Malaysia: Johor tells residents in 12 coastal areas to prepare for high tide phenomenon

AHMAD FAIRUZ OTHMAN New Straits Times 6 Oct 16;

JOHOR BARU: The Johor government has urged residents in 12 coastal areas to take precaution during the forecasted high tide this mid-October.

Johor Health and Environment Committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat said the state branch of the Malaysian Meteorological Department revealed a possibility of water levels reaching 3.9m-high in certain areas between Oct 16 to 20.

He said flooding could occur if there were thunderstorms and strong winds at the same time.

He said the high tide was brought by the perigee, in which the moon is closest to the earth.

"If there are thunderstorms and strong winds during that period, it could cause coastal areas in Johor to be flooded.

"I advise residents in coastal areas to take precaution, to be careful and to keep themselves updated with weather changes.

"Recreational activities at coastal areas should be avoided during that period," said Ayub in a statement.

He said the areas expected to experience high tide included Johor Baru's coastal area, which may record water levels of up to 3.9m.

The other areas are Tanjung Langsat (up to 3.5m), Tanjung Pelepas (up to 3.5m), Pasir Gudang (up to 3.5m), Tanjung Pelepas (up to 3.5m), Pasir Gudang (up to 3.5m), Pulau Pisang (up to 3.5m), Endau coastal area ( up to 3.4m), Sungai Belungkor (up to 3.3m), Kuala Batu Pahat (up to 3.2m), Mersing (up to 3.2m), and Tanjung Sedili (below 3m).


Highest tide to strike Kuala Perlis on Oct 18
BERNAMA New Straits Times 10 Oct 16;

KUALA PERLIS: Residents in coastal areas here are advised to be on alert on weather developments and adhere to the directives from the authorities as the high tide phenomenon occurring in the state is expected to breach its highest level on Oct 18.

National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) deputy director-general Datuk Muhammad Yusoff Wazir said the phenomenon was also expected to cause the sea level to rise up to 3.6 metres between Oct 17 and 19.

“The 2016 Malaysian Tide Schedule issued by the Royal Malaysian Navy (TLDM) National Hydrographic Centre expects the highest tide to occur at 1.38 am on Oct 18, and it is hoped that the condition will not be worsened by the presence of strong winds.

“What’s important is that the residents must act swiftly upon receiving directives from the authorities, especially if the directive is for them to be evacuated to temporary relief centre,” he said when contacted by Bernama here today. –- BERNAMA

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Malaysia: Terengganu turtles winning conservation war thanks to human hero

ADRIAN DAVID New Straits Times 7 Oct 16;

KUALA TERENGANU: A concerted effort by the Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia has helped save thousands of eggs and facilitated the release of thousands of hatchlings into Terengganu rivers.

The society’s co-founder, Chen Peif Nyok, said that they have managed to save 2,491 turtle eggs and released 1,302 hatchlings into the Setiu River between 2004 and 2014, and another 3,754 eggs and 2,401 hatchlings into the Kemaman River between 2011 and last year.

Peif Nyok added that their campaign of saving river terrapins, involving over 13 years of research, conservation, education and ecotourism in Terengganu, is bearing fruit.

“During this 13-year period, we managed to organise 40 turtle camps in the state which benefitted at least 2,000 students, mainly from local universities.

“We also organised various awareness programmes like the annual raptor watch, wildlife exhibitions, World Turtle Day celebrations and annual terrapin releases in Setiu and Kemaman,” she said.

Peif Nyok added that the society is now actively involved in the ‘Turtle Discovery Trip’, wherein participants are taken on a journey to learn about the turtles and terrapins of Malaysia.

“They can get up close with these critically endangered turtles through the programme started in 2012. So far, we have conducted 39 trips and taken more than 600 guests, including school groups,” she said.

Peif Nyok is one of the speakers who will present a paper titled ‘Saving the River Terrapins: 13 years of research, conservation, education and eco-tourism in Terengganu’ at the Terengganu International Eco and Marine Tourism conference at Primula Beach Hotel on Monday.

Born in Kuantan, Pahang and receiving her primary education in Ipoh and Malacca, Peif Nyok has always had a strong affinity towards turtles. She pursued her passion as an undergraduate at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT).

Upon graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology in 2004, she landed herself a job as a research assistant with a new river terrapin project on campus.

“It was during this stint that I had the opportunity to learn the ropes in turtle research and conservation. One event led to another and I decided to pursue a master’s degree in Biodiversity and Conservation,” she said.

Throughout her master’s research, she raised more than 800 river terrapins and determined the best feeding practices to raise the reptiles in captivity.

Currently, Peif Nyok is pursuing her PhD. in Zoology at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) with a scholarship from the CIMB Foundation.

In 2008, Peif Nyok became the first Malaysian to be awarded a turtle conservation scholarship from the Asian Scholarship Programme for in-situ Chelonian Conservation to the United States.

“Through the scholarship, I had the opportunity to learn about and participate in various turtle research and conservation projects that my hosts were involved in.

“This included attachments with the University of Tennessee of Chattanooga, Behler Chelonian Centre in California and the Wetlands Institute in New Jersey,” she said.

In addition to turtle research and conservation, Peif Nyok is also experienced in public outreach campaigns, coordinates and conducts various turtle education programmes and fund-raising events.

In 2010, she organised Turtle Awareness Camps in 15 primary schools in Terengganu, with the help of volunteer facilitators, successfully reaching out to more than 500 students.

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Malaysia: Dengue cases drop this week, Zika outbreak contained

FAZLEENA AZIZ New Straits Times 7 Oct 16;

PUTRAJAYA: Dengue cases in the country are continuing to drop, with only 1,710 cases reported in week 39 (Sept 25 to Oct 1) compared to the previous week, with 1,818 cases.

In a statement released yesterday, Health Department director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the latest figure brings the total cumulative number of dengue cases from Jan to Oct 1 to 83,224 cases, compared to 91,822 cases in the same period last year.

As for the number of deaths recorded in week 39, four patients succumbed to the disease – two in Negri Sembilan and one in Selangor and Johor each.

“The total cumulative number of dengue-related deaths from Jan to Oct 1 is 186 cases compared to 253 recorded in the same period last year,” he added.

As for the Zika outbreak, the number of cases recorded across the country remains at seven from Sept 1 to Oct 1, said Dr Noor Hisham.

The National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL), the Institute for Medical Research (IMR), as well as private hospitals and laboratories carried out continuous surveillance on Zika from June to Oct 1, he added.

“A total of 1,130 blood and urine samples were tested, but no Zika virus infections were detected,” he said.

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Indonesia: Cultivating land without burning

Erlinda Ekaputri Jakarta Post 6 Oct 16;

The forest and land fires that occurred in 2014 and 2015 may have been more devastating than the forest fires in 1982, 1983 and 1997.

According to data from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), the 2015 forest fires destroyed 2.09 million hectares of forest and land, which is equivalent to 32 times the area of Jakarta, or four times the size of Bali, with financial losses reaching approximately Rp 20 trillion (US$1.54 billion).

The largest hot spot in the 2015 fires was located in peatlands (1.47 million hectares) and therefore restoring the sustainable utilization of the peatland is a must, since 80 percent of Indonesia’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were from the forest fires.

To restore the 2 million hectares of peatland, the government plans to strengthen the physical infrastructure, such as by installing canals, dams, artesian wells and other facilities to maintain the water levels and to prevent fire during the dry season and by providing fire extinguishers to prevent flames from spreading.

This program is expected to achieve 26 percent of the reduction of GHG emissions. To achieve this target, a zero-burning policy would be applied to communities and companies that would carry heavy sanctions if violated.

In Central Kalimantan, for example, many banners are displayed in almost every corner of the province prohibiting land clearing by burning.

The zero-burning policy for agricultural purposes is a very rational strategy, since fire — even from a single match — may trigger a disaster, particularly in peatland areas.

A peatland fire would be worsened by the wind and lack of water and, on top of that, fire on dry and elastic peatland is difficult to extinguish. In fact, a fire on peatland that seems to have been put out may sometime re-ignite and burn underground.

Information on the government’s policy of prohibiting the burning of forests has been widely disseminated and it has been promoted to the public and supported by local village officers who may sometimes be repressive and rather excessive in handling some cases.

For example, in certain incidents, officials apprehended local people who were seen in the hot spots, but actually these people were trying to extinguish the fire.

Ironically, this policy is ineffective in preventing the burning of forests initiated by individuals and by companies for land clearing.

Data from a 2014 World Resources Institute shows that 22 percent of the hot spots triggering the forest fires and land fires were located in industrial plantations, 13 percent in palm oil plantations and 3 percent in forest concessions, while 63 percent of the fires were located outside the concession areas and in local farmers’ plantations.

Basically, the farmer understands the risk of land burning and no one would want to cause a fire that would negatively affect their livelihood.

It is commonly understood that to prevent forest fires, farmers must guard the land and have no intention to convert the peatland to farming land, which could be destroyed overnight by fire.

Burning land for clearing is an exhaustive task. Nevertheless, the production level is not as sufficient to support their livelihood as it used to be 20 years ago.

The main issue is the limited labor and financial resources to intensively cultivate the land.
_______________________

The zero-burning policy is a very rational strategy, since fire — even from a single match — may trigger a disaster

According to Taman, a farmer from Kalampangan village, Palangka Raya, who has been successful in developing agroforestry farming on peatland, the minimum cost is between Rp 5 million and Rp 7 million per hectare.

This cost is for land clearing, acquiring fertile land, purchasing agriculture lime and fertilizers and other additives.

Not many can afford such financing, so they turn to burning the land and then they just leave it burning to seek work outside the village to earn a living for their family.

Ironically, the government has not provided any support to assist the farmers by making available agriculture production facilities or credit facilities that may prevent the farmer from burning the forests for land clearing and eventually prevent uncontrollable fires.

Farmers are basically left unsupported and they only depend on nature’s endowment in preventing forest fires and expect nature to restore the peatland for farming by itself.

Even this cannot guarantee that the land is free from fire in the dry season or free from flooding in the rainy season. Since the hydrology system of the peatland needs to be restructured.

For example, the canals built by the agroindustry companies were mainly intended for the interest of the oil palm plantation and neglect the farming land of the local people. The dams built along the canals were also malpositioned and have caused flooding.

Therefore, it is necessary to restore the hydrology system on the peatland through an integrated approach.

However, the recent policies and programs of the government mainly emphasize extinguishing rather than preventing forest fires.

Thus, it is essential that the small-scale farmers are supported to prevent them from burning the land for cultivation.

The programs could include capacity building of the resources and strengthening the network of the community to cultivate the land without necessarily burning the land by way of education, provision of agriculture facilities and financial capital support.

Through these schemes, it is expected that the farmer would have the capacity and the time to cultivate their land as well as prevent forest fires.

Success stories of peatland cultivation without burning the land as practiced by Taman is a good example.

Without implementing these two actual strategies, the government would be trapped into applying an approach of peatland restoration that is only superficial, resulting in the reoccurring forest fires and the suffering of the people.

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Indonesia: Three Suspects Arrested in Jakarta for Selling Slow Lorises on Facebook

Ratri M. Siniwi Jakarta Globe 6 Oct 16;

Jakarta. Three suspects have been arrested after the police uncovered an online trade selling critically endangered Javan slow loris, or Nycticebus javanicus, in South Jakarta, last Thursday (29/09).

Photos of eight of the critically endangered animals were advertised for sale on Facebook, drawing the attention of cyber patrol leading to the trio's arrest by the environmental resources unit at the Jakarta Police.

The three suspects, identified only by their initials ARM, FS and SP, were arrested in two separate locations in Jakarta.

“ARM and FS were arrested in South Jakarta. They were believed to have to harbored, advertised and sold the protected animals. At the location, the police confiscated five slow lorises,” Jakarta Police spokesman, Sr. Comr. Awi Setiyono, said.

The third suspect, SP, was arrested in East Jakarta where police confiscated another slow loris.

According to Tribunnews.com news outlet, SP —who is a college student — is believed to be the mastermind behind the operations and also the moderator of the Facebook account.

The suspects could face five years in prison and a penalty of up to Rp 100 million ($7,700) for violating wildlife protection laws, if found guilty.

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Aviation industry agrees deal to cut CO2 emissions

Roger Harrabin BBC 7 Oct 16;

Air travel accounts for as much CO2 emission as the nation of Germany - and it's growing

The first deal limiting greenhouse gases from international aviation has been sealed after years of wrangling.

From 2020, any increase in airline CO2 emissions will be offset by activities like tree planting, which soak up CO2.

The deal comes in a momentous week for climate policy when the Paris agreement to stabilise climate change passed a key threshold for becoming law.

Scientists applauded both commitments, but warned that plans to cut emissions are far too weak.

The aviation deal was agreed in Montreal by national representatives at the International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO.

Attempts have been made for nearly two decades to include aviation and shipping in the UN's climate agreements, but both sectors have managed to avoid firm targets.

The amount of emissions from aviation worldwide are roughly the same as those produced by the whole of Germany - and they are growing fast.

They are projected to consume approximately a quarter of the world's remaining carbon budget by 2050.

ICAO previously promised carbon neutral aviation growth in the 2020s, and planned to align the ambitions of airlines with the Paris agreement limiting warming to two degrees Celsius, or preferably 1.5 degrees.

At the last minute in Montreal, those plans were either watered down or dropped. Instead a compromise was agreed.

CO2 will be allowed to grow to 2020 but after that, emissions will need to be offset. The deal will be voluntary to 2026 but most major nations are expected to take part.

Britain's Aviation Minister Lord Ahmad said: "This is an unprecedented deal, the first of its kind for any sector. International aviation is responsible for putting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year than the whole of the UK, and yet until now, there has been no global consensus on how to address aviation emissions.

"For years, the UK has pushed to tackle emissions globally. Now, 191 countries have sent a clear message that aviation will play its part in combating climate change."

Tim Alderslade from the British Air Transport Association also welcomed the deal. He told BBC News: "It should not be forgotten that we are the only industry that has voluntarily agreed to such a commitment.

"As a sector we have really decoupled growth in aviation from growth in emissions."

Environmentalists were unimpressed.

Bill Hemmings from the green group T&E said: "Airline claims that flying will now be green are a myth. Taking a plane is the fastest and cheapest way to fry the planet and this deal won't reduce demand for jet fuel one drop."

The offsetting proposal is especially controversial. Airlines are striving to make planes more efficient, but the industry can't innovate fast enough to contain its dynamic growth.

That led to the proposal for offsetting - but sometimes offsetting by planting woodlands simply duplicates efforts already being made, and the offsetting industry is said to be prone to double-counting.

What's more, the ICAO deal has no clear rules for offsetting.

Tim Johnson from Aviation Environment Federation warned that to meet its own ambitions, the UK needed to go much further than the ICAO agreement.

He told BBC News: "With a decision on a new runway expected later this month, the UK's ambition for aviation emissions must match the ambition of the (UK's) Climate Change Act, and not simply the ICAO "global lowest common denominator" of "carbon neutral growth from 2020.

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Best of our wild blogs: 6 Oct 16

Mystic Flamebacks and Flying Lizards
Winging It

Missing Birds-Moustached Babbler
Singapore Bird Group

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Despite small size, Singapore can play big role in food production: Khaw

Sara Grosse, Channel NewsAsia 6 Oct 16;

SINGAPORE: The Republic has the potential to be a “living lab” for new food production technologies, said Minister for Transport and Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure Khaw Boon Wan on Thursday (Oct 6).

At the meeting of ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry held here, Mr Khaw shared Singapore's vision for its farms: "We envision our farms of the future to be high-tech, innovative, highly intensive and productive, able to do more, with less.

“As an urbanised state, Singapore promotes the development of urban farming solutions and progressive farming technologies."

A modern and technologically savvy farm sector, he added, is also key to attracting a new generation of agricultural professionals. These “agri-specialists” will write the next chapter in global and regional food security efforts, he said.

While acknowledging the small agricultural sector in Singapore, Mr Khaw emphasised that the city-state can contribute and play its part in food security.

He cited examples of how Singapore is actively looking at the use of technology and research and development (R&D) throughout the agricultural value chain. This include developing indoor vertical vegetable production systems for Asian leafy greens that are potentially five times more productive than conventional farming systems.

The Minister also cautioned that food security will become increasingly challenging in the face of climate change. "Thus, it is timely that we are implementing the ASEAN Multi-Sectoral Framework on Climate Change. Progress has been made in information exchange, cross-sectoral coordination, and stakeholder collaboration on climate change adaptation and mitigation projects," he said.

Other than food security issues, Mr Khaw also raised his concern on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in agriculture, which threatens global public health and can significantly impact food security and safety. On its part, Singapore will coordinate ASEAN AMR efforts in agriculture and enhance AMR surveillance.

The ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry is a platform for cooperation in food, agriculture and forestry. Leaders meet annually to provide guidance for regional cooperation.

The region is home to two of the world's largest rice exporters and is a major producer and exporter of seafood.

- CNA/xk

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Two new Zika cases reported, taking total past 400

Channel NewsAsia 5 Oct 16;

SINGAPORE: Two new Zika infections were reported on Wednesday (Oct 5), after Singapore saw three consecutive days with no new cases.

As of 3pm on Wednesday, a total of 401 locally transmitted Zika cases have been confirmed in Singapore, according to data on the National Environment Agency's (NEA) website.

Two more Zika clusters were closed on Wednesday, leaving the main Aljunied/Sims Drive cluster the only remaining one in Singapore.

The clusters at Elite Terrace and Sengkang Central were declared closed after no new cases were reported there in the last two weeks.

The Elite Terrace cluster, which also included Fidelio Street, Jalan Tua Kong (Park East), Tua Kong Green and Siglap Road (Flamingo Valley) was the second-largest in the country, with 13 cases in total.

The Aljunied/Sims Drive cluster remains open with 298 cases in total, two of which were reported in the last two weeks.

- CNA/mz

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Underwater World Singapore senior diver killed by stingray

Channel NewsAsia 5 Oct 16;

SINGAPORE: An Underwater World Singapore (UWS) diver was killed on Tuesday (Oct 4) after he was stung in the chest by a stingray.

In a statement on Wednesday, Haw Par Corporation confirmed that Mr Philip Chan, 62, "was injured in the chest by a stingray" while preparing marine life for transfer to a new aquarium. He was the senior supervisor of UWS' curatorial department.

"He died from his injury a few hours later at Singapore General Hospital (SGH)," the statement added.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) sent an ambulance on Tuesday afternoon to UWS at around 2.20pm. Upon arrival, paramedics found Mr Chan lying near the venue's entrance and assessed the situation before conducting cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on him.

He was then taken to SGH and paramedics continued to perform CPR during the journey, SCDF said.

Although UWS has ceased operations since Jun 26, Mr Chan was one of the 10 staff who stayed on to care for the animals while suitable homes were sought out for them, Haw Par Corporation said.

"He was a veteran diver, aquarist and animal caregiver who had been caring for the aquatic animals at UWS since its opening in 1991," it added.

"The management and staff at Haw Par Corporation are deeply saddened by the loss of a long-time staff and colleague and express our condolences to the family of Mr Chan. Haw Par is providing all possible support and assistance to Mr Chan’s family in this time of difficulty."

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said it has instructed Haw Par to stop all activities associated with the transfer of the sea animals after the incident.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Manpower Ministry said officers from its Safety and Health Inspectorate "responded to the scene immediately and commenced investigations" after the ministry was informed of the incident.

"Preliminary findings indicate that a worker was pierced in his chest by the barb of a stingray while he was in the midst of transferring the stingray from its tank. He was conveyed to hospital where he subsequently succumbed to his injuries," it said, adding that investigations are ongoing.

Haw Par said it is assisting the authorities with investigations and has suspended the animal transfer programme at UWS.


Underwater World supervisor dies after getting stung in chest by a stingray
Today Online 5 Oct 16;

SINGAPORE — A senior staff at Underwater World Singapore (UWS) has died after getting stung in the chest by a stingray, prompting a suspension of efforts to transfer the defunct attraction's animals to new facilities.

The unusual incident happened on Tuesday (Oct 4) afternoon, as 62-year-old Mr Philip Chan was preparing some animals for transfer to a new aquarium.

Mr Chan was "injured in the chest by a stingray" in the midst of transferring the stingray from its tank and died from his injury a few hours later at the Singapore General Hospital.

Mr Chan, a senior supervisor of the Curatorial Department, was one of the 10 UWS staff who had stayed after the attraction's closure in late June to help care for the animals while suitable new homes were being found.

Haw Par Corporation, which ran UWS, said Mr Chan was a "veteran diver, aquarist and animal caregiver who had been caring for the aquatic animals at UWS since its opening in 1991".

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) was alerted to the incident at 2.20pm on Tuesday and despatched an ambulance to UWS. They found Mr Chan lying near the entrance and the paramedics commenced CPR. The SCDF said the paramedics continued to administer CPR while on route to SGH. The hospital was also alerted to be on standby to receive the Mr Chan.

Haw Par said it is assisting the authorities with the investigations, adding that the company would provide “all possible support and assistance” to Mr Chan’s family.

A Ministry of Manpower (MOM) spokesperson said the ministry, which was informed about the incident on Tuesday, has instructed Underwater World Singapore to stop all activities associated with the transferring of sea animals. Officers from MOM’s Occupational Safety and Health Inspectorate had responded to the scene immediately and commenced investigations, said the spokesperson. Investigations are ongoing.


Veteran Underwater World diver killed by stingray had loved animals and diving
TOH EE MING and CHRISTOPHER TOH Today Online 6 Oct 16;

SINGAPORE — When she received a call at 2pm on Tuesday that her husband had been involved in an accident at work and was sent to hospital, Madam Serene Tong thought little of it, assuming that it was minor.

Her husband, Mr Philip Chan, was a veteran diver at Underwater World Singapore (UWS). Years ago, a sand tiger shark bite had left him needing stitches and a hospital stay, but he recovered and continued working at the attraction.

By the time she reached the hospital, their two daughters broke the news that her husband was “gone”.

“The worst thing was ... I didn’t even rush down,” said Mdm Tong, 59, before breaking down in tears.

Mr Chan, 62, died in Singapore General Hospital (SGH) on Tuesday (Oct 4), after getting stabbed in the chest by a stingray while he was preparing some animals for transfer to a new aquarium from UWS, where he had been working since it opened in 1991.

The attraction closed in June this year, and Mr Chan, a senior supervisor of the Curatorial Department, was one of 10 employees who had stayed to help care for the animals while suitable new homes were being found.

All activities to transfer the defunct attraction’s animals to new facilities have been suspended since the incident, said the Ministry of Manpower, which sent officers from its Occupational Safety and Health Inspectorate to investigate when it was informed about the incident.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) was alerted to the incident at 2.20pm on Tuesday and despatched an ambulance to UWS.

They found Mr Chan lying near the entrance, and the paramedics performed CPR. The SCDF said the paramedics continued to administer CPR en route to SGH.

The hospital was also alerted to be on standby to receive Mr Chan.

Family and friends turned up for Mr Chan’s wake at Block 52, Lengkok Bahru on Wednesday.

Beside his coffin, his old scuba diving suit was displayed as a reminder of his love of diving.

He was someone who passionately loved animals, and had a thirst for adventure and all-things diving related, often venturing out to the surrounding waters to catch marine wildlife, even sharks, as specimens for the aquarium.

Mr Jimmy Tan, 54, who has known Mr Chan for more than 30 years, was one of those who went on these marine specimen collection trips.

He said Mr Chan was thinking of continuing to work with animals after his contract with UWS ended, adding that he had received a job offer from River Safari.

“I remember he was still showing off his muscles, telling me he still felt very strong ... He was more like a brother to me, like family,” he said.

Last week, they met and floated the idea of a diving trip to their old haunt near Pemanggil island in Malaysia sometime in March next year.

“But now (this trip) will never happen,” Mr Tan said.

Mdm Tong told reporters that she had met Mr Chan while they were both working at Sentosa. He was a lifeguard and she was an administrative staff there.

“He was very honest, forthright ... We just clicked,” she said, revealing how the family used to go on diving trips during their 34-year marriage.

In a statement on Wednesday, Haw Par Corporation, which ran UWS, said Mr Chan was a “veteran diver, aquarist and animal caregiver who had been caring for the aquatic animals at UWS since its opening in 1991”.

Haw Par said it is assisting the authorities with investigations, adding that the company would provide “all possible support and assistance” to Mr Chan’s family.

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Malaysia: Sandbags to reinforce shorelines against floods

The Star 6 Oct 16;

IPOH: Embankments along shorelines in Kedah and Selangor will be reinforced with sandbags as the high-tide phenomenon is expected to occur twice during the next two weeks.

National Disaster Management Agency director-general Datuk Zaitun Ab Samad said the water level from the tidal waves in these flood-prone areas was expected to reach 5m deep.

She said this was the short-term solution that the agency, several NGOs and the private sector were implementing.

“As for the long-term, we will be proposing for bunds to be built, and the planting of more mangrove trees, which are an important natural barrier against natural disasters like floods.

“However, it is extremely costly to plant such trees,” she told a press conference after addressing a forum on the preparedness of the agencies concerned to overcome disasters here yesterday.

Zaitun also advised villagers to move to the relief centres early.

She said since it had been forecast that the next high tide pheno­menon was expected to occur between Oct 14 and 19, affected villagers and residents should move to the designated relief centres on Oct 13.


High tide phenomenon: Selangor, Perak & Kedah coastal residents urged to prepare for evacuation
SERI NOR NADIAH KORIS New Straits Times 5 Oct 16;

IPOH: People living in coastal areas and rivers, especially in Selangor, Perak and Kedah, have been urged to prepare for the high tide phenomenon, which is expected to escalate by the middle of the month, triggering floods.

National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) director general Datuk Zaitun Ab Samad advised residents of the three states living in vulnerable areas to be prepared for the possibility of evacuation.

The phenomenon is expected to strike between Oct 14 and 19.

Based on the forecast by the Meteorology Department, the high tide phenomenon is expected to worsen with waves predicted to be as high as five-metres.

She said that as such, initial preparations must be done now not only be residents, but also by government agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

Zaitun was speaking at a press conference after officiating the closing ceremony of the Forum on Disaster Preparedness and the launch of the National Preparedness Month 2016 here today.

She said the agency will also make preparations by placing sandbags on ramparts or existing bunds in Selangor and Kedah soon to prepare for the phenomenon.

She said the use of sandbags is important as existing bund, originally built to a height of about three meters, can decrease to 2.5 metres as a result of the sinking process caused by the high tide.

The use of sandbags, as such, will serve to bolster the previous height.

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Malaysia: Taps at Kota Baru fire station dry for past month

The Star 5 Oct 16;

KOTA BARU: Syarikat Air Kelantan Sdn Bhd (AKSB) has been urged to resolve the water supply problem at the Kota Baru fire station and its firemen's quarters here.

Kota Baru Fire and Rescue Department chief Senior Fire Superintendent Zaini Bidin said the problem that had been dragging on since last month and had caused them getting water for daily use and to extinguish fires.

"The low water pressure and frequent water supply cuts have also caused problems to 20 families staying in the quarters," she told reporters here.

Zaini said firemen resort to sourcing water from open sources such as ditches and rivers.

She said firemen were having problems aiding people and had to seek assistance from other parties to get water supply.

"The limited supply of clean water has to be rationed," she said adding that they had to buy water for drinking and cooking purposes.

Zaini said they had lodged a complaint over the matter with AKSB.

In a statement, AKSB said investigations were underway to identify the actual cause of the problem, saying it suspected a burst main pipe and a change in the distribution of water supply in that area.

It added that for the time being, AKSB would supply would be via water tankers until the problem was resolved. – Bernama

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