03/07/2025

THURSDAY | JULY 3, 2025

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Housing cheer for more than 7,000 without fixed income

Borneo.TV to showcase facets of Sabah KOTA KINABALU: Sabah has taken a significant step into the world of digital broadcasting with the launch of Borneo.TV, a new streaming platform that showcases the faces, voices and culture of the state. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said the platform, with the slogan, “Cerita Sabah di Mata Dunia” (Sabah Stories Through the Eyes of the World), would serve as a primary channel for delivering authentic content, original documentaries, arts and culture and the natural beauty of Sabah through a more modern, flexible and global digital approach. “People’s lifestyles today, from communication to entertainment, are driven by digital transformation. Borneo.TV is a fitting response to this change and an opportunity for us to present our own content. “This is not just the launch of a digital media platform, but a stage for Sabah youths to express their creativity and shape the image of the state through their own narratives,” he said when launching Borneo.TV at Menara Kinabalu on Tuesday. The event also saw the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) secretariat and IB Media Consultant Work Sdn Bhd, the company operating Borneo.TV without any funding from the state government. Hajiji said the launch of Borneo.TV is a timely move in the age of Over The-Top streaming media, which no longer relies on conventional channels, while offering local content creators the opportunity to reach wider markets. He said the state government fully supports the implementation of Borneo.TV because it serves not only as a broadcasting platform but also as a strategic medium to share the real stories of the people of Sabah with the world. “The broadcasting world today demands creativity, boldness and sensitivity to audience preferences. I want Borneo.TV to be a space that challenges norms and introduces the true face of Sabah. “This implementation model proves the commitment and confidence of the private sector in the potential of digital broadcasting in Sabah. I believe this approach will position Borneo.TV as a competitive and sustainable platform,” he said. Hajiji also expressed appreciation to the SMJ secretariat and IB Media for successfully realising the implementation of Borneo.TV under the Sabah Maju Jaya Roadmap 1.0, which emphasises the development of the creative economy sector. – Bernama Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, on the Tech Talks programme, Chang said it is part of the ministry’s efforts to engage university students to better understand the ministry’s roles and functions. “We also want them (university students) to be more aware of current developments in the science community,” he said. – Bernama

o Financing involving RM3.75 billion approved through initiative by corporation offering self-employed residents and gig workers in Johor opportunity to own home

ISKANDAR PUTERI: A total of 7,417 applicants for the Johor Affordable Housing Scheme, who are self-employed or involved in the gig economy, have successfully obtained home financing approval, despite not having regular salary statements. Johor Housing Development Corporation CEO Datin Paduka Dr Suhailizan Suliman said this marks the biggest achievement to date in Johor’s housing sector, with total financing approvals amounting to RM3.75 billion. The approvals are for housing units priced at RM300,000 and below as of April. She said the achievement was due to, among other factors, the effectiveness of the J-Home One Stop Centre (OSC), an initiative by the corporation that consolidates key services under one roof, KLANG: Malaysia’s first high-tech river plastic waste sorting facility in Sungai Klang has collected some 4,000kg of plastic since beginning operations in December last year. The RM1.5 million facility, a collaboration between Selangor Maritime Gateway (SMG) master developer Landasan Lumayan Sdn Bhd (LLSB) and environmental non-profit The Ocean Cleanup, was fully funded by Coca-Cola Malaysia. LLSB managing director Syaiful Azmen Nordin said the facility has the capacity to sort up to 10,000kg of waste per day. He said the initiative is expected to reduce reliance on landfills and improve the management of marine waste in a more sustainable way. “Our target is 20% of the waste we collect from the Klang River will not end up in landfills. “At the very least, we can extract and recover plastic and manage it responsibly,” Syaiful Azmen said after the official launch of the facility at Taman Pengkalan Batu yesterday. Also present were Klang Royal City Council Mayor Datuk Abd Hamid Hussain and Natural Resources and Environmental Ű BY IKHWAN ZULKAFLEE newsdesk@thesundaily.com

session,

allowing

successful

applicants the application and approval process more efficiently and systematically, ultimately saving both time and costs. She added that applicants could access the services of banking institutions, legal advisors, housing developers and the Credit Counselling and Debt Management Agency directly at the designated counters provided at J-Home OSC. “For example, applicants with no issues in their documentation or eligibility can receive an immediate financing decision from our partner banks. If not approved, they have the option to consult with other banks on-site. “We advise applicants to bring all relevant documents that can support their financing application when seeking services at J-Home OSC.” to complete

especially the self-employed and those in the gig economy, to own a home,” she told Bernama. She said through collaboration with banking institutions and Syarikat Jaminan Kredit Perumahan Berhad, the corporation aims to address the financing challenges commonly faced by self-employed individuals and gig workers, particularly the lack of salary statements or fixed income. She said J-Home OSC was conducted during the open balloting

including financial institutions, legal services, housing developers and the Credit Counselling and Debt Management Agency. “This achievement is also supported by our collaboration with Syarikat Jaminan Kredit Perumahan Berhad, which guarantees loans for applicants without a fixed income. If a borrower is unable to repay the loan, the company provides protection to the bank. “This initiative offers more opportunities for Johor residents,

4,000kg plastic waste collected from river since December

Syaiful Azmen said the initiative is expected to reduce reliance on landfills and improve the management of marine waste in a more sustainable way. – AMIRUL SYAFIQ/THESUN

“With this facility, we can extract plastics, which form the bulk of river waste, and work with local recyclers to ensure they are reused. “There is also organic waste, so we are collaborating with the Klang council to explore sustainable disposal methods for that too,” he added. In his keynote speech, Abd Hamid said the facility aligns with the circular economy approach by creating a dedicated space to

“There are many aspects that we need to examine in this feasibility study. So, it will take time,” he said at 5th edition of the ministry’s Tech Talks programme at Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) here on Tuesday night. Also present were the ministry’s deputy secretary-general (Science Planning and Culture) Ruziah Shafei, deputy secretary-general (Technology Development) Datuk Dr Sustainability Ministry secretary general Datuk Dr Ching Thoo. Syaiful Azmen said there is a need to establish similar facilities along the 100km-long Klang River, including in Shah Alam. “Previously, waste collected from the river went straight to a landfill. Now, with support from Ocean Cleanup, Coca-Cola and the J&K Wonderland Foundation, we are finding better ways to manage river waste.”

“In the past, satellites were mainly needed for communication and television but now many sectors, including automotive, smartwatches and smartphones, rely on satellite technology for GPS, communications and more,” he said. On Feb 15 last year, the media reported that Malaysia was racing against time in its bid to establish the first rocket launch site in systematically separate and process plastic and organic waste. “This not only reduces landfill dependence but also lowers carbon emissions and water pollution. “The facility contributes to environmental conservation while providing real benefits to the local community. “It helps reduce marine waste, boosts recycling efficiency and creates stable job opportunities for residents,” he said.

Ministry conducting feasibility study on rocket launch site proposals SERI ISKANDAR: The Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry is conducting a preliminary feasibility study on proposals from Sabah and Pahang to identify suitable locations in the two states for the development of a rocket launch site. Mohd Nor Azman Hassan, UTP president and CEO Mohamed Firouz Asnan and UTP provost Datuk Dr Mohamed Ibrahim Abdul Mutalib. Chang expressed hope that construction for the rocket launch site could begin as early as next year.

“In fact, demand for satellite launches is increasing, and the number of existing launch sites worldwide is no longer sufficient.

Its minister Chang Lih Kang said the study would take some time as it requires evaluation from multiple angles.