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Sungai Besi Eco Park to open in October

Sungai Besi Eco Park to open in October

The Sungai Besi Eco Park (TERSB), which is set to become a Klang Valley destination for recreational and tourism activities, is scheduled to open in October

Located within the Sungai Besi Forest Reserve, it is 70 per cent ready with the focus now on the development of an arboretum which will be planted with native trees – including fruit trees -- herbs, orchids and more to make TERSB a learning centre.

“TERSB is a lowland dipterocarp forest that has continued to exist in a concrete jungle. It still holds importance for its biological diversity and for continuing to support a variety of flora and fauna,” Federal Territory Forestry director, Mohd Hafiz Hamzah, told Bernama.

He said that academics and students can use it for forest research because it has a collection of flora that is unique but threatened because of its location in Kuala Lumpur.

Mohd Hafiz said the building of an entry road, parking lot, public toilets and other public conveniences are already in progress.

There are currently 117 eco parks in the country being managed by the Peninsular Malaysia Forestry Department.

-- BERNAMA

Booking Grab ride in Malaysia? Submit selfie first

Booking Grab ride in Malaysia? Submit selfie first



All Grab users in Malaysia will soon have to do a one-time selfie verification in order to use the app in the country. This is to fulfil regulatory requirements.

It will be similar to what new Grab users in Singapore are already doing, and a company spokesman said yesterday that Singaporeans would also have to comply with the Malaysian rule when using the app across the Causeway.

Grab, through an announcement on its Malaysian app and its website, informed users recently that the compulsory measure will be in place by July 12.

The website message read: "The selfie is for identity verification, safety, and may be used to assist the authorities when required. Grab ensures that your selfie and identity are secure and will not be shared with our driver-partners and merchants."

Grab added that explicit permission would be sought before any access to users' cameras.

Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke had last July announced that, as part of new rules, passengers would have to upload valid identification card or passport details when they register for a ride-hailing account. He gave a year's grace to meet the requirements.

Grab adopted facial recognition technology to meet the new rule, with first-time users required to submit a selfie of themselves before booking a ride.

The Star daily reported that the new requirement has already helped solve a robbery-cum-murder case involving a Grab driver. Two suspects were nabbed in connection with the death of Mr Mohd Hanafiee Jaafar, who was robbed and killed on the job last month.

The incident resulted in drivers fearing post-midnight trips and avoiding areas deemed dangerous, The Star said.

Within Singapore, Grab users who signed up before February this year did not have to go through selfie verification, with their identities verified by either their Facebook account or credit card details.

But new users signing up from February have had to submit selfies to successfully open their accounts.

The Grab spokesman said: "These are part of our ongoing efforts to ensure high safety and security standards on our platform for both our customers and driver-partners."

Singaporeans who use Grab during trips to Malaysia told ST that they did not mind submitting a selfie so long as it was used solely for verification purposes.

Ms Wong Shi Hui, 25, who works in events management and visits Malaysia every three months, said: "It is good that measures are in place to protect drivers as well. Selfies seem harmless enough if they can ensure a safe ride for everyone."

~The Straits Times~

New VMY 2020 logo to be unveiled this month

New VMY 2020 logo to be unveiled this month

The logo for Visit Malaysia 2020 will be unveiled during the national-level Hari Raya open house at the Royal Museum in Kuala Lumpur on June 22.

“The Prime Minister himself chose the logo on the eve of Hari Raya.

“The theme and logo will be unveiled then,” Deputy Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik said during his Hari Raya open house at SMK Pondok Upeh here yesterday.

A total of 586 entries were submitted for a design competition in March.

The design will also symbolise the various attractive ecotourism products in Malaysia.

Early last year, the Visit Malaysia 2020 logo did not go down well with social media users, as they generally felt that the design was not up to standard.

The emblem featured a cartoon of an orang utan in sunglasses hugging a proboscis monkey, a silhouette of the Petronas Twin Towers and a turtle on a beach, also wearing sunglasses. It included a caption: “Travel. Enjoy. Respect.”

Muhammad Bakhtiar said that events meant for Visit Malaysia 2020 would be required to be coordinated with the secretariat in charge of the campaign.

“This is to ensure it does not clash with other events under Visit Malaysia 2020,” he said.

He was responding to the proposal to bring BTS, a K-pop group, to the country for the celebration next year.

In April, Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman had promised to bring the boy band to Malaysia and Tan Sri Tony Fernandes was tasked to deliver on this pledge.

Yesterday’s Raya open house was jointly hosted by Muhammad Bakhtiar, who is also the Balik Pulau MP, together with Pulau Betong assemblyman Mohd Tuah Ismail and Teluk Bahang assemblyman Zolkifly Md Lazim.

~News courtesy of The Star~

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri

PLUS: Plan your Raya trip

PLUS: Plan your Raya trip

Two million vehicles are expected to be on the highways during the peak period of the Hari Raya Aidilfitri festive season and those heading back to their hometowns are advised to plan their trips well.

PLUS Malaysia Bhd (PLUS) managing director Datuk Azman Ismail said he expected traffic volume to increase by 18% from the usual 1.7 million vehicles on normal days.

PLUS, he said, would also issue its travel time advisory (TTA) schedule to help people plan their balik kampung and balik kota travel between May 30 and June 10.

“PLUS has made various preparations in terms of highway operations and traffic distribution strategy to help drivers travel safer and more comfortably this festive season,” Azman said at a media briefing yesterday.

Those who are heading to nearer locations such as Negri Sembilan, Melaka and Selangor are advised to enter the highway after 10am.

Motorists can also get the TTA schedule via the PLUS mobile application.

The application also has an “SOS” button which allows help to be channelled immediately when turned on.

It provides real time CCTV footage from over 1,400 CCTV cameras on the highways.

“You can state your starting point and destination and it will show the traffic conditions.

“The CCTV footages are also updated every 10 seconds,” said Azman.

Motorists are advised to top up their Touch ‘n Go cards as the reload lanes on the highways will be closed from May 30 to June 11 to avoid congestion.

PLUS chief operating officer Zakaria Ahmad Zabidi advised the public, especially motorcyclists, to avoid using the emergency lanes on the highway.

“We would like to advise motorcyclists to wear bright-colour clothing to make themselves more visible, and if possible, travel during the day for better visibility,” he said.

PLUS will also place about 5,000 of its personnel on the North-South Expressway to help motorists.

Drones will also be used to facilitate traffic management at strategic locations on the highways.

Earlier, PLUS also unveiled its Hari Raya Aidilfitri video titled Tumpang which signifies the concessionaire’s endeavour to provide a meaningful journey for its customers.

Tumpang is about two men whose lives are unexpectedly intertwined.

The video also highlights the concept of silaturahim (friendship).

It can be viewed through all PLUS social media platforms as well as on YouTube.

~Courtesy of The Star~

Dr M: No need for high-speed rail in M'sia, yet

Dr M: No need for high-speed rail in M'sia, yet [NSTTV]

Malaysia does not yet need a high-speed train service, said Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today.

“At the moment, a high-speed train (service) is not really necessary for Malaysia, especially as it is only within Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

“Later on, we might need a high-speed train from Johor Baru to Penang or even to the Thai border. So, we will not build the high-speed train yet,” he told reporters after launching local rail engineering innovation exhibition and technology showcase, or TECHNOMART.

Instead, Dr Mahathir said, the government was more keen on improving the existing railway services.

“We want to improve the quality of service given by our railway system, and that has been done to some extent, by double tracking and electrification.”

The prime minister, however, said Malaysia would go back to the discussion table with Singapore within two years to discuss the High-Speed Rail project.

“We have spoken to Singapore. For the time being, we are not going to build (the high-speed rail). We (have) asked for two years before we begin talks again.

“(For) the HSR at the moment, we are not giving out any contracts but we have had to compensate to Singapore earlier.”

Dr Mahathir was also asked whether Singapore would be agreeable to the idea of the HSR being connected to the Thai border.

“No, I don’t think they will consider. We only think about Kuala Lumpur.”

On the possibility of having an HSR alignment from Johor Baru to Penang, the prime minister said eventually, Malaysia would need such an alignment.

“When the time comes. We are not yet in need of such an alignment. Eventually, we will need it.”

On Sept 5, 2018, Singapore agreed to suspend the construction of the project until the end of May 2020.

As a result of Malaysia’s request for the deferment, it agreed to pay an abortive cost of S$15 million (RM45.6 million) to Singapore by Jan 31 of this year.

Dr Mahathir also said Malaysians had begun to appreciate using the railway system, which had improved over time.

He said some Malaysians would rather use the existing railway services than driving and facing traffic jams.

~News courtesy of New Straits Times~