Latest news with #RM657
The Star
10 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
No longer a luxury but a necessity
Aarti Verma is about to join the growing ranks of Indians installing air conditioning, scraping together savings to secure relief from sometimes deadly temperatures that can reach nearly 50˚C. A record 14 million AC units were sold in India last year, with a ninefold increase in residential ownership forecast by mid-century. That will give millions safer and more comfortable conditions at work and home. But it will also drive demand for electricity that is generated mostly by burning climate-warming coal, and increase the hot AC exhaust air expelled into the country's stifling streets. For Verma, the priority is securing some immediate relief. Her sales and marketing work means she must visit multiple stores a day, battling blazing heat. 'Coming home after a long day I want some comfort,' said the 25-year-old, who earns 30,000 rupees (RM1,500) a month and will pay 50,000 rupees (RM2,500) to install air conditioning in her spartan two-room home. 'Earlier I would sleep on the terrace, but these days it's so hot even in the night, AC has become a necessity,' she said in a poor neighbourhood of the capital Delhi. India is the world's fastest-growing AC market, despite only about 7% of households currently owning units. The boom could mean the world's most populous country needs to triple electricity production to meet demand, experts say. A customer carrying an umbrella as he visits a shop selling air coolers on a hot summer afternoon, at a market in Rawalpindi on May 30, 2024, amid the heatwave. — AFP The nation of 1.4 billion people is already the world's third-biggest producer of climate-warming greenhouse gases, burning through one billion tonnes of coal in 2024-25, according to a government statement. 'AC penetration across India is primarily driven by weather conditions, a growing middle class, favourable consumer financing options and widespread electrification,' said KJ Jawa, the India chief of Japanese AC manufacturer Daikin. He said that ACs are no longer regarded as a luxury indulgence, but as essential investments. Verma had to pay 13,000 rupees (RM657) as a down payment, with the rest divided over monthly instalments. 'I could have bought gold with that money which would have been a good investment but I gave priority to the AC,' she said. According to the meteorological department, 2024 was India's hottest year since thorough records began in 1901, with sizzling temperatures following a global pattern of extreme weather driven by climate change. A heatwave in May 2024 in New Delhi saw temperatures match the capital's previous record high: 49.2˚C clocked in 2022. The brutal summer heat can melt tarmac on the roads and puts millions of people at risk, with nearly 11,000 people dying due to heat stroke in India between 2012 and 2021, according to government data. Public health experts say the true number of heat-related deaths is likely in the thousands but because heat is often not listed as a reason on a death certificate, many casualties don't get counted in official figures. Ironically, the refrigerants inside AC units and the coal-generated electricity that powers them only exacerbate global warming. Widespread AC use also raises outdoor temperatures by expelling indoor heat. Verma cleaning an air conditioner installed inside her house in New Delhi. — AFP Studies – including by the World Health Organisation and UN-Habitat – show that the heat-generating motors inside AC units can themselves push up temperatures in urban areas by a degree Celsius or more. Before buying an AC, Verma relied on a traditional air cooler – a noisy fan-run device that blows cool air off water-soaked pads. But filling the cooler with water and making sure it did not become a haven for disease-carrying mosquitoes required great effort. Sales are brisk at Imperial Refrigeration in Delhi's old quarters, with a steady stream of customers braving the afternoon heat. Japsahib Singh Ahuja, 22, whose family owns the 50-year-old business, said sales have more than tripled in the last five years, thanks to first-time consumers and AC 'replacement cycles'. 'ACs these days don't last long, because there are so many pollutants in Delhi air that lead to corrosion and gas leakage from the equipment,' he explained. Delhi and the surrounding metropolitan area, home to more than 30 million people, consistently top world rankings for air pollution. Air conditioning will account for a quarter of India's emissions and nearly half nationwide peak electricity demand by 2050, according to the UN Environment Programme's Cool Coalition. But India has so far declined to sign up to the coalition's Global Cooling Pledge to reduce the sector's climate impact. Still, there are signs of hope, with Indians increasingly buying energy-efficient AC units, according to Ahuja. Energy-saving inverter ACs now dominate the market, and companies set a default temperature of 24˚C. 'Energy ratings are now mandatory,' said Ahuja. 'We will surely see long-term benefits.' — AFP
The Sun
09-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Hajiji: Civil servants must embody MADANI core values
KOTA KINABALU: Civil servants must fully embrace the values behind the MADANI concept - Sustainability, Prosperity, Innovation, Respect, Trust and Compassion, and not treat them as mere slogans, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor. He stressed that these principles should be reflected in the behaviour and work culture of civil servants. 'Civil servants are the backbone of the state's development and play a key role in implementing government policies. That's why their actions must be guided by integrity, efficiency and a strong sense of responsibility,' he said. 'The public is watching us. Our behaviour, words and how we treat the people reflect the government's service delivery today,' Hajiji said at the Jelajah Taat Setia MADANI Programme held at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) today. Also present was Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar. Hajiji urged all 21,989 state civil servants and 126,677 federal civil servants in Sabah to act as facilitators, helping to communicate government policies and implement its initiatives effectively. He reminded them that it is their duty to ensure people understand that the government is not just planning, but actively carrying out many development programmes to improve the well-being of Sabah and its people. The Chief Minister also reaffirmed his commitment to strengthen public service delivery and ensure that development benefits reach all levels of society under the Malaysia MADANI approach. He said Sabah now has 219 MADANI Communities established with RM657,000 in funding, along with the Ehsan@KUSKOP initiative in three target districts - Kota Belud, Kota Marudu and Kudat, and various forums and education programmes to help people better understand the MADANI concept. Hajiji also called on all Sabahans to put aside political differences and work together to strengthen unity for the good of the state. 'Political stability is the key to prosperity. Let us move forward together in the spirit of solidarity, prioritising unity, and renewing our commitment to building a brighter future for Sabah,' he said.
New Straits Times
08-05-2025
- New Straits Times
Police detain 8 in crackdown on ketum trade across 3 states
KUALA LUMPUR: Police have detained eight men in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Penang as part of coordinated operations targeting the illegal production and distribution of ketum leaves and water. Six of them were arrested in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur following two raids on April 24 and May 6, conducted by the General Operations Force (GOF) Central Brigade as part of 'Op Taring Mitra'. In a statement today, Central Brigade commander SAC Hakemal Hawari confirmed that authorities seized ketum leaves, processed ketum water, equipment for processing and several vehicles, with a total estimated value of RM657,400. In a separate raid in Penang, two 23-year-old men were arrested today at a house in Batu Maung, where police recovered 85kg of ketum leaves and 1,500 packets of ketum water worth RM9,300. Barat Daya police chief ACP Sazalee Adam, the suspects had been renting the property for six months to produce and sell the ketum water at RM5 per packet. Both suspects are being remanded and the case is being investigated under Section 30(3) of the Poisons Act 1952, he said.
New Straits Times
08-05-2025
- New Straits Times
Police detain 14 in crackdown on ketum trade across 3 states
KUALA LUMPUR: Police have detained 14 men in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Penang as part of coordinated operations targeting the illegal production and distribution of ketum leaves and water. Twelve suspects were arrested in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur following two raids on April 24 and May 6, conducted by the General Operations Force (GOF) Central Brigade as part of 'Op Taring Mitra'. In a statement today, Central Brigade commander SAC Hakemal Hawari confirmed that authorities seized ketum leaves, processed ketum water, equipment for processing and several vehicles, with a total estimated value of RM657,400. In a separate raid in Penang, two 23-year-old men were arrested today at a house in Batu Maung, where police recovered 85kg of ketum leaves and 1,500 packets of ketum water worth RM9,300. Barat Daya police chief ACP Sazalee Adam, the suspects had been renting the property for six months to produce and sell the ketum water at RM5 per packet. Both suspects are being remanded and the case is being investigated under Section 30(3) of the Poisons Act 1952, he said. – Bernama
The Star
08-05-2025
- The Star
Police detain 14 in crackdown on ketum trade across three states
KUALA LUMPUR: Police have detained 14 men in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Penang as part of coordinated operations targeting the illegal production and distribution of ketum leaves and water. Twelve suspects were arrested in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur following two raids on April 24 and May 6, conducted by the General Operations Force (GOF) Central Brigade as part of 'Ops Taring Mitra'. In a statement on Thursday (May 8), Central Brigade commander SAC Hakemal Hawari confirmed that authorities seized ketum leaves, processed ketum water, processing equipment and several vehicles, with a total estimated value of RM657,400. In a separate raid in Penang, two 23-year-old men were arrested today at a house in Batu Maung, where police recovered 85 kilograms of ketum leaves and 1,500 packets of ketum water worth RM9,300. According to Barat Daya police chief ACP Sazalee Adam, the suspects had been renting the property for six months to produce and sell the ketum water at RM5 per packet. Both suspects are being remanded and the case is being investigated under Section 30(3) of the Poisons Act 1952, he said. – Bernama
