Two community groups in Kuala Lumpur have welcomed the move to make gazetted green space data accessible to the public. “We are hopeful that such open and green spaces will be not only protected but saved from being alienated or abused. By visiting ptgwp.gov.my/portal and clicking on the “MyHijau” icon, the public can view a map with the locations of the gazetted green spaces. Yeoh says a task force will work towards gazetting 256 plots of land as green and open spaces. “Most importantly, it helps communities play a constructive role in safeguarding green lungs and public open spaces for present and future generations,” said the coalition.

Compiled by OON JUN-YANG, BEH YUEN HUI and R. ARAVINTHANFORTY-TWO temples in Perak that have received notices from district land offices will be assisted in finding amicable solutions, Makkal Osai reported, citing state exco member Datuk A. Sivanesan. The notices were issued under Sections 425 and 341 of the National Land Code. They involve temples that had previously been offered alternative sites but have not yet relocated, as well as several others facing different land-related issues. He added that the state exco has been briefed about the issue, and that he is working to ensure the matter is resolved by year’s end. He is confident that this is achievable as they are receiving good cooperation from the land offices and relevant government departments.

UK-bound mules among those nabbed in raidsKUALA LUMPUR: A series of anti-narcotics operations by Bukit Aman have led to seizures of drugs worth about RM200mil. Following this, he said police found a car parked in Jalan Kuchai Lama here with 255 packages of suspected methamphetamine, with the drugs valued at RM13.25mil. Comm Hussein said checks showed that the group, which had been active since last year, used carparks as drop-off points for drugs, with other members of the syndicate driving away the cars without direct contact with the drugs. The second operation led to the discovery of about RM180mil in drugs, including ecstasy pills and MDMA. “The first suspect acted as the syndicate leader and organised the transport of the drugs in and out of the country.

“My family has always kept our Chinese New Year celebrations relatively simple. Most of our budget goes towards food rather than decorations or lavish arrangements,” said Ng from Ipoh, Perak. Another celebrant, who wished to be known only as Yap, said his family’s simpler celebrations are driven more by lifestyle changes than financial pressure. Wong said her family keeps decorations simple, often reusing lanterns and old ornaments. “We do not spend on lavish decorations as we do not put up much in the house,” she said, adding that her family still buys new clothes every year.

PETALING JAYA: With hordes of Malaysians travelling home for Chinese New Year, it’s all systems go for buses, trains and even planes. Operators are doing their best to meet surging demand at what is one of the busiest travel periods of the year. PLUS Malaysia Bhd is prepared for a significant increase in traffic along several major stretches of its highways and Lebuhraya Pantai Timur 2. Pan Malaysian Bus Operators Association president Datuk Mohamad Ashfar Ali said bus tickets for the KL-Singapore route were already sold out. He said routes that go through rural areas where trains do not operate were very popular.

"It concerned the management of 'unutilised levy', the acquisition of Menara Ikhlas and HRD Corp’s equity investment management. "For this purpose, HRD Corp will implement an internal investigation process that is transparent and conducted with integrity, with a clear mandate, scope and terms of reference. HRD Corp said it is confident that these improvements would strengthen compliance, accountability and good governance. The report also said that HRD Corp had outstanding levies totalling RM205.42mil as of Dec 31, 2023. In May last year, the MACC presented findings of its probe into HRD Corp over the management of levy collections and investments.

KUALA LUMPUR: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed has been allowed to return home briefly after receiving treatment for a fractured hip at the National Heart Institute (IJN) over the past month. "On Feb 4 and 5, Dr Mahathir was allowed 'home leave'. "In the afternoon, he returned to IJN to continue treatment and observation by the medical team," he said adding that the medical team is satisfied with Dr Mahathir's recovery and his response to physiotherapy. "Although allowed to return home in stages, Dr Mahathir is still being monitored by the IJN medical team," he said in a statement on Friday. He added that doctors have advised Dr Mahathir not to have visitors besides immediate family members for now.

Email your story to: heartandsoul@thestar.com.my with the subject "Heart and Soul". Recently, I read Loving Malaysia, a memoir written and self-published by Cheah Choo Kheng, now a semi-retired lawyer. As a Malaysian living abroad, the writer was drawn to Cheah Choo Kheng's self-published memoir 'Loving Malaysia' which revealed a multicultural Malaysia marked by freedom, cohesion and a strong esprit de corps. Singapore is a strong pool of local and foreign talents, so staying relevant and competitive in the market is never easy. There were instances when my colleagues asked me, “Are you a Singaporean?” Without hesitation, I replied, “No, I’m a Malaysian.” – always striving to elevate the reputation of Malaysia, telling the world “Malaysia Boleh”.

KOTA BARU: Kelantan police foiled a smuggling attempt after detaining 24 undocumented migrants from Myanmar, China, Bangladesh and Afghanistan along the riverbank in Pasir Pekan Hulu, Wakaf Bharu, Tumpat Thursday (Feb 5). Tumpat OCPD Asst Comm Mohd Khairi Shafie said the migrants, aged between two and 42 years old, did not possess any valid travel documents. "A team from the Tumpat district police headquarters managed to thwart the smuggling activity after intercepting three vehicles, namely two four-wheel drives (4WD) and a car, believed to have been used to transport the migrants into the country. "Initial investigations found that all the migrants had entered the country by boat via a river route from Thailand. "All the migrants and seized vehicles have been taken to the district police headquarters for further investigation, and the case is being investigated under Sections 55E and 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63," he said.

KUALA LUMPUR: India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake an official visit to Malaysia on Saturday (Feb 7) and Sunday (Feb 8), at the invitation of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Wisma Putra, in a statement Friday (Feb 6), said the visit reciprocated Anwar’s official visit to India in August 2024. During the visit, Modi will be accompanied by India's External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar and senior government officials. Malaysia’s total exports to India amounted to RM52.30bil (US$12.24bil) and total imports amounted to RM27.19bil (US$6.35bil). Key export items comprised palm oil and palm oil-based agricultural products and electrical and electronic products, while imports from India mainly consisted of agricultural products, petroleum products and chemical products.

PRACTICE Note 17, otherwise known as PN17, is part of Bursa Malaysia’s Listing Requirements for the Main Market. Companies that meet certain financial conditions may fall under the PN17 category.

KOTA BHARU: PAS Secretary-General Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan confirmed that the party already has a candidate to be appointed Perikatan Nasional chairman. He said the final decision would be made at the Perikatan Supreme Council Meeting, in accordance with the coalition's constitution, Sinar Harian reported. He also expressed confidence that the issue related to the appointment of the Perikatan chairman could be resolved amicably. Meanwhile, he stressed that the delay in appointing the Perikatan chairman was not a big issue. "According to the original schedule, the Supreme Council meeting was supposed to take place on January 29, but had to be cancelled because it overlapped with other meetings.

KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit traded flat against the US dollar at Friday’s close, pressured by profit-taking as traders locked in gains accumulated earlier. However, the decline was capped by weaker US economic data which continued to support demand for emerging-market currencies, including the ringgit. At 6 pm, the ringgit stood nearly unchanged at 3.9440/9525 against the greenback compared with Thursday's close of 3.9440/9535. At the close, the ringgit traded mostly lower against a basket of major currencies. The ringgit strengthened against the Indonesian rupiah to 233.6/234.3 from 234.1/234.8 at the previous close.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan tumbled 0.7% to head for a second straight day of losses. S&P 500 e-mini futures slid 0.3% and Nasdaq e-mini futures fell 0.5%. "The market is starting to say 'ok, yeah, AI is very interesting', but people are also saying 'What is my payback?'" Asian stocks were volatile, with some investors seemingly looking for cheaper entry points amid the broad losses. The U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was last down 0.2% at 97.794.

“Keeping the beaches clean not only benefits the environment but also supports economic activity and has a positive impact on tourism,” he added. “We are grateful for the President’s attention to Bali’s beach rubbish issue, especially at Kuta Beach,” Mr Koster said. “I recently met with several foreign leaders in South Korea, and they shared their criticism about Bali’s beaches. A 2019 study revealed that only around 48 per cent of Bali’s waste is properly managed through recycling or landfilling. Following Mr Prabowo’s criticism of Bali’s beach waste problem, Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhani announced that the ministry will expand beach clean up initiatives to popular tourist destinations across Indonesia.