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BERITA UMUM 2024

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PUTRAJAYA: Plantation and commodities minister Johari Ghani has called for the government to set up a database of Bumiputera companies to distinguish the genuine and qualified businesses from those that are merely rent-seekers.

Johari said the measure was necessary to combat “Ali Baba” practices that have adversely affected the government’s efforts to empower Bumiputera businesses and communities.

He said the database would allow companies to be properly screened to determine their suitability to tender for and secure the award of government projects.

“Many government initiatives have failed due to ‘Ali Baba’ practices. We aim to support only genuine Bumiputera entrepreneurs.

“For this, the government must maintain a central database, instead of allowing each ministry to have its own,” he told a press conference on the sidelines of the 2024 Bumiputera economic conference here.

“Ali Baba” practices loosely refer to rent-seeking by Bumiputera companies who take on government jobs and subcontract the actual work to non-Bumiputera entities without adding value.

Johari, an Umno vice-president, said that without a comprehensive database, the government runs the risks of awarding contracts to undeserving people, rather than genuine Bumiputera entrepreneurs.

“If the government wants to assist Bumiputeras, there must be a credible database we can refer to (that will flag) those ineligible for government projects or contracts,” he said.

The database must be accessible to the public, he said.

Earlier, Johari took part in a forum that discussed strengthening the Bumiputera agenda, one of several programmes taking place between today and Saturday at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre.

 

https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2024/02/29/maintain-bumiputera-company-database-to-curb-ali-baba-practices-says-johari/

 

Sumber : Free Malaysia Today

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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's commodities such as palm oil and rubber can help boost the weak ringgit through the repatriation of export earnings, said Plantations and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani. 

Speaking at Bernama TV Ruang Bicara on "Empowering Agricultural Commodities In Facing Global Challenges" tonight, Johari said the overall commodities contribute between RM160 billion and RM200 billion in export receipts or more than five per cent to the country's gross domestic product.

Undoubtedly, commodities such as palm oil and rubber play an important role in providing the country with foreign exchange, he added.

"Our commodity exports are paid in the US dollar. Given our current exchange rate position, if we can bring back the greenback each time we export, it will help cushion the impact on our weak ringgit," added Johari.

Last week, the ringgit touched 4.800 against the dollar, the weakest level since the Asian financial crisis in 1998.

The ringgit edged down to 4.76 against the greenback from Tuesday's close of 4.75.

Yesterday, Bank Negara Malaysia governor Datuk Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour said the central bank had stepped up engagements with GLICs, GLCs, corporations and investors to encourage continuous inflows into the foreign exchange market.

 

https://www.nst.com.my/business/corporate/2024/02/1019130/earnings-commodity-exports-can-boost-ringgit-value-johari-abdul#google_vignette

 

Sumber : New Straits Times

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KUALA LUMPUR: Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani says prioritising effective management and improvement of paddy fields can potentially lead to a substantial increase in rice production.

Johari pointed out that just 60 per cent of paddy is grown locally, while the rest is imported. This causes sustainability challenges in the food production.

"For instance, in Tanjung Karang, Kuala Selangor, paddy yields can reach up to six or seven tonnes per hectare.

"Comparatively, in our northern paddy fields, the yield might only be around four tonnes. This two-tonne difference, when scaled up across 800,000 hectares, would equate to 1.6 million tonnes of paddy, translating to over one million tonnes of rice.

"Currently, we consume around 2.2 million tonnes of rice annually, while producing only 60 per cent domestically," he said on Bernama TV's Ruang Bicara on "Enhancing Agricultural Commodities In Confronting Global Challenges" tonight.

The government reportedly is concerned that a lower domestic output will increase reliance on more expensive imports.

It acknowledged the issue but the industry fretted that little had been done to resolve the problem.

 

https://www.nst.com.my/business/corporate/2024/02/1019138/focus-effective-management-bolster-local-rice-output-johari-abdul

 

Sumber : New Straits Times

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KOTA KINABALU: Member of Parliament Datuk Chan Foong Hin said the recent string of viral robberies in the city were solo criminal acts and urged the public to have faith in the police.

“Arrests were made quickly and in the woman’s case, it took less than a day as with the case involving a mentally ill man who smashed a bank’s window in Kg Air.

“However, the timeline of cases have stirred emotions as if the city is unsafe,” he said, Saturday.

 

https://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news/229416/have-faith-in-police-says-chan/

 

Sumber : Daily Express

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BANGI, Jan 23 ― The government has agreed to allow the hiring of foreign workers specifically for the plantation sector under the Ministry of Plantation and Commodities (KPK), said its minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani.

He said the matter was informed to him by the Minister of Home Affairs who decided that only the plantation sector is currently allowed to hire foreign workers.

"The Ministry of Home Affairs (KDN) and the Ministry of Human Resources have agreed that foreign workers are no longer allowed to enter the country except for the plantation industry. This industry is open to take in foreign labour.

"According to survey findings up to December 2023, we estimate that 40,000 workers are needed in the plantation sector. Hence, plantation companies will need to submit an application to hire foreign workers,” Johari told the media after the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) Excellence Awards Ceremony 2023, here today.

He also stressed that plantation companies wanting to apply for the recruitment of foreign workers must ensure the requirement for employment is in the plantation sector specifically and not in other sectors.

"KPK will ensure companies provide conducive foreign workers’ accommodation and the welfare of this group is not neglected as to avoid any forced labour issues.

"According to the Minister of Home Affairs, any company which brings in foreign workers into the country still has to pay wages to those workers despite there being no work. This is to avoid our country being accused of practicing human trafficking or forced labour,” he added.

Earlier, Johari witnessed the handing over of funds, specifically for the RM100 million palm oil replanting programme (TPKS 2.0), from MPOB to Agrobank.

The funds allocated through the 2024 Budget consist of a grant component (50 per cent) and financing (50 per cent) to private smallholders.

The disbursement of funds for both grant and financing components will be fully disbursed by Agrobank and the repayment by the applicant will only involve 50 per cent (including two per cent interest) of the total amount of disbursed funds.

The value of the financing is as much as RM14,000 per hectare for smallholders in Peninsular Malaysia and RM18,000 per hectare for smallholders in Sabah and Sarawak.

Applications have been open since January 15, 2024. ― Bernama

 

https://www.malaymail.com/amp/news/malaysia/2024/01/23/johari-ghani-govt-to-allow-plantation-sector-to-hire-foreign-workers/114048

 

Sumber : Malay Mail