Sabah election: Has political instability derailed development?
The election is the first in a series of noteworthy state polls - next up are Melaka, Johor and Sarawak - between now and 2028, by when Malaysia's 16th General Election (GE16) must be held.
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CNA
6 hours ago
- CNA
Triathlon-Garcia breached anti-corruption policy before WT election, CAS says
World Triathlon executive board member Liber Garcia breached the governing body's anti-bribery and anti-corruption policy in the lead-up to its 2024 presidential election, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled in a verdict published on Tuesday. Antonio Fernandez Arimany won the election to succeed fellow Spaniard Marisol Casado as president. Michelle Cooper, the former president of Australia's triathlon governing body who ran for the presidency of the global ruling body, lodged a complaint last year alleging election misconduct. Uruguayan Garcia, president of Americas Triathlon, was given a warning as the CAS partially upheld a March 2025 decision by the World Triathlon Tribunal and said a predetermined "favourites list" influenced the outcome of the elections and that some candidates were encouraged to withdraw. "While I was disappointed the CAS panel reduced (Garcia's) sanction to a warning, the key outcome remains unchanged: misconduct occurred. The finding of guilt stands," Cooper wrote in a LinkedIn post on Monday. "Sport governance must not become theatre, where ethical breaches are acknowledged but not acted on. We have the ruling. We have the facts. Now we need the action. Let this be the moment we all say: enough." The verdict comes less than two weeks after the publication of a wide-ranging report on the current state and future of triathlon, which has faced problems due to differing governing bodies, changing formats and struggles for commercial and TV backing. The report called for creating a unified commercial ecosystem, focusing on festival-style formats and investing in mass participation in the swim-bike-run sport.
CNA
16 hours ago
- CNA
Jokowi says ‘fully supports' party chaired by son, but is the ex-president eyeing a bigger political vehicle?
JAKARTA: In his most extensive remarks on his next potential political vehicle after stepping down as Indonesia's seventh president, Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo has said he will fully support the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) chaired by his youngest son. Analysts said that by throwing his weight behind PSI, there will be public expectation for the former president to help it perform better in the 2029 general election than its abysmal showing in previous polls. But his involvement in PSI remains unclear and is far from certain, given that Jokowi is not even a PSI member and does not have a formal leadership role, observers said, adding that he could be eyeing a position in another bigger party. The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) had backed Jokowi's political career and two successful presidential bids, but he had to leave the party in 2024 after deciding not to endorse PDI-P presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo. Jokowi enjoyed high approval ratings during his two terms in office. But since stepping down as president in October 2024, signs are that Jokowi's influence is waning amid speculation over his health and whether he would take up a leadership role in a party as a vehicle to retain political relevance. So all eyes were on him last weekend as he spoke at the PSI Congress in Solo, where his son Kaesang Pangarep, 30, expectedly won a re-election as chairman of the youth-driven party. 'I will fully support PSI… I will work hard for PSI,' Jokowi told party members and supporters last Saturday (Jul 19). Jokowi also urged the party to finalise its organisational structure to help PSI better understand the aspirations of people across Indonesia. Typically, after a party congress, its chairman will decide other leadership positions. 'If the target for 2029 is simply to enter Senayan (parliament), I think that shouldn't be the target—because that must happen. It's too small if our goal is only to get into Senayan,' said Jokowi. When asked by reporters the next day what form his support for PSI might take, Jokowi simply reiterated that he would offer his 'full support'. 'It will be full support, which means working hard. I can be at the front, behind, or even in the middle,' said Jokowi, as quoted by news outlet Tempo. WHAT IS PSI? PSI was founded in November 2014 by a group of young activists promoting clean, transparent, and diversity-driven politics. Its first leader was Grace Natalie, a former journalist of Chinese-Indonesian descent. The absence of a strong influential figure has contributed to PSI's poor performance in the past two elections, said analysts. In the 2019 election, PSI secured only 1.89 per cent of the vote—well below the 4 per cent parliamentary threshold to win a seat. PSI then sought to rebrand itself by appointing Giring Ganesha, a former rock band vocalist, as its new leader. He was later replaced in 2023 by Kaesang after the party hit a low point and aimed to attract younger voters. PSI appointed Kaesang as party chairman just two days after he officially joined the party. Prior to that, Kaesang was a businessman with no political experience. Kaesang's leadership did help PSI increase its vote share to 2.80 per cent in last year's legislative elections, but it still fell short of the electoral threshold. PSI founder Jeffrie Geovanie admitted that appointing Kaesang in 2023 was a strategic move to capitalise on the Jokowi family name. Without that, he said, the party risked collapse due to declining popularity. 'If we don't even get even a drop of blood, a single support from the Jokowi family—or Jokowi himself — we might as well shut the party down,' Jeffrie said at the PSI congress over the weekend, recounting what he told party members before Kaesang was first appointed chairman in 2023. Kaesang was re-elected last weekend as chairman after securing more than 60 per cent of the votes, defeating two other candidates. JOKOWI AS PSI PATRON OR IS HE AIMING FOR SOMETHING BIGGER? Observers suggest that Jokowi's support for PSI may be in the form of a patron rather than a formal leadership post alongside his son. 'PSI's weakness all along has been its lack of a strong patron,' Ambang Priyonggo, assistant professor of political communication at the Multimedia Nusantara University, told CNA. 'Jokowi can influence public perception, so he will support the party from behind the scenes.' Agung Baskoro, a political analyst from the think tank Trias Politika Strategis, agreed, adding that the relationship between Jokowi and PSI is a mutually beneficial one. 'PSI needs a figure like Jokowi. Meanwhile, Jokowi needs a political vehicle to shield himself and his family from political attacks, as well as to protect his legacy and influence,' said Agung. Political communication analyst and KedaiKOPI survey institute founder Hendri Satrio noted that Jokowi now carries a big responsibility to elevate PSI's reputation, and will likely go 'all out' to do so, as PSI's resurgence would also help restore his own public image. 'If PSI collapses, the embarrassment falls on Jokowi. The party is trying to shift the burden of raising voter support onto the Jokowi family,' Hendri told CNA. According to Ambang of Multimedia Nusantara University, it is likely that Jokowi has not joined PSI as a leader or member because he sees his stature as bigger than that of the party. 'Someone of Jokowi's calibre is too big for PSI,' Ambang said. Furthermore, saying that he supports PSI does not preclude him from officially joining a more established party. 'There's a chance Jokowi could join another political vehicle. There's one party clearly affiliated with him — he could be recruited by that party: Golkar,' said Ambang. Agreeing, Made Supriatma, a visiting fellow at Singapore's ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute, believes that Jokowi is aiming to align with another party beyond PSI, calling "Golkar the ultimate prize". 'PSI has major limitations. It's run by Gen Z youth with minimal experience and no grassroots base,' Made told CNA. 'They're not from circles accustomed to political manoeuvring — unlike Golkar.' Golkar was part of Jokowi's two governments when he was president and had consistently supported his policies. Speculation about Jokowi joining Golkar has circulated since last year, though it has yet to materialise. Following the resignation of its leader Airlangga Hartarto in August 2024, Golkar appointed Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia, a key Jokowi ally, as its chairman. Made said that Golkar, founded in the 1960s during the New Order era, is arguably the most suitable party for Jokowi. However, he added that such a move would not be easy given Jokowi's waning political influence and the view among some in Golkar of him as someone who never contributed to building the party. Ambang also pointed out internal divisions within Golkar between factions that support Jokowi and those that oppose him. JOKOWI'S POLITICAL STANDING Observers whom CNA spoke to generally agreed that Jokowi still holds some political sway due to his former presidential status, but his influence is on the decline. 'In terms of electoral coattail effects, Jokowi likely doesn't have the same pull as before. His term is over, and issues like the fake diploma allegations have eroded his image,' said Ambang, referring to lawsuits filed based on such claims which have been denied by Jokowi and his university. Made of ISEAS Yusof-Ishak Institute added that many of Jokowi's former supporters have turned against him. This is especially after his other son Gibran Rakabuming Raka became vice-president following a controversial Constitutional Court ruling that lowered age requirements for presidential candidates and allowed the then 36-year-old to contest in last year's election. 'It's almost impossible for Jokowi to return to power. The post-Prabowo era will belong to the younger generation,' Made said, referring to President Prabowo Subianto. Analysts also downplayed the significance of Prabowo's recent visit to Solo to meet Jokowi for an hour, reportedly to brief his predecessor about the completion of the Indonesia-European Union Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. Negotiations for the agreement had started during Jokowi's term and had taken 10 years before concluding earlier this month. Made said that the visit was just a way for Prabowo to still show respect to Jokowi, whom Prabowo had said played a crucial role in securing his victory in last year's presidential election. 'He didn't go there to report anything. There's no downside for Prabowo in continuing to respect Jokowi,' Made said. met with PDIP chair Megawati Soekarnoputri.
CNA
a day ago
- CNA
Yen advances broadly after Japanese election result; US dollar falls
LONDON/NEW YORK :The yen rose across the board on Monday after Japan's ruling coalition lost its majority in the upper house, suggesting the result was mostly priced in, while investors braced for market disquiet ahead of a deadline on U.S. tariff negotiations. Japanese markets were closed for a public holiday, leaving the yen as the main indicator of possible investor angst. In midmorning trading, the Japanese currency gained 0.9 per cent to 147.52 per dollar, although not far off from the 3-1/2-month low of 149.19 hit last week as investors fretted about Japan's political and fiscal outlook. It also nudged 0.5 per cent higher against the euro to 172.05 and against sterling to 198.60, up 0.4 per cent. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party returned 47 seats, short of the 50 it needed to ensure a majority in Japan's 248-seat upper chamber, where half the seats were up for grabs. Ishiba vowed to stay on in his role even as some of his own party discussed his future and the opposition weighed a no-confidence motion. "Since Tokyo markets were closed for Marine day today, we have to see what happens tomorrow: how the markets respond," said Marc Chandler, chief market strategist, at Bannockburn Forex in New York. "I know some people are saying that with the LDP party losing its majority, this could mean a shift in policy, but I don't see it. I think people were just caught leading the wrong way on dollar/yen thinking that the election outcome was going to be a negative for the yen." The election result, while not entirely a shock to markets, also comes at a tricky time for a country trying to get a tariff deal with U.S. President Donald Trump before an August 1 deadline. "Japan's political picture has become more complicated, with investors also focusing on the U.S.-Japan tariff row," said Roberto Mialich, global FX strategist at UniCredit. The increased political fragility is likely to constrain the Bank of Japan's ability to tighten monetary policy in the near term, said David Chao, global market strategist for Asia Pacific at Invesco. "It may be reluctant to add further pressure to an already volatile landscape." TARIFF UNCERTAINTY Investor focus has also been firmly on Trump's global tariff salvos, with a Financial Times report last week indicating the U.S. president was pushing for steep new tariffs on European Union products. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on Sunday he was confident the United States can secure a trade deal with the EU, but said August 1 was a hard deadline for tariffs to kick in. EU diplomats said the bloc was exploring a broader set of counter measures against the U.S. as prospects for an acceptable trade agreement fade, even though a negotiated solution was still their preferred option. The euro was up 0.4 per cent at $1.1681, while sterling last fetched $1.3488, up 0.6 per cent. The dollar index, which measures the U.S. currency against six others, was down 0.5 per cent at 97.969. The European Central Bank is due to meet this week and is expected to hold rates steady after a string of cuts, while investor attention has been on whether the Federal Reserve succumbs to pressure from Trump to cut interest rates. "We doubt ECB President Christine Lagarde will shake things up too much ahead of the central bank's summer break, although there may be some continued concerns over recent euro strength and particularly the direction of tariffs," said Chris Turner, ING's global head of markets. In the United States, Trump appeared near the point of trying to dismiss Fed Chair Jerome Powell last week, but backed off with a nod to the market disruption that would likely follow. The U.S. central bank is widely expected to hold rates steady at its July meeting. Traders are fully pricing in a Fed rate cut by the October meeting with the odds of a second rate cut this year not fully priced in yet. In other currencies, the New Zealand dollar gained 0.2 per cent to US$0.5975, recovering after earlier easing following data showing consumer inflation accelerated in the second quarter but stayed below economists' forecasts. The data led markets to raise the chance of a rate cut next month given the broader economic weakness. Currency bid prices at 21 July 02:39 p.m. GMT Descript RIC Last U.S. Pct YTD High Low ion Close Chang Pct Bid Bid Previous e Session Dollar 97.861 98.402 -0.54 -9.80 per cent 98.507 97. index per cent 863 Euro/Dol 1.169 1.1631 0.51 per cent 12.92 per cent $1.169 $1. lar 2 161 5 Dollar/Y 147.32 148.74 -0.93 -6.35 per cent 148.51 147 en per cent .35 5 Euro/Yen 172.22 172.97 -0.43 5.51 per cent 172.83 171 per cent .93 Dollar/S 0.7981 0.8019 -0.48 -12.07 0.8021 0.7 wiss per cent per cent 98 Sterling 1.3495 1.341 0.64 per cent 7.91 per cent $1.349 $1. /Dollar 7 340 5 Dollar/C 1.3692 1.3726 -0.22 -4.76 per cent 1.3731 1.3 anadian per cent 695 Aussie/D 0.6529 0.6509 0.32 per cent 5.53 per cent $0.653 $0. ollar 65 Euro/Swi 0.9329 0.9317 0.13 per cent -0.68 per cent 0.9331 0.9 ss 314 Euro/Ste 0.866 0.8661 -0.01 4.68 per cent 0.8673 0.8 rling per cent 651 NZ 0.5977 0.5961 0.29 per cent 6.84 per cent $0.597 0.5 Dollar/D 8 939 ollar Dollar/N 10.1648 10.1576 0.07 per cent -10.57 10.212 10. orway per cent 9 155 5 Euro/Nor 11.8828 11.8169 0.56 per cent 0.97 per cent 11.892 11. way 5 818 Dollar/S 9.5857 9.6426 -0.59 -12.99 9.6812 9.5 weden per cent per cent 864 Euro/Swe 11.2062 11.2214 -0.14 -2.27 per cent 11.253 11. den per cent 9 204
