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JOHOR BAHRU — The tragedy in Gerik, Perak, that gripped the nation on Mother’s Day last year appeared to repeat itself today when a baby elephant was struck and killed by a vehicle, while its mother refused to leave the carcass for seven hours along Jalan Felda Nitar in Mersing early this morning.

According to a video that went viral on social media, the female elephant was seen refusing to leave her dead calf after it was struck by a Perodua Bezza in the 2.28 am incident.

A spokesman for the Johor Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan), who confirmed the incident, said the department received a report at about 8.30 am before dispatching four personnel to the scene to conduct preliminary investigations.

He said that upon arriving at the scene, officers found that a female elephant calf, estimated to be five years old, had died after being hit by a vehicle, while an adult elephant believed to be her mother was still at the scene.

“Investigations also found that the elephant herd was identified as belonging to the Jamaluang-Mersing ID group. 

“The elephant calf was identified as a female measuring about 150 centimetres in body length, with no tusks, a front footprint width of 11 inches and a rear footprint width of 14 centimetres,” he said.

The Fire and Rescue Department said a 31-year-old man was trapped and suffered leg injuries after the car he was driving crashed into the elephant calf and plunged into a five-metre-deep ravine.

The Perhilitan spokesman said the Elephant Capture Unit from the Johor Elephant Sanctuary also assisted in driving the mother elephant back into the forest, while the calf’s carcass was later buried nearby.

He said the department would conduct patrols tonight and tomorrow to ensure the safety of the mother elephant and prevent her from returning to the accident site.

Warning signs indicating an elephant crossing had previously been installed in the area, he added.

He advised the public to exercise caution when travelling through the area as it is quite dark and serves as an elephant crossing.

In the Gerik incident on May 11 last year, a baby elephant became trapped beneath a container lorry after being hit, while an adult elephant believed to be its mother was seen trying to push the lorry in an apparent attempt to save her calf. The incident went viral on social media and drew widespread public attention to the issue of human-elephant conflict. — BERNAMA

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SHAH ALAM — The Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, has expressed his appreciation to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for proceeding with the Shah Alam Line LRT3 project, which began operations on Monday.

His Royal Highness also expressed gratitude that Anwar, after assuming office as Prime Minister and Finance Minister in 2022, reinstated five stations that had previously been cancelled and proposed the development of affordable housing near LRT3 stations to enhance public convenience.

“He also directed that there should be no further obstacles from any party in relation to this project. I thank and commend Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim,” the Sultan said in a statement issued today.

Sultan Sharafuddin said the successful completion of the Shah Alam Line LRT3, despite numerous challenges, would greatly benefit the people of Selangor, particularly those living in Shah Alam, Klang and surrounding areas.

His Royal Highness said the idea for the LRT3 project stemmed from complaints received from the public, especially housewives who often spoke of their husbands’ difficulty getting home on time because of severe traffic congestion. 

The Sultan also expressed his appreciation to former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak for heeding his call to build a rail link connecting Klang, Shah Alam and Kuala Lumpur.

His Royal Highness said Klang had only two bridges spanning the Klang River at the time, worsening peak-hour congestion, prompting Najib’s administration to abolish the Batu Tiga and Sungai Rasau toll plazas in 2018 as an immediate traffic relief measure.

The Sultan said the LRT3 project was delayed for more than 18 months following the change of government in 2018, before facing a further 19-month setback due to the COVID-19 pandemic until 2021.

During that period, His Royal Highness said, station sizes were reduced, the number of train coaches cut and five proposed stations along the alignment were cancelled.

Sultan Sharafuddin stressed that the LRT3 was never intended as a mega project for prestige, but as an essential initiative to serve the interests and well-being of the people. 

Sultan Sharafuddin expressed hope that the new line would help reduce traffic congestion while providing a faster, more comfortable and safer transport option, especially for commuters travelling between Klang, Shah Alam and Kuala Lumpur.

His Royal Highness also expressed hope that Prasarana Malaysia Bhd (Prasarana) would ensure continuous maintenance of the line so that services remain smooth and efficient.

At the same time, the Sultan stressed that the successful completion of the LRT3 should not be attributed to any single individual or party.

“I do not want anyone to claim that the successful implementation of the LRT3 is solely the result of their efforts. In reality, this project is the product of continuity in planning, commitment and cooperation across several administrations for the benefit of the people of Selangor,” Sultan Sharafuddin said.

His Royal Highness expressed hope that the LRT3 would spur economic development, improve the people’s quality of life and strengthen connectivity between Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, Shah Alam and Klang as key centres of national growth. — BERNAMA

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by AZALEA AZUAR

PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (picture) said the National Education Council will spearhead bold and meaningful reforms to ensure Malaysia’s education system remains relevant and capable of meeting future demands.

Anwar chaired the first National Education Council meeting of 2026 to review the direction of the country’s education system, covering both school and higher education.

He said discussions focused on improving the quality of education at the district level, strengthening the Bumiputera education agenda and developing a stronger pipeline of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) talent to meet the country’s future needs.

“I stressed that the National Education Council was established not merely to make adjustments, but to drive bold and meaningful change so that our education system remains relevant to the demands of the times, including improvements to content and the curriculum, while strengthening proficiency in English as a second language without neglecting the values, culture, national language and moral principles that form the foundation of Malaysia Madani,” Anwar said in a Facebook post yesterday.

He added that Malaysia’s education system must be assessed objectively, guided by the views and expertise of various stakeholders, to ensure every step taken effectively prepares future generations.

Anwar said a culture of complacency with the existing education system must not hinder progress, stressing the need to embrace change, undertake bold reforms and continue raising the quality of national education.

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KUALA LUMPUR — The RM100 MADANI Book Voucher Programme 2026, available for redemption from today, has been well-received by secondary school students, who said it eases their families’ financial burden in acquiring reading materials, especially exam reference books, and promotes a reading culture.

A Bernama survey found the vouchers will be utilised to purchase items based on individual needs, ranging from academic reference books to novels, motivational books, and religious materials.

For Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Taman Seri Gombak Form Five student Nurul Asyikin Mohd Nizam, 17, the voucher brought relief as she had to delay buying reference books due to financial constraints.

“Reference books can be expensive, so I usually borrow them from the school library or photocopy my friends’ books. With this voucher, I can buy my own reference books for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination and save my parents’ allowance,” she told Bernama.

Meanwhile, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Hillcrest Form One student, R. Thivagar, 13, said he only found out about the MADANI Book Voucher today and plans to use it soon. 

“I will ask my parents to help me buy books for my studies using the voucher before it expires,” he said.

Thivagar said although digital reading materials are more accessible, the experience of reading physical books still has its own unique appeal.

For Form Four student Mohamad Annaim Anuar, 16, of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Sungai Kertas, the MADANI Book Voucher is an initiative he looks forward to each year because it helps him access reading materials.

“I have been waiting for this book voucher because every year I use it to buy textbooks, motivational books, religious books, and novels,” said the school library prefect, who learned about the voucher redemption from a friend.

He previously used the voucher online via the BookCapital platform when the initiative was introduced in 2024, describing the redemption process as straightforward, though it required some planning to fully use the RM100 value. 

“The purchasing process on BookCapital is easy, but sometimes the books we want are sold by different vendors. We have to plan purchases carefully to maximise the full voucher value,” he said.

The MADANI Book Voucher is an initiative by the MADANI Government, through the Ministry of Education (MOE), offering an RM100 e-voucher to eligible secondary school students under the ministry for the purchase of reading materials via the DELIMa BookCapital portal.

Every recipient is required to purchase at least one book from the ‘Judul Khas Baucar Buku MADANI 2026’  category before the remaining balance of the e-voucher can be used to buy other reading materials.

The voucher can be redeemed until Oct 31 via the BookCapital platform, which offers a wide selection of reading materials from local publishers. — BERNAMA

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MUAR — Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi (picture) has dismissed claims that development in the state is uneven and has forced residents to migrate elsewhere, stressing that development across all districts is guided by a comprehensive plan.

Onn Hafiz, who is also Johor Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman, explained that under the Johor Economic Transformation Plan (JETP), the state’s development framework is planned comprehensively, with strategic emphasis placed on equitably addressing the unique socioeconomic priorities of each district.

He said Johor’s steadily growing macroeconomic performance is being translated into welfare assistance to ensure that all members of the Bangsa Johor community benefit from the state’s prosperity.

“In terms of the development of every district, we have the JETP, which provides for a more comprehensive approach whereby each district has its own development focus.

“I am confident that as Johoreans witness the state’s economy continuing to grow, the benefits of that economic growth are genuinely being felt by Bangsa Johor, particularly through the Kasih Johor assistance initiative. Therefore, the claims being propagated by certain parties are simply untrue,” he told reporters after attending a community engagement programme in Parit Raja here today.

Also present was BN candidate for the Maharani state seat, Datuk Ashari Md Sarip.

Apart from the JETP development framework, Onn Hafiz said development momentum in the state’s northern region is also being strengthened through high-impact industrial zones, including the Maharani Energy Gateway energy hub.

The implementation of the mega project is expected to create new business value chains and generate extensive employment opportunities, thereby boosting the domestic economy and reducing the outflow of the local workforce.

Commenting on the progress of the BN campaign machinery after more than a week of campaigning for the Johor polls, Onn Hafiz, who is also contesting the Machap state seat, expressed gratitude that the campaign had been proceeding smoothly and for the positive response received from residents in the Muar district.

He also called on the entire coalition campaign machinery to maintain its positive momentum and to continue conducting a healthy and professional campaign in the lead-up to polling day. — BERNAMA

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