Latest news with #Mustapha
Daily Express
16 hours ago
- General
- Daily Express
Water woe: Minister backs UMS Vice-Chancellor
Published on: Wednesday, June 04, 2025 Published on: Wed, Jun 04, 2025 By: Abbey Junior Text Size: 'I fully support the statement by the UMS Vice-Chancellor (right). The university has been clear and transparent about the real situation on the ground. It is not fair to simply place the blame on them,' Mustapha (left) said. Kota Kinabalu: Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Mustapha Sakmud has come out in support of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), saying it is unfair to place the blame for the university's water crisis solely on its administration. His comments follow a strongly-worded statement by UMS Vice-Chancellor Datuk Dr Kasim Mansur, who recently criticised the Sabah Water Department for claiming that the R13 tank, which supplies water to UMS, had 'never been empty.' Kasim had said such remarks were misleading and insulted the university community. 'I fully support the statement by the UMS Vice-Chancellor. The university has been clear and transparent about the real situation on the ground. It is not fair to simply place the blame on them,' Mustapha said when contacted, Tuesday. He said the R13 tank belongs to the Sabah Water Department and serves not just UMS, but also nearby areas. 'For UMS alone, they require five million litres of water daily. We know there was a pump breakdown, but it was repaired quickly. Still, the water problem has been going on for a long time,' he said. Mustapha urged both UMS and the state water authorities to work more closely together to find a lasting solution. 'I propose that UMS and the Sabah Water Department hold regular meetings to resolve this issue. It won't be solved if we continue with the blaming game,' he said. He added that student feedback and unrest should be treated as a serious indicator of the situation. 'The scale of complaints from students — leading to demonstrations — shows how serious the problem is. If this issue continues, it means we've failed to address it in a rational and effective way,' Mustapha said. His remarks came days after UMS publicly defended its handling of the crisis, with Kasim outlining the challenges of drawing enough water from the state-run R13 tank, especially as the university sits on higher ground. UMS has a daily demand of between 3.5 and 5 million litres and caters to over 23,000 people each day. Despite being located on campus grounds, the R13 tank primarily serves other nearby users, and UMS can only begin pumping when the tank level exceeds 0.5 metres — a threshold that is rarely met. Kasim had also criticised attempts to blame the university's pumping system, saying all three pumps were in working order and had been maintained. The prolonged crisis has sparked student anger, with student movement Suara Mahasiswa UMS recently calling on the university to take legal action against the Water Department and demanding RM100 million in damages. * 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
Borneo Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- Borneo Post
PKR Sabah thanks PM for trust, vows to uphold state rights
Mustapha KOTA KINABALU (May 31): Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sabah is grateful to the Prime Minister for his trust and confidence in the current leadership of Pakatan Harapan (PH) Sabah. 'I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to the Prime Minister for my reappointment as chairman of the State Leadership Council (MPN), a great responsibility in leading PKR Sabah as we prepare for the upcoming 17th State Election (PRN17),' said Datuk Mustapha Sakmud, the chairman of Keadilan Sabah State Leadership Council. He said that in line with the direction of the new leadership and the aspirations of the party, PKR Sabah will strengthen this new direction through a constructive negotiation process with its partners in PH Sabah, aiming to deliver the best possible outcomes for all. 'Our goal, as original Sabahan is to empower and uphold the rights of the state in order to bring the greatest benefit to the people of Sabah,' he said in a statement on Friday. 'We reaffirm our commitment to the principles of unity, progress and reform, and we are determined to continue contributing positively toward the development and prosperity of Sabah under the PH coalition, while also opening avenues of collaboration with both local and national parties.'
The Star
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Mustapha to continue leading Sabah PKR
KOTA KINABALU: Datuk Mustapha Sakmud will continue his role as Sabah PKR chairman, as the party gears up for the 17th Sabah Election. This was confirmed during the first meeting of the central political bureau for the 2025-2028 term, chaired by PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. The meeting decided that Mustapha would continue until a new state party leadership council is appointed to ensure continuity and experienced leadership as the party prepares for the upcoming state polls. In the same meeting, Datuk Peto Galim was also retained as the party's state election committee director. Part of its plans include PKR mobilising its national leadership to play key roles on the ground. "The decision reflects the party's confidence in Mustapha's leadership and strategic insight as we approach the state polls. Our preparations are well underway, with key roles and responsibilities clearly defined," PKR said in a statement on Thursday (May 29). Meanwhile, Fuziah Salleh and William Leong will continue serving as secretary-general and treasurer-general respectively until new appointments are made during the upcoming central leadership council (MPP) meeting.
IOL News
19-05-2025
- IOL News
Gauteng woman who murdered two pensioners and forged will, faces long jail time
Zaheera Boomgaard was convicted in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria of killing two elderly victims. She forged one of their wills to make herself the beneficiary. Image: Zelda Venter A woman who killed two elderly people as well as committed a host of other crimes including forging a will and 36 counts of theft regarding cash withdrawals from the account of one of her victims, faces a lengthy jail sentence. Two bodies were found within months of each going missing, both burnt beyond recognition. Both were also strangled and hit with an object before they were set alight. The Gauteng woman, killer Zaheera Boomgaard, was acquitted on a third count of murder against her, but this body was never found. The Gauteng High Court, Pretoria said there was not enough evidence to link her to the third alleged killing. John Naisby went missing in 2012 after visiting Boomgaard and was never seen again. Boomgaard, 63, was convicted for the murder of Jamnadas Harkant Nathvani, a British national whose body was burnt beyond recognition, as well as for the murder of her friend, Lyntette Mustapha, 72. Nathvani, also 72, had arrived in Gauteng in 2020, and he was last seen in February that year when he took a bus from Park Station in Johannesburg to Newcastle in KwaZulu-Natal. A missing person's case was opened at the Newcastle police station, and the information was circulated. His body was found in the open veld in Gauteng in March 2020 and was burnt beyond recognition. It was months later that the police were able to identify him by his teeth, but it was established that there were signs of blunt force trauma and strangulation. Mustapha's charred remains were found in Walkerville a few months later. She was identified by her fingerprints. Judge John Holland-Muter found beyond reasonable doubt that circumstantial evidence all pointed to her as the perpetrator. She was found in possession of Nathvani's cellphone and the police found pictures on the phone of his passport and bank card, taken after his death. Further damning evidence against her included tyre marks near where the body was found, which matched that of Boomgaard's vehicle. There were also dragging marks, which the court concluded occurred when the body was taken out of the vehicle and dumped next to the road. Mustapha was killed a few months after Nathvani and her body was found about 4 km from where his body was dumped. SANRAL gantries recorded Boomgaard's vehicle was travelling in the vicinity of where Mustapha's body was found. Blood on her shoes also matched that of Mustapha. The court also heard evidence from the police that when Boomgaard was arrested, they found copies of two wills in her house which belonged to Mustapha and her sister Marlene, who had also died. According to evidence, the wills were forgeries, and in the wills, Boomgaard was made the sole beneficiary. She handed the 'original' copies of the wills to FNB. Boomgaard, meanwhile, testified that she had no knowledge that the wills were forgeries. The court was told that a piece of paper, with Mustapha's signature written several times, was also found in Boomgaard's home. She was, however, only convicted of forging one of the wills. Apart from the two murders and 46 counts of theft of making withdrawals from Nathvani's bank account, Boomgaard was also convicted of the robbery of Mustapha's cellphone and bank card. Sentencing procedures will start on June 30.
Daily Express
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Express
Ties with GRS cordial amid BN cooperation
Published on: Monday, May 19, 2025 Published on: Mon, May 19, 2025 By: Crystal E Hermenegildus Text Size: Mustapha declined to state the number of seats PKR would contest, saying it would be decided collectively and announced at a later date. Kota Kinabalu: Parti Keadilan Rakyat's (PKR) priority is maintaining a cordial and stable relationship with Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) while continuing its existing cooperation with Barisan Nasional (BN) ahead of the imminent state elections, said PKR Sabah Deputy Chief, Datuk Mustapha Sakmud. Mustapha said discussions with GRS have already begun, informally, with both sides showing signs of mutual understanding. Advertisement 'The most important thing is to maintain the cordial relationship between GRS and PKR. We have also declared our cooperation with BN, so we need to manage both relationships strategically to ensure there is enough room for PKR in the seat allocations,' he said. He said the recent meeting between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor in Tawau was 'very cordial,' and some consensus was reached on working together. 'We are exploring ways for Pakatan Harapan (PH) and GRS to collaborate effectively in Sabah,' Mustapha added. GRS had previously emphasised the need to contest the majority of seats in any cooperation, but Mustapha said this condition would be discussed further. Advertisement 'That is the basic rule laid down by our president. What matters most is protecting the central government, and unity in Sabah should reflect the unity we have at the federal level,' he said, referring to the concept of a unity government. Mustapha declined to state the number of seats PKR would contest, saying it would be decided collectively and announced at a later date. He also confirmed that incumbent candidates may be retained, subject to party discussions. On the possibility of collaborating with Warisan Sabah, Mustapha confirmed no discussions have been held with the party so far. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * 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
