logo
Phoong meets US counterpart

Phoong meets US counterpart

Daily Expressa day ago
Published on: Wednesday, August 20, 2025
Published on: Wed, Aug 20, 2025 Text Size: Phoong and Carver talking over lunch. Kota Kinabalu: State Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Datuk Phoong Jin Zhe met with US Embassy Political Counsel Chris Carver, Monday, to discuss expanding cooperation between Malaysia and the United States. The luncheon meeting focused on enhancing bilateral relations across political, economic and trade sectors, with particular emphasis on opportunities for Sabah's industrial development.
Advertisement Phoong highlighted recent US investments in Sabah, citing ConocoPhillips' expanded presence in Sabah's oil and gas sector as evidence of growing international investor confidence. He said Sabah's strategic location and abundant resources position it well for future partnerships. Phoong praised the US Embassy's 'sports diplomacy' programs, including visits by former NBA players and American women's football teams to mentor local athletes and strengthen cultural ties between the two nations. Carver acknowledged the robust Malaysia-US relationship and revealed that President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Malaysia next month for talks with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, which is expected to further strengthen bilateral cooperation. Both officials expressed commitment to deepening government-to-government engagement while expanding business and cultural exchanges that benefit Sabah's development and the broader Malaysia-US partnership. * 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
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Trump administration to vet visa applications for anti-Americanism
Trump administration to vet visa applications for anti-Americanism

The Sun

time5 minutes ago

  • The Sun

Trump administration to vet visa applications for anti-Americanism

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump's administration has said it will assess applicants for U.S. work, study and immigration visas for 'anti-Americanism' and count any such finding against them, sparking concern about implications for free speech. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said in a 'policy alert' dated Tuesday that it gave immigration officers new guidance on how to exercise discretion in cases where foreign applicants 'support or promote anti-American ideologies or activities' as well as 'antisemitic terrorism.' Trump has labeled a range of voices as anti-American, including historians and museums documenting U.S. slavery and pro-Palestinian protesters opposing U.S. ally Israel's military assault on Gaza. 'Anti-American activity will be an overwhelmingly negative factor in any discretionary analysis,' USCIS said. 'America's benefits should not be given to those who despise the country and promote anti-American ideologies.' The announcement did not define anti-Americanism. But the policy manual refers to a section of federal law about prohibiting naturalization of people 'opposed to government or law, or who favor totalitarian forms of government.' The full text mentions supporters of communism or totalitarian regimes and people who advocate overthrow of the U.S. government and violence against government officers, among other factors. USCIS said it expanded the types of applications that have social media vetting, and reviews for 'anti-American activity' will be added to that vetting. Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, said the step hearkened to the 1950s when Senator Joseph McCarthy hunted alleged communists in a campaign that became synonymous with political persecution. 'McCarthyism returns to immigration law,' he said. Anti-Americanism 'has no prior precedent in immigration law and its definition is entirely up to the Trump admin.' In April, the U.S. government said it would begin screening the social media of immigrants and visa applicants for what it called antisemitic activity. Rights advocates raised free speech and surveillance concerns. - Reuters

Saifuddin: Charges in Zara Qairina's case are the first under Malaysia's new anti-bullying law
Saifuddin: Charges in Zara Qairina's case are the first under Malaysia's new anti-bullying law

Malay Mail

time5 minutes ago

  • Malay Mail

Saifuddin: Charges in Zara Qairina's case are the first under Malaysia's new anti-bullying law

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 — The case involving Form One student Zara Qairina Mahathir is the first to be prosecuted under Section 507C(1) of the Penal Code (Amendment) Act 2025, which stipulates bullying as a criminal offence, says Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail. He said the amendment involving Sections 507B to 507G of the Penal Code strengthened the legal provisions against acts of bullying. Saifuddin Nasution said since the amendment to Section 507 of the Penal Code was enforced and gazetted on July 11, police had opened 11 investigation papers related to bullying. 'These investigation papers fall under Sections 507B, 507C and so on. This shows that the strengthening of the law has enabled the police to take action. 'Now, in the case of Zara, for example, in which the accused were charged today, it is under one of the amended sections, making this the first case we have prosecuted (since the amendment),' he said when winding up the debate on the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) for the Home Ministry in the Dewan Rakyat today. He was responding to a supplementary question from Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (MUDA-Muar), who raised the issue of the police's allegedly slow response in investigating bullying cases, including a recent case in Johor. The Penal Code (Amendment) 2025 Act and the Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) 2025 Act, aimed at addressing bullying more effectively and comprehensively, including cyberbullying, were passed in the Dewan Rakyat on Dec 10, 2024, and in the Dewan Negara on Dec 16 the same year. Earlier today, five teenage girls were charged in the Children's Court in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, with using insulting words against Zara Qairina. The charges were framed under Section 507C(1) of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34 of the Code, which carries a penalty of up to one year's imprisonment, or a fine, or both, upon conviction. In line with this legal development, Saifuddin Nasution said the ministry wanted the police to act swiftly in investigating every reported case of bullying. At the same time, he reminded all parties not to play up sentiments or create inaccurate impressions as though there was an attempt to protect any individual or cover up matters. 'When I reviewed the chronology and sequence of the police investigation, with the large number of witness statements taken in detail, I also felt sad that, with all the police's diligence, simply because of one part where the police were said to have failed, (which was) to conduct a post-mortem. 'Aug 4 was the first time the police submitted the investigation papers to the AG (Attorney General), and on Aug 3, Zara's mother had lodged a police report after noticing bruises while bathing Zara's body. So at the same time, in the investigation papers submitted to the AG, we recommended that Zara's grave be exhumed,' he said. Zara Qairina died at Queen Elizabeth I Hospital on July 17, a day after being found unconscious in a drain near the hostel of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama Tun Datu Mustapha di Papar. Meanwhile, apart from the Home Ministry, several other ministries also wound up debates on the 13MP motion for their respective ministries, including the National Unity Ministry. — Bernama

Ringgit opens higher against major, regional currencies
Ringgit opens higher against major, regional currencies

Free Malaysia Today

time5 minutes ago

  • Free Malaysia Today

Ringgit opens higher against major, regional currencies

KUALA LUMPUR : The ringgit opened higher on Thursday as the US dollar weakened following the release of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) minutes, an analyst said. The local currency also strengthened against other major and regional units. At 8am, the ringgit rose to 4.2190/4.2335 from Wednesday's close of 4.2250/4.2290. The analyst said the US Dollar Index (DXY) slipped 0.05% to 98.218, as the FOMC minutes delivered mixed signals to investors. MORE TO COME

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