04/07/2026

SATURDAY | JULY 4, 2026

FOLLOW

ON FACEBOOK

4

Malaysian Paper

/thesundaily /

Malaysian developers shine in world excellence awards

21 more elephant food banks to be built in Johor PUTRAJAYA: The Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry plans to build 21 more elephant food banks in Johor to keep elephants away from residential and agricultural areas, reducing human-elephant conflict. Minister Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup said the project would complement the three existing elephant food banks in the state. “The ministry is also implementing several measures to manage human-wildlife conflict more effectively and sustainably, including the development of an Elephant Electric Fence System to protect high-risk areas and enhance the safety of nearby communities. “In addition, the ministry is developing the Johor Elephant Sanctuary in phases to enable more systematic habitat management,” he said in a statement yesterday. Arthur said the government also provides Property and Crop Loss Assistance to owners who suffer losses caused by wildlife, including elephants. A total of 76,361 wildlife conflict complaints were recorded nationwide between 2021 and May 2026, involving estimated losses of RM58.7 million, he said. According to Arthur, the conflict is driven by several interrelated factors, including habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation caused by land clearing, infrastructure development, agricultural activities and changes in land use, as well as the growing populations of both humans and elephants. These factors have disrupted elephants’ traditional migration routes, increasing the likelihood of encounters between the animals and humans. He said the ministry will continue strengthening mitigation efforts through elephant translocation operations, the development of wildlife corridors, research and the implementation of the National Elephant Conservation Action Plan 2.0. Referring to the recent incident in which a baby elephant was killed after being struck by a vehicle on Jalan Felda Nitar in Mersing, Johor, Arthur urged the public not to view the tragedy as an isolated incident but as a reminder of the need to strike a balance between development, public safety and wildlife conservation through the cooperation of all stakeholders. – Bernama to be ready by 2028 JOHOR BAHRU: The RM66 million wildlife crossing project in Jalan Kahang-Mersing is expected to be completed in February 2028 and is believed to be able to reduce wildlife collisions (roadkill), thus protecting property and saving the lives of road users. State Health and Environment Committee chairman Ling Tian Soon said the 1.2km crossing with an eight-metre high and 200m long flyover would allow wildlife to cross the road through the space under the flyover. “The Johor state government is always committed to ensuring a balance between development, public safety and the preservation of the state’s natural and wildlife treasures,” he said in a statement on his Facebook page. Ling said as of June 29, the project had achieved progress of around 10.12% and he himself had been closely monitoring the progress of the project. He also asked road users to always be vigilant when passing through areas close to wildlife habitats, especially at night and on routes known to have wild animal movements. On Wednesday, a female elephant calf estimated to be five years old died after being hit by a vehicle at 2.28am on a Felda Nitar road, Mersing. – Bernama RM66m wildlife crossing project

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia dominated the FIABCI World Prix d’Excellence Awards 2026 in Vienna, Austria clinching Overall Champion with 14 awards, comprising eight gold and six silver. In a statement yesterday, the Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming said the achievement reflects the strength and competitiveness of Malaysia’s property industry on the global stage, alongside developed nations. He said the recognition underscores the capability of local developers in delivering world-class developments that meet international standards in innovation, design, sustainability and community impact. “This success proves that Malaysian developers are also setting global benchmarks.” Nga added that Malaysian expertise is also gaining international recognition, with two o Overall champion achievement underscores capability of local builders in meeting international standards in innovation, design and sustainability, says minister Ű BY QIRANA NABILLA MOHD RASHIDI newsdesk@thesundaily.com

Nga with the winners. – PIC COURTESY OF HOUSING AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT MINISTRY

Regent @ Desa ParkCity, The Mansions @ ParkCity Hanoi, Menara Merdeka 118, Elmina Lakeside Mall, Sunway Velocity TWO (Phase 1), Gamuda Gardens and Diamond Precinct in Vietnam. Silver award recipients include Millerz Square @ OKR, The Arcuz @ Kelana Jaya, Precinct Arundina, ROBIN @ IJM Rimbayu, SkyAwani 5 Residences and Wetlands Arboretum. Nga said strong collaboration between the government and private sector will be key to sustaining Malaysia’s growth in the property sector. “With continued momentum, I am confident Malaysia will remain a regional leader in sustainable, competitive and inclusive property development,” he added.

gold awards secured for projects developed in Vietnam. “In an increasingly competitive global property landscape, Malaysian developers continue to prove that we are not only able to compete, but also stand out. This victory also shows that local expertise is no longer confined to the domestic market, as Malaysian developers also secured two gold awards through projects developed in Vietnam.” The FIABCI World Prix d’Excellence Awards, often described as the “Oscars of the real estate industry,” recognise excellence in property development based on architecture, innovation, community benefit, environmental sustainability and financial viability. Malaysia’s gold medallists include Park

Residents cry foul over new poultry farm project SELAMA: Residents of Kampung Batu 6 and Kampung Batu 7, Bukit Bertam, here are urging the authorities to reconsider the construction of a new closed-house poultry farm in their area, fearing it will worsen longstanding problems of flies, foul odours and pollution that they claim have affected their daily lives. house poultry farm,” he told Bernama. Ramli said that during a meeting with the council, residents were informed that planning permission for the construction of four closed house poultry sheds on Lot 1380, Kampung Batu 6, had been approved on March 14, 2025. He said residents were also informed that Kampung Batu 6 and Kampung Batu 7 had been gazetted as a poultry farming zone under the Selama District Local Plan 2030, but claimed that this had never been communicated to them beforehand. disturbances from the existing poultry farms and do not want the same problems to recur with the construction of another farm,” he said. Kampung Batu 6 resident representative Zurani Alias, 56, who has lived in the village all her life, said residents hoped the project would be cancelled to safeguard the health and wellbeing of the community. “This area already has two poultry farms and a duck farm. If another poultry farm is built, we fear the fly and odour problems will become even more serious, especially during harvesting periods.

Kampung Batu 6 Village Development and Security Committee secretary Ramli Ahmad said residents lodged their objections after claiming they had never been informed of the proposed project until land-clearing works began around May. “The residents subsequently submitted letters of objection to several agencies, including the Selama District Council, the Larut MP, the Selama state assemblyman, the Perak Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) and the Menteri Besar’s Office. “We were never informed of this proposed project and only became aware of it after land clearing works commenced and we were told the site would be developed into a closed

“The residents’ objection is based on the project’s close proximity to the residential area. During a site inspection on Feb 18, 2025, the DVS found that the proposed farm site is only 194.47m from nearby homes, which is below the minimum 300-metre buffer distance for closed-house poultry farms as stipulated in the Environment Department guidelines. “This distance is too close, and we fear that problems involving flies, odours and pollution will worsen. We have long endured

“Not only that, the operations of the existing nearby poultry farm already cause noise disturbances at night and affect residents’ comfort. We do not want our hardship to worsen with the construction of another farm,” she said. Zurani also claimed that cleanliness standards at several existing farms had deteriorated due to a shortage of workers, resulting in an increasingly severe fly problem. Complex, Universiti Malaysia Perlis Pauh Putra Campus, in Arau, from July 24 to July 30. “We are also reactivating the Fama Beseri Fresh Fruit Processing Centre to process frozen durian paste for supply to food and agro-based industry entrepreneurs involved in the production of downstream durian products.” Mohd Anzara said Fama marketing outlets will also help mitigate the durian overproduction through three fresh fruit stalls in Taman Guru Jaya, Kangar, and Jejawi.

Fama Perlis outlines proactive steps to tackle durian glut KANGAR: The Perlis Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama) has outlined measures to address the expected durian glut during the peak season of the King of Fruits from June to August. glut in Perlis is effectively managed,” he said. Mohd Anzara said one initiative is the Perlis Local Fruit Fest, which involves 10 seasonal fruit entrepreneurs and is held in collaboration with the state Agriculture Department at the Sungai Batu Pahat Exotic Fruit Park near here on July 25 and 26, Bernama reported.

Perlis Fama director Mohd Anzara Azizan said Perlis Fama remains committed to safeguarding national food security, particularly in the state, by preventing waste or spoilage. “Swift intervention will ensure any durian

He said another move is the Eat More Local Fruits Campaign, held alongside the 10th World Cup Woodball Championship at Laman Woodball, Syed Sirajuddin Areeb Putra Sports