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KUALA LUMPUR — The Works Ministry will consider a proposal to introduce special accreditation for contractors as a measure to monitor and enhance the quality of road pavement works, ensuring that construction is of higher quality, more durable and meets its intended service life.

Deputy Works Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Maslan (picture) said that at present, road construction and maintenance projects undertaken by the Public Works Department (JKR) are closely supervised by competent project teams in accordance with established specifications and standards.

He added that appointed contractors are also responsible for ensuring that all works are carried out in compliance with the required quality standards.

He said that to date, measures such as forfeiture of bond rights, payment deductions, refund adjustments and blacklisting from government tenders have been imposed on contractors who fail to meet the required standards.

“However, the ministry has no objections and is ready to consider a proposal for special accreditation to ensure that pavement works are of better quality and more durable,” he said during a question-and-answer session at the Dewan Rakyat today.

Ahmad was responding to a question from Datuk Mohd Suhaimi Abdullah (PN-Langkawi) on the government’s willingness to consider special accreditation for contractors, as well as efforts to adopt advanced technology to improve the quality and lifespan of road pavements and accommodate heavy traffic loads. — BERNAMA

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PORT KLANG — The Selangor Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) detained 55 foreign nationals, including an infant, believed to be attempting to illegally enter and leave the country in two separate boats in the waters of Bagan Nakhoda Omar, Sabak Bernam, early yesterday.

Its director Maritime Captain Abdul Muhaimin Muhammad Salleh (picture) said an unregistered fiberglass boat was intercepted at 12.30 am on Jan 26, about 1.5 nautical miles southwest of Bagan Nakhoda Omar. It was attempting to enter Malaysia from Tanjung Balai, Indonesia.

“Inspection revealed that it was operated by a 36-year-old Myanmar skipper. A total of 26 Indonesian nationals were on board, comprising 17 men, nine women, and a child, aged between five and 53.

“In addition, two local men aged 46 and 49 were also on the boat and are believed to have exited and are attempting to re-enter the country via illegal routes,” he told a press conference at the Selangor MMEA headquarters here today.

The second boat was intercepted around 2 am, about two nautical miles southwest of the same area, involving a pom-pom boat attempting to leave the country. 

He said the boat was operated by a skipper and two crew members, all Indonesians aged between 22 and 32. Further inspection found 24 illegal immigrants on board, 19 men and five women aged between 22 and 64, as well as a three-month-old baby.

“All those detained failed to produce valid identification documents. The illegal immigrants and the seized boats were escorted to the marine police jetty in Pulau Indah for further action.

“The case is being investigated under the Immigration Act 1953/63 for entering and leaving the country via non-gazetted routes, and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act (ATIPSOM) 2007 for attempting to smuggle in illegal immigrants,” he said.

Abdul Muhaimin said each individual aboard the boats was believed to have been charged between RM1,500 and RM2,500, depending on gender and drop-off location.

In a related development, he said since the beginning of the year, Selangor MMEA has detained more than 100 suspects, most of whom are illegal immigrants, indicating an increasing trend of boats attempting to cross the country’s maritime borders. 

He said the increase may be linked to preparations for the upcoming Ramadan and Aidilfitri celebrations.

“Enforcement operations will therefore be intensified, and the media is urged to help convey this message to the public.

“MMEA will not compromise with anyone involved in cross-border crimes and will continue to step up operations in Malaysian waters,” he said.

He also urged the public to channel information on maritime criminal activities to the Selangor MMEA operations centre at 013-6606652 or via the emergency hotline 999 for immediate action. — BERNAMA

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GEORGE TOWN — The Penang Hindu Association (PHA) has expressed concern over the sudden increase in prices of essential food items ahead of Thaipusam and the Chinese New Year, following complaints from consumers preparing for the festive season. 

Its president Datuk P. Murugiah said the association had received numerous reports of rising vegetable and essential goods prices, prompting a survey on Jan 26 at several retail shops and wet markets in Penang. 

He said the survey found that prices for 15 key items had risen between 14 per cent and 100 per cent in just over a month. 

According to the data, the price of tomatoes doubled from RM2.50 per kilogramme in December 2025 to RM5 per kg this month, while mangoes rose from RM5 to RM10 per kg. 

Other items such as ginger and brinjal saw increases of 87.5 per cent and 71.4 per cent respectively, while lady’s fingers, cauliflower and long beans recorded hikes of between 40 and 50 per cent. 

Murugiah noted that the price surge comes at a critical time, as devotees observing a vegetarian diet prior to Thaipusam are more affected, especially with more than 100 stalls along Western Road expected to provide free vegetarian meals to the public. 

He added that devotees and organisers involved in food distribution have been financially burdened by the sharp rise in vegetable prices. 

PHA also highlighted complaints from housewives regarding price differences between wet markets and retail shops, noting that many wet market stalls did not display price tags and weighing scales were often not visible to consumers. 

Murugiah urged the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry as well as the Prime Minister’s Department to investigate the matter and take action against unethical practices by retailers. 

He also called for stricter enforcement to ensure ceiling price policies are implemented, particularly during festive seasons, and suggested regular monitoring to prevent arbitrary price hikes aimed at higher profits. 

In addition, he said authorities should address frequent shortages of subsidised one-kg packets of cooking oil, stressing the need for random checks on retailers and wholesalers. — BERNAMA

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KUALA LUMPUR — The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) has busted a ketum juice processing and packaging operation with the arrest of six individuals during a raid at a residential premises in Rawang, Selangor, last Thursday.

Gombak police chief ACP Noor Ariffin Mohamad Nasir said that in the raid, conducted by the Narcotics Criminal Investigation Division (NCID) of the Gombak district police headquarters (IPD), police also seized 1,215.6 litres of ketum juice.

“Also seized were 20 kilogrammes of ketum leaves, as well as various processing equipment valued at RM21,060, believed to be intended for distribution around the Klang Valley.

“In addition, police also seized a Toyota Hiace vehicle which was parked in front of the premises,” he said in a statement today.

Noor Ariffin said checks found that all six suspects – a local man, three foreign men and two foreign women, aged between 21 and 38 – had no previous criminal records, while initial urine screening results were negative.

All suspects have been remanded for seven days until Jan 29 to assist in investigations under Section 30(3) of the Poisons Act 1952.

He also called on the public to continue providing information related to criminal activities to assist police in the ongoing crackdown. — BERNAMA

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PUTRAJAYA — The Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (MITRA), previously under the Prime Minister’s Department (JPM), has now been transferred to the Human Resource Ministry (KESUMA).

Human Resource Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan (picture) said the Cabinet had recently approved the transfer.

“I would like to express my gratitude to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the Cabinet for entrusting KESUMA with this important responsibility.

“KESUMA will carry out this responsibility to the best of its ability,” he said at the signing and handover ceremony for the Dharma MADANI KESUMA programme notification letters here today.

According to KESUMA, the transfer aims to ensure that the planning, implementation and monitoring of initiatives for the Malaysian Indian community are conducted in a more organised, integrated and effective manner, in line with the country’s human capital development framework under the MADANI Government. 

MITRA, originally known as the Socioeconomic Development of the Indian Community (SEDIC), is a special unit addressing the aspect of socio-economic development of Indian community in Malaysia.

Among the major tasks of MITRA is to identify current issues and challenges affecting the Indian community, implement socio-economic development initiatives and coordinate cooperation between the government and the private sector towards the development of the Indian community in general.

Ramanan told a press conference later that no conflict would arise from placing MITRA under KESUMA, provided governance and regulatory requirements are observed.

“We will follow through on the programmes we plan to implement as well as those already announced. As long as proper governance is observed and programme conditions are met, there will be no conflicts. I can assure you of that,” he said.

At the ceremony, Ramanan handed over the first phase of the Dharma MADANI Programme assistance to 155 temples, with each receiving RM20,000, totalling RM3.1 million. — BERNAMA

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KUALA LUMPUR — A total of 1,131 domestic violence advocacy programmes were conducted last year, involving 154,241 participants nationwide, said Women, Family, and Community Development, Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri (picture).

She said the advocacy programmes included the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (EVAW) commemorated annually on Nov 25, aimed at raising awareness on violence against women and domestic violence

Nancy emphasised that the ministry (KPWKM) is committed to addressing domestic violence through a comprehensive approach, collaborating with various agencies and community sectors.

“The EVAW campaign is also being implemented at the state level through the Santuni Kasih@KRT initiative, as a holistic effort to increase public awareness of this issue.

“In 2025, 126 programmes were carried out, with over 80,000 participants across the country,” she said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today, 

Nancy said this in reply to a question from Teresa Kok Suh Sim (PH-Seputeh) regarding the government’s plans for anti-domestic violence awareness campaigns, following a study that found 53.35 per cent of Malaysians consider domestic violence a normal reaction to daily stress.

She also highlighted that KPWKM, through the Department of Women Development (JPW), has introduced various support programmes, including counselling services and psycho-educational initiatives.

These programmes include the Aku Wanita@KRT programme, which raises awareness and supports women affected by domestic violence, the programme to Enhance Women’s Resilience and Psychology (Matahari) helps build emotional strength, while the Legal Literacy and Women’s Rights Programme (IRIS) empowers women with knowledge of their legal rights.

JPW has also established the Waja Squad, a volunteer team  at the community level aimed at empowering the public through psychosocial guidance and raising awareness about crime and violence against women.

In response to a supplementary question about inter-agency collaboration, Nancy said the Advocacy and Capacity Development Working Committee (JKAPK) under the Domestic Violence Committee (JKRT) plays an essential role in coordinating information and statistics on domestic violence cases, as well as connecting government agencies with the relevant bodies.

She further added that the ministry has implemented a comprehensive approach to address the post-trauma cycle resulting from domestic violence.

This includes running advocacy programmes at educational institutions and schools, with over 300 schools targeted annually. — BERNAMA

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