Article: Farmers’ anger reaches b(r)oiling point

Thursday July 23, 2009

By GLADYS TAY

NUSAJAYA: Some 100 broiler chicken farmers dumped 4,000 chicks in protest in front of a government building housing the Veterinary Services Department in Kota Iskandar.

The farmers, from various parts of the state, were angry over the abolition of an incentive scheme for farms that have more than 20,000 chicks.

Police were called in to handle the situation.

With the chicks running about outside the building, the farmers handed over a memorandum to the department's director requesting for the incentive to be reinstated.

Farmers representative Gan Heng Kock said the Agriculture and Agro-Based Industries Ministry had announced an incentive by which farmers with more than 20,000 chicks would be paid 26sen per kg for 60% of their total production.

"This announcement was made in May last year ... It was a scheme to help us reduce our burden but was abolished a month later," he said, adding that there were small and medium poultry farmers who really needed financial aid as they found it hard to cope with rising operational costs.

Gan also said that farmers with less than 20,000 chicks were paid 78sen per kg for 60% of their total production.

He explained that the Federation of Livestock Farmers' Association of Malaysia had told the ministry that they preferred the abolition of the ceiling price for chicken.

He added that it was unfair to scrap the incentive as livestock farmers were allowed to apply for a similar scheme without quota.

"This is a discriminatory practice and unfair to broiler farmers."

Muar and Segamat Poultry Far- mers Association president Datuk Ghai Soo Ming, who arrived at the building about an hour later, said he had advised the farmers not to carry out the protest.

The department could not be contacted for comment.

This article was taken from: The Star Online: Nation 23 July 2009

Article: On cloud nine at Ground Zero

Thursday July 23, 2009

By TAN CHENG LI

PETALING JAYA: Among the millions of stargazers who gathered in China yesterday to watch 'the eclipse of the 21st century' was a group of 20 avid Malaysian astrophotographers.

Members of the Astrophotography Group of Malaysia had flown all the way to Hangzhou to capture the total eclipse. which cloaked swaths of eastern China in darkness.

"Hangzhou is Ground Zero to witness this natural phenomenon," says group president Gradient Lok.

The best view: The Malaysian group joining other stargazers at the Hangzhou High School in China to capture the best images of the eclipse of the century. After four years of planning, their effort paid off.

The group had based themselves near Hangzhou High School at West Lake, which offered a good platform for photography.

"Our vantage location there meant that we had prime seats to view the rare occurrence.

"Beginning at 8.20am, the sun began to disappear, as if swallowed by a ravenous serpent, bit by bit.

"Some 80 minutes later, the city of Hangzhou was plunged into darkness. We stared directly at the sun and saw a diamond ring before the sun was totally swallowed by the moon," said Lok via an e-mail.

"Once the dark shadow of the moon began to creep across the burning ball of fire, our cameras clicked away.

"To get the best possible shots, we tried different filters and lens, making sure that the perfect degree of exposure was achieved."

Lok said the group was delighted with the outcome of their photography efforts, adding that it had been planning this trip for four years. "To finally realise it – and with successful results – gave us much contentment and something we can all take home," he wrote.

During the trip, the group also held discussions on astronomy with students of the school.

Formed five years ago, the group has been capturing striking images of astronomical objects.

This article was taken from: The Star Online: Nation 23 July 2009

Article: Stargazer gets a shot at moment in history

Thursday July 23, 2009

By ISABELLE LAI

Rain dampens viewing of solar eclipse

Astronomers rewarded with eclipse
Photo Gallery

KUALA LUMPUR: Amateur stargazer Bobby Chiam was so excited over the longest total solar eclipse of the century that he set up two telescopes on his balcony early in the morning to catch the rising sun.

Chiam, 66, did not seem to mind that he could not get a good view of the full eclipse from his Bukit Jalil condominium.

Checking it out: Six-year-old Ahmad Ali Karim from Kuala Terengganu looking through a telescope to catch the solar eclipse at Kuala Ibai in Terengganu as (from right) his mother Asmahan Ahmad and siblings, 14-year-old Aiman Amani, Aesha Adlina, 11, and Anisas Afifah, eight, look on.

The eclipse in Malaysia was only a partial one with only 8% visibility in the Klang Valley.

"I feel like this is a moment in history and I am able to be part of it," he said yesterday.

Despite the pouring rain that clouded the skies around 6am to 7am, Chiam and his five friends remained optimistic.

They were finally rewarded with good images of the partial eclipse as it was ending.

The group also recorded the historic event as it was being shown 'live' on television.

The eclipse as seen from Terengganu at 9.45am.

Chiam's 15-year love affair with astronomy has seen him start two astronomy societies, Starhunter and Starfinder, besides starting up a business, Stargazer Scientific Sdn Bhd, which distributes astronomy equipment like telescopes, binoculars and lenses.

"This is my very first eclipse viewing," said David Chan, 36, an IT director, as he looked at the sky while wearing eclipse shades for safety.

"Stargazing is a good way of releasing stress and improving my knowledge."

The first contact in the Klang Valley occurred at 8.28am while the third ended at 9.48am.

Meanwhile, National Planetarium science officer Fazilah Mohammad Hanafiah reported minute viewings of the partial eclipse due to the bad weather and haze that clouded the skies in the Klang Valley.

In Kuala Terengganu, the solar eclipse viewing at Pantai Kuala Ibai had a turnout of around 1,500 people, including about 800 Universiti Darul Iman Malaysia students.

"Although we missed the maximum contact viewing, we managed to capture some images around 9.40am when the skies cleared up," said Pusat Sains dan Kreatif Terengganu science executive Misbah Imran Mohammad.

This article was taken from: The Star Online: Nation 23 July 2009

Image: Rare display

Date : Wednesday, 22-July-2009

by Han Yang

Why settle for a kitten when if you can have a pet tiger?

This image was taken from: The Star Online: Thumbnails, 22 July 2009

Article: Green Bands

This article was taken from: The Star Newspaper: Star Two T16, 22 July 2009

Article: safety concerns over dam project

This article was taken from: The Star Newspaper: World W38, 22 July 2009

Article: massive dust storms in china circles the globe in 13 days

This article was taken from: The Star Newspaper: World W41, 22 July 2009

Article: canadian forest fires force thousands to flee

This article was taken from: The Star Newspaper: World W41, 22 July 2009

Article: easter island eyes phenomenon next July

This article was taken from: The Star Newspaper: World W37, 22 July 2009

Article: clouds likely to block eclipse

This article was taken from: The Star Newspaper: World W37, 22 July 2009

Article: rare high tide occurrence passes without incident

This article was taken from: The Star Newspaper: Nation N31, 22 July 2009

Article: dept: no hunting for two years

This article was taken from: The Star Newspaper: Nation N30, 22 July 2009

Article: penang hazy till next month

This article was taken from: The Star Newspaper: Nation N16, 22 July 2009

Article: solar eclipse may be a non-event here

This article was taken from: The Star Newspaper: Nation N3, 22 July 2009

Article: Art for earth's sake

This article was taken from: The Star Newspaper: Star Two: T2 & T3, 21 July 2009

Article: canadians flee forest fires

This article was taken from: The Star Newspaper: World W34, 21 July 2009

Article: longest eclipse of 21st century

This article was taken from: The Star Newspaper: World W34, 21 July 2009

Article: solar panel factory to be built in perak

This article was taken from: The Star Newspaper: Nation N17, 21 July 2009

Image: Floods

This image was taken from: The Star Newspaper: Star Foto Folder: World W29, 21 July 2009

Image: Cooling Off

This image was taken from: The Star Newspaper: World W28, 21 July 2009

Article: State may declare Gurney Drive a smoke-free zone

Monday July 20, 2009

By WINNIE YEOH

SMOKERS visiting Penang's Gurney Drive may have to put out their cigarettes soon. The state is drawing up a list of recreational areas to be gazetted as no-smoking zones and this tourist hot spot may be on the list.

Health, Welfare, Caring Society and Environment Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh said the state was considering gazetting part of the promenade as a smoke-free zone to create a greener environment for Penangites and tourists.

"Gurney Drive used to have such a nice breeze and fresh air but now it's polluted by vehicle fumes and the stench of mudflats.

"We'll meet with business owners in the area to discuss the matter," he said after launching a photo competition at Mount Miriam Cancer Hospital on Tuesday.

The contest, sponsored by Sunshine Wholesale Mart, Canon Marketing and Kuan Yee Bridal Collections, is aimed at spreading cancer awareness to the public.

Phee said the state Health Department was drawing up a list of places to be gazetted as no-smoking zones and would submit it to the state executive council for endorsement and subsequently to the Health Ministry for approval.

Other recreational spots which Phee had proposed earlier are Penang Hill, Penang Botanic Gardens, Mengkuang Dam, Teluk Bahang Dam, Penang National Park in Pantai Acheh, Bukit Panchor State Park, Hutan Lipur Bukit Penara in Balik Pulau, Hutan Lipur Air Itam Dalam in Sungai Dua, Hutan Lipur Malindo in Teluk Bahang, Hutan Lipur Relau and Hutan Lipur Bukit Mertajam.

Phee said Malaysia spent about RM10bil a year to treat smoking-related diseases.

"The money can be put to better use, like helping the hardcore poor," he said.

Phee also said the smoke-free campaign launched by the state in April initially met with a lot of resistance, but the public were starting to understand the benefits of the move which included enforcement at no-smoking zones such as the Penang ferries.

He welcomes feedback on his proposal to penalise those caught smoking in no-smoking zones with community service like going on the streets to educate others caught smoking at prohibited areas.

He proposed that the maximum RM500 fine be imposed on those caught smoking in prohibited areas, with the amount to be reduced only if they chose to attend awareness classes and agreed to the community service.

This article was taken from: The Star Online: Metro: South & East 20 July 2009

Article: Mengkuang Dam expansion reinstated in Ninth Malaysia Plan

Tuesday July 21, 2009

By DERRICK VINESH

BUKIT MERTAJAM: Penangites can heave a sigh of relief as the shelved RM1.2bil Mengkuang Dam expansion project has been reinstated in the Ninth Malaysia Plan.

Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui said the project was expected to begin as early as this October and be completed by 2013.

"It will proceed once all necessary tender and documentation processes are sorted out in the next three months," he said after visiting the dam here yesterday.

Chin said the project, which would be carried out in two phases, was vital to increase the state's water capacity, which was approaching a critical stage.

He added that the expansion would increase the dam's capacity from 23 million cubic metres now to 78 million cubic metres, which would be able to meet the state's water needs until 2020.

It's back on: Chin (third from right) and Penang Water Authorities general manager Jaseni Maidinsa (second from right) visiting the Mengkuang Dam in Bukit Mertajam Monday.

"The Federal Government felt it was necessary to carry out this project with the co-operation of the state, especially the Penang Water Supply Corporation Sdn Bhd," he said.

Chin said the first phase would cover the principal work to widen and increase the dam's height, while the second phase involved the construction of a 13km-long dual-flow steel pipe between the dam and the Sungai Dua water treatment plant.

He said raw water from the Muda River would be pumped into the dam for storage via the pipe, at about 440 million litres a day, during the rainy season between April and December.

Chin added that raw water from the dam would be pumped through the pipe at a maximum capacity of 1.114bil litres a day, back to the Sungai Dua treatment plant during the drought from January to March to make up for the low water supply from the Muda River.

He said an additional 9km-long perimeter road would be built around the dam, similar to the one at the Air Itam Dam, for public recreation.

Last August, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng had said the state would face a water crisis by 2012 if the Mengkuang Dam expansion project did not start by this year.

The dam's expansion was among three mega projects in Penang worth a total of RM4.7bil shelved during the mid-term review of the Ninth Malaysia Plan in June last year because of the global economic slowdown.

The other two projects were the RM1.5bil Penang Outer Ring Road and the RM2bil Penang monorail.

This article was taken from: The Star Online: Nation 21 July 2009

View: Stop plastic use in canteens

Tuesday July 21, 2009

AS part of my ongoing outreach activity on anti-smoking and environmental education to school children, I often visit schools, not just in Sabah but also in Kelantan and Pahang where I formerly worked.

From my observation on the food serving practices in the school canteen, I notice with concern that in a number of schools, food and drinks are supplied in polystyrene containers and plastic bags. Besides drinks, even hot soup like noodle soup is served in plastic bags.

This is done for the convenience of the canteen operator so that they do not need to use and clean utensils. However, the health implications on our children are grave and I believe we need to address this matter as soon as possible.

We are going to achieve the status of a developed country. However, the practice of serving food and drinks in cheap and hazardous plastic doesn't show that we are moving in that direction.

There are now lots of information in the media and Internet that the plastic and poisons will leach into the food and drinks. Substances that leach from plastic such as Bisphenol-A (BPA), Poly-ethylene (PET), and styrene are known to be cancer-causing and also endocrine disrupters and a cause of obesity and diabetes. Surely we do not want to become a developed nation with citizens being sick and dying of diseases as a result of our apathy.

Another concern with the rampant use of plastic is that plastic waste is an environmental hazard to the whole world. Plastic waste when buried in the soil will not degrade for many years and the soil fertility is reduced.

Those thrown into the sea will poison the fish and other marine life that is our food source. Not only that, even the phytoplankton in the ocean that provides 59% of the earth's oxygen will also die, resulting in depletion of our oxygen supply.

If countries like Rwanda, China and Bangladesh are making an enviable effort to cut down on the use of plastic and polystyrene, I don't understand why we Malaysians who have adopted the famous saying "Malaysia Boleh" cannot start to make changes for the good of our children, mankind and our fragile Earth.

Mr S.M. Mohamed Idris, president of the Consumers Association of Penang, has often written to warn us about the hazards of plastic. The Education Ministry should take heed and ensure that canteen operators should provide healthy food which is not tainted with poison leached out of plastic to our children.

Surely we do not want to wait and see as was done in the case of tobacco use before definite action is taken.

With the emergence of a more educated and litigious society in the future, the Government may face litigation claims from former students who have developed cancer and other related diseases.

DR ZORINA KHALID,

Hospital Director, Duchess of Kent Hospital,

Sandakan, Sabah.

This article was taken from: The Star Online:News: Opinion 21 July 2009

Article: Govt to turn small waste plants into centralised, big plants

Tuesday July 21, 2009

GEORGE TOWN: The Federal Government plans to convert all small sewerage treatment plants into big centralised plants to conserve costs and offer better environmental protection.

Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui said there were many small treatment plants, which were built by developers and surrendered to Indah Water Konsortium, to manage and operate.

''We found such plants generate higher costs compared to a centralised one which is seen to be more efficient and cost effective,'' Chin said when visiting a centralised plant in Jelutong here yesterday.

Chin said there were hundreds of small treatment plants managed by Indah Water throughout the country.

Currently, he said the conversion of small treatment plants would be done in stages, starting with the 10th Malaysia Plan.

"We will now impose higher fees on consumers once the conversion is completed," he said.

Chin said the cost of sewerage per person in the KL International Airport area was RM29.63 a year while it costs only RM19.49 in Jelutong.

This article was taken from: The Star Online:Nation 21 July 2009

Image: Rubbish galore

Date : Tuesday, 21-July-2009

by Gabriel Wong

The residents in this Sandakan village probably need to spend a fortune on air freshener to get rid of the stench. It's a shame that all efforts to educate people on cleanliness and hygiene have gone to waste (pun intended).

This image was taken from: The Star Online: Thumbnails 21 July 2009

Image: Sniffer Dogs

This image was taken from: The Star Newspaper: Star Foto Folder: World W32, 20 July 2009

Image: Forest of fire

This image was taken from: The Star Newspaper: World W34, 20 July 2009

Article: PWD: Learning to detect slope failures can save lives

Monday July 20, 2009

By ZANI SALLEH

KUALA LUMPUR: The Public Works Department (PWD) has embarked on a campaign to educate housebuyers and people living near hillslopes to detect landslides and monitor slopes for possible earth movement.

Its slope engineering department consultant Erika Motoyama said slope safety awareness would enable people to identify warning signs prior to a disaster.

The campaign, entitled "Safe Slopes Save Lives", includes an exhibition featuring graphics and posters on preventive measures for landslides.

"The exhibition showcases monitoring and understanding the six signs of slope failure, how to maintain slopes and report signs of serious failure to the relevant authorities," she said.

Motoyama said the country has a high concentration of hills and slopes that are susceptible to landslides, especially during heavy rain.

"Over the years, there has been an increase in the number of housing projects at foothills and at areas where hills have been cleared," she said, adding that it was vital for people to recognise and detect landslides early to prevent loss of lives and property.

Motoyama identified 11 signs of slope failure and impending landslide, including bulging ground and water at the base of slopes or retaining wall; water breaking through the ground surface in a new location near a slope; fences, retaining walls, utility poles or trees tilting or moving; cracks appearing on the slope, ground and in the foundation of structures; and water pipes breaking.

Others signs are jammed doors or windows; widening cracks on streets or driveways; land movement; and stairs pulling away from the building.

This article was taken from: The Star Online: Nation 20 July 2009