Fishermen Call For Stone Seawall To Restore Water Quality At Teluk Nipah
SUNGAI PETANI, July 16 (Bernama) -- Fishermen in Kampung Teluk Nipah, Kota Kuala Muda, have urged authorities to build a stone seawall along 200 metres of coastline to curb erosion and restore seawater quality, which has turned reddish due to earlier soil dumping.
Abdul Halim Hasan, 66, said the water was once clear and popular for beach recreation and shellfish gathering, but has been discoloured since the area was filled with hill soil during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period over four years ago.
'The soil contained red-coloured stones, locally known as 'batu kawi'. When waves crash into the area, the particles are stirred up, turning the water reddish,' he told Bernama.
Although the reclamation was halted following intervention by the authorities, Abdul Halim said the damage continues as the exposed soil is still being eroded by waves.
He added the pollution has also caused a significant decline in marine life, with shellfish nearly disappearing and fish catches dropping sharply.
Zamri Shuib, 55, said daily catches have become barely enough to cover operating costs, with many species such as Korean shrimp and gelama fish now rare.
'Some days we make around RM100 and that's before deducting fuel, nets and labour. Sometimes we have to go 10 kilometres offshore just to get a modest catch, and even then, we're competing with large trawlers and drag nets. A stone barrier could help restore the area,' he said.
Zamri acknowledged that a concrete seawall might be costly but suggested that at minimum, a rock cage or gabion wall could help stabilise the shoreline and reduce sediment pollution.
Md Nazri Yahya, 57, added that erratic weather and the monsoon season from June to September further threaten the fishermen's livelihoods.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Barnama
5 hours ago
- Barnama
SARA Helps Ease Living Cost Of The Needy
PENDANG, July 18 (Bernama) -- 'I used to not understand, now I'm good at it' - a sincere confession by Che Mah Ahmad, 79, of Kampung Tobiar, who is now becoming more proficient in using MyKad to take advantage of the Basic Rahmah Contribution (SARA) initiative to buy kitchen necessities. Being in her twilight years, life is no longer as easy as it used to be, but the SARA assistance channelled monthly through MyKad eases the burden and makes her feel calmer. 'I just bring MyKad to buy things first I didn't understand (using MyKad for payment), now I'm good at it. 'This method doesn't inconvenience the people, it's easy and fast, especially for the elderly like me,' she said, hoping that the method will be maintained. For private sector worker Mohd Naim Mohd Zubir, 40, from Kampung Rambai, every time he takes out his MyKad at his village grocery store, he feels a sense of relief because the card now serves not just as personal identification, but as a lifeline for his family's survival. He said the SARA initiative has been extremely helpful in meeting his family's daily needs, allowing them to purchase essentials such as rice and other food items. "Using the MyKad is easy and convenient. There's no need to carry cash, no worry about losing it or being robbed, and no long queues," he said. A housewife from Kubur Panjang, Buhairah Hassan, 46, described the assistance as a much-anticipated blessing every month. "I support what the government is doing right now, helping the people and making it easier for the people, using MyKad makes it very convenient... I hope that wet goods such as fish and vegetables will also be included in the list of goods that can be purchased using SARA assistance," she said.
Daily Express
6 hours ago
- Daily Express
Government sticks to existing stray management policy but open to proposals
Published on: Friday, July 18, 2025 Published on: Fri, Jul 18, 2025 By: Yee Suet Mun, FMT Text Size: Presently captured strays are placed in shelters where they can be reclaimed by their owners, while unclaimed dogs are put up for adoption, says a government spokesman. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA: The government says it will maintain its longstanding trap-reclaim-rehome-dispose (TRRD) approach to managing stray dogs, while remaining open to alternative proposals. The housing and local government ministry said it viewed the TRRD framework as the most practical approach for now, balancing between safeguarding public safety and ensuring strays are treated humanely. Advertisement 'We believe that the structured implementation of the existing TRRD method provides a practical system with potential to improve any shortcomings encountered,' a ministry spokesman told FMT. The spokesman said Putrajaya was open to suggestions but needed to exercise 'extreme caution' when considering alternative proposals. According to the spokesman, the ministry would first need to obtain feedback from other agencies and conduct a comprehensive study into the proposed measures—evaluating their efficacy, time and cost implications, practicality and social acceptance. Local governments are currently guided by a 2014 standard operating procedure (SOP) issued by the ministry, which prescribes the use of the TRRD method for stray management. This involves capturing strays and placing them in shelters from where owners can reclaim their pets. Unclaimed dogs will then be put up for adoption, while the remaining may be put to sleep by a licensed veterinarian. Last November, housing and local government minister Nga Kor Ming assured that euthanasia was only a 'last resort' measure under the TRRD approach. He said only strays that were sick or risked posing a nuisance or danger to the public would be put down. Nga also said the guidelines in force were in line with the Animal Welfare Act 2015, drawn up with input from the veterinary services department, local councils and animal welfare groups. NGOs can hold own trap-neuter-release programmes While it has not formally endorsed the trap-neuter-release (TNR) method mooted by several NGOs, the spokesman said the ministry was not opposed to its implementation—either by the NGOs independently or in collaboration with local councils—-provided it does not lead to complaints about public nuisance or pose safety and health concerns. 'If complaints are received, the local authority, veterinary department and other agencies will act in accordance with current SOPs,' the spokesman added. The ministry said it is presently finalising additional technical requirements to harmonise the implementation of the TRRD approach across local councils nationwide, with a greater emphasis on rehoming and reclaiming dogs wherever possible. The spokesman added that it would continue working with NGOs, veterinary professionals and the public to find practical and long-term solutions that protect both humans and animals. In April, the Global Human Rights Federation (GHRF) submitted a budget proposal for the implementation of a trap-neuter-vaccinate-return-manage method to stray management by local councils nationwide. The NGO proposed a nationwide sterilisation programme, supported by government-funded shelters in every district—where 'problematic' dogs would be housed, while others are neutered, vaccinated, and returned to their original locations. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
The Star
8 hours ago
- The Star
‘Squirrel' fished out of the water
Waterlogged wreckage: Multiple government agencies taking part in efforts to recover the police helicopter that crashed into Sungai Pulai last week during a multinational exercise. — Bernama ISKANDAR PUTERI: Authorities have successfully pulled out the wreckage of a police helicopter that crashed into Sungai Pulai at Gelang Patah here last week. The recovery operation, involving multiple agencies, began early yesterday morning at the Gelang Patah Maritime Jetty, which is located some 27km away from Johor Baru. Security at the area was tight, with only officers, personnel and registered members of the media allowed to enter the jetty. Favourable weather conditions helped divers from the navy and marine police carry out the recovery. The team of divers entered the river at around 9am and took a few hours to connect the wreckage to a crane vessel using cables. The crane vessel then successfully hoisted the wreckage in stages before ferrying it to the jetty, accompanied by several marine police vessels. The AS355N helicopter, bearing registration number 9M-PHG, was involved in an accident at about 10.15am on July 10 while participating in the Multilateral Nuclear Security Detection Exercise (Mitsatom) 2025. The exercise, held at the same jetty, involved collaboration between Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore. The Eurocopter AS3555 Ecureuil known as 'Squirrel' crashed about 21m from the jetty while performing a mock exercise during the programme. The training simulated a coordinated response to cross-border smuggling of radioactive and nuclear materials. This marked the fourth Mitsatom exercise hosted by Malaysia, following the last session in Sabah in 2018. The helicopter was transporting five people, comprising two senior police officers and three others, including the pilot from the police air wing and a policeman from the Tanjung Kupang police station. The five were rescued within minutes of the crash, as many naval boats were stationed in the area to take part in the exercise. They are Kons RG Devendran, Kpl Adeline Liu Yan Sin, helicopter pilot Asst Comm Faizul Muhammad, his co-pilot Supt Ahmad Bustamin Baharom and Sjn Siti Latipa Khairuddin. Two of them have been discharged, while one was transferred to a hospital in Kuala Lumpur following a request from family members. The remaining two are still receiving treatment at Hospital Sultanah Aminah in Johor Baru, with one of them in the intensive care unit. Only close family members were allowed to visit. Meanwhile, Bernama reported that Air Operations Force (PGU) commander under the Internal Security and Public Order Department, Datuk Noor Sham Md Jani said the wrecked helicopter would be transported to its base in Subang for further investigation. He added that a detailed investigation will be carried out by the Air Accident Investigation Bureau. 'Cooperation among multiple agencies expedited the recovery process and will enable a more thorough investigation.' On July 11, Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail said investigations were in line with Part XXVI of the Civil Aviation Regulations 2016.
