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New Straits Times
an hour ago
- Climate
- New Straits Times
Massive breakwater project begins as erosion hits Kedah coast
ALOR STAR: The Kedah government will embark on a RM20 million coastal breakwater project in Tanjung Dawai to address the worsening erosion that has damaged homes in Kampung Huma. State Public Works, Water Supply and Resources, and Infrastructure Committee chairman Datuk Mohamad Yusoff @ Munir Zakaria said two breakwater structures had previously been built in the area. "The most recent was a 50 metre stretch that cost RM200,000," he said when contacted today. He added that the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) is preparing to call for tenders by the end of the month for the construction of a more extensive 3km breakwater. "InsyaAllah, DID will issue the RM20 million tender by the end of this month," he said. A breakwater is a structure built along or into the sea to protect the shoreline from the force of waves and erosion. It is typically made of rocks, concrete blocks, or other durable materials. Yesterday, the New Straits Times reported that residents in Kampung Huma have seen their homes damaged and rendered unsafe due to aggressive coastal erosion and strong waves. What was once a safe distance from the shore, reportedly as far as two kilometres for some households, has now been reduced to just a few feet, with several homes already significantly damaged.
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
At 100, Dr Mahathir says advisory role in PN better than PM
ALOR STAR: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has no intention of returning as prime minister for a third time, saying he would instead serve in an advisory role should Perikatan Nasional (PN) come to power. Dr Mahathir said his age no longer allowed him to take on front-line leadership, but his decades of experience in politics could still serve the nation. "I'm old now… a hundred years old. I can't give fiery speeches like I used to. I'm not here to take the place of the younger generation. "I'm not looking to become prime minister again. But I do want to offer advice. "I've been prime minister for 24 years and involved in politics for over 80 years," he told a crowd at the Himpunan Mandat Negarawanrally at Stadium Suka Menanti yesterday. Also present were Pas president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang, PN chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, PN deputy chairman Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, and Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor. Dr Mahathir said Malaysia was a resource-rich country and that poverty should not exist if national assets were managed prudently. "This country is rich. Everyone should be wealthy. But if we don't know how to make full use of the assets we have, we will never progress," he said. He added that a PN-led administration would make eradicating poverty a top priority, claiming the current government had failed to do so. "As a government, our focus must be on resolving poverty. PN can do it. We can reduce poverty. That's our hope, that's the purpose of our gathering tonight." Dr Mahathir said that, should PN take over Putrajaya, its leadership would be one that listened to advice. "If there is a change in government, we will have a prime minister who is willing to listen to advice. I believe, if that happens, many issues can be resolved," he said. The rally was described by PN leaders as a curtain-raiser for a larger gathering scheduled to take place in Kuala Lumpur on July 26, aimed at pressuring Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to step down.
New Straits Times
4 days ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Illegal miners exploit Bitcoin surge, putting lives and property at risk
ALOR STAR: Driven by greed and emboldened by soaring Bitcoin prices, illegal mining syndicates are putting lives at risk with total disregard for public safety, operating right above clinics, workshops and grocery stores. Energy Transition and Water Transformation Deputy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said the cryptocurrency's value, now exceeding RM500,000 per coin, has spurred criminal groups to act with increasing recklessness. "This isn't happening in remote areas. They're not only risking financial loss through our seizures and raids on their operations but are also endangering lives by creating serious fire hazards," he said after a joint enforcement operation involving Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), the Energy Commission (ST) and the police today. Akmal cited raids at two premises today as examples, where illegal Bitcoin mining operations were found above occupied commercial units. "They had modified existing electrical systems, including replacing fuses and boosting the supply capacity from 200 amperes (A) to 400A. This is a dangerous setup that poses a major fire risk to surrounding users. "One premises had a clinic and a grocery shop on the ground floor. Another was above a workshop. These are legitimate businesses run by people trying to earn an honest living, but now they're unknowingly exposed to significant danger," he said. He added that the syndicates have also grown increasingly sophisticated and stubborn. One of the premises raided today, he said, had been targeted multiple times before, with today's action marking the ninth raid since 2023. "They had installed layers of steel doors to delay enforcement entry. In fact, it required assistance from the Fire and Rescue Department just to break in. "Some syndicates even used audio decoys, such as bird sounds, to mask the constant hum of the machines," he added. Such persistence, Akmal said, stressed the need for tighter inter-agency collaboration and stronger enforcement tools. Meanwhile, checks at a nearby business found that operators were completely unaware of the syndicate's activities. A woman working at a grocery store near one of the raided units said she had occasionally noticed suspicious individuals entering the premises about two years ago but had never interacted with them. "There were no visible signs from the outside. It looked empty, and we would occasionally hear bird sounds coming from within," she said, adding that she was now concerned about the potential fire hazards.
New Straits Times
6 days ago
- Climate
- New Straits Times
'Climate' of fear grips rice bowl state
ALOR STAR: Ramli Wahab admits he knows little about climate change, but he is certain that weather patterns have changed. "The heat is harsher. The rain comes all at once. It ruined our schedule," the farmer, 81, said. In his northern Kedah village, planting schedules were thrown into disarray. Floods in September wiped out 1,276 metric tonnes of padi across 232ha, affecting 93 farmers and causing losses of about RM2.3 million. "Thousands of ringgit gone, just like that," Ramli said, recalling how 12 relong (3.1ha) of his padi land was inundated. Kedah's once verdant padi fields are locked in a struggle for survival because of climate change. Erratic rainfall, deepening droughts and sudden extreme weather events create a perfect storm atop longstanding agricultural challenges. Kedah became a showcase for climate volatility last year. In April 2024, a heatwave scorched the state, sending temperatures soaring past 40°C and desiccating the soil. A few months later, farmers faced the opposite nightmare: torrential rains that unleashed the worst flooding the state had seen in decades. It was not just smaller farmers like Ramli who suffered. Farmers with bigger operations, like Megat Asmadi Megat Saidin, 53, said the late-2024 floods cost him nearly RM100,000 in losses. "I manage 60 relong (15ha), and I also run tractors to help other farmers prepare their fields. "When the floodwaters came, all that work came to a standstill. "Everything stopped. If I add up my losses and the service income I couldn't earn, it was in the six figures, easily." This year, planting for the 2025 season in many parts of the state only began in mid-June, a few weeks behind the usual schedule. The delays disrupted the Muda Agricultural Development Authority's (Mada) two-crop cycle and dimmed hopes of achieving the much-touted five harvests in two years. In Pokok Sena, 50km away, farmers battled a record-breaking drought around the same time. The district briefly became the hottest spot in Malaysia. Fields cracked under a merciless sun. "April last year was the worst heat I've ever lived through," said Mohd Farid Shafie, 36, who farms about 150 relong (37.5ha) in Kampung Gulau. "The heat was unforgiving, both day and night. Our yields dropped, and we lost maybe 30 per cent of the harvest in my area." While 2025's heat spell has been milder, Farid said the rain has turned erratic. "Now we get dry spells, then downpours. It throws everything off. We can't plan anything with certainty anymore." Fishermen, too, are feeling the pinch of a changing climate. Che Ani Md Zain said that waves have grown stronger and more unpredictable, sometimes pushing fish further offshore. That makes it harder for small-scale fishers to get a decent catch, adding economic strain on farming communities that rely on land and sea for income. Back on the padi fields, he pointed to another man-made problem — ageing infrastructure that cannot keep up with nature's new extremes. "The irrigation system here was built in the 1970s. It wasn't made to handle this kind of climate or the amount of water we need now," Che Ani said. Without urgent upgrades, he believed even maintaining current production rates would be an uphill battle, let alone increasing it. "We talk about growing more rice, but how are we going to do that if the basic systems cannot support us under these harsh conditions?"
New Straits Times
07-07-2025
- New Straits Times
"I had a dream about them" — daughter dreamt of family before bodies found
ALOR STAR: Hours before the bodies of her parents and siblings were found, 12-year-old Putri Qisya Nur Izzat had a dream — one that now haunts her. In the dream, she said, her father, Mohamad Azim Izat Ishak, appeared to her and reassured her with a message she will never forget. "Don't be afraid, we will look after you from a distance. Many will care for you," he said. "When I woke up, I was in shock," she said quietly, seated beside her aunt at the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital's Forensics Department today. The dream soon became a painful reality. Her father, 32; mother Nurul Hidayah Khadijah Razman Efendi, 31; and four younger siblings — Putra Rayyan Nur, 9; Hawa Adriana Nur, 8; Annayla Humaira Nur, 7; and six-month-old Tuah Haydar — were all found dead, their bodies huddled together at the back of a car submerged in Sungai Korok, Jitra. The family had been reported missing since Saturday. They were last seen visiting relatives in Taman Aman, Jitra on Friday evening. The tragedy is believed to have occurred as they were making their way home to Jerlun. Qisya, the eldest child and now the only surviving member of her immediate family, had stayed behind that night with relatives in Jerlun. "At first, I wanted to follow them, but I felt tired. Usually, I would go along, but that night I was just a bit lazy. They let me stay at my grandmother's house in Jerlun. "When I woke up, I saw the news… they were all gone," she said. She also shared that in the days leading up to the tragedy, her siblings had been unusually close to each other. Qisya will now live with her aunt, Nur Adliah Shuhada Ishak, 26, at their home in Taman Aman. The family is expected to be laid to rest at the Muslim cemetery in Kampung Bohor Karang, Ayer Hitam, later today.
