Latest news with #MKN
New Straits Times
24-05-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Malaysia allocates RM3 billion for Sungai Golok project
BANGKOK: Malaysia has allocated approximately RM3 billion for the Golok River Mouth Improvement Project, a strategic cross-border initiative with Thailand aimed at mitigating flood risks, safeguarding local communities, and enhancing national security. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said the government had initiated comprehensive measures as part of the collaboration with Thailand. Fadillah, who is also the Energy Transition and Water Transformation Minister, said the total funding for the project, including the flood mitigation programme and the security wall under the National Security Council (MKN), is estimated at approximately RM3 billion. "We have informed the Thai government that Malaysia has approved a location for dredging works, while simultaneously undertaking improvements to Sungai Golok, including the construction of a river wall. This is not merely a flood mitigation initiative but also a security measure for our nation. "This project will address flood mitigation comprehensively and, upon completion, is expected to significantly reduce flood incidents and the associated losses of property, assets, and livelihoods, not only for the local population but also for businesses and government infrastructure," he said at the end of his four-day working visit to Thailand today. He explained that while parts of the project are awaiting final approval from the Thai authorities, the estimated timeline for completion is three years from the commencement date. Meanwhile, Fadillah said Tenaga Nasional Berhad and the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand had completed feasibility studies on a plan to upgrade their existing power interconnection facilities between the two nations. He said both countries acknowledge the interconnection, commissioned in the early 2000s, is ageing and in need of an upgrade. "As Malaysia and Thailand continue to integrate more renewable energy into our grids, the reliability of our interconnection becomes even more critical. This interconnection upgrade will facilitate more efficient and secure cross-border electricity exchanges while laying the groundwork for future multilateral electricity trade under the Asean Power Grid (APG) initiative," he said. During his working visit, Fadillah also expressed his appreciation to the Thai government for its warm hospitality. "This has been a productive and successful trip, as we managed to discuss numerous government-to-government projects," he said. During his four-day working visit to Thailand, Fadillah made courtesy calls to Deputy Prime Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong, who also serves as the Minister of Digital Economy and Society and Chair of the National Environment Board, as well as Deputy Prime Minister Pirapan Salirathavibhaga, who also holds the Energy Minister portfolio. He also met with Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives Narumon Pinyosinwat. Fadillah attended a briefing session by Trans Thai-Malaysia in Thailand, hosted by Petronas, to gain insights into the company's strategic direction, challenges, and developments in the country. The deputy prime minister also visited a water treatment and recycling facility in Chonburi to explore best practices in green innovation and efficient resource management within the industrial sector.
The Star
19-05-2025
- The Star
Nacsa aware of alleged DBKL malware incident
NACSA and the National Security Council (MKN) are working closely with DBKL to coordinate recovery efforts and mitigation measures. — CHUA KOK HWA/The Star PETALING JAYA: The National Cyber Security Agency (NACSA) and National Security Council (MKN) are aware of a cybersecurity incident involving systems belonging to Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL). In a statement issued to LifestyleTech, a Nacsa spokesperson says that based on an earlier statement from DBKL, several of its online services are currently facing technical disruptions. Following checks conducted by Nacsa's National Cyber Coordination and Command Centre (NC4), the incident is believed to be the result of a malware infection, though no ransom demands have reportedly been made so far. The spokesperson adds that the incident did not affect the DBKL Core System (DCoS) and Sistem Penilaian dan Pengurusan Harta (SPPH). Nacsa and MKN are working closely with DBKL to coordinate recovery efforts and mitigation measures. Further monitoring activities will be conducted to ensure the affected systems are operating securely. DBKL yesterday (May 18) issued a statement via its Facebook page, saying that access to its services has been gradually restored since May 1 and is expected to be fully recovered by May 23. It also says that the DBKL e-licensing system, e-Perumahan, Adu@KL, Tempah@KL, and the Epayment Integrated Centre (EPIC) will be fully restored and accessible from tomorrow (May 20).
Borneo Post
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Borneo Post
Urgent need for out-of-box solutions
Photo taken late last year shows Dennis (right) and political secretary to the Premier Dominic Ajang at the site of a collapsed logging bridge in Telang Usan. THE Sarawak government and National Security Council (MKN) need to undertake a radical, out-of-the-box approach in tackling the issues of broken bridges and damaged roads left behind by logging companies in the interiors of Baram and Kapit. In this regard, Telang Usan assemblyman Dato Dennis Ngau says urgent action is necessary due to rapidly deteriorating condition of the hundreds of timber bridges and nearly 1,000km stretches of earth roads in his rural constituency. 'I hope they would meet soon and get things moving by June with the approved funds and plans to tackle this urgent matter in the interiors of Baram and Kapit, following withdrawal of logging operations by companies from their concession areas. 'Our local people are forced to go into the jungle, fetch timber materials to repair the broken bridges. 'As their 'wakil rakyat' (elected representative), I really feel helpless in this kind of situation as I really want to help,' Dennis tells thesundaypost in Miri. One of the damaged sections of the road leading to the Kelabit settlement in Long Lellang. 'Infrastructures falling apart' A fellow Orang Ulu, Gilbert Magok George, who hails from Tinjar, supports this call on the government to expedite repair works on culverts and roads in the remote pockets. His transporter friends have said that the rundown timber bridges are falling apart in the interior areas, and this poses a safety hazard to travellers and the local communities. A student and a supervisor at SK Long Jekitan in Baram were drowned after being swept away by raging currents while returning to the school last month. Their four-wheel drive vehicle (4WD)'s engine stalled while crossing Sungai Sengayan. The destroyed timber bridge had yet to be replaced. Photo shows the damaged bridge over Sungai Benuang in Ulu Baram. Requiring a different approach Dennis has also called upon the Sarawak government to look beyond the Sarawak-Sabah Link Road development, and focus on repairing the deteriorating roads in Baram. 'Since logging activities ended three years ago, the condition of these roads have become terrible,' says the assemblyman, adding that his constituency alone has around 1,000km of unpaved roads, with only 160km having been improved under the Highland Development Agency (HDA) over the past five years. Dennis opines that the problems in Baram and Kapit require a different approach by the authorities, and all red tapes should be avoided. 'My dream is for a Cabinet meeting to be held in Long Bedian or Long San, and MKN members to go there by land to experience 'how good' these former logging roads are. 'This will give the real picture. 'We don't really need tar-sealed R3-standard roads, as our top priority are the culverts and the bridges, which are urgently needed now. 'We need them (relevant authorities) to think out of the box as our problems are unique and, with JKR (Public Works Department) procedures, it could take months or even up to a year for a bridge project (to come through), and we have hundreds of bridges up there in the 'ulu' (upriver areas). 'When is this going to be done? 'The best is for the top leaders to travel there (the remote pockets) by road for the first-hand experience to understand the crux of the problem, and decide on the practical solutions; instead of relying on JKR procedures, which is the problem now,' stresses Dennis. The collapsed section of the bridge leading to Kampung Long Aton. High costs, among other problems For many decades, poor roads and broken-down infrastructures had not been an issue in Baram due to the logging operators continuing to pump in money for maintenance and enhanced connectivity. However, these companies have long pulled the plug and halted operations due to unsustainable high costs following the enforcement of the Forest Management Unit (FMU) compliance requirements by the Sarawak government. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) obligations in building access and maintaining roads to villages, linking them to its operation road; contributions to major celebrations such as Christmas; and other costs beyond its operations; had resulted in the withdrawal from FMU operations, with timber activities now being restricted mostly to forest plantations instead. The Sarawak government cannot undertake the repair works on the roads in timber-licensed areas to fill the void left behind with the retreat of logging companies due high cost of road maintenance. 'This was when the problem of bad roads and broken bridges started surfacing all over Telang Usan and Mulu areas,' says Dennis. Marris records Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas is now pushing for the government to take over the state roads as there is higher maintenance funding under the Malaysian Road Records Information System (Marris). This system records road data throughout the states, including state roads, municipal roads, the streets in low-cost housing areas, back alleys, one-way streets in tourism islands, village streets, and agriculture roads. All registered new road categories must have the following information: road name, its length and width, GPS coordinates, width of road and road shoulder, measurements, as well as road-surface type. Marris was developed based on the Guidelines and Procedures for the Management of Road Maintenance. It has been in use since 2000, having undergone several stages of improvement until the development of Marris Online in 2008, which better facilitates the agencies to input and update data on roads through an online system. The implementing agencies for this system are as follows: the district JKRs, city councils, municipal councils, district councils, district and land offices, as well as the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID). Uggah, also Minister for Infrastructure and Port Development, has said that the current Marris allocation for village roads is only RM1,000 per kilometre, versus RM3,000 per kilometre for state roads. Under his proposal, logging companies using such roads would have pay for the usage, reversing the previous practice of logging companies collecting toll from the users – from Baram to Lapok to the 'ulu' areas, up to Apoh. A call has been made to the government to take over the state roads as there is higher maintenance funding under Marris. — Bernama photo 'I fully agree with this proposal, which is the right step forward,' says Dennis. 'Several meetings have been held, and I hope there would be immediate outcome in the next meeting. 'We cannot afford to delay the approval, and MKN and the state government should get it done on the proposed date, June, so that we can start moving in.' On short term plan, Dennis says a stakeholders' lab was held in Miri on April 25, calling for urgent action to be taken on critical repair works on the roads and bridges in Baram. A pilot project involving three appointed contractors, each granted only RM5 million annually, proves that such an amount is inadequate to meet the needs. 'We are asking RM20 million per year per company to undertake more tasks, employ more workers, and add more machinery. 'Presently, the appointed companies have only one to two teams at their disposal; they just cannot cope with the various problems all over the place.' A 4WD stuck in the mud along the Ulu Baram Road, in this photo taken earlier this year. John Terawe, a former Kelabit councillor from Bario, says the authority should just move ahead and start all the repairs without delays. 'It can begin with the collection of all the data on the roads and bridges from Samling, Shin Yang or former logging companies, regarding the number of culverts and bridges in their former areas of operations. 'The authorities need to really work out on a solution to build the roads fast,' he points out. Baram bridge Dennis Ngau road rural
The Sun
05-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
ASEAN Chair: 3-day security preparedness exercise at KLCC from today
PUTRAJAYA: The ASEAN-Malaysia Chair 2025 Security Training and Simulation is being held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) for three days starting today, according to the National Security Council (MKN). MKN, in a statement, said the session will involve comprehensive testing of the Emergency Action Plan based on MKN Directive No.18, namely the Policy and Mechanism for the Management and Handling of Terrorism Crises. According to MKN, the exercise comprises three phases, namely the Diplomat Mind Symposium today, covering preparation briefings and current inputs regarding the exercise, followed by the 'Table Top Exercise' (TTX) simulation discussion tomorrow before concluding on Wednesday with the 'Field Training Exercise' (FTX), involving simulation and demonstrations. 'Throughout this exercise, especially on Wednesday, the public is advised to remain calm regarding the simulation implementation that will involve the movement of assets and security personnel around the KLCC area,' said MKN. It said the exercise is conducted to ensure all involved agencies are at the highest level of preparedness and coordination. MKN said the exercise is also following its move to activate the Crisis Management Team together with security agencies to strengthen national defence, security and public order throughout Malaysia's ASEAN 2025 chairmanship. Checks on the website found that among the ASEAN meetings to be held starting May 24 are the 19th Meeting of the ASEAN Coordinating Council Working Group on Timor-Leste's ASEAN Membership Application (ACCWG), the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting and the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Malaysia assumed the ASEAN Chairmanship on Jan 1 from Laos, with the theme 'Inclusivity and Sustainability', reflecting the country's aspirations to build a united and prosperous ASEAN. This marks the fifth time Malaysia has held the ASEAN Chair after assuming the role in 1977, 1997, 2005 and 2015. Established on Aug 8, 1967, ASEAN currently consists of 10 Southeast Asian countries, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, while Timor-Leste's full membership is still in process.
Malaysian Reserve
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Malaysian Reserve
ASEAN Chair: 3-day security preparedness exercise at KLCC from today — MKN
PUTRAJAYA — The ASEAN-Malaysia Chair 2025 Security Training and Simulation is being held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) for three days starting today, according to the National Security Council (MKN). MKN, in a statement, said the session will involve comprehensive testing of the Emergency Action Plan based on MKN Directive No.18, namely the Policy and Mechanism for the Management and Handling of Terrorism Crises. According to MKN, the exercise comprises three phases, namely the Diplomat Mind Symposium today, covering preparation briefings and current inputs regarding the exercise, followed by the 'Table Top Exercise' (TTX) simulation discussion tomorrow before concluding on Wednesday with the 'Field Training Exercise' (FTX), involving simulation and demonstrations. 'Throughout this exercise, especially on Wednesday, the public is advised to remain calm regarding the simulation implementation that will involve the movement of assets and security personnel around the KLCC area,' said MKN. It said the exercise is conducted to ensure all involved agencies are at the highest level of preparedness and coordination. MKN said the exercise is also following its move to activate the Crisis Management Team together with security agencies to strengthen national defence, security and public order throughout Malaysia's ASEAN 2025 chairmanship. Checks on the website found that among the ASEAN meetings to be held starting May 24 are the 19th Meeting of the ASEAN Coordinating Council Working Group on Timor-Leste's ASEAN Membership Application (ACCWG), the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting and the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Malaysia assumed the ASEAN Chairmanship on Jan 1 from Laos, with the theme 'Inclusivity and Sustainability', reflecting the country's aspirations to build a united and prosperous ASEAN. This marks the fifth time Malaysia has held the ASEAN Chair after assuming the role in 1977, 1997, 2005 and 2015. Established on Aug 8, 1967, ASEAN currently consists of 10 Southeast Asian countries, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, while Timor-Leste's full membership is still in process. — BERNAMA
