Category: General

KUALA LUMPUR: May 3 — The newly appointed board of directors of Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB) will convene a meeting next Tuesday to look into the due diligence report regarding the 5G share sale agreement (SSA), before making any recommendations on the directions of the second 5G network soon to be established, said Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo.

“There is this whole process of due diligence that has been done, it is (now) for them to study the report that is put forward, and for them to decide the direction things will take after this.

“The time frame that is set, I believe, is 20 days for them to come back after looking at the due diligence report. We will take it one step at a time,” Gobind said after witnessing the signing of a memorandum of understanding between DNB and Ericsson with enterprise partners to advance 5G for enterprises at DNB’s headquarters here today.

The minister highlighted that the directors will have a look and examine the due diligence report on the SSA before coming up with rec
ommendations on the way forward after the period of 20 days.

The new board members of DNB include CelcomDigi’s (Infranation Sdn Bhd) Datuk Kamal Khalid; Maxis Broadband Sdn Bhd’s Uthaya Kumar K Vivekananda; U Mobile Sdn Bhd’s Chang Yit Fei and Tan Kok Leong; Telekom Malaysia Bhd’s Nik Azli Abu Zahar and Mohamed Tajul Mohamed Sultan; and YTL Power International Bhd’s Datuk Seri Yeoh Seok Hong and Datuk Dr Fadhlullah Suhaimi Abdul Malek.

The new members will be joining the other two incumbent members Datuk Johan Mahmood Merican and Ma Sivanesan Marimuthu.

According to Gobind, the government’s position is clear that the second 5G network would be introduced after certain pre-conditions of the SSA between mobile network operators and DNB have been met.

“The latest pre-condition that has been met was the appointment of the directors, which was done last week, and of course the next step is for them to have the meeting,” he said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia and Japan have discussed bilateral trade cooperation, the agricultural sector and Malaysia’s role as a halal hub that can be beneficial to Japan, said the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (KPKM).

It said that these topics were discussed by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup and Japanese Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Mitsuo Takahashi when Takahashi paid a courtesy call to Arthur at his office here today.

“Arthur welcomed the technical collaboration in the field of research and hoped that the exchange of technology could be streamlined through the existing bilateral cooperation,’ it added in a statement today.

The KPKM said the meeting, which lasted almost an hour, also touched on the Japan Food Export Platform, which was recently launched in Malaysia.

“Malaysia is the first Muslim-majority country to be chosen as the location for the Japan Food Export Platform.

“It is hoped that the move will provide
opportunities for more Japanese companies to penetrate the halal market and obtain halal recognition,’ it added.

The KPKM said Arthur also stated that his ministry was ready to support the effort and, at the same time, sought Japan’s support and assistance to improve the quality of products by local farmers through capacity sharing and training.

It added that Arthur also spoke about Malaysia’s plans to host the second meeting of senior officers for the ASEAN-Japan Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry (AJMAF) on Aug 7 and the 45th Special Senior Officials Meeting of the ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (SOM-AMAF) from Aug 6-8.

The KPKM said the second meeting is set to discuss the latest developments on collaboration in the ASEAN-Japan MIDORI Cooperation Plan that was agreed upon at the first AJMAF Meeting in 2023.

It added that Arthur had also invited Takahashi to the Malaysia Agriculture, Horticulture AND Agrotourism Show (MAHA) 2024 to be held from Sept 11-22 as well as inviting Japan to par
ticipate in the biennial event.

“Japan, meanwhile, invited Malaysia to participate in the International Horticultural Expo Yokohama to be held in the Kanagawa Prefecture from March 19-Sept 16, 2027,’ said the KPKM.

Japan is one of Malaysia’s main trading partners in the agriculture and agro-food sectors. Trade data in 2023 recorded the value of Malaysia’s exports to Japan at RM8.41 billion compared to the value of Japan’s imports to Malaysia of RM2.09 billion, which contributed to a positive trade balance for the country.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUCHING, Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be among the topics discussed at the inaugural Sarawak Media Conference (SMEC) 2024, which will be held in conjunction with the National Journalists’ Day (HAWANA) celebration from May 25 to 27.

Kuching Division Journalists’ Association (KDJA) president Ronnie Teo said AI was chosen as a topic since Malaysia is proactively pushing forward to master the technology, which led to an increased demand for media practitioners to have a better understanding of the ethical aspects when utilising AI.

‘Since AI is a new technology in today’s world, we want to invite experts to talk about ethics in using AI, especially in journalism and the legal framework surrounding it,’ he said to Bernama here today.

Themed ‘Evolution of Media in the Digital Era’, the two-day conference starting May 26 is expected to attract 600 participants, including notable local and foreign speakers.

Apart from AI, Teo said SMEC 2024 will also focus on relevant matters such as data journalism, social
media engagement, and online or netizen journalism.

‘We hope the topics will help address the issues that we are facing in the media industry, including how we can elevate ourselves in terms of digital and ethics,’ he said, adding that SMEC 2024 will be among the highlights of HAWANA 2024.

Over 1,000 media practitioners, representatives from local journalist associations, as well as media representatives from ASEAN member countries, are invited to attend HAWANA 2024, which serves as a significant platform for professional media fraternity and industry experts to exchange ideas and establish strategic relationships.

Themed ‘Etika Teras Kewartawanan Mapan’, the largest annual gathering of Malaysian journalists this year is organised by the Communications Ministry in collaboration with the Sarawak State Government, with Bernama being the implementing agency.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

Agents of the San Pedro Police Station here and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency seized suspected shabu drugs with an estimated street value of PHP5.4 million in this city at dawn Friday.

In a report, the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) said authorities confiscated at least 807.3 grams of suspected shabu in the anti-drug operation conducted along Camus Street, Barangay 9-A.

The 35-year-old suspect, identified only as Dodong, will be facing raps for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

“The aforesaid pieces of evidence were marked and inventoried on-site with the presence of invited witnesses as mandated by law, including the suspect himself,” part of the DCPO report said.

With the accomplishment, Col. Richard Bad-ang, the DCPO city director, underscored the community’s help in the success of the anti-drug operation through the Pulis sa Barangay Program.

“As a united community, we believe that we will be able to attain a peaceful and orderly Davao City fr
ee from harmful substances,” Bad-ang said.

Since Thursday, he said the DCPO conducted seven anti-illegal drug operations, resulting in the apprehension of eight drug personalities and the seizure of PHP5.5 million worth of drugs. (PNA)

Source: Philippines News Agency

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) on Friday warned the public against a slew of fake notices of violation being sent to motorists by online scammers.

In a statement, LTO chief, Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza II said the LTO has long stopped sending violation notices to motorists and that any message that alleges they are from the LTO is fake.

‘Hindi po nagse-send ng notice of violation ang inyong LTO. Ang ganitong sistema ay matagal ng hindi gumagana kaya anumang message na matatanggap ninyo ay tiyak na galing sa scammers (The LTO does not send a notice of violation. This system has been stopped long ago and any message you receive about this is certainly from scammers),’ he said.

He said the LTO’s payment partners have also been notified to strengthen their security and protect the agency’s clients.

The LTO is set to coordinate with the Philippine National Police and other partners in government to catch cybercriminals that are using the agency’s name in their money-making schemes.

‘Pinapayuhan n
amin ang ating mga kababayan na huwag itong pansinin at i-report kaagad sa kinauukulan para sa karampatang aksyon (We’re advising the public to ignore these messages and report them to the proper authorities for appropriate action),’ Mendoza said.

The warning was issued amid the proliferation of scam text messages that warn users of a traffic violation.

The same text message contains a link to a fake LTO website that requires users to input their details as well as pay for their violation and is designed to steal information from its users. (PNA)

Source: Philippines News Agency

The Indigenous People Mandatory Representative (IPMR) of San Miguel, Surigao del Sur has demanded justice for the killings perpetrated by the communist New People’s Army (NPA) following the surrender of a rebel leader accused of masterminding the deaths of several Manobo tribesmen.

“We are happy that Joel Maca has decided to abandon the communist movement after years of disturbing and sowing fear among our communities,” IPMR Datu Rico Maca said in a phone interview Friday.

Joel Maca, the NPA’s former deputy secretary of Guerrilla Front 30 under the North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee, surrendered on April 26.

The two are distant relatives and belong to the Manobo tribe.

Joel and his wife, along with four other NPA rebels, turned themselves in to the Army’s 36th Infantry Battalion.

They also pinpointed areas in the province where materiel of the rebels were concealed, leading to the recovery of 12 high-powered firearms and ammunition.

Still, Rico Maca said Joel and his group should face justice fo
r the alleged killings of several IP members in San Miguel and other parts of Surigao del Sur.

“He is also the prime suspect in the killing of Datu Bernardino Astudillo, the tribal chieftain of Barangay Magroyong, San Miguel, in March 2020,” Rico said.

But Rico said the tribe remains open to forgive Joel, according to their customs, adding that the “cleansing process” emphasizes the tribe’s deep-rooted values of reconciliation and harmony within the community.

“As the IPMR of San Miguel, I will personally lead the preparations and meet with the tribal leaders regarding the possibility of the cleansing process. This will also need the consent of the leaders, especially those whose members were once victimized by Joel’s group,” he said. (PNA)

Source: Philippines News Agency

National University (NU) guns for a finals berth when it battles Far Eastern University (FEU) in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Saturday.

The Lady Bulldogs, who earned a twice-to-beat bonus in the Final Four after topping the eliminations with a 12-2 record, meet the Lady Tamaraws at 4 p.m.

“Kapag narinig kasi yung twice-to-beat, parang nakakagaan siya sa pakiramdam ng mga player. Pero yun nga, hindi dapat kami umabot sa puntong magagamit namin yung twice-to-beat (When we hear the twice-to-beat, it seems to make the players feel better. But we shouldn’t reach the point where we can use the twice-to-beat),” said skipper Michaela Belen, who scored 12 points in NU’s 25-21, 25-19, 25-22 victory over FEU last April 24.

‘Maganda lang siyang pakinggan sa mga player na ang sarap sa pakiramdam na twice-to-beat tayo kasi parang may suporta na nangyayari, pero hindi na namin papahantungin doon (It’s only nice to listen to the players who feel good that we’re twice-t
o-beat because it seems like there’s support going on, but we’re not going to stop there),” the Season 84 Rookie MVP added.

Meanwhile, University of Santo Tomas (UST) and De La Salle University will square off in the other seminal match at the Mall of Asia Arena on Sunday.

UST defeated De La Salle, 22-25, 25-23, 25-16, 25-15, last April 27 to end the elimination at 12-2. But it had to settle for No. 2 for having inferior points, 34-36, against NU in the first tiebreaker.

La Salle is at No. 3 with an 11-3 record.

In the men’s division, NU battles La Salle at 2 p.m. in a playoff for No. 2, with the winner earning a twice-to-beat semis incentive. Both teams have 11-3 slates after the elimination round.

Top seed FEU takes on No. 4 UST in the other semis match at 2 p.m. on Sunday. The Tamaraws finished the elimination at 12-2 while the Golden Tigers have an 8-6 card. (PNA)

Source: Philippines News Agency