Latest news with #Suhaimi
The Star
12 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
GRS treating state resources as personal property, says Sabah Umno
KOTA KINABALU: The Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) government is facing mounting criticism over the alleged secretive issuance of mineral mining licences and attempts to distort the state's oil and gas history. Sabah Umno information chief Datuk Suhaimi Nasir (pic) said public trust had been betrayed, warning that Sabah's resources were being managed 'like a family inheritance' rather than state assets belonging to the people. 'The people's trust is the highest principle in any democracy. Unfortunately, under the current GRS administration, that trust has been blatantly betrayed by political greed,' said Suhaimi, who is also the Libaran MP, in a statement on Tuesday (July 22). He took issue with recent remarks that Sabah's oil and gas sector only began developing after the establishment of SMJ Energy (SMJE) in 2021, pointing out that the RM54bil Sabah Integrated Oil and Gas Project (SIOGP) was launched in 2014 under the Barisan Nasional administration. 'GRS leaders are attempting to rewrite history,' he said. Suhaimi also questioned whether the much-publicised investments into Sabah were truly benefitting ordinary Sabahans or merely enriching political cronies. 'GRS often boasts about multi-billion ringgit investments into Sabah, but the people deserve to know: how much of that truly goes to companies owned by genuine Sabahans?' he said. He said it was unacceptable that the state government remained silent on basic public demands such as clean water, better roads, and stable electricity — yet was swift and quiet when it came to awarding mining licences. 'When it comes to mining licences, the government suddenly becomes swift, rushed, and silent. Is this the real priority of GRS?' he asked. 'Sabah is not the private estate of politicians. It is the people's property.' Suhaimi said Sabah was now in the midst of a leadership crisis, adding that true leaders would not trade the state's land and dignity for political survival. 'The people of Sabah deserve to know who profits and who approved it, because this state is not a personal fiefdom to be controlled by political elites,' he said. 'Do not ever sell out Sabah for personal gain,' he added.
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
New Selangor rugby coach prioritises 'process over prize'
KUALA LUMPUR: New Selangor Rugby Union (SRU) head coach Suhaimi Amran expects Kelantan and Johor to be among their main rivals at the National Sevens Championships in Kuala Terengganu this weekend (July 25-27). Suhaimi said Selangor experienced Kelantan's quality first-hand during a recent friendly. "We competed in a four-way friendly series with Kelantan, Royal Malaysian Police and Malaysian Universities recently," said Suhaimi. "And I believe Kelantan will be our strongest rivals for the National Sevens, next best is probably Johor. "Kelantan have many national team starters in their side. Their squad is packed with experienced players who are in peak form. "The National Sevens will be a battle of hard work and experience." Suhaimi, who is former Singapore national head coach, joined Selangor in late April and immediately got to work preparing the squad for the national meet. "Preparations have gone well and we managed to win the Perlis Sevens last month," said the Singaporean. "But I am not thinking about whether we can win the National Sevens. From day one, I have asked our players to focus on our day to day performances and tick the boxes so the outcome will take care of itself. "Of course we want to win gold - we train to win - however, we do not want to be derailed from our main objective of being better daily." Suhaimi added that he was pleasantly surprised by the quality of players in the current Selangor squad. "If I was the national team coach I would have a headache selecting players as we have so much talent from just one state (Selangor)," he added. "The question is whether we can develop and fully utilise the talent we have. My goal is to create a high-performance culture at Selangor and help these players flourish."
Daily Express
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Express
RTM confirms support for Sabah filmmakers
Published on: Friday, July 18, 2025 Published on: Fri, Jul 18, 2025 Text Size: Suhaimi (second left) with (from left) Pang, Jade and Gregory at the town hall. KUALA LUMPUR: Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) has confirmed plans to hold a content pitching session for Sabah-based providers in Kota Kinabalu. Broadcasting director-general Datuk Suhaimi Sulaiman gave the assurance in response to a question by Sabah Film and Visual Association (Safva) president Chester Pang. Advertisement The announcement was made during the RTM TV Programme Procurement Town Hall Phase 2/2025 held at the Seri Angkasa Auditorium, Angkasapuri here on Friday. Applications for the Phase 2/2025 private TV programme procurement are now open and will close on Aug 13 this year via the e-TVCMS platform. Earlier, Chester, who also directed the film Mantera, received his membership card from Malaysian Directors' Association (FDAM) president Datuk Afdlin Shauki. He said his involvement in FDAM aims to strengthen film industry networks in Sabah and improve local directing skills by learning from experienced national-level filmmakers. Several upcoming programmes are being planned in Sabah through collaborations between Safva and FDAM, with Safva secretary-general Jade Morris and exco member Gregory Giting also in attendance. * 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
The Star
6 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Maybank IB expects Bank Negara to maintain OPR rate at 2.75% until year-end
KUALA LUMPUR: Maybank Investment Bank Bhd (Maybank IB) expects Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) to keep the overnight policy rate (OPR) at 2.75 per cent for the rest of the year after the 25 basis points reduction on July 9. Based on the briefing following last week's monetary policy committee meeting, Maybank IB's group chief economist, Suhaimi Ilias, said the investment bank believes that BNM is likely adopting a "one-cut-and-done' approach to rate cuts. "At the moment, we don't expect any more cuts from BNM. I know they have flagged the downward revision to gross domestic product (GDP) growth at the end of this month. Currently, the official growth forecast for this year is 4.5 - 5.5 per cent. "I think the message seems to be that it's not a major downward revision. So I guess that also suggests that BNM has factored in the rate cut impact on the economy,' he said during a virtual media briefing on Maybank IB's Market Outlook for the second half of the year (2H 2025) today. He said the interest rate cuts will be positive for consumer spending, which is the biggest component of ASEAN economies' GDP. "Based on GDP numbers up to the first quarter of this year, private consumption is resilient in Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia, and retail sales for Vietnam as well as Singapore are improving as well,' he said. Suhaimi added that the investment bank has also maintained its GDP forecast for Malaysia at 4.1 per cent growth this year, down from last year's average of 5.1 per cent. "We have already revised our GDP number twice. The first time was in April, following the (United States) Liberation Day announcement of a reciprocal tariff, where we had factored in the impact of a 24 per cent tariff come July 9, although that deadline has been extended to Aug 1 with the tariff at 25 per cent. "It is not much of a difference in terms of the potential tariff that Malaysia will face come Aug 1. We still have some time left to negotiate and deal with the US to get to a better landing as far as tariff is concerned,' he said. While global uncertainties, particularly around the US trade policy and rising tariffs, have led to a downward revision from the initial 4.9 per cent GDP forecast, Suhaimi said Malaysia is expected to draw strength from resilient domestic demand and an ongoing investment upcycle. "Key drivers include consumer spending, supportive government policy and capital investment activity across sectors such as manufacturing, industrial properties and infrastructure,' he said. Suhaimi said the bank remains optimistic about private consumption, projecting a 5.3 per cent growth in 2025, driven by household income support measures and continued investment momentum. Meanwhile, Maybank IB has also maintained its FBM KLCI target at a base case of 1,660 this year, assuming further de-escalation of trade tensions and favourable tariff negotiations. Its head of equity research, Lim Sue Lin, said for now, the investment bank projects the local benchmark index to hover around 1,550-1,600, although with good news, it could end at 1,660. "The banking sector accounts for 50 per cent of earnings contribution to the KLCI. Even if you're looking at a 1.0 per cent earnings growth for the banks in 2025, it matters. "We're expecting some recovery in 2026, likely with some clawback from credit costs, no more interest rate cuts and a bit more stability in the overall macro scenario. We do think that the banks remain a crucial driver to where the KLCI could go,' she said. On the ringgit outlook, Maybank's head of foreign exchange research, Saktiandi Supaat, said the local currency's outlook is mildly bullish. "Overall, the ringgit will be at 4.10 by end-2025, buoyed by a softening US dollar, portfolio inflows and supportive domestic reforms. "Despite rising foreign currency deposits among corporates, conversion into ringgit remains slow, offering potential upside,' he said, adding that the ringgit is still fundamentally supported by fair valuation and structural policies. - Bernama
New Straits Times
6 days ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Maybank IB expects BNM to maintain OPR rate at 2.75 pct until year-end
KUALA LUMPUR: Maybank Investment Bank Bhd (Maybank IB) expects Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) to keep the overnight policy rate (OPR) at 2.75 per cent for the rest of the year after the 25 basis points reduction on July 9. Based on the briefing following last week's monetary policy committee meeting, Maybank IB's group chief economist, Suhaimi Ilias, said the investment bank believes that BNM is likely adopting a "one-cut-and-done" approach to rate cuts. "At the moment, we don't expect any more cuts from BNM. I know they have flagged the downward revision to gross domestic product (GDP) growth at the end of this month. Currently, the official growth forecast for this year is 4.5 - 5.5 per cent. "I think the message seems to be that it's not a major downward revision. So I guess that also suggests that BNM has factored in the rate cut impact on the economy," he said during a virtual media briefing on Maybank IB's Market Outlook for the second half of the year (2H 2025) today. He said the interest rate cuts will be positive for consumer spending, which is the biggest component of ASEAN economies' GDP. "Based on GDP numbers up to the first quarter of this year, private consumption is resilient in Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia, and retail sales for Vietnam as well as Singapore are improving as well," he said. Suhaimi added that the investment bank has also maintained its GDP forecast for Malaysia at 4.1 per cent growth this year, down from last year's average of 5.1 per cent. "We have already revised our GDP number twice. The first time was in April, following the (United States) Liberation Day announcement of a reciprocal tariff, where we had factored in the impact of a 24 per cent tariff come July 9, although that deadline has been extended to Aug 1 with the tariff at 25 per cent. "It is not much of a difference in terms of the potential tariff that Malaysia will face come Aug 1. We still have some time left to negotiate and deal with the US to get to a better landing as far as tariff is concerned," he said. While global uncertainties, particularly around the US trade policy and rising tariffs, have led to a downward revision from the initial 4.9 per cent GDP forecast, Suhaimi said Malaysia is expected to draw strength from resilient domestic demand and an ongoing investment upcycle. "Key drivers include consumer spending, supportive government policy and capital investment activity across sectors such as manufacturing, industrial properties and infrastructure," he said. Suhaimi said the bank remains optimistic about private consumption, projecting a 5.3 per cent growth in 2025, driven by household income support measures and continued investment momentum. Meanwhile, Maybank IB has also maintained its FBM KLCI target at a base case of 1,660 this year, assuming further de-escalation of trade tensions and favourable tariff negotiations. Its head of equity research, Lim Sue Lin, said for now, the investment bank projects the local benchmark index to hover around 1,550-1,600, although with good news, it could end at 1,660. "The banking sector accounts for 50 per cent of earnings contribution to the KLCI. Even if you're looking at a 1.0 per cent earnings growth for the banks in 2025, it matters. "We're expecting some recovery in 2026, likely with some clawback from credit costs, no more interest rate cuts and a bit more stability in the overall macro scenario. We do think that the banks remain a crucial driver to where the KLCI could go," she said. On the ringgit outlook, Maybank's head of foreign exchange research, Saktiandi Supaat, said the local currency's outlook is mildly bullish. "Overall, the ringgit will be at 4.10 by end-2025, buoyed by a softening US dollar, portfolio inflows and supportive domestic reforms. "Despite rising foreign currency deposits among corporates, conversion into ringgit remains slow, offering potential upside," he said, adding that the ringgit is still fundamentally supported by fair valuation and structural policies.
