News In Brief: July 28

SUSPECTED DRUG TRAFFICKER NABBED IN CHERAS 

KUALA LUMPUR -- A man has been arrested on suspicion of being involved in drug trafficking in Cheras Hartamas in Cheras.

Kajang district police chief ACP Mohd Zaid Hassan said the suspect was detained by a police team from the Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department in front of the Taman Bayu Mas guardhouse at 3 pm last Thursday.

He said police opened fire at the suspect’s vehicle after he attempted to flee.

-- BERNAMA

STATE GOVT URGES PENANGITES TO REGISTER FOR VACCINATION 

 BUTTERWORTH -- The Penang government continues to appeal to people in the state to register for vaccination to help it achieve herd immunity to curb the spread of COVID-19.

  State Housing, Local Government, and Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo said so far 1.2 million of the state’s population of 1.78 million had registered for vaccination and 652,022 people or 36.8 per cent had been vaccinated.

“Penang will continue the mass screening under the Penang Saring COVID-19 programme (PSC-19) to phase two from July 30 to Aug 6 at 11 state assembly locations,” he said in a virtual press conference broadcast live on his official Facebook today.

-- BERNAMA

NO COVID-19 CASES INVOLVING DELTA VARIANT IN KULAI - EXCO

JOHOR BAHRU -- No COVID-19 cases related to the Delta variant of concern (VOC) have been reported in Kulai district, including Kampung Separa, said Johor Health and Environment Committee chairman R. Vidyananthan.

He said test samples had been sent to the Institute for Medical Research (IMR), and so far there was no information on the existence of VOCs involving the cluster.

 Vidyananthan was commenting on a viral message on WhatsApp yesterday which claimed that COVID-19 cases involving the Delta variant had been detected in Kulai.

BERNAMA

COVID-19: MUIP DISTRIBUTES ZAKAT TOTALLING OVER RM40 MLN

KUANTAN -- The Pahang Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council's (MUIP) has distributed special zakat amounting to over RM40 million to Muslims affected by the COVID-19 pandemic since last year.

MUIP deputy president Tengku Panglima Raja Lt Col Tengku Amir Nasser Ibrahim Shah Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah said of the total, more than RM15.1 million was distributed last year while the balance was for this year until June.

“A total of RM9.8 million in cash was distributed to 49,205 individuals last year through e-Asnaf while RM22.1 million to 57,866 recipients this year. MUIP also provided necessities to eligible recipients,” he said in a statement here today.

Tengku Amir Nasser also instructed MUIP to implement the Dapur Zakat programme at 663 mosques in Pahang with an allocation of RM5 million for providing necessities.

-- BERNAMA