03/10/2026

SATURDAY | OCT 3, 2026

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Ministry: Gazette padi-growing areas to sustain rice cultivation PUTRAJAYA: State governments have been urged to gazette padi-growing areas to sustain rice cultivation and strengthen the country’s food security after the rice self-sufficiency ratio (SSR) declined last year. SSR measures how much of a country’s domestic demand for a particular food or agricultural product it can meet with its own production. According to the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry, the proposal was among the matters discussed with state agriculture executive councillors at the second Agriculture and Food Security Ministers Meeting 2026 chaired by its minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu on Thursday. The ministry said the proposal takes into account the decline in rice cultivation areas, which contributed to the fall in the rice SSR from 68% in 2018 to 54.3% in 2025, as well as a recommendation in the Auditor General’s Report to gazette padi-growing areas to preserve the amount of land used for rice cultivation. “Malaysia’s reliance on imported rice was estimated at 1.416 million metric tonnes, worth RM2.953 billion in 2025,” the ministry said in a statement yesterday. Agriculture executive councillors from nine states, representatives from state Economic Planning Units, Finance Ministry and Economy Ministry as well as senior officers, department heads and agency chiefs under the ministry attended the meeting. The ministry added that the meeting also discussed measures to strengthen the country’s food-producing areas by zoning them in structure and local plans, in line with the National Land Use Master Plan. Among the measures are the immediate gazetting of 24 state agro-food areas under Permanent Food Production Parks, Permanent Ruminant Production Parks and Aquaculture Industry Zones, as well as implementing the Livestock Farm Regularisation Scheme and Food Area Protection Mechanism in Sabah and Sarawak. “These measures support the ministry’s efforts to raise the SSR for strategic commodities while increasing domestic production and strengthening the country’s food resilience and security.” It said the meeting also considered a proposal for state governments to participate in the Malaysia Fest in Singapore which has served as a platform to promote Malaysian agro-food products since 2006 through the Malaysia Fruits, Food Fiesta programme, giving local entrepreneurs greater opportunities to enter the Singapore market. “Malaysia Fest has shown positive growth, with attendance rising from 75,000 in 2017 to 179,400 in 2025, while sales increased from RM6.59 million to RM15.8 million.” It said the meeting also reviewed the status of the National Agro-Food Empowerment Programme under the 13th Malaysia Plan, with 347 projects worth RM349.15 million approved out of 782 applications totalling RM2.09 billion received this year. Also discussed were the findings of the 2024 Outcome Evaluation Study of the Land Optimisation Programme. – Bernama

Nepal to help establish status of missing Malaysians

Ű BY QIRANA NABILLA MOHD RASHIDI newsdesk@thesundaily.com

o Nepali prime minister agrees to facilitate efforts to help families obtain certainty about loved ones, says Anwar

Nation records 28.8 million international visitors this year KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s tourism sector continues to show positive momentum with 28.8 million international visitors from January to August, a 1.8% increase compared with the same period last year. Tourism Malaysia deputy director-general (promotion) Mohd Akbal Setia said the positive performance reflects the continued appeal of Malaysia as a tourism destination and the importance of strengthening international tourism partnerships. “The development is particularly relevant as the country continues to strengthen its industry under the Visit Malaysia 2026-2027 campaign.” He was delivering a speech on behalf of Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing at the opening of the International Tourism, Arts and Culture Exhibition and Conference 2026 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre yesterday. Mohd Akbal said tourism is an important economic driver contributing over 15% to Malaysia’s GDP, with its benefits extending across the tourism value chain to support businesses and livelihoods, from hotels and e-hailing services to local artisans and family-run restaurants, Bernama reported. “In only its second edition, the conference has brought together 154 exhibitors from 35 countries, reflecting the organisers’ and industry partners’ commitment to establishing this event as an international platform for the tourism, arts and culture sectors.” He said the platform is vital for expanding joint promotions and creating new tourism experiences. emergency response team, the Nepal Tourism Board, local authorities and travel agencies to establish the whereabouts and status of those still unaccounted for. Viewpoint at 3.26pm on Aug 25, a day before the floods and landslides struck. Nagthali Viewpoint is situated on higher ground, well above the Rasuwagadhi area. He said the man had been stranded for some time due to damaged roads and bridges, while disruptions to electricity, water supply and Wi-Fi further affected his ability to move around and communicate. Recent reports said about 5,700 people, including more than 600 foreign nationals, remain missing, while the death toll had reached 1,451. The Malaysian Embassy in Kathmandu has also been coordinating with Nepal’s

KUALA LUMPUR: Nepal has agreed to cooperate with Malaysia in efforts to establish the status of Malaysians who remain unaccounted for following the floods and landslides that struck the country. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Nepali Prime Minister Balendra Shah had agreed to facilitate efforts to help the families obtain certainty on the status of their loved ones. “I have had conversations with the prime minister, and he is willing to give all the cooperation. We have asked the attorney-general to follow through. “They have their laws, (we have) our laws. The (applicable) period is six or seven years, while theirs is three.

“But we can still apply to the courts, and he said he will give all the cooperation necessary to facilitate this so that the families can get the results as soon as possible,” he said after visiting the Royal Malaysian Air Force quarters in Sungai Besi yesterday. Earlier, media reported that one of the 55 Malaysians reported missing in Nepal has been found safe and has returned home. Malaysia Solidarity: Families in Hope spokesman Dr Manivannan Rethinam said the Foreign Ministry informed the families in an official update yesterday that the man arrived safely in Malaysia yesterday

morning and was reunited with his family after 37 days of uncertainty. Manivannan said the update was shared through the ministry’s WhatsApp group. A spokeswoman for the Malaysian Embassy in Kathmandu also confirmed that a Malaysian man arrived at the embassy on Wednesday and identified himself as one of the 55 Malaysians reported missing following the Aug 26 floods. Manivannan said direct communication with the man’s next of kin indicated that the Chinese Malaysian, who had been travelling alone, was at Nagthali

‘Passport’s second-spot ranking reflects global confidence in Malaysia’ Saifuddin Nasution said Malaysian passport holders now have access to 175 destinations worldwide, providing them with greater mobility. – BERNAMAPIC

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia’s second place ranking in the world for passport strength is an achievement that reflects global confidence in the stability, security and integrity of the country’s systems, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail. The Malaysian passport climbed to second spot in The Passport Index Global Ranking 2026, up from third place the previous year. He said the achievement also brings tangible benefits to the people through wider access to international travel while opening up more opportunities in education, careers, business and investment.

them with greater mobility. He added that the achievement is the result of continuous efforts by the Home Ministry and the Immigration Department to ensure that the country’s immigration system and travel documents continue to have high standards of integrity and security. “In terms of business growth and investment, it makes it easier for Malaysian entrepreneurs to explore new markets, build international business networks and create more economic opportunities, ultimately benefiting the country.” – Bernama

“Under the Madani Economy framework, the country’s key focuses include raising the growth ceiling by expanding its international reach, strengthening its diplomatic standing and enhancing competitiveness on the world stage,” he said in a post on his Facebook page yesterday. Saifuddin Nasution said the country needs to have strong, credible and trusted systems to ensure that the doors to global opportunities remain wide open to Malaysians. He also said Malaysian passport holders now have access to 175 destinations worldwide, providing