logo
Bung Mokhtar: Sabah BN unperturbed by GRS-PH alliance for state election

Bung Mokhtar: Sabah BN unperturbed by GRS-PH alliance for state election

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) is not perturbed by Gabungan Rakyat Sabah's (GRS) decision to work with Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the upcoming state election.
Sabah BN chairman Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin said the party is instead focusing on strengthening its grassroots machinery and fielding candidates in constituencies where it has the best chance of winning.
"Umno Sabah is not too concerned with whom GRS wants to work. As of now, BN is only cooperating with PH.
"Our priority is to strengthen our machinery at the grassroots level, and we will field our candidates in constituencies where we are confident of winning," he told the New Straits Times.
Bung Mokhtar added that BN was prepared for any electoral battle.
The former state deputy chief minister said it does not matter whom the coalition would face or go up against.
"What matters is that we are ready to defend our existing seats, and on top of that, we aim to win back those we previously lost," he said.
His statement comes amid confirmation from Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor that GRS will maintain its alliance with PH for the 17th Sabah state election, despite calls for the Sabah-based coalition to contest solo.
Hajiji said both coalitions have held seat negotiation talks, including discussions with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also PH chairman.
GRS has 38 state seats, Parti Warisan 14, Umno 11 and PH 7. Umno's seats include Bengkoka, Usukan, Karambunai, Tanjung Keramat, Pantai Manis, Sungai Manila, Sungai Sibuga, Lamag, Sukau, Segama and Tanjung Batu.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Cambodia remains safe destination for investors says Malaysian trade body
Cambodia remains safe destination for investors says Malaysian trade body

The Star

timean hour ago

  • The Star

Cambodia remains safe destination for investors says Malaysian trade body

PHNOM PENH: The Malaysian Business Chamber in Cambodia (MBCC) said the kingdom remains a safe destination for businesses and foreign investors despite border tensions with Thailand. The Phnom Penh-based chamber's president, Tan Khee Meng, said MBCC will continue to share relevant information with the business community on the prevailing situation. "We will continue to provide reliable information to international business partners, assuring them that operations in Cambodia remain secure and that the country is safe for travel and business activities as usual,' Tan said in a statement. The peaceful northern region of Cambodia has been rocked by armed conflict since July 24, with 13 people, including soldiers and civilians, having perished. The Ministry of National Defence disclosed that over 80,000 people have been displaced, and about 500 schools in several northern provinces have been temporarily closed. "MBCC calls upon all parties involved to seek peaceful resolutions and support international efforts to restore harmony and safety to the region,' said Tan. In Phnom Penh, business is as usual, as the border conflict is going on in remote areas, hundreds of kilometres away from the capital. - Bernama

Petagas Gagasan Rakyat ready for state polls, open to PH alliance
Petagas Gagasan Rakyat ready for state polls, open to PH alliance

Daily Express

timean hour ago

  • Daily Express

Petagas Gagasan Rakyat ready for state polls, open to PH alliance

Published on: Monday, July 28, 2025 Published on: Mon, Jul 28, 2025 Text Size: PUTATAN: Gagasan Rakyat Sabah's Petagas division is fully prepared for the upcoming state election (PRN17) and is open to cooperating with Pakatan Harapan (PH). Division Chief Mohd Isquzawan Israq Arsit said their party machinery is already in motion, with G10 teams covering nearly 7,000 voters. All six polling district centres (PDM) will be activated soon. 'We've also briefed all PACA (polling and counting agents), as they are the party's last line of defence on polling day,' he said when met during the party's annual general meeting at SICC on Sunday. He noted strong grassroots support across ethnic lines, and solid ties with GRS component parties like PBS and STAR, including joint programmes with GRS women's wing. * 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

Urgent need for 'global approach' on AI regulation: UN tech chief
Urgent need for 'global approach' on AI regulation: UN tech chief

The Star

time2 hours ago

  • The Star

Urgent need for 'global approach' on AI regulation: UN tech chief

GENEVA: The world urgently needs to find a global approach on regulating artificial intelligence, the United Nations' top tech chief said this week, warning that fragmentation could deepen risks and inequalities. Doreen Bogdan-Martin, head of the UN's International Telecommunications Union (ITU) agency, told AFP she hoped that AI "can actually benefit humanity". But as concerns mount over the risks posed by the fast-moving technology – including fears of mass job losses, the spread of deepfakes and disinformation, and society's fabric fraying – she insisted that regulation was key. "There's an urgency to try to get... the right framework in place," she said, stressing the need for "a global approach". Her comments came after US President Donald Trump this week unveiled an aggressive, low-regulation strategy aimed at ensuring the United States stays ahead of China on AI. Among more than 90 proposals, Trump's plan calls for sweeping deregulation, with the administration promising to "remove red tape and onerous regulation" that could hinder private sector AI development. Asked if she had concerns about an approach that urges less, not more, regulation of AI technologies, Bogdan-Martin refrained from commenting, saying she was "still trying to digest" the US plan. 'Critical' "I think there are different approaches," she said. "We have the EU approach. We have the Chinese approach. Now we're seeing the US approach. I think what's needed is for those approaches to dialogue," she said. At the same time, she highlighted that "85 percent of countries don't yet have AI policies or strategies". A consistent theme among those strategies that do exist is the focus on innovation, capacity building and infrastructure investments, Bogdan-Martin said. "But where I think the debate still needs to happen at a global level is trying to figure out how much regulation, how little regulation, is needed," she said. Bogdan-Martin, who grew up in New Jersey and has spent most of her more than three-decade career at the ITU, insisted the Geneva-based telecoms agency that sets standards for new technologies was well-placed to help facilitate much-needed dialogue on the issue. "The need for a global approach I think is critical," she said, cautioning that "fragmented approaches will not help serve and reach all". As countries and companies sprint to cement their dominance in the booming sector, there are concerns that precautions could be thrown to the wind – and that those who lose the race or do not have the capacity to participate will be left behind. 'Huge gap' The ITU chief hailed "mind-blowing" advances within artificial intelligence, with the potential to improve everything from education to agriculture to health care – but insisted the benefits must be shared. Without a concerted effort, there is a risk that AI will end up standing for "advancing inequalities", she warned, cautioning against deepening an already dire digital divide worldwide. "We have 2.6 billion people that have no access to the internet, which means they have no access to artificial intelligence", Bogdan-Martin pointed out. "We have to tackle those divides if we're actually going to have something that is beneficial to all of humanity." Bogdan-Martin, the first woman to serve as ITU secretary-general in the organisation's nearly 160-year history, also stressed the need to get more women into the digital space. "We have a huge gap," she said. "We definitely don't have enough women... in artificial intelligence." The 58-year-old mother of four said it was "a big honour" to be the first woman in her position, to be "breaking the glass ceiling (and) paving the path for future generations". But she acknowledged there was a lot of pressure, "not just to achieve, but to almost overachieve". Bogdan-Martin, who is being backed by the Trump administration to stand for re-election when her four-year mandate ends next year, said she was eager to stay on for a second term. "There is a lot to do." – AFP

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store