Dismissive attitude towards Borneo Bloc led to political shift: Hajiji

13 hours ago

Published on: Monday, July 28, 2025
Published on: Mon, Jul 28, 2025
By: Jonathan Nicholas Text Size: KOTA KINABALU: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor ( pic ) said the lack of respect shown towards the Borneo Bloc by the previous federal leadership prompted him to reconsider his political alignment. He recalled a meeting in Kuala Lumpur with Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun and Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan where a senior federal leader dismissed the idea of a united Sabah and Sarawak voice. According to Hajiji, the leader's comment, declaring himself as 'the Master,' signalled a clear disregard for the Borneo Bloc's aspirations and Sabah's role in shaping its future. Speaking during the Gagasan Rakyat AGM on Sunday, Hajiji, who is also Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) Chairman and Gagasan Rakyat President, said the incident led to deep reflection and eventually convinced him that change was needed for the sake of Sabah. He said the Unity Government under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had taken Sabah's longstanding concerns seriously, particularly those related to the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63). Hajiji stressed that GRS backs the current government because it respects Sabah's dignity and has begun to deliver on long-overdue commitments such as the devolution of powers. He confirmed he would join Anwar during his visit to Sabah today, with cross-border cooperation and regional concerns in the Sulawesi Sea expected to be among the key matters discussed. * 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.
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The Star

an hour ago

The Star

Russia's night attack on Kyiv leaves eight injured, including child, Ukraine says

KYIV (Reuters) -A Russian overnight air attack on Kyiv wounded eight residents of an apartment building, including a three-year-old child, authorities in the Ukrainian capital said on Monday. Four of those injured in the attack, which took place soon after midnight on Monday, have been hospitalised, with one person in serious condition, the head of Kyiv's military administration, Tymur Tkachenko, said on the Telegram messaging app. Kyiv's Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that all of the people were residents of a multi-storey apartment building in the city's Darnytskyi district on the left bank of the Dnipro River. "The blast wave damaged windows from the 6th to the 11th floor," Klitschko said in a post on Telegram. The capital and most of Ukraine were under air raid alerts for several hours overnight following Ukrainian Air Force warnings of Russian missile and drone attacks. With the threat of missile strikes on western parts of Ukraine that border Poland - a NATO member - Polish armed forces scrambled aircraft to ensure the safety of Polish airspace. The central Ukrainian city of Kropyvnytskyi came under an attack, regional Governor Andriy Raikovych said, adding that emergency services were working on the site and information about potential damage will be released later on Monday. The full scale of the Russian attack on Ukraine was not immediately known. Reuters' witnesses heard loud blasts shaking the city of Kyiv overnight in what sounded like air defence units in operation. There was no comment from Russia on the attack. Both sides deny targeting civilians in their strikes in the war that Russia started in February 2022. But thousands of civilians have died in the conflict, the vast majority of them Ukrainian. (Writing by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Kim Coghill and Saad Sayeed)

[UPDATED] Fuziah: PH and BN tie up in Sabah set in stone, but cooperation with GRS welcomed

New Straits Times

2 hours ago

New Straits Times

[UPDATED] Fuziah: PH and BN tie up in Sabah set in stone, but cooperation with GRS welcomed

KOTA KINABALU: PKR secretary-general Datuk Dr Fuziah Salleh has confirmed the Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) alliance in Sabah for the upcoming state election. "PKR always welcomes cooperation with any party in facing the Sabah state election," she said. "PKR believes it is a win-win combination. It is a win for the people of Sabah, and also a win for all component parties in the cooperation," she told the New Straits Times. Yesterday, the Chief Minister and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor reiterated his commitment to work with Sabah PH for the upcoming state election. He attributed this willingness to work with PH to their leaders' support during the attempt to topple the GRS-led state government in 2023. However, Hajiji said that the people of Sabah should vote wisely to ensure GRS, a local-based coalition, dominates the political scene in the state. Sabah Parti Keadilan Rakyat chief Datuk Mustapha Sakmud had said that despite PH eyeing over 20 seats, both coalitions would still have to sit down to negotiate on which seats to contest.

Anwar partly to blame for public anger: LDP

Daily Express

3 hours ago

Daily Express

Anwar partly to blame for public anger: LDP

Published on: Monday, July 28, 2025 Published on: Mon, Jul 28, 2025 Text Size: David said over the past year, Anwar's government has faced widespread criticism for controversies such as the delayed appointment of the Chief Justice. Such missteps he said have eroded public trust. Kota Kinabalu: The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) said while it does not support 'topple Anwar' movement, the Unity government must shoulder blame for failure to meet public expectations, leading to growing dissatisfaction. 'Anwar (Prime Minister) must demonstrate a firm commitment to practical reforms, rather than resorting to excessive 'performative politics' to please the public,' Vice President David Ong said in a statement. David said over the past year, Anwar's government has faced widespread criticism for controversies such as the delayed appointment of the Chief Justice. Such missteps he said have eroded public trust. 'The core responsibility of a leader is to resolve livelihood issues, not to create unnecessary political spectacles.' Regarding calls for Anwar to step down, David said it must be pursued through legitimate democratic mechanisms. 'Former Prime Minister Tun Mahathir remarked that a prime minister stepping down after losing public trust is a normal occurrence. 'However, we in LDP emphasise that Malaysia's 16th General Election is due by Feb 2028, it is better to let the people make their final judgment at the ballot box. 'We (LDP) criticise the Unity government's weak handling of economic and cost-of-living issues, noting that increased taxation, rising prices and stagnant wages have placed heavy burden on the people,' he said. David said Anwar had made repeated campaign promises to reduce fuel prices, review highway tolls and deliver justice in the Teoh Beng Hock case, but there has been little visible progress, leaving voters disappointed. He said since taking office, Anwar has shown 'more theatrics than tangible results.' 'The nation urgently needs structural reforms and pragmatic economic policies, rather than political shows and empty slogans,' he said. 'Frequent changes of leadership have not only damaged economic confidence but also caused international investors to adopt a wait-and-see attitude, leaving the country's direction increasingly unclear,' he added. * 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