Latest news with #Ismail
The Star
2 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Forest research institute upgrade to boost ecotourism appeal
(From right) Ismail with Joyce and other guests at the suspension bridge in FRIM that has been reconstructed with additional safety features and durable hardwood. THE infrastructure upgrade at the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) in Kepong, Selangor, is expected to enhance its ecotourism appeal ahead of Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026). FRIM director-general Datuk Dr Ismail Parlan said the project included reconstructing a 12m suspension bridge using durable hardwood and support cables with safety 'u-clip' netting, as well as installing an informational map panel in the Borneo Plot near the Sungai Kroh picnic area. He said the initiative was carried out in collaboration with the government and corporate partners, including Hibiscus Petroleum Bhd which contributed RM96,000 through its corporate social responsibility programme to enhance FRIM's ecotourism facilities. 'This effort extends beyond just infrastructure enhancement. 'It demonstrates a strong corporate commitment to long-term environmental and biodiversity conservation,' he told reporters after visiting the site, according to Bernama. Present were Hibiscus Petroleum Bhd corporate finance head Joyce Vasudevan and corporate development vice-president Lily Ling. Ismail said the Borneo Plot was one of FRIM's unique attractions, which featured forest species native to Borneo and renowned for its tropical biodiversity, including kapur baji (Dryobalanops lanceolata) and engkabang (Rubroshorea macrophylla). Ismail (right) briefing Ling (left) on the tree species at the Borneo Plot. Established as a research site, the Borneo Plot also serves as an outdoor learning space for students and visitors, as well as a conservation area for endangered species. He said FRIM has evolved from being a research and innovation centre into a hub for nature-based tourism and environmental education, drawing both local and international visitors. As such, he said FRIM would work closely with Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry to make early preparations for VM2026. 'Last year, we recorded 157,699 visitors. 'This year, we are targeting 200,000 – not only to enjoy the natural surroundings but also to raise public awareness about the importance of forests and biodiversity,' said Ismail. FRIM, declared a National Heritage site in 2015, is currently in the final stage of nomination as a Unesco World Heritage Site.
The Independent
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
I escaped the war. My family's still stuck
It took Ismail two years to reach the UK from Sudan, where he fled a life defined by conflict and a constant struggle to survive. Violence erupted in the country in April 2023 when long-simmering tensions between its military and paramilitary leaders broke out. The 37-year-old began his journey from the city of Al-Fashir, where he was born and raised. In Independent Studio's latest series UNHEARD, Ismail shares how he risked everything on a dangerous journey to the UK in hopes of supporting his family, many of whom remain in Sudan's war-ravaged Zamzam refugee camp.
The Independent
6 days ago
- General
- The Independent
‘I was lying between a lorry and a train': One refugee's two-year journey from Sudan to the UK
It took Ismail two years to reach the UK from Sudan, where he fled a life defined by conflict and a constant struggle to survive. Two years into a brutal civil war, Sudan is in the grip of what the UN has called the world's 'worst humanitarian crisis'. The latest figures from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs show that 30.4 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, while more than 12 million people have been displaced since April 2023. Violence erupted in Sudan in April 2023 when long-simmering tensions between its military and paramilitary leaders broke out in the capital, Khartoum, and spread to other regions. Ismail, 37, began his journey from the city of Al-Fashir, where he was born and raised. The city, in the Darfur region of southwestern Sudan, is now under constant bombardment and has mostly been cut off from the outside world. The first leg of Ismail's journey took him across the Sahara, one of the world's largest and most unforgiving deserts. Along the way, the lorry carrying him and others broke down. It took around two months for Ismail to reach Libya, where tens of thousands of migrants and refugees undertake the perilous crossing to Europe across the Mediterranean Sea each year. In Libya, Ismail paid the equivalent of around £1,000 in Libyan currency for a place on a boat to Italy. The route is one of the deadliest in the world for migrants and refugees. More than 2,200 people lost their lives attempting the crossing in 2024 alone, according to the UN. 'They have very big boats from the European Union,' Ismail told the Independent. 'They know migrants try to cross the Mediterranean.' From there, Ismail continued his journey by train from Milan to Paris. But the final stretch—from Calais to the UK—also put his life in danger. 'There are trains that carry lorries to the UK,' he explained. 'I went to the station. The police and security didn't see me. I just jumped on and lay between a lorry and the train.' After passing through the Channel Tunnel and arriving in Dover, Ismail was stopped by British police. He was then taken to asylum seeker accommodation in Liverpool. By that point, he hadn't spoken to his family in more than two years. They didn't even know he had made it to the UK. 'They were very happy that I was safe and alive,' he said. Ismail risked his life to make the journey in hopes of supporting his family, many of whom lived in Zamzam refugee camp after their home in Al-Fashir was destroyed by missile strikes. 'Even for my brothers, there is no place to go to work to bring the money, thats why I am trying to help them' he said. But the Zamzam Refugee Camp, one of the largest in Sudan, is far from safe. It is frequently targeted by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary force which evolved from so-called Janjaweed militias. 'They saw people dying in front of them,' Ismail said. 'Even people I know—my relatives—were killed in Zamzam.' Ismail, who once worked as a kitchen porter, now has a job in a warehouse in North London. The money he's been able to send home has made a tangible difference: it helped his family buy land and build a home in Al-Fashir. 'When I got the right to work [in the UK], I managed to save some money and bought a piece of land in Al-Fashir. I built a house there. It was really good,' he said. But the war shattered that small triumph, as his family was forced to flee the home he had worked so hard to provide. After his five-year refugee status expired, Ismail was granted British citizenship. This allowed him to return briefly to Sudan last year, where he got married. His wife is now heavily pregnant and living in a refugee camp in Uganda, after Ismail helped her flee the violence. 'I tried to bring her here before she gives birth, but I haven't found a solution. I want her to come here and live with me forever,' he said. Under current UK rules, refugees or people granted humanitarian protection may apply for family reunification if they were already in a relationship or had children before fleeing their country. But the process is often long, complex, and uncertain. In the past two years, at least 24,000 people have been reported killed in Sudan, according to the UN, but activists believe the true toll is far higher. Meanwhile aid camps have been burned to the ground and children are thought to have been raped. 'People don't know what's happening in Sudan at the moment or anytime in the past, because there are no journalists to cover what's going on, so that's why,' Ismail said.
New Straits Times
13-06-2025
- New Straits Times
Human trafficking syndicate disguised as a job agency busted
KUALA LUMPUR: The Immigration Department has busted a human trafficking syndicate operating under the guise of a job agency in Klang following raids on three premises. Immigration deputy director-general (management) Ismail Mokhtar said the operation, led by the department's Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Money Laundering Division in Putrajaya, was carried out upon receiving public complaints and after two weeks of intelligence gathering. "A local woman, believed to be the mastermind, and two Filipino women acting as caretakers of the premises were arrested during the operation," he said in a statement today. Nine Filipino women believed to be victims were rescued, while 10 others aged between 26 and 43 were detained for further investigation. All of them lacked valid passports or visit passes. The premises, believed to be used as a holding area for the victims, were seized along with several Philippine and Indonesian passports, and mobile phones containing suspected evidence of communication between the mastermind and caretakers. Ismail said the modus operandi involved luring foreign workers from source countries with false promises of employment. Upon arrival, they were bound by contracts and prohibited from returning to their home countries. They were forced to work and made to pay exorbitant fees set by the agency. "These women were made to work part-time as domestic helpers for multiple employers, earning between RM70 and RM120 per day. "However, the wages were collected entirely by the agency without the victims' knowledge or consent," he said. He added that the victims were tightly controlled, with their passports held by the agency and their phones confiscated by the caretakers, only returned when deemed necessary. The operation also adopted a victim-identification approach based on the National Guideline on Human Trafficking Indicators 2.0 to detect elements of forced labour, particularly among vulnerable groups. Ismail said investigations are now underway under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007, which carries penalties of up to 30 years in prison, life imprisonment, and whipping upon conviction. "The public is urged to continue channeling information about the exploitation of foreign nationals to the Immigration Department so immediate and firm action can be taken," he said.
Hindustan Times
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Karachi university student disappears, 3 bodies found amid ongoing abuses in Balochistan
Three bodies were discovered in separate incidents in Panjgur and Khuzdar districts, while a University of Karachi student was reportedly forcibly disappeared in Turbat, according to a report by The Balochistan Post. In Panjgur, the body of Zafarullah, son of Ismail and a resident of Tasp, was discovered in the Rakshan seasonal stream, which runs between Bonistan and Tasp. Zafarullah had been missing since June 4. His body was found days later, sparking suspicions of foul play, though no official cause of death has been determined, TBP reported. In separate events, two unidentified bodies were discovered in the Khuzdar district's Gresha and Rangu areas. According to local sources, both victims appeared to have been fatally shot. The motive for the killings remains unknown, according to the TBP report. READ | What is Brigade 313? Al-Qaeda-linked group in focus after Pakistan senator's Sky News interview Meanwhile, reports of the enforced disappearance of a University of Karachi student in Turbat,Extra Ketch district, have emerged. Pakistani security agents seized Uzair Saleem, son of Saleem Essa, in Turbat's Zor Bazaar region. He has now gone missing. Uzair was taken into custody while visiting his hometown during the university's break, according to a TBP report. Human rights organisations and activists have long expressed concern about the ongoing epidemic of enforced disappearances in Balochistan. Students, teachers, journalists, and political workers are routinely targeted, with many abducted without formal charges or judicial proceedings, according to the TBP report. Despite repeated assurances from the authorities, Balochistan's security situation remains dismal. Local inhabitants and civil society contend that the government's control over the region is almost non-existent in numerous locations, despite official assertions of stability, according to TBP. The Baloch people have faced systematic oppression and torture through the misuse of several laws, particularly in regions like Pakistan's Balochistan. Laws such as the Anti-Terrorism Act and special security ordinances have been used to justify arbitrary arrests, prolonged detention without trial, and denial of basic legal rights. Under these laws, security forces often operate with broad powers and legal immunity, leading to widespread reports of enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and torture, including physical and psychological abuse. Military courts and special tribunals frequently try Baloch activists without fair trial standards, further denying them justice. Additionally, media censorship laws suppress Baloch voices and conceal these abuses from the public, perpetuating a cycle of violence and impunity against the Baloch people.
