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<b>Sabah</b> to play lead role in working group - The Borneo Post Online Berita Sabah - News 2 Sabah

<b>Sabah</b> to play lead role in working group - The Borneo Post Online

Posted: 18 May 2014 02:50 PM PDT

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah will be playing a lead role in the Threatened Species Technical Working Group which was set up during the Fifth Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security (CTI-CFF) Council of Ministers meeting in Manado, Indonesia recently.

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Ewon Ebin, who attended the meeting, said that Malaysia had been tasked to head the working group and the Sabah Fisheries Department will be involved.

According to Dr Ewon, the CTI-CFF is a multilateral partnership between the governments of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste working together to sustain extraordinary marine and coastal resources by addressing crucial issues such as food security, climate change and marine biodiversity.

Through the CTI-CFF, the six countries have agreed to support people-centered biodiversity conservation, sustainable development, poverty reduction and equitable benefit sharing.

Dr Ewon, who had chaired the meeting on May 15, said that the delegates also recognized Malaysia's competence in fisheries management and endorsed Malaysia to lead the newly established Threatened Species Regional Technical Working Group.

Malaysia, through the Sabah Fisheries Department, will chair the Terms of Reference of the working group, he said, adding that among the issues agreed on by the ministers attending the meeting were to recognize the initiatives and progress made by the CTI Women Leaders Forum.

In his farewell speech at the handing over ceremony of the CTI Chair of the Council of Ministers, Dr Ewon said that at the fourth ministerial meeting in Putrajaya, Malaysia through the Sabah Fisheries Department was appointed the Chair of Eco-system-Approach to Fisheries Management Regional Technical Working Group.

The Technical Working group has organised various regional exchange programs, human capacity development-based activities as well as community involvements.

"As a result, the Ecosystem-Approach to Fisheries Framework was successfully developed and launched," Dr Ewon said, adding that the framework will certainly act as guidance for those involved in the fisheries industry.

Meanwhile, Dr Ewon was also awarded a certificate of appreciation during the meeting for his exemplary leadership as the Chair of the CTI-CFF Council of Ministers for the period of 2011-2014 during which the CTI-CFF achieved significant progress towards development of the CTI-CFF institutions and advancement of its goals.

The Council of Ministers recorded their appreciation towards Dr Ewon for his stewardship and particularly his efforts to establish the CTI-CFF Regional Secretariat and setting out rules for its operation.

The MM5 achieved a significant milestone when four out of six countries, including Malaysia, announced their ratification of the legal agreement for the establishment. This will allow for the establishment of a permanent CTI-CFF Regional Secretariat.

Professor Dr Boediono, Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia, will inaugurate the new state-of-the-art secretariat building which was built and donated by the government of Indonesia.

Also in his farewell speech, Dr Ewon congratulated his successor from Papua New Guinea as the next Chair of CTI-CFF Council of Ministers. He also reiterated Malaysia's firm commitment towards the realization of CTI-CFF goals.

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Kids used as drug pushers in <b>Sabah</b> - The Borneo Post Online

Posted: 15 May 2014 09:33 AM PDT

by Jenne Lajiun. Posted on May 16, 2014, Friday

KOTA KINABALU: Children as young as 10 years old are now being used as street child drug pushers in Sabah, according to Sabah Police Headquarters Nracotics deputy chief DSP Tan Hock Tho.

However, the number of children involved was very small, he told reporters at the Sabah Dadah Eradication Action Council meeting at the Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) here yesterday.

The meeting was chaired by Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister, Datuk Jainab Ahmad Ayid.

He said that the children involved were school dropouts and illegal immigrants.

Sabah Customs Department Narcotics branch head Richard Martin, affirmed that children were being used for pushing drugs.

A 10-year-old boy was among those held for drug offences involving syabu last year.

Meanwhile, Jainab said everyone has a responsibility to ensure the youth in Sabah do not fall into the drug trap.

"We all have a responsibility to monitor them," she said.

She said that in order to prevent the youth, particularly students, getting involved in drugs, the National Anti Drug Agency (AADK) would be working with the State Education Department to inculcate awareness on its dangers and implications of drug abuse among students.

"Schools have their anti-dadah (drug) club but I want a more focused anti-drug programme to be introduced by AADK at schools," she said.

This was because students were becoming the focus of drug pushers to sell the illegal substance, she added.

"Maybe they think that because of the students' age, the state will not take action against them, and also because of their young age, the drug pushers can easily influence the students and push them into doing the activity. That is why we are working hard and focusing on the students," Jainab said.

In her speech, she also cited several incidences that occurred in the last few months that were allegedly due to drug abuse.

"Six people died during the Future Music Festival Asia concert held on March 14, this year, due to drug abuse. At the same time, 88 youths between 16 and 35 years old were arrested at a birthday party in Georgetown, Pulau Pinang. Of the 88 individuals, 60 tested positive for drugs," she said.

She also cited two road accidents that involved drug abuse.

She said that based on the AADK statistics, about 75 percent of drug abusers in the country were individuals between 18 and 39 years old.

"This is a worrying trend. We need to take a holistic approach to address the trend from spreading further," she said.

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RM100 million for price standardization in <b>Sabah</b> – BorneoPost <b>...</b>

Posted: 15 May 2014 11:08 AM PDT

by Chok Sim Yee. Posted on May 16, 2014, Friday

KOTA KINABALU: A total of RM100 million has been allocated by the government for the price standardization scheme in Sabah this year, said Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism (KPDNKK) Minister Dato' Sri Hasan Malek.

Out of the RM100 million, RM10 million goes to price standardization of essential items, RM7 million for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and RM83 million for Community Drumming.

Hasan said the scheme was implemented by the government since 2009 to standardize the prices of six items, namely cooking oil, sugar, flour, LPG, RON95 and diesel, across East and West Malaysia.

He continued to say that the price standardization scheme was not only implemented in Kota Kinabalu, but also rural areas in Sabah.

Hasan said the scheme worked by having the government bearing the transportation cost of goods from Peninsular to East Malaysia, and from Kota Kinabalu to rural areas.

To date, the ministry has appointed 86 companies as transporters to deliver goods to 397 point-of-sales in Sabah for the Community Drumming project.

"The transporters appointed are local companies so Sabahans benefit from this as well," he said in a press conference after launching the price control scheme in Servay Hypermarket in Penampang here yesterday.

Hasan added that he had received complaints from the people that the items under the scheme never reached their locations during his working visit to Kundasang, Ranau and Tawau.

"Therefore, I have asked local community leaders and my officers to submit proposals to add more distribution areas or point-of-sales (in Sabah) based on the necessity.

"If we have the allocation, we will implement it," he said, referring to the addition of more point-of-sales in Sabah.

Under the price standardization scheme, cooking oil is sold at RM2.50 per kilogramme (kg), sugar at RM2.84 per kg, all purpose flour at RM1.35 per kg, LPG at RM26.60 per 14 kg cylinder, diesel at RM2 per litre and RON 95 at RM2.10 per litre.

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Umno <b>Sabah</b> should speak as Sabahans – DAP – BorneoPost <b>...</b>

Posted: 11 May 2014 04:18 PM PDT

TAWAU: Umno Sabah should speak as Sabahans and all Sabahan and Sarawakian parties either as chapters of national parties or members of national coalitions, including Umno Sabah, must not let their political affiliation compromise the rights of Sabah and Sarawak to participate in national decision-making.

Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sabah vice chairman Chan Foong Hin when responding to the call by Barisan Nasional (BN) Sabah secretary Abdul Rahman Dahlan that DAP Sabah must state its stand on the implementation of Hudud in the state, pointed out that DAP Sabah's stand was crystal clear.

"We do not agree to the implementation of Hudud in all the states in Malaysia, given that Malaysia was formed as a secular federation in 1963 and any Hudud law passed at state level is unconstitutional unless the entire federal arrangement is renegotiated," he said yesterday.

Chan who is also the Sri Tanjong assemblyman, viewed with grave concern that certain groups are handling the Hudud issue as an exclusively Malayan issue, which only involves Malayans or Malays.

"No Malayans should subconsciously harbor 'colonial master' mentality that decisions can be made in Kuala Lumpur without consulting Kota Kinabalu and Kuching," he said.

Sabahans and Sarawakians today would not tolerate any unilateral attempt to alter the nature of the Federation of Malaysia without consulting the people of the two states, he said.

"Any parties trying to push their agenda through majoritarian politics should bear full responsibility for any implications of their actions that may undo Malaysia," he warned.

Chan was of the view that all parties should accept that Malaysia is a federation formed with equal partnership of Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak and then Singapore. All matters affecting the fundamental nature of the Federation of Malaysia must be decided in an inclusive and consensual manner, and not by majoritarian voting.

He said the unilateral decision by Tunku and Umno to expel Singapore from Malaysia without consulting Sabah and Sarawak had greatly affected Sabahans and Sarawakians, and was one of the reasons until today Sabahans and Sarawakians experience second-class citizenship in the eyes of Kuala Lumpur.

Therefore, Chan urged Umno Sabah not to follow their masters in Kuala Lumpur to blindly echo the implementation of state-level Hudud law, without considering the unique multiculturalism context of Sabah. Furthermore, Umno supreme council members from Sabah should present their Sabahan view to Umno Malayan that secular federalism was much more suitable to this multicultural country.

"Can Abdul Rahman Dahlan voice out as a Sabahan leader at the Umno supreme council meeting?" he asked.

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