01/03/2026

NATIONAL 4 theSun on Sunday MAR 1, 2026

Avoid speculation on Aidilfitri date: Mufti dept ‘Loan repayments vital for future student funding’ IPOH: Repayments to the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) are crucial to ensure continued education financing for future students, said its chairman Datuk Seri Norliza Abdul Rahim. introduced to help borrowers repay their loans based on their financial capacity. “PTPTN hopes borrowers will come forward to discuss their repayments and avoid Education Savings Scheme (Simpan SSPN) as early preparation for their children’s higher education. The objective is to shift the mindset from relying solely on loans to practising consistent savings to reduce debt after graduation. She said the government allocates RM3 billion annually to support 600,000 existing and new students. She added that the #PTPTNBolehBincang and #PTPTNSediaBantu initiatives were enforcement action,” she said at the PTPTN Imarah Ramadan event at Politeknik Ungku Omar on Friday. Norliza also said the corporation remains committed to promoting a savings culture, especially among parents, through the National “Under Simpan SSPN Prime, depositors enjoy benefits such as income tax relief of up to RM8,000 a year, free takaful coverage, matching grants, competitive

Council ramps up anti-food waste drive BUKIT MERTAJAM: The Seberang Perai City Council is intensifying efforts to curb food waste this Ramadan through a more systematic approach at all 54 bazaars under its jurisdiction. Mayor Datuk Baderul Amin Abdul Hamid said the focus is on improved waste management, including encouraging organisers and traders to separate waste at source to facilitate solid waste handling and reduce daily food disposal. He added that surplus food still safe for consumption should be redistributed or processed into compost as part of sustainability efforts. Council records show that 24,667 tonnes of domestic waste were collected in Seberang Perai in March last year during Ramadan, comparable with April at 24,515 tonnes, May at 23,904 tonnes and June at 23,267 tonnes. “This shows that waste generation during Ramadan is similar to other months, but food wastage still occurs and we hope to minimise it this year,” he said in an interview at Menara MBSP recently. He pointed out that high waste volume increases management costs, while stressing the need for greater awareness among traders and the public. – Bernama cash for grants KUALA LUMPUR: The 2026 Matching Fund Scheme (SDP) is open for applications until May 27, offering grants of up to RM250,000 per approved application to support the production of works in the country’s creative industry sector. The initiative by MyCreative Ventures Sdn Bhd (MyCreative) is part of the Madani budget aspirations and also includes the launch of the Concerts and Events in Malaysia Incentive (Cemi) 2026. In a statement yesterday, MyCreative announced that this year’s SDP has been allocated RM2.5 million, while Cemi received RM10 million. The scheme aims to support business growth and strengthen creative industries with the potential to generate long-term economic impact. For Cemi, the financial rebate programme is designed to support the organisation of large-scale concerts and events involving local and international artistes. – Bernama Creative sector gets

dividends as well as government guaranteed and syariah -compliant savings. “Families earning up to RM4,000 a month are eligible for a matching grant of up to RM10,000.” Under Budget 2025, the government expanded matching grant eligibility to families earning between RM4,000 and RM6,000 for two years under the Ihsan Matching Grant Initiative, offering up to RM5,000 per family. – Bernama

‘Official announcement subject to moon sighting and announcement by Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal’

the department added. It further explained that hilal parameters differ each year, and the position of the Syawal hilal this year is lower and more difficult to observe compared with 2022, making it technically more challenging to sight. Nevertheless, the official decision will depend on actual observation findings, the established verification process and the announcement by the Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal. The department also encouraged the public to make Aidilfitri preparations in a planned and early manner to avoid last-minute difficulties. Concerns have been widely shared online that 1 Syawal this year may fall on March 20 (Friday) instead of the expected March 21 (Saturday). This would be similar to the situation in 2022, when Aidilfitri was celebrated a day earlier than anticipated. ALOR SETAR: A total of 45 tomyam restaurant premises in the city and in Pokok Sena were found operating without licences during operations by the Alor Setar City Council on Feb 14 and 17. Mayor Datuk Abdul Gafar Yahya said 64 premises were inspected during Ops Tomyam, with only 19 holding valid licences. A total of 145 compounds and five notices were issued for various offences, including displaying advertisements without approval. “Compounds were also issued for poor hygiene standards as well as failure to provide typhoid vaccination cards and food handling certificate. “The council views seriously the non-compliance among tomyam restaurant operators, who are still failing to meet the stipulated requirements,” he said. He also reminded local stall owners not to misuse their licences by renting them to foreign nationals and urged all food premises operators to apply for licences to avoid enforcement action. – Bernama

“A hilal that is too low or close to the horizon has a very weak visibility potential even if it theoretically exists. Therefore, the presence of the hilal above the horizon does not necessarily guarantee physical visibility,” it said. Weather conditions such as thick clouds, haze or atmospheric disturbances also pose major challenges in the observation process, Bernama reported. The department pointed out that although calculations may indicate that the hilal has the potential to be sighted even if it does not meet the criteria, weather factors may obstruct actual visibility. “Conversely, under very favourable atmospheric conditions, which are rare in Malaysia, the hilal may sometimes be successfully sighted. This shows that the determination does not rely solely on calculation data, but also on actual field observations,”

IPOH: Mufti Department has urged Muslims not to speculate on the date of 1 Syawal and to await the official announcement from authorities. In a statement posted on its Facebook page, the department called on the public to remain calm, adding that differences in projections are normal within the discipline of falak (Islamic astronomy). “The Hijri calendar distributed to the public is prepared based on hisab (astronomical calculations) data as a guide for annual planning. “However, the official determination of 1 Syawal is subject to the rukyah hilal (new moon sighting) process on the The Perak

evening of 29 Ramadan, as well as the declaration by the relevant authority, and any discrepancy between calendar projections and the official decision is not unusual in the system of determining the beginning of Islamic months,” it said. The department explained that Malaysia adopts an integrated rukyah and hisab approach. From the perspective of falak , when the hilal (crescent moon) is above the horizon at sunset, it generally has the potential to be sighted. However, in Malaysia, visibility of the hilal depends on several technical parameters such as its altitude and the distance between the moon and the sun, known as elongation.

Ops Tomyam nets 45 unlicensed eateries

Abdul Gafar (third from right) giving disposal bags to a trader at a Ramadan bazaar. – BERNAMAPIC