
Expedite approved devt projects in Serian, GKCDA chairman tells implementing agencies
Sagah (centre) fields questions from reporters when met after the swearing in ceremony. — Photo by Roystein Emmor
KUCHING (April 23): The relevant agencies have been urged to expedite the implementation of over 20 approved development projects in Serian under the Greater Kuching Coordinated Development Agency (GKCDA) following concerns over delays.
GKCDA chairman Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn said this process does not only involve the local council, as land matters typically require the involvement of several other departments once land has been acquired.
'We are calling on all agencies, not just the council, that have been entrusted with implementing these projects, including those under GKCDA and Rural Transformation Project, to expedite their work.
'As you may have heard a few days ago, the Premier (Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg) expressed his dissatisfaction with certain approved projects that have yet to be implemented.
'So, on the same note, we are asking the agencies to expedite all these projects,' he told reporters when met after witnessing the swearing in of Serian District Council (MDS) councillors at a hotel here today.
Earlier in his speech, Sagah, who is also Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development, expressed his hope that the projects would progress more quickly with the appointment of new MDS chairman Dato Peter Minos.
He said under the British model adopted by Malaysia, local councils represent the third tier of government.
'As such, you are part of the government and serve as the authority within your own council area.
'Whatever projects that have been done, you also have to help,' he reminded councillors.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New Straits Times
4 hours ago
- New Straits Times
UK envoy eyes stronger ties with Malaysia in semiconductor sector
KUALA LUMPUR: The United Kingdom's new High Commissioner to Malaysia, Ajay Sharma, has made strengthening bilateral cooperation a key priority, with a particular focus on the fast-growing semiconductor sector and the development of integrated chip design and advanced manufacturing. He said the British government is keen to strengthen linkages and exchange ideas to increase the value chain in both countries in the semiconductor industry and the manufacture of high-end chips. This aligns with Malaysia's ambitions under the National Semiconductor Strategy (NSS) to transition from outsourced semiconductor assembly and testing to high-end manufacturing and niche capabilities such as integrated circuit design. "We have seen a Malaysian company invest in a new compound semiconductor facility in Wales," he said, referring to SMD Semiconductor, a Sarawak state-owned firm that recently opened a research and development innovation hub in Newport, an industrial port city in Wales. "Therefore, I really want to work with Malaysia on the semiconductor industry. Malaysia is already involved in different parts of the value chain, and we can complement and learn from each other," he told Bernama after appearing on Bernama TV's 'The Nation' programme recently. Sharma, who succeeded Ailsa Terry CMG, previously served in Iran, Qatar, Turkey, Moscow and Paris. He also sees potential for a UK-Malaysia partnership in offering specialised courses on semiconductors and chip design in British universities, where a significant number of Malaysian students pursue higher education. Malaysia has huge potential in clean energy "We can also collaborate with local universities to bring Malaysian talent to the UK and set up courses here. Then we could see these courses develop and expand to Malaysia as well," he said. He also highlighted clean energy as an area for increased bilateral cooperation, in which Malaysia has immense potential and where Britain could play a supporting role. "Malaysia has huge natural resources, immense opportunities in clean energy and is working on significant development on carbon capture, green tech and energy transition. Malaysia also has creative and innovative technologies which can be used in our universities, labs and expanded into businesses. "This interests me to try to get more investments from both countries in this sector as well," said Sharma. Sharma said he is keen to boost two-way investments, especially Malaysian investments in the UK, citing successful ventures such as the Battersea Power Station redevelopment, YTL's Brabazon project in Bristol, and contributions in sectors ranging from water utilities like Wessex Water to power generation. At the same time, he aims to raise awareness among UK companies about business opportunities in Malaysia. "Companies in the UK do not know much about the opportunities here in Malaysia, and we need to raise the profile to generate business interest. "So, that is a key area that I would like to fix under my leadership," said Sharma, who stressed this is even more important with Malaysia being a key market for economic growth in the Asean region. CPTPP trade process must be as simple as possible With UK-Malaysia trade worth six billion pounds (about RM34.8billion), the potential for increased trade is huge. "We should be doing much more in many areas, such as tech development, which affects everything from healthcare to life sciences to defence manufacturing. We need to work on these and not be limited to areas we have focused on in the past," said Sharma. He said the UK expects vast new opportunities following its accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) on December 15 last year, becoming the first European nation to join the pact. The CPTPP now includes Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United Kingdom and Vietnam. With a combined population of 580 million and accounting for 15.6 per cent of global gross domestic product, the CPTPP is the world's fourth-largest free trade bloc. Sharma noted that the global trading system is under considerable strain, with questions raised about the World Trade Organisation's ability to manage challenges, even before the protectionist measures introduced by the United States. "We really need to find ways to ensure cooperation between our countries to support free trade flows and growth, which is the main reason we were keen to join the CPTPP. "We must ensure the trade administration process is as simple as possible. I wouldn't want people to miss out on a great trade arrangement simply because the process for applying for exemptions, etc, is too complicated or too onerous," he said. The UK government, he added, is working closely with businesses to help them take full advantage of the CPTPP, including through cost savings and improved market access. "As a government, we are working with businesses to make sure they take advantage of these (CPTPP) opportunities," he said.


The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
UK junior trade minister visits Taiwan
Britain has only formal diplomatic relations with Beijing, but maintains a de facto embassy in Taipei. - Photo: AFP LONDON: British junior trade minister Douglas Alexander is visiting Taiwan for talks on Sunday (June 29), the UK government said, on a trip that is aimed at boosting trade with Taipei but is likely to anger China. China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and strongly objects to any official interactions between the island and foreign governments, believing them to represent support for Taiwan's desire to be recognised as an independent country. Britain only has formal diplomatic relations with Beijing, but maintains a de facto embassy in Taipei. Junior British ministers hold talks with their Taiwanese counterparts but by convention senior ministers do not meet Taiwanese officials. Alexander's trip comes at a time when Britain and China are looking to mend ties, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer expected to visit Beijing this year on the first trip by a British leader since 2018. But despite those efforts, tensions remain. Last week, China's military criticised the sailing of a British warship through the Taiwan Strait as a deliberate attempt to "cause trouble". Alexander will be in Taiwan for annual trade talks on June 29-30, the Department for Business and Trade said. He will witness the signing of UK-Taiwan trade partnership pillars, and meet President Lai Ching-te as part of Britain's "long-standing unofficial relationship" with Taiwan, it said. "We share a long-standing trade relationship with Taiwan and our trade reached an all-time high last year, but we know there are still more opportunities for British businesses," Alexander said in a statement. - Reuters


New Straits Times
7 hours ago
- New Straits Times
G7 agrees to avoid higher taxes for US and UK companies
WASHINGTON: The United States and the Group of Seven (G7) nations have agreed to support a proposal that would exempt US companies from some components of an existing global agreement, the G7 said in a statement on Saturday. The group has created a "side-by-side" system in response to the US administration agreeing to scrap the Section 899 retaliatory tax proposal from President Donald Trump's tax and spending bill, it said in a statement from Canada, the head of the rolling G7 presidency. The G7 said the plan recognises existing US minimum tax laws and aims to bring more stability to the international tax system. The US Treasury Department said that following the removal of Section 899 from the US Senate version of the tax and spending bill, there is a shared understanding that a side-by-side system could preserve important gains made by jurisdictions inside the Inclusive Framework in tackling base erosion and profit shifting. "We look forward to discussing and developing this understanding within the Inclusive Framework," the department said in a post on X on Saturday. UK businesses are also spared higher taxes after the removal of Section 899 from President Donald Trump's tax and spending bill. Britain said businesses would benefit from greater certainty and stability following the agreement. Some British businesses had in recent weeks said they were worried about paying substantial additional tax due to the inclusion of Section 899, which has now been removed. "Today's agreement provides much-needed certainty and stability for those businesses after they had raised their concerns," Finance Minister Rachel Reeves said in a statement, adding that more work was needed to tackle aggressive tax planning and avoidance. G7 officials said they look forward to discussing a solution that is "acceptable and implementable to all". In January, through an executive order, Trump declared that the global corporate minimum tax deal was not applicable in the US, effectively pulling out of the landmark 2021 arrangement negotiated by the Biden administration with nearly 140 countries. He also vowed to impose a retaliatory tax against countries that impose taxes on US firms under the 2021 global tax agreement. This tax was considered detrimental to many foreign companies operating in the US.