(' , ')

By SHYAFIQ DZULKIFLI PETALING JAYA: Muslims fast from dawn to dusk in Ramadan, but fasting times and durations can vary according to elevation and location. Datuk Dr Mohd Zambri Zainuddin from Universiti Malaya (UM) said elevation plays a role in determining sunrise and sunset times. “In high-altitude areas you can see the sunrise earlier and the sunset later compared to lower areas, as there is a wider view of the horizon. “For every 400 meters in elevation, fasting time increases by approximately four minutes,” said Dr Mohd Zambri, an honorary professor at UM’s Department of Fiqh & Usul, Academy of Islamic Studies. As all of Malaysia follows a single time zone, the imsak (pre-dawn meal) and iftar (breaking of fast) times are also earlier in the country’s east. “This is due to the east-west movement of the sun, where eastern regions experience sunrise and sunset earlier than western ones. “Hence, Sabah and Sarawak have imsak and iftar times earlier than Peninsular Malaysia,” said...

By SHYAFIQ DZULKIFLI   PETALING JAYA: Asean countries can reduce their growing food import bill by working together to create a coordinated strategy to strengthen food security in the region, say experts.   The strategy should focus on boosting intra-Asean food supply chains and reducing dependence on external markets, they said.   Nik Syafiah Anis, a research associate at Khazanah Research Institute, said a highly integrated regional food supply chain will strengthen food security in Asean.   “Encouraging trade policies that facilitate the seamless flow of agricultural goods by reducing tariffs and eliminating non-tariff barriers can improve food accessibility and diversity,” she said.   The call for greater collaboration comes amid Indonesia’s plan to gradually end its reliance on food imports, a move that highlights Asean’s rising food imports.     Indonesia’s president Prabow...