week. It covers topics such as communication in a relationship, God and marriage, the importance of intimacy between married couples, the sacrament of matrimony and many more topics so couples understand what marriage life consists of. “We follow up on some couples that we’ve guided, and from the testimonies we’ve received, CMPC has guided them through a lot of conflicts,” Chong said. Rachel Woon, the administrator of an Anglican church, Holy Trinity Bukit Bintang, said the pre-marriage course that is run in her church is not only for Christians who plan to marry but for all non-Muslims regardless of their race or relationship status. “We also encourage couples in the initial stage of a relationship to attend a pre-marriage course as it will help them build a strong foundation for their future.” Conflicts among married couples, Woon said, are the most common issue. “Hence they are guided on how to resolve issues and not hold grudges because the first to apologise is the bravest,” she told theSun. Hindu Sangam women, family and welfare bureau chief Dr Kalaivani Shanmugam said the NGO holds pre-marriage workshops with the support of the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN). “Last year, we held several pre-marriage workshops with funds from LPPKN, but the attendance was poor.” She said if the government’s proposal to KUALA LUMPUR: Non-Muslim divorces in the country have risen by 30.4% in 2021 compared with 2020, according to the Statistics Department’s latest figures. Its spokesman told theSun 12,284 divorces were granted in 2021 compared with 9,419 in the preceding year. The highest number of divorces involved men aged between 35 and 39 years and women in the 30-34 age group. Meantime, the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry is looking into having pre-marriage courses for nonMuslims. It’s deputy minister Aiman Athirah Sabu said the ministry is drafting a paper to establish a committee to study the feasibility of having such a course. Experts theSun spoke to agreed that the spike in divorce rate is a matter of concern. Marriage counsellor Lim Jin Huan, 30, said the proposed pre-marriage course will give couples an insight into what married life would be like before they take the plunge. “A couple might decide to marry to build a family and gain a sense of belonging and fulfilment. However, in the process, sacrifices have to be made and efforts put in to make the marriage work,” she said. Divorce lawyer Veeran Muthu Kumar said mandating a pre-marriage course for nonMuslims will help a lot in ensuring couples know what they are getting into when they tie the knot. “From my experience, a large number of those seeking divorces didn’t realise what marriage meant in the first place. The couples failed to understand that in a marriage, one cannot come and go as he or she pleases. “Marriage is a serious commitment which involves honesty and even financial stability. You need this to buy a home, raise a family, pay for a certain lifestyle and more,” he said. Matthew Chong Cheong f*ck, who chairs the Archdiocese Catholic Marriage Preparation Course (CMPC) with Serena Wong Lai Kuen, said depending on the church, six to seven weeks of programmes are held for couples prior to tying the knot. “We run a course of two to three hours each oExperts say spike in divorce among non-Muslims matter of concern █ BYTHARANI NAIR [emailprotected] INSIDE SMALL PASSION ... Mohd Suhizam M. Sakri, 38, better known as Pak Su, is a craftman adept at making replica boats. He started honing his skills at the aged of 12 with knowledge passed down from his father and grandfather, both traditional boat makers in Dungun, Terengganu. – WAN MIRZA ISKANDAR/THESUN Aye to pre-marriage course TELLING IT AS IT IS ON THURSDAY MARCH 30, 2023 No. 8239 PP 2644/12/2012 (031195) www.thesundaily.my mandate the pre-marriage course is confirmed, the Hindu Sangam will conduct it for couples planning to get married. “To ensure their attendance, we will issue a certificate, which will be made a condition for the registration of marriages,” she said. ‘Govt should not deregulate liquid, gel nicotine’ 4 Anwar’s China page visit set to boost KL-Beijing ties 2 page
2 theSUN ON THURSDAY | MARCH 30, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS Anwar’s China visit set to boost KL-Beijing ties BEIJING: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s three-day official visit to China from today is expected to open a new chapter in strengthening the strategic relationship between Kuala Lumpur and Beijing in a more comprehensive way. This is Anwar’s maiden visit to the East Asian country since taking office last November. Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir said this visit is historic and meaningful, considering that the prime minister had received an invitation from the Chinese government to visit the republic merely four months after being sworn in to lead the new Malaysian government. This year also marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Malaysia-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and the two countries would also celebrate the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations next year. “This clearly shows the aspirations of the Chinese government, especially President Xi Jinping who has just been appointed as president for the third oTrip historic as premier received invitation from Chinese government merely four months after being sworn in, says foreign minister term, to forge closer ties with Anwar’s unity government,” Zambry said here on Tuesday. He said Anwar is also one of the first world leaders to visit Beijing after Xi’s re-appointment earlier this month. The prime minister is expected to arrive here this evening after attending the Boao Annual Forum for Asia in Hainan and to be met on arrival by China’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sun Weidong. Zambry said Anwar is scheduled to pay a courtesy call on Xi tomorrow, where discussions will focus on new steps that can be taken in various fields to boost and strengthen bilateral relations. “They will also discuss concrete measures that can be taken in the field of trade, political cooperation, prevention of corruption and civilisational issues.” Zambry added that the two leaders would also exchange opinions on the direction of bilateral relations, taking into account the increasingly challenging international scenario. He said this would be followed by a meeting with the chairman of the National People’s Congress Zhao Leji, where the discussion will focus on cooperation at the parliament level of both countries. Zambry added that on Saturday evening Anwar would be accorded an official welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People by Chinese Premier Li Qiang, which will be followed by a bilateral meeting. “The discussions between the two leaders will focus on detailing the steps that can be taken, especially in the fields of economy, trade and investment.” He said Anwar is also expected to discuss issues of mutual interest during his meeting with the Chinese leaders, including international and regional geopolitical issues, as well as security and stability in the IndoPacific. Anwar is scheduled to deliver a public lecture at Tsinghua University, which is one of the most distinguished universities in China, in addition to attending a roundtable meeting with high-profile investors and Chinese captains of industry. The prime minister is set to deliver a keynote address at a business forum which will be attended by nearly 1,000 participants from Malaysia and China, Bernama reported. Zambry said despite his jampacked itinerary, Anwar is also scheduled to attend a breaking of fast ceremony with Malaysians in China organised by the MalaysiaChina Chamber of Commerce, which will also be attended by leaders of Muslim communities in China. During the three-day visit, at least 14 MoUs related to trade and agriculture will be signed between the two countries. IMPRESSED ... Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil enquiring about products sold online by entrepreneurs during a visit to the Digital Economy Centre in Alor Setar yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC Budget 2023 sees additional initiatives KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yesterday announced several additional initiatives under Budget 2023. Anwar, who is also the Finance minister, when tabling the Supply Bill 2023 or the national budget for second reading in the Dewan Negara yesterday, said that the new initiatives involve Aidilfitri assistance, an extension of individual tax relief and the provision of housing credit through the Syarikat Jaminan Kredit Perumahan. He said he had looked at certain groups that had not benefited from the previous initiatives and found that they were still struggling, especially during Ramadan and Aidilfitri. “So, the government has agreed to give another RM200 in Special Aidilfitri Assistance to 850,000 rubber smallholders, padi farmers and fishermen, in addition to what was announced before. This will cost RM170 million.” Anwar said the increase is the biggest aid the government has ever given to fishermen, padi farmers and rubber smallholders. In Budget 2023 tabled on Feb 24, the government announced a Special Aidilfitri Assistance of RM300 per month for fishermen, RM200 per month for rice farmers for a period of three months per season as well as increasing the monsoon contribution from RM600 to RM800 for a period of four months to rubber smallholders. He said 200,000 volunteers under the Malaysian Volunteer Corps, Civil Defence Force, as well as police and fire volunteers will also receive RM300 for Aidilfitri. Anwar also announced the extension until 2024 of individual income tax relief of up to RM8,000 for net savings in the National Education Savings Scheme. “This was decided after hearing public concerns and complaints made to the government. This will incur losses of RM250 million per year in the government’s revenue, but will benefit about 400,000 taxpayers.” The prime minister also announced that starting April 1, the government would expand the target of the Syarikat Jaminan Kredit Perumahan housing credit to fixed and irregular income groups to buy their first home, an initiative that is expected to benefit the B40 (Bottom 40% income group) and M40 groups. Under Budget 2023, the financing guarantee fund under the housing credit scheme was increased from RM3 billion to RM5 billion to help first-time home buyers. – Bernama Increase in Malay Reserve Land in peninsula KUALA LUMPUR: The gazetted area of Malay Reserve Land in the peninsula increased by 0.67% from 4,963,190.8ha in 2021 to 4,996,406.42ha in 2022, the Dewan Rakyat was told yesterday. Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said the size of the land was recorded based on data collected from local authorities in states in the peninsula. “Overall, every state in the peninsula recorded an increase in the size of Malay Reserve Land gazetted, except for Kedah, Kuala Lumpur and Perak.” He was replying to a question from Datuk Seri Ismail Abd Muttalib (PNMaran), who wanted to know the original size of Malay Reserve Land in states where the area is decreasing and the government’s plan to overcome the problem. Nik Nazmi said the total area of Malay Reserve Land in Kedah between 2021 and 2022 decreased from 721,888.93ha to 716,537.28ha, Kuala Lumpur (1,003.56ha to 999.48ha) and Perak (953,042.67ha to 953,040.87ha). He said there was no need for the ministry to prepare a White Paper on the issue of Malay Reserve Land since its area has not decreased and there is no loss. He added that Malay Reserve land that is utilised has to be replaced in accordance with the provision in Article 89 of the Federal Constitution which protects Malay Reserve land. He was replying to a supplementary question from Ismail who wanted to know if the ministry planned to prepare a White Paper on Malay Reserve Land. – Bernama Nod for 995,000 foreign workers KUALA LUMPUR: The Human Resources Ministry has approved the employment of a total of 995,396 foreign workers under the employment quota as of March 14, the Dewan Rakyat was told. Human Resources Deputy Minister Mustapha Sakmud said the levy for 84.7% of them had been paid by employers. “Employers are given up to 18 months to bring in foreign workers to Malaysia after paying the levy.” He was replying to a question from Chow Kon Yeow (PH-Batu Kawan), who wanted to know the list of all ongoing negotiations and completed ones with potential countries to supply labour, as well as the number of workers that are expected to be brought in and the length of time needed to overcome the current labour shortage, Bernama reported. Mustapha said the bulk of the quota approved was for workers in the manufacturing sector, followed by construction, services, plantations, agriculture, mining and quarrying. He said Malaysia has established labour cooperation for the recruitment and employment of foreign workers through MoUs with 10 source countries. 31,000 buy RM5 per month SIM cards KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 31,092 people have purchased the RM5 per month SIM card offered through the Unity Package prepaid mobile internet plan since it was launched on Feb 28. This was announced by Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil in a post on his Facebook page on Tuesday. “Hopefully this initiative will be able to alleviate the burden of vulnerable groups and allow them to access the internet at a cheap price.” The package was launched to help the lower income group (B40), senior citizens and persons with disabilities gain access to high-speed internet services, thereby bridging the digital divide between Malaysians. The package is being offered by five telecommunication service providers, namely CelcomDigi, Maxis, UMobile, Telekom Malaysia and YTL Communications. – Bernama
3 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON THURSDAY | MARCH 30, 2023 IPOH: A septuagenarian from the Tambun parliamentary constituency was delighted to receive basic necessities yesterday as part of the Rahmah Basket initiative, which aims to alleviate the burden of the poor and needy. Zainal Nor Alang Zainai, a 74-year-old retiree, said it showed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s concern for the underprivileged. “The prime minister cares about the plight of the poor. This contribution can help ease our burden since the prices of goods have skyrocketed,” he said when met at his house in Taman Meru 2C yesterday. Housewife, Rita Joseph, 63, said she was grateful to the Madani government for not ignoring the plight of the poor and taking the initiative to distribute the Rahmah baskets, reported Bernama. “Thank you, prime minister, for providing our family with food and helping ease our burden. I hope this initiative will be continued every month,” she said. Another housewife, 88-year-old Lau Oi Ling, was thankful she and her family were not excluded from the list of recipients. “There are four of us at home, so feeding the family can be expensive. This will help reduce our shopping expenses,” she said. Anwar, who is also the Tambun MP, flagged off a convoy at the Parliament building here on Tuesday to distribute 1,500 Rahmah baskets in Tambun, Perak. Special officer to the Tambun MP, Mohamad Hairul Amir Sabri said Taman Meru 2C was chosen as the first location for the distribution in the Tambun constiutency. Among the items distributed were cooking oil, rice, sugar and flour, estimated to be worth between RM80 and RM100. “NGOs and strategic partners are supporting us to select locations and identify families eligible for the assistance. The prime minister does not want people in the Tambun constituency to go hungry. “The Rahmah basket donation will be held monthly and we will also go to rural areas, like Orang Asli villages, to ensure they have food,” he said after distributing the baskets at a residential area. Separately, in Putrajaya, Anwar said the government is taking a firm approach in awarding contracts or projects to any party, in line with the principles of good governance. He said the awarding of contracts or projects with the intention of benefiting oneself or creating conflicts of interest will not be allowed. “It is better for us to be firm in this matter in order to save the country,” he said at the finance ministry’s Ihya Ramadan event here yesterday. Anwar, who is also finance minister, said fighting power abuse and corruption is an effort also given emphasis in Islam governance, but more often than not “bribery” has always been deemed okay when categorised as “donation”. “That is confusing. There should not be ambiguity and confusion between right and wrong.” Anwar also listened to a tazkirah (lecture) by Federal Territories mufti Datuk Dr Luqman Abdullah. Also present were Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar, Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan and Treasury secretary-general Datuk Johan Mahmood Merican. Online cancellation of vehicle registration in the pipeline KUALA LUMPUR: The Transport Ministry is developing a system to facilitate the cancellation of motor vehicle registration through online application or using other digital methods, the Dewan Rakyat was told yesterday. Its deputy minister Datuk Hasbi Habibollah said the system is aimed at simplifying the process of disposing old or damaged vehicles. Owners will be able to cancel registrations without having to go to the Road Transport Department. “The old vehicles are then disposed by solid waste disposal companies or authorised automotive treatment facilities recognised under the rules set by the relevant agency. “It is hoped that this initiative will solve the issues of dumping damaged and old vehicles in the country,” he said during question time at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday. He said this in response to Mohd Sany Hamzan (PH-Hulu Langat) on the government’s efforts to manage the disposal of damaged and end-of-life vehicles while ensuring environmental sustainability. Hasbi added that the Road Transport Department will cooperate with the relevant government agencies to study the long-term direction in dealing with environmental pollution due to abandoned vehicles. “This includes studying the concept of disposal of old vehicles. This system will contribute to increasing the level of road safety and reducing pollution from old vehicles. “It will also boost demand for vehicles that are sustainable in the automotive sector.” Tambun residents thankful – Bernama for Rahmah baskets oInitiative spearheaded by PM aims to alleviate financial burden of needy Yearly health checks for MPs, says Zahid KUALA LUMPUR: Starting from May, all members of the Dewan Rakyat, from both the government and opposition, will need to undergo a health check once a year. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the matter was among the items decided in the Agenda Nasional Malaysia Sihat Cabinet Committee meeting, which he chaired yesterday. “The committee has recommended that health checks be held once a year when the Dewan Rakyat session is held at the Parliament building. My fellow ministers and myself will volunteer for it. “This is after taking into account that a total of nine elected representatives, comprising MPs and assemblymen, died while serving in 2018 to 2020 due to non-communicable diseases, such as kidney complications and heart attacks,” he said at a press conference, which was also attended by Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa at the Parliament building here yesterday. Ahmad Zahid added that members of the Senate may also be considered for the health checks. “We are not superseding Allah’s law, but as I said before, prevention is better than cure.” According to him, the matter was also proposed by Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Johari Abdul at the meeting. The deputy prime minister said among other things that were also decided was the continuation of the National Health Promotion Campaign to increase knowledge and awareness, and to cultivate a healthy living culture among the people. The National Health and Morbidity Survey in 2019 found that one in five Malaysians had diabetes, three in 10 had high cholesterol and one in two were overweight. “The increase in diseases as a result of unhealthy lifestyles puts great pressure on the health system and the country’s spending.” He added that incentives and recognition will be given to community health agents, known as MyChampion, to enhance the motivation and commitment of the community. The committee was approved in 2020 to focus on four core areas – Strengthening the promotion of healthy living culture, Strengthening health well-being services, Empowering self-health control and Strengthening environmental cleanliness. – Bernama Fake goods worth RM69 million seized KUALA LUMPUR: The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry has seized fake goods valued at RM69 million between 2020 and Feb 28 this year. Deputy Minister Senator Fuziah Salleh told the Dewan Negara yesterday that the seizures involved 976 cases and the goods included clothes, food, drinks, cosmetics, leather goods, medicines and communication devices. “The seized counterfeit goods will be disposed after each case is resolved either through a fine or a compound,” she said. Fuziah added that a total of 99 arrests were made, with fines and compounds amounting to RM3.5 million imposed against those convicted of offences under the Trademarks Act 2019. The offence carries a fine of up to RM10,000 for each goods bearing a falsely applied registered trademark or imprisonment for up to three years, or both, and a fine of RM20,000 for a second and subsequent offence or up to five years imprisonment, or both. – Bernama RM1K aid for Negeri Sembilan civil servants SEREMBAN: A total of 3,796 civil servants in Negeri Sembilan will receive a special Aidilfitri financial aid of RM1,000, which will be paid on April 14. Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun said the aid involved an allocation of RM3.79 million. “The state government will give the aid to all state civil servants, except statutory bodies, local authorities and government-linked companies, in conjunction with the upcoming Aidilfitri celebration. “This aid is provided in Budget 2022. We projected a total income of around RM400 million but instead we recorded a revenue of RM523 million and a surplus of RM31 million,” he said after chairing the state executive council meeting here yesterday. Aminuddin said the aid is given in appreciation of the contributions by the state civil servants. It is also to help ease their financial burden during the festive season. – Bernama REVISITING TRADITION ... Passengers of the Payang Water Taxi enjoying Nasi Tenong for breaking of fast yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC
4 theSUN ON THURSDAY | MARCH 30, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS Five clinics under construction in rural Sarawak KUALA LUMPUR: Five health clinics are currently under construction in Sarawak to make health care services accessible for communities in the rural and interior areas, the Dewan Rakyat was told yesterday. Deputy Health Minister Lukanisman Awang Sauni said the clinics are being built in Lubok Antu, Julau, Serian, Lawas and Daro in Sarawak. “The Health Ministry has also identified 16 locations, including districts in Sabah and Sarawak that do not have health clinics and rely on outpatient departments. “We will focus on the needs of these clinics and we hope that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also the finance minister, will continue to make special allocations to improve and upgrade clinic facilities in the interior and rural areas,” he said,in response to a question from Datuk Ali Biju (PN-Saratok) on the ministry’s efforts to overcome the lack of rural health clinics in Sabah and Sarawak to enable access to quality healthcare. Lukanisman added that to attract more medical officers to serve in the interior of Sabah and Sarawak, the Health Ministry plans to provide suitable placements or quarters for them. “We are also currently in discussions with the state governments to get them to help in terms of providing infrastructure with a few incentives for doctors who wish to serve in the outskirts,” he said in response to a supplementary question from Dr Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen (PH-Kuching City) on the government’s initiatives to increase the number of medical officers to serve the interior areas of Sabah and Sarawak. – Bernama Rahmah menu at Ramadan bazaars PENDANG: Kedah Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry enforcement unit aims to have 350 traders offer Rahmah menus at six Ramadan Rahmah Bazaars in the state. Its director Affendi Rajini Khanth said he expected many traders to participate in the sale of Rahmah menu items following the encouraging response so far. “The number of traders participating in the Rahmah menu in Kedah is increasing rapidly ... at our launch at the Ramadan Rahmah Bazaar in Tanah Merah, we received 100 applications from traders to offer Rahmah menu items.” Affendi said the first 1,000 visitors to the bazaar will also receive RM20 in e-wallet credit to help them with purchases. On the supply of eggs in Kedah, he said the supply is sufficient and the unit has not received any complaints about a shortage of supply, or increase in the price of eggs, so far. – Bernama MHA to facilitate open toll implementation KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Highway Authority (MHA) will work with highway concessionaires to ensure the smooth implementation of the open toll payment system. In a statement issued yesterday, MHA said the implementation of the system would take into account the entirety of the existing toll system. “The implementation of this open toll payment system is also an early initiative for the transition towards the multi-lane fast flow system that is being actively worked on at the moment. “This is the right step in the government’s efforts to provide options and facilities to users for the purpose of paying tolls on the highway.” MHA expressed hope that highway users will continue to support its efforts to improve the operation of tolled highways. It added that it welcomes views and comments from road users. – Bernama ‘Govt should not deregulate liquid nicotine’ KUALA LUMPUR: A government proposal currently under consideration to exclude liquid or gel nicotine from the list of controlled substances under the Poisons Act 1952, should not proceed as it contravenes public health priorities, said non-party think tank, Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy CEO Azrul Mohd Khalib, adding that the very consideration is “a shocking development”. “On Jan 25, we issued a statement stating that as it is, vape in Malaysia remains unregulated, unrestricted, and out of control. Some 4.9% of the population currently vape and this number is rising by the day. “While there continues to be less than 2% of smokers, who are young women, they now make up more than 30% of those who vape. The estimated number of new vapers has also overtaken the number of new smokers.” Azrul said as of today, vape is unregulated, and in the absence of the proposed Tobacco and Smoking Control Bill, there is a massive oRemoving substance from scheduled list will exacerbate addiction issues, says think tank █ BYJOSHUA PURUSHOTMAN [emailprotected] gap in existing legislation on the marketing and sale of products containing nicotine, specifically vape and e-cigarettes, and this is a danger to the health and wellbeing of Malaysians. “Removing nicotine from the scheduled list of controlled substances, while having no regulatory replacement will negate any attempt to control the nicotine content of these products. “Cheap vape disposables containing high concentrations of liquid nicotine will flood the market.” He stressed that the nicotine content of vape products in the country is among the highest in the world and that a person will usually inhale between 1mg and 3mg of nicotine from a single cigarette. “Having 16mg per ml of nicotine is approximately 1.6% nicotine. In the UK, Europe, the US and Indonesia, where vape is regulated and taxed, the maximum strength permitted is only 20mg or 2%. “However, in Malaysia, vape liquids in a single disposable are available in 3%-5% concentrations. Vape disposables with 5% nicotine are easily available in this country for between RM10 and RM20. “You cannot get these in most countries which regulate and tax vape. Removing nicotine from the scheduled list will exacerbate the problem of nicotine addiction in Malaysia.” Azrul said vape and e-cigarettes are part of the nicotine addiction problem. Vapers find that though they may have stopped smoking cigarettes, their addiction has transferred to ecigarettes and vape. “Some will be dual users, where they smoke both tobacco and e-cigarettes. Stop smoking clinics are already seeing patients who are both smoking cigarettes and vaping. “The age of those becoming addicted to nicotine through vape is also getting younger. Children as young as 10 are becoming addicted to nicotine.” Azrul said the solution to overcoming opposition and controversy presented by the Tobacco and Smoking Control Bill should not be to remove nicotine altogether from being regulated under this legislation. “It does not make sense and is against public health priorities. “If the government is serious about regulating and taxing vape and e-cigarettes, it should drop this proposal and look instead to tabling and passing a revised version of the Tobacco and Smoking Control Bill.” Strike not solution to issues, says Health DG KUALA LUMPUR: An unplanned strike is not the best solution to problems that arise related to the medical profession or any other profession, said Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah. He said the problems that arise need to be dealt with in a more prudent way through joint involvement. “This matter needs to be considered carefully. Health services are critical, especially since it involves human lives and the wellbeing of the people,” he said in response to rumours that there will be a strike by contract doctors from April 3 to 5 and the DoctorsMalaysia Instagram page has urged contract doctors nationwide to join the strike or resign en masse on April 1. Noor Hisham said the Health Ministry did not have any additional information about a strike and has only seen the announcement on social media. He said the government has from time to time responded to the issues and demands raised by health workers, including creating permanent staffing, sponsoring specialist training or advanced training, time-based promotions, opportunities to be promoted to special grades and creating an UD56 grade for medical experts and so on. He believes the government will ensure all problems and requests are evaluated in accordance with current issues and given appropriate solutions based on the country’s economic capability. “Alhamdulillah, health services continue to be given due priority by the government as we can see through Budget 2023: Developing Malaysia Madani. Hopefully health services can be further strengthened in the coming year.” Noor Hisham added that health services in the country must continue to be considered a critical sector, including healthcare workers, because of the complexity, challenges, risks and hard work that healthcare workers face when carrying out their duties and responsibilities. “Covid-19 has taught us that without a resilient healthcare system, the country might not have been be able to control the spread of the pandemic well and people would not have been able to carry on with their lives. “Therefore, healthcare workers, who are the main asset of healthcare services need to continue to be given due attention, including appropriate remuneration for their services.” – Bernama FITNESS TEST ... A participant uses an interactive exercise bike that can examine bone and joint health at a Movement Matters Challenge organised by IHH Health Care at Gurney Plaza in Penang yesterday. - MASRY CHE ANI/THESUN
5 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON THURSDAY | MARCH 30, 2023 Jamal ordered to deposit RM300,000 pending appeal PUTRAJAYA: Umno Sungai Besar division chief Datuk Seri Jamal Md Yunos was yesterday ordered to deposit RM300,000 into an account of former primary industries minister Teresa Kok Suh Sim’s solicitor within 21 days from yesterday as a stakeholder pending the disposal of his appeal at the Court of Appeal. A three-judge panel led by Datuk Datuk Yaacob Md Sam made the order after allowing Jamal’s application for a stay of the Kuala Lumpur High Court ruling that he pay damages to Kok. “Having considered the submissions and the cause paper, we find that there is merit for this application to be allowed, but with the condition that the judgment sum to be deposited into the account of Kok’s solicitor and to be held as a stakeholder for the parties,” said Judge Yaacob, sitting with Judges Datuk M. Gunalan and Datuk Azimah Omar. Kok was awarded RM300,000 in damages by the Kuala Lumpur High Court after winning a defamation suit filed against Jamal over an alleged misuse of Yayasan Warisan Anak Selangor funds. Jamal then appealed against the decision. When asked by Yaacob whether the court can order the money to be paid within 14 days from yesterday, Jamal’s counsel Rejinder Singh requested a month for his client to source for the fund. However, Azimah questioned the counsel saying that there was an averment in Jamal’s affidavit that he had the money. Yaacob then ordered that the money be paid within 21 days. Earlier, Rejinder applied for the stay as the judgment sum, coupled with costs, was a heavy sum and the main appeal may be rendered nugatory (pointless) if the stay was not granted. He said Jamal was a politician and that a bankruptcy status would affect his chance of standing in any state election. However, Kok’s counsel Datuk S.N. Nair argued that Jamal already had the money, which was raised via crowdfunding and that he should pay. – Bernama Nine nabbed over threats made to loan defaulters SHAH ALAM: Nine individuals were arrested by police for alleged involvement with a syndicate paid by loan sharks to threaten borrowers who defaulted on their repayments. Shah Alam district police chief ACP Mohd Iqbal Ibrahim said the arrests of the seven men and two women, all locals between 21 and 41 years old, were made on Monday and Tuesday in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur. “They are suspected to have been involved with unlicensed moneylenders to threaten loan defaulters by committing mischief, such as pasting notices, locking houses and splashing paint on houses of borrowers in Shah Alam and several other areas,” he said. Mohd Iqbal added that the syndicate was found to have started its operation last month, where one of the suspects was offered the job when he went to the loan shark to borrow money. The suspect was offered between RM300 and RM450 for the job of threatening loan defaulters, depending on the distance and action taken. The 41-year-old male suspect then invited his friends to join him. According to Mohd Iqbal, it was found that as many as 80 payment transactions were made to the suspect’s account by a loan shark. Mohd Iqbal (centre) and his officers showing items seized from the syndicate during a press conference at the Shah Alam district police headquarters. – BERNAMAPIC Call for urgent action following spate of crashes KUALA LUMPUR: Residents of Taman Rainbow, located in front of MRT Batu 3 in Jalan Ipoh, are up in arms with the authorities over a spate of collisions at the intersection leading towards Kuala Lumpur and Kepong. At a press conference yesterday, Taman Rainbow Residents Association (TRRA) chief Govindasamy Balaguru said the problems started after the MRT station 15 was built in Batu 3, which caused traffic in the area to increase. “Crashes frequently happen after the two-lane road in Jalan Ipoh, in front of the MRT Batu 3 and Kompleks Mutiara, was widened to three lanes, with the additional one leading into St Thomas Road. “The traffic light there changes very quickly and this contributes to collisions because vehicles from the oTaman Rainbow woes started after MRT station 15 was built in Batu 3, resulting in higher traffic volume █ BYSIVANISVARRY MORHAN [emailprotected] Cops hunting down ATM card swindlers SHAH ALAM: Police are tracking down a couple believed to be local citizens who allegedly used an automatic teller machine (ATM) card belonging to a government pensioner recently. Kuala Langat district police chief Supt Ahmad Ridhwan Mohd Nor @Saleh said on Monday a 62- year-old victim filed a police report claiming that his ATM card had been changed and being used by some unknown persons. Ahmad Ridhwan added that the pensioner suspected foul play after a string of incidents, notably when his card was stuck in the ATM at a bank in Banting, Kuala Langat at 10am on March 25. A customer then helped retrieve the ATM card and handed it back to the complainant. “On Monday at 9.30am, the complainant went to the bank again and tried to withdraw cash but was unsuccessful and when he referred the problem to the bank counter he discovered that the card was not his. “An update of the complainant’s account showed there were 23 card transactions with a total of RM46,000 withdrawn.” Ahmad Ridhwan said a CCTV footage at a mobile phone shop at Kapar, Klang showed a couple in their early 30s purchasing a smartphone using the ATM card belonging to the pensioner. – Bernama Disabled woman dies in house fire PONTIAN: A 48-year-old disabled woman died was believed to have died from smoke inhalation in a fire at her home at Kampung Parit Hj Elias in Ayer Baloi on Tuesday. District police chief Supt Mohammed Shofee Tayib said in the incident at 1.30pm, the woman suffered burns on her body and died at the scene. “The fire had started from the kitchen and spreaded to the front of the house. The cause of fire is still under investigation,” he said. In a separate statement, Pontian Fire and Rescue station chief Azhar Abdul Jalil said the station received an emergency call at 12.27pm. He said on arrival at the scene, firemen found 70% of the singlestorey house destroyed. “We found the charred body of the victim in the bedroom. The woman’s body was handed over to police for further action and the operation ended at 3.15pm,” Azhar added. – Bernama crossroads at the junction also turn towards St Thomas Road. However, their view is blocked by a large concrete pillar, which is part of the MRT construction,” he said. Govindasamy added that the association has complained about the frequent collisions there to the Kuala Lumpur City Council and Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (MRT), but no action has been taken thus far to rectify the situation. He claimed that MRT had reverted to TRRA stating that the MRT plans had been approved and construction completed, so little could be done at this late stage. Govindasamy also said they had taken up the matter with Batu MP Prabakaran Parameswaran, who said he has raised the matter with the relevant parties and suggested some remedial action. “The matter is very urgent as a fatal accident occurred at the intersection at 8.30pm on Tuesday,” he said, adding that, “We are worried about the people’s safety as we are unsure when the next fatality will happen because crashes at the intersection are almost a daily occurance.” Dorothy Margaret Fernandez, 65, who shares the same concern, said: “I have been a resident in (the nearby) Taman Kaya for the past 40 years and it has been a safe place to live. But “We are tracking the loan sharks involved, and it is believed that the syndicate is dealing with more than one loan shark with most of the payments being made by cash deposit,” he added. Mohd Iqbal said preliminary investigation found that all of them were unemployed and seven of them had criminal records. All the suspects are in remand until March 31 for investigation under Section 5(2) of the Moneylenders Act and Section 427 of the Penal Code, he added. – Bernama since the MRT was constructed, collisions have been occurring daily with several fatalities as well. “The MRT is a worthy development as it is a public transport system that serves everyone. But the traffic light at the intersection is something that needs to be looked into urgently as it is causing many collisions. “Motorists using this road seem not to value people’s lives. Perhaps traffic police should place some of their personnel to direct traffic and keep the people safe,” she said. Another resident who lives along Jalan St Thomas, Balvinder Kaur, 53, said she became traumatised when she was almost hit by a vehicle. “A driver had beaten the red light at full speed and almost crashed into me. I was shaken up after the incident,” she said. MRT Corporation could not be reached while Prabakaran declined to comment further.
6 theSUN ON THURSDAY | MARCH 30, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS ‘Border tensions could lead to wider conflict’ oChina intends to lead new world order, says Indian army chief NEW DELHI: The Chinese military’s incursions on the Indian border could be a “trigger for escalation” of the boundary dispute that lead to a “wider conflict”, India’s army chief said. General Manoj Pande said the great power rivalry currently playing out between China and the US is influencing bilateral ties between Delhi and Beijing as he held the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) responsible for violating its border agreements with India. One of the strongest ever comments on the ongoing India-China border dispute came during Pande’s keynote speech at the second seminar on “The Rise of China and Its Implications for the World”, organised by the Savitribai Phule Pune University and New Delhi-based Centre for China Analysis and Strategy. Addressing the border standoff between India and China on eastern Ladakh borders, the Indian army chief said pockets of dispute Defiant Taiwan president leaves for US Not everyone needs more Covid jabs: WHO GENEVA: The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday it is no longer recommending additional Covid-19 vaccine booster doses for regular, medium-risk adults as the benefit was marginal. For such people who have received their primary vaccination course and one booster dose, there is no risk in having further jabs but the returns are slight, WHO vaccine experts said. The UN agency’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation (Sage) issued updated recommendations after its regular biannual meeting. Sage’s new advice reflects the impact of the dominant Omicron variant of the virus and high-level immunity now achieved in the population through infection and vaccination, WHO said. Sage came up with three new, simplified priority categories for Covid vaccination: high, medium and low, based on risk of severe disease or death. Sage recommended additional booster shots after the first one only for people at the highest risk of developing severe Covid-19 disease. They include older adults, pregnant women, frontline health workers, younger adults with comorbidities such as diabetes, and people with weakened immune system such as HIV patients. The medium priority group includes healthy adults, usually under 60, and children and adolescents with comorbidities. Sage recomends a primary series and a first booster dose. “When it comes to the medium-risk group, additional booster doses are no longer recommended,” said Sage chairman Hanna Nohynek. While there was no harm in having another shot, she said “the benefit of these additional boosters is quite marginal”. The low priority group includes healthy children and adolescents aged six months to 17 years. – AFP B R I E F S SAUDI ARABIA TO PARTNER SECURITY BLOC RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has agreed to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation as a “dialogue partner”, state media reported yesterday, the latest indication of closer political ties with China. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation was established in 2001 as a political, economic and security bloc to rival Western institutions. Besides China, its eight members include India, Pakistan and Russia, as well as four central Asian countries – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The Cabinet approved the decision at a meeting on Tuesday chaired by King Salman, the Saudi Press Agency reported. Other countries with either observer or dialogue partner status are Egypt, Iran and Qatar. – AFP INDIA PITCHES ‘AFFORDABLE’ WEAPONS NEW DELHI: India showed off domestically made helicopters, drones and artillery at a gathering of army chiefs and officials from 31 African nations in the western city of Pune yesterday. India has pumped billions into its defence sector in an effort to become less reliant on imports, including from Russia, as it faces off against China on their disputed border. At the same time it has been trying to sell more of its domestically produced hardware to other countries, particularly poorer nations unable to afford more expensive Western-made kit. “We are making equipment which is affordable and reliable,” said retired Indian army general V.G. Patankar. Also on display in Pune were assault rifles, artillery shells and models of missiles. – AFP AMID THE RUINS ... A man searching for his car in the Turkish city of Hatay on Tuesday after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake on Feb 6 killed more than 50,000 in southeastern Turkiye and nearly 6,000 over the border in Syria. – AFPPIC and contested claims to territory on the border between the armies continue to exist due to “differing perceptions on the alignment of the LAC (Line of Actual Control)”. “Transgressions remain a potential trigger for escalation. “Border management hence requires close monitoring, as infirmities in border management can lead to wider conflict.” The two nuclear-powered nations that have a decades-old history of border dispute have been working to de-escalate tensions on their loosely demarcated de facto border known as the LAC for three years. The tensions in the remote region with rivers, lakes and TAIPEI: External pressure will not stop Taiwan engaging with the world, President Tsai Ing-wen said yesterday as she left for the United States, hitting a defiant note after China threatened retaliation if she met US House speaker Kevin McCarthy. China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, has repeatedly warned US officials not to meet Tsai, viewing it as support for the island’s desire to be seen as a separate country. China staged war games around Taiwan last August when then-US House speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei, and Taiwan’s armed forces have said they are keeping watch for any Chinese moves when Tsai is abroad. Tsai is going to Guatemala and Belize, transiting through New York first and Los Angeles on the way back. While not officially confirmed, she is expected to meet McCarthy while in California. “External pressure will not hinder our determination to go to the world,” she said at Taiwan’s Taoyuan International Airport, in a veiled reference to China. “We are calm and confident, will neither yield nor provoke. “Taiwan will firmly walk on the road of freedom and democracy and go into the world. “Although this road is rough, Taiwan is not alone. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Zhu Fenglian said Tsai’s “transits” of the United States were not just her waiting at the airport or hotel, but for her to meet US officials and lawmakers. “If she has contact with US House speaker McCarthy, it will be another provocation that seriously violates the one-China principle, harms China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and destroys peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. “We firmly oppose this and will definitely take measures to resolutely fight back,” Zhu said, without giving details. – Reuters Meatball from extinct mammoth unveiled AMSTERDAM: Food scientists unveiled a giant meatball made from lab-grown flesh of an extinct woolly mammoth on Tuesday, saying the protein from the past showed the way for future foods. The glistening meatball was displayed under a glass bell jar by Australian-based cultivated meat firm Vow at the Nemo science museum in the Dutch capital Amsterdam. But the pachydermic polpette is not ready to be eaten just yet, with the thousands-of-years-old protein requiring safety tests before modern humans can tuck in. “We chose woolly mammoth meat because it is a symbol of loss, wiped out by previous climate change,” Vow co-founder Tim Noakesmith told AFP at the event. “We face a similar fate if we don’t do things differently, including changing practices such as large-scale farming and how we eat.” Grown over a period of several weeks, the meat was “cultivated” by scientists who first identified the DNA sequence for mammoth myoglobin, a key protein that gives the meat its flavour. Filling in some gaps in the sequence of the mammoth myoglobin by using genes from the African elephant, the mammoth’s closest living relative, it was then inserted into sheep cells using an electrical charge. If that process does not put you off, then the safety issues might. “I won’t eat it at the moment because we haven’t seen this protein for 4,000 years,” said Ernst Wolvetang, of Queensland University’s Australian Institute of Bioengineering, who worked with Vow on the project. “But after safety testing, I’d be really curious to see what it tastes like.”– AFP rugged mountains have escalated into skirmishes and a major bloody battle in June 2020 in the Galwan Valley where the soldiers of two armies clashed leaving 20 Indian and four Chinese personnel dead. Pande said that the Indian military’s concerns emerge from the PLA’s violation of four Agreements and Protocols of 1993, 1996, 2005 and 2013 forged to maintain peace and tranquillity on the LAC. He added that the Indian army has carried out re-balancing of its forces to counter China on northern borders and “we have adequate reserves and are prepared for any contingency”. “Our preparedness remains of a high order and troops continue to deal with the PLA in a firm, resolute and measured manner while ensuring the sanctity of our claims.” On India’s preparations amid the standoff, he said the army has ramped up critical infrastructure and logistic requirements – especially the forward area roads, helicopter pads and billeting for troops. In his another significant remark, Pande said China intends to be the leader in the new world order with its rise as a political, economic, technological and military power amid the geopolitical shift. He said China is seeking to replace the United States as the “global net security provider”, believing in the policy of “might is right”. “Its forays in the South China Sea, rejection of International Tribunal awards on maritime claims, activities in the Taiwan Straits and actions along the LAC bordering on bellicosity make it increasingly apparent that China’s interpretation of an ‘international rules based order’ rests on ‘might is right’.” – The Independent
7 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON THURSDAY | MARCH 30, 2023 Musk and experts urge pause on AI development WASHINGTON: Billionaire Elon Musk and a group of artificial intelligence experts and industry executives are calling for a six-month pause in developing systems more powerful than OpenAI’s newly launched GPT-4, in an open letter citing potential risks to society and humanity. The letter, issued by the non-profit Future of Life Institute and signed by more than 1,000 people including Musk, called for a pause on advanced AI development until shared safety protocols for such designs were developed, implemented and audited by independent experts. “Powerful AI systems should be developed only once we are confident that their effects will be positive and their risks will be manageable,” the letter said. The letter detailed potential risks to society and civilisation by human-competitive AI systems in the form of economic and political disruptions, and called on developers to work with policymakers on governance and regulatory authorities. Co-signatories included Stability AI CEO Emad Mostaque, researchers at Alphabet-owned DeepMind, as well as AI heavyweights such as Yoshua Bengio and Stuart Russell. According to the European Union’s transparency register, the Future of Life Institute is primarily funded by Musk Foundation as well as London-based effective altruism group Founders Pledge and Silicon Valley Community Foundation. The concerns come as EU police force Europol on Monday joined a chorus of ethical and legal concerns over advanced AI like ChatGPT, warning about the potential misuse of the system in phishing attempts, disinformation and cybercrime. Meanwhile, the UK government unveiled proposals for an “adaptable” regulatory framework around AI. The government’s approach, outlined in a policy paper published yesterday, would split responsibility for governing artificial intelligence (AI) between its regulators for human rights, health and safety, and competition, rather than create a new body dedicated to the technology. Musk, whose carmaker Tesla is using AI for an autopilot system, has been vocal about his concerns about AI. Since its release last year, Microsoft-backed OpenAI’s ChatGPT has prompted rivals to accelerate developing similar large language models, and companies to integrate generative AI models into their products. “The letter isn’t perfect, but the spirit is right: we need to slow down until we better understand the ramifications,” said New York University professor Gary Marcus, who signed the letter. “The big players are becoming increasingly secretive about what they are doing, which makes it hard for society to defend against whatever harms may materialise.” – Reuters 38 dead in Mexico detention centre fire MEXICO CITY: A fire believed to have been started by migrants protesting against their deportation killed at least 38 people at a Mexican immigration detention centre near the US border, authorities said Tuesday. The blaze broke out on Monday night at the National Migration Institute (INM) facility in Ciudad Juarez, prompting the mobilisation of firefighters and dozens of ambulances. The migrants were believed to have lit the fire as a demonstration because they feared they would be deported, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told reporters. “They put mats at the door of the shelter and set them on fire as a protest, and did not imagine that it would cause this terrible tragedy.” United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi expressed solidarity with relatives of the victims and appealed to countries in the region “to deal in a humane, just, effective manner with growing population flows through the Americas”. Anger grew outside the detention facility, with relatives chanting demands for justice near a makeshift shrine dedicated to the victims. Amnesty International said the fire was “a consequence of the restrictive and cruel immigration policies” of Mexico and the US. Video surveillance footage, broadcast by several media outlets and authenticated by a government minister, appeared to show guards at the detention centre leaving as flames engulfed a cell with migrants trapped inside. “We had this video since last night. But in order not to hinder the investigations, out of respect for the victims, we must be careful,” Interior Minister Adan Augusto Lopez said. The dead and injured included people from Guatemala, Honduras, Venezuela, El Salvador, Colombia and Ecuador, authorities said. – AFP B R I E F SRUSSIAN CYBERATTACKS ON UKRAINE ALLIES PARIS: Russia’s cyberwar on Ukraine largely failed and Moscow is increasingly targeting Kyiv’s European allies, according to analysts. French defence firm Thales said in a report yesterday that Russia was hitting Poland, the Nordic and Baltic countries with an arsenal of cyber weapons aiming to sow divisions and promote anti-war messages. Microsoft said in a threat assessment earlier this month that Russian actors had launched attacks in at least 17 European countries in the first six weeks of this year. These attacks were increasingly carried out by “hacktivist” groups aligned with the Kremlin rather than official groups, and they aimed to sow chaos rather than destroy infrastructure, Thales said. – AFP PERU PROSECUTORS PROBE PRESIDENT, PREDECESSOR LIMA: Peruvian prosecutors said on Tuesday they were investigating President Dina Boluarte and her ousted predecessor Pedro Castillo for alleged money laundering and illegal campaign financing during the 2021 presidential election. The probe is an expansion of an investigation against the pair over allegations of illegal financing. Boluarte, Castillo and his former adviser Henry Shimabukuro were being investigated for “the crimes of prohibited financing of political organisations, money laundering and criminal organisation”, the public prosecutor’s office tweeted. “The alleged commission of these crimes occurred during the electoral campaign in 2021.” – AFP Race against time to save dozens missing after Ecuador mudslide QUITO: Rescuers raced against time in southern Ecuador on Tuesday to find survivors of a weekend landslide that left at least 11 people dead and 67 missing. Torrential rain on Sunday triggered a mudslide that buried dozens of homes and injured 30 people in the village of Alausi 300km south of the capital, officials said. As hopes faded of finding survivors under the rubble, rescuers with dogs and neighbours alike worked feverishly at removing debris, some with their bare hands. “My daughter is here, my granddaughter, my whole family,” said Carlos Maquero. “I want you to understand the pain we’re going through.” “We feel powerless not being able to do anything,” said Carmen Quiroz, whose sister-in-law “was buried” along with several others, including infants, under the mud. There is a “buildup of tons and tons of earth”, making it very difficult to find survivors, said firefighter Fernando Yanza. Decreasing oxygen was “the main problem” facing those still trapped, added Yanza, who had been digging down through 4m of mud looking for signs of life. “As you dig, it becomes more dangerous because the ground becomes less stable.” Another firefighter, Adriana Guzman, said removing all the rubble was nigh impossible, “and truly what is found, if it is found, will be bodies”. – AFP Nashville shooter hid guns in parents’ house WASHINGTON: The 28-year-old who shot dead six people at an elementary school in Nashville was able to buy and conceal multiple weapons in the family home despite evidence of mental health issues, police said on Tuesday. Two nine-year-old girls, a nine-year-old boy, two teachers and a school custodian died in the Monday attack, which recharged the bitter debate over gun rights in the US. Parents with their children joined a steady stream of mourners in front of a makeshift memorial to the victims of the massacre at Emily Ryan and her children praying on Tuesday at a memorial outside The Covenant School. – REUTERSPIC oPolice say ‘female who used male pronouns’ had ‘emotional disorder’ The Covenant School in Nashville as the sun set Tuesday, many of them in tears. Earlier, Nashville police chief John Drake told reporters that the shooter, Audrey Hale, had been receiving treatment for an “emotional disorder”, and that Hale’s parents believed their child – who lived at home with them – had bought and later resold a single gun. But Hale, who was killed during the attack, was armed with two assault rifles and a handgun upon entering the small Christian academy of about 200 students, which the shooter had once attended as a pupil. Identified by police as a female who had used male pronouns on social media, the shooter had maps of the school and left a manifesto that suggested more attacks were planned. “Audrey bought seven firearms from five different local gun stores legally,” Drake said. “She was under doctors’ care for an emotional disorder. Her parents felt that she should not own weapons.” “As it turned out, she had been hiding several weapons within the house.” Drake said pupils and staff were not targeted individually and there was no known motive. In security camera footage, Hale is seen shooting through doors to enter the school. Hale, wearing a black military-style vest, then moved through the building, opening fire on children and staff. Officers were on the scene within about 15 minutes of the first emergency call. Multiple gunshots are heard as officers close in on a sun-filled atrium, where the assailant was shot dead. A former schoolmate, Averianna Patton, told CNN Hale sent an Instagram message on the morning of the shooting. “One day this will make more sense,” Hale wrote.”– AFP
8 theSUN ON THURSDAY | MARCH 30, 2023 SPEAK UP The elderly as agents of change POPULATION ageing is a global phenomenon that is unavoidable as a result of the demographic transition’s decreases in fertility and increases in lifespan, and it is frequently associated with social and economic progress. The UN agreed to classify those aged 60 and up as part of the older or “ageing” population. The retirement age is related to the ageing population and it varies for men and women depending on their functional capacity. The term “ageing population” refers to a situation in which an individual is unable to work as their typical everyday activity. Internationally, the working-age population is expected to decline by 10% by 2060. It will plummet by 35% or more in Greece, Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. Between 2015 and 2050, the percentage of people over 60 in the world’s population will be almost twofold, rising from 12% to 22%, with 80% of the elderly residing in low- and middle-income nations. The old population in Malaysia is expected to rise at the quickest rate in future decades due to historical and current trends in fertility and mortality. According to the Statistics Department, Malaysia will have an ageing population of 5.6 million seniors, or 15% of the total population, by 2035. The UN defines an ageing nation as one where 7% or more of the population is 65 years of age due to the country’s ageing population expanding faster than anticipated. According to the Statistics Department, the proportion of people 65 and older will be 17% in 2050. As a result, the country will qualify as an ageing nation before 2035. By 2056, Malaysia will have a “super-aged society”, with more than 20% of the population being over 65. Fewer people of working age join the workforce as the population matures. Aside from an increase in the elderly population, the elderly are living longer lives, as demonstrated by an increase in life expectancy. Because women typically live longer than men do, the gap between the genders widens as people get older. Due to the lack of qualified personnel, it is more difficult for businesses to fill positions that are in high demand. An ageing population presents numerous challenges. Loss of independence, along with physical deterioration and ageism, is one potential outcome of the process. Furthermore, senior citizens confront several difficulties, including poor health care, hunger and a lack of senior housing. The elderly are in poorer health than younger generations. The devastation caused by numerous acute and chronic diseases is exacerbated by physical and social changes associated with ageing. As a result, elderly adults usually have many illnesses that generate a wide range of symptoms. Rising healthcare expenses and unstable annuities, aggravate the aged problem further and the inadequate infrastructure developed with their requirements in mind. Government and civil society must ensure financial stability, a medical and long-term care system, social well-being, an appropriate environment and accessible accommodation and transportation for the elderly. Furthermore, it is critical to constantly emphasise to people that getting older is not a disease and that early disability prevention measures can be implemented. Elderly malnutrition is anticipated to be a significant issue. This is a result of dietary changes, poor dental health, and the types and quantities of food consumed. Regular nutrition education should be given because it is crucial to preventing nutritional issues. Additional problems include discrimination against older people who want to learn a new skill, older workers being less motivated and able to adapt to a new situation, or older workers feeling anxious and having reduced confidence in themselves while going through the instruction. Elderly malnutrition is anticipated to be a significant issue. This is a result of dietary changes, poor dental health and the types and quantities of food consumed. Regular nutrition education should be given because it is crucial to preventing nutritional issues. This nation’s population will inevitably get older. The ageing population poses particular issues that will increase the demand for health and social services. The demographic trend of population ageing will have a big impact on many governmental policies. The public expenditure will be higher as the share of the elderly population grows to account for the anticipated rise in healthcare, pension and long-term care costs. Additionally, a growing elderly population will result in a lack of workers and raise concerns about the stability of old-age benefits. To meet the problems posed by population ageing, the government, corporations and society as a whole must be prepared to adjust to changing requirements and structural demographics in the economy. The management of the elderly is heavily influenced by national public policies. This is done to safeguard the elderly and protect them, as well as to improve individual lives and stabilise society. To achieve revolutionary, inclusive, and sustainable development outcomes, older people must be acknowledged as active agents of societal change. Under the Shared Prosperity Vision 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals, this is done to make sure that no Malaysian is left behind and to improve the wellbeing of all Malaysians, particularly elderly residents. Comments: [emailprotected] IT is gratifying to note of late that despite the US and Nato pushing the tired line that “China is becoming more coercive and aggressive”, China seems to be playing the historic role of global peacemaker. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin made that claim in 2022 while a flotilla of Chinese naval vessels held a “live combat drill” in their own East China Sea without noticing the stark hypocrisy that the US Seventh Fleet was menacingly 10,000 km from the US Pacific coast and meddling in the internal affairs of China’s Taiwan province. The other Nato allies and the Western media have been peddling the same refrain ad nauseum when the US has nearly a thousand military bases scattered around the world while China has only one in Djibouti. Concrete action and facts trump rhetoric and propaganda We first saw the first sign of China’s breath-taking role as a global peace broker when China managed to get arch-enemies India and Pakistan together into the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in the northern Chinese port of Qingdao in 2018, which stood in stark contrast to the Donald Trump-dominated G7 summit that ended in disarray. Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain, calling their presence “of great historic significance”. Then in 2021, we saw Iran (an observer state in the SCO) and Saudi Arabia (a dialogue partner in the SCO) sitting at the same negotiating table. For peace activists, this was a piece of win-win negotiation unprecedented since the biggest rivalry in the Middle East has been between Saudi Arabia and Iran, who have been waging a heavy proxy war against each other since the late 1970s. More recently on March 15, in a China-brokered deal, arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran announced they were restoring diplomatic relations. “Much of the world was stunned not only because of the breakthrough after years of mutual animosity, suspected attacks and espionage between the two countries but because of who brokered the deal: China,” said CNBC. The western media could not ignore this historic development although they tried their best to downplay China’s role in brokering the deal. Can China broker a Russia-Ukraine peace deal? While the West and their militaryindustrial complex have been fanning the Ukraine war by providing more and more arms and other resources to Ukraine, China has been urging peaceful negotiations to end this war that does not benefit anyone except the arms lobby. On the anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, China put forward its 12-point peace plan to end the conflict. China is in the best position to broker this peace deal since she has strong trade and diplomatic relations with both Ukraine and Russia: 1. Respecting the sovereignty of all countries. 2. Abandoning the Cold War mentality. 3. Ceasing hostilities. 4. Resuming peace talks. 5. Resolving the humanitarian crisis. 6. Protecting civilians and prisoners of war. 7. Keeping nuclear power plants safe. 8. Reducing strategic risks. 9. Facilitating grain exports. 10. Stopping unilateral sanctions. 11. Keeping industrial and supply chains stable. 12. Promoting post-conflict reconstruction. So far, Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin have jointly signed and released a joint statement that the two sides believe that the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter must be observed, and international law must be respected. More importantly, the Russian side reaffirms its commitment to the resumption of peace talks as soon as possible and welcomes China’s willingness to play a positive role in the political and diplomatic settlement of the Ukraine crisis. The two sides stress that responsible dialogue is the best way for appropriate solutions. Putin stated that Russia has carefully studied China’s position paper on the political settlement of the Ukraine issue and is open to talks for peace. The Ukrainian side has also made positive comments on China’s stance. Peace activists are keeping their fingers crossed and waiting with bated breath. Peace-loving people all over the world welcome peace efforts by all sides and condemn the war-mongering by all those who are backed by the militaryindustrial complex. This peace brokering between India and Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia and, hopefully, Ukraine and Russia are a model not only for conflict resolution but also for negotiations to reach a winwin for all concerned. Comments: [emailprotected] COMMENT by Dr Rulia Akhtar COMMENT by Kua Kia Soong Give peace a chance
9 SPEAK UP theSUN ON THURSDAY | MARCH 30, 2023 theSun ONWEDNESDAY | NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSun ON WEDNESDAY | NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS THE OBJECTIVES TO achieve greater unity among Malaysians TO maintain a democratic way of life TO create a just society in which the wealth of the nation shall be equitably shared TO ensure a liberal approach to her rich and diverse cultural traditions TO build a progressive society which shall be oriented to modern science and technology RUKUN NEGARA: THE PRINCIPLES BELIEF IN GOD LOYALTY TO KING AND COUNTRY THE SUPREMACY OF THE CONSTITUTION THE RULE OF LAW COURTESY AND MORALITY THE OBJECTIVES TO achieve greater unity among Malaysians TO maintain a democratic way of life TO create a just society in which the wealth of the nation shall be equitably shared TO ensure a liberal approach to her rich and diverse cultural traditions TO build a progressive society which shall be oriented to modern science and technology RUKUN NEGARA: THE PRINCIPLES BELIEF IN GOD LOYALTY TO KING AND COUNTRY THE SUPREMACY OF THE CONSTITUTION THE RULE OF LAW COURTESY AND MORALITY Advocating equity for the disabled WHEN Amanda Kong gets into a cab, guided by her white cane and wearing her dark sunglasses, drivers have spontaneously asked her if she was a “masseur”. Visually impaired Kong laughs at such stereotypes people have about the blind. “At times people asked my colleagues about me, instead of directly asking. Perhaps, they assume if I am blind, I am unable to hear or speak for myself,” she said. Far from these misconceptions, Kong has a First Class Law degree from the University of Liverpool. Presently, she is an advocate for the rights of the differently-abled and tries hard to create awareness to break stereotypical images as well as to help resolve the real issues of people with disabilities. As the community development manager at the “Make It Right Movement” (MIRM) the CSR arm of the Brickfields Asia College (BAC) she has embarked on a journey to transform the lives of others with disabilities. MIRM has affiliations and partnerships with over 300 local national and international social entities. More importantly, this vibrant, brilliant young lady has a positive vision. She knows her worth. The sky’s the limit for Kong. She definitely knows how to turn perceived liabilities into strengths. She also heads the Disability Working Group of the Bar Council Human Rights Committee and assists in the redrafting of the People with Disabilities Act (2008) to improve existing policies and provisions. “Law is a really good platform for visually impaired people such as me because we can use the law to push for our rights and work towards a just and inclusive society where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. After all, if we don’t help ourselves, who will?” she said. Technology can bridge the gap for people with disabilities. Kong has a smartphone and can text, email and access web pages and social media content. There is speech-to-text technology as well as built-in voice assistants such as Apple’s Siri, Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa. People with disabilities should be able to share their problems to create both empathy and awareness. There is nothing more powerful than hearing an alternate viewpoint in order to learn about the experiences and challenges someone else faces. Such an opportunity was created for Kong at the BAC’s book launch of Resolved!: 8 Strategies to Be a Fiery Lawyer without Violating Your Integrity and Personality by Sitpah Selvaratnam. Kong spoke on “Embracing Equity in Every Aspect of Our Lives”. The event opened with a speech by an international arbitrator, advocate and author Sitpah, defining the distinctions between quality and equity. “Equality is about treating everyone the same way while equity is about recognising and supporting individuals’ challenges with appropriate resources and opportunities. “Equity is recognising that a diversity of identities exists and that policies, systems and practices must be addressed or dismantled for everyone to be treated fairly,” said Sitpah, who led the legal team for the government to recover one of the largest assets, the superyacht “Equanimity” in the controversial 1MDB global scandal. The glaring truth is that the differently-abled continue to face myriads of inequities in education, employment, healthcare and public facilities. They do not have the same level playing field as the world is designed for “normal people”. Policies should advocate for accessible physical and digital environments to remove physical barriers, offer assistive technologies and modify workspaces for those abled differently. Building designs should include wide doors, ramps instead of steps and accessible restrooms. In 2002, George Lane and Beverly Jones, who were disabled and unable to access upper floors in Tennessee state courthouses, sued Tennessee in the federal district court for violating their rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The case eventually reached the US Supreme Court, where a ruling was delivered in 2004 that the ADA applied to state government entities and compelled the state of Tennessee to pay Lane and Jones damages for the harm they suffered due to the state’s failure to provide reasonable facilities. The plaintiffs won the case and Tennessee was found to have violated the ADA by failing to provide reasonable accommodations for disabled individuals. Many people with disabilities at the workplace still do not have equal access to work opportunities as “normal people”. Having a good grasp of mobility and orientation skills enables the visually impaired to navigate and travel independently as they possibly can. In the US, Haben Girma is a blind, deaf black woman and both her parents were immigrants. Girma pioneered her way through various obstacles, being the first deafblind graduate of Harvard Law School and disability rights advocate. She wrote the book, Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law and developed a text-tobraille communication system that created an exciting new way to connect with people. Recognising her talents, President Barack Obama dubbed her the “White House Champion of Change”. At the White House, Girma talked to the president one on one. While the president typed on a silver, wireless keyboard, Girma read the message on a digital Braille device. As of January 2023, Girma’s net worth is US$5 million (RM22 million). Kong’s standard line when someone asks her what she is doing she says, “sitting in the dark”, with her trademark quirky humour. Kong’s success story should be an inspiration to Malaysians and not just those with disabilities. I do believe that she is fired enough to champion and bring to light problems faced by the differently-abled so that they can live in a better world. Comments: [emailprotected] “Policies should advocate for accessible physical and digital environments to remove physical barriers, offer assistive technologies and modify workspaces for those abled differently. Navigating a new age of cybercrime RANSOMWARE is one of the single biggest threats to an organisation’s security. In the early days, attacks were conducted by single entities who developed and distributed massive numbers of automated payloads to randomly selected victims, collecting small sums from each “successful” attack. Fast forward to today, these attacks have evolved to become mostly human-operated processes, carried out by multiple entities over several weeks. In 2022, one out of every 13 organisations suffered an attempted ransomware attack, while the Costa Rica government was forced to declare a national emergency when Russian hackers, Conti, breached its Ministry of Finance and demanded a US$20 million (RM88 million) ransom. However, as we move further into 2023, ransomware as we know it is evolving: the number of victims is decreasing and hackers’ demands are changing. You could be forgiven for thinking this is a good thing but in fact, it is because the ransomware ecosystem has become increasingly fragmented but in parallel, much more focused on specific targets and more sophisticated. New variations of malware appear daily, which has created a complex and hard-tonavigate threat landscape. Shifting focus from encryption to extortion The focus of bad actors has moved away from ransom payments and is now firmly on extorting unencrypted data. Why? Unencrypted data is more valuable. It can be released into the public domain almost immediately, meaning victims will be eager to get it back, no matter the cost. Many different types of information are considered sensitive, from corporate financial and proprietary data to personal data relating to physical or mental health, financial data or any other personally identifiable information (PII), which makes the threat of data exposure even more potent. Some groups now skip the encryption phase altogether, relying on threats of data exposure alone to extort money. Data exfiltration is much easier than encrypting an entire network, implementing encryption professionally and assisting with decryption when a ransom is paid. Cybercriminals find ways to do less and get more. An extreme example of the effectiveness of the threat of personal data exposure was demonstrated in an attack on Medibank, an Australian health insurer, in October 2022. When the company refused to pay ransom demands of US$10 million, the attackers (possibly connected to the REvil group) dumped massive amounts of personal information relating to pregnancy termination, drug and alcohol abuse, mental health issues and other confidential medical data relating to millions of Australian and international customers. The evolution of Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) While the ransomware ecosystem is splintering, we are also seeing a pivot to more attractive business models, including RaaS. Often referred to as human-operated ransomware, it is the human aspect that makes RaaS so dangerous. Human attackers can make calculated decisions that result in a wide variation of attack patterns specifically tailored to individual targets. Available via the dark web, it is essentially an arrangement between two parties. One develops the tools to carry out an attack, and the other deploys the payload. If the attack is successful, both parties receive a share of the profits with the initial cost and accessibility of RaaS making it so easy. Anyone can purchase a kit and they need only well-written playbooks and some basic technical knowledge to execute an attack. RaaS is extremely profitable, and anyone selling it is a top target for the authorities. For example, in 2021, the US Department of State offered a US$10 million reward for information leading to the location of RaaS specialist, Darkside. Security leaders are concerned RaaS will grow in popularity over the next 12 months as a potential consequence of redundancies in the technology sector. For example, in the first two months of 2023, over 107,000 tech-sector employees lost their jobs. Many layoffs were in specialist areas where technology-focused jobs are scarce and the threat of disgruntled employees using their skills to support bad actors could start to filter into the cybercrime space. Ransomware is a significant and costly threat that needs to be addressed. But are we seeing the tides change as governments across the world move towards offensive action against these groups? Has the time come to hack the hackers? Nations around the world already possess offensive hacking capabilities. In January 2023, the US Attorney General announced that the FBI and its international partners succeeded in temporarily disrupting the network of the prolific ransomware gang, Hive. In effect, they had hacked the hackers. The operation, which began in 2022, saved multiple government organisations from having to pay millions of dollars in ransom payments. For example, in one instance, the FBI was able to disrupt an attack against a Texas school district and stopped it from making a US$5 million payment to the hackers. Clear proof that hacking on the offensive works and we could see more organisations adopt this method in the next 12 months. Similarly, after two major, back-to-back cyberattacks against Australian telecommunications giant Optus and insurance titan Medibank, the Australian cyber security minister vowed to “hack the hackers”. In December 2022, Japan also started the process to amend laws to allow for offensive cyber operations against foreign hackers. It begs the question. If more groups knew they could be hacked before they launched an attack, would they think twice about it? What’s the solution to the evolution of ransomware? One way to prevent ransomware attacks would be to introduce a ban on organisations making payments. For example, in Florida and North Carolina, it is illegal for state agencies to pay a ransom and Australia is considering codifying payment bans into law. However, this could result in bad actors specifically targeting organisations that are least likely to cope with extended periods of downtime. Hospitals, energy providers and schools could become prime targets and the threat of genuinely harming society or individuals could force these organisations into paying. While elements of early ransomware remain, it is undeniable that the methods and execution have evolved. It used to be about profit, but now it is about much more than that. As the threat landscape becomes more fragmented and RaaS continues to thrive, 2023 could be a pivotal year in the fight against it. Comments: [emailprotected] COMMENT by Sergey Shykevich
10 theSUN ON THURSDAY | MARCH 30, 2023 KUALA LUMPUR: Core Precious Development Sdn Bhd (Core Precious) reached a major milestone in the construction of its 70%-completed Core Residence @ TRX, which has a gross development value of RM1.4 billion. The company celebrated a topping-out ceremony last Sunday with the placing of the final beam of the project structure, further cementing Core Residence @ TRX position as the first residential project in the financial district of Tun Razak Exchange (TRX). Core Precious is a joint venture between China Communications Construction Group (CCCG) – one of the Fortune Global 500 corporations and WCT Holdings Bhd – one of Malaysia’s leading engineering and construction firms and property developers. Core Precious Development Sdn Bhd chairman and managing director Zhang Bao said: “It is my greatest pleasure to welcome everyone to our topping-out ceremony of Core Residence @ TRX, a meaningful event to celebrate the progress and achievement of Core Residence. This is a significant milestone for us as we successfully navigated through the Covid-19 challenges, continued the construction of Core Residence and still achieved a strong take-up for our units.” As the first residential development in the 70-acre mega-development of Tun Razak Exchange, the future of Kuala Lumpur’s financial district, the project has received an overwhelming response from a wide array of international and local buyers. “Core Residence @ TRX currently has a favourable take-up rate of 80%, attracting customers from more than 20 countries with its buyers coming from key Asian countries such as China, Singapore, South Korea and Japan, and not forgetting, Malaysia,” he said. The first residential development within TRX, Core Residence will set the curve for a high-end premium lifestyle within the vicinity as the residence comes equipped with first-class living facilities and panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows with interior design emphasising natural lighting and ventilation in its units. Spanning across 1.65 acres of freehold land, the luxury residence comprises two serviced residence towers with 580 units and one serviced apartment tower. Offering seven different layouts to choose from, the unit built-up ranges from 624 sq ft to 1,022 sq ft. Upon completion, CBRE|WTW will be the property manager of Core Residence @ TRX. CBRE|WTW is a commercial real estate service and investment firm where it provides comprehensive real estate solutions to clients across various industries and sectors. CBRE|WTW group managing director Tan Ka Leong said: “We are grateful to be able to work together with a forward-thinking partner like CCCG. The selection of the property manager by and the discussion process with them was not an easy one, proving that they always seek the highest standards of all aspects to fulfil their buyer’s expectations.” The two-storey Lifestyle Homes are ideal for growing families searching for larger living spaces in planning their lifestyle requirements. Core Residence @ TRX marks topping-out ceremony oThe first residential development in the Tun Razak Exchange financial district has received overwhelming response from both international and local buyers Gamuda expanding quick turnaround projects in London for higher returns PETALING JAYA: After the recent second quarter announcement, Gamuda is expanding its Quick Turnaround Projects (QTP) strategy in the City of London (the City) to deliver higher returns in real estate development business. Gamuda has been investing in QTP in Vietnam, which continue to serve Gamuda well, and today the group announces a landmark commercial development in the City. The acquisition of Winchester House ensures that Gamuda’s QTP programme moves into high gear in London and Europe in due course. “Winchester House is a highly sought-after commercial asset in the City, especially with its eventual top-tier ESG rating of BREEAM Outstanding, which is exactly what all large global corporations, being highly ESG conscious themselves, are looking for and yet these ESG offices are in dire short supply in the City,” said Gamuda Bhd deputy group managing director Mohammed Rashdan Mohd Yusof. Rashdan adds that Gamuda is fortunate to have a strong balance sheet where their gearing is currently only 0.07 times, at this rather opportunistic time of distress and dislocation, to be able to strategically capitalise on attractive investment deals such as Winchester House. Once Winchester House is fully pre-leased by any of these corporations (financial institutions, mega-tech corporations or professional services firms such as global lawyers), thereafter Gamuda will divest Winchester House to future investors who are looking for core assets with good yields. This is the business model for Winchester House. Gamuda Land, the property arm of Gamuda, aims to achieve its targeted revenue growth through a 2-pronged strategy. Firstly, Gamuda Land will continue to focus on its core strength of developing signature premium residential and township developments such as Gamuda Cove and Gamuda Gardens (Township Strategy) providing strong base revenue. Secondly, this will be complemented by the higher return developments strategy of QTP, which entails investing in opportunistic bitesized real estate developments that will see a quick turnaround entry and exit within five years and requiring investments of less than US$100 million (RM442 million), each generating a high return of at least 18% IRR. This quickens and halves the return-oninvestment timeframe compared to the Township Strategy, which requires significant placemaking and infrastructure investment with a longer investment horizon of 10-20 years. In a Bursa statement, Gamuda entered into a partnership with UK property investment firm Castleforge to acquire Winchester House, a 317,000 sq ft commercial building in London, for £257 million (RM1,392 million). The acquisition features an attractive funding structure which involves an initial capital outlay of only £15 million for Gamuda, with the rest funded by debt and deferred payments in two years. Sime Darby Property’s Ilham Residence 3 (Stage 1) fully taken up PETALING JAYA: Sime Darby Property Bhd’s 69 Lifestyle Homes and 62 Urban Twinhomes units of Ilham Residence 3 (Stage 1) were taken up at the early bird preview earlier this month. Chief marketing and sales officer Datuk Lai Shu Wei said that the response is a testament to the homebuyers trust in its brand and the company’s capabilities to fulfil their needs. “As a pioneering property developer, we will continue to leverage on our strategic locations to provide homes with well-curated designs, practical layouts and good amenities in excellent neighbourhoods, in line with our purpose to be a value multiplier for people, businesses, economies, and the planet,” he said. The two-storey 20’ x 70’ Lifestyle Homes have four bedrooms and four bathrooms and built-ups starting from 1,944 sq ft for growing families looking for larger living spaces whereby the kitchen, living and dining area are connected as one large area, allowing buyers greater flexibility in planning their lifestyle needs. It also features skylight roofs allowing for natural sunlight. The all-new 36’ x 70’ Urban Twinhomes introduces a single-floor living concept to provide greater mobility, visibility and convenience to homeowners. With built-ups from 1,150 sq ft, it features three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Ilham Residence 3 showcases over 20 curated facilities including a playground, multi-purpose hall as well as balanced fitness and wellness facilities such as a tai chi lawn and reflexology path. Residents can also jog or cycle along the Elmina Twin Lakes and Elmina Wildlife Park. In addition, it is equipped with comprehensive security systems with roundthe-clock monitoring, and each home comes with solar PV panels (2kW) that serve to reduce carbon footprint and improve electrical savings. It is well-connected to the Guthrie Corridor Expressway, Damansara-Shah Alam Highway, Kuala Lumpur-Kuala Selangor Expressway, New Klang Valley Expressway and North-South Expressway. The development is also near to the Subang Airport, several educational and medical facilities, as well as the recently completed neighbourhood commercial centre, Temu. The company recorded a net profit of RM103.15 million in its fourth quarter ended Dec 31, 2022 compared with RM62.77 million for the corresponding quarter last year. Singapore buyer enquiries in JB surge KUALA LUMPUR: Real estate agents and developers in Johor Baru are receiving a flood of new inquiries from Singapore buyers compared to the last quarter of 2022. Juwai IQI co-founder and group CEO Kashif Ansari said “Singapore buyer inquiries in Johor Baru have climbed by 20% in March compared to the December quarter of 2022. We believe this demand will continue to strengthen throughout 2023. With the new transit connection in the works, more people than ever will straddle the border in their daily lives. By the end of the decade, we believe the number of people residing in Johor and travelling back to Singapore for work every day could increase by one-third to one-half.” “These Singaporean buyers are a family with two children looking for a second home in the Horizon Hills section of Johor. They can buy a luxurious bungalow for RM2-3 million. That’s equivalent to less than S$900,000 at the most recent exchange rates. You can get a studio or one-bedroom condo in Singapore for that price. While the husband will continue working in Singapore, the wife will live in Johor, where the children will attend an international school. There are two driving factors behind the increase in Singapore buyers this quarter: money and the promised new transit connections,” said Ansari. He added Singaporean buyers are drawn to Johor because of their strong dollar, the relatively affordable real estate, and the lower cost of living. B R I E F SEXSIM PARTNERS AFFIN BANK FOR HOME STEP-FAST/I CAMPAIGN PETALING JAYA: Exsim is partnering with Affin Bank Bhd in their Home Step-Fast/i campaign to offer home financing solutions to homebuyers of Exsim’s properties with lower monthly repayments for the first five years as well as an attractive loan margin. Affin Home Step-Fast/i, is a new mortgage product with special “step-up payment” features, designed to help fresh graduates, first-time homebuyers, young families, and property buyers gain access to homeownership financing. The package includes a loan margin of up to 90% + 5% and a tenure period of up to 30 years or age 70, whichever is earlier, without a lock-in period or early settlement penalty fees. The campaign is applicable to all of Exsim’s newly launched residential properties under the Housing Development Act of 1996. LBS ARM UNVEILS PANGSAPURI SAUJANA INDAH IN JOHOR PETALING JAYA: LBS Bina Group Bhd’s official construction arm MGB Bhd has rolled out a new residential development Pangsapuri Saujana Indah, located in Johor Baru. The 2.6-acre freehold property comprises 988 units spread across two towers with a total GDV of RM437 million. Executive vicechairman Tan Sri Lim Hock San said that the development stemmed from a company with a track record with proven capabilities and financial strength. Tower A offers 393 units across 37 floors, while Tower B offers 595 units across 37 floors. The development is accessible via major highways such as the North-South Expressway, the new coastal highway to Iskandar Puteri, the Pasir Gudang Highway, the Eastern Dispersal Link Expressway, JB East Coast Highway, and Senai-Desaru Highway. The Urban Twinhomes feature a single-floor living concept giving homeowners more mobility, visibility, and convenience.
Credit costs have begun to normalise to pre-pandemic levels and are expected to decline further as banks start to write back some of the pandemic-related management overlay provisions. This will provide additional support for banks’ earnings and capital going forward. Banks, however, remain vigilant over downside risks which could arise from weaker-than-expected economic growth and rising cost pressures affecting loan performance, as well as heightened financial market volatility. The insurance and takaful sector similarly remained resilient, with an aggregate capital adequacy ratio of 226% and excess capital buffers of RM37.5 billion above the regulatory minimum as at December 2022. Overall profitability for insurance and takaful funds improved on the back of higher investment returns which helped to offset the higher payouts for medical claims. The general insurance and takaful sector also performed better, in part due to the absence of large claims in the first half of the year which were caused by severe floods at the end of 2021. Looking ahead, BNM said insurers and takaful operators (ITO) will remain vulnerable to heightened financial market volatility given their sizeable bond and equity investments. Strong capital and sound reinsurance arrangements remain important to ensure that ITO are adequately resilient against downside risks from such developments. Based on the latest macro and micro stress tests done, incorporating augmented and additional stress factors, continue to affirm the resilience of financial institutions against unexpected losses from severe macroeconomic and financial shocks. Post-shock aggregate capital ratios for banks (16.3%), life insurers (164%) and general insurers (211%) remain comfortably above regulatory minima at the end of the stress horizon (2025). KLCI 1,420.35 11.26 STI 3,262.54 7.00 HANG SENG 20,192.40 407.75 SCI 3,240.06 NIKKEI 27,883.78 TSEC 15,769.76 68.28 KOSPI 2,443.92 S&P/ASX200 7,050.30 16.20 THURSDAY MARCH 30, 2023 Editorial Tel: 03-7784 6688 Fax: 03-7785 2624/5 Email: [emailprotected] Advertising Tel: 03-7784 8888 Fax: 03-7784 4424 Email: [emailprotected] 5 MOST ACTIVES March 29, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (sen) +/– (sen) CFM 274,890,900 24.0 +5.5 MMAG 261,402,800 1.5 UNCH BSLCORP 148,722,000 5.0 +1.0 BSLCORP-WB 135,390,600 2.5 +1.5 HONGSENG 122,710,600 11.5 UNCH EXCHANGERATES MARCH 29, 2023 Foreign currency Bank sell Bank buy Bank buy TT/OD TT OD 1 US DOLLAR 4.4690 4.3340 4.3240 1 AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR 3.0010 2.8820 2.8660 1 BRUNEI DOLLAR 3.3550 3.2590 3.2510 1 CANADIAN DOLLAR 3.2740 3.1880 3.1760 1 EURO 4.8400 4.6840 4.6640 1 NEW ZEALAND DOLLAR 2.8000 2.6970 2.6810 1 SINGAPORE DOLLAR 3.3550 3.2590 3.2510 1 STERLING POUND 5.5050 5.3310 5.3110 1 SWISS FRANC 4.8290 4.7200 4.7050 100 UAE DIRHAM 122.7700 116.4300 116.2300 100 BANGLADESH TAKA 4.2090 3.9490 3.7490 100 CHINESE RENMINBI 64.9000 62.4000 N/A 100 HONGKONG DOLLAR 57.3800 54.5400 54.3400 100 INDIAN RUPEE 5.5100 5.1800 4.9800 100 INDONESIAN RUPIAH 0.0306 0.0277 0.0227 100 JAPANESE YEN 3.4010 3.2940 3.2840 100 NEW TAIWAN DOLLAR 15.8000 N/A N/A 100 PAKISTAN RUPEE 1.6000 1.5000 1.3000 100 PHILIPPINE PESO N/A N/A N/A 100 QATAR RIYAL 122.8200 116.6000 116.4000 100 SAUDI RIYAL 120.0100 113.9200 113.7200 100 THAI BAHT 13.6000 12.0600 11.6600 Source: Malayan Banking Berhad/Bernama KL MARKET SUMMARY March 29, 2023 INDICES CHANGE FBMEMAS 10,388.00 +86.10 FBMKLCI 1,420.35 +11.26 CONSUMER PRODUCTS 573.98 +6.16 INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS 168.77 +0.77 CONSTRUCTION 160.28 +1.18 FINANCIAL SERVICES 15,689.10 +128.70 ENERGY 832.25 +18.82 TELECOMMUNICATIONS 599.26 +8.81 HEALTH CARE 1,788.46 +33.79 TRANSPORTATION 892.37 -1.58 PROPERTY 686.09 +1.94 PLANTATION 6,680.57 -34.10 FBMSHA 10,699.00 +79.79 FBMACE 5,209.96 +4.45 TECHNOLOGY 61.66 +0.50 TURNOVER VALUE 3.421 BIL RM1.737 BIL 5 TOP GAINERS March 29, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (RM) +/– RM NESTLE 39,700 137.20 +1.60 AJI 202,500 16.10 +0.54 PPB 428,400 17.28 +0.48 F&N 255,800 25.90 +0.40 MPI 33,700 28.70 +0.30 5 TOP LOSERS March 29, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (RM) +/– RM HEXTECH 71,900 23.34 -0.94 AYER 1,000 6.70 -0.40 ATECH 10,033,800 2.75 -0.33 MYETFID 500 1.19 -0.31 IOIPG-C13 500,000 0.05 -0.20 8.98 5.32 365.53 Ringgit on recovery path after sustained weakness against US dollar in 2022 KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit experienced a period of sustained depreciation against the US dollar in 2022 amid the US Federal Reserve raising its policy interest rate aggressively by 425 basis points to address inflation, said Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM). In its annual report for 2022 released yesterday, the central bank said the ringgit hovered close to levels last experienced during the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, and there were even calls for the ringgit to be pegged to prevent it from falling further. The ringgit fell to a historic low of RM4.7465 against the US dollar on Nov 4, 2022, almost at the Jan 7, 1998, level of 4.8850. “While small movements in the ringgit exchange rate are common, large fluctuations in the level can create lasting impact for businesses, households, and the economy. “A depreciation in the ringgit hurts those who consume imported goods and services, and if sustained, can lead to a rise in the overall cost of living. At the same time, a weak ringgit could increase exporters’ earnings,” the report said. However, BNM noted that despite the ringgit’s sharp depreciation against the US dollar, Malaysia’s nominal effective exchange rate was relatively stable. This was because the currencies of key trading partners were similarly affected as the ringgit was, and Malaysia’s relative competitiveness remained unchanged at a negative 5.4% in 2022. “Despite a major external shock in the form of fast and sizeable adjustments of interest rates in the US which led to the rapid appreciation of the US dollar against most currencies, Malaysia’s competitiveness was relatively unaffected. “The domestic economy remained on its recovery path, registering a growth rate of 8.7% for the year,” it added. Given Malaysia’s flexible exchange rate regime, fluctuations in the ringgit should be expected to occur from time to time, BNM said, adding that since reaching a peak of RM4.7477 on Nov 4, 2022, the ringgit did rebound to reach RM4.2435 on Jan 30, 2023. The central bank said as challenges in the global economy continue to evolve, US dollar developments are likely to continue to be the main factor affecting the ringgit exchange rate. “Our financial system has held up well throughout this period and continued to facilitate intermediation to support the broader economy. “Reflecting on the events of the year, the bank will continue to proactively monitor developments and ensure that our economy continues to be served by an exchange rate regime that supports our mandate to achieve monetary and financial stability conducive to the sustainable growth of Malaysia’s economy,” it added. – Bernama M’sian banking system remains resilient, sound KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s banking system remains resilient with ample capacity to absorb losses under severe downside scenarios based on a stress test that Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) conducted. “The capital and liquidity positions of Malaysian banks remain sound to absorb potential shocks and support intermediation. The banking sector maintains healthy levels of capital and liquidity buffers and is resilient to severely adverse scenarios,” BNM governor Tan Sri Nor Shamsiah Mohd Yunus said during the release of the Bank Negara Malaysia Annual Report 2022 yesterday. Overall, she said, Malaysian banks are stable and well prepared to face potential shocks and challenges. Their resilience was assessed against two scenarios spanning over three years that were more severe than the 2008 Global Financial Crisis and the 2020 Covid-10 pandemic, according to BNM’s Financial Stability Review for Second Half 2022. Banks in Malaysia continued to maintain healthy liquidity buffers above the regulatory minimum. At the system-wide level, the liquidity coverage and net stable funding ratios remained healthy at 154.0% and 118.2%, respectively. This has enabled banks to support lending activities, while providing buffers against the impact of rising interest rates on high-quality liquid assets (HQLA) held to meet liquidity Nor Shamsiah speaking during the release of Bank Negara Malaysia’s annual report for 2022 yesterday. oThere is ample capital and liquidity to absorb losses under severe downside scenarios: Bank Negara governor █ BYHAYATUN RAZAK [emailprotected] needs and other liquidity shocks. Liquidity and funding risks associated with banks’ exposure to large depositors, who are generally more sensitive to rate movements, remain manageable although some upward pressure on interbank rates has been observed. The bulk (80%) of banks’ HQLA are in the form of placements with BNM or holdings of government bonds, which can be pledged in the interbank market or with the central bank for additional liquidity under existing standing facilities and the Restricted Committed Liquidity Facility. Significant deposit concentrations combined with weak capital buffers that could materially increase vulnerabilities to deposit runs are not currently observed among banks in Malaysia. BNM said the banking system remains well capitalised. The total capital ratio of the banking system stood at 18.8% at the end of 2022, with capital buffers of RM134.8 billion in excess of the regulatory minimum. Improvements in profitability, along with capital conservation strategies being maintained by most banks, will reinforce the capacity of banks to support intermediation and absorb unexpected losses. See also pages 12&13 Participation 48.3 28.3 23.4 100.0 Institutions Retail Foreign Bought RM m 854.5 474.0 408.8 1737.3 Sold RM m 824.9 508.6 403.8 1737.3 Net RM m 29.6 -34.6 5.0 0 % Preliminary stats (excluding trade amendments). For final data, please refer to www.bursamalaysia.com Source: Bursa Malaysia A Participating Organisation of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad A Trading Participant of Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Berhad S E C U R I T I E S S D N. B H D. 197201001092 (12738-U) 29/03/2023
12 theSUN ON THURSDAY | MARCH 30, 2023 SUNBIZ /theSunMedia FOLLOW ON YOUTUBE SCAN ME BNM: Local financial market stayed orderly amid volatility KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s financial market conditions in the second half of 2022 (H2’22) remained orderly amid heightened volatility in the global financial markets, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) said. The central bank, in its Financial Stability Review report for H2’22 released yesterday said, the global financial conditions tightened in the second half of last year as major central banks aggressively increased policy rates to combat elevated levels of inflation. “Banking system stresses in some advanced economies have resulted in further volatility in the bond and equity markets globally. “These global developments also affected the Malaysian financial markets, resulting in higher volatility observed in the foreign exchange, bond and money markets,” it said. Domestically, it shared that the financial market stress index rose to levels last seen in mid-2020, but oGlobal conditions tightened as advanced economies lifted rates to combat inflation remained well below the peak observed at the onset of the pandemic in March 2020. “Despite the heightened volatility in domestic financial markets, market conditions have remained orderly with the smooth intermediation of two-way flows in the bond and equity markets. “This has supported fundraising by businesses through the capital market,” it said. BNM said liquidity in the government bond market remained healthy in H2’22. “Notably, liquidity conditions in the banking system have been largely unaffected by the withdrawal of regulatory flexibilities provided during the pandemic and recent banking stress in the United States and Europe,” it said. On the equity market, BNM said an easing in global financial conditions towards the end of 2022, stronger domestic economic activity and positive investor sentiment amid an orderly political transition following the 15th general election lent some support to equities in the fourth quarter of the year. “For 2022 as a whole, nonresidents were net buyers in the domestic equity market (net inflow of RM4.4 billion) after recording four consecutive years of net outflows since 2018,” it said. Corporate bonds remained an attractive investment instrument for investors in the second half of 2021, said BNM. Gross corporate bond issuances rose sharply (August 2022-January 2023: RM94.7 billion; August 2019- January 2020: RM48.8 billion), driven mainly by a large issuance by a major toll road operator in December (RM25.2 billion). In the FX market, movements in the ringgit continued to be influenced by external factors amid an evolving global growth and inflation outlook, said BNM. The ringgit recorded its all-time closing low of 4.7480 versus the US dollar in early November 2022 as the greenback rose to a 20-year high following the aggressive monetary tightening by the US Federal Reserve. The ringgit subsequently strengthened towards the end of 2022 mainly on signs that the Fed might slow the pace of its policy tightening. “Adjustments to the ringgit have been orderly, supported by sustained liquidity in the onshore foreign exchange market. “This will continue to help businesses and market participants manage their foreign exchange exposures,” it said. – Bernama DHL Express taps Shell’s expertise to speed up decarbonisation agenda KUALA LUMPUR: Shell Malaysia Trading Sdn Bhd, through its business mobility division Shell Fleet Solutions, has entered into a strategic partnership to support DHL Express Malaysia’s sustainability journey in reducing emissions across their fleet operations. DHL Express has signed up with Shell Fleet Solutions’ Accelerate to Zero (A2Z) programme which brings together Shell’s full range of consultancy services and innovative solutions in a tailored programme to help fleet customers chart their decarbonisation course to net-zero emissions. As long-standing global partners, Shell and DHL established a strategic decarbonisation relationship in June of 2022. The two companies will leverage on their knowledge, expertise, and global infrastructure to support sustainable business growth through fleet decarbonisation and improving safety standards around electrification solutions. The agreement further provides a framework to explore cooperation in other carbon-neutral initiatives. “Our intent is to support fleets in Malaysia in their shift towards decarbonisation as they face the challenges of balancing costs and the need to adopt lower carbon mobility solutions. Our A2Z programme supports this initiative through our offerings, which include innovative Shell Recharge Solutions, Shell Telematics and Shell Nature-based Solutions. We are happy to partner with DHL Express in Malaysia to contribute towards a more sustainable business growth,” shared Joanna Lean, general manager, Shell Fleet Solutions Malaysia. DHL Express Malaysia and Brunei managing director Julian Neo said the company targets to achieve netzero emissions by 2050. “As a leading international express service provider, it is our responsibility to drive the sustainable transformation of our industry. We are proud to partner Shell as we work even closer together on our decarbonisation journey. “Through the A2Z programme, we can further reduce the environmental impact of our delivery fleet and transition to more climate-neutral operations,” he said. Majority of direct sales companies in Malaysia are locally owned, says minister PUTRAJAYA: There are about 400 licensed direct sales companies in Malaysia, most of which are locally owned, said Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub. Speaking at a press conference after presenting the Research, Development, and Commercialisation Grant of Programme Khazanah Alam Industri Jualan Langsung and handing over direct selling licences here yesterday, he said Salahuddin (second from left) handing over a grant to a representative of a recipient company at a ceremony in Putrajaya yesterday. On the left is Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry secretary-general Datuk Azman Mohd Yusof. – BERNAMAPIC only 18% of the licensed direct sales companies are foreign owned. Salahuddin said the government is targeting the value of sales generated by direct sales companies to increase to RM30 billion in 2028, while in 2021, the direct sales industry in this country will record an income of more than RM27 billion. “We are targeting for this industry to grow rapidly and will be one of the biggest contributors to the gross domestic product during that period,” he said. Salahuddin said the people do not need to worry about using products or goods sold through licensed direct sales companies. “When the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KDPN) issues a license, it means that customers do not need to worry about quality because there is a representative of the Ministry of Health in the committee which gives approval, while the licensed products have already gone through strict screening by KPDN,” he said. Regarding the awarding of the grant at yesterday’s ceremony, he said it is aimed at expanding the direct sales business, especially companies that produce and market local products based on natural resources. – Bernama B R I E F S STANDARD HOUSING LOAN AND FINANCING AGREEMENT INTRODUCED KUALA LUMPUR: Bank Negara Malaysia has announced the introduction of a standardised housing loan and home financing agreement for retail borrowers. This initiative seeks to enhance the qualityof-service delivery, promote consumer understanding and comparability of key terms and conditions, and simplify language in such agreements, the parties’ responsibilities and obligations. As part of the implementation of the standardised agreement, financial institutions are required to cease imposing any fee, whether directly or indirectly, on housing loan and home financing documents to lawyers, with effect from Feb 1, 2023. “Standardising the housing loan and home financing agreement is a significant step forward in enhancing customer protection in the financial industry, and AIBIM members fully supports this initiative,“ said Association of Islamic Banking and Financial Institutions Malaysia president Mohd Muazzam Mohamed. BANK NEGARA REMAINS COMMITTED TO ENSURING PRICE STABILITY KUALA LUMPUR: Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) said it remains committed to ensuring price stability to support sustainable domestic economic growth. The central bank said it will continue to ensure sufficient liquidity in the foreign exchange, money, and government bond markets, complementing its other policies. The economy is expected to face headwinds in the coming year, particularly from global developments. Conditions will continue to evolve and uncertainties remain surrounding global growth and global financial markets amid monetary policy tightening in major economies and the recent banking sector issues, geopolitical conflicts and supply chain disruptions. “Amid these challenges, the bank remains committed to ensuring price stability in support of sustainable domestic economic growth,” it said. CAGAMAS CONCLUDES ISSUANCES WORTH TOTAL OF RM1.4 BILLION PETALING JAYA: Cagamas Bhd, the national mortgage corporation of Malaysia, has concluded a combined RM1.4 billion worth of issuances, comprising RM300 million 3-month Conventional Commercial Papers (CCP), RM100 million 3-month Islamic Commercial Papers (ICP), RM600 million 2-year Conventional Medium Term Notes (CMTN) and RM400 million 3-year CMTN. The CCPs and ICPs were priced at 5 bps to 8 bps below the 3-month Kuala Lumpur Interbank Offered Rate. Proceeds from the issuances will be used to fund the purchase of housing loans and eligible assets from the domestic financial system. Cagamas president/CEO Datuk Chung Chee Leong said: “The concluded issuances were priced via a private placement exercise, which brings the company’s total funds raised for the year to RM4.14 billion,” he added.
13 SUNBIZ theSUN ON THURSDAY | MARCH 30, 2023 Sapura’s Velum Lab, UK firm in cyber intelligence tie-up KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has taken a tangible step forward to become a recognised hub for next generation cyber intelligence solutions following the signing of a landmark partnership agreement between Velum Labs Sdn Bhd (a Sapura company) and TriCIS Ltd recently. The signing ceremony was overseen by Sapura president and group CEO Tan Sri Shahril Shamsuddin, TriCIS CEO Antony Summerfield, Minister of State for Defence UK Baroness Annabel MacNicoll Goldie and British High Commissioner to Malaysia Charles Hay. Velum Labs is a leading home-grown cyber intelligence and cyber security company that provides enhanced cyber intelligence solutions derived from marketleading understanding of cyber-attack methodology. TriCIS is a UK-based specialist in designing and engineering highly secure integrated solutions that meet the highest government and military security standards. With over four decades of experience, TriCIS is a trusted supplier to the UKs Defence Ministry and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. The partnership agreement will see Velum Labs and TriCIS provide its capability to government and private sector clients across the region; under a joint UK and Malaysia bilateral agreement. Shahril said, “We are appreciative of the trust and confidence TriCIS has placed in Velum Labs, making full use of our skill set and track record in the cybersecurity and cyber intelligence space. As we are managed and operated by local talent, this partnership is clearly reflective of the world-class capabilities and technical know-how that is inherent in our Malaysian work-force.” By joining forces with TriCIS, he added, they are able to leap forward in terms of innovation and out-of-the-box solutions that can place Malaysia at the forefront of sovereign telecommunications technology while meeting the country’s need to create high-value jobs for its citizens. According to Mordor Intelligence, the Global Defense Cybersecurity Market was valued at US$16.22 billion (RM72 billion) in 2020, and it is expected to reach US$28.53 billion by 2026, registering a CAGR of approximately 10.51% during the forecast period (2021-2026). The report also highlighted that Asia Pacific is the fastest growing region for this market. Summerfield said, “We are delighted to be working together with Velum Labs as their technical know-how and software expertise in cybersecurity and cyber intelligence will prove invaluable in creating highly advanced solutions that are able to meet the defense and security needs of countries and industries in the region and across the world. We also look forward to leveraging on Malaysia’s talent and its close relationship with countries across the region to expand our presence within this fast-growing and dynamic market.” AmBank, APU to empower digital talents under IR4.0 aspirations KUALA LUMPUR: AmBank Group, through its entities AmBank (M) Bhd, AmBank Islamic Bhd, and AmInvestment Bank Bhd, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU), enabling sharing of knowledge and expertise, providing meaningful internship experiences and career opportunities with the bank. The agreement was signed by AmBank Group’s COO Datuk Iswaraan Suppiah and APU vice-chancellor Professor Dr Ho Chin Kuan witnessed by AmBank head of human resource business partner and organisation design & talent management Victoria Quake Ai Fang and APU chief innovation & enterprise officer Professor Dr Vinesh Thiruchelvam. Iswaraan emphasised AmBank’s commitment to support APU through this collaboration and the opportunity to strengthen the resilience of APU students post pandemic, given that the banking, finance and technology sectors play an important role in Malaysia’s economic development. He confirmed that AmBank’s 40 years of experience supporting Malaysia’s economic growth would be shared with APU students, citing the MoU as a reflection of their commitment to drive innovation and transform the banking industry through collaboration with industry partners and academic instiutions. “Our proposal to the next generation of leaders is that by joining AmBank, they can experience – the best of both worlds. We offer the stability and security of – an established and trusted financial institution, while also providing unparalled opportunities for learning and professional growth through the use of cutting-edge technologies and the exploration of new ideas and solutions for the financial industry. This collaboration will not only benefit our customers, but also contribute to the development of the banking industry in Malaysia. We believe that this collaboration can help APU students achieve their full potential and connect them to a wider range of banking, financial, and technology solutions, particularly in the area of digital innovation, which can promote greater performance and sustainability,” he said. Meanwhile Ho said, “We believe that this strategic partnership with AmBank will take a new step for us to build strong industrial development through meaningful training experiences, diversity, enhanced competitiveness, enlarging the banking, financial, and technology ecosystem, fostering inclusive and sustainable high economic growth, increasing industry training experience, and better career opportunities for our students.” Headline, core inflation in 2023 seen moderating to 2.8-3.8% KUALA LUMPUR: Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) has projected that both headline and core inflation would moderate to between 2.8% and 3.8% in 2023 but remain elevated over the course of 2023. BNM Governor Tan Sri Nor Shamsiah Mohd Yunus said the continued strength of domestic demand and improvement in the labour market may keep core inflation elevated in the near term. “We expect both headline and core inflation to gradually trend lower over the course of the year but remain relatively elevated compared to historical average,” she said at the unveiling of Annual Report █ BY HAYATUN RAZAK [emailprotected] Gobi Partners welcomes Care Concierge to new fund KUALA LUMPUR: Gobi Partners, the most interconnected Pan-Asian venture capital (VC) firm with US$1.5 billion (RM6.5 billion) in assets under management, has onboarded its first portfolio Care Concierge under its newly established Gobi Dana Impak Ventures (GDIV) fund. GDIV is part of the Future Malaysia Programme, an initiative announced on March 16, under Malaysian sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Bhd’s (Khazanah) Dana Impak mandate that aims to support the local start-up ecosystem of entrepreneurs, start-ups, venture capital, and corporate venture programmes, through collaborations with domestic and international partners such as Gobi Partners. Dana Impak is a US$1.3 billion (RM6 billion) allocation over five years and a key pillar under Khazanah’s Advancing Malaysia strategy which seeks to invest across six themes based on issues and challenges facing the nation that include digital society and technology, quality health and education for all, decent work and social mobility, food and energy security, building climate resilience and competing in global markets. The investment into Care Concierge fits the fundamental objective of Dana Impak, which is to invest in catalytic sectors to up From left: Martin Yap, Tsao and Justin Yap at the signing ceremony. o Gobi Dana Impak Ventures – part of Khazanah Nasional’s Future Malaysia Programme – gets its first portfolio Malaysia’s economic competitiveness and build national resilience. Care Concierge meanwhile, helps families navigate the complexities of finding the right senior care solution for their loved ones across its various services of home care, residence care, day care and shop care. Founded by CEO Martin Yap and COO Justin Yap in 2017, Care Concierge’s inception was inspired by Martin’s family’s struggle in finding assistance for the care of his grandmother who succumbed to a stroke. This led to the realisation of what Malaysia needs especially with its ageing population on the rise, and the younger generation that is career-centric. Driven by technology, design thinking, and innovation, Care Concierge is also one of six winners of the Khazanah Impact and Innovation Challenge 2021 with the prize being a grant worth US$66,000. Gobi Partners co-founder and chairperson Thomas Tsao said: “Gobi has a strong belief in Malaysia’s entrepreneurial potential and world-class talent. As a firm headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, our early investments in more than 30 Malaysian startups have yielded success. We have thoroughly evaluated Care Concierge and are confident in their growth prospects for the Silver Economy.” Yap said: “The funding from Gobi under the auspices of Khazanah is indeed timely as it augurs well with the ageing population challenges that the country is currently facing. We are committed to using this funding to create innovative and digital solutions that will revolutionise senior living care including the caregivers profession and make an impact in the lives of our ageing population.” According to a report by the United Nations, Malaysia is expected to become an ageing society by 2030, with more than 15% of the population aged 60 years and above. TNB unit issues RM2b Sustainable Sukuk Wakalah PETALING JAYA: Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB)’s wholly owned subsidiary TNB Power Generation Sdn Bhd, has issued RM2 billion in nominal value of Sustainability Sukuk Wakalah pursuant to the Sukuk Wakalah Programme. CIMB Investment Bank Bhd and Maybank IB are the joint lead managers/joint bookrunners for the issue. “The order book was oversubscribed by 2.02 times representing an order book size of RM4.035 billion against the issuance size of RM2 billion. This deal achieved a strong order-book from a broad range of investors of over 44 accounts, allowing the initial issue size of RM1.5 billion to be upsized to RM2.0 billion,” TNB said in a Bursa filing yesterday. Proceeds raised from the RM2 billion Sustainability Sukuk Wakalah will be utilised by TNB Power Generation for projects that meet the criteria set out in its Sustainability Sukuk Framework. 2022 yesterday. The governor said that Malaysia’s inflation risks are skewed to the upside in the near term due to several factors, “Input cost could increase further, arising from disruptions to global commodity production and exchange rate developments.” “Stronger-than-expected demand from China could also stoke price pressures. Domestically, the magnitude and timing of subsidy rationalisation would also determine inflation outcome,” she added. On the other hand, downside risk to inflation include weaker global growth conditions and faster dissipation of pent-up domestic demand. “Nevertheless, the extent of upward inflationary pressure would continue to be partly contained by existing domestic price controls and subsidies,” she added. The central bank said that inflation rose in 2022 due to both supply and demand conditions. In 2022, inflation was driven largely by higher input costs due to higher global commodity prices following the military conflict in Ukraine, export restrictions in commodity-exporting countries, supply shortages and adverse weather conditions, and sustained US dollar strength leading to higher import prices. These coincided with stronger demand conditions amid pent up demand following the reopening of the economy and domestic policies such as revision to minimum wage and EPF special withdrawals.
14 theSUN ON THURSDAY | MARCH 30, 2023 SUNBIZ Alibaba’s shares surge as investors cheer revamp oTech giant’s move to split into six units viewed as sign Beijing’s crackdown is ending SHANGHAI: Investors cheered a major revamp of Alibaba Group as a sign Beijing’s crackdown on the corporate sector was nearing an end, sending shares of the Jack Ma-founded company and its peers soaring yesterday. Alibaba said on Tuesday it was planning to split into six units and explore fundraisings or listings for most of them, in the biggest restructuring of the technology conglomerate in its 24-year history. The group’s Hong Kong-listed shares jumped as much as 16.3%, tracking a 14.3% rally in its US-listed shares overnight, leading the benchmark Hang Seng Index and broader markets in the region higher. The move represented a light at the end of the tunnel for many investors who had seen a wave of regulatory blitzes as a major cloud hanging over China’s private sector. “We think this is likely a sign that we are moving closer to the end of the regulatory scrutiny on BABA and we would expect that the company moves back into the good graces of the regulators and policy makers after this,” said Jon Withaar, head of Asia special situations at Pictet Asset Management. Alibaba said it will hold a conference call today to discuss its plan to split. Its group CEO and chairman Daniel Zhang may join the call, according to people familiar with the matter. China’s wide regulatory crackdown over the last couple of years on its marquee domestic companies, mainly from the internet, private education and property sectors, had wiped off billions in market values and weighed on investor sentiment. Banking turmoil means recession fears are creeping back HK home prices rise for second straight month in February HONG KONG: Hong Kong private home prices climbed 2.2% in February, the second straight monthly increase, helped by improving sentiment after the border with China was reopened, expectations that interest rates are peaking, and a spate of new project launches. The rise in home prices in February followed a revised 1% gain in January and was the biggest since May 2020, official data showed yesterday. The financial hub this month was ranked by survey company Demographia as the least affordable city in the world in 2022 based on property prices versus median income, with Sydney and Vancouver trailing behind. This was the thirteenth consecutive year that Hong Kong topped the ranking. Beijing identified unaffordable housing as a key cause of discontent in the former British colony, especially among the city’s youth, and a driving factor in the sometimes violent antigovernment protests of 2019. Some analysts have raised their 2023 forecasts for housing prices in the city over the past few weeks, expecting a reversal after home prices fell around 15% last year. The fall in 2022 was the first annual drop since 2008, with the property market dragged down by a weak economic outlook, rising mortgage costs and a Covid-19 outbreak at the beginning of the year. JP Morgan analyst Cusson Leung said he expects a 10-15% rise this year, driven by a slowing pace in interest rate hikes, a stronger economy and increased purchases by nonlocals. “The significant pick up in high-end residential transactions is a strong vote of buying confidence in the Hong Kong housing market,” Leung said in a report. Recent primary housing projects also recorded strong purchase rates at their launches, Leung said. – Reuters B R I E F S US IMPOSES FRESH TRADE RESTRICTIONS ON FIVE CHINESE COMPANIES WASHINGTON: The Biden administration on Tuesday imposed new trade restrictions on five Chinese companies for allegedly aiding in the repression of the Uyghur Muslim minority but China rejected the accusation as “lies” aimed at constraining it. According to Hikvision’s 2021 half-year report, at least four of the companies facing new curbs belong to the Chinese surveillance camera maker including Luopu Haishi Dingxin Electronic Technology Co, Moyu Haishi Electronic Technology Co, Pishan Haishi Yong’an Electronic Technology Co and Urumqi Haishi Xin’an Electronic Technology Co. Yutian Haishi Meitian Electronic Technology Co Ltd was also added. – Reuters FDIC TELLS SIGNATURE BANK’S CRYPTO CLIENTS TO CLOSE ACCOUNTS BY APRIL 5 BENGALURU: The US Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (FDIC) has informed collapsed lender Signature Bank’s crypto clients that they have until April 5 to close their accounts and move their money. The deposits in question were not part of a rescue deal arranged with Flagstar Bank, a unit of New York Community Bancorp, earlier this month. “Flagstar’s bid did not include about $4 billion in deposits related to Signature’s digital-asset business,“ an FDIC spokesman said. “Those are the deposits we are encouraging customers to move before April 5. If they have not by that day, we will mail checks to the address on record.” – Reuters FITCH: CONTAGION RISKS LOOM OVER TWO ADANI FIRMS CHENNAI: Ratings agency Fitch said two Adani Group subsidiaries are exposed to “heightened contagion risks”, possibly affecting their financial flexibility, due to governance weakness at the parent conglomerate and other Adani group companies. Fitch said that Adani Transmission Ltd and Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone are prone to risks, according to a note released late on Tuesday. Fitch early last month said it had seen no immediate impact on its ratings of Adani Group entities and their securities following short-seller Hindenburg Research’s Jan 24 report on the conglomerate. – Reuters THAILAND LIFTS KEY RATE, TRIMS GROWTH OUTLOOK BANGKOK: Thailand’s central bank raised its key interest rate by 25 basis points for a fifth straight meeting yesterday, as it attempts to bring inflation back within target. The Bank of Thailand’s (BOT) monetary policy committee voted unanimously to raise the one-day repurchase rate to 1.75%. The central bank cut its headline inflation forecast for 2023 to 2.9% from 3%. With yesterday’s move, the BOT has raised its key rate by a total of 125 basis points since August, less aggressive than many of its regional peers. – Reuters China’s wide regulatory crackdown over the last couple of years on its marquee domestic companies, mainly from the internet, private education and property sectors, had wiped off billions in market values and weighed on investor sentiment. – AFPPIX Alibaba said on Tuesday it would split into six units – Cloud Intelligence Group, Taobao Tmall Commerce Group, Local Services Group, Cainiao Smart Logistics Group, Global Digital Commerce Group and Digital Media and Entertainment Group. The group had been planning to spin off individual business units for a long time, according to another two sources familiar with the company’s thinking. Sources said there would be five initial public offerings from the units, while Taobao and Tmall, Alibaba’s core revenue drivers, would remain with the current listed entity. Hong Kong is the most likely venue for these IPOs, said one person, and a separate source familiar with Chinese tech companies’ capital markets transactions. Alibaba itself would re-organise into a holding company structure, with Zhang retaining his position as group CEO, and the six sub-divisions each with their own CEO and boards. Zhang will also head the cloud-focused unit. It would not be the first time Alibaba has spun off its business units. In 2011, the company hived off its fast-growing payments arm Alipay, which later evolved into the fintech major Ant Group. Analysts at Bank of America on Tuesday described Alibaba’s restructuring as “an important experiment”, which would test whether or not China’s biggest companies could meet Beijing’s demand to “contribute to society”. Alibaba’s split may pave the way for other Chinese tech giants to undergo similar restructuring, CMC Markets analyst Tina Teng said. – Reuters NEW YORK: The failures of US lenders Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank, followed by Credit Suisse’s rescue, and the ensuing turmoil in world markets have re-ignited the recession risks that appeared to have abated just a few weeks ago. Traders now bet the Federal Reserve is practically done hiking interest rates. Optimism that followed China’s economic reopening and tumbling energy prices early this year has dimmed. “The bigger, medium-term implication, of what’s happened in the last month is that global growth will be far weaker in six months than we thought even just a few weeks ago,” said Mike Riddell, senior fixed income portfolio manager at Allianz Global Investors. Here’s what some closely watched market indicators say about recession risks: CRUNCH TIME? Central bankers are closely monitoring the potential for banking stress, on top of lending conditions that were already tightening, to trigger a credit crunch. Fed chief Jerome Powell believes financial conditions have likely tightened more than traditional measures indicate. European Central Bank (ECB) boss Christine Lagarde has also said the market turmoil may help fight inflation. CUTS NOT HIKES As the outlook darkens, traders were betting on Tuesday another Fed rate hike is a coin toss, with over 50 bps worth of rate cuts priced by year-end. ECB rates are seen peaking at around 3.4%, down from over 4% in early March This has pushed shorter-dated borrowing costs down. US two-year bond yields have dropped 80 bps in March, so yield curves are less inverted than prior to SVB’s collapse. BANK STOCK ROUT World shares down just 0.1% in March and still sitting on gains this year seem to signal little recession risk, but worries are mounting under the surface. Global bank stocks, which had outperformed the MSCI World Stock Index before the turmoil, are down nearly 15% this month. Sectors sensitive to the growth outlook such as real estate and oil and gas are also now underperforming. Banking woes have also pushed up the risk premium on corporate debt. Euro high yield spreads over risk-free rates for example jumped 140 basis points from March 9-20. Still, those spreads remain below highs touched last year and far below levels reached during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, suggesting recession concerns in credit markets appear limited. DR COPPER Copper, nicknamed “Dr Copper” for its track record as a boom-bust indicator, is still up 7% this year. But it has lost some of its early-January gusto, reflecting market uncertainty and as demand from China – the world’s largest commodity consumer – hasn’t rocketed as expected after its re-opening. The price ratio of copper to gold – seen as a gauge of risk appetite – hit its lowest in nearly seven months in March as investors ditched assets more closely linked to the underlying economy for safe havens. WHAT RECESSION? Data is still delivering positive surprises at the highest rate since May 2022, a Citi index shows, suggesting economic statistics are not yet flashing a recession warning. US and euro zone business activity meanwhile accelerated more than expected in March. “The (US) data was largely collected after SVB’s collapse, which suggests that the initial negative impact from uncertainty has been modest,” said Kristoffer Kjær Lomholt, head of FX, corporate research and chief analyst at Danske Bank. – Reuters
3 0 M A R C H 2 0 2 3 T H U R S D A Y Taking talent to the next level VOTA, a local indie band made up of musical students from the Akademi Seni Budaya Dan Warisan Kebangsaan (ASWARA), is always ready to put on a show. With an electrifying mix of dynamism and musical talent, this ASWARA-born group is the answer to your indie dreams, guaranteed to deliver an invigorating performance that never fails to get the crowd going. Their unique sound, catchy melodies and infectious energy make each performance an experience not to be missed. The members of the progressive rock band consist of Ecam (lead guitar), Farisha (vocals), Tomok (guitar), Adam (drums), Iffah (bass), and Azizul (keyboard). They all met while studying at the same university, and quickly realised their common love for music could be taken into another level. This up-and-coming band has been a hit on the local indie music scene since its formation in May last year. They have been playing gigs and shows across the Klang Valley, wowing audiences with their unique blend of styles. From fun covers to original tunes, the dynamic collective of musicians has quickly won the hearts of local music fans, who have responded positively to their energy-filled performances. It’s clear that this talented group is well on its way to making its mark in the local music industry, cementing its reputation with each live performance. Despite having only two unofficial tracks that are still a ‘work in progress’ for a future release, the band has a plan and promises to enter the scene with flair when the time comes. theSun recently had an interview with the group’s leader, Ecam, and VOTA, which is an acronym of ‘value of the art’, always composes a unique sound, an intense emotion that surely stirs your soul away. – INSTAGRAM/@VOTAOFFICIAL oVota is the answer to your indie dreams █ BY HAZIQUE ZAIRILL This group of ASWARA students formed a progressive rock band that they hope will rock the Malaysian indie music scene. – INSTAGRAM/@VOTAOFFICIAL frontwoman Farisha, and the two opened up about the band’s early stages, saying that the bandmembers got along immediately. Farisha stated that “it was difficult at first to find the chemistry between all of us, but with time and dedication, our connection has become strong.” She added: “Together with the help and encouragement of our supporters, as well as lots of practice, we were able to form a strong chemistry very quickly.” Meanwhile, Ecam stated that they wanted to use all the knowledge and skills that they learnt during their studies at ASWARA, and bring them to the outside world, primarily to the local indie music scene. Ecam said: “From everything we learn there (ASWARA) I thought, why not take it all to the right places. It would be a great thing for us and also the indie industry. “Doing so can help strengthen the industry and grow it, creating a positive impact. It’s an opportunity to grow and build a powerful network. He also revealed that the band was inspired by Indonesian singersongwriter Isyana Sarasvati, who was also their primary influence for the progressive rock genre. “We rarely see this kind of musical style and genre in our country, and only few people recognise her. And the fact that she is a female solo performer made me admire her journey and musical abilities even more. As a result, I’ve chosen her as the band’s [muse], and hoping that the people here will like it,” Ecam explained. Despite only performing at a few shows along the way, this group of musical students appears to be winning over fans and organisers. “People have been responding well, singing along and banging their heads to the beat,” Farisha said. “We’re grateful for the opportunity and humbled by the crowd’s The band is constantly honing their sound and putting on a more captivating and exciting show with each show they play. – INSTAGRAM/@ VOTAOFFICIAL reception. We feel like we are on the cusp of something special here and we can’t wait to keep the momentum going,” she added. Like international rock groups Evanescence, Paramore, and The Cranberries, Vota features a female vocalist. As a female-fronted band in the indie scene, which is relatively uncommon. Farisha revealed that she initially lacked confidence. She added: “But as time passed, day by day, performance by performance, I begin to learn some lessons and understand what the audiences want. “And I began to feel the support from my musical peers, and I’m now more ready for it.” Despite her incredible vocals and talents, Farisha admits that she has no plans to pursue a solo career somday. Meanwhile Ecam, a man who admires guitarist John Petrucci (of US metal band Dream Theater) for his skill, stated that he must make time for work and music practise. “We all need to work to survive, so yeah I’m currently working right now aside from playing shows and all. However, finding the time to practise is quite difficult and entirely dependent on ourselves,” he said. “Practice is a necessity, and you must make time for it if you wish to achieve greater success,” Ecam added. VOTA are making gradual musical advancements and are planning a flurry of performances this year. Ecam promised that they would be committed to pursuing their goals following Ramadan. With their newfound momentum, audiences can anticipate more of the upbeat sound and unbridled energy for which VOTA are quickly gaining a reputation. For more information on the bands, visit their Linktree (linktr.ee/valueoftheart), Youtube (www.youtube.com/@valueoftheart 8557) and Instagram (instagram.com/votaofficial).
16 ENTERTAINMENT theSun LYFE ON THURSDAY | MARCH 30, 2023 READ OUR HERE /thesundaily SCAN ME Singing her own tune U.S. singer and actress Chloe Bailey, half of sister R&B duo Chloe x Halle, releases her debut solo album on Friday, a record whose message she says is: it is okay to show your vulnerable side. The 24-year-old, who has in the past faced an online backlash over her work and choice of outfits, has called the album, which she will take on a North American tour next month, In Pieces. “The message with this album is that it’s OK to not have it all together ... because none of us are perfect and as well-kept as some of us might seem. We’re all in pieces. We all have things that have broken us down ... We all have fears. We all have scars but it’s just who wears it the best,“ Bailey said in an Bailey is releasing her first solo album. – REUTERS oChloe Bailey is ready to step out on her own following sister Halle’s Disney success Sisters Halle (left) And Chloe Bailey. – PEOPLE interview. “Out of anything I’ve ever created, I was the most open with this and my insecurities.” Bailey rose to fame with her younger sister Halle after the two started sharing song covers on YouTube, eventually signing with Beyonce’s Parkwood Entertainment management company in 2015. The sisters released two studio albums, pausing their work in 2021 to pursue solo projects, with Halle taking on the lead role in Disney’s upcoming live action remake of The Little Mermaid. “The creative side didn’t feel different, but (not) having the moral support and the validation from someone who’s been my best friend since I was a little girl ... that was incredibly scary,“ Bailey said of doing the album solo. “The very first time we were apart for months and months was when she went to London to film Little Mermaid and I was at home ... and I said to myself well, maybe this is the time.” Bailey has faced a backlash over her covers of classic songs Feeling Good and Lovin’ You, as well as her revealing outfits. Most recently she was criticised for collaborating with singer Chris Brown, who pleaded guilty to assaulting chart-topper Rihanna when the pair were dating in 2009, on song How Does It Feel. While Bailey said that at times negative comments would get her down, she added she was “kind of used to it by now”. “I think for years I’ve almost become numb to people pointing fingers at me ... It’s actually more surprising when I release something and it doesn’t have any backlash to it,“ the Swarm and Praise This actress said, adding she chose to delete her Twitter account because of the comments. “I was just tired of seeing my name trend every other day and it not being in the most positive way.” – Reuters Paul Newman’s watches up for auction TWO Rolexes that carried “sentimental” value for actor Paul Newman will be auctioned as part of a broad collection of the late icon’s personal effects, with the timepieces each expected to earn up to US$1 million (RM4.4 million. Sotheby’s said last month that more than 300 items owned by the movie star and car racer Newman and his wife of 50 years Joanne Woodward would go under the hammer on June 9. On Tuesday the auction house unveiled the two Rolex Daytonas, classic and coveted watches that celebrate the model’s 60th anniversary this year, and which Sotheby’s said Newman wore during his celebrated racing career. The ‘Zenith’ Daytona Rolex was presented to Newman in 1995 to mark his victory in Florida’s 24 hours of Daytona Race in the GTS-2 category. He was 70 years old at the time and became the endurance contest’s oldest winner. The other, in white gold, was a gift from Woodward which bears the inscription: “DRIVE VERY SLOWLY,“ followed by “JOANNE.” Sotheby’s said the watches are “imbued with sentimental and historical value imparting from pinnacle moments in Newman’s celebrated racing career.” Each watch is valued at US$500,000 (RM2.2 million) to US$1 million (RM4.4 million), but the final price will be determined by the highest bidder in June. Another Rolex that belonged to Newman, who died in 2008, was sold by New York auction house Phillips for a staggering US$17.8 million (RM78.35 million) in 2017, a world record for a wrist watch. – AFP The late Newman was an avid racer. – AFP The watches set for auction. – AFP Jeremy Renner to make first public appearance for Disney series MARVEL star Jeremy Renner will appear in person at the Rennervations world premiere, taking place April 11 at Los Angeles’ Regency Village Theater, Variety reports. The event will mark Renner’s first press event since the actor’s snowplough accident on New Year’s Day, which landed him in the hospital for blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries. All four episodes of Rennervations, the actor’s new vehicle renovation show, begin streaming April 12 on Disney+ Hotstar. “I’ve been on this journey for many years, and I started in my community by building vehicles for people in need,” Renner said about the series. “But a few years ago, I thought, ‘How can I plus this up and create a bigger impact on a whole community?’ And that’s what this show does. This is one of my biggest passions and it’s a driving force in my recovery, and I can’t wait for the world to see it.” According to descriptions of the four-part limited series, Renner and a team of expert builders will travel the world in search of decommissioned vehicles that they can rebuild to serve a new purpose for communities in need. The actor’s Avengers co-star Anthony Mackie, Vanessa Hudgens, Anil Kapoor and Sebastián Yatra are all set to appear on the series. Renner broke over 30 bones as a result of his freak accident, writing on Instagram at the time: “These 30 plus broken bones will mend, grow stronger, just like the love and bond with family and friends deepens. Love and blessings to you all.” Since the injury, Renner has shared updates with his fans on social media. Earlier this week, the 52-year-old star posted a video in which he walks with the assistance of an anti-gravity treadmill. – Agencies Renner in a scene from his new limited series Rennervations. – DISNEY
17 ENTERTAINMENT theSun LYFE ON THURSDAY | MARCH 30, 2023 @thesundaily FOLLOW ON TWITTER SCAN ME TORONTO-BASED artist Ethan Low is R&B’s newest darling. The 22-yearold Malaysian-Canadian TikTok sensation has been making waves in his hometown of Toronto and beyond – from garnering the attention of KPop members such as Jacob from The Boyz; opening for Korean-Canadian icon JUNNY and Korean rapper GEMINI; to building a dedicated online fanbase all on his own terms. Honest and unabashed in his storytelling, Ethan’s music vividly explores the ugliness of what it means to be human and “unlocking the beauty within that darkness”. Ethan’s journey as an artist began in late 2022, when he started uploading snippets of his original music on TikTok. In three short months, Ethan amassed almost 30,000 followers and a legion of dedicated fans and listeners – all by his own hand and with zero additional support. Ethan revealed his debut single BUBBLY (released on Feb 28) which cemented his status as the artist to watch: receiving over 12,000 presaves and 10 million views prerelease, and garnering over 2.5m streams within two weeks of its release. BUBBLY has since gone on to claim the #5 spot on Spotify’s global viral chart – making it the 5th most viral song in the world. The song is also trending on Spotify’s viral charts in Vietnam (#5), Philippines (#7), Thailand (#22), Malaysia (#12), Singapore (#16), and Indonesia (#25). Following the success of BUBBLY, Ethan released a second single entitled GEMINI (released on March 17) which has been met with the same level of enthusiasm and celebration – adding yet another international viral hit to Ethan’s repertoire. Ethan Low will continue to release new music on a monthly basis for the rest of the year, eventually culminating in the birth of his debut EP. Focused on creating a legacy that spans the globe, Ethan intends on closing the divide between the East, West, and everywhere in between. With an ever-growing fanbase hanging onto his every melody, Ethan Low hasn’t just arrived – he’s here to stay. Check out Ethan on Tiktok via www.tiktok.com/@ethanlow_ and Instagram at instagram.com/_ethanlow. The Malaysian-Canadian R&B artist and TikTok star is topping the charts with his debut single. Ethan Low’s meteoric rise FOLLOWING a remarkable first two seasons, the third season of the hit Korean medical drama Dr Romantic 3 will begin streaming in late April on Disney+ Hotstar. Continuing the story of Boo Yongjoo, a highly accomplished surgeon who gives up his prestigious position at Seoul’s top medical centre and relocates to Doldam Hospital, a remote hospital in a rural province, Dr Romantic 3 is set to come back strong with new doctors, a captivating new antagonist, and an unmissable romance. Starring Han Sukkyu as Boo Yongjoo, the only surgeon in South Korea to become triple board certified in general surgery, cardiothoracic surgery and emergency medicine; Ahn Hyoseop as Seo Woojin, a slandered doctor who is trying to rebuild his life under Yongjoo’s tutelage; Lee Sungkyung as Cha Eunjae, a second-year surgery fellow who frequently competes with Woojin but who has issues when she performs surgery. Dr Romantic is written by Kang Eunkyung and Lim Hyemin and is directed by Yoo Inshik (Dr Romantic 1&2, Extraordinary Attorney Woo) and Kang Boseung. Comedy is suffering says Aniston Dr Romantic Season 3 to screen in April JENNIFER ANISTON said she wishes we could laugh more at ourselves, rather than having to police every word in comedies. “Comedy has evolved, movies have evolved,“ the Friends star, 54, told AFP in Paris, where her new film Murder Mystery 2 with Adam Sandler, is set. “Now it’s a little tricky because you have to be very careful, which makes it really hard for comedians, because the beauty of comedy is that we make fun of ourselves, make fun of life,“ she said. In the past, “you could joke about a bigot and have a laugh – that was hysterical. And it was about educating people on how ridiculous people were,“ she said. “And now we’re not allowed to do that.” Aniston said the culture had changed dramatically since the days of Friends in the 1990s. “There’s a whole generation of people, kids, who are now going back to episodes of Friends and find them offensive. “There were things that were never intentional and others ... well, we should have thought it through – but I don’t think there was a sensitivity like there is now.” These issues are perhaps the reason why Hollywood is turning out far fewer comedies in recent years, which Aniston said was a tragedy. “Everybody needs funny! The world needs humour! We can’t take ourselves too seriously. Especially in the United States. Everyone is far too divided,“ she said. Murder Mystery 2 follows the hit Netflix film from 2019 in which Sandler’s detective and his wife become embroiled in a whodunnit on holiday. – ETX Studio LIONSGATE’S neo-noir action thriller John Wick: Chapter 4 opened this weekend with North American ticket sales estimated at an impressive US$73.5 million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday. Analyst David A. Gross called it “a superb opening”, noting that each Wick sequel has managed to outdo its predecessors. Reviews have been mostly positive: “Would that all action films were so well and cleanly choreographed”, the Washington Post gushed; but some reviewers saw the body count – more than 100 per bloody Wick movie – as a bit much. Chapter 4 owes its choreography largely to director Chad Stahelski, himself a former stuntman. Starring along with Reeves, in a tale that has the titular hitman fighting a powerful international crime group – are Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgard and Laurence Fishburne. Last weekend’s box office leader, Shazam! Fury of the Gods took in just US$9.7 million, slipping to second place, in what Variety called “one of the worst turnouts for a modern superhero movie.” The DC/Warner Bros. film stars Zachary Levi, Asher Angel and Adam Brody. In third spot was Scream VI from Paramount and Spyglass Media, at US$8.4 million for the Friday-through-Sunday period. Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega and Skeet Ulrich star in the horror flick. In fourth was yet another sequel, United Artists’ boxing drama Creed III, at US$8.37 million. Michael B. Jordan directs and plays the title character; his co-star Jonathan Majors was arrested Saturday for allegedly assaulting a woman in a domestic dispute. And in fifth, down one spot from last weekend, was sci-fi thriller 65 from Sony and Columbia Pictures, at US$3.3 million. Adam Driver stars in a time-travel saga that juxtaposes spaceships and dinosaurs. Rounding out the top 10 were: 0 Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (US$2.4 million) 0 Cocaine Bear (US$2.1 million) 0 Jesus Revolution (US$2 million) 0 Champions (US$1.5 million) 0Avatar: The Way of Water (US$1.4 million) – ETX Studio (US$1 = RM4.40) Lionsgate’s neo-noir action thriller John Wick: Chapter 4 opened this weekend with North American ticket sales estimated at US$73.5 million. – IMDB Killing the competition the competition oLatest John Wick tops N. America box office in a big, bloody opening
18 FOOD theSun LYFE ON THURSDAY | MARCH 30, 2023 Ramadan meals made easy oHere are three recipes to take you from sunrise to sunset, courtesy of The Independent FROM predawn meals for Suhoor to hearty dishes for Iftar, Anisa Karolia’s new cookbook, aptly titled The Ramadan Cookbook, is the perfect guide to preparing meals for the holy month. Prudence Wade picks three family-friendly, fuss-free and filling recipes for the holy month. – The Independent 0 CAULIFLOWER MANCHURIAN (Serves: 2-3) “Also known as Gobi Manchurian, this popular Indo-Chinese dish has crispy cauliflower florets tossed in a spicy sauce,” says food blogger Anisa Karolia. Ingredients: 1 cauliflower, cut into florets 1 tbsp oil, plus extra for deep-frying 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1 fresh green chilli, chopped 1 red onion, diced 2 spring onions, finely sliced, plus extra to garnish ½ red pepper, diced ½ green pepper, diced 2 tbsp tomato ketchup 2 tbsp chilli sauce 2 tbsp dark soy sauce 1 tbsp rice vinegar 1 tbsp chilli flakes 1 tbsp ground black pepper 1 tsp salt For the batter: 100g plain flour 20g cornflour 1 tsp chilli powder 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder 1 tsp ground black pepper 1 tsp salt 200ml water Method: 1. Cook the cauliflower florets in a large saucepan of boiling water for eight to 10 minutes, then drain in a colander and set aside. For the batter, mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Then slowly add the water, stirring all the time to make a smooth batter, thick enough to coat the cauliflower. Drop the florets into the batter and stir gently to coat. 2. Heat some oil for deep-frying in a large saucepan on a medium-high heat until it reaches 180C. Fry the cauliflower florets in batches for about six minutes until golden and crisp, then drain in a colander to remove excess oil. 3. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a large wok on a low heat, add the garlic, chopped chilli, red onion, spring onions, and red and green peppers, and cook, stirring, for two minutes. Add the ketchup, chilli sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chilli flakes, black pepper and salt, and heat through for one minute. 4. Toss the fried florets in the sauce, making sure to coat them properly. Serve the cauliflower in a bowl, garnished with sliced spring onions. 0 BUTTER CHICKEN (Serves: 2-3) “A royal dish if ever there was one, butter chicken is known for its luxuriously rich texture and, for me, the thicker and creamier the better,” says Karolia. “It’s a flavourful, aromatic curry with a butter and tomato base – wonderfully creamy and tastes out of this world.” Ingredients: 4-5 tbsp oil You won’t miss meat on the table with this flavourful dish. – THE INDEPENDENT Creamy and delicious, this is a crowd-pleasing curry. – THE INDEPENDENT Perfect for Ramadan - but delicious all year round. – THE INDEPENDENT slices. Ideal for Suhoor or Iftar, during Ramadan, they are rich in vitamins and minerals, and packed with lots of energy,” says Karolia. “These will help suppress sugar cravings and control your appetite through the day.” Ingredients: 50g butter 250g pitted dates, finely chopped 50g granulated sugar 20g chopped pistachios 20g chopped almonds 20g chopped cashews 50g Marie biscuits or digestive biscuits, broken into pieces Sesame seeds, for sprinkling Method: 1. Melt the butter in a saucepan on a low heat and add the dates and sugar. Cook until the dates soften and start to look mushy. This will take eight to 10 minutes. Add the chopped nuts and biscuits, and stir everything together. 2. Take a sheet of baking paper and lay out flat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and place the date mixture on top. Roll into a log shape, using the paper to help make a tight roll. 3. Chill in the fridge for one hour until firm, then cut into onecentimetre slices. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three weeks. 2 bay leaves 1 onion, finely chopped 500g chicken breast, cut into chunks 1 tsp ginger paste 1 tsp garlic paste 1 tsp chilli powder 1 tsp chilli flakes 1 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp ground cumin ½ tsp ground turmeric 1 tbsp butter chicken masala or tandoori masala ½ tsp salt ½ tsp ground black pepper 1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves 1 fresh tomato, chopped 250g tomato passata 100-150ml water 125ml milk 150ml single or double cream 30g butter 2 tbsp lemon juice Fresh coriander, chopped, to garnish Method: 1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan on a low heat, add the bay leaves and onion, and cook for five minutes until golden brown. Add the chicken, ginger paste and garlic paste, and cook for 25 minutes, until only a little moisture is left from the chicken. 2. Add the chilli powder, chilli flakes, Kashmiri chilli powder, ground coriander, cumin, turmeric, butter chicken masala or tandoori masala, salt, pepper and dried fenugreek, and stir well. Add the fresh tomato and passata, cook for one minute, then pour in the water, milk and cream, and stir well. Simmer for eight to 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened. 3. Add the butter, letting it melt through the sauce, then add the lemon juice, and serve sprinkled with chopped coriander. 0 DATE & NUT SLICES (Serves: 28) “Start your day with these nutritious
19 FOOD theSun LYFE ON THURSDAY | MARCH 30, 2023 Libyans brace for low-caffeine Ramadan days ITALY left a deep cultural mark on Libya, the only Arab country it colonised: a national love of espresso. But as the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan approached, Libyans were preparing to go without. Throughout the Islamic holy month, which is due to begin this week, observant Muslims everywhere are expected to refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk. During Ramadan, “we spend the whole day dreaming about the coffee we’re going to drink”, said Abdel Basset Hamza, a shopowner in Tripoli’s Old City. “There’s nothing that we drink more than coffee.” Tripoli’s centre is dotted with a myriad of cafes, from tiny kiosks to large halls, all equipped with sophisticated Italian espresso machines. While coffee is an integral part of daily life across North Africa and the Middle East, Hamza boasted that Libya stands out from its neighbours where “you don’t find coffee of this quality made in this way with such machines”. As Ramadan approaches, the pavements outside the capital’s cafes heave with mostly male crowds enjoying their last daytime beverages before the fasting begins. Mohamed Zourgani, who runs an Old City cafe which his grandfather bought in the 1950s, said he does not expect business to slow due to the fast, just to become concentrated in the evenings. “The coffee Libyans usually drink over 16 hours, during Ramadan they drink over two hours, from as soon as the sun goes down,” said the 31-yearold with a well-groomed beard. Immediately after people break their daily fast, he predicted, they will rush “to drink coffee as if it were water”. On every table Libyans have been drinking coffee since at least the 15th century, as A barista preparing a coffee at a café in Tripoli. – AFP beans from Yemen made their way along North African trade routes and into Europe. But when Italy occupied formerly Ottoman-ruled Libya in 1911, the country’s coffee culture adopted a new twist, with punchy espressos taking the place of cardamom-tinted Arabic coffee. That said, old habits die hard, according to Zourgani. “The older generation still loves its Arabic coffee, but young people mostly order espresso or macchiato,” he said as his waiters served the thick black liquid into paper cups. “Even when war is raging, Libyans have to have their coffee,” he added. The oil-rich country has seen over a decade of war, since the 2011 revolution that overthrew dictator Moamer Kadhafi, and its capital bears the scars of several major battles as recently as 2020. But Tripoli’s cafes still do a brisk trade, with punters sitting at streetside tables, discussing politics and daily life while sipping a “tazza” of coffee, an espresso-sized cup that costs less than a euro. Some cafes even serve a localised version of affogato, with the Italian dessert stripped of its traditional liqueur. Ali Khawaja, a 24-year-old in a leather jacket, said he has been a coffee addict since adolescence, but Ramadan was an opportunity to appreciate the drink more. “Coffee is on every iftar table,” he said, referring to the fast-breaking meal at dusk. “After we break our fast, we spend the evening drinking it outside with friends.” – ETX Studio The Northern Indian secret GOOD cuisine can lift anyone’s mood. The majority of Malaysians enjoy South Indian food, however there are some delicious North Indian dining options. theSun recently visited Namaste India, a modern Indian eatery founded by food lovers of northern Indian cuisine. As the corporate head chef for Namaste India, Vinod Kumar Sharma is a multi-talented chef with over 32 years of vast international expertise. As soon as you walk in, a powerful fragrance of spices welcomes you and makes you feel cosy inside. The restaurant has plenty of natural light, which creates the ideal atmosphere for spending a day there and enjoying some expertly cooked Indian food. The setting is cosy and inviting. Dr. Harsha Hirdyani, Namaste India’s head of branding and strategic business, welcomed us. Her involvement in Namaste India was inspired by her belief as a food scientist that traditional kitchens still have a considerable amount of information that can be refined for a Vinod Kumar Sharma, Corporate Head Chef of Namaste India. – ALL PIX BY ADIB RAWI YAHYA/THESUN oNamaste India allows you to experience the pleasures of North India █ BY THASHINE SELVAKUMARAN (above, from left) Vinod Kumar Sharma (Head Chef ), Akhil Gupta (owner of Namaste India) and Dr. Harsha Hirdyani (Head of Branding and Strategic Business in Namaste India); (right) the special Ramadan menu. new generation. We sampled a handful of their menu’s stand-out items, beginning with Namaste India’s special menu for Ramadan. I tried their fruit chaat as a starter, which is prepared with freshly cut fruits and is sprinkled with a spice blend for added flavour. Although I found it a tad hot, I think that’s what made the meal unique. I tried their lamb shank rogan josh, prawn malai curry, and a flavourful chicken stew with Indian spices for the main course. I would say that the prawn curry was my favourite dish of the day. That I kept wanting more indicates how soft and flavourful it was. It matched the kesar mutton briyani, another main item on the Ramadan menu, well. The mutton wasn’t too chewy or hard, making it the ideal entrée for elderly diners. The dessert that was served next was zaffrani seviyan, a sweet dish prepared with wheat vermicelli, ghee, milk, dried fruits, sugar, and saffron. The taste was just right – not too sweet. There are also several other dishes on the Ramadan menu that we sadly did not have time to try; such as fish chop, tawa boti shashlik, and kulfi falooda. After tasting their Ramadan menu, we also tried a few of their house specialities. Despite the fact that we were starting to feel really full, we couldn’t resist the temptation. We had some of the renowned street cuisine from North India. The variety of street cuisine offered here astonished me. I wasn’t very familiar with North Indian street cuisine, so when I saw the nicely presented items on our tables, I was actually rather impressed. The pani puri with its crispy shells, filling of potatoes and chickpeas, chutneys on top, and special spiced water were to die for. I also had their palak patta chaat, which is another popular dish. It was made of spinach leaves that had been deep-fried with a thin batter made of gram flour, chutneys that had been blended with yoghurt, pomegranate seeds, and crispy sev on top. It was super crispy and flavourful. Namaste India is also a great dining option for vegetarians because they serve a range of foods that are sure to suit everyone, notably their tandoori kebab platter, which comprises an assortment of vegetables, including tandooristuffed potatoes, paneer tikka, veg seekh kebab, and broccoli with malai cheese. Tandoor-grilled Kebab and Tikka platters are also available at Namaste India in a variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. For non-vegetarians, you should order the tandoori chicken. You will love this insanely delicious and smokey chicken dish. Chapati, naan, and paratha. Whatever you need, they have it. I tried their two most popular naans, garlic and plain, as well as their tandoori lachcha paratha. These dishes, paired with three of their best curries, palak paneer, butter chicken, and dal makhni, are sure to please curry enthusiasts. We also enjoyed a second dessert, the Kesar Jalebi with Rabri. It is made of batter fried sweet round crispies and served with rabri, covered in sugar and saffron syrup. I’ve tried jalebi before, and it’s usually thick and juicy, but this was thin and crispy. That was different, and I absolutely loved it. No meal is complete without a refreshing drink. Rose Shikanji, a drink made of rooh afza syrup, lemon juice, salt, mint, and soda, rounded off our lunch. It was a wise decision to salt the beverage since, for some reason, it helped to ‘balance off’ our meal for the day. Their Ramadan-exclusive menu is available until April 23, 2023. Make a reservation to avoid disappointment. Address: Namaste India Hartamas Address: No. 6-G, Jalan 31/70a, Desa Sri Hartamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur. Opening Hours: 11am-11pm Namaste India Bangsar Address: No 54 – G, Jalan Maarof, Bangsar, 59100 Kuala Lumpur. Opening Hours: 11am-11pm Namaste India TTDI Address: 128, Jalan Burhanuddin Helmi, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, 60000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur Opening Hours: 11.30am-11pm Website: namasteindia.com.my.
20 MEDIA & MARKETING theSun LYFE ON THURSDAY | MARCH 30, 2023 AS HARI Raya comes around, why not consider giving a gift that not only brings joy to your loved ones but also helps the underprivileged in the community? Non-profit organisation, Dignity For Children Foundation (Dignity), is celebrating Hari Raya with specially curated gift packages that are perfect for sharing with family and friends and, at the same time, uplift to the urban poor. Whether it is sweet, savoury, traditional or modern, you’ll find a gift set that will suit your personal preference and budget. Seven gift sets, ranging from RM65 to RM200, are being offered by Dignity. Depending on your choice, contained therein are kurma, teas, a varied offering of cookies, and handmade crafts. The gift sets come neatly packaged in rattan baskets or kraft boxes All proceeds from the sale of the gift sets will go towards supporting Dignity’s education and life skills training programmes for marginalised communities in Sentul, Kuala Lumpur. “Festive period is often a time to spend with the people whom we love and to be thankful for the blessings that we have. It is particularly meaningful if we can share our blessing or rezeki with others. I hope Malaysians who celebrate Raya will consider doing so with Dignity,” said Natalie Tan, Head of Enterprise Tan revealed that Dignity also efforts with GSC to support Malaysians on the importance of creating safe, and inclusive spaces for the autism community as well as to equip parents, caregivers and educators through our line-up of workshops,” said Jochebed Isaacs, Director of Early Autism Project Malaysia and spokesperson for The Hope Project. Lending further support to the autism community, GSC has partnered with NASOM to curate limited-edition t-shirts with handdrawn designs by their talented children, aged 5 – 19 years. Conceptualised based on the theme What does love mean to you, the designs represent meaningful interpretations from the perspective of an autistic child. Available in five designs and priced at RM36 per piece, the t-shirts are available for sale on GSC’s e-commerce site and at selected Keepsake kiosks located at Tropicana Gardens Mall and The Starling Mall, from April 1 onwards, whilst stocks last. Proceeds will be channelled back to NASOM. Aligned with the aim of creating an inclusive community for all, GSC offers sensory-friendly screenings, with halls designed especially for children with autism. To cater to the needs of neuro-divergent children, sensory-friendly halls screen childfriendly movies at a reduced volume and dimmed lighting. Movies are available every second Sunday of the month, priced at RM9 per ticket, at the following locations: 0 GSC 3 Damansara 0 GSC Kuantan City Mall 0 GSC The Mall, Southkey JB 0 GSC AEON Falim, Ipoh @thesundaily FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM SCAN ME Championing autism awareness I N conjunction with World Autism Awareness month which is widely celebrated throughout the month of April, leading cinema exhibitor, Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC) has an exciting yearlong line-up of initiatives aimed at raising awareness on autism amongst Malaysians. Joining forces for the greater good with partners including The Hope Project, the non-profit arm of The Early Autism Project Malaysia and the National Autism Society of Malaysia (NASOM), a series of educational workshops and limitededition merchandise will be available, with all funds raised from the initiatives will be channelled back to the respective organisations. Aligned with raising awareness of autism and fostering a sense of inclusivity amongst Malaysians, GSC will be hosting a pipeline of exciting activities till December, which will further be supported by like-minded partners. “Autism awareness is a cause that is very much close to our hearts. We believe in channelling our long-term support to the neurodivergent communities in Malaysia by providing them with accessibility to a safe space to enjoy movies with our sensory-friendly halls. Working together with like-minded partners including The Hope Project and NASOM, we inspire to drive inclusivity and acceptance amongst Malaysians towards the autism community,” said Koh Mei Lee, Chief Executive Officer of Golden Screen Cinemas. Marking the start of autism awareness month on April 1, together with The Hope Project is launching a series of educational workshops themed ‘Becoming Autism Friendly’ at GSC halls nationwide. These workshops will encompass relevant topics such as recognising early signs of autism as well as treatment and strategies that parents and caregivers are able to put in place to manage children with autism. The launch workshop on April 1 will also see a series of fun activities for children and a mini-bazaar with various vendors in support of the autism community. In addition to the workshops slated in April, bi-monthly workshops up till December are in the pipeline, with further details to be announced closer to the dates. “We’re excited to embark on our oGSC along with The Hope Project and the National Autism Society of Malaysia lines up year-long initiatives in support of the autism community Location: GSC 3 Damansara Mall Date & Time: 1 April, Saturday 9.00am – 3.00pm Workshop Theme: Becoming Autism Friendly Registration Link: Location: GSC CityONE Kuching Date & Time: 15 April, Saturday 10.00am – 12.00pm Workshop Theme: Basic Teaching Strategies for Autism Registration Link: Location: GSC Gurney Plaza Penang Date & Time: 15 April, Saturday 10.00am – 12.00pm Workshop Theme: Maximising Daily Learning for Individuals with Autism Registration Link: Raya gifts that give back Celebrate the spirit of Raya with Dignity’s elegant Rattan Gift Sets comprising cookies, kurma, songket sampul holder and card holder. has in place a Gift-A-Meal initiative where donors may donate a meal and basic cooking essentials to a family. It consists of a roast chicken meal for five persons, 2kg cooking oil, 10kg rice and 500g of BOH tea. All these for RM125 per family. So, if you are looking for a gift for your loved ones this Hari Raya, do think about choosing a gift that gives back. For more information and orders, please Scan the QR CODE or WhatsApp 010 321 4049. Dignity’s Kraft Box Gift Set comes with cookies of your choosing and a handcrafted sampul holder. The NGO gift sets range from RM65 to RM200. Scan the QR code for a sneak peek
21 * SPORTS theSUN ON THURSDAY | MARCH 30, 2023 IN THE HIGH COURT OF MALAYA OF KUALA LUMPUR IN THE STATE OF WILAYAH PERSEKUTUAN, MALAYSIA COMPANIES (WINDING UP) PETITION NO. WA-28NCC-63-01/2023 In the matter of China Construction Yangtze River (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. And In the matter of Sections 465 of the Companies Act 2016 BETWEEN JALEX SDN BHD (Company No. 176538-U) …PETITIONER AND CHINA CONSTRUCTION YANGTZE RIVER (MALAYSIA) SDN. BHD. (Company No. 201301046007 (1075831-X)) …RESPONDENT ADVERTIsem*nT OF PETITION NOTICE is hereby given that a Petition for the winding-up of the abovenamed company by the High Court was, on the 17th day of January, 2023, presented by the above-named Petitioner. And that the said Petition is directed to be heard before the Court sitting at the High Court of Malaya at Kuala Lumpur at 9.00 o’clock in the morning, on the 30th day of August, 2023; and any creditor or contributory of the said company desiring to support or oppose the making of an order on the said Petition may appear at the time of hearing by himself or his counsel for that purpose; and a copy of the Petition will be furnished to any creditor or contributory of the said company requiring the same by the undersigned on payment of the regulated charge for the same. The Petitioner’s address is at Bangunan Jalex, Lot 3750, Lorong 2D, Off Jalan Bukit Badak, Kampung Melayu Subang, 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan. The Petitioner’s solicitors is Messrs Goh Partnership of D4-3-8, Block D4, Level U3, Solaris Dutamas, No. 1 Jalan Dutamas 1, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (File Ref: 11.2300) Messrs Goh Partnership Solicitors for the abovenamed Petitioner NOTE: Any person who intends to appear on the hearing of the said Petition must serve on or send by post to the abovenamed Solicitors, notice in writing of his intention so to do. The notice must state the name and address of the person, or, if a firm, the name and address of the firm, and must be signed by the person of firm, or his of their solicitor (if any) and must be served, or, if posted, must be sent by post in sufficient time to reach the abovenamed not later than twelve o’clock noon of the 29th day of August, 2023. 322 Notices DALAM MAHKAMAH MAJISTRET DI SHAH ALAM DALAM NEGERI SELANGOR DARUL EHSAN, MALAYSIA GUAMAN SIVIL NO.: BA-A72NCVC-156-02/2023 ANTARA TENAGA NASIONAL BERHAD [No. Syarikat : 199001009294 (200866-W)] …PLAINTIF DAN TENG KOK CHEE (NO. K. P.: 590331-10-6049) [Berniaga dibawah nama & gaya QUENCH BUSTER ENTERPRISE [NO. PENDAFTARAN PERNIAGAAN 201803066929 (SA0467695-P)] …DEFENDAN NOTIS PENYAMPAIAN GANTI-BENTUK IKLAN Kepada, TENG KOK CHEE (NO. K. P.: 590331-10-6049) [Berniaga dibawah nama & gaya QUENCH BUSTER ENTERPRISE [NO. PENDAFTARAN PERNIAGAAN 201803066929 (SA0467695-P)] G-6, Blok 1 Jalan Uf*ck 25/73 Taman Sri Muda 40400 Shah Alam Selangor Darul Ehsan. Dalam perkara Writ yang dikeluarkan pada 8 haribulan Februari 2023. AMBIL PERHATIAN bahawa suatu tindakan Writ telah dikeluarkan terhadap Defendan dalam Mahkamah Majistret di Shah Alam dalam Guaman No. BA-A72NCVC-156-02/2023 oleh Tenaga Nasional Berhad [No. Syarikat: 199001009294](200866-W)] di mana tuntutan Plaintif ialah untuk jumlah RM24,040.05, faedah ke atas jumlah RM24,040.05 pada kadar 5% setahun dari tarikh pemfailan saman sehingga tarikh penghakiman, faedah ke atas jumlah RM24,040.05 pada kadar 5% setahun dari tarikh penghakiman sehingga tarikh penyelesaian penuh dan kos dan adalah diperintahkan bahawa sesalinan Writ bertarikh 8/2/2023 dan Penyata Tuntutan bertarikh 8/2/2023 disampaikan kepada kamu melalui Penyampaian Ganti iaitu dengan menampalkan sesalinan Writ dan Penyata Tuntutan tersebut di Papan Notis Mahkamah Shah Alam dan ditinggalkan di alamat terakhir Defendan di G-6, Blok 1, Jalan Uf*ck 25/73, Taman Sri Muda, 40400 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan (selepas ini “alamat terakhir Defendan”) serta mengiklankannya sekali (1) dalam surat khabar ‘The Sun’ dan saya percaya bahawa penyampaian itu menjadi penyampaian yang sempurna dan cukup ke atas Defendan tujuh (7) hari selepas tarikh pengiklanan atau penampalan tersebut. Sekiranya kamu berhajat untuk membuat pembelaan terhadap tindakan tersebut, kamu mestilah diwakili oleh Peguambela kamu di hadapan Mahkamah Majistret Shah Alam pada 17/4/2023 (secara E-Review), jam 9.00 pagi. Sekiranya kamu gagal berbuat demikian maka Penghakiman Ingkar boleh diberikan terhadap kamu. Bertarikh pada 30 haribulan Mac 2023 …..….………tt…….…….. Tetuan Sandosh Anandan Peguamcara bagi Plaintif Notis Penyampaian Ganti Bentuk Iklan ini dikeluarkan oleh Tetuan Sandosh Anandan, Peguamcara bagi pihak Plaintif yang beralamat di Unit A502, Blok A, Kelana Square, No. 17, Jalan SS7/26, Kelana Jaya, 47301, Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan. Tel: 03-78065819 / 03-7804607 Fax: 03-78807409 (Ruj:SA/L/TNB/QUENCH BUSTER/1860/2022/ SA) IN THE HIGH COURT OF MALAYA AT KUALA LUMPUR COMPANIES (WINDING-UP) PETITION NO.: WA-28NCC-223-03/2023 In the matter of Midas Mayang Sdn Bhd (No Syarikat. 200901004068 (846995-D) And In the matter of Section 465(1)(e) read with Section 466(1)(a) of the Companies Act 2016; And In the matter of the Companies Act 2016, And Companies Winding-Up) Rules 1972; Between R Zain Associates BR No.001931761-H (Sole-Proprietor Zain.Ibrahim Rashid Nric No.560610715747) ….PETITIONER AND Midas Mayang Sdn Bhd. (No Syarikat. 200901004068 (846995-D)) ….RESPONDENT (RULE 24) ADVERTIsem*nT OF PETITION NOTICE is hereby given that a Petition for the Winding-Up of abovementioned company by the High Court was on the 10th March2023 presented to the said Court by R Zain Associates of No.4 Lorong Mengkudu Dua, 55000 Kuala Lumpur and that the said Petition is directed to be heard before the Court sitting at Kuala Lumpur on the 24th of October 2023 at 9am and any creditor or contributory of the said company desiring to support or oppose the making of an Order on the said Petition may appear at the time of hearing by himself or his Counsel for that purpose and a copy of the Petition will be furnished to any creditor or contributory of the said company requiring the same by the undersigned on payment of the regulated charge for the same. The Respondent’s registered address at Level 23, The Bousteador, No.10 Jalan PJU 7/6, Mutiara Damansara, Petaling Jaya, Selangor and or business address at Kampung Cherating Lama, Cherating,28000, Kuantan,Pahang. The Petitioner’s solicitors are Messrs. Jacob Rabindranath & Co, Advocates & Solicitors whose address for service is situated at A23A-9, Tower A, Menara UOA Bangsar, No.5 Jan Bangsar Utama 1, 59100, Kuala Lumpur, Email: [emailprotected] Solicitors for the Petitioner Note—Any person who intends to appear on the hearing of the said petition must serve on or send by post to the above-named solicitor notice in writing of his intention so to do. The notice must state the name and address of the person, or, if a firm, the name and address of the firm, and must be signed by the person or firm, or his or their solicitor (if any) and must be served, or, if posted, must be sent by post in sufficient time to reach the above-named not later than twelve o’clock noon of the day 23rd of October 2023 (the day before the day appointed for the hearing of the petition). 322 Notices AH NGAU Please be informed that you are required to attend the Kuala Lumpur MSS5 Court on 15.5.2023 at 9.00 am for the hearing of WA-58-5- 01/2023 pertaining to a child born on 1.4.2008. Please be informed that the Court may grant any order it may deem fit in the event you fail to attend. IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF SANDAKAN SPECIALTY FATS SDN BHD (Registration Number: 200601013472 (733223-U)) (In member’s voluntary winding-up) NOTICE OF RESOLUTION At an Extraordinary General Meeting of Sandakan Specialty Fats Sdn Bhd duly convened and held on 24/03/2023, the following resolutions were passed to approve a member’s voluntary winding up of the Company:- SPECIAL RESOLUTION – MEMBER’S VOLUNTARY WINDING UP (i) That the Company be wound up voluntarily by way of a member’s voluntary winding up pursuant to Section 439(1)(b) of the Companies Act 2016; (ii) That the liquidator may exercise any powers in accordance with Section 456 and the Eleventh Schedule of the Companies Act 2016; and (iii) That in accordance with the Articles of Association of the Company, the liquidator be hereby authorised to distribute to the members the whole or any part of the assets of the Company. ORDINARY RESOLUTION – APPOINTMENT OF LIQUIDATOR That in accordance with Section 445(1) of the Companies Act 2016, Mr Loo Hin Lam of No. 17 Elitis Dahina, Valencia, 47000 Sungai Buloh, Selangor Darul Ehsan be hereby appointed as the liquidator for the purposes of such winding up. LOO HIN LAM Liquidator Petaling Jaya Dated this: 30/03/2023 IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 and IN THE MATTER OF RAIL SUPPLY CHAIN SERVICES MALAYSIA SDN. BHD. Registration No. 201601020865 (1191803-M) (In Member’s Voluntary Winding-Up) At a General Meeting of the Company duly convened and held at Wisma Goshen, 2nd Floor, 60, 62 & 64 Jalan SS 22/21, Damansara Jaya, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan on Friday, 24th day of March 2023, the following special resolutions were duly passed: 1. THAT, the Company will be liquidated by way of Member’s Voluntary Winding Up. 2. THAT, Ms. Lam Lee San and Ms. Lee Yee Ching both of Norvic Corporate Services Sdn. Bhd.,Wisma Goshen, 2nd Floor, 60, 62 & 64, Jalan SS 22/21, Damansara Jaya, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan be appointed as Joint and Several Liquidators to act for the purpose of winding-up the Company’s affairs and distributing its assets. 3. THAT, the said Liquidators be authorised to divide amongst the members in specie or kind, the whole or any part of the assets of the Company and may, for such purpose, set such value as they deem fair upon any property to be divided as aforesaid and may determine how such division shall be carried out as between the members. Mark Peter Carling Director Dated this 30th day of March, 2023 IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 and IN THE MATTER OF RAIL SUPPLY CHAIN SERVICES MALAYSIA SDN. BHD. Registration No. 201601020865 (1191803-M) (In Member’s Voluntary Winding-Up) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the creditors of the above Company are required to send in their names and addresses and the particulars of their debts or claims and the names and addresses of their solicitors (if any), to the undersigned (the Liquidators of the said Company) at the belowmentioned address by 5.00 p.m on 29th day of April, 2023:- c/o Norvic Corporate Services Sdn. Bhd. Reg. No. 200201033104 (600769-D) Wisma Goshen, 2nd Floor 60, 62 & 64 Jalan SS 22/21 Damansara Jaya 47400 Petaling Jaya Selangor Darul Ehsan The creditors (either through their solicitors or personally) who do not file their debts and claims on or before the specified date and time above will be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made by Liquidators. Lam Lee San (f) Lee Yee Ching (f) Liquidators Dated this 30th day of March, 2023 322 Notices 322 Notices Advertise with us & connect to our urban readers. KLANG VALLEY PENANG | KEDAH PERAK | PERLIS PAHANG | KELANTAN TERENGGANU MS. Shoba TEL: 03-7784 8888 FAX: 03-7784 4424 MALACCA MR. Rajah TEL: 012-628 2844 FAX: 06-764 2051 JOHOR BAHRU MS. Anne Lim TEL: 013-770 6699 FAX: 07-355 5549 ‘Sunshine Double’ on the cards Alcaraz, Rybakina stay on course in Miami I NDIAN WELLS champions Carlos Alcaraz and Elena Rybakina stayed on course to complete the “Sunshine Double” at the Miami Open yesterday but men’s second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas was sent packing by Karen Khachanov. World No. 1 Alcaraz beat Tommy Paul 6-4, 6- 4 in the fourth round, while Rybakina notched up her 12th straight win with a 6-3, 6-0 thrashing of Martina Trevisan to reach the semifinals. “The key of that match was that I was playing to attack,” Alcaraz said. “I didn’t let him play his game – attack and go to the net – I did those things first… I played a really complete match.” Alcaraz is now three wins away from securing the “Sunshine Double” after his victory at Indian Wells last week – a triumph that would see him retain the world No. 1 ranking ahead of Novak Djokovic. In the quarterfinals the Spaniard will play another American in Taylor Fritz, who eased past Denmark’s Holger Rune 6-3, 6-4 earlier in the day. At the Grandstand, Italian 10th seed Jannik Sinner breezed past sixth seed Andrey Rublev, firing off more than two dozen winners to win 6-2, 6-4. Khachanov, seeded 14th, earned his first win over Tsitsipas in seven meetings, taking down the Greek world No. 3 7-6(4), 6-4 in the fourth round to end a 23-match winless run against a top-10 opponent. “They say third time is a charm, but for me it took seven times, so I’m super happy,” said Khachanov, who lost to Tsitsipas in the semifinals of this year’s Australian Open. “Not most importantly that I beat Stefanos, but I think with the way I’m playing… I’m just happy to continue that level.” Wimbledon champion Rybakina has been in rare form this year after reaching the final of the Australian Open and was hardly troubled as she extended her winning streak. “Maybe I’m moving not as good as I was moving in Indian Wells but overall I think that I’m trying to keep that level from Indian Wells,” she said. – Reuters IPL returns as Mumbai eye sixth title MUMBAI INDIANS, armed with bigmoney signing Cameron Green, will bid for a record-extending sixth title when the Indian Premier League starts tomorrow, in what could be Chennai veteran MS Dhoni’s swansong. The 16th edition also returns to its pre-Covid glory days, with 74 matches scheduled at 12 venues over eight weeks. In the opener at the world’s biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad, defending champions Gujarat Titans will play Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings. England all-rounder Sam Curran returns to Punjab Kings after being bought for US$2.23 million (RM9.6m), making him the most expensive IPL player ever. Green, 1.98m tall, joined IPL’s most successful outfit Mumbai after he became the second-most expensive buy at US$2.11 million (RM9.1m) in the December auction. Mumbai, led by India captain Rohit Sharma, will be without injured pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah but have been boosted by the return of England fast bowler Jofra Archer, who missed last season due to injury. Chennai are not far behind Mumbai with four titles – and are fivetime runners-up – and Dhoni’s towering presence as wicketkeeperbatsman and captain has been key. Dhoni apart, the team’s success will depend on all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja, Moeen Ali and England Test skipper Ben Stokes. According to media reports, Stokes is also being considered as a possible successor to Dhoni as Chennai captain. – AFP THE LPGA will return to Malaysia in October for the first time since 2017, the women’s golf tour announced yesterday, after dropping an event scheduled in Taiwan last week. A 78-player field will compete for a US$3 million purse at the inaugural Maybank Championship on Oct 26-29 at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club. “The LPGA is excited to bring women’s professional golf back to Malaysia for the first time in six years,” LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan said of the multi-year deal. The move came five days after the LPGA announced the Taiwan Swinging Skirts LPGA, scheduled for the same dates as the Malaysia event, was being canceled for a fourth consecutive year over “operational factors” clouding the tournament. The Kuala Lumpur layout previously had hosted the LPGA Malaysia event from 2010-2017. China’s Feng Shanshan was a two-time winner of the event. Other winners included South Koreans Park In-bee, Choi Na-yeon and Kang Ji-min and Americans Lexi Thompson, Cristie Kerr and Jessica Korda. “As a golfer who is proud to represent Malaysia around the world, I’m more than excited to have the LPGA Tour at Kuala Lumpur once again this October,” said Malaysian LPGA standout Kelly Tan. “I’m thrilled that golf fans in my home country will have the opportunity to watch the world’s best women professional golfers compete up close.” – AFP LPGA returns to Malaysia in October Duo seal Windies T20 series win ROMARIO SHEPHERD’S late batting assault and a five-wicket haul by Alzarri Joseph took the West Indies to a series-clinching seven-run win against South Africa in the third Twenty20 international at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg yesterday. Shepherd slammed 44 not out off 22 balls to lift the West Indies from 161 for eight to 220 for eight, sharing an unbeaten ninth wicket stand of 59 off 26 balls with Joseph, who made 14 not out. Fast bowler Joseph then took five for 40 as South Africa were restricted to 213 for six. New West Indies T20 captain Rovman Powell said the players had responded to his call “to be fearless, to be natural – but you have to be smart too. The guys were excellent in this series.” Joseph struck crucial blows when he took the wickets of Quinton de Kock (21) and David Miller (11) and effectively wrapped up the match in the penultimate over when he dismissed top-scorer Reeza Hendricks for 83. Andreescu waiting for test results FORMER US Open champion Bianca Andreescu yesterday thanked her fans for their support and said she is still awaiting test results on the left ankle injury that forced her to leave the Miami Open Grandstand court in a wheelchair on Monday. Andreescu went down while moving across the baseline in the second set of her last-16 meeting with Ekaterina Alexandrova, grabbing her ankle and screaming in pain before retiring from the match. “Woke up with a brace on my foot… anyone know what happened?,” Andreescu tweeted. “On a serious note tho… that was the worst pain I’ve ever felt… praying for nothing serious. Still waiting on official results. Thank you everyone for your thoughts and kind words, doesn’t go unnoticed. So much love, y’all are the best.” BRIEFS Carlos Alcaraz celebrates after match point against Tommy Paul (not pictured) during the Miami Open. – USATODAYPIX
22 theSUN ON THURSDAY | MARCH 30, 2023 SPORTS /thesuntelegram FOLLOW ON TELEGRAM SCAN ME 5616/2023 29/03/2023 (WED) 0890 7046 9310 2940 1978 9781 5268 5796 7697 2511 0108 3322 3225 5810 0324 9708 7352 6471 2917 7721 3439 4468 5083 5,082,713.38 0890 0890 0890 9310 9310 7046 9310 9310 7046 7046 0890 7046 376,404.64 0890 7046 9310 DOG 28146 97085 7085 085 81338 8 5 7 3 869473 69473 9473 473 86947 8694 869 8 6 4,797,173.65 2,759,049.43 2113 24 29 32 44 489,545.98 2016 29 34 38 44 14 15 23 27 42 48 1 14,623,159.45 RM144,414 Toto 4D Jackpot 2 (i-System) won on 26/03/2023 ! 951 367 + RABBIT 783 949 + HORSE 152 924 + RABBIT Draw Date: 29/03/23 (Wed) Draw No: 5563/23 Venue: PERAK TURF CLUB 1367 3949 2924 7748 + 8596 4739 + 3808 9242 + 5154 1375 + 7117 2673 + 7418 4408 + 7493 8795 + 2178 0300 + 3118 7740 + 6688 6176 + 1534 RM14,197,416.00 1367 + 3949 3949 + 1367 1367 + 2924 2924 + 1367 3949 + 2924 2924 + 3949 RM149,347.70 RM1,978,335.70 RM1,136,527.70 RM2,046,754.20 207 748 438 596 384 739 503 808 019 242 645 154 431 375 717 117 642 673 537 418 504 408 227 493 138 795 832 178 460 300 753 118 767 740 396 688 086 176 851 534 367 949 924 RM1,118,554.80 367 + 949 + 924 949 + 924 + 367 367 + 924 + 949 924 + 367 + 949 949 + 367 + 924 924 + 949 + 367 1+3D Jackpot 2 RM157,029.90 won on 26/3/2023! ‘I’m not here to be second’ Verstappen looking for reliability in Australia as Perez lurks TWO-TIME world champion Max Verstappen is banking on Red Bull ironing out its reliability issues as he targets a second Formula One win of the season at Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix – a race he failed to finish last year. The Dutchman drove superbly in an actionpacked grand prix in Saudi Arabia a fortnight ago, slicing through the field to finish second behind teammate Sergio Perez. But after dominating the early practice in a super-fast car, Verstappen was fuming when a driveshaft issue in qualifying forced him to start from 15th. “I recovered to second which is good, and in general the whole feeling in the team, everyone is happy, but personally I’m not happy, because I’m not here to be second,” he said ahead of the third grand prix of the season at Albert Park. “It’s not only about the pace of the car, we need to make sure we are reliable without any issues. “When you’re fighting for a championship and especially, you know, when it looks like it’s just between two cars, we have to make sure that also the two cars are reliable.” Perez reeled off a masterful triumph in Saudi Arabia to hold off his teammate and convert pole position to his first win of the season and fifth overall. Team boss Christian Horner called it his best-ever drive, and the Mexican intends to keep the pressure on Verstappen in Australia. “I don’t know if it’s my best weekend so far with the team, but I’m sure Melbourne will be even better,” he said. “At the moment, I am feeling very comfortable with the car.” The real battle Sunday is likely to be among the best of the rest, with veteran Fernando Alonso in prime position in his improved Aston Martin. The 41-year-old Spaniard, who won in Australia 17 years ago in a Renault, finished third in Jeddah to clock the 100th podium of his career – only the sixth driver to achieve the feat. Starting second, he led briefly before the Red Bulls kicked in, and he knows a mistake is needed from Verstappen or Perez to win his first Formula One race in a decade. “We need some help from them, but it will happen eventually when they cannot finish always first and second,” said the two-time world champion, who believes his car was better in Jeddah than the season-opening race at Bahrain. A flawless Charles Leclerc led all the way for a commanding win in Australia last year, but it has been a sobering start to the year for Ferrari as they struggle with power and reliability issues. Leclerc managed only seventh in Jeddah, leaving the team with their work cut out. But Mercedes took positives from the last race, where George Russell came fourth and seventime world champion Lewis Hamilton fifth. “I think we saw some performance gains to Bahrain, which is encouraging,” said team chief Toto Wolff. “It shows us that the development trajectory is going in the right direction.” – AFP Fans pooh-pooh plan to change F1 race schedule FORMULA 1 fans have reacted with mostly dismay after the prospect of practice sessions being cancelled in the future was raised by F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali. A normal race weekend consists of three one-hour practice sessions, two on Friday and one on Saturday prior to qualifying, with the race on Sunday. But Domenicali, with a view to attracting more competition when cars are on track, says he supports the cancellation of free practice and “a lot of things are on the table” with a view to change the race weekend schedule in the future. Six of the 23 race meets this season are sprint weekends where the schedule will consist of one hour of practice on Friday, followed by qualifying, with a second practice on Saturday prior to the sprint race and the normal grand prix on Sunday. “I am a supporter of the cancellation of free practice sessions which are of great use to the engineers, but that the public doesn’t like,” Domenicali told Portuguese outlet SportTV. “We are putting a lot of things on the table. A lot of people say no, but we have seen on some occasions the beauty (of mixed grids), more overtaking.” Reaction on social media from F1 fans has been mostly negative, with one noting: “Really bad idea. Asking for reliability issues during races” while another simply quipped: “Devastating.” – The Independent No way back for Ricciardo DANIEL RICCIARDO’S downturn in form last year was due to spending “too much time on activities out of the co*ckpit rather than it” according to 1980 Formula 1 world champion Alan Jones. Having made his F1 debut in 2011, popular Australian driver Ricciardo lost his seat at McLaren last year after a sudden drop in form, particularly compared to teammate Lando Norris. The 33-year-old’s place at McLaren was taken by compatriot and 2021 F2 champion Oscar Piastri. While Piastri will be racing in the Australian Grand Prix this weekend at Albert Park for the first time, Ricciardo will be watching on from the sidelines having joined Red Bull as a third driver after his McLaren exit. Yet Jones, Australia’s last F1 world champion, has his own theory as to why Ricciardo’s results dipped. “I just think he went off the boil,” Jones told the Herald Sun. “I think he concentrated and spent a bit too much time for his activities out of the co*ckpit rather than in it.” Jones added that he doesn’t see a route for Ricciardo back into Formula 1. “I don’t think he will get a drive at Red Bull unless something happens to the two current drivers,” Jones said. “I doubt (he will be on the grid in 2024)… I just can’t see him getting back into Formula 1.” – Express Newspapers █ KIERAN JACKSON Red Bull’s Max Verstappen applauds on the podium after finishing second in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. – REUTERSPIX
23 * SPORTS theSUN ON THURSDAY | MARCH 30, 2023 /thesundaily FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK SCAN ME Magnificent Saka Young Gun having better year than Haaland, says England legend Pierce BUKAYO SAKA’S scintillating form for both club and country is eclipsing Erling Haaland’s remarkable debut season in English football and should see him crowned Premier League Player of the Year, according to England legend Stuart Pearce. Arsenal starlet Saka, 21, has been a driving force in the Gunners’ bid to win a first Premier League title since 2004 and starred for Gareth Southgate’s impressive Three Lions over the recent international break. Saka set up Harry Kane for his 55th international goal against Ukraine on Sunday before netting a rocket from outside the box to double the lead before the break. And Pearce, who earned 78 caps for his country and starred at both the 1990 World Cup and Euro 96, believes Saka’s performances should see him clinch the season’s ultimate individual accolade ahead of Haaland, who has racked up a haul of 42 goals across all competitions. “I think he has been magnificent,” said Pearce. “Manchester City fans will say Haaland but I think Saka has been the main driving reason why Arsenal are where they are in the division. “I was asked before the World Cup who I thought would win it and I said Arsenal, and I am sticking by that now. “They lost (Gabriel) Jesus, and people thought there would be a problem, but they have been seamless. “The big game is when they go to Manchester City, that will be critical for the run-in. This weekend Arsenal have a reasonable game and City play Liverpool, so it is a key weekend. It’s brilliant to watch them to go head-to-head.” Saka’s dazzling performance at Wembley capped a perfect international break for Southgate’s side, who also earned an impressive 2- 1 win against Italy away in Naples. Pearce was part of the last England side that won in Naples as part of the famous Italia 90 team that squeezed past Cameroon 3-2 almost 33 years ago. And the former full-back was particularly impressed with the first half showing as the Three Lions got their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign off to the perfect start. “Italy away, first game is a real tough one. From my experience being an international manager, it’s not the ideal one. You normally want to put some points on the board first,” he added. “To go there, win the game, set the performance that they did in the first half, it puts them in charge of the group. “The Italians started the game very well, the first five minutes they were really on the front foot and the thing that really impressed me the most about the performance was how they wrestled momentum away from the Italians, and dominated the game after that. “To actually deliver a performance like that, against a team ranked above us, is good because our performances against teams ranked above us needs to be better. “There will be a little bit of frustration and a sense of unfinished business. It was maybe a missed opportunity in Qatar. “But the experience from that, in a year and a half’s time in Germany, it will be a fantastic tournament to be involved in. “We have put ourselves in a fantastic place in the group, need to make sure we qualify and then go from there.” – The Independent Spurs chief calls for calm TOTTENHAM managing director Fabio Paratici has urged players not to allow speculation over the identity of Antonio Conte’s replacement to be a distraction. Spurs are looking for a new manager after parting company with Conte on Sunday night. The Italian’s former assistant Cristian Stellini has been placed in charge for the rest of the season with Ryan Mason as his deputy, but numerous names have been linked with the post long-term. Julian Nagelsmann, who was sacked by Bayern Munich last week, former Barcelona and Spain boss Luis Enrique and current Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi are among the most notable. Yet with change coming as the London club battle to hold onto their top-four place in the Premier League, Paratici has called for calm. “We have to be, everyone, focussed on the last part of the season,” he told the club’s website. “We do not speak about other coaches or follow the speculation in the media because it is just speculation. “We are focused. We are now concentrating on helping Cristian and helping the staff, Ryan, the players.” Spurs are currently fourth in the table but the competition for Champions League qualification spots is fierce. Newcastle trail by two points and have two games in hand. Liverpool and Brighton are seven points behind the Londoners but the Reds have also played two games fewer, while the Seagulls have three games in hand. “The Premier League always is tough,” said Paratici. “We have a lot of teams, a lot of clubs, really, really prepared about achieving this target but we will fight to achieve our target.” Conte’s exit came just over a week after an explosive press conference in which he criticised the players and the club’s hierarchy. Paratici said: “We know how difficult this season was for him personally. Gian Piero (Ventrone) and (Gianluca) Vialli died and then his surgery. “The club supported him a lot with it and everyone is close to each other but then we arrived in this mutual agreement, and I think the decision that we made was the right decision for everyone.” – The Independent Conte’s exit weighs heavy on Son TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR forward Son Heungmin said he was sorry to see manager Antonio Conte leave the club and feels responsible for the Italian’s exit after failing to replicate his excellent form from the previous campaign. “As a player, I am really sorry. He’s a world-class coach, and we had a great journey together,” Son said after South Korea’s 2-1 friendly loss to Uruguay in Seoul yesterday. “I should have played better. I feel responsible for his departure, because I haven’t helped the club all that much. I am grateful for what he’s done… He’s such a great coach and has so much experience. I will be rooting for him.” Messi shines for Argentina LIONEL MESSI surpassed the 100-goals mark for World Cup champions Argentina yesterday by scoring a hattrick in their 7-0 friendly win over Curacao. Argentina’s leading scorer reached a century of international goals when he opened the scoring after 20 minutes. “We will never stop celebrating and I think it’s fair and deserved,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni told reporters. “I hope there will be more (Messi goals), he deserves all the praise and it’s good that these goals had been on Argentine soil, that has a special value too.” Nicolas Gonzalez, Enzo Fernandez, Angel Di Maria and Gonzalo Montiel were the other goalscorers for the world champions. De Bruyne steers Red Devils past Germany A goal and two assists from Kevin De Bruyne lifted Belgium past struggling Euro 2024 hosts Germany, winning 3-2 in a friendly in Cologne yesterday. De Bruyne set up two goals to give his side a 2-0 lead inside 10 minutes, before scoring one of his own late in the second to deepen Germany’s woes ahead of next year’s European Championship on home soil. “Independent of the result, it is important how we perform in these friendly games,” said new Belgium coach Domenico Tedesco. “It’s not easy to play here.” Yannick Carrasco blasted the Red Devils in front after six minutes and Romelu Lukaku double the lead inside 10 minutes. Germany replied through Niclas Fullkrug but De Bruyne sealed the win with 10 minutes remaining. “We were too restrained, too passive, and we weren’t able to put the opponent under pressure,” Germany coach Hansi Flick told TV network RTL, saying “Belgium played mercilessly”. Trio qualify as Namibia shock Cameroon DEFENDING champions Senegal, South Africa and Burkina Faso qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations in matchday four yesterday while Namibia are close to joining them after a shock win over Cameroon. Reigning African Footballer of the Year Sadio Mane set up Boulaye Dia to score in the first half and give Senegal a 1-0 win over Mozambique in Maputo and an eightpoint Group L lead. Mihlali Mayambela pounced on a loose ball to score the winner as South Africa defeated Liberia 2-1 in Monrovia and join 2022 World Cup semifinalists Morocco as the Group K qualifiers. Burkina Faso needed one point from a visit to Togo to qualify and they drew 1-1 with Dango Ouattara giving the visiting side an early lead that Kodjo Laba cancelled out in Lome. Captain Peter Shalulile opened the scoring for Namibia, who replaced Cameroon as Group C table-toppers by winning 2-1 in Soweto near Johannesburg. █ JAMES REID EURO 2024 QUALIFIERS: Group A: Georgia 1 (Mikautadze 60) Norway 1 (Sorloth 15), Scotland 2 (McTominay 7, 51) Spain 0. Group D: Turkey 0 Croatia 2 (Kovacic 20, 45+4), Wales 1 (Moore 41) Latvia 0. Group I: Kosovo 1 (Zhegrova 59) Andorra 1 (Rosas 61), Switzerland 3 (Vargas 39, Amdouni 48, Widmer 52) Israel 0, Romania 2 (Stanciu 17, Burca 19) Belarus 1 (Marozau 86). AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS QUALIFIERS: Group B: Togo 1 Burkina Faso 1, Eswatini 0 Cape Verde 1. Group C: Namibia 2 Cameroon 1. Group D: Malawi 0 Egypt 4. SIDENETTING RESULTS Bukayo Saka
theSun is published and printed by Sun Media Corporation Sdn Bhd (221220-K) of Lot 6, Jalan 51/217, 46050 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Tel: 03-7784 6688 Fax: 03-7783 7435 • Tel (Editorial): 03-7784 6688 Fax: 03-7785 2624/5 Email: [emailprotected] • Tel (Advertising): 03-7784 8888 Fax: 03-7784 4424 Email: [emailprotected] I think he has been magnificent. Manchester City fans will say (Erling) Haaland but I think (Bukayo) Saka has been the main driving reason why Arsenal are where they are in the division. I was asked before the World Cup who I thought would win it and I said Arsenal.” England legend Stuart Pearce QUOTE OF THE DAY THURSDAY • MARCH 30, 2023 Page hails four-point start as Wales hold off Latvia WALES manager Robert Page declared it a case of “job done” after his team continued a promising start to their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign by beating Latvia 1-0 in Cardiff. Kieffer Moore’s first-half header made the difference, with the victory following a 1-1 draw away to Croatia three days ago. It gave Wales four points out of a possible six, with Moore’s 10th international goal separating the sides. “We knew the challenges we were going to be up against,” Page said. “We got a point in Croatia and and have then won the home game, so it’s job done. “We created chances to win that game comfortably, and we nullified their threat. “We know the importance of Kieffer. He played 90-odd minutes for us and the goal was excellent. “We won’t get carried away. It is a great start for us. It’s an eight-game season, and the first two games have gone really well for us. There is a good energy in the changing room.” Wales’ next qualifying game is at home to group minnows Armenia in June, leaving Page with plenty of time to reflect on a strong opening in the quest for a place at next year’s finals in Germany. “The way the players trained this week, and the build-up to Croatia, was very good,” Page said. “The first steps were on Saturday night, and we played a certain way again tonight. We knew we had to be patient with the ball, and I think everyone could see the energy within the team. “We have got strength in depth, and there are great additions to come back into it.” Gareth Bale was given a rousing send-off by Wales supporters before the game following his retirement from football in January, having flown in from his Los Angeles home. And Page added: “Gareth was with us last night. He had an evening meal with us, and he came in to see the lads before the game. “He had his moment with the supporters, and rightly so. It would have been really special for him.” The former Real Madrid star was introduced to the crowd before kick-off as fans sang Viva Gareth Bale – the song that became synonymous with his Wales career. “I just want to say what an honour it has been to represent my country and play in front of the best fans in the world,” said Bale. “You’ve supported me and my family through the lowest of lows and the highest of highs. “It’s been a pleasure to play in front of you throughout my whole career. “You make it so special to what it is today and I will be cheering on like you. I will see you see some time in the future.” Goalscorer Moore, whose powerful header took him to double figures for international goals, believes it was vital Wales followed up their draw in Croatia with a victory. “I was delighted to get on the score sheet but main thing is we have come away with three points,” he told S4C. “We put in a very rigid and tough performance against Croatia to come out with a point and to back that up today with another three points is massive for us. “We have got a great start now we have just got to keep building on It. We’ve got new faces in the building and it is looking very good for us.” Latvia head coach Dainis Kazakevics, meanwhile, had no qualms with the result after his side began their qualifying series on a losing note. “Wales were stronger,” he said. “While we could have done better, they had more possession and chances. “Moore and (Aaron) Ramsey were two of the players we had identified before the game and, along with their wingers, were the main threats. In our preparations, we gave them most attention. “We cannot be satisfied with the result.” – The Independent Great Scots McTominay scores twice against Spain as Clarke’s side remember how to dream again A NIGHT beyond the wildest of imaginations for Scotland, and a recurring nightmare for this new Spain. If it feels like Hampden has been designed for nights like this, a bearpit of an arena where former champions can be slayed, this may have been its reawakening under Steve Clarke. While Spain looked like a shadow of their former selves, Scotland executed their plan and played the occasion to perfection. Spain were rattled and then crumbled; a new era suffering its first setback. A famous night in Glasgow and Scotland’s first win against Spain since 1984 was marked by a double from Scott McTominay. There were assists for Andy Robertson and Kieran Tierney, Scotland’s two left backs working wonderfully in tandem, as well as the Hampden pitch. Pedro Porro’s costly slip was the beginning of Spain’s unravelling but Scotland seized their chance. John McGinn and Callum McGregor were outstanding alongside McTominay in midfield – even as Scotland saw much less of the ball than the visitors. The last time Spain arrived at Hampden they were the newly crowned World Cup winners but, in Luis de la Fuente’s second match in charge, their decline in the 13 years since was evident. Spain made eight changes from Saturday’s 3-0 win against Norway, starting with only two players with more than 20 international caps, but a new team suffered the same old problems. This wasn’t the horror of Morocco unfolding again but it was more humbling. On a damp and heavy night in the south side of Glasgow, this was like getting ganged up on in a car park. “I’m delighted with the performance,” Clarke told Viaplay after the final whistle. “I thought the players were outstanding from first minute to last. “The dynamic, enthusiasm and quality of the team didn’t change. It’s a big night, it feels like a step forward, but it’s only six points and you don’t qualify with six points. “One bad game can set you back, so we stay focused and keep our feet on the ground.” Spain had 67% of the possession, but Scotland managed more attempts on goal in the game, nine to the visitors’ eight. “We didn’t have an awful lot of possession, but what we did have, we used very, very well,” Clarke said. “The defensive shape’s good, the distance between the units was really good, which stops a large part of Spain’s game. “When you look at the stats, you know you’ve been out-passed, but when you look at the shots on goal, shots on target – it’s almost equal. It means we utilised the ball very well when we had it, which is obviously pleasing.” Clarke will take time to digest the result before thinking ahead to Scotland’s next matches in June, away in Norway and home to Georgia. “I’ll have a couple of quiet days to calm down, and then we start preparing for two big games, because June could be a pivotal month for us,” he said. Scotland captain Andy Robertson hailed yesterday’s victory over Spain as the culmination of a return to former glories under Clarke. “We had belief,” said Liverpool leftback Robertson. “When the gaffer took over that was what was lacking. There was a disconnect between players and fans. “Let me tell you, playing in front of a full crowd makes a massive difference, but you’ve got to back it up with performances.” Spain coach De la Fuente was left to rue two defensive errors that cost his side but refused to blame his players for the defeat. “It’s a painful defeat,” De la Fuente told Teledeporte. “Analysing the game, I think early on we have done things well enough to change the result. “I’ll keep those positives, but there’s still a lot to improve. I’m happy with the attitude of the boys. “At this high level, any mistake costs you. But you shouldn’t blame the players. It serves as an experience that any small incident tilts the balance of the match.” – The Independent/ AFP/Reuters Scott McTominay (left) celebrates scoring Scotland’s second goal with Kieran Tierney during the Euro 2024 qualifiying Group A match against Spain yesterday. – REUTERSPIX
