A FISHERMAN in Kemaman, Terengganu, struck gold after discovering a wax-like object believed to be the highly valuable ambergris while fishing, reported Kosmo!.
Mohd Raffi Yusoff, 58, said he spotted the large white object floating about 7.4km from Kuala Kemasik while squid jigging at around 6pm last Thursday.
“At first I thought it was just a buoy or foam but up close, it actually resembled a soft lump of wax and had a fragrant smell when cut,” he said.
Mohd Raffi, with the help of his wife, intends to send a sample to Universiti Malaysia Terengganu for laboratory analysis and plans to sell the lump if it is confirmed to be ambergris.
Ambergris is a waxy substance produced in the intestines of sperm whales and can fetch up to RM645,000 per kg due to its scarcity.
It is used in high-end luxury perfumes to make their scent last longer.
> Perlis has welcomed its first autism-focused preschool for children with special needs, reported Harian Metro.
Located in Kuala Perlis, the school began operations in January and currently has eight children, aged five and six, with mild autism.
It comes under the Tabika Tunas Istimewa programme.
State Community Development Department (Kemas) director Mohamad Zaki Ismail said the school is specially designed to support the social development and inclusive education of children with autism at a reasonable fee.
“Students are currently managed by two teachers, and one helper and one cook. The monthly fee is very affordable at only RM100 with the school operating from 7.30am until 12 noon.
“Our main focus is to guide children with mild autism aged five and six through the use of a syllabus aligned with the Education Ministry,” he said.
Zaki said the programme, first piloted in Melaka, has since expanded nationwide with 19 classes, and plans to extend the initiative to Arau next year and Padang Besar by 2028.
The school’s teachers report encouraging progress among students, particularly in self-management and social interaction skills.
The above article is compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with this ' >'sign, it denotes a separate news item.
