
Sibu SUPP branches launch incentive to boost Form 6 Chinese language enrolment
SIBU (July 4): The Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) Dudong and Sibu Jaya branches have jointly introduced an incentive programme in an effort to attract more students to take up Form 6 Chinese Language.
SUPP Dudong chairman Wong Ching Yong said the launching of the programme will take place at the branch's office on Jalan Aman here tomorrow (July 5) at 2pm.
'SUPP Dudong and SUPP Sibu Jaya will award the first round of incentives to Form 6 students currently taking the subject,' he said in a statement.
According to him, Form 6 Chinese Language enrolment has witnessed a sharp decline over the past few decades.
'The number of candidates has plunged from over 3,000 in the 1980s to fewer than 300 in 2024 – a drop of over 90 per cent – raising serious concerns within the education community.
'We hope this incentive programme will rekindle students' passion for Chinese education and help them see Form 6 Chinese Language as not merely as an academic option, but as a pathway connecting cultural heritage with public service,' he said. Chinese language lead Sibu SUPP Wong Ching Yong
Hashtags

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


Malaysia Sun
2 hours ago
- Malaysia Sun
How Xi empowers Global South in int'l governance
BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) -- As Chinese President Xi Jinping once observed, in the face of global changes of the century, pursuing modernization and working for a more just and equitable international order are the sacred historic missions of Global South countries. Xi described the BRICS countries as "leading members of the Global South," calling for building BRICS into "a primary channel for strengthening solidarity and cooperation among Global South nations and a vanguard for advancing global governance reform." Since becoming Chinese president in 2013, Xi has always been a steadfast champion of BRICS cooperation. In Xiamen, he advocated for the "BRICS Plus" program at the 2017 BRICS summit, calling for more active participation from other emerging markets and developing nations. He played a crucial role in propelling the BRICS' historic expansion in 2023, ushering in the era of greater BRICS cooperation. Effective coordination between BRICS members and other countries in the Global South has been adding more bricks to the global governance architecture. The New Development Bank exemplifies this effort. Xi said the bank serves as "an important emerging force in the international financial system," which should work to "make the international financial system fairer and more equitable and effectively enhance the representation and say of emerging markets and developing countries." Over the years, China, under Xi's leadership, has taken concrete steps to advocate for developing countries, help Global South countries enhance their representation and voice in international governance, and promote a more just and equitable international order. At the 2022 G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, China took the lead in supporting the African Union (AU)'s membership in the G20. In their meeting on the sidelines of the summit, then Senegalese President Macky Sall, who was also the AU chairperson that year, thanked Xi for being the first to publicly support the AU's G20 membership. The global leadership today remains lopsided, and rebalancing this skewed system is a shared imperative for both the Global North and South, said Paolo Magri, managing director and chair of the advisory board of the Italian Institute for International Political Studies, a think tank. "Global South countries marching together toward modernization is monumental in world history and unprecedented in human civilization," Xi said at the "BRICS Plus" Dialogue in Kazan, Russia, last year, while acknowledging that "the road to prosperity for the Global South will not be straight." "No matter how the international landscape evolves, we in China will always keep the Global South in our heart, and maintain our roots in the Global South," Xi pledged.


Daily Express
3 hours ago
- Daily Express
Zaharudin demands RM1.5m from Steven Sim over Facebook post dispute
Published on: Friday, July 04, 2025 Published on: Fri, Jul 04, 2025 By: Faiz Zainudin, FMT Text Size: Zaharudin (left) and Sim PETALING JAYA: Sungai Buloh PAS chief Zaharudin Muhammad has served a letter of demand on Steven Sim following criticism by the DAP deputy secretary-general over a Facebook post related to the promotion of a Chinese officer in the armed forces. In the letter dated July 3, issued by legal firm Nur Maidin & Co, Zaharudin demanded that Sim retract his allegedly defamatory remarks and issue a public apology, failing which he said the DAP leader would be sued for RM1.5 million. Advertisement 'Our client hereby demands the sum of RM1.5 million as fair and just compensation for your defamatory statements. 'Our client demands that you comply with the remedial actions immediately and in any event, no later than seven days from the date of this letter,' the lawyers said. Sim said last Thursday that he was ready to go to court to defend his criticism of Zaharudin, who described the comments by the human resources minister on his Facebook post as prejudicial. In his post, Zaharudin had speculated that Malaysia could see its first prime minister of Chinese descent in the next 30 to 40 years. Zaharudin, the son-in-law of PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, also uploaded a screenshot of a news report about Johnny Lim's promotion which he said was only for illustrative purposes. The post, which was subsequently deleted, prompted accusations of racism from several quarters and criticism, including from Zaharudin's own party. Sim was among those who had called for Zaharudin to be investigated. He accused Zaharudin of fanning racial sentiments and said that he had merely spoken out against racism when criticising him. Zaharudin said he travelled from Kuala Lumpur to Sim's parliamentary service centre in Bukit Mertajam, Penang, yesterday to personally deliver the letter of demand, but was unable to do so as the office was closed. 'I went to the Bukit Mertajam MP's service centre but unfortunately, no one was there. 'He (Sim) accused me of insulting the armed forces, of being racist, and more. I've sent the letter and am now awaiting his public apology. My lawyer will also follow up by sending it via email,' he told FMT . Zaharudin also challenged Sim to a public debate on the Malaysia My Second Home programme, which he said was the actual issue he had intended to raise – not the alleged questioning of the Chinese lieutenant-general's promotion. - FMT * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia


Malaysian Reserve
4 hours ago
- Malaysian Reserve
China is set to cancel part of EU summit in latest strain
THE Chinese government intends to cancel part of a two-day summit with European Union leaders planned for later this month, in the latest sign of the tensions between Brussels and Beijing. The second day of the summit in China is set to be canceled at Beijing's request, according to people with knowledge of the planning, who asked not to be named discussing private information. Those plans could change by the time they're finalized, one of the people said. Originally, European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa had planned to meet President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in Beijing on July 24 and then travel to Hefei in central China on July 25 for a business summit. The meeting will now just be one day in Beijing. Xi is trying to position himself as a more reliable partner than President Donald Trump, who is alienating US allies over issues from tariffs to defense. But relations between Brussels and Beijing have also become more strained by longstanding disagreements over the war in Ukraine and Chinese industrial policy. Adding to the tensions is an increasingly unbalanced trading relationship compounded by China's recent export controls on rare earth magnets, which have hit European industries hard. The two sides had already canceled the flagship EU-China High-Level Economic and Trade Dialogue and a digital forum, Bloomberg reported last month. That economic meeting would typically lay the groundwork for the leaders' summit, but was called off by the EU due to a lack of progress on trade. The series of ongoing disagreements has challenged the relationship. When the EU imposed tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles last year, China launched anti-dumping probes into European brandy, dairy and pork, with the brandy probe due to end this Sunday. China's Foreign Ministry didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The cancellation comes as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi tours Europe for meetings in Brussels, Germany and France. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul criticized China over its recent export restrictions on rare earths. 'Unfortunately our companies are currently facing one-sided and not very transparent export restrictions for rare earths,' Wadephul said after a meeting with Wang Thursday evening in Berlin. 'This uncertainty is damaging our trade relations and also damaging China's image in Germany as a reliable trading partner overall,' Wadephul added, and called for 'fair and reciprocal' trade relations between the two countries. Wang, who spoke alongside Wadephul, insisted rare earths were 'dual-use goods' that needed to be controlled. 'This is part of our sovereignty,' he added. The fact of the shortened EU summit was not mentioned at the press conference. Before, European foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told Wang that it was important to rebalance the economic relationship and end 'distortive practices' including the restrictions on rare earths exports, according to a readout from Wednesday. She also urged China to end support for Russia's military-industrial complex and back a full and unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine. At the meeting, Wang said that the two sides should regard each other as partners, not rivals, and should properly handle differences through communication, according to a Chinese statement. Beijing is worried that the EU will agree a trade deal with the US that could damage Chinese interests. Chinese officials are particularly concerned that the EU might sign up to provisions similar to those in the UK's deal with the US, which included commitments around supply chain security, export controls and ownership rules in sectors like steel. The shortened summit is unexpected. The EU Chamber of Commerce in China was inviting members to sign up for the meetings in Hefei in an email Thursday morning, Beijing time. –BLOOMBERG