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Glittering threat to endangered wildlife
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Key Highlights
Glittering threat to endangered wildlife
Howard Lee’s ‘apology’
Sedition Act lands another behind bars
Glittering threat to endangered wildlife
A gold mining project, spanning the size of 185 football fields in the heart of a forest reserve in Kelantan, will impact and displace rare wildlife, according to the environment impact assessment (EIA) report.
Behind the project is a firm linked to the Kelantan state government.
The EIA report stated that the land was originally designated as a permanent forest reserve and land forest. However, in November 2022, it was granted conditional land use conversion to allow mining activities.
A survey team identified the presence of 40 mammal species, 77 bird species, 42 reptile species, and 16 fish species within the designated area where the projected duration for mining is 82 years.
However, the report acknowledged that due to limitations in observation methods, the number of species could be higher.
Among these animals are endangered species listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
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Howard Lee’s ‘apology’
DAP lawmaker Howard Lee has “apologised” over the brouhaha concerning his citing of a Quranic verse.
However, the Ipoh Timor MP also took a sarcastic swipe at Perikatan Nasional, which has kicked up a fuss over the issue, when he roped in Gerakan and the PAS non-Muslim supporters wing.
“I take this opportunity to apologise for any inconvenience that this may have caused.
“And I also apologise for all of my non-Muslim friends from other parties, Gerakan and other parties as well as those from the PAS non-Muslim supporters wing who have also quoted Quranic verses in the political context,” he said.
Lee, who was speaking to the media after having his statement recorded by the police over the matter, denied that he interpreted the Quran.
“I was not interpreting; I was just quoting that verse," he said, adding that apart from doing his own research, he also quoted experts and clerics.
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Sedition Act lands another behind bars
Preacher Wan Ji Wan Hussin, who once served as the religious adviser to the Penang chief minister when Lim Guan Eng helmed the state, has landed in prison over his conviction under the Sedition Act.
Although the Court of Appeal rejected his bid to quash the conviction, it reduced his sentence to nine months.
On April 9, 2018, the Shah Alam Sessions Court imposed a nine-month jail sentence which the High Court later increased to one year.
Wan Ji, 41, was found guilty of making seditious remarks against the sultan of Selangor as well as on religious issues, via his Facebook account - Wanji.attaaduddi.
He was charged with committing the offence at the Selangor State Secretary Housing Office, 5th Floor, Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Building, Section 5 in Shah Alam at 10am on Nov 5, 2012.
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Views that matter
 | By Fa Abdul |
 | By P Gunasegaram |
 | By R Nadeswaran |
News that matter
The Election Court has nullified Perikatan Nasional lawmaker Che Alias Hamid’s victory for the Kemaman parliamentary seat.
Muda has urged the coalition government, especially Pakatan Harapan, to stick to its reform agenda to abolish the Sedition Act.
Sources claimed that the proposal to nominate Adly Zahari as a ministerial candidate could also be a move to bolster Amanah president Mohamad Sabu’s position ahead of the party polls this December.
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