Zafrul: Geely partnership lifted Proton from losses to profitability
In a parliamentary written response, he highlighted how the collaboration, which began in 2017 with Geely acquiring a 49.9 percent stake in Proton Holdings Berhad, has fundamentally reshaped the national car manufacturer.
He said the collaboration has enabled...
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
a few seconds ago
- The Sun
ASEAN reforms crucial to withstand global shocks, says Tengku Zafrul
KUALA LUMPUR: Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz has urged ASEAN nations to embrace structural reforms to strengthen resilience against global economic and geopolitical challenges. He highlighted the importance of dialogue and non-alignment principles to maintain regional stability. ASEAN has proven its ability to deliver solutions during critical moments, he noted. 'The 680-million-strong ASEAN market is a vital resource to navigate this fractured era,' he said at the PRAXIS 2025 Public Policy Conference. Despite tariff challenges, ASEAN has maintained a non-retaliatory stance, preserving unity. Malaysia remains committed to its national and regional interests amid uncertain global trade conditions. 'The US market remains crucial, but rules-based trade is becoming less clear, creating long-term uncertainty,' he added. Malaysia continues to push for transformation through initiatives like the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 and the 13th Malaysia Plan. The country has implemented nine bilateral and nine regional free trade agreements, including RCEP and CPTPP. Negotiations with the EU, GCC, and South Korea are ongoing to strengthen trade ties. 'ASEAN must build stronger institutions and connected economies from a position of confidence,' he said. As ASEAN chair in 2025, Malaysia has achieved over half its trade-related targets, including upgrades to ATIGA and ACFTA. The upgraded agreements, set for signing in October, will expand cooperation in services, e-commerce, and SMEs. Tengku Zafrul also emphasised the importance of the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement and Malaysia's semiconductor supply chain proposal. - Bernama
The Star
30 minutes ago
- The Star
OpenAI releases free, downloadable models in competition catch-up
SAN FRANCISCO: OpenAI on Tuesday released two new artificial intelligence (AI) models that can be downloaded for free and altered by users, to challenge similar offerings by US and Chinese competition. The release of gpt-oss-120b and gpt-oss-20b "open-weight language models" comes as the ChatGPT-maker is under pressure to share inner workings of its software in the spirit of its origin as a nonprofit. "Going back to when we started in 2015, OpenAI's mission is to ensure AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) that benefits all of humanity," said OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman. An open-weight model, in the context of generative AI, is one in which the trained parameters are made public, enabling users to fine-tune it. Meta touts its open-source approach to AI, and Chinese AI startup DeepSeek rattled the industry with its low-cost, high-performance model boasting an open weight approach that allows users to customise the technology. "This is the first time that we're releasing an open-weight model in language in a long time, and it's really incredible," OpenAI co-founder and president Greg Brockman said during a briefing with journalists. The new, text-only models deliver strong performance at low cost, according to OpenAI, which said they are suited for AI jobs like searching the internet or executing computer code, and are designed to be easy to run on local computer systems. "We are quite hopeful that this release will enable new kinds of research and the creation of new kinds of products," Altman said. OpenAI said it is working with partners including French telecommunications giant Orange and cloud-based data platform Snowflake on real-world uses of the models. The open-weight models have been tuned to thwart being used for malicious purposes, according to OpenAI. Altman early this year said his company had been "on the wrong side of history" when it came to being open about how its technology works. He later announced that OpenAI will continue to be run as a nonprofit, abandoning a contested plan to convert into a for-profit organisation. The structural issue had become a point of contention, with major investors pushing for better returns. That plan faced strong criticism from AI safety activists and co-founder Elon Musk, who sued the company he left in 2018, claiming the proposal violated its founding philosophy. In the revised plan, OpenAI's money-making arm will be open to generate profits but will remain under the nonprofit board's supervision. – AFP
![[UPDATED] Malaysia seeks answers from US over plan for 100 pct chip tariff](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.nst.com.my%2Fimages%2Farticles%2F78UST_NSTfield_image_socialmedia.var_1754537089.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
![[UPDATED] Malaysia seeks answers from US over plan for 100 pct chip tariff](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.nst.com.my%2Fassets%2FNST-Logo%402x.png%3Fid%3Db37a17055cb1ffea01f5&w=48&q=75){kind=small}
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
[UPDATED] Malaysia seeks answers from US over plan for 100 pct chip tariff
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has sought clarification from the United States over a proposed 100 per cent tariff on imported semiconductor chips, warning that such a move could adversely affect one of the country's most critical export sectors. Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said the government had contacted both the US Trade Representative and the Department of Commerce this morning to obtain an official statement on the matter. He said that for now, Malaysia's semiconductor exports to the US remain exempt from retaliatory tariffs. However, if such measures are implemented, Malaysia risks losing a key market as its products may become less competitive. "To ensure policy clarity and stability, and to safeguard the interests of our industry players, MITI (the Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry) maintains close communication with the US Trade Representative and Department of Commerce. "We have taken the initiative to seek an official explanation to defend the interests of Malaysian exporters. This morning, we reached out to the US authorities, although there is a time difference. "We will continue to fight for our exporters to ensure that any policy changes or exemption criteria are communicated and negotiated in advance, and that Malaysia's position as a strategic partner is preserved," he told Dewan Rakyat today. He was responding to a supplementary question from Lim Guan Eng (PH-Bagan) regarding US President Donald Trump's announcement yesterday that the country would impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on semiconductor chips imported from nations that do not produce such products in the US or have no plans to do so. Tengku Zafrul said the matter would also depend on the outcome of an ongoing investigation under Section 232 of the US Trade Expansion Act 1962, under which the Trump administration is currently reviewing imports of pharmaceuticals and semiconductors. "The investigation was initially expected to be completed by the end of December, but it now appears to be moving faster. The findings will be used to determine the next course of action, which could include higher tariffs. "This morning, we were debriefed, and while it's officially stated that 100 per cent of the products concerned are imported from all countries, exceptions may be made for companies that invest and build factories in the US." Tengku Zafrul said the government had already taken several mitigation measures in anticipation of such developments, including intensified engagement with key exporters and stakeholders along the semiconductor supply chain. "At the same time, we are encouraging local companies to diversify and explore alternative export markets through chambers of commerce," he said. "The government remains committed to closely monitoring the situation and pursuing proactive negotiations with our US counterparts." He said clarification from Washington was also necessary to determine precisely what is meant by "semiconductors" in this context, as the term encompasses a wide range of products. Citing 2024 data, Tengku Zafrul said Malaysia's electrical and electronic (E&E) exports to the US had reached RM119 billion, accounting for about 20 per cent of the country's total E&E exports. Semiconductor exports alone were valued at RM60.6 billion, also making up about 20 per cent of the country's overall semiconductor exports. "This industry employs 72,000 skilled workers and involves some 7,200 local suppliers, mostly small and medium enterprises (SMEs). "If these products are subjected to tariffs under Section 232, the policy shift could have a significant impact on Malaysia.
