Special Thailand-Cambodia meeting begins in Putrajaya
The meeting involved Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and acting Thailand Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim serving as host, Asean Chair, and witness.
Also present were United States Ambassador to Malaysia Edgard D. Kagan and Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Ouyang Yujing.
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New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
China racing to become world No. 1 AI player
Beyond dancing robots and eager-to-help digital avatars, Shanghai's World AI Conference (WAIC) saw China stake its claim to global artificial intelligence leadership and frame itself as a clear alternative to the United States. Assumptions that the US was far ahead in the fast-moving field were upended this year when Chinese start-up DeepSeek unveiled a chatbot that matched top American systems for an apparent fraction of the cost. With AI now at the forefront of the superpowers' tech race, the WAIC that ended on Tuesday saw China set out its case to take charge on shaping its global governance, too. China, the US and other major economies are "engaged in a marathon at Formula One speed", said Steven Hai, assistant professor of tech innovation at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University. "Which country will attain the upper hand can only be assessed dynamically over the course of development." China and the US dominate the AI sector — only 10 to 15 per cent of models developed in recent years were built without either's participation, according to Epoch AI, a non-profit research institute. While US companies like Google and OpenAI are still industryl e a d i n g , t h e i n s t i t u t e labelled 78 per cent of Chinese models "state- of-the-art" co mpared with 70 per cent of models built with American participation. B eijing's stated aim is to become the world's leading AI "in novation centre" by 2030. "Now China is neck-and-neck with the United States in terms of core tech, that play (for global leadership) is more relevant than ever," said Tom Nunlist, associate director for tech and data policy at Trivium China. "With a solid AI offering and the US turning inwards, the question is will Beijing's vision gain greater global traction?" In May, Microsoft's Brad Smith told the US Senate that "the number-one factor" in the tech race "is whose technology ismost broadly adopted in the rest of the world". China's offer is technical and economical. "One of the biggest differences (with the US sector) is that most of the leading models in China... are open-weight and open-source," former Google CEO Eric Schmidt told an audience at the WAIC. That means they can be adapted by other countries to fit their own needs, said George Chen, partner at Washington-based policy consultancy The Asia Group. "We already see some countries like Mongolia, Kazakhstan, even Pakistan, are trying to adopt the DeepSeek model to build their own," he said. "China has a chance to win in the aspect of sovereign AI to export its model to those countries." The comparative low cost of Chinese technology — s oftware but also hardware, for example through firms like Huawei — will be a big factor, especially for developing countries, Chen added. On Monday another Chinese start-up, Zhipu, announced its new AI model — also open-source — would cost less than DeepSeek to use. In June, OpenAI accused Zhipu of having close ties with Chinese authorities and noted that it was working with governments and state-owned firms across Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa. "The goal is to lock Chinese systems and standards into emerging markets before US or European rivals can," it said. Washington has moved to protect its lead in AI, expanding efforts to curb exports of state-of-the-art chips to China in recent years. "While limiting China's share of the global AI hardware market, (these measures) have accelerated indigenous innovation and led Chinese firms to exploit regulatory loopholes," said assistant professor Hai, referring to "ri fe" smuggling and circumvention. Other challenges to homegrown firms include the closed nature of the Chinese Internet, and "g eneral issues of trust when it comes to using Chinese tech", Trivium's Nunlist said. At the WAIC, China sought to present itself as a responsible p ower. Premier Li Qiang emphasised the risks of AI and pledged to share technology with other nations, especially developing ones. His remarks contrasted sharply with US President Donald T ru mp's aggressive low-regulation "AI Action Plan" launche d just days before and explicitly aimed at cementing US dominance in the field. China released its own action plan at the WAIC, following a meeting attended by delegates from dozens of countries. Li also announced the establishment of a China-led organisation for international AI cooperation.
Sinar Daily
2 hours ago
- Sinar Daily
DAP leaders urge forgiveness, Umno Youth demands 'stern action' over flag incident
The latest controversy, an upside-down flag flown at a Chinese primary school in Port Dickson, has once again stirred public outrage, with political voices now calling for calm. Coming just weeks before National Day, the incident has raised uncomfortable questions: Are national symbols being treated with the respect they deserve? Why do such errors keep recurring in vernacular schools? - Bernama photo for illustration purpose only SHAH ALAM – From missing stripes to misplaced colours, Malaysia's beloved Jalur Gemilang has seen its share of design mishaps. The latest controversy, an upside-down flag flown at a Chinese primary school in Port Dickson, has once again stirred public outrage, with political voices now calling for calm. The incident occurred at a Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SJKC) in Port Dickson, where a worker mistakenly hoisted the national flag in reverse. Images quickly went viral, reigniting public frustration over repeated blunders involving the country's most important national symbol. Coming just weeks before National Day, the incident has raised uncomfortable questions: Are national symbols being treated with the respect they deserve? Why do such errors keep recurring in vernacular schools? DAP Lukut state assemblyman Choo Ken Hwa confirmed that the flag was flown upside down, but quickly clarified that the mistake was made by a mentally disabled worker. "This happened because the headmaster had engaged a worker with an intellectual disability and he was the one who put up the flags around the school. "He used an old flag, and when putting it up, it was placed upside down. After being informed by the public, the flag was taken down within two hours," Choo said in the 15th Negeri Sembilan State Legislative Assembly. Choo went further, urging the public to stop spreading the image and not to blow the issue out of proportion. "I was on the ground that day. I personally coordinated the programme with the school and PIBG. This is not a matter to go viral," he said, urging that the issue be forgiven and forgotten. Many Malaysians are not so quick to forget. The upside-down flag, universally recognised as a sign of distress or disrespect, has appeared before in similar contexts, often involving Chinese schools. DAP Secretary-General Anthony Loke echoed the sentiment, warning against politicising the matter. 'Every time something like this happens, there will be people who try to make it political. I believe this was just a mistake. The Education Ministry is investigating whether it was intentional or not. There is no need for any party to take advantage of this for political gain,' Loke told reporters after launching the Merdeka Month celebrations in Seremban. Loke also reminded all Malaysians to treat the Jalur Gemilang with respect, especially during National Month. 'We always remind everyone, when we fly the Jalur Gemilang, do it correctly and respectfully. Sensitivity is important,' he said, adding that schools should set the right example in fostering patriotism. The school involved, SJKC Chung Hua, has since issued a public apology for the mistake, with both the PIBG and Board of Governors expressing regret over the incident. Despite apologies from the school and DAP leaders, the backlash has not abated. Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh has called for stern action to be taken against those responsible. Port Dickson police chief Maslan Udin confirmed that a 30-year-old suspect has been identified in connection with the case. 'The flag was brought down on the same day. We hope the public will stop circulating the photograph,' he said. Authorities are investigating the incident under four separate laws: Section 504 of the Penal Code — Intentional insult likely to provoke a breach of peace or another offence (up to two years' imprisonment, a fine, or both). Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act 1955 — Indecent, abusive, or threatening behaviour likely to disturb public peace. Section 5 of the Emblems and Names Act 1963 — Prohibits unauthorised use of protected emblems or names (up to RM20,000 fine, three years' prison, or both). Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 — Criminalises transmission of offensive or false content intended to annoy, abuse, or harass (fines and potential imprisonment). This is not an isolated case. In April this year, a local Chinese-language newspaper apologised after publishing a front-page image of the Jalur Gemilang without its crescent moon, a key symbol of Malaysia's Islamic heritage. The error appeared in its April 15 edition covering the arrival of Chinese President Xi Jinping in Malaysia. The artwork depicted a symbolic boat carrying the Malaysian and Chinese flags to mark bilateral ties. More Like This
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Cambodian and Thai officials meet in Malaysia; both countries are aiming to iron out ceasefire details
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP): Thai and Cambodian officials met in Malaysia on Monday for the first round of cross-border committee talks since a tense ceasefire was brokered last week after five days of deadly armed border clashes that killed dozens and displaced over 260,000 people. The four-day General Border Committee meetings were initially due to be hosted by Cambodia, but both sides later agreed to a neutral venue in Malaysia, the annual chair of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean), which has mediated the halt in hostilities last month. The July 28 ceasefire followed economic pressure from US President Donald Trump, who had warned the two warring nations that the U.S. would not conclude trade deals with them if the fighting persisted. Washington lowered tariffs on goods from the two countries from 36% to 19% on Aug. 1 following the truce. Monday's talks focused on ironing out details to avoid further clashes. Discussions of the decades-long competing territorial claims over the pockets of land near the shared border are not on the agenda. Thailand and Cambodia have been feuding neighbours for centuries, since both were mighty empires. In modern times, a 1962 ruling by the International Court of Justice awarding Cambodia the land on which the ancient Preah Vihear temple stands marked a new low point in relations, and other border territory remained claimed by both countries. Fighting erupted in 2011 at Preah Vihaer, after which the International Court of Justice in 2013 reaffirmed its earlier ruling, rankling Thailand. Relations deteriorated again sharply in May this year, when a Cambodian soldier was shot dead in a brief fracas in one of the disputed border zones, setting off diplomatic and trade sanctions, one against the other. Soon after two incidents last month in which Thai soldiers were wounded by land mines in disputed territory, for which Thailand blamed Cambodia, the two sides downgraded diplomatic relations and fighting broke out, each side blaming the other for starting the armed clashes. The talks this week will include finalizing details and scope of reference for an Asean monitoring team, Malaysian Chief of Defense Forces Gen. Mohamad Nizam Jaffar said Monday. Despite some reports of attacks after the ceasefire came into effect, Nizam said such incidents were typical spillover violence and both sides showed strong commitment during Monday's talks to uphold the ceasefire. The main session of the General Border Committee on Thursday will be led by Thai Deputy Defense Minister Gen. Natthaphon Nakpanit and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister cum Defense Minister Tea Seih and include observers from Malaysia, the United States and China, officials said. Despite the truce, tensions have persisted as both countries organised tours of the former battle areas for foreign diplomats and other observers to highlight damage allegedly caused by the other side. The two countries also continue to accuse each other of having violated international humanitarian laws with attacks on civilians and the use of illegal weapons. - AP
