17/04/2026

FRIDAY | APR 17, 2026

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Govt committed to identifying green areas in KL

KUALA LUMPUR: The government is committed to continue the identification of green and open spaces in the capital city on a monthly basis to ensure more public spaces are protected for the use of the people. Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh said the measure was implemented through a fast-track approach by the Special Task Force on the Declaration of Open and Green Spaces, which was established to expedite the process. “There are still many areas – now the Kuala Lumpur City Hall is working hard with the Lands and Mines director to increase the identification every month. This is our focus and priority. “This will continue every month with more areas being identified for GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Health Department has ordered the immediate closure of a cafeteria at a private hospital here after an inspection found the premises to be dirty, with the presence of cockroaches. Penang Youth, Sports and Health Committee chairman Daniel Gooi Zi Sen said the action was taken following a public complaint received last Monday over concerns of possible food contamination at the premises. “The health department conducted an immediate inspection upon receiving the complaint and found the cafeteria’s cleanliness to be unsatisfactory. “So the closure order and compound were issued on the same day in accordance with standard operating procedures on food safety,” he said. Gooi said the cafeteria operator had been instructed to carry out thorough cleaning before being allowed to resume operations and that regular monitoring would be conducted to ensure all food handlers complied with the prescribed hygiene standards for consumer safety. Earlier, images of a cafeteria at a private hospital, reportedly in a dirty condition, was widely circulated on social media, prompting public concern over the level of cleanliness at the premises, including those in healthcare facilities. – Bernama Hospital cafe closed due to poor hygiene

community,

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gazetting from time to time,” she said at a press conference regarding the addition of gazetted green and open spaces in Kuala Lumpur. Also present were Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Seri Fadlun Mak Ujud, Federal Territory Lands and Mines director Datin Rahilah Rahmat, Federal Territory Department director-general Datuk Muhammad Azmi Mohd Zain and Seputeh MP Teresa Kok. Yeoh also announced the gazetting of 45 more green and open spaces covering 27.76 ha or 277,663.90 square metres, bringing the total number of protected areas to 539 locations so far. “These areas are now secured as public property. Gazetting them means that the areas can no longer be arbitrarily converted for other purposes and will remain as public spaces for

generations.” Yeoh said the move is also part of a long-term strategy to make Kuala Lumpur a more sustainable and resilient city, including adapting to the sponge city concept to address flooding issues and the city’s rising temperatures. The sponge city concept utilises nature-based solutions – such as green roofs, permeable pavements and wetlands to absorb, store, purify and reuse rainwater, acting like a natural sponge. The approach mitigates urban flooding, reduces water pollution and recharges groundwater. Yeoh said the public can check the full list of gazetted areas at www.ptgwp.gov.my/portal. – Bernama

Yeoh (fifth from right) said once green and open spaces are gazzeted, they are secured as public spaces and cannot be converted for other purposes. – BERNAMAPIC

S’gor rolls out RM130 million stimulus to ease cost of living

communities across Sarawak have made substantial economic contributions and the state, despite contributing third highest to Malaysia’s GDP and covering a land mass comparable to Peninsular Malaysia, accounts for only around 6.7% of the national population. Sarawak Deputy Minister Datuk Snowdan Lawan said the matter carries constitutional weight and should be examined by the Council for Native Customs and Traditions. He said any outcome must safeguard the rights of indigenous communities while remaining consistent with state and federal constitutional requirements. development of a Selangor Food Warehouse and continued funding for the Jelajah Ehsan Rahmah programme, which provides essential goods to lower-income households. He said the package was formulated following a review of the state budget and cost-saving measures and is part of broader efforts to strengthen economic resilience, manage inflationary pressures and ensure inclusive support for those most in need. Looking further ahead, Amirudin highlighted plans to expand solar energy systems with battery storage across government buildings and to commission waste-to-energy plants in Jeram and Tanjung Dua Belas. He also noted that a 5.1MW mini hydrogen plant developed by Worldwide Holdings in Kerling, Hulu Selangor, can now power approximately 12,900 homes. The menteri besar added that the state is exploring nuclear energy development with international partners, including efforts to cultivate local expertise at the university level. He stressed the need to diversify Selangor’s energy mix, accelerating the adoption of solar, hydrogen and potentially biodiesel.

o MB says initiative aimed at shielding lower-income, at-risk groups from financial hardship and those facing loss of income, employment

Ű BY IKHWAN ZULKAFLEE newsdesk@thesundaily.com

legislation that formally annulled the native status it conferred on locally born Chinese and Indians. Under current law, however, nativity in Sarawak remains tied to indigenous racial identity rather than birthplace, as reflected in Article 161A and Sarawak’s Interpretation Ordinance. That being said, constitutional amendments passed in December 2021 removed the enumerated list of indigenous races from Article 161A and restored to Sarawak the authority to define “native” through state law, potentially reopening the question. Ng raised the proposal on April 3, arguing that third-generation Acknowledging the strain on those in agriculture and fisheries, Amirudin said the state has set aside RM25 million to assist farmers, fishermen, livestock breeders and padi growers hit by rising diesel and input costs. The aid is intended to sustain food production capacity and protect the livelihoods of those in these sectors. He noted that the package is financed through state savings generated by austerity measures, including the cancellation of official Hari Raya celebrations and cuts to overseas expenditure. He framed the broader initiative as part of the government’s ongoing commitment to economic stability and inclusive welfare. “These initiatives are part of our continued efforts to strengthen resilience among the rakyat and ensure that no one is left behind during this challenging economic period.” Amirudin said the state is also investing in food security through the

finding expression in Article 161A. He said there was no explicit legislative act that formally stripped Sarawakian Chinese of native status, rather they were “redefined out of it” through successive legal reframings. He added that restoring that recognition would not mark a departure from Sarawak’s traditions but “in the most precise historical sense, a return to it”. A parallel argument was raised during the Sarawak Legislative Assembly in February 2022 by Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How, who reportedly cited the same 1920 land law and said he could find no subsequent package includes targeted measures to reduce daily expenses and strengthen economic resilience. This includes a RM30 monthly public transport subsidy for 50,000 residents over six months, applicable to travel on demand-responsive transit (DRT) vans, buses, and trains. The allocation for this component stands at RM5.4 million, up from an earlier RM5 million provision, bringing the combined public transport assistance to RM10.4 million. The measure also aims to shift residents toward greater reliance on public transport in the longer term. Additionally, families with school going children will benefit from a free breakfast programme to be rolled out across all 873 schools in Selangor through the state’s 12 local authorities, beginning August. The programme is structured so that one school per local authority receives the assistance each day, with the dual aim of easing parental expenses and ensuring students are adequately nourished.

PETALING JAYA: The Selangor government has rolled out a RM130.42 million stimulus package under the first phase of its Resilience Strengthening Package (RSP), with a strong focus on easing cost-of-living pressures and supporting vulnerable groups. At the centre of the initiative is the Baucar Kita Selangor programme, which will provide RM100 monthly for six months to 50,000 recipients, involving a total allocation of RM30 million. Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said the scheme is aimed at shielding lower-income and at-risk households from financial hardship, particularly those facing loss of income or employment. He described the programme as a key safeguard to prevent households from slipping into hardcore poverty amid rising living costs and inflationary pressures. Beyond direct cash assistance, the

‘Brooke-era law gives Sarawak Chinese legal native status’

Ű BY T.C KHOR newsdesk@thesundaily.com

is framed around nationality and place of birth rather than racial identity. “A Chinese born in Sarawak was, by the plain reading of that Order, a native of Sarawak,“ he said, adding that the claim has “a documented legal foundation that was quietly dismantled and never formally repealed”. Ng argued that the shift away from this birth-based definition began in the early 1930s, when the legal framework began aligning nativity with race instead. That race-based definition was subsequently reinforced under British colonial rule and carried into Malaysia’s constitutional architecture when Sarawak joined the federation in 1963,

PETALING JAYA: A historian has lent academic weight to a proposal by Julau MP Datuk Larry Sng to grant Bumiputera status to third-generation Sarawakian Chinese, arguing that the idea is not a novel political demand but one grounded in the territory’s own legal history. Dr Jason Ng Sze Chieh pointed to the Land Regulations Order No. VIII of 1920, enacted under Brooke rule, which defined a native as a natural-born subject of the Rajah. Crucially, he noted that the definition