Malaysia identifies post-flood prone areas in Peninsular

Malaysia's Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources has identified high-risk areas across Peninsular Malaysia following severe flooding in several states in the region.

"We recorded incidents of dumping of driftwood, debris, landslides and flooding incidents in several states due to heavy rains and heavy flooding," said Malaysia's Energy and Natural Resources Minister, Takiyuddin Bin Hassan in Putrajaya, Tuesday.

Takiyuddin has instructed the Department of Forestry of Peninsular Malaysia (JPSM) to work with all State Forestry Directors to promptly identify high risk areas across Peninsular Malaysia.

The politician from PAS said that currently JPSM has adopted a Forest Monitoring using Remote System (FMRS) including the use of drones for enforcement purposes, monitoring and tracking changes in forest use in real time .

"I have also instructed JPSM to submit a report and mitigation measures that can be implemented within one month," he said.

JPSM is also asked to identify areas of jungle parks and recreational forests that have not yet installed an early warning system to be installed immediately to ensure that these areas are safe for local residents and the community.

"In the forestry management sector, the Federal Government's policy is clear, which is based on the practice of Sustainable Forest Management," he said.

Implementation of Selective Management System (SMS) since 1978, Annual Cutting Allowance (CTT) since 1981 and forest management certification based on Malaysian Criteria and Indicators for Forest Management Certification (MC&I) since 2012.

From aspects of policy coordination between the Federal Government and state governments, Article 91 (5) of the Federal Constitution has provided for the establishment of the National Land Council (MTN).

The establishment of MTN aims to standardize development policies and control land use for mining, forestry, agriculture and other purposes.

The 79th MTN meeting on December 2, 2021 led by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri took a firm stance on two important issues related to the sustainability of the country's natural resources, namely the implementation of a moratorium on plantation forests in Permanent Protected Forests (HSK) in Peninsular Malaysia for 15 years and implementation enforcement and settlement of illegal exploration in HSK in every state by June 1, 2022.

Previously, Ismail Sabri asked all state governments in Peninsular Malaysia to take action to increase the existing forest area from 43.41 percent to 50 percent by 2040.

Chinese government builds ski and snow resort in the middle of the desert

An aerial photo of the Oynak ski resort in the Moyu region, Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, China, Sunday (9/1/2022). Located on the southern outskirts of the Taklimakan Desert, the Moyu region almost never snows in winter, so to increase winter tourism and prolong the tourism season, the region built the Oynak ski resort by making artificial snow, which attracts tourists to do winter sports there.

Erick Thohir reports the Garuda airline case to the Attorney General's Office

Minister of State-Owned Enterprises Erick Thohir reported the financial case that hit state-owned airline PT Garuda Indonesia (Persero) to the Attorney General's Office.

 

"We provide evidence from the investigative audit, so it's not an accusation," Erick Thohir told reporters at the Attorney General's Office, Jakarta, Tuesday.

 

In the report, Erick conveyed the government's plan to restructure to save Garuda Indonesia as well as provide evidence regarding the purchase of ATR 72-600 aircraft.

 

Since the last two years, Garuda has been hit by a financial storm due to past mismanagement which has caused the company's debt to swell to more than Rp140 trillion.

 

The Ministry of SOEs then took restructuring steps to save the state-owned airline.

 

Erick emphasized that the Ministry of SOEs will focus on transforming so that Garuda can be more accountable, professional, and transparent.

 

"This is not just arresting or punishing existing individuals, but improving the overall administration," he said.

 

Attorney General Sanitiar Burhanuddin expressed his support for the efforts of the Minister of SOEs, Erick Thohir, who wanted to clean up various state-owned companies from indications of violating the law, especially Garuda Indonesia.

 

"We are synchronizing the data and we hope that it will not only be for the Garuda case, but we will also encourage (development) of other cases in BUMN," said Burhanuddin.

 

Currently, there are more than 470 creditors submitting claims to Garuda Indonesia with a deadline of January 5, 2022.

 

They filed a debt collection claim of up to US$13.8 billion or equivalent to Rp198 trillion. The nominal is data from the Garuda Indonesia Debt Payment Obligation (PKPU) management team.

 

After the verification stage is complete, the PKPU team will decide on a valid nominal that can be included in the restructuring process on January 19, 2022.

 

Garuda management submitted a proposal to reduce its liabilities by more than 60 percent through a restructuring process by reducing its liabilities from 9.8 billion US dollars to 3.7 billion US dollars.

 

The proposed proposal aims to make the company survive the COVID-19 pandemic which has lasted for two years.

 

Previously, former Garuda Indonesia Commissioner Peter Ghonta had previously disclosed various problems within the company with the stock code GIAA in October 2021.

 

He opened up about issues related to groups in power, the difference in the price of the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft rental to the purchase of the CRJ1000 aircraft.

 

Peter admitted that he had reported the problems that hit the Garuda airline to a number of institutions ranging from the Director General of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights to the Chairman of the KPK.