New homes for Ranau families
RANAU:
Four recipients of the Rumah Mesra Rakyat (RMR) breathed a sigh of relief after they received the keys to their new houses here on Sunday.
The four were Dunisa Junisah binti Garaim, Boby @ Mohd Azuan bin Saidi, Shamsani bin Amilin and Alfrendy Liong.
Advertisement
They received the keys from State Finance Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun (inset) at a ceremony in Kg Lipasu.
At the ceremony, RMR offer letters were also presented to six applicants comprising Marconi Sandou, Danny James, Pinah Binti Serungin, Lailawati Binti Ramlee, Aldy Ramdin Gaminik and Gaerry Supail.
SPONSORED CONTENT
Masidi expressed appreciation to Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad (SPNB) for successfully completing the project according to specifications and time, as well as organising the ceremony in a very orderly and structured manner.
He said as State Finance Minister, he always believes that the responsibility of the Government is not only to formulate policies and approve the budget, but also to ensure that the policies reach the people.
Advertisement
'Every family that receives a house or offer letter today is receiving a new hope, a new beginning and perhaps even an end to years of renting or living in an imperfect house.
'A house is not just a concrete structure. It is a place where children grow up, a place where families gather, a place where love blossoms and a place where we feel safe and calm,' he said.
Advertisement
Masidi said the RMR programme is a very noble initiative because it targets low-income groups who cannot afford to own their own homes.
'With the help of subsidies and loan facilities from SPNB, eligible citizens now have the opportunity to own a comfortable and safe home,' said.
He added that since the programme was introduced, a total of 71,847 units have been built and handed over to the needy throughout the country and for Sabah, a total of 2,556 units have been allocated.
'The State Government will continue to support the efforts of SPNB and other housing agencies in ensuring that no Sabahan is left out of the opportunity to own a home.
'We understand that in today's world, the cost of living is increasing, the price of construction materials has also increase. However, the Government's commitment to protecting the common people has never wavered.
'At the Ministry of Finance level, we will continue to ensure that all allocations for the development of the people, including housing, basic amenities and social wellbeing, will continue to be given priority in the State's financial planning,' he said.
Also present were SPNB Executive Officer Ar Mohd Jamil bin Idris, SPNB Sabah Branch Director Mohd Hafiz Sua Abdullah, Ranau District Assistant Officer (Development) Florencia Padasian, Karanaan Division Community Development Officer Suhaimi Manjun and others.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
6 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Asean urban growth must balance prosperity with equity
KUALA LUMPUR: Asean must ensure that the prosperity generated by rapid urbanisation is shared equitably among all communities and not achieved at the expense of the vulnerable, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof. He said urban areas in Asean are already home to over 370 million people, contributing 70 per cent of the region's gross domestic product (GDP) and powering a US$3.8 trillion economy in 2024 and by 2050, seven in 10 Asean citizens are projected to live in cities, making urban centres critical drivers of regional growth. "However, prosperity is not evenly shared. "We still see gleaming skyscrapers casting shadows over informal settlements, and infrastructure stretched beyond capacity. "As Asean moves towards becoming the world's fourth-largest economy by 2030, we must ensure urbanisation delivers not only growth, but fairness and opportunity for all," he said in his keynote address at the opening of the 2025 Asean Sustainable Urbanisation Forum (ASUF), Asean Governors and Mayors Forum (AGMF) and the Meeting of Governors and Mayors of Asean Capitals (MGMAC) here today. Also present were Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa, Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Seri Dr Maimunah Mohd Sharif and Asean Deputy Secretary-General for Community and Corporate Affairs Nararya Sanggramawijaya Soeprapto. Fadillah who is also the energy transition and water transformation minister, said as Asean Chair, Malaysia reaffirms its unwavering commitment to deepening regional cooperation, advancing economic integration, and safeguarding peace and stability in Southeast Asia for the region's communities. He said that urbanisation must serve as a unifying force, urging urgent solutions to challenges such as housing shortages, mobility bottlenecks and climate risks, including recurring floods, choking smog and sinking streets. "Inclusivity means no one is left behind. "Women, youth, the elderly and persons with disabilities must all have a voice in shaping our future cities," he said adding that accessible transport, affordable housing and digital connectivity for rural migrants are essential. On sustainability, Fadillah said it was "not optional" but essential for survival, noting threats such as rising sea levels in Vietnam's Mekong Delta and intensifying heatwaves across the region. Praising proven Asean innovations in finding climate crisis solutions, Fadillah said Singapore's green building standards and Indonesia's renewable energy transition to Bandung's digital governance and Brunei's smart water management are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and respecting Asean's diversity. Fadillah also stressed the role of mayors and local governments as "frontline architects" of Asean's transformation, urging that they be central to regional decision-making and equipped with advanced tools such as AI-powered urban planning, systematic knowledge-sharing and stronger cross-border networks. "Your leadership will determine whether our cities become models of equity and environmental harmony, or cautionary tales of unchecked growth. "Let us seize this moment to build partnerships, inspire bold policies and create a legacy of thriving, liveable communities for generations to come," he said. The three-day forum starts today with the theme "Asean Future Cities and Regions: Inclusivity and Sustainability", aligns with the Asean Community Vision 2045 and brings together the Asean Smart Cities Network and Asean Sustainable Urbanisation Strategy. - Bernama
New Straits Times
10 hours ago
- New Straits Times
PM: Ethical, values-based AI vital for Asean's future
KUALA LUMPUR: Asean nations must unite in shaping artificial intelligence (AI) that reflects the region's shared culture, diversity and values, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. He said the 700-million-strong bloc is uniquely positioned to develop AI that is not only advanced, but also inclusive, ethical and rooted in Southeast Asian traditions. "With our extraordinary diversity of cultures and languages, Asean has a generational opportunity to lead in shaping AI that bridges development divides, empowers small businesses, uplifts rural communities, strengthens public services, and expands access to healthcare, education and justice for all," he said at the opening ceremony of the Asean AI Malaysia Summit 2025. Anwar said the region must be "bold and principled" in ensuring AI serves the public good, adding that success should be measured not by technological sophistication, but by its ability to meaningfully improve lives in a sustainable and just way. He said Malaysia's own efforts, under its recently launched AI Nation Framework, would ensure AI becomes "a force for all", driving innovation, better governance and improved quality of life nationwide. The framework focuses on forward-looking policies, a digitally fluent workforce, secure infrastructure, digital trust and strategic investments. "This is more than a roadmap. It is a movement," he said. "Once, highways and ports powered our economic rise. "Now, we will build intelligent highways, secure data pipelines, future-ready talents, and ethical guardrails for AI. "We will get there together, with unity, resolve and unshakable will." The two-day summit at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (Mitec) in Kuala Lumpur is organised by the Digital Ministry. Present were Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo and Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Bakar. Also present were Asean secretary-general Dr Kao Kim Hourn, and Asean delegates, alongside global experts and industry players. The event also marked the launch of ILMU 1.0, Malaysia's sovereign AI platform, short for Intelek Luhur Malaysia Untukmu (Excellent Malaysian Intelligence for You), a homegrown large language model (LLM) developed by YTL AI Labs. Built to understand and process text, voice and images, it places strong emphasis on local context, ethics and safety. The first iteration, ILMU 0.1, was unveiled in December 2024 and outperformed leading global LLMs in Malay-language benchmarks, even passing Malaysia's PT3 and SPM national examinations with top grades.
New Straits Times
11 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Anwar: ILMU 1.0 will ensure AI benefits 'every Malaysian in every corner'
KUALA LUMPUR: Artificial intelligence (AI), if approached with foresight and courage, can bridge development divides, empower small businesses, uplift rural communities, and strengthen public services, healthcare, and education, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Speaking at the launch of Malaysia's upgraded ILMU large language model (LLM) today, Anwar said the nation stood at "a defining crossroads" in harnessing technology to shape its economic future, identity, public trust, and moral compass. "Our vision is not only to harness AI just to catch up with the rest of the world, but to lead in some areas, to protect our values, to give meaning to the principle of equity and justice," he said. He cautioned that failure to address the widening knowledge gap in new disciplines could deepen divisions between the skilled and the unskilled. "Would we rather remain completely incapable of mounting an effective challenge to uplift the standards? "The divide will become real and the challenges for the country would be serious," he said. Malaysia's AI Nation framework, he added, would ensure AI benefits "every Malaysian in every corner of the country" through five pillars: forward-looking policies, a digitally skilled workforce, secure and reliable infrastructure, advancement of digital trust, and strategic investments via public-private partnerships and global collaboration. "We have made a very bold decision, and I'm proud to say that we are ahead… with such confidence in terms of digitalisation and AI. "We want to share this and work together with our neighbours in Southeast Asia," he said. Alluding to a meeting with religious scholars in Kelantan two days earlier, Anwar stressed the importance of keeping pace with technological change while continuing to uphold faith and moral values. "I commend them initially for becoming the best in the battle against colonialism in all its forms… That phase has passed. "So I told these leaders, scholars, this generation, and I believe the future generation, we remain eternally grateful to you, where you stood firm to defend the faith and moral values, and in rejecting the imposition by a foreign alien system. "But then, here's the catch — what about now? "I'm not here to change or dictate the curriculum. But I appeal to you: while retaining faith and moral values based on Islamic tradition, we are now confronting a different power challenge. "If you do not address this, it will cause a divide between those who have high knowledge and those who remain completely ignorant of the new disciplines," he said. The launch, part of the Asean AI Malaysia Summit 2025 opening ceremony, marked the start of an inaugural gathering to chart the direction of AI in Malaysia, particularly in governance. The two-day summit at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (Mitec) is organised by the Digital Ministry and attended by Minister Gobind Singh Deo, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Bakar, Asean secretary-general Dr Kao Kim Hourn, and Asean delegates, alongside global experts and industry players. Malaysia's sovereign AI platform, ILMU — short for Intelek Luhur Malaysia Untukmu (Excellent Malaysian Intelligence for You) — is a homegrown LLM developed by YTL AI Labs. Built to understand and process text, voice, and images, it is designed with strong emphasis on local context, ethics, and safety. The first iteration, ILMU 0.1, was unveiled in December 2024 and outperformed leading global LLMs in Malay-language benchmarks, even passing Malaysia's PT3 and SPM national exams with top grades. Today's launch of ILMU 1.0 marks a major upgrade, supported by Malaysia's first national AI supercomputer housed at YTL Power's green data centre in Johor. Powered by NVIDIA's GB200 "Grace Blackwell" chips via the DGX Cloud platform, the infrastructure delivers the computing capacity needed for advanced AI training and deployment. The ILMU project is part of Malaysia's broader push to build sovereign AI capabilities that are globally competitive while serving national priorities.
