The Star Online: Metro: South & East
The Star Online: Metro: South & East |
| Posted: 11 Aug 2011 06:58 PM PDT MALACCA: Farmer Saad Madom is facing a bleak festive season as a poor irrigation system had caused his rice fields at Pulau Gadong to dry up. The irrigation ducts that were supposed to channel water from a nearby river to his two-hectare field has been dislodged for more than two months. Checks showed that the ducts were detached and it has caused water to flow elsewhere instead of the farms every time when the pump is running. The 69-year-old farmer said his field located about 200meters away from the main duct had not been properly irrigated for months and could only rely on charity from other farmers and the rain. "My crops are malnourished. "They are yellow and some are drying, compared to the lush green ones nearby that have gotten enough water. "I was hoping that the money from the harvest would allow me to celebrate Raya with my relatives but instead I have to see my fields wither,he said when met recently." Saad, who has been farming for more than 40 years, said his fields are capable of producing 12 tonnes of padi per season. At the selling price of RM1,400 per tonne, he expected his loss at about RM17,000 provided that his fields are irrigated in time to salvage his crops. Another farmer Lee Leong Guan and his twin brother Leong Sin said their 40ha plots are also affected and they expected the fields to totally dry up in two month's time. In November last year, the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministryhad allocated RM6mil to develop irrigation in padi cultivation areas involving some 400ha of fields in Kampung Setulang Daeng, Kampung Bukit Rambai, Kampung Pinang and Kampung Batang Tiga in Tangga Batu. "Padi yield in the areas would be increased to six tonnes per hectare from the current 2.5 tonnes with better irrigation system in place," said Agricultural and Agro-based Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar after opening a new pump house at Kampung Setulang Daeng in Pulau Gadong. Leong Guan said it was not the first time the irrigation ducts hereface problems and the state Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) were slowin addressing them. "The ad-hoc measures are not sufficient to solve the irrigation system issue once and for all," he said. Leong Guan suggested that DID should shift the ducts underground and monitor work oftheir sub-contractors. Another farmer, Tan Su Wei, 60, said valves should be fitted on several sections of the ducts so that they could control the water flow. Several farmers also alleged that they did not receive the diesel subsidy from the authority to run the pump house, that one of them had to fork out RM5,000 on diesel in the last season to pump water to his fields. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search. |
| Posted: 11 Aug 2011 06:56 PM PDT JOHOR BARU: Cleanliness on the streets and transparency are on top the city's new mayor Burhan Amin priority list. Other than carrying on the work of his predecessor, Burhan said he would continue with the council's 3K programme, which was to clean-up and beautify the city. "Although the city's upkeeping is currently managed by Southern Waste Management Sdn Bhd (SWM), the council will work closely with the company on ways to further improve cleanliness. "Other than focussing on the city's image, I aim to beef up the council's services as well as reducing bureaucracy on MBJB's related matters." Burhan pledged on this after being sworn-in as the new mayor by Johor Local Government, Housing, Arts, Culture and Heritage committee chairman Datuk Ahmad Zahri Jamil, who represented Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman here recently. Ahmad Zahri congratulated Burhan on his promotion and said that he was confident that he would carry out his duty in an honourable manner. Burhan, 56, added that he would also put more effort into promoting green living so that the people would practice the 'reduce, reuse and recycle' culture. "I believe this can help lessen costs to manage domestic waste as well as costs to open up land to be used as landfills. "The city is the main gateway in the south and I am confident we can improve the city's image to that of a world class standard," said the father of three. Johor Baru's new mayor who hails from Simpang Renggam, took over from Mohd Jaafar Awang who retired after serving the MBJB for one year and 22 days. Before his appointment as mayor, Burhan was a district officer in Segamat and Pontian. He also held the post of Johor Baru Central Municipal Council (MPJBT) president for three years. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search. |
| Posted: 11 Aug 2011 06:54 PM PDT ALOR GAJAH: Some 100 guests were treated with an Arabian-styled breaking fast session at the A Famosa Resort here, recently. Twenty children from the Down Syndrome Association of Malaysia were also feted as special guests at the event. Guests were served middle-eastern dishes like Tabouleh Salad, Sherba Adas Soup, Lamb Kabsah and Syrian Atayef Pancake. Dazzling purple and gold furnishings, drapes and decorations made the dimly-lit Bedouin tents with cushions and pillows, more livelier. Apart from the Arabian inspired food, guests were entertained bysensuous Arabic songs and comforting live flute pieces while dining. The guests also had the opportunity to watch Arabic films on the bigscreen under a literally starry night. Some of the guests even deliberately arrived in classic Arabian outfits. A few Korean tourists who attended the event also had the opportunity to have their hands painted with Arabic designs of Henna tattoos. Two big camels were brought in for the event and these dromedarieswere star-attraction during the event while life-sized camel figurine completed the colourful stage. Guests then broke fast together in the mystic and intriguingsurrounding filled with the graceful Arabian culture. Fatimah Abdullah, a teacher from the Down Syndrome Association of Malaysia said the special children from Kuala Lumpur were excited to break fast in Malacca. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search. |
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