Latest news with #AbidinMadingkir
Daily Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Express
Two Ranau villages to be excised from reserve
Published on: Monday, June 02, 2025 Published on: Mon, Jun 02, 2025 By: Clarence Dol Text Size: Abidin and others show the thumbs up for the decision to excise the two villages from Forest Reserve as well as for the Kaamatan celebration in Kg Ponulangon. RANAU: The State Government has agreed to remove two villages here, namely Kg Ponulangon and Kg Walou, from the Forest Reserve area. Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister, Datuk Abidin Madingkir, said the matter was decided following several meetings with the Director of Forestry and Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Hj Noor. 'I am pleased to announce that, in principle, the Chief Minister has given approval. 'This means that the villagers can apply for land ownership and the land can be cultivated for farming, building houses and so on, without interference from the Forest Department. 'However, this approval will be brought to the State Assembly for ratification,' said the Paginatan Assemblyman. He added that in this regard, the Forest Department will go down to the field to identify how much land will be removed from the Forest Reserve 'As the Wakil Rakyat, I will continue to strive to realise the aspirations of the villagers just like our efforts to realise the construction of a road from Kg Walou, Kg Ponulangon to Kg Tinanom. 'On the needs of the Mini Dewan in Kg Ponulangon, we submitted an application for the construction of a Mini Dewan to the District Office last year,' he said. 'I will instruct UPPM to refer back to the application. Hopefully we will be able to solve this matter this year too.' Abidin said this while officiating the Kg Ponulangon-level Kaamatan Festival held at the Balai Raya Kg Ponulangon, recently. He commended the leaders and residents of Kg Ponulangon for organising the village-level Kaamatan Festival. 'The theme 'Kaamatan for All' is significant because now Kaamatan is celebrated by all levels of society regardless of race or religious differences. 'For the KDMR community, Kaamatan is celebrated because we are grateful for the good harvest. All of this is a gift from God,' he said. According to him, the Kaamatan Festival is held every year because it is a local culture that must be preserved for future generations. Apart from that, he said, Kaamatan can unite the people. Meanwhile, Abidin said the government has revived the Sabah Padi and Rice Board with the aim of increasing local paddy production to reduce dependence on imported rice which is still at 72pc. He called on the residents of Kg Ponulangon to continue to support Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) in the upcoming PRN17 for the continuation of the GRS government's development programme through the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) development plan. 'For our part, we will continue to serve the people because there are still many unfinished business. 'We are confident in the strong support of the residents of Kg Ponulangon,' he said. Also present were Special Officer to Datuk Abidin Madingkir, Juis Konsuling, CDO Jipili Sigal, KAN Dualis Porodtong, KAN Sawalin Zakaria, KAN Kapilin Hj Surop, Mukim Paus Developer, Jasni Maston and local leaders. * 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
Daily Express
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Express
CM: Youth key drivers of change, progress
Published on: Saturday, May 24, 2025 Published on: Sat, May 24, 2025 Text Size: Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister, Datuk Abidin Madingkir presents donations on behalf of Hajiji Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor hailed youth as catalysts for change and vital contributors to current and future progress. Speaking through his representative at a charity dinner on Friday, he praised their involvement in volunteer work, calling it a sign of maturity and leadership potential. Hajiji announced plans for the Sabah Youth Development Enactment to strengthen youth structures, recognise activism, and support long-term development. He also lauded San Chuan Sabah Welfare Association for engaging over 90 pc youth members and using social media effectively to raise awareness. He welcomed the association's initiative to fundraise for its own premises, expressing confidence it will boost sustainable operations and future welfare efforts. * Read full report in tomorrow's print paper or log in or sign up for e-paper and premium online news access. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
New Straits Times
06-05-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Kota Kinabalu City Hall partners with UNICEF to improve child protection
KOTA KINABALU: The Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to strengthen efforts in making the city safer and enhancing access to quality education for all children. Sabah Assistant Chief Minister Datuk Abidin Madingkir described the signing of the Child-Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI) as a significant step forward. "This involves our children. DBKK will work towards providing parks, a safe environment, quality healthcare, and access to good education," he said at a press conference following the signing of the three-year collaboration at the Sabah International Convention Centre. Also present at the event were DBKK Mayor Datuk Seri Sabin Samitah and UNICEF representative to Malaysia Robert Gass. Abidin, a former DBKK mayor, said that education plays a pivotal role in shaping children's behaviour as they grow into adulthood. Meanwhile, UNICEF's Gass described the MoU as a testament to the government's commitment to children's welfare. "It's a courageous step — one that focuses on investing in the future of Sabah. Not only in children, but in the state's long-term wellbeing," he said. The collaboration would be guided by practical frameworks aligned with the priorities and realities of both the state and city governments, he said. The initiative will focus on raising awareness of children's rights, ensuring child participation in decision-making, and fostering a safe and supportive environment. Kota Kinabalu is the third city in Malaysia to partner with UNICEF under the Child-Friendly Cities Initiative, following Petaling Jaya and Penang.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State launches aggressive campaign to safeguard natural resources from exploitation: 'It's important we act now'
A Malaysian state is moving to protect its forested areas and ensure their safety. According to The Vibes, Sabah has passed legislation that makes it mandatory to secure a license before engaging in any "forest carbon activity" on certain types of lands. Because Sabah is a heavily forested region, its natural resources are a popular target for investing in carbon credits, which are used by companies to offset their production of planet-warming gases such as carbon dioxide. Companies can invest in the forests' capturing carbon in Sabah at an equal rate to the amount of pollution they produce. The new law will allow Sabah to inventory, regulate, and monitor all trade of carbon credits while also ensuring it continues to benefit from the sale and trade of the credits between companies. "The amendment gives us the legal basis to regulate carbon credit activities, ahead of the federal law on the same subject expected later this year. It's important we act now to safeguard the state assets," assistant minister in the chief minister's department Datuk Abidin Madingkir said, per The Vibes. Carbon offsets and carbon credits remain a controversial way to address our changing climate. While popular with corporations, the practice is often exploitative of Indigenous and local peoples and can result in their forcible removal from land — as CarbonBrief has detailed. They can also exaggerate their positive impact and reduce biodiversity with the planting of mass quantities of singular types of trees, for example. They can heavily restrict the use of land by Native peoples and can lead to money trading hands without the community ever getting a penny. Sabah has drawn scrutiny before for its dealings with regard to carbon credits. In 2021, the United Nations started investigating Sabah for an agreement with a Singaporean company for the rights to over half the state's forested land to be used as a carbon sink. The U.N. expressed concerns that the Indigenous people of Sabah, who account for more than half the state's population, were not adequately informed of the impact the sale would have on them, as Mongabay reported. That deal was eventually canceled by Malaysia's top federal attorney, who declared the project to be unfeasible and lacking in transparency. Madingkir said that the new bill allowed protection for the rights of Indigenous people, and that planting trees was permitted without license, as long as those trees weren't being claimed as part of a carbon credit program, according to The Vibes. It will allow a chief conservator to close parts of the forest as well and regulate forest carbon standards that can be linked to federal and international databases to ensure transparency. While carbon offsets in the region have been the subject of much scrutiny, Sabah appears to be trying to ensure the practice is done safely and responsibly while making sure that some of the money involved stays in the region. "This is the right time to enact a specific law to regulate forest carbon activities to protect the state's interest and the sustainability of our forest resources," Madingkir said, per The Vibes. Will America someday get all its energy from renewable sources? Yes — very soon Yes — by 2050 Yes — by 2070 Probably never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
