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By SHYAFIQ DZULKIFLI PETALING JAYA: Last year turned out to be the fourth hottest year on record for Malaysia, but no extreme dry conditions are expected this year, says the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia). Although Malaysia is currently experiencing more dry days than rainy days due to the South-West Monsoon, heavy rains with thunderstorms and strong winds may still occur occasionally. “The majority of forecasts produced by the latest international weather models do not expect extreme dry weather phenomena to occur throughout this Southwest monsoon season,” said MetMalaysia director-general Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip. Mohd Hisham said current ENSO (El Nino-Southern Oscillation) conditions, which affects global weather patterns, are neutral and are expected to remain so throughout the year.  “Therefore, the country is also expected to experienc...

By SHYAFIQ DZULKIFLI PETALING JAYA: Last year turned out to be the fourth hottest year on record for Malaysia, but no extreme dry conditions are expected this year, says the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia). Although Malaysia is currently experiencing more dry days than rainy days due to the South-West Monsoon, heavy rains with thunderstorms and strong winds may still occur occasionally. “The majority of forecasts produced by the latest international weather models do not expect extreme dry weather phenomena to occur throughout this Southwest monsoon season,” said MetMalaysia director-general Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip. Mohd Hisham said current ENSO (El Nino-Southern Oscillation) conditions, which affects global weather patterns, are neutral and are expected to remain so throughout the year.  “Therefore, the country is also expected to experience the inter-monsoon transition from late September to early November, along with the Nort...

By SHYAFIQ DZULKIFLI PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s temperatures have been soaring to new highs over the past decade. According to figures from the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia), seven of the 10 warmest years over the past four decades were recorded since 2015. MetMalaysia director-general Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip said 2016 was the hottest year the department observed, with the county’s average annual temperature at 27.84°C. “For 2024, the country’s average temperature was 27.55°C… This value is the fourth highest over our 43-year observation period (1981-2024),” Mohd Hisham told The Star. He said that Chuping, Perlis, had the highest temperature recorded last year (2024) with the mercury rising to 39.0°C on March 23. The same location recorded 52 consecutive days without rain in 2024, making it the site with the longest dry stretch last year. Mohd Hisham said that the country experienced 45 days under a Level 2 high tempe...

By SHYAFIQ DZULKIFLI   PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s temperatures have been soaring to new highs over the past decade. According to figures from the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia), seven of the 10 warmest years over the past four decades were recorded since 2015 (see graphic). MetMalaysia director-general Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip said 2016 was the hottest year the department observed, with the county’s average annual temperature at 27.84°C. “For 2024, the country’s average temperature was 27.55°C… This value is the fourth highest over our 43-year observation period (1981-2024),” Mohd Hisham told The Star. He said that Chuping, Perlis, had the highest temperature recorded last year (2024) with the mercury rising to 39.0°C on March 23. The same location recorded 52 consecutive days without rain in 2024, making it the site with the longest dry stretch last year. Mohd Hisham said that the country experienced 45 days under a ...

By SHYAFIQ DZULKIFLI PETALING JAYA: The year 2024 marked Malaysia’s fourth hottest year in over four decades, according to the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia). The department said over the 43-year observation period (1981–2024), six of the ten hottest years were recorded since 2015, all occurring within the past decade. Last year’s national average temperature stood at 27.55 degrees Celcius, ranking it fourth behind 2016, 1998, and 2019. Malaysia recorded its highest national average temperature in 2016 at 27.84 degrees Celcius, followed by 1998 (27.70 degrees Celcius) and 2019 (27.63 degrees Celcius). The highest temperature of 2024 was logged in Chuping, Perlis, which saw the mercury climb to 39.0 degrees Celcius on March 23, 2024. The same location endured 52 consecutive days without rain, making it the most prolonged dry stretch recorded nationwide last year. In 2024, for lowland areas, the monthly average temperature...

By SHYAFIQ DZULKIFLI PETALING JAYA: The Malayan tapir tops the list of large mammals most frequently killed in road accidents nationwide. According to the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan), 112 Malayan tapirs were struck down by vehicles from 2020 to 2024. Sun Bears and Black Panthers were second with nine deaths each. They are followed by Asian elephants (6) and Malayan tigers (4). Each of the five types of large mammals is considered an endangered species in Malaysia. “Many of these incidents are linked to recent deforestation or land-use change that leads to habitat fragmentation. “The reduction in habitat size compels wildlife to encroach into adjacent human-modified landscapes. “This fragmentation forces wildlife to cross roads to reach other patches to access essential resources such as food, water, shelter, and mating opportunities,” the department told The Star. An incident on Mother’s Day, where a mother elephant ...

By SHYAFIQ DZULKIFLI PETALING JAYA: The Malayan tapir has been the most frequently killed large mammals on Malaysian roads for the past five years, says Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan). According to Perhilitan, from 2020 to 2024, 112 Malayan tapirs were killed in road accidents nationwide, followed by sun bear and black panther with nine deaths each, Asian elephant with six, and Malayan tigers with four. In 2024 alone, 25 Malayan tapirs died from vehicle impacts, along with six sun bears, four black panthers, three Malayan tigers and two Asian elephants. In total, 2,336 wild animals were killed by vehicles nationwide during the five-year period, with 522 wildlife roadkill incidents recorded last year. Pahang topped the list of cumulative wildlife fatalities (2020-2024) with 779 cases, followed by Perak (418), Johor (232), Terengganu (195) and Kelantan (195). However, Kelantan recorded the most wildlife-vehicle incidents last year with 137 cases, ahead o...

     

    By SHYAFIQ DZULKIFLI   PETALING JAYA: Asean is the fifth biggest exporter of goods to the US, behind the European Union, Mexico, China and Canada, according to data from the International Trade Centre (ITC).   Figures from the ITC Trade Map showed that Asean’s 10-member countries exported a total of US$358.56bil worth of goods to America last year.   Exports from Asean made up 10.67% of the US’ total imports of US$3.36tril.   The US Trade Representative website meanwhile cites a lower figure for Asean’s exports to the US, which it said stood at US$352.3bil last year. It said that goods imports from Asean to the US went up by 13.3% last year compared to 2023. Asean shipped US$109.13bil worth of electrical machinery and equipment to the US last year, making it the region’s main export to America. Industrial machinery, mechanical appliance and components were the second biggest...

By SHYAFIQ DZULKIFLI PETALING JAYA: Countries from around the world are seeking to negotiate a deal with Washington within the 90-day pause of higher tariffs announced by the US, and South-East Asia is no exception. The 90-day pause, which started on April 9, is scheduled to end in early July. Asean is negotiating US tariffs with a mix of individual country efforts and a focus on regional coordination. To find out how much Asean collectively exports to the US and identify its top exports, The Star pored over figures from various sources. They include the International Trade Centre’s (ITC) Trade Map, the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR), US Census Bureau and media reports. Some figures vary by source, but they all indicate that the US heavily relies on imports from South-East Asia for a wide variety of goods ranging from electrical machinery to furniture. Below are five charts explaining Asean’s trade with the US.   Asean’s...