A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck inland near the western coast of Indonesia’s Sumatra island on Friday, killing at least two people and causing tremors that were felt in neighboring Singapore and Malaysia, officials and witnesses said.
The quake, which did not have the potential to cause a tsunami, caused residents to flee buildings in some areas including in the city of Padang in West Sumatra province and even triggered evacuations in Malaysia.
“We continue to monitor and advise people to remain on alert,” Dwikorita Karnawati, the head of Indonesia’s geophysics agency BMKG, told MetroTV. The agency initially put the magnitude at 6.2.
Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency chief Suharyanto said at least two people were killed and some buildings including a government office, homes and a bank sustained damage.
In West Pasaman, about 17 km (10.6 miles) from the epicentre, a hospital was evacuated and there was panic in some areas.
Higher education, skills development and technical training providers are central to create productive employment opportunities for our young people. They prepare mostly young people for work in the formal and informal sector and therefore play an important role in helping to build a quality talent pool for the country. The better the training and the skill levels are, higher the income and economic returns and also the better the quality of livelihoods.
Education and skills attainment in Sri Lanka, which in the early 60s, the time Dhammika Perera was born, was far better than that of countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and South Korea, in the last 20 years has fallen far behind these countries, undermining the country’s growth prospects. Sri Lanka therefore faces several challenges that we need to solve if we are to achieve and sustain a growth rate of over 5%, post-COVID-19. These challenges are well-known to our policymakers.
Dhammika Perera
I have in the last few years worked with businessman Dhamikka Perera to plan and execute several policy interventions to strengthen the TEVET and public sectors. He recognised very early in his career that human capital has to be the strategic driver for inclusive economic growth to help Sri Lanka become and remain competitive as a middle-income country. His commitment to share his knowledge and expertise gained in both the public and private sectors was clearly evident with the numerous HR interventions he organised with the NHRDC to improve the effectiveness of the public sector.
So, it was not a surprise when he launched Dhammika and Priscilla Foundation – (DP) Education. By doing so he has followed the example set by several international foundations that works to help thousands of young people to lead productive lives and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of poverty. DP Education will certainly help those with limited access to limited resources—to have access to educational opportunities and knowledge they need to succeed in school, in vocational education and their university life. Improving the overall quality of education is a challenging task in Sri Lanka. Limited progress has been made despite the several reports presented to several governments.
Importance of DP Education
The online education launched by DP Education according to the founder is a free online education portal. DP Education is a first-of-its-kind platform on which the entire school curriculum is available for students to study online for free. Given the challenges Sri Lanka has in delivering consistently a high level of teaching quality and content, the platform will certainly help to bridge the delivery and consistency gap. Today, the FT reported that the first and only free online software engineering course was introduced by a joint initiative by University of Moratuwa, DP Education and Computer Society of Sri Lanka. The IT course is targeted for GCE O/L and A/L students and all IT undergraduates. This latest initiative is timely, give the need to strengthen and grow Sri Lanka’s IT talent pool.
Future
Emerging countries like Sri Lanka that are looking to aggressively build their export bases will need to prepare a large number of people to work in the industry. However, to maximise the value of the investments we need to know our current talent gaps, upcoming skills shortages and understand the impact of digital and social media infusion on trade and business. Therefore, the investments we make now in education will contribute significantly to our future success. A few more interventions and collaborations will certainly help Sri Lanka to fast-track educational attainment.
In the final analysis, Dhammika Perera has clearly demonstrated his philosophy that it is better to light a candle than curse the darkness. The meaning of this famous Chinese proverb is that it is better to do something about an issue than just complain about it. His intervention is a shining example for corporate Sri Lanka, that is often accused of being only profit-seeking and the selfishness and bad practices demonstrated occasionally by some, resulting in the entire private sector being branded as only profit-driven.
Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa is scheduled to leave for India today (25) on an official visit.
According to the agreements reached during his previous visit to India, further concessions on the US $ 1 billion loan to be provided by India to Sri Lanka will be taken up during his visit.
The war crimes unit of the British police has arrested a man in connection with the murder of a Tamil international journalist in a high security zone in the North 20 years ago.
An 48-year-old man arrested in connection with the February 22 murder of journalist Mylvaganam Nimalarajan in Northamptonshire has been released but is still being investigated, police said.
This is considered to be the first arrest made by a foreign police in connection with a war crime in Sri Lanka. Police have not yet revealed the name or origin of the person arrested.
“This is an important development in a sensitive and complex investigation,” said Richard Smith, commander-in-chief of the London Metropolitan Police’s counter-terrorism command.
“There may be people who have more information, especially regarding Nimalarajan’s assassination. We urge them to come forward and help bring justice to Nimalarajan’s family members. ”
Those wishing to provide details can send the information directly to the War Crimes Division at [email protected].
The London Police War Crimes Unit believes that members of the Sri Lankan community who have arrived in the UK may have more information.
Upali Ratnayake, Joint Secretary of the Water Supply and Drainage Union says that the water supply will also be disrupted due to the ongoing power cuts island-wide.
He said that the Ambatale Water Treatment Plant, which supplies water to Colombo and its suburbs, will not be affected by the power cut as it will be able to generate electricity through generators.
However, as the water supply process in other parts of the country is directly connected to the national grid, there may be less pressure on the local water supply, he added.
Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa says that the government which is unable to manage the foreign exchange crisis has taken the country to a serious energy crisis.
He pointed out that if the country had any concern for energy security, it should have resorted to a planned fuel purchase based on proper forecasts regarding energy needs.
Recalling the recent statement made by Minister Udaya Gammanpila that the country is not an energy crisis but a dollar crisis, the Leader of the Opposition recalled that the reason for this was the huge tax relief of between Rs. 600-800 billion was given to millionaires immediately after the present government came to power.
Accordingly, he questioned
Does the government admit that the country is in a serious crisis due to lack of fuel?
What is the current diesel and petrol reserves of the country for vehicles?
What amounts of fuel do you need daily to run thermal power plants? What is the foreign exchange earning program required to supply fuel to these power plants for the next three months?
If there is no plan to provide an uninterrupted power supply, does the government even have a definite plan for power cuts in the coming month?
What is the government’s plan to provide an uninterrupted power supply to the industries affected by the covid epidemic to prevent them from going into crisis again due to the power cuts?
Gemunu Wijeratne, President of the Ceylon Private Bus Owners’ Association says that if the diesel shortage that has been prevailing for several days continues today (25), the private bus service could be completely stopped.
“Even today (24) only 25% – 35% of buses operate in Sri Lanka. There is no diesel at fuel stations. Due to the lack of fuel, there are queues at places where there is fuel. Hence bus owners all over Sri Lanka have repeatedly informed me that it is not possible to run buses without fuel. Even at this moment, we are in a serious crisis as our buses are unable to get fuel. Therefore, the bus service could be completely disrupted if it continues till tomorrow. ”
Gemunu Wijeratne stated this addressing a media briefing held yesterday (24).
Ambassador Majintha Jayesinghe presented the Letters of Credence to the President of the Republic of Hungary János Áder at the Sándor Palace in Budapest, accrediting as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Sri Lanka to Hungary on 17 February, 2022.
The credential ceremony entailed a Guard of Honour by the Hungarian Armed Forces and presentation of the Letters of Credence to the President of the Republic of Hungary János Áder. The Hungarian President was assisted by senior officials. Three other Ambassadors,from New Zealand, United Arab Emirates and Kosovo, also presented Letters of Credence to the President of Hungary on the same day.
Ambassador Majintha Jayesinghe conveyed greetings from the President of Sri Lanka Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa and the people of Sri Lanka to the President of the Republic of Hungary and the people of Hungary.
After the ceremony, a meeting was held with the Hungarian President in the Blue Salon at the Sándor Palace.
The Ambassador mentioned that Sri Lanka-Hungary special relations have exponentially covered a multitude of areas with mutual benefits. It was further stated that Sri Lanka hopes to further strengthen and expand the friendly relations to economic, trade, investments, and tourism sectors in the years ahead.
Following the presentation of the Letter of Credence, Ambassador Majintha Jayesinghe visited the Heroes’ Square where a wreath was laid on the Monument of Hungarian Heroes.
Roma – Il Presidente della Repubblica Sergio Mattarella S.E. il Signor Jagath WELLAWATTE, nuovo Ambasciatore della Repubblica Democratica Socialista di Sri Lanka: presentazione delle Lettere Credenziali, oggi 18 febbraio 2022.
(Foto di Paolo Giandotti – Ufficio per la Stampa e la Comunicazione della Presidenza della Repubblica)
Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Italy Jagath Wellawatte presented his Letters of Credence to the President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella at the Palazzo del Quirinale, Rome on 18 February, 2022.
Following the presentation of Letters of Credence, Ambassador Jagath Wellawatte conveyed warm greetings and best wishes from the President of Sri Lanka Gotabaya Rajapaksa to President Sergio Mattarella, the government and people of the Italian Republic.
Immediately after the presentation of credentials, Ambassador Jagath Wellawatte was granted an opportunity for a tête-à-tête meeting with President Sergio Mattarella during which Ambassador Wellawatte expressed his commitment to continue to improve bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and Italy at all levels.
Ambassador Wellawatte indicated that Italy is the home away home for a large number of Sri Lankan expatriate communities, who have contributed immensely to the development of Sri Lanka and Italy alike. The Ambassador expressed his gratitude to the Italian government for hosting a large number of Sri Lankan expatriates in Italy, in particular, for paying special attention to the welfare of the community during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ambassador Wellawatte expressed his mission to enhance the existing relations and cooperation in the areas of bilateral relations, culture, trade, investment, labour and education. While seeking support from the Italian authorities to get training opportunities for the Sri Lankan workforce towards enhancing their skills and knowledge, the Ambassador expressed his desire to expand cooperation and partnership in the education sector, focusing on the younger generation for the mutual benefit of both countries.
President Sergio Mattarella, while conveying his greetings to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, stated that he was very impressed by the presence of a large number Sri Lankan expatriates in Italy in various sectors and their contribution to the development of the country. The President affirmed Italy’s support for joint efforts to strengthen bilateral relations in diverse sectors between the two countries.
Ambassador Wellawatte is an academic in the field of Sociology. He has a lengthy history in the capacity of driving national policy through an academic career as a senior lecturer of sociology for nearly 30 years and is an avid researcher in various fields of sociology. He also has cooperate experience spanning across various fields, encompassing high-level decision making within the private sector, to policy making at the national level.
Ambassador Wellawatte earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Colombo in 1987. He had been serving as a Senior Lecturer of the Department of Sociology of the University of Colombo immediately prior to his appointment as the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Italy. His previous prestigious positions include Chairman of Sri Lanka Insurance Cooperation, Chairman of State Mortgage and Investment Bank, Chairman of National Child Protection Authority, Chairman of Foreign Employment Bureau of Sri Lanka, Director of the Lanka Hospitals Cooperation PLC, Member of the Council of the Gampaha Wickramarachchi of Indigenous Medicine University. Further, he has published a number of academic papers on various subjects and engaged in research in economic, political and social fields. He also has authored many books in sociology. Ambassador Wellawatte is married to Shalika Fernando and has 4 children.
At the invitation of K. Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law of Singapore, Hon. M.U.M. Ali Sabry, PC, Minister of Justice of Sri Lanka, led a high-level delegation on an official visit to Singapore from 13th – 17th February 2022.
During the visit, the Minister met with his counterpart K. Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law of Singapore and held a wide-ranging discussion on collaboration between Sri Lanka and Singapore in the legal sphere.
Minister Ali Sabry thanked Minister K. Shanmugam for the invitation extended to undertake this visit and for the hospitality extended to Sri Lanka delegation.
Briefings were provided on recent amendments made to several important pieces of legislation including the Criminal Code, Religious Harmony Act, Internal Security Act of Singapore and on latest criminal law reforms implemented by the Government of Singapore. The two sides discussed the lessons learnt in the operational aspects of the legislation and amendments.
With a view to benefitting from Singapore’s learnings through its evolution of legislation related to national security and social cohesion, the two Ministers agreed to explore the possibility of sending a team of officials from Singapore to Sri Lanka to gain a wider understanding of the Sri Lankan legal context and to conduct a series of webinars for the officials of the Ministry of Justice of Sri Lanka.
During the visit the Minister visited the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG) Resource and Counselling Centre (RCC) on the 14th of February. Associate Professor Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of National Development and the senior management of the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG) joined Minister Ali Sabry explaining their approach on dealing with religious extremism with a specific emphasis on rehabilitation.
The Sri Lanka delegation participated in a virtual briefing on the court automation process of Singapore conducted by the Supreme Court of Singapore. Citing Sri Lanka’s own efforts in modernising and automation of the courts in Sri Lanka, Minister Ali Sabry stated that the system implemented in Singapore could be a valuable case study for Sri Lanka. It was agreed to conduct a series of webinars on the court automation system of Singapore for Sri Lankan officials.
The Minister also paid a visit to the Maxwell Chambers of Singapore on 15th February. Several briefings on Singapore’s legal technology platform, Singapore’s dispute resolution ecosystem, Singapore International mediation Centre, Singapore International Arbitration Court and Singapore International Commercial Court were conducted at the Maxwell Chambers.
A visit to the Harmony Centre of Singapore took place on the 16th of February, where the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Law of Singapore Edwin Tong, met and welcomed the Sri Lankan delegation. The Harmony Centre officials conducted a briefing and a tour of the centre focusing on Islam and interfaith relations and on the role of Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS), also known as the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore in keeping the Islamic community in Singapore safe from the continuous and evolving threat of radicalisation. The MUIS leadership explained their approach was to work with the community in forging the Singaporean Muslim identity. It was highlighted that they are prioritising shaping religious life within Singapore’s national context.
The Minister also paid visits to the Internal Security Department of Singapore (ISD) Heritage Centre and the Diversity in Harmony Gallery, and the Inter-Religious Organization (IRO) and had interactions with several prominent members of the Singaporean civil society.
The Sri Lanka delegation led by the Minister of Justice consisted of Prof. Rohan Gunaratna, Director General of the Institute of National Security Studies, Sri Lanka. Mr. Navin Marapana, PC, Head of Sub Committee of the Ministry of Justice, tasked with the Digitization and Court Automation of the entire legal/judicial system in Sri Lanka and Mr. Shamir Zavahir, Head of Reforms & Coordinating Secretary of the Minister’s Bureau at the Ministry of Justice.
High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Singapore Sashikala Premawardhane , First Secretary Nanduni Govinnage and First Secretary Madusanka Jayasinghe accompanied the Minister of Justice for the high-level meetings and visits.
The visit was coordinated by the High Commission of Sri Lanka in Singapore with the support of the Ministries of Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs of Singapore, and the Ministry of Justice and Foreign Ministry of Sri Lanka.
