123 HIV AWARENESS PROGRAMMES HELD AT PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES SO FAR - MOHE
KUALA LUMPUR -- A total of 123 advocacy and education programmes on infectious, sexual and reproductive diseases have been carried out at public universities to date, involving more than 50,000 students, the Dewan Negara was told today.
Higher Education Minister Zambry Abd Kadir said the initiatives form part of the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia’s (MOHE) efforts to curb and prevent a rise in HIV cases among students at higher learning institutions.
He said MOHE is also working with various parties, including the Malaysian AIDS Council and the Malaysian AIDS Foundation, to provide access to screening and follow-up treatment, particularly for at-risk students.
-- BERNAMA
MOH TO REVIEW HOSPITAL PARKING NATIONWIDE
KUALA LUMPUR -- The Ministry of Health Malaysia has been directed to conduct a comprehensive and sustainable review of parking shortages at hospitals nationwide, with a view to formulating an integrated plan.
Deputy Health Minister Hanifah Hajar Taib said the review includes Hospital Sarikei in Sarawak and will explore collaboration with the private sector to address the issue.
“MOH continuously monitors the current situation across the country,” she said in response to Senator Roderick Wong Siew Lau’s question on plans to expand parking facilities and undertake upgrading works at Hospital Sarikei during Question Time in the Dewan Negara today.
-- BERNAMA
RM750,000 ALLOCATED TO EMPOWER SIAMESE COMMUNITY LAST YEAR
KUALA LUMPUR -- The Dewan Negara was told today that the Ministry of National Unity allocated RM750,000 last year to strengthen the cultural and socio-economic development of Malaysia’s Siam community.
Minister Aaron Ago Dagang said the funding supported key programmes including Songkran celebrations, Unity Week, ethnic wedding customs exhibitions and the ‘Rumah Kami’ initiative, as part of the MADANI Government’s ongoing efforts to preserve ethnic diversity through an inclusive approach.
“Looking at previous allocations, the ministry channelled RM500,000 in 2023 and RM840,000 in 2024, focusing on mother-tongue education and the preservation of Siamese customs.
“All these initiatives were implemented through strategic collaboration between the ministry and the Malaysian Siamese Association, ” he said.
-- BERNAMA
SABAH RICE PRICES LOWER THAN PENINSULA, SAYS DEPUTY MINISTER
KUALA LUMPUR -- Claims that rice prices in Sabah are higher than in Peninsular Malaysia are inaccurate, as they are in fact lower due to government subsidies, says Deputy Agriculture and Food Security Minister Chan Foong Hin.
He said the government provides a subsidy of RM350 per metric tonne of imported white rice, resulting in retail prices in Sabah of between RM2.45 and RM2.50 per kilogramme, which is below the controlled price of RM2.60 per kilogramme in Peninsular Malaysia.
Chan said this in reply to Senator Datuk Edward Linggu Bukut during Question Time in the Dewan Negara today.
On overall supply, he said Sabah’s total rice availability for 2025 is estimated at 286,489.6 metric tonnes, comprising both local production and imports. Of that figure, about 55,857.5 metric tonnes are locally produced, while the remaining 230,632.1 metric tonnes are sourced through imports, he added.
-- BERNAMA
MOSTI LEVERAGING LOW-COST TECH TO BOOST RURAL PRODUCTIVITY
KUALA LUMPUR -- The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) is leveraging low-cost, appropriate technologies to enhance productivity and improve the quality of life in rural communities, the Dewan Negara was told.
Deputy Minister Mohammad Yusof Apdal said that through the Malaysian Space Agency (MYSA), 65 space-based application systems, including remote sensing technologies, are being utilised by more than 100 agencies to strengthen service delivery across various sectors.
Among them is a space technology-based tube well system in the Sungai Muar basin to identify underground water sources, the MakGeo Padi Geospatial Information System to monitor paddy cultivation areas, and the Potential Fishing Site Identification (FSI) system, which assists more than 30,000 fishermen in accurately locating fishing grounds.
-- BERNAMA
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