Umno dissidents to file contempt of court action

PETALING JAYA - A group of Umno dissidents sacked today are to begin committal proceedings against the party for contempt of court, their lawyer said.

The 16 members had filed a legal action against Umno yesterday for withholding party elections for five years. They were declared as automatically expelled today.

Their lawyer, Haniff Khatri Abdulla, said Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan Mansor’s statement today, that their memberships were automatically terminated for taking the party to court, could be seen as interference with court proceedings.

Postal votes must reach ROs before 5pm on May 9 polling day

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysian voters living abroad must return their marked ballot papers to their respective returning officers (ROs) to ensure that they reach the vote-counting centres before 5pm on polling day on May 9.

Election Commission (EC) Election Operations Division principal assistant secretary Mohd Sarif Hassan said the issuance of ballot papers for postal voters in the country and absentee voters abroad would be processed by the ROs, witnessed by representatives of candidates, after the nomination day.

Why the silence over Projek IC?

SAPP secretary-general Richard Yong says Sabah PKR leaders appear to be mute about 'Projek IC' ever since Dr Mahathir Mohamad became PH chairman

Gabungan Sabah opposition leaders briefly denied entry to court hearing redelineation case

KOTA KINABALU - Former Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Yong Teck Lee was briefly refused entry into the High Court here when he turned up to attend a case on the constitutional position of Sabah's 13 new state seats.

Message behind cheesecake video

KOTA KINABALU - What does cutting a cheesecake and the 14th General Election (GE14) have in common? A lot, actually.

Dexter Chin, the creator of a political satire video that went viral on the social media recently, used a cheesecake cutting act to express his thoughts on GE14.

"The cake in the video represented the resources that Sabah has but it was taken away by all these parties who tell us that they know better and so they will decide how much we will get," said the 39-year-old businessman during a press conference, here, Thursday.

Sabah stunted by Musa's failure on 40% revenues – Dr. Jeffrey

KOTA KINABALU - The Parti Solidariti Tanahairku (STAR) viewed that whatever has been trumpeted as Sabah’s achievement and progress is nothing but hollow rhetoric to hoodwink Sabahans to vote BN in PRU-14 and did not reflect the true reality.

STAR’s president, Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, said this in a terse response to news report that Sabah had supposedly enjoyed economic progress, making it one of the more advanced states in Malaysia as a result of economic programs planned and implemented by Datuk Seri Musa Aman.

Sabah dihantui kegagalan Musa terhadap pendapatan 40%

KOTA KINABALU - Parti Solidariti Tanahairku (STAR) melihat bahawa apa sahaja yang telah disemarakkan sebagai pencapaian dan kemajuan Sabah hanyalah retorik kosong untuk menghindari rakyat Sabah mengundi BN dalam PRU-14 dan tidak mencerminkan realiti sebenar.

Presiden STAR, Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, berkata demikian dalam sambutan yang menggembirakan dalam laporan berita bahawa Sabah sepatutnya menikmati kemajuan ekonomi, menjadikannya salah satu negeri yang lebih maju di Malaysia hasil program ekonomi yang dirancang dan dilaksanakan oleh Datuk Seri Musa Aman .

Sabah economy stronger if 40% revenue kept

KOTA KINABALU - Sabah will be on a stronger economic footing if 40% of revenues derived from the state are kept here instead of flowing into Malaya, Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah president Datuk Lajim Ukin said.

He said the billions of ringgit could be used to stimulate development in Sabah such as urgently needed infrastructure projects that would benefit the business community and people alike.

Lajim said this was the reason Gabungan Sabah had made it a priority in its election manifesto for the state to keep these revenues that were now being channeled to Kuala Lumpur.

Fuel prices stay

Fuel prices remain unchanged for the fourth consecutive week despite increasing regional fuel prices.

According to the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry, RON95, RON97 and diesel will continue to retail at RM2.20, RM2.47, and RM2.18 per litre respectively.

The prices have remained the same since March 22.

The weekly fuel price system was implemented on March 30 last year, and is calculated based on regional benchmark prices provided by Means of Platts Singapore (Mops).

Judicial Review against Shafie's eligibility

KOTA KINABALU - An application for Judicial Review has been filed to ascertain the eligibility of Warisan President Datuk Shafie Apdal to stand as a candidate in the coming General Election.

Hearing of the ex-party leave application filed through counsel Marcel Jude Joseph has been set for May 2.

The secretary of Umno Zone 6, Datuk Mohd Ainal Haji Abdul Fattah, who is also a committee member of Umno Semporna, in filing the leave application on Tuesday via counsel Marcel Jude Joseph, named the Election Commission as the first respondent and Shafie as the second.

Star contesting 20 seats

KOTA KINABALU - Parti Solidariti Tanahairku (Star) will be contesting in 15 state and 5 parliamentary seats in the 14th general election.

A reliable source said that the opposition party will be fielding candidates in Matunggong, Tempasuk, Tandek, Kadamaian, Kiulu, Kundasang, Paginatan, Kuamut, Tambunan, Bingkor, Liawan, Melalap, Sook, Tamparuli and Labuk.

The parliamentary seats are Ranau, Keningau, Tenom, Pensiangan and Penampang.

From peninsula to Sabah, and happy for the move

Gee Tien Siong and Justin Yee are glad their parents decided to move from the peninsula to Sabah decades ago to escape the worsening polarisation.

Sabahans are wary about the creeping of what they call ‘Malaya’s divisive political culture’ into their state.

KOTA KINABALU: Although their families were originally from the peninsula, Gee Tien Siong and Justin Yee are thankful for their parents’ decision many years ago to relocate to Sabah.

Smear video clip started from Tawau – SAPP

KOTA KINABALU - A RM5,000 reward offer is paying off for Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) that is seeking information about those involved in the doctoring and spreading of a video clip containing foul language to describe party president Datuk Yong Teck Lee.

The party has received further information about the origin of the 16-second video clip that had gone viral over social media last week, Yong said on Tuesday.

“The information that we have received so far point to Tawau as the starting point of this offensive clip,” he said.

Yong said he would personally turn over to the police all information SAPP had received about the matter.

“I would like to thank the public for sharing what they know about those involved in creating and spreading this doctored video clip,” he said.

Chinese Education to Benefit Under GS government's Education Autonomy

KOTA KINABALU - “Chinese educationists in Sabah can look forward to better financial support, policies and environment for Chinese schools under a Gabungan Sabah-led Sabah government with its autonomous education policy under their control and not under the Federal government,” explained Kong Fui Seng, Deputy President of Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku, on the GS Manifesto on the taking back of education under State control.

Under the BN government, despite its hyped-up so-called contributions, Chinese education has been marginalized and suffered.  Each year, the Chinese schools, students and parents are stressed out to raise funds because of the failure of the Federal and Sabah governments in failing to fund Chinese education.

Raja Bomoh plans to contest in general election

Malaysia's self-styled Bomoh King of the World plans to contest in the upcoming general election, the Harian Metro tabloid reported on Monday (April 16).

Ibrahim Mat Zin is holding a news conference on Tuesday to announce his intention to stand in both a Parliament and State Assembly seat in Perak state, according to a circular issued by an aide seen by the newspaper.

The circular said the press meeting will be held in Ipoh at 2pm on Tuesday, with media representatives allowed into the meeting room to meet the self-styled shaman only if they have valid media passes.

Check your polling station for GE14 today

Voters can now check updated information on their polling stations for the 14th General Election (GE14) today, through various platforms.

Peninsula-based parties destroying Sabah harmony, says SAPP

KOTA KINABALU - Sabahans have been urged to insulate themselves from the racial and religious polarisation that is becoming prevalent in Peninsular Malaysia.

Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president Yong Teck Lee blamed the hostile style of peninsula-based political parties for damaging the harmony and civility among Sabah’s diverse communities.

“In recent years, I have met Malays, Indians and Chinese from the peninsula who share the same views.

“They were saddened to see the harmony in Sabah adversely impacted by the importation of Malayan culture into Sabah,” Yong said in a statement issued here today.

He said Malaysians from the peninsula who had worked or visited Sabah had always been impressed by the harmony among the state’s diverse communities.

Chong Wei bags gold at Gold Coast

GOLD COAST, Australia (Reuters) - Malaysia's badminton king Lee Chong Wei was pushed all the way by world number one Kidambi Srikanth but prevailed 19-21 21-14 21-14 to bring the curtain down on his Commonwealth Games career with a third men's singles gold medal on Sunday.

The 35-year-old won back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2010 but was robbed of the chance of a hat-trick when a hamstring injury forced him to pull out of the 2014 Games in Glasgow.

Sunday's victory was by no means guaranteed given his first career loss to Srikanth in the mixed team final last week but Chong Wei drew on all his experience, and the skills that kept him as world number one for nearly four years from 2008.

Sabah's Chinese community will benefit from an Gabungan-led autonomous government

KOTA KINABALU - Sabah’s Chinese community stand to benefit from an autonomous Gabungan Sabah-led state government.

Opposition leader strikes back at culprits spreading doctored video

KOTA KINABALU - The Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) is striking back at those spreading a doctored video featuring party president Datuk Yong Teck Lee by releasing the original clip.

The one minute 37 second video showed the original clip in which Yong was giving a speech to SAPP Tanjung Aru leaders and members at a Chinese New Year gathering last February.

The clip showed Yong speaking out against certain parties for spreading lies amid cheering and applause from the SAPP members.

Also included in the video that was disseminated over social media was a portion of the doctored clip that was dubbed over and with the speaker using foul language to describe Yong.

“We are fighting lies with truths,” Yong said following the release of the video.

"Our weapon of choice has always been the truth," he added.

High time for Sabah Chinese to support Gabungan – Dr. Jeffrey

KOTA KINABALU -  It’s high time for the Chinese in Sabah to abandon the Barisan Nasional and without hesitation support the four-party Gabungan Sabah, said Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, President of Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR).

He made this observation in response to deputy chief minister Raymond Tan who just expressed his confidence that the Chinese community would give Barisan Nasional another mandate in GE-14 to form the government at state and federal levels.

Sabah Opposition Party: BN's promise on MA63 "by consensus" is disappointing

Sabah opposition party leader reminds Barisan Nasional that Malaysia Agreement consensus was already reached 55 years ago

KOTA KINABALU - The Sabah Progressive Party has accused the Barisan Nasional of resorting to trickery in its pledge to restore the rights of Sabah and Sarawak as outlined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963.

SAPP deputy president Melanie Chia said BN’s promise on MA63 would suffer the same fate as the outcome of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on the state’s illegal immigrant problem.

Who's going to contest in Tawau

TAWAU - While Barisan Nasional (BN), Pakatan Harapan (PH), Parti Warisan Sabah and Gabungan Sabah (GS) are still holding their cards close to their chest, there has been widespread speculation over who are likely to be nominated  on April 28 to contest the seats in the 14th General Election on May 9.

The political scenario in this district appears to have changed a lot since the emergence of alliances such as Gabungan Sabah and new local opposition party Warisan.

At worst, members and those who know the developments in their parties will either drop hints or leak some information but do not want to be quoted.

BN has no intention to return Sabah Rights – Dr. Jeffrey

PENAMPANG - The inclusion of the promise to fullfill Sabah Rights under MA63 “by consensus” in the BN’s Manifesto is nothing more than a tricky use of words so that in the end BN won’t have to implement those Rights, said Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR).

While launching the Gabungan Sabah’s election machinery here Sunday, STAR’s president Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan argued that it is a political play on words to fool and dupe Sabahans into voting for the BN in the coming PRU-14.

“Firstly, PM Najib has conveniently forgotten that he and BN are the ruling government of the day and there is nothing to prevent them from implementing Sabah Rights even as a caretaker PM and caretaker government,” Dr. Jeffrey said.

GE14: Sabah among six states considered “hot” – IGP

PARIT BUNTAR - The Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and six states are considered as “hot” battlegrounds in the 14th General Election (GE14), said Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun.

He said the states are Selangor, Penang, Terengganu, Perak, Sabah and Sarawak.

“Police will be giving them extra attention to maintain public order,” he told a press conference after attending a “Crime and Drug Free Society” programme here today.

Hoax over TMJ's cash giveaway 1st case probed under anti-fake news law

Waiting in vain: Shoppers waiting outside the Econsave Pontian outlet

JOHOR BARU - Police will employ the Anti-Fake News Act 2018 in its probe into a hoax claiming that the Johor Crown Prince Tunku Mahkota Johor Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim would be footing the bill of shoppers at several supermarkets in the state.

The rumours were sparked by a tattle of Tunku Ismail’s purported RM200 cash aid for each shopper at a hypermarket in Pontian, which later saw the spread of similar claims of him aiding shoppers at several other hypermarkets including in Kluang.

Over A Million Voters Eligible To Vote In Sabah In GE14

The number of registered voters in Sabah has increased to 1,117,337 from 982,644 during the 13th general election (GE13) said state Election Commission (EC) director Rohiman Sahia.

He said the number of registered voters in Labuan for the 14th general election (GE14) had also increased to 28,356 from 24,497 in GE13.

BN Manifesto on MA63 just a farce

KOTA KINABALU - The Barisan Nasional’s manifesto for Sabah is nothing more than a farce, former chief minister Datuk Yong Teck Lee said.

The Sabah Progressive Party president said this was most obvious in the ruling coalition’s pledge on fulfilling the state’s rights as outlined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), the nation’s founding document.

“The fact that Barisan uses the phrase ‘secara konsensus’ or by consensus to implement MA63 is nothing more than trickery,” Yong said on Sunday.

The unforgiving ‘stepchildren’ of Bapa Projek IC

IF Sabah and Sarawak had a stepfather, many Sabahans and Sarawa­kians would say it was Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Both states had a love-hate relationship with the man who was Prime Minister from 1981 to 2003.

The former PM was back on the Borneo states’ radar when at a recent forum on economic challenges faced by country’s youth, he said that Sabahans and Sarawakians have the “poor mentality of wanting an easy way out”.

GE14 date only after all state assemblies dissolved, says EC

The Election Commission will set the date of the 14th general election only after it has received formal notifications on the dissolutions of all the state assemblies, excluding Sarawak.

EC chairperson Mohd Hashim Abdullah said only four state assemblies - Perlis, Malacca, Negeri Sembilan and Johor - have been formally dissolved as of this afternoon.

Parliament to dissolve on Saturday

PUTRAJAYA - After months of speculation, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced that Parliament will be dissolved on Saturday (April 7), paving the way for the 14th General Election (GE14).

PCS: Warisan's 'greed' detrimental to opposition chances in GE14

Shalmon Sanangan claims Warisan is heavily supported by Sabah’s “new citizens” of mainly Filipino and Indonesian descent.

KOTA KINABALU - Parti Cinta Sabah (PCS) has accused Parti Warisan Sabah of seeking dominance in an opposition electoral pact to take on Barisan Nasional (BN) in the coming general election (GE14) and warns this objective can lead to power abuse.

Warisan’s seat allocation formula worse than BN’s, says Bumburing

KOTA KINABALU - Parti Warisan Sabah and other local opposition parties should come up with a better seat allocation agreement than the deal reached by Barisan Nasional component parties, said Parti Cinta Sabah (PCS) president Wilfred Bumburing.

Responding to a report that Warisan had finalised its seat arrangements with Sabah Pakatan Harapan (PH), Bumburing said having a good seat allocation agreement was essential to beat BN in the state.

Yong: Lawyers and law makers must ensure justice for Sabahans, compliance with MA63

KOTA KINABALU - It is shocking that a local Sabah newspaper has to defend itself in a court in Putrajaya over a publication concerning an incident that occurred in Sabah. This is another serious breach of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 that provided for separate jurisdictions of the courts in Malaya and in Sabah and Sarawak, said SAPP President Datuk Yong Teck Lee.
    
"For that matter, it is hugely unfair and prejudicial to anyone in Sabah to have to conduct the defence of any litigation in courts of law outside Sabah over something that occurred in Sabah.

MasterChef UK judge deletes tweets as rendang row rages

MasterChef UK judge John Torode (left) has removed his controversial tweets about Malaysia's rendang dish following regional outrage.

This was a departure from the seeming glee with which he posted the offending tweets, suggesting that rendang may have originated from Indonesia, and signed off with “namaste”.

“Namaste” is a greeting common to Indians and Nepalese, but the Hindi word is not widely used in Malaysia.

Sabah will progress 30 years ahead on its own

KOTA KINABALU - Parti Solidariti Tanahairku (STAR) is taking strong exception to the statement by Umno information chief, Tan Sri Annuar Musa, that Sabah would be set back 30 years if the Sabah for Sabahan policy is implemented.

In a statement, STAR’s Deputy President, Edward Linggu, said that if Sabah is given the free reign to manage its own affairs, it would progress 30 years ahead of Malaya.

Let’s just look at what happened to Sabah under the Barisan Nasional!

Under the Umno-BN Federal  government, Sabah has been mistreated and robbed of its constitutional revenues ranging from 40% net revenue derived from Sabah, its 100% entitleof import and excise duties on petroleum products, 100% on timber exports and export duties on crude oil up to 10% ad valorem value of the exports.

Sabah’s 13 new seats: Gabungan Sabah files suit against PM for inaction

SAPP chief Yong Teck Lee, 6 others file an originating summons, asking court to compel Prime Minister Najib Razak to table report in Dewan Rakyat.

Malaysia Boleh “Fake news” bill hastily approved amid outcry

Reacting to the news that the Malaysian lawmakers approved the “fake news” bill on Monday, James Gomez, Amnesty International’s Director for Southeast and the Pacific, said:

“The Malaysian lawmakers didn’t wait long to pass a vaguely worded, catch-all bill that can be – and will be – used to crack down on peaceful government critics. This bill cynically uses new Twitter jargon to pursue an old policy: criminalising free speech.”

Fake news law, no other purposes than serves to stifle opposition and dissent

Jumping on US President Donald Trump’s “fake news” bandwagon, de facto law minister Azalina Othman Said announced on Jan 30, 2018, the formation of a special committee to look into new legislation to curb fake news that could threaten political stability, public order and national security.

Her announcement came on the heels of comments by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak on the necessity of introducing a fake news law, as people could be instigated to hate the government or cause uprising due to being influenced by fake news.

Extradite Zakir Naik, India tells Malaysia

NEW DELHI - The Indian government has sought extradition of controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, accused of inciting youth to take up jihad, from Malyasia. The external affairs ministry has sent a request for Naik's extradition to the Malaysian authorities after the NIA completed all formalities including collection of evidence, filing of charge-sheet, sources told TOI.

A court in Kuala Lumpur is likely to hear India’s request. The development comes at a time when Malaysia, where Naik has taken refuge, has already said it is ready to extradite him. Malaysian deputy PM Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had said in November 2017 that Naik will be extradited if a request is sent by the Indian government under the mutual legal assistance treaty.

An all too real anti-fake news Bill — Tunku Zain Al-‘Abidin

The Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) has expressed “strong reservations on the recently tabled Anti-Fake News Bill 2018, suggesting that while the government’s stated intention is to safeguard the public against the spread of fake news, it may lead to stifling of freedom of the press, speech and expression”.

Aira Azhari of IDEAS’ Democracy and Governance Unit said “this should be the time for ideas and opinions to flourish,” especially given Malaysia’s already low score in the Freedom of the World Index (45 out of 100) and World Press Freedom Index (144th out of 180 countries).

Shafie, don’t hide in the shadows!

KOTA KINABALU - Parti Warisan president Datuk Mohd Shafie Apdal has to personally respond to an assertion that he had sought a pact with local opposition alliance Gabungan Sabah prior to setting up his party.

Gabungan Sabah component Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) supreme council member John Stephen said Shafie appeared to shying away from the matter by relying on junior party official to deny of such a pact.

“Shafie should come right out and deny it instead of hiding in the shadows and relying on an assistant of Warisan State Assemblyman to do it for him.

Maid abuser 'Datin' sentenced to 8 years

SHAH ALAM - A housewife who made headlines last week for failing to appear in court for a review of her mild sentence for maid abuse finally showed up – ­covered in black from head to toe

Rozita Moha-mad Ali (pic), 44, who two weeks ago received a five-year good behaviour bond for thrashing her Indonesian domestic ­helper in 2016, had her sentence increased to eight years’ jail.

Judicial Commissioner Datuk Seri Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah ordered Rozita to serve her jail term immediately. He also rejected her lawyer’s application for a stay of execution of the jail sentence.

Return Every Sen of 40% Entitlement Not Manifesto Promise

KOTA KINABALU -  “The Federal government should return every sen of the 40% net revenue jentitlement to Sabah and not make it as a worthless manifesto promise,” said Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, President of Parti Solidariti Tanah.

Jeffrey who is also the assemblyman for Bingkor, said that it is highly likely that among the promises in the coming Sabah BN’s Manifesto would include the implementation of Sabah’s entitlement to 40% of net revenue collected in Sabah, as enshrined under Article 112C and Part IV of the 10th Schedule of the Federal Constitution.

STAR: PM's heli trip to Kiulu to avoid seeing bad road

KIULU -  In the recent, highly publicised visit to Pukak, Kiulu, the prime minister, Dato Seri Najib Razak, opted to make the trip by helicopter, a decision which was very puzzling and disappointing to the people here, said Terence Sinti, a Kiulu resident.

Sinti, who is the Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) chief in Kiulu, said people are questioning Najib would use a helicopter for such a short trip. The STAR’S Wiramuda Youth Chief, who has been actively campaigning for his party and the Gabungan Sabah coalition in Kiulu, suspects that the state UMNO/BN leadership made the transport arrangement to ensure Najib wouldn’t have to see the deplorable condition of the roads to Pukak,

Mahathir's proxy Warisan wants to split opposition votes

KOTA KINABALU - Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president Datuk Seri Panglima Yong Teck Lee believes that Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) intends to split the opposition votes.

Yong, who is also deputy president of United Sabah Alliance (USA), claimed that Warisan has its agenda given that the party has kept on campaigning in opposition constituencies rather than Barisan Nasional (BN) areas.

Kim meets big brother China, sending message to Trump hawks

BEIJING - Kim Jong-un just sent a powerful message to US President Donald Trump ahead of planned talks: China is back on North Korea’s side.

The North Korean leader and his wife received a warm welcome in his first trip abroad since taking power in 2011, holding talks with President Xi Jinping and meeting a host of dignitaries. Xi told Kim that China has made a “strategic choice” to have friendly ties with North Korea, and they will “remain unchanged under any circumstances.”

Fight fake news with transparency, not punishment

The Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) today urged members of Parliament to reject the new anti-fake news bill.

C4 executive director Cynthia Gabriel said it was disturbing to note that while the world was moving towards open governance and information sharing in the digital sphere, Malaysia was sliding deeper into authoritarianism.

According to the bill tabled in Parliament, the proposed law seeks to safeguard the public against fake news. However, critics see it as another weapon in the hands of the government to silence dissent, especially with the general election approaching.

Grab's takeover of Uber in SEA received mix reactions from drivers and riders

SINGAPORE - A mix of concern and disappointment met Uber Technologies Inc’s deal to sell its Southeast Asian business to bigger regional rival Grab, as drivers and users of the ride-hailing firms took in the prospect of sharply reduced competition.

The services throughout Asia have long relied on discounts and promotions for consumers and incentives for drivers, which made for tough competition, pushing down profit margins.

Speculation rife over surprise visit by Kim Jong Un to Beijing

BEIJING - Speculation intensified Tuesday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un was in Beijing for a surprise visit, after Japanese media reported the arrival of a special North Korean train met by an honour guard under tight security.

If confirmed, it would mark Kim’s first overseas trip since coming to power in 2011 and signal an intriguing twist in a fast-developing diplomatic exercise that has opened the door to separate summits between Kim and the presidents of South Korea and the United States in the next few months.