State governments urged to adopt National Forestry Act amendments
Speaking at the 100 Million Tree Planting Campaign launch at the National Botanical Gardens, Huang noted that only the Federal Territory and Perlis have fully implemented the legal amendments so far.
The ministry remains committed to preserving at least 50 percent of Malaysia's land under forest cover, fulfilling the nation's 1992 Earth Summit pledge in Rio de Janeiro.
Key conservation measures include designating forest areas as Permanent Forest Reserves and increasing Ecological Fiscal Transfer funding to RM250 million this year.
The financial incentive helps states execute high-impact conservation projects.
Regarding the tree-planting initiative, Huang reported that 115.7 million trees of 1,972 species have been planted nationwide as of June 15, surpassing the original 100 million target early.
The campaign continues through 2025 to raise public awareness about forest conservation.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
5 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Afnan says Pasti teachers serve voluntarily despite low pay
KUALA LUMPUR: Alor Setar member of Parliament Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden has defended the Pusat Asuhan Tunas Islam (Pasti) pre-school system against claims of unfair treatment of teachers, saying their allowances were for voluntary positions and should not be compared to private sector salaries. Afnan told the Dewan Rakyat that Pasti teachers agreed to serve despite knowing they would not receive high pay due to low fees. "They are not robots — they willingly contribute their energy to help our children learn ABC and 'alif ba ta'," he said, adding that Setiawangsa MP Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad should thank them for supporting the preschool education ecosystem. Nik Nazmi had criticised the RM600 to RM700 monthly pay for over 9,500 Pasti teachers, calling it a breach of the minimum wage law. He said the voluntary role justification was unacceptable under the National Wages Consultative Council (Amendment) Act 2025 and claimed the practice denied them Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and Social Security Organisation (Perkeso) contributions. Afnan countered that Pasti teachers could contribute to EPF via the i-Sara scheme and were covered under the self-employed social security scheme. He urged the government to focus on allowances for Kafa teachers, Takmir teachers and imams, which he said remained below the minimum wage.
The Star
8 hours ago
- The Star
LPG subsidies to continue for small food businesses, says Armizan
KUALA LUMPUR: Small-scale food and beverage traders will be allowed to continue using subsidised liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) even if their monthly usage exceeded 42kg, says Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali. The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister said the Cabinet had instructed that amendments be made to the Control of Supplies (Amendment) Regulations 2021 to include this group access to subsidised LPG. Following this, Armizan said his ministry had engaged in discussions with affected stakeholders for their views and suggestions for the planned amendment until Oct 31. 'We welcome any suggestions from any stakeholders on how to make amendments that would provide recognition for these businesses. "However, control mechanisms will still be enforced to prevent leakages caused by recent decanting cases. 'We hope to continue providing LPG subsidies, for domestic; and micro and small traders in the food and beverage sector,' he said during Ministers' Question Time (MQT) in Parliament on Tuesday (Aug 12). Armizan was responding to an additional question from Datuk Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff (PN-Rantau Panjang) on whether the ministry had conducted a study on the possible financial effect that higher-priced commercial-grade LPG cylinders have had on small traders. This follows a plan that began on May 1 earlier this year, where eateries, including hawker stalls, were to be banned from using subsidised gas cylinders as part of Ops Gasak, which was an initiative to curb the misuse of subsidised LPG. But then Armizan announced on June 5, that these traders would be exempt from LPG enforcement until Oct 31 later this year. Currently, the Control of Supplies Regulations (Amendment) 2021 limits the ownership and use of subsidised LPG exceeding 42kg at any one time without a scheduled controlled goods permit, since it came into effect on Oct 15, 2021.
The Sun
11 hours ago
- The Sun
LPG subsidies extended for small food businesses exceeding 42kg limit
KUALA LUMPUR: The government will maintain subsidised liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) access for micro and small food and beverage businesses even if their monthly usage surpasses 42 kilogrammes. Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali confirmed the Cabinet's June 5 directive to amend the Control of Supplies (Amendment) Regulations 2021 to formalise this exemption. Speaking in the Dewan Rakyat, Armizan assured small traders and hawkers would not face additional burdens as subsidies remain intact. He addressed concerns raised by Datuk Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff (PN-Rantau Panjang) regarding LPG price hikes affecting rural traders. Stakeholder engagement sessions will run until Oct 31 to refine the proposed regulatory amendments. A control mechanism will also be implemented to curb subsidised gas misuse, including unauthorised commercial diversions. - Bernama
