Re-delineation must reflect diverse Sarawak communities
He said the exercise should consider the multi-ethnic makeup of densely populated urban constituencies, as well as the specific needs of rural populations that must be addressed.
"For example, we are seeing new issues affecting the ordinary people, such as urban deprivation and poverty, lack of infrastructures in the rural areas and rural connectivity and livelihoods that need to be considered," he said in response to the passing of the Composition of Membership Bill 2025 by the State Legislative Assembly yesterday.
He added that these are the concerns the new state assemblymen need to address, and the re-delineation must allow them to do so without political or racial bias.
Jaban also appealed to Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) leadership to fairly allocate the 17 seats among the four component parties.
"Therefore, I hope that the allocation of seats is not dominated by one single party," he said.
The Sarawak State Legislative Assembly yesterday passed the Bill to increase its membership from 82 to 99.
Sarawak Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, in tabling the Bill, said the increase was part of efforts to ensure fairer and broader representation for the people of the state.
He added the tabling of the Bill came in response to demographic changes, urban expansion, and a rising number of voters, including young voters aged 18 and above, which necessitated a restructuring of representation.
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The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Hijacked satellites and orbiting space weapons: In the 21st century, space is the new battlefield
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"Imagine if a population lost that and the confusion it would cause.' Satellites are the short-term challenge More than 12,000 operating satellites now orbit the planet, playing a critical role not just in broadcast communications but also in military operations, navigation systems like GPS, intelligence gathering and economic supply chains. They are also key to early launch-detection efforts, which can warn of approaching missiles. That makes them a significant national security vulnerability, and a prime target for anyone looking to undermine an adversary's economy or military readiness – or deliver a psychological blow like the hackers supporting Russia did when they hijacked television signals to Ukraine. Hackers typically look for the weakest link in the software or hardware that supports a satellite or controls its communications with Earth. The actual orbiting device may be secure, but if it's running on outdated software, it can be easily exploited. 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Turner said such a weapon could render low-Earth orbit unusable for satellites for as long as a year. If it were used, the effects would be devastating: potentially leaving the US and its allies vulnerable to economic upheaval and even a nuclear attack. Russia and China also would lose satellites, though they are believed to be less reliant on the same kinds of satellites as the US. Turner compared the weapon, which is not yet ready for deployment, to Sputnik, the Russian satellite that launched the space age in 1957. "If this anti-satellite nuclear weapon would be put in space, it would be the end of the space age,' Turner said. "It should never be permitted to go into outer space. This is the Cuban Missile Crisis in space.' Mining the moon and beyond Valuable minerals and other materials found on the moon and in asteroids could lead to future conflicts as nations look to exploit new technologies and energy sources. Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy announced plans this month to send a small nuclear reactor to the moon, saying it's important the U.S. does so before China or Russia. "We're in a race to the moon, in a race with China to the moon,' Duffy said. "To have a base on the moon, we need energy and some of the key locations on the moon.... We want to get there first and claim that for America.' The moon is rich in a material known as helium 3, which scientists believe could be used in nuclear fusion to generate huge amounts of energy. While that technology is decades away, control over the moon in the intervening years could determine which countries emerge as superpowers, according to Joseph Rooke, a London-based cybersecurity expert who has worked in the U.K. defense industry and is now director of risk insights at the firm Recorded Future. 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"It has kept expanding military strength in space, created space military alliances, and attempted to turn space into a war zone,' Liu said. "China urges the U.S. to stop spreading irresponsible rhetoric, stop expanding military build-up in space, and make due contribution to upholding the lasting peace and security in space.' What the US is doing about security in space Nations are scrambling to create their own rocket and space programs to exploit commercial prospects and ensure they aren't dependent on foreign satellites. It's an expensive and difficult proposition, as demonstrated last week when the first Australian-made rocket crashed after 14 seconds of flight. The U.S. Space Force was created in 2019 to protect American interests in space and to defend U.S. satellites from attacks from adversaries. The space service is far smaller than the more well-established services like the Army, Navy or Air Force, but it's growing. The U.S. military operates an unmanned space shuttle used to conduct classified military missions and research. The craft, known as the X-37B, recently returned to Earth after more than a year in orbit. The Space Force called access to space a vital national security interest. "Space is a warfighting domain, and it is the Space Force's job to contest and control its environment to achieve national security objectives,' it said in the statement. American dominance in space has been largely unquestioned for decades following the end of the Cold War and the fall of the Soviet Union. But the new threats and competition posed by Russia and China show the need for an aggressive response, US officials say. The hope, Turner said, is that the US can take steps to ensure Russia and China can't get the upper hand, and the frightening potential of space weapons is not realised. "You have to pay attention to these things so they don't happen,' Turner said. – AP
Malay Mail
a day ago
- Malay Mail
Malaysia's projected 2025 GDP growth to shrink by up to 1.2 points from US 19pc tariffs, Tengku Zafrul predicts
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New Straits Times
a day ago
- New Straits Times
US tariffs could cut Malaysia's GDP by up to 1.2pct, says Zafrul
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