Latest news with #JoachimGunsalam
The Star
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
KDM sets sights on GRS strongholds in Dusun heartland in Ranau
KOTA KINABALU: The Social Democratic Prosperity Party (KDM) is preparing to challenge Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), which holds a stronghold in the ethnic Dusun heartland, spanning the foothills of Mount Kinabalu in the Ranau district. The native-based KDM deputy president, Datuk Wetrom Bahanda, said that Ranau could become their stronghold as the party was gaining an "extraordinary' response from the local community during their series of visits to polling districts. "Just like in other areas we have toured, support is increasing because the people are confident in the struggle that KDM is bringing to bring prosperity to the people. "Ranau will be a stronghold of KDM in the upcoming elections," he said when speaking at the launch of the election machinery for the Kundasang, Paginatan and Karanaan constituencies on Saturday (July 27). "I am confident that we will have a good chance to win in the Kadazandusun, Murut and Rungus native seats," he said, adding that they were broadening KDM to include other non-Muslim native seats. Kundasang state seat is held by Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) acting president Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam, the Karanaan state seat is held by Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah deputy president cum GRS secretary general Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun and Paginatan is held by Sabah STAR vice president, Datuk Abidin Madangkir. Wetrom said the party has identified the former state finance ministry permanent secretary, Datuk Rusdin Riman, to contest for the Paginatan state seat. The party has previously suggested that a former bank officer, Datuk Jeffry Mohd Ali, would face Dr Gunsalam in Kundasang and a former assemblyman, Datuk Karim Adam, would contest against Masidi in Karanaan. KDM, led by President Datuk Peter Anthony who was recently imprisoned, has expanded its influence in northern Sabah's Rungus community and secured a foothold in the Murut seat in interior Tenom.
Daily Express
4 days ago
- General
- Daily Express
Giving Ranau township a brighter look
Published on: Saturday, July 26, 2025 Published on: Sat, Jul 26, 2025 By: Clarence Dol Text Size: Rakan Lestari team paints the Pentas Budaya area in town. RANAU: The Ranau District Council (MDR) in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government and Housing (KKTP) and the Landscape and Sustainability Sector has implemented the Rakan Lestari Program in the Ranau district. This program is a green initiative which is carried out with the aim of further stimulating the community spirit in brightening up public areas. Rakan Lestari is a green community initiative in conjunction with I-Hijau 2024: The Green Initiative of the KKTP Sabah Maju Jaya Aspiration 'Towards Code Green', which was launched on 27 February 2024. The initiative, which was launched at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC), was officiated by the Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Sabah KKTP, Datuk Seri Dr. Joachim Gunsalam. Among other things, the objectives of the Rakan Lestari Program are to establish close cooperation between the community and government agencies/local authorities; accelerate area monitoring with the help of the community and create a cheerful, clean and safe environment. Apart from that, it also aims to revitalize recreational areas through healthy activities, increase community harmony and unity, generate local economy and support local communities as well as beautify the landscape and upgrade the city's image. Activities in Ranau Town began with brightening up the Pentas Budaya area, which now looks fresher and more attractive after the painting process by the Rakan Lestari team. The MDR thanked all parties involved and the local residents who supported this noble effort. It said that the community's commitment has a great impact on the sustainability of the Ranau district. * 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
The Star
6 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Some think Sabah has too many holidays
KOTA KINABALU: An additional holiday on the eve of Malaysia Day is a welcome break for most people, but some feel that Sabah already has too many state and national holidays, so another day is not necessary. Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan and Deputy Chief Minister II Dauk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam both disagreed with the move to declare Sept 15 a public holiday. 'Personally, I feel Malaysia, especially Sabah, has too many holidays already,' Dr Gunsalam, who is Parti Bersatu Sabah president, said. Kitingan said Malaysia Day is already a national holiday and there is no need to declare another day. 'For Sabah and Sarawak at this juncture, we want the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and its rights under the Constitution to be fully implemented. 'That should be the priority,' he added. Sabah Progressive Party president Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee also said the extra day is unnecessary. Unionist Laurence Vun said any holiday would be welcomed by workers. However, he felt a holiday on the eve of Malaysia Day might not help the spirit of Malaysia. 'I don't think an additional holiday would bring any significance to the meaning of Malaysia Day. 'For Sabahans and Sarawakians, we feel Malaysia Day should be marked to make all Malaysians equal in every sense of the word – in our civil service as well as all sectors of government and private enterprise,' said Vun, a Sabah Cuepacs executive. Universiti Malaysia Sabah's Prof Dr Lee Kuok Tiung felt that the announcement was aimed at boosting domestic tourism. 'The additional holiday will encourage more people to go on a longer weekend holiday break,' he said. Several businessmen also felt that there are too many holidays, resulting in them having to pay overtime to staff and bear higher costs.
The Star
22-07-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Sabah polls: PBS calls on its grassroots to support any GRS candidate
KOTA KINABALU: Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) is spreading the word to its grassroots to support any Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) candidates, regardless of which component party they represent, in the coming state elections. Native-based multiracial parties PBS and Sabah STAR are working to ensure that their respective grassroots support any candidate contesting on a GRS ticket in Kadazandusun, Murut and Rungus seats. In a show of support for the cooperation agreement between the two parties, PBS president Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam visited the Tulid state constituency, currently held by Sabah STAR's Datuk Flovia Ng. ALSO READ: A solo sojourn? Dr Gunsalam made it clear to his grassroots that they must support the GRS candidate in the state election, due by Nov 11. 'I hope all PBS members in Tulid will give full cooperation to any component party in GRS," the Deputy Chief Minister II told party members in the interior seat in Keningau district recently. Sabah STAR president Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan and Dr Gunsalam have agreed that both parties would not ask for their candidates to be fielded in seats they currently hold. PBS has seven seats while Sabah STAR holds six. The two parties, bitter rivals until after the 2018 general election, held a convention earlier this month to strengthen their cooperation. They aim to contest more than 20 non-Muslim native seats under GRS, led by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor. ALSO READ: Sabah at a crossroads over next state polls 'The cooperation within GRS is the best for us (PBS and Sabah STAR). The convention reflected an agreement that needs to be continued and translated when the time comes to officially merge,' Dr Gunsalam told his party members in Telupid. He said PBS was committed to supporting the decisions of the GRS top leadership in its choice of candidates. In the 2020 state election, both parties fielded candidates against each other despite a prevailing agreement. The two parties, major partners in GRS, agreed last year to work together as a team with an eye on merging into a single political entity to unite the non-Muslim natives. ALSO READ: PBS, Sabah STAR grassroots call for GRS to go solo in upcoming Sabah polls Following the fall of the PBS government led by Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan in 1994, the Kadazandusun, Murut and Rungus have been widely divided by various splinter parties that emerged. Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS), under Barisan Nasional, and Upko, under Pakatan Harapan, are strong in certain seats, while the state opposition Parti Warisan has also gained ground in some non-Muslim seats, particularly in semi-urban areas. Hajiji's Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah, the anchor of GRS, also holds some non-Muslim native seats.
The Star
21-07-2025
- General
- The Star
Ignis 3R project to rehabilitate decades-old Sandakan landfill
Alan Tan Yean Keat, executive chairman of SG Ignis (Sabah) Sdn Bhd, receives a symbolic key from Sandakan Municipal Council president Walter Kenson, while Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Dr Joachim Gunsalam (fourth right) looks on. SANDAKAN: A decades-old landfill here that has been emitting foul odours and leaking untreated waste into rivers is finally being rehabilitated using a home-grown waste recovery system called Ignis 3R. The site, located at Mile 8 on Jalan Lintas Sibuga, covers a total of 10 acres – of which six acres have been handed over to SG Ignis (Sabah) Sdn Bhd for rehabilitation. The Sg Sibuga landfill served Sandakan residents for over 20 years before operations shifted to a new site in Kampung Melayu, Mile 8, in 2023. At the height of its use, it received up to 500 tonnes of rubbish daily. With most of the original landfill cells long filled, bulldozers were used to spread trash on the surface, creating mountains of untreated waste. Residents living just a few kilometres away in Bandar Sibuga Jaya, Taman Mawar and Bandar Utama Mile 6 often complained of an unbearable stench, especially in the evenings. Some eventually moved out of the area due to this. The site also lacked basic environmental safeguards – with no leachate or landfill gas treatment in place for years. During storms, uncovered garbage is swept into Sungai Seguntor, which flows into the sea. The release of leachate into waterways further raised concerns about its impact on health and marine life. Speaking at the site handover, Deputy Chief Minister II Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam said the project marks a long-overdue turning point for waste management in Sandakan. "This landfill will be rehabilitated and turned into usable, managed land. The waste that has piled up will be converted into something that can be sold," he said. Joachim said he hoped this solution would work – especially since technologies such as waste-to-energy were found to be unsuitable for Sabah. He added that if the Sandakan project proves successful, the state government intends to replicate it in other districts, starting with Papar. The Ignis 3R system, developed by parent company Ignis Environment Initiatives Sdn Bhd, uses a globally patented rehabilitation technology to process legacy waste without burning or open dumping. Decomposed materials are converted into usable by-products like oil, carbon and alternative fuels. Its implementation is led by SG Ignis Sabah chief executive officer Dr Davina Markus, a young Sabahan entrepreneur who brought the modified system from pilot projects in Johor to be scaled up in her home state. "This is not the first time the project is being done, but it is the first time in Sabah," said Dr Davina. "The technology has been upgraded and modified — and Sabah is the first to receive this improved version. The system is called Ignis 3R, and 'Ignis' means fire in Latin." Walter Kenson, president of the Sandakan Municipal Council (SMC), acknowledged that the Sg Sibuga landfill had long exceeded its capacity and was a burden to local governance. He said the council welcomes the rehabilitation as a much-needed relief. Also present at the event were Local Government and Housing Ministry permanent secretary Datuk Dr Jamili Nais, Karamunting assemblyman Datuk George Hiew Vun Zin and nominated assemblyman Datuk Jaffari Waliam.
