logo
STAR aims to contest 15 seats

STAR aims to contest 15 seats

Daily Express27-05-2025
Published on: Tuesday, May 27, 2025
Published on: Tue, May 27, 2025
By: Sherell Jeffrey Text Size: Jeffrey having a light moment with the team from Petronas. - Sherell Jeffrey/Daily Express KOTA KINABALU: Star Sabah President Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan has revealed the party's aim to contest 15 seats in the upcoming 17th Sabah state election, nearly double the eight seats contested in 2020. He clarified that the number is aspirational, with formal seat negotiations amongst Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition partners yet to begin. 'In politics, every party wants to contest all seats. There's nothing wrong with expressing intentions,' said Jeffrey at a Kaamatan event. Star Sabah won six out of eight seats in the 2020 election, the highest win rate among GRS parties. Jeffrey said ongoing discussions are happening with Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) and within the GRS bloc, but no final decisions have been made. He expects seat allocations to be resolved before the election but gave no firm timeline.
Advertisement Other parties like PKR and DAP have announced plans to contest 13 and 10 seats, respectively, while GRS may field candidates in at least 52 constituencies. * Read full report in tomorrow's print paper or log in or sign up for e-paper and premium online news access. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss.
Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Ukraine says eastern front stabilised after recent Russian thrust
Ukraine says eastern front stabilised after recent Russian thrust

The Star

time5 hours ago

  • The Star

Ukraine says eastern front stabilised after recent Russian thrust

FILE PHOTO: A view shows a burned vehicle and anti-drone nets installed over a road near the frontline town of Dobropillia, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine August 10, 2025. REUTERS/Oleksandr Ratushniak/File Photo KYIV (Reuters) -Ukrainian troops have stabilised the battlefield in an area of eastern Ukraine where Russian forces had made a sudden push this week to pierce Ukrainian defences, the regional governor said on Thursday. Ukraine said small groups of Russian infantry had thrust some 10 kilometres (six miles) toward its main defensive line near the town of Dobropillia, raising fears of a wider breakthrough that would further threaten key cities. The advance, just days before Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin were due to meet in Alaska, appeared aimed at pressuring Kyiv to give up land in pursuit of peace three-and-a-half years into Russia's invasion of its neighbour. "The situation in the Dobropillia sector has stabilised," Vadym Filashkin, governor of the embattled Donetsk region, wrote the Telegram messaging app. "Thanks to the heroic efforts of our Defence Forces, the front line is reliably holding." Kyiv's military, which has played down the scale of the Russian thrust, had dispatched extra forces to the area including units of the battle-hardened Azov Corps. General Staff spokesperson Andriy Kovalyov, in comments to the Interfax Ukraine news agency, echoed Filashkin's statement and credited Azov forces with inflicting heavy enemy casualties. The Russian thrust had also fuelled criticism of Ukraine's military high command. Defence analyst Konrad Muzyka wrote on X that Russian forces had made "minimal gains" in the area on Wednesday but had inched forward further south, near the strategic city of Pokrovsk. (Reporting by Yuliia Dysa; writing by Dan Peleschuk; editing by Mark Heinrich)

DBKK approves three venues for Zara Qairina solidarity gatherings
DBKK approves three venues for Zara Qairina solidarity gatherings

Daily Express

time5 hours ago

  • Daily Express

DBKK approves three venues for Zara Qairina solidarity gatherings

Published on: Thursday, August 14, 2025 Published on: Thu, Aug 14, 2025 Text Size: KOTA KINABALU: The City Hall (DBKK) has approved three venues for the upcoming Zara Qairina Mahathir solidarity gatherings this weekend. The first venue is Padang Merdeka, which will host the event from 7pm to 11pm on Friday, Friday (Aug 15). On Saturday (Aug 16), Taman Chong Thien Vun will be available from 2pm to 4.30pm for the gathering. Another session on the same day will be held at Lintasan Deasoka from 5.30pm to 11pm. DBKK said the approval follows its set procedures and is subject to specific terms and conditions. It also clarified that the open space around the DBKK headquarters is not among the approved locations, despite social media claims. DBKK urged attendees to maintain cleanliness throughout the events. It reminded the public to use available facilities responsibly and with full respect for the surroundings. The gatherings are part of a series of events expressing solidarity in memory of Zara Qairina. DBKK expressed hope that the gatherings would proceed smoothly and respectfully at all approved venues. * 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

Masidi's claim on 2019 RM1 billion bond repayment a 'desperate distortion' - Sarifuddin
Masidi's claim on 2019 RM1 billion bond repayment a 'desperate distortion' - Sarifuddin

Borneo Post

time6 hours ago

  • Borneo Post

Masidi's claim on 2019 RM1 billion bond repayment a 'desperate distortion' - Sarifuddin

Sarifuddin KOTA KINABALU (Aug 14): Former Sabah Assistant Finance Minister Sarifuddin Hata has slammed State Finance Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun's attempt to portray the 2019 repayment of the state's RM1 billion bond as 'automatic,' calling it a desperate distortion. 'When Warisan took over the administration in 2018, just one year before the bond matured, the Bond Repayment Fund only had about RM400 million,' said Sarifuddin, who is also Merotai assemblyman and Warisan Kalabakan Division chief, in a statement today. He pointed out that based on the previous administration's plan of allocating RM200 million annually, at least RM800 million should have been in the fund by then. 'However, the RM600 million shortfall was the result of weak fiscal discipline before Warisan formed the government,' he said. Sarifuddin accused Masidi of cherry-picking figures, noting that 'being tabled in the budget does not mean the funds were actually allocated and deposited into the bond fund.' He said official records showed the actual balance in 2018 was far below the required amount. He stressed that Warisan's fiscal discipline between 2018 and 2019 successfully closed the gap, preventing a default. 'If the repayment had been 'fully guaranteed' as claimed by the minister, then why was there such a rush to top up the fund when Warisan was in power?' he asked. Warisan, he added, had less than 12 months to raise the fund from RM400 million to over RM1 billion, including interest, without taking new debt, cutting essential development programmes, or burdening the public. 'This was not a 'routine exercise' but a critical effort to safeguard Sabah's finances, credit rating, and credibility,' he stressed. Sarifuddin also maintained that Warisan implemented the sales tax on petroleum products in April 2020 and gazetted it during its administration. 'GRS only collected the revenue because the first payment came in after they took over. The policy, groundwork, and legal framework were all Warisan's work, not GRS',' he said. The former assistant minister reiterated calls for transparency on how the bond proceeds were spent. 'If the minister is confident every sen was spent in Sabah, then disclose the full list of projects, locations, contractors, and beneficiaries. Until this is revealed, talk of 'full accountability' is just empty words,' he said, calling for an independent audit. Sarifuddin criticised GRS for avoiding direct answers in the State Legislative Assembly, instead offering vague promises to 'study the matter' or 'provide a written reply.' He challenged Masidi and the GRS government to debate the matter openly in the Assembly. 'If you truly believe in your facts, there is no reason to fear debating in the august House,' he said. Masidi on Wednesday refuted claims by Warisan president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal that the RM1 billion State Government bond repayment in 2019 was an extraordinary achievement of the Warisan administration. 'The repayment was never a sudden burden. It was planned since 2014 under a Bank Negara Malaysia requirement to set up a Sinking Fund, with RM200 million allocated annually over five years. By the time Warisan came into office, the funds were already budgeted, and only the final RM380 million instalment was tabled during their tenure,' he said in a statement.

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