Latest news with #RM28
The Sun
12 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
110 Sarawak students receive RM28m Petronas education sponsorships
KUCHING: A total of 110 Sarawakian students have been awarded Petronas education sponsorships worth RM28 million to pursue higher education at leading universities in Malaysia and abroad. The recipients, selected from nearly 9,000 applicants, demonstrated outstanding academic performance, leadership qualities, and active participation in co-curricular activities during their 2024 Sijil Peperiksaan Malaysia (SPM) examinations. The students will enrol in courses such as chemical engineering, petroleum engineering, economics, and law at institutions including Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) and universities in the UK and Australia. The awards were presented by Sarawak Minister for Women, Childhood, and Community Wellbeing Development Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah on behalf of Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg. Fatimah expressed gratitude for Petronas' long-standing commitment to nurturing Sarawakian talent. 'The relationship between Petronas and Sarawak is deeply rooted, and their efforts reflect a strong understanding of human capital value,' she said. She added that the initiative supports Sarawak's Post-COVID Development Strategy, aiming for high-income status by 2030 through education and skills development. Petronas senior general manager Akmal Niza Ahmad highlighted the company's dedication to empowering future leaders. 'Through Powering Knowledge, we invest in diverse programmes to benefit Malaysians at all levels,' she said. Since 1975, Petronas has sponsored over 40,000 students nationwide, including more than 1,300 from Sarawak since 2003. – Bernama
Barnama
13 hours ago
- Business
- Barnama
110 Sarawakian Students Receive Petronas Education Sponsorships
KUCHING, July 29 (Bernama) -- A total of 110 Sarawakian students received Petronas education sponsorships totalling RM28 million to pursue their tertiary studies at top universities locally and abroad. These students who excelled in 2024 Sijil Peperiksaan Malaysia (SPM) examination received the flagship Petronas Powering Knowledge education sponsorship drawn from nearly 9,000 applicants, and they were selected for their academic excellence, leadership potential, and active involvement in co-curricular activities. They will be pursuing studies in chemical engineering, petroleum engineering, economics, law, and other industry-related courses at Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) and other leading local and overseas universities in the United Kingdom and Australia. Sarawak Minister for Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah presented the awards on behalf of Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg at a ceremony held here today. Also present was Petronas senior general manager (human capital expertise) Akmal Niza Ahmad. In her speech, Fatimah, on behalf of the state government, thanked Petronas for their continuous support and commitment to developing Sarawakian talent. 'The relationship between Petronas and Sarawak is long-standing and deeply rooted, and the efforts by the former consistently demonstrated a deep understanding of the true value of human capital,' she said. The minister said that by investing in the education and development of Sarawakian youth, Petronas is also helping the state to lay the foundation for a future that is resilient, competitive and inclusive. 'This aligns strongly with the state's Post-COVID Development Strategy, which aims to position Sarawak as a high-income and developed state by 2030. 'At the heart of this vision is our focus on building talent and expanding opportunities across all levels of education -- from early childhood to tertiary, from academic pathways to technical and vocational training,' Fatimah said.
Borneo Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Borneo Post
New waterfront set to welcome Siniawan Country Music Festival from Sept 26-28
Miro (third right) and Lai (second left) in a group photo with committee members and representatives of bands for the coming country music festival. BAU (July 27): The newly completed Siniawan Waterfront will be the venue for this year's 8th Siniawan Country Music Festival from Sept 26 to 28, announced Serembu assemblyman Miro Simuh. He said the Siniawan Waterfront will be officially declared open by Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg on the morning of Sept 27, followed by the launch of the 8th Siniawan Country Music Festival later that day by National Unity Minister Dato Sri Aaron Ago Dagang. In addition, he revealed two other events will also take place concurrently during the same three days, namely the 185th anniversary of Siniawan town and the 50th anniversary of the Siniawan street night market. 'It is going to be the 185th anniversary of Siniawan town, which was founded in 1840, and also the 50th anniversary of the Siniawan street night market. So, there will be four celebrations that we are going to celebrate in one location, which we are going to organise soon. 'There will be a lot of VIPs coming down. And of course, we, as the organisers, will be busy within these two months doing all the preparations,' he said at a press conference at the Siniawan bazaar last night. Miro, who is advisor to the Siniawan Country Music Festival, was hopeful there would be a larger crowd of more than 10,000 people for the event at its new and bigger venue. 'We will have 11 bands that will perform for the three consecutive nights on the main stage, and we will have a few solo performers on the old street,' he added. According to him, the Siniawan Country Music Festival is now the biggest country music event in Asia. He also said his dream is to one day invite a band from Nashville, widely recognised as the 'Country Music Capital of the World', to perform in Siniawan. 'But we hope that one day we're going to bring international artistes here to Siniawan, either from the United States, from Europe or from Australia,' he added. On the Siniawan Waterfront, he said the RM9 million project is finally completed despite some delays since construction started five years ago. He explained the due date for completion is on July 31, with the contractor now doing minor touch up work at the site. 'Finally, we got it (completed) this year,' he enthused. He also revealed further developments in Siniawan include a proposed RM28 million multi-level car park and a Siniawan Arena which can accommodate 5,000 spectators at one time. These initiatives, he said, are aimed to establish Siniawan as a tourism catalyst in the Bau district. Meanwhile, the Siniawan Country Music Festival crganising chairman Dylan Lai said the event has evolved since its inception in 2016. He also emphasised that the unique charm of Siniawan's old wooden shoplots — reminiscent of the Wild West — was instrumental in branding the town as a 'cowboy town.' 'In the first year of the Country Music Festival, we had almost 8,000 people coming to Siniawan. And for the second edition in 2017, we had almost 10,000. 'So that has been a very good impact for Siniawan. This is the one thing I want to thank YB Miro for, to put this event in our hometown and then attract more tourists and all the cowboys and cowgirls to join this event. 'Because the event will be held at the new venue waterfront area this year, we hope we can attract more than 10,000 people to join our festival,' said Lai. 8th Siniawan Country Music Festival lead Miro Simuh Siniawan waterfront
The Sun
5 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
MACC warns leakages erode trust in government institutions
GEORGE TOWN: Leakages and misappropriation of public funds not only harm national financial management but also weaken public confidence in government institutions, warns the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki emphasized that public funds, crucial for national development, must be managed with full accountability. 'Misuse and weak internal controls lead to power abuse, wastage, and public burden,' he said. Among major cases highlighted were Op Water Sabah, involving a RM3.3 billion water supply project embezzlement, and a former Youth and Sports Ministry senior officer convicted of 96 charges related to forgery and money laundering. 'The MACC has seized luxury assets worth over RM3.5 billion and forfeited nearly RM28 billion in the past five years,' Azam stated. 'This shows our commitment to reclaiming stolen public funds.' He spoke at the closing of the 2025 Public Sector Finance and Auditing Seminar (SKPSA) in Teluk Bahang, themed 'Financial Integrity: Enforcing Compliance and Preventing Misappropriation in the Public Service.' Azam also noted the upcoming Government Procurement Bill, aimed at enhancing transparency in government procurement. He urged accountants and auditors to report irregularities fearlessly to uphold integrity. Additionally, he called for stronger whistleblower protections under the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010 and advocated for digital transformation in financial systems using AI and blockchain to detect fraud early. The seminar was organized by Tunku Puteri Intan Safinaz School of Accountancy (TISSA) and Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), with MACC's Financial Analysis Division. Attendees included UUM officials and nationwide participants. - Bernama
Barnama
5 days ago
- Business
- Barnama
Manage Public Funds with Accountability, Leakages Erode Trust In Gov't Institutions
GEORGE TOWN, July 24 (Bernama) -- Leakages and misappropriation in the public sector not only affect the country's financial management, but also erode public trust in government institutions. Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said that public funds, which are the mainstay of national development, must be managed with full accountability because misappropriation and weaknesses in internal control systems would lead to abuse of power, wastage and burdening the people. He said that among the major cases involving the misappropriation of public funds were Op Water Sabah, which involved the embezzlement of a water supply project worth RM3.3 billion, and that by a former Youth and Sports Ministry senior officer, who was convicted of 96 charges related to forgery and money laundering. "The MACC also confiscated various luxury assets worth over RM3.5 billion and forfeited almost RM28 billion in the last five years, which proves our commitment to ensuring that public funds are not misused. "To those enjoying themselves with corrupt gains, the MACC will take back this money because it is the people's money,' he said when officiating the closing of the 2025 Public Sector Finance and Auditing Seminar (SKPSA) themed Financial Integrity: Enforcing Compliance and Preventing Misappropriation in the Public Service in Teluk Bahang, near here, today. Elaborating, Azam said the proposed tabling of the Government Procurement Bill in Parliament this year is to strengthen the government's procurement system to become more transparent, systematic and based on the law. He also urged public sector accountants and auditors to report any misappropriation or irregularities without fear so as to defend public service integrity. He also hopes that protection for whistleblowers will continue to be enhanced through more effective implementation of the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010. In addition, Azam stressed the need for digital transformation in the government's financial and procurement systems by leveraging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain and data analytics, to trace suspicious transactions and prevent corruption at an earlier stage.
