PORCUPINE RAY, a rare species of stingray believed to have disappeared from Pulau Layang-Layang for two decades, has been spotted again.
Sinar Harian reported that the marine creature, whose scientific name is Urogymnus asperrimus, was sighted last year in a reef area undergoing an ecosystem restoration programme.
Pulau Layang-Layang Marine Research Station head Daud Awang said the rediscovery was an unexpected but encouraging development, as the species was last recorded in the area in 2005.
“In Malaysia, this ray species is only found in Pulau Layang-Layang in Sabah,” he said, adding that the specimen spotted in 2025 measured about one metre in length, was white in colour and had distinctive spines on its back.
Daud, who is also the director of the Fisheries Research Institute Rantau Abang, said the porcupine ray’s return is linked to the recovery of the reef ecosystem, which has helped revive the food chain following the restoration efforts.
> Berita Harian reported that film industry leaders have backed a 12-hour workday benchmark following allegations that film crews were working long hours without overtime pay.
However, they stressed that any limit must remain flexible to accommodate work demands.
Film Directors Association of Malaysia president Datuk Afdlin Shauki said a 12-hour workday was reasonable, but should not be rigid.
“If the crew requests that the working hours be limited to 12, I think that is reasonable, but if they want filming to end by midnight, that is not logical because some productions start at night,” he said.
He agreed that working 18 to 24 hours at a stretch could harm one’s health, but blamed producers for putting pressure on crews to complete shoots quickly.
“I do not agree with such practices,” he added.
(The above articles are 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 a >, it denotes a separate news item.)
