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Borneo Post
15 hours ago
- Business
- Borneo Post
Chinese medium secondary schools receive RM10 mln annual grant from Sarawak government
Abang Johari (right) presents the RM10 million cheque to Lau. Also seen are Dr Sim (second right) and Wee. KUCHING (June 20): The Sarawak United Association of Private Chinese Secondary School Management Board (Sha Dong Zong) received an RM10 million grant from the Sarawak government today. The annual funding is for the 14 Chinese independent secondary schools in the state. Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg presented the cheque to association board members here today. Association chairman Temenggong Dato Vincent Lau Lee Ming pointed out Chinese independent secondary schools have received such grants annually since 2014, when the late Pehin Sri Adenan Satem was chief minister. The initial RM3 million grant increased yearly until five years ago when the association started to receive RM10 million each year. 'Over the past decade, the total cumulative funding has reached RM92 million. This long-term commitment has significantly alleviated the financial burden on school boards and provided a stable foundation for the sustainable development of all 14 Chinese independent secondary schools across Sarawak,' he said. Lau pointed out that the schools depended very much on public donations as they do not come under the Education Ministry. He thanked Abang Johari and the Sarawak government for their steadfast support. 'The continued allocation reflects the government's strong recognition of and commitment to the multi-stream education system in Sarawak, and serves as a testament to the enduring contributions and academic achievements of the Chinese independent school sector,' he stressed. 'In Chinese tradition, it is often said: 'To govern the nation well, one must first cultivate talent; and to cultivate talent, education must come first.' The Premier reaffirmed that enhancing the quality of local education remains a central pillar in Sarawak's strategic vision to become a high-income region by 2030.' Lau noted that the recently announced '2026 Free Higher Education Scheme for Outstanding Students' will also cover Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) candidates, reinforcing the Sarawak government's policy direction of nurturing home-grown talent. In alignment with the Premier's 'Third Language Policy', he said Chinese independent schools will continue to enhance their trilingual education model of Mandarin, Malay, and English, while actively advancing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. Among those present were Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian and Sha Dong Zong deputy chairman Datuk Richard Wee.
The Star
15 hours ago
- The Star
Johor cops nab six, bust drug syndicate using drink packets as cover
JOHOR BARU: Police have busted a drug syndicate with the arrest of six suspects, including two foreigners, and the seizure of various drugs worth RM1.28mil. Johor Baru South OCPD Asst Comm Raub Selamat said the suspects, four local men, a Singaporean man and a Thai woman, were arrested in a series of raids between June 12 and 13. 'They repackaged the drugs into three-in-one juice or coffee sachets, which were then sold locally for RM150 to RM300 per packet, mostly to acquaintances. 'The syndicate is believed to have been active since April this year and had been renting apartments to carry out their operations. 'They would stay at one place for a short period before moving to another location to avoid detection,' he told a press conference at the Johor Baru South police headquarters. ACP Raub said a 31-year-old local man, believed to be the mastermind, was among those arrested. 'Among the drugs seized were 7.67kg of ecstasy powder, 13.60g of ketamine and 8g of Erimin 5 pills. 'The drugs, worth about RM1.28mil, could have fed the addiction of over 2,000 users,' he said. He added that two vehicles, RM3,000 in cash and jewellery worth RM8,365 were also seized, bringing the total value of items seized to more than RM1.48mil. 'Urine tests showed all suspects were positive for methamphetamine, while two of the local men had prior drug and criminal records,' he said, adding that the suspects, all believed to be friends, were aged between 30 and 39 years old. All suspects have been remanded for 12 days from June 13 to 24 to facilitate investigations under Section 39B and Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
Borneo Post
18 hours ago
- Business
- Borneo Post
Putrajaya asked to exempt imported fruits, food from expanded SST
The expanded SST will cover imported fruits and food including fish, apples, cereals, and dairy products. — Photo by Viktoria Slowikowska/Pexels KUCHING (June 20): Putrajaya has been asked to exclude daily essential imported fruits and food from the expanded Sales and Service Tax (SST) effective next month. In making the appeal, social activist Voon Shiak Ni said the SST rate had already increased to 8 per cent, from 6 per cent, on March 1 last year. She said the people are concerned about the implementation of the expanded SST as most essential goods will see a price hike. 'The expanded SST will cover imported fruits and food including fish as well as imported fruits like apples, cereals, and dairy products. 'Most of the goods affected are essential fruits and food for children and also the elderly, as they are essential food for their health,' she said in a statement today. Voon opined apples and cereals should not be considered luxury food items because they are essential for families, young and old alike. According to her, an apple costs more than RM3 now and the expanded SST, once implemented, will further increase the price, making apples unaffordable to most families. 'This is not something positive for the people,' she said. While Malaysians understand that the government needs to generate more revenue to reduce the budget deficit through the expanded SST, she said they hoped their well-being and welfare would be considered. This is especially so when the country's economy this year is projected to be affected by the global economic slowdown, she said. Voon appealed to the federal government to be more sensitive to the people's needs and not burden them with more taxes and further increasing the cost of living. 'Despite the argument that the implementation of expanded SST will not significantly affect the low- and middle-income groups, the reality is that the levying of any form of taxes, even targeted taxes, will affect everyone due to the domino effect in pricing,' she claimed. Set to take effect on July 1, the expanded SST will impose a 5 to 10 per cent sales tax on selected non-essential goods and broaden the service tax to include services such as rental or leasing, construction, finance, private healthcare, education, and beauty. expanded SST lead Voon Shiak Ni
New Straits Times
20 hours ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Binastra building strong future with expanding project pipeline
KUALA LUMPUR: Binastra Corp Bhd is expected to achieve stronger earnings in the coming quarters as more projects progress along the S-curve, said RHB Research. The firm remains optimistic about the company's prospects, projecting a three-year compound annual growth rate of 132 per cent for its financial year 2025 (FY25) to FY28 earnings. "This is largely in tandem with its anticipated order book growth, backed by the expansion of its key clients beyond the Klang Valley," it said in a note. Binastra Corp has secured RM977 million in new jobs year-to-date for FY26, against the firm's internal job win target of RM4 billion (FY25 job replenishment of RM3.1 billion). "We envisage the remaining approximately RM3 billion that Binastra needs to secure (to hit the RM4 billion new job win target for FY26) to partly come from five mixed-development projects awarded by its key clients." Based on RHB Research's estimates, there could be another circa RM500 million in potential jobs on the remaining two plots of land at Jalan Kebun Teh. Exsim Development Bhd also has several other land parcels in Johor Bahru near New York Hotel and at Jalan Lumba Kuda, which could yield a cumulative gross development value of over RM3 billion, or a potential construction value exceeding RM1.5 billion, it said. Binastra Corp recorded a first quarter FY26 core profit of RM25.1 million, meeting 19 per cent of RHB Research's and the street's full-year projections. "No changes to our earnings estimates as we deem results to be in line with our expectations. Therefore, we maintain our 'buy' call on the stock, and our target price of RM2.64 remains," it added.
Rakyat Post
a day ago
- Automotive
- Rakyat Post
Bus Drivers Can Work Up To 28 Days A Month Due To Driver Shortage & Low Pay
Subscribe to our FREE Due to recent bus crashes like the one in Gerik, there have been questions whether bus drivers also get adequate rest. Currently, most bus drivers earn a basic monthly salary of RM1,700 and have to largely depend on travel allowances and overtime work to supplement their income. On average, bus drivers can earn between RM3,000 and RM5,000 a month. The allowances and overtime pay would vary between companies. According to the Although they are given breaks of up to six hours before the next trip to ensure they have enough rest, most will opt to work overtime to boost their income and make ends meet. For illustration purposes. Image: Malay Mail Bumiputera Bus Operators Association (PPBBM) chairman Zainal Abidin Mehat said bus drivers typically work 20 days a month with 10 days off. However, to boost their income, some drivers could work up to 28 days, including their off days, if they agree to it. He reiterated that the drivers do so with mutual consent between the company and the driver. The problem is further exacerbated due to the lack of qualified drivers to make the roster tenable. He added most companies do not set a fixed number of trips per day for drivers and ensure their drivers have enough rest between journeys. He said there's no issue of drivers being overworked because proper rest is prioritised. If the driver doesn't get enough rest before the start of the next trip, another driver will be assigned from the depot. However, some people wondered how are bus drivers still losing out with low pay despite there being a high demand in the industry. Others hoped bus companies would train more bus drivers and the authorities would find a way to manage the longstanding issue for passengers' safety. Supply sikit, demand tinggi. Tapi, somehow gaji masih rendah. — kassim babe (@haze_yii) TRAIN MORE PEOPLE. But transport companies want money to go into their pockets instead. No matter if people die. — SleepingSophie (@Alltheblablas) income beratus ribu eh bayar min wages. no wonder ramai lari SG — Iwaaann | イワン (@iwaaaaannn) Fact! It's the biggest lorry concerning truck and lorry drivers. They need the money to raise their families and companies are happy with long hours because can profit more. How is the government and the relevant authorities going to tackle this problem w rising costs of living. — Rachel Helu Chang (@Lesieliplv) The vicious cycle: Driver shortage -> Overwork -> Fatigue & Carelessness ->Accidents -> Reputation damage -> Driver quit ->back to driver shortage. — Hazwan Halim (@HazwanHalimsan) Share your thoughts with us via TRP's . Get more stories like this to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter.
