kelantan researcher Dr Maryana Mohamad Nor, has led to the development of a health supplement. She said Perlis’s expertise in kenaf cultivation is attracting Noraini said she met several kenaf growers, many of them women, who have shown strong commitment to the crop with support from the Board and state agencies.

She also said kenaf cultivation has spawned a new generation of entrepreneurs, including mushroom growers using kenaf and padi waste, producers of Ecovet cat food diet products, and developers of kenaf leaf tea marketed as Biokenaf for health and weight management. Noraini said Biokenaf, formulated

Key initiatives include the Kenaf Integrated Park in Chuping, a pilot project focused on processing kenaf pulp for biodegradable products. “I am confident that through the Board’s initiatives, kenaf would be widely used in animal feed

international interest, including potential collaboration with Kenya. “Kenaf planting has expanded rapidly in Padang Besar and Chuping, replacing areas previously dominated by sugarcane and tobacco.”

She said kenaf should no longer be seen as a secondary crop but as a strategic pillar of the national commodities sector’s sustainability agenda.

Education retains its importance in the Malaysian landscape for parents, students and stakeholders. The changes are fast paced with new developments in new fields of study such as cybersecurity, data protection, augmented and virtual reality, machine learning in education, digital education and artificial Intelligence. Leading the way are universities, who are invited to showcase their latest programmes, curriculum and content in our Education Focus for 2026.

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