Latest news with #Bernama
The Sun
an hour ago
- Business
- The Sun
Melaka digital village project boosts rural service delivery with QR codes
KUALA LUMPUR: The Melaka Digital Village (KDM) project, launched two years ago, has become a benchmark for digital addressing systems in rural Malaysia. Mohd Hairul Shah Ismail, Assistant Director of the ICT Division at the Melaka Chief Minister's Department, highlighted its success at the 2025 National Addressing Conference. The project standardises traditional village addresses with unique digital codes and QR tags, enabling precise location sharing via apps like Google Maps. 'This system improves welfare aid distribution and emergency response accuracy,' said Mohd Hairul. Over 600 villages are enrolled, with 174 already receiving digital address stickers. The initiative aligns with the National Address System (NAS) by MCMC. Future upgrades will integrate KDM with MyIDENTITY, eVePermit, and other government platforms. Full implementation for all state services is set for January 2026. - Bernama
Focus Malaysia
an hour ago
- Business
- Focus Malaysia
Is AI in the newsroom a tool, threat, or a transformation?
ARTIFICIAL Intelligence (AI) is altering the task of journalism in the ways the news is collected, processed, and delivered. Through automated summaries or tools that can identify deepfakes, AI provides newsrooms a means to increase productivity and velocity. But with such powers come profound questions: Can we trust AI-generated content? What becomes of journalists' jobs? And how do we ensure that ethics remain at the forefront? As newsrooms, including those in Southeast Asia, press on with AI, it is worth considering both the opportunities and challenges. AI is not aiming to replace journalists—it seeks to make their work easier. The technology is capable of handling tedious tasks like summarising articles, scanning through vast datasets, and writing initial reports. However, the artistry of storytelling, emotional understanding, and values-based thinking are uniquely human traits that AI cannot replicate. A recent instance involving the fabrication of book titles in an AI-generated summer reading list illustrates its shortcomings. Blunders like these demonstrate why human supervision is imperative. Ultimately, AI should be regarded as an alleviating aid, not a substitute. Fast forward five years from now, the ideal newsroom is one in which AI is fully integrated, but journalists remain in control. AI can manage tedious work such as sifting through data, customising content for different demographics, and drafting preliminary versions of stories. This liberates reporters to focus on investigating, storytelling, and tough ethical decisions. The partnership between AI and human beings is crucial—AI offers up the data, and journalists supply the understanding. Transparency, accountability, and regular training will ensure that newsrooms remain rooted in journalistic values. AI excels at handling tasks that require processing large volumes of information. It can generate financial reports, sports news, or weather predictions in moments. It also assists with verifying facts by swiftly comparing various sources. However, when it comes to comprehending cultural context, interpreting subtle cues, or making moral choices, AI continues to struggle. It lacks human intuition and often amplifies biases present in its training data. This is where human judgement becomes essential. Across Southeast Asia, news organisations are beginning to adopt AI, although the pace of implementation varies. In Malaysia, Media Prima has announced plans to integrate AI across its operations by the end of 2024. Bernama is offering AI training for its staff and has previously experimented with AI-generated content, such as an Azan (call to prayer) video during Ramadan. These preliminary steps show both growing interest and a clear recognition of the caution required in AI integration. While AI can enhance productivity, excessive dependence on it may pose serious risks. It could lead to a decline in critical thinking, weaken ethical oversight, and undermine the human factor that lends journalism its trustworthiness. That infamous summer reading list with imaginary books is only one example of what can go awry. If news organisations are not careful, over-reliance on AI might erode public confidence. The right balance—using AI as a tool, not a crutch—is crucial. To maintain journalism's credibility, a multi-faceted strategy is essential. News organisations should use AI technologies to detect manipulated content while also equipping journalists with digital literacy and critical thinking skills. Transparency is vital—AI-generated content should be clearly marked, and its role in the reporting process explicitly explained. Above all, media outlets must establish and follow rigorous ethical standards regarding the use of AI. These actions will help preserve public trust. AI will undoubtedly transform journalism, but that doesn't necessarily mean job losses. Instead, it's likely to create new roles focused on managing AI systems, curating content, and ensuring ethical compliance. For example, Reuters uses an AI tool called Lynx Insight to help journalists identify emerging stories, freeing reporters to concentrate on more creative and investigative tasks. What's needed now is for journalists to upskill—to learn how to work with AI, not against it. Journalists must acquire knowledge in data analysis, AI principles, and digital ethics to stay relevant. Understanding how AI functions and learning to interpret data responsibly will be crucial. In evaluating AI-generated content and guarding against misinformation, reporters will need strong digital literacy. Even in the AI era, ethics and transparency must remain central values. With the right training, modern journalists can continue to be vital and relevant. AI is rapidly integrating into the daily routines of journalism. While it offers immense benefits in speed and information processing, it can never replace the thoughtfulness, compassion, or ethical judgement that human journalists bring. As newsrooms—particularly in Southeast Asia—embrace these technologies, caution, accountability, and a commitment to truth must guide their journey. The journalists who adapt and learn to collaborate with AI will not just survive the changes— they will shape the future of trustworthy, meaningful journalism. ‒ July 16, 2025 Prof Ts Dr Manjit Singh Sidhu is a Professor at the College of Computing and Informatics, Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN). The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia. Main image: Unsplash/Vanilla Bear Films
Barnama
an hour ago
- Business
- Barnama
CPO Futures End Higher On Gains In Related Markets, Weaker Ringgit
By K. Naveen Prabu KUALA LUMPUR, July 16 (Bernama) -- The crude palm oil (CPO) futures contract on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives closed higher today supported by stronger prices in related markets. Palm oil trader David Ng said the market tracked gains in soybean oil and palm olein prices on China's Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE), which lifted sentiment across the broader vegetable oil complex. 'When prices of soybean oil or palm olein rise, buyers may shift to palm oil as a more affordable or available alternative, leading to increased demand and upward pressure on palm oil prices,' he told Bernama. Ng added that the weaker ringgit also lifted market sentiment. 'We see price support at RM4,150 per tonne and resistance at RM4,300,' he said. Meanwhile, Fastmarkets Palm Oil Analytics senior analyst Sathia Varqa said palm oil futures were also lifted by bargain buying after recent declines, with the weaker ringgit making Malaysian palm oil more attractive to overseas buyers. 'Palm oil futures also gained support from stronger soybean oil prices on DCE,' he said. However, Sathia cautioned that further upside may be limited as production conditions improve.
Barnama
2 hours ago
- Business
- Barnama
YIM Expands Innovation Projects To Boost Local Community Income
MELAKA, July 16 (Bernama) -- The Malaysia Innovation Foundation (YIM) is committed to expanding its focus on social innovation and technology matching to directly boost the income of local communities. Its chief executive officer Dr Sharmila Mohamed Salleh said YIM's holistic approach, which includes pairing technologies with innovations, providing training and supplying suitable equipment, offers the best solution to challenges faced by small-scale entrepreneurs. She said many local operators struggle with weather dependency, limited facilities and traditional methods that hinder productivity. 'Under the MyIS Komuniti programme, we aim to identify innovations that can be matched with appropriate technologies. We're looking beyond products, focusing on social innovation that encompasses research, replication and its impact on both the economy and the community,' she said. She was speaking to reporters after the Southern Zone Innovation Tracing Programme under YIM's flagship Malaysia Social Innovation Programme (MyIS Komuniti), along with the MaGRIs/MyIS Grassroots and Youth Innovative Challenge (YIC), held in Pantai Kundor today. The programme was officially launched by Pantai Kundor state assemblywoman Tuminah Kardi. Earlier, Sharmila visited four local projects namely the traditional inang-inang food production in Kampung Paya Luboh, fibreglass boat manufacturing in Kampung Gelam, dried fish production in Kampung Balik Bukit and a proposed site for nipah crab and mussel farming at the Sungai Lereh fishing jetty. She noted that some of the highlighted innovations include improved fish-drying techniques that reduce dependence on sunlight and the development of child-friendly inang-inang snacks. Sharmila also urged innovators to apply for remaining grants under this year's MyIS programme, which has allocated RM6.725 million, comprising RM3 million for MyIS Komuniti, RM2 million for MaGRIs and RM1.725 million for the Ruang Daya Cipta (RDC) initiative.
Barnama
2 hours ago
- Business
- Barnama
Prabowo And Trump Agree On New Era Of Mutual Benefit In Bilateral Trade
Indonesia's President-Elect Prabowo Subianto speaks at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore in this June 2024 file photo. Prabowo expressed confidence that Nusantara, the new capital city in East Kalimantan, will be fully operational as Indonesia's capital within the next three years. -- Photo by REUTERS/Edgar Su By Mohd Iswandi Kasan Anuar JAKARTA, July 16 (Bernama) -- Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto said he had a 'very good' phone call with United States (US) President Donald Trump, during which they discussed efforts to deepen bilateral trade ties. In an Instagram post on Wednesday, Prabowo said the two leaders had agreed to usher in 'a new era of mutual benefit' in economic relations between Indonesia and the US. bootstrap slideshow 'President Trump extends his warm regards to the people of Indonesia,' he added. The post was accompanied by two photos showing Prabowo in a bright room, first sitting calmly on a phone call, then laughing and leaning back in a relaxed moment. On Tuesday, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that he had finalised an important deal with Indonesia after speaking with Prabowo, and that the landmark agreement opens up Indonesia's entire market to the US for the first time in history. He also announced that his administration would reduce tariffs on Indonesian imports from 32 per cent to 19 per cent, while US exports to Indonesia would face no tariff or non-tariff barriers. As part of the deal, Indonesia has committed to purchasing US$15 billion worth of energy products, US$4.5 billion in agricultural goods, and 50 Boeing jets, he added. -- BERNAMA
