Raub: Hujan lebat selama beberapa jam menyebabkan banjir kilat di dua kawasan di daerah ini petang tadi yang turut menenggelamkan jalan utama.

Sekretariat Jawatankuasa Pengurusan Bencana Daerah Raub memaklumkan banjir dilaporkan berlaku pada jam 4.30 petang di Kampung Melayu Sempalit dan sepanjang Jalan Tras.

"Sungai Sempalit melimpah sehingga menenggelami kawasan kampung berhampiran, manakala sistem perparitan di sepanjang Jalan Tras tidak mampu menampung jumlah air yang banyak.

"Tiada pusat pemindahan sementara (PPS) dibuka. Air banjir surut sepenuhnya kira-kira jam 6.50 petang selepas hujan berhenti," menurut kenyataan itu.

Sekretariat berkenaan berkata, anggota Angkatan Pertahanan Awam Malaysia (APM) dan polis dikerahkan ke kedua-dua lokasi bagi membantu penduduk serta memantau paras air.

Terdahulu, gambar dan video kejadian banjir itu dikongsikan di media sosial menunjukkan air keruh menenggelami satu laluan di Jalan Tras yang hanya kenderaan besar dapat melaluinya.

KUALA LUMPUR: Tiada kawasan yang mencatatkan kualiti udara tidak sihat di seluruh negara pagi ini.

Berdasarkan data terkini, sebanyak 43 stesen pemantau merekodkan bacaan Indeks Pencemaran Udara (IPU) sederhana setakat jam 7.50 pagi ini.

Menurut data terkini Sistem Pengurusan Indeks Pencemar Udara Malaysia (APIMS), sembilan negeri dan dua Wilayah Persekutuan merekodkan bacaan sederhana.

Ia membabitkan Johor, Sarawak, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Sabah, Melaka, Selangor, Perak , Pulau Pinang, Kuala Lumpur dan Putrajaya.

Sementara itu, 25 stesen lain merekodkan bacaan IPU pada tahap baik.

Bacaan IPU sifar hingga 50 dikategorikan sebagai baik, 51 hingga 100 sederhana, 101 hingga 200 tidak sihat, 201 hingga 300 sangat tidak sihat, manakala bacaan melebihi 300 dikategorikan sebagai berbahaya.

Sementara itu, Jabatan Meteorologi Malaysia (METMalaysia) mengeluarkan amaran ribut petir, hujan lebat dan angin kencang yang dijangka berlaku di Langkawi, Kedah dan Pulau Tioman, Pahang sehingga jam 9 pagi ini.

Cuaca sama turut dijangka berlaku di Sarawak membabitkan Kuching dan Samarahan (Samarahan, Asajaya dan Sebuyau).

JOHOR BAHRU, Oct 28 — Johor Corporation (JCorp) yesterday refuted claims associating the group with Indonesian plantation companies linked to forest and land fires, following a recent report published by Wahana Linkungan Hidup Indonesia (WALHI).

In a statement yesterday, JCorp clarified that it does not own or operate any plantation outside Malaysia.

JCorp further explained that through its wholly owned subsidiary, Kulim (Malaysia) Berhad (Kulim), it divested its interests in several Indonesian companies in 2007.

The disposals involved PT Graha Cakra Mulia, PT Sumber Mahardhika Graha, PT Salonok Ladang Mas, and PT Harapan Hibrida Kalbar on August 8, 2007, followed by PT Trimurti Sumbertama on September 26, 2007, with all disposals recorded in JCorp’s 2008 Annual Report.

JCorp added that on July 6, 2023, Kulim further divested its entire equity interest in two other entities, PT Tempirai Palm Resources and PT Rambang Agro Jaya to PT Bakung Starch Lestari.

JCorp reiterated that it has no ownership interest or operational involvement in these companies.

Consequently, the group noted that the continued publication and circulation of these unfounded claims, create a false impression that JCorp owns, controls or operates the companies involved, associating it with the alleged incidents.

“As a state-owned institution, these unwarranted insinuations cause serious reputational harm to JCorp and the Johor State Government,” the statement said.

JCorp’s flagship companies; KPJ Healthcare Berhad, JLand Group Sdn Bhd, Johor Plantations Group Berhad, QSR Brands (M) Holdings Bhd and Johor Capital Group Sdn Bhd, spearhead the Group’s interests across five core sectors namely Wellness & Healthcare, Real Estate & Infrastructure, Agribusiness, Food & Restaurant, and Patient Capital.

Recently the analysis by Indonesian environmental non-governmental organisation, WALHI claims that 21 companies linked to Malaysian business entities were involved in land and forest fires in Indonesia between January and September 2026.

The details were highlighted in a mapping report titled “Who Are Behind the Fires?” published by the organisation’s National Executive. — Bernama

SINGAPORE, Oct 28 — South-east Asia neighbours Singapore and Indonesia are looking into establishing a joint task force to hold companies accountable for forest fires which have caused transboundary haze.

The two countries will also set up a hotline to handle any differences in bilateral issues, according to Indonesia Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir.

These initiatives were announced at a joint press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday (October 27) following a meeting between Singapore Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan and his Indonesian counterpart.

“Smoke can cross borders, so can money. That is why we must follow the money trail these companies have left behind,” Arrmanatha said, adding that Singapore has offered to share data on companies linked to the fires.

The Indonesian foreign minister said that the joint task will link information sharing, financial intelligence, and cross-border evidence gathering, including asset recovery where possible.

“No border should shield those who profit from burning our forests,” Arrmanatha stated.

Agreeing with his counterpart, Dr Balakrishnan reiterated that Singapore will use every legal and regulatory measure available to stop future violations by companies. 

“We are in effect putting all the companies on notice that the joint task force will ensure that there is a very close coordination of actions and sharing of information between Indonesia and Singapore,” Dr Balakrishnan said, adding that he expects the deterrence impact of the joint task force to make a difference. 

“We agreed to strengthen our channel of communication through a ministerial and senior officials’ level hotline,” he said.

Actions taken by Singapore

Last week, Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA) issued notices to 10 Singapore-registered companies in the palm oil and forestry sectors as part of its probe into transboundary haze pollution linked to Indonesia.

The notices were issued under Section 10 of Singapore’s Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (THPA).

The notices sought details of their corporate links in Singapore and Indonesia, the locations of their land concessions in Indonesia, and fire prevention and firefighting measures undertaken by the companies or their associated businesses during the current dry season.

On October 16 and October 19, NEA issued a total of 10 Preventive Measure Notices (PMNs) under Section 9 of the THPA to Indonesian companies over fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan.

Under the PMNs, the companies must deploy firefighting personnel to extinguish fires or prevent them from spreading, and stop or refrain from burning activities on land they own or occupy. 

They must also submit action plans to NEA to extinguish fires and prevent their spread or recurrence.

On Tuesday, Singapore’s Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said Singapore is studying ways to tighten its existing anti-haze legislation and will introduce new laws where necessary.

“The objective is to address enforcement gaps, strengthen corporate accountability, and enhance our ability to investigate and take decisive action against those responsible for transboundary haze,” she said, adding that the Government is also prepared to use a wider range of legal, regulatory and economic measures. 

The minister stressed that companies must be responsible for the environmental impact of their operations and supply chains.

Piped natural gas cuts

Meanwhile, Indonesia has cut natural gas exports to Singapore, with the reduction amounting to less than two per cent of the city state’s total daily gas demand. 

The reduction, announced by Indonesian authorities on October 24, comes days after Indonesia’s Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said on October 21 that Indonesia would consider reviewing energy export agreements to prioritise domestic demand.

A day later, Bahlil doubled-down on his comments during the inauguration of a gas facility, saying he is similarly prepared to evaluate energy exports with countries deemed “uncooperative and disrespectful”. — AsiaOne