Malaysia to have a 1 million hectare marine park for coral reefs

Considering the ill effects of global warming and climate change on coral reefs, Malaysia has come up with a plan to try and improve the situation. Keeping in mind the coral bleaching phenomenon, Malaysia has decided to create its largest marine park that will cover 1 million hectares (2.47 million acres). It will be the Tun Mustapha park and it will be located off the coast of the Sabah province in Borneo. The area is home to some of the richest coral habitats in Malaysia. The area also has mangroves and sea grass beds.
This has been reported in zeenews.india.com dated 2 June 2016.

An interesting part of the project is that the park will be open to commercial fishing - this is because local residents depend upon fishing for a significant portion of their sustenance and, the intention behind creating the marine park is to manage fishing operations in a systematic way instead of banning them altogether.
The net result would be that commercial fishing operators and local residents can continue to fish in designated zones which were established in consultation with NGOs, the Malaysian park service, local communities and fishing operators themselves. In short, the establishment of Tun Mustapha Park will boost the conservation and biodiversity of this uniquely rich natural environment. Moreover, it would also help to ensure the sustainable management of the significant marine resources in the area that support jobs, livelihoods and food security.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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Huge 26ft python found in Penang - could become a new a Guinness Record holder

A huge python has been found by workers on a construction site in Penang, Malaysia - it measures 26ft and could lay claim to be the longest snake ever caught. It is a reticulated python, a species that is found in Southeast Asia. The reptile was spotted curled up under a tree by workers who were engaged in the construction of a new flyover in Paya Terubong on the holiday island of Penang.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 11 April 2016.

The workers referred the matter to the Civil Defense Department and it took nearly half an hour to capture the snake. It was not just 8m in length but weighed about 250-Kg. This catch could create a new Guinness Record because the current record is held by a Medusa which is a 7.3m (24ft) reticulated python. It lives in Missouri in the United States.
This snake is at present being held at the civil defense headquarters and will be handed to the state wildlife department. Simultaneously, officials will verify whether it is really the longest ever python captured before it can be officially confirmed as a record breaker.
Experts believe that there could still be longer snakes living in the wild. In 1912, a python reported to be 10m (33ft) was found and shot in Indonesia. And in 2009, scientists in Colombia had discovered the fossilized bones of a snake that is believed to have reached 12.8m (42ft).


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Malaysia discovers 139 graves of suspected victims of human trafficking

#Humantraffickers #Malaysia #thailand Malaysian authorities have unearthed 139 suspected graves in a series of abandoned camps and believe that these graves have been used by human traffickers on the border with Thailand. It is doubted that Rohingya Muslims fleeing from Myanmar were held here.
This has been reported in nzherald.co.nz dated 25 May 2015.

The area is a hilly, jungle area located along a 50-Km stretch of the border and, the police have found 28 such camps. In one of the camps there was "a highly decomposed body". This would go for forensic checks as teams have started on the work of exhuming the bodies from the graves.
The police have discovered 139 graves which are mounds of earth, covered by leaves and marked by sticks and appear to have been abandoned quite recently, two to three weeks ago.
These finding are similar to discoveries earlier by the Thailand police who had unearthed dozens of bodies from shallow graves on the Thai side of the border. These throw light on the hidden network of jungle camps run by traffickers. These traffickers hold countless desperate people captive while they try to extort ransoms from their families.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)


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Malaysia flooding forces PM Najib Razak to cut short his Hawaii vacation

#NajibRazak #Kelantan #Malaysia #floods #2004Tsunami Malaysia is facing some of the worst floods in decades along its east coast and there are reports of at least five deaths. The Kelantan state is the worst hit and over 100,000 people have been forced out from their homes.
Prime Minister Najib Razak has returned early from holiday in Hawaii in the US where he was shown playing golf with US President Barack Obama. The Prime Minister would be visiting the worst-hit areas of northern Kelantan state.
It is not unusual for the eastern states to be flooded during the monsoon season, but this time around, there was heavier rain and stronger winds that have made things worse for the people. But, as per the Malaysian government, this flooding is the worst in more than 30 years with entire towns submerged in some of the areas. Rescue workers are working overtime and struggling to bring in enough food and supplies for families that are in relief centers.
In the opinion of weather forecasters, there would be no respite for north-eastern states of Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang. This Northeastern peninsula of Malaysia is worst affected. It is regularly hit by flooding during the annual Northeast Monsoon, but this year's rains have been particularly bad.
Reports indicate that nearly 60 foreign tourists were among almost 100 people rescued by boat and helicopter from a resort in a Malaysian national park that was lashed by its highest rainfall since 1971.
The flooding comes even as communities in northwestern Malaysia mark the 10th anniversary of the devastating 2004Tsunami that had struck on Dec. 26, 2004.