Sarawak DAP Youth chides Miri City Council over MyKiosk 'failure'
Its chief Peter Hee reportedly accused MCC of allowing the project - which began in 2022 and saw 10 kiosks constructed across Miri - to go to waste, with many kiosks abandoned and deteriorating.
According to Borneo Post, Hee blamed the local authority for...
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New Straits Times
2 days ago
- New Straits Times
South Korea to end private adoptions after landmark probe
SEOUL: South Korea is set to overhaul its adoption system on Saturday by ending the decades-old practice of outsourcing adoptions to private agencies, which has led to widespread allegations of abuse. South Korea, Asia's fourth-largest economy and a global cultural powerhouse, sent more than 140,000 children overseas between 1955 and 1999. But an official enquiry concluded this year that the international adoption process had been riddled with irregularities, including "fraudulent orphan registrations, identity tampering, and inadequate vetting of adoptive parents." The rights of South Korean children had been violated, the landmark investigation by a truth commission found. The independent body established by the state called for an official apology and blamed the government for the issues, especially a failure to regulate adoption fees that effectively turned it into a profit-driven industry. On Saturday, South Korea will introduce a "newly restructured public adoption system, under which the state and local governments take full responsibility for the entire adoption process," South Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare said. The change is a "significant step towards ensuring the safety and promoting the rights of adopted children," the ministry added. International adoption began after the Korean War as a way to remove mixed-race children, born to Korean mothers and American soldier fathers, from a country that emphasised ethnic homogeneity. It became big business in the 1970s to 1980s, bringing international adoption agencies millions of US dollars as South Korea overcame post-war poverty and faced rapid and aggressive economic development. But the system failed children, the truth commission said in March, with a failure to follow "proper legal consent procedures" for South Korean birth parents resulting in highly-publicised reports of lost children being put up for overseas adoption. The commission's chairperson, Park Sun-young, said at the time it was a "shameful part" of South Korea's history. Under the new system, key procedures – such as assessing prospective adoptive parents and matching them with children – will be deliberated by a ministry committee, in accordance with the principle of the "best interests of the child." Previously, this had been done by major adoption agencies, with minimal oversight from the state. "With this restructuring of the public adoption system, the state now takes full responsibility for ensuring the safety and rights of all adopted children," said Kim Sang-hee, director of population and child policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Activists, however, say the measure should be merely a starting point and warn it is far from sufficient. "While I think it's high time that Korea close down all private adoption agencies, I don't believe... having the state handle new adoptions is enough," said writer Lisa Wool-Rim Sjoblom, a Korean adoptee who grew up in Sweden. The government should prioritise implementing the findings of the truth commission, issue an official apology, and work to help the tens of thousands of Koreans who were sent abroad for adoption, she told AFP. "The government urgently needs to acknowledge all the human rights violations it enabled, encouraged, and systematically participated in, and, as soon as possible, begin reparations."
The Star
6 days ago
- The Star
Meta faces backlash in South Korea over mysterious account bans
SEOUL: A growing number of South Korean users are demanding answers from Meta after their Facebook and Instagram accounts were suspended without clear reason. Some were even flagged for violating policies related to sexual exploitation of minors, allegations users say are not only false but deeply damaging to their personal reputations. Meta Korea has acknowledged a technical error, but frustration continues to grow. Accounts remain locked, and users say there is no direct way to appeal or receive help. 'I never uploaded anything illegal,' said one user during a recent closed-door session with lawmakers. 'But now people around me are suspicious. It's humiliating.' In response, Representative Choi Min-hee, head of the South Korean National Assembly's Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee organised a private meeting last week with affected users, legal experts and regulators. 'We need real solutions, not vague apologies,' she said, urging Meta to take responsibility and act swiftly. Heo Ouk, Meta Korea's director of public policy who attended the meeting, apologised for the 'frustration' and pledged to 'escalate the cases to headquarters for urgent review'. The session included testimony from users whose accounts were banned after seemingly routine activity. A college student had their account suspended after uploading an illustration for a class project. Another user, who runs a wildlife-themed page, said they were banned without explanation. One user reactivated their account after a study break, only to be locked out immediately. Attorney Kim Si-eun, representing several of the victims, said Meta must comply with South Korea's Telecommunications Business Act, which requires companies to prove that any service suspension is justified. 'If they can't show cause, they must restore the accounts immediately,' she said. She also called on Meta to speed up the launch of its promised South Korea-based customer service centre, which is currently scheduled for February 2026. Shin Seung-han, director of market surveillance at the Korea Communications Commission, confirmed that the agency has submitted a formal request to Meta for written clarification. He warned that if Meta is found to have violated the law, 'we will take legal measures under existing regulations'. Choi emphasised that the situation reflects a broader problem. 'There's no local customer support. Users are left in the dark,' she said. She plans to compile user testimonies and follow up with another meeting once Meta responds. - The Korea Herald/ANN
Borneo Post
11-07-2025
- Borneo Post
Dapsy S'wak slams DUN seat expansion as power grab, not for people's benefit
Hee questions the rationale behind the seat expansion, pointing out the lack of public demand or clear justification. MIRI (July 11): The Democratic Action Party Socialist Youth (Dapsy) Sarawak has criticised the recent move to expand the number of seats in the State Legislative Assembly (DUN), describing it as a politically-driven exercise aimed at entrenching power rather than addressing the people's needs. Dapsy Sarawak chief Peter Hee called the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS)-led government's focus on redrawing political boundaries a misplaced priority, at a time when Sarawakians are grappling with rising living costs, inadequate infrastructure, and limited access to quality education and healthcare. 'This is clearly a strategy to entrench power, not to uplift lives,' he said in a statement yesterday. The Dewan Undangan Negeri (Composition of Membership) Bill 2025, passed during a special assembly sitting on July 7, paves the way for an increase in the state constituencies from 82 to 99. The last redelineation in 2015 saw the creation of 11 new seats. Hee questioned the rationale behind the seat expansion, pointing out the lack of public demand or clear justification. 'Where is the transparency? Where are the consultations? How will these changes benefit rural communities rather than just strengthen the positions of political elites?' He cautioned that the move could worsen development gaps between urban and rural areas, stressing that the government should instead prioritise equitable distribution of resources, better education opportunities, and youth employment. 'What we urgently need is equitable distribution of public resources, quality education opportunities, and support for young people to secure jobs or start businesses, not more politicians to attend ribbon-cutting ceremonies,' he said. He urged Sarawakians to remain vigilant and push for full public engagement before any constituency redelineation is implemented. 'The government must present clear data and a solid rationale before even considering altering constituency lines. 'Otherwise, it's just another political game,' he added, noting that young Sarawakians wanted a system that prioritises public welfare over political considerations. 'The youth want a fair and transparent system – one that puts people first, not politics.' DAPSY DUN seats lead Peter Hee
