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Discussion
on moratorium
Government to
discuss request for Wednesday 15 september 2021 • PP19652/12/2020 (035234) (No. 22644) RM1.60 • 1300-88-7827 (Customer Service)
automatic loan
repayment
moratorium. >9

Nation Campuses ready to receive students when they reopen on Oct 15. >3

They are just like us,
a parent or a child,

with a responsibility

They of fending off the
Covid-19 pandemic.
The personal
relationships
developed between

are doctor and patient
amid the fragility of
the situation reflects
the toll of the

one pandemic on them.
> See report by
IMRAN HILMY

of us on page 4

Bernama

2 Nation THE STAR, Wednesday 15 september 2021

Hamzah: We seek high quality MM2H participants

KUALA LUMPUR: Criteria revi- “That is why focus is given to by the Tourism, Arts and Culture the peninsula and Sabah and who’s threatening security ... You
sion for the Malaysia My Second security aspects for the MM2H pro- Ministry, Hamzah said the matter Sarawak was due to the special pro- can’t apply it as a broad principle,
Home (MM2H) programme was gramme. In order to spur economic was decided during the Pakatan visions outlined under Sections 64 most of them are tourists,” she said,
done to attract high quality partici- activities, let us attract those that Harapan government, and not and 65 of the Immigration Act adding that in her Segambut con-
pants who are genuine and can are of high quality,” he said in reply under the current administration. 1959/63, pertaining to the managing stituency, many expatriates had
contribute positively to economic to a supplementary question from of immigration affairs and the entry lived for years in Desa Park City,
growth, says Datuk Seri Hamzah Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik According to Hamzah, there were of foreigners, among others, into Mont Kiara and Hartamas.
Zainudin. (PH-Balik Pulau) during Minister’s more than 34,000 active principals the states.
Question Time. under the MM2H programme. “When you suddenly want to do a
The Home Minister said there “However, I will sit down togeth- review, you frighten people. These
had been improvements to the cur- The revised terms and require- “From the total, 27,894 are in the er with the Sabah and Sarawak people will relocate and it will affect
rent procedures for new partici- ments of MM2H introduced by the MM2H programme, while there are state governments to standardise rental properties which are owned
pants of the MM2H programme, Federal Government effective 6,423 initial Silver-Haired the programme across the country by Malaysians, as well as business
including stricter measures for October include an increase in the Programme participants,” he said. to ensure there will be no issues such as food and beverage outlets
security purposes. minimum monthly income (derived raised on two sets of rules between and international schools,” said
from offshore sources) to RM40,000; The Silver-Haired Programme the peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak,” Yeoh.
However, he stressed that for minimum fixed deposit of RM1mil; was introduced in 1987 for those he added.
previous participants, it would be minimum liquidity requirement of who were at least 55 years old, and She said major changes in poli-
decided based on a case-to-case RM1.5mil; yearly visa fee of RM500; was originally offered only to Meanwhile, at a separate press cies by the government should be
basis due to the security aspect. and reduction of the visa duration nationals of Japan and Western conference in the Parliament build- discussed with the relevant MPs.
to five years. Europe with periods of stay ranging ing, Hannah Yeoh (PH-Segambut)
“Some of them are disguising as from five to 10 years. said the issue of security should not Watch the video
MM2H participants, but they are Asked whether the government be used to broadly review the
actually using it (Malaysia) as a had any intention to allow the Earlier, to the original question, MM2H programme. TheStarTV.com
transit only, and carry out unwant- MM2H programme to be handled Hamzah explained that the reason
ed activities. behind the different policies for the “Police should know by now
MM2H and immigration between

PM: Lockdown no longer feasible
more sectors allowed to reopen to ease strain on economy and rakyat

KUALA LUMPUR: More economic sectors One of the NRP from Aug 16, including car Replies from the floor: Ismail sabri answering questions from mps during the fourth
are allowed to reopen as the lockdown move wash, electrical and electronics shops, cloth- session of the 14th parliament in Kuala Lumpur. — bernama
is no longer feasible as it is feared that it can ing, fashion and accessories shops, goldsmith
have more negative implications, including shops, barbers, as well as beauty centres and salons and car wash shops which had sparked Muhyiddin has been chairing the meetings
on the mental health of Malaysians, says hair salons. little to no known cases or clusters through- since the NRC was formed and therefore, was
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri out 2020. chosen as chair for the sake of continuity.
Yaakob. To a supplementary question from Mohd
Salim whether the decision to reopen the “Based on data like these, we focused on ThWeaStctahrtThVe .vcidoemo
He said the reopening of the sectors would sectors had taken into consideration the risks reopening certain sectors,” he said.
not only help speed up economic recovery of Covid-19 infection for the unvaccinated
but also give the people the opportunity to population aged 17 and below, Ismail Sabri To Saifuddin’s question on why former
improve their livelihoods. said the responsibility lies with everyone to prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was
maintain discipline and self-control to chosen to head the National Recovery Council
“The reopening of 11 economic sectors in prevent themselves, their families and their (NRC), Ismail Sabri this was because
states under Phase One of the National communities from being infected by the
Recovery Plan (NRP) was appropriate due to virus.
the high vaccination rates in the states.
“When we reopen (the economic sectors),
“The government made the decision after we see people beginning to flock to holiday
taking into consideration data from the risk destinations and some are not even wearing
assessments conducted by the Health Ministry face masks.
and the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs
Ministry,” he said in reply to Datuk Mohd “The future of our country, in terms of
Salim Sharif (BN-Jempol) who questioned the Covid-19, depends on us.
government’s move to reopen economic sec-
tors amid high daily Covid-19 cases. “We cannot depend on the vaccine alone.
Self-control is very important or all our efforts
Ismail Sabri also said that 74.7% of will be in vain,” he said.
Malaysia’s adult population had been fully
vaccinated while 91.6% has received at least To a question by Datuk Seri Saifuddin
the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. Nasution Ismail (PH-Kulim Bandar Baharu)
on why the government relaxed social and
He added that the sectors were reopened economic restrictions despite the death toll
with strict compliance to standard operating hovering at three-digit figures daily, the Prime
procedure, including allowing in only fully Minister maintained that the decision was
vaccinated customers and having only fully done based on science and data.
vaccinated workers on duty.
He added that Covid-19 clusters from the 11
A total of 11 types of economic activities recently reopened economic sectors were
were allowed to resume operations in Phase few, citing the example of barbers, beauty

THE STAR, Wednesday 15 september 2021 Nation 3

Varsities open for admission
strict protocols in place when fully vaxxed students return to campus

By REBECCA RAJAENDRAM Top marks: staff members busy cleaning and sanitising campus pus depend on the campus’ capacity Those returning to campuses in
[email protected] facilities in preparation for physical classes resuming. and those present will have to Peninsular Malaysia only require a
PETALING JAYA: Campuses across adhere to strict SOP to curb the permission letter from their HEIs
the nation will reopen on Oct 15 second dose of either the Pfizer, Noraini said students who could spread of the virus. while HEIs in Sabah, Sarawak and
with tighter standard operating AstraZeneca or Sinovac vaccines, or not be vaccinated because of health Labuan are subject to the SOP
procedures but only for fully vacci- 28 days after one dose of the reasons should contact their respec- “This is a step towards ensuring enforced by the respective state
nated students and staff. Johnson & Johnson or CanSino vac- tive institutions for coordination. the environment is safe and herd governments.
cines. immunity on campus,” she said.
At the same time, Higher “The numbers allowed on cam- “Students must obtain a permis-
Education Minister Datuk Dr Noraini said 66% of students and sion letter to cross state/district
Noraini Ahmad said the ministry 90% of HEI academic and non-aca- from the Royal Malaysia Police and
would give a 20% fee reduction demic staff were currently fully must undergo the RT-PCR swab
worth RM175mil to benefit 555,340 vaccinated with the ministry pro- test,” said Noraini.
public higher education institution jecting to have everyone fully vacci-
students for Semester One of the nated by the end of October. The test can be done for free at
2021/2022 academic session to ease government health clinics for stu-
their financial burden. She added that the ministry was dents.
working with the Covid-19
“The admission of fully vaccinat- Immunisation Taskforce (CITF) to She also said HEIs were encour-
ed students into the higher educa- speed up the vaccine rates for the aged to set up isolation centres to
tion institutions (HEIs) involves all campus fraternity before HEIs open manage those with Covid-19 symp-
categories of students and all their gates next month. toms.
National Recovery Plan phases with
priority given to students in need,” “Therefore, I call on all HEIs stu- “Hybrid learning will continue
she said yesterday during the dents and staff who have not yet even when campuses resume oper-
announcement of the SOP for HEIs. been vaccinated to do so immedi- ations.
ately,” she said, adding that they
Students in need include those could walk into any vaccination “For courses or programmes con-
who are required to do clinical or centre. ducted online, students can choose
practical training, or access to facil- to learn online in their respective
ities available only on campus. “They just need to show their localities.
student or staff card and their
A person is considered fully vac- MyKad.” “Activities involving laboratories,
cinated 14 days after receiving the workshops, studios and research
New students will need to pres- (on campus) can be carried out in
ent their MyKad together with their groups, guided by the established
offer letter. SOP,” said Noraini.

Higher education sector to focus on safety and health

By SANDHYA MENON Asia Pacific University of Technology atives from private HEIs, student MKN to be vaccinated. These are in three phases, based on the updat-
[email protected] & Innovation chief executive representative council and student the group of students who will be ed SOP.
PETALING JAYA: Higher educa- officer. union/association representatives,” joining pre-university courses, such
tion institutions (HEIs) are ready to she said. as foundation and diploma. UPM’s 2021/2022 academic year,
adhere to the strict standard operat- He also said students, who are he said, starts on Oct 18.
ing procedures when their students waiting to complete their practical The National Association of “Even if most students or all stu-
return in stages from Oct 15 to con- work, can now do so in their cam- Private Educational Institutions dents are vaccinated, we still cannot “In the first phase, we will allow
tinue and complete their studies. puses, which was previously not (Napei) welcomed the updated SOP, allow all of them to return due to 25% of students to be on campus;
possible on a remote basis. stating it was an important step so the SOP and each HEIs capacity,” these are clinical students, interns,
Malaysian Association of Private as to allow students to return to said its president Elajsolan Mohan, teaching practicums, students who
Colleges and Universities (Mapcu) Yesterday, Higher Education campuses to continue with face-to- adding that HEIs must ensure that need to use the Internet and those
president Datuk Dr Parmjit Singh Minister Datuk Seri Dr Noraini face learning. those outside the HEI ecosystem, who require special assistance in
said they are ready to abide by the Ahmad said HEIs will reopen in such as vendors and visitors, must their learning.
SOP which is designed for the safety stages starting Oct 15, involving all “During our discussion with the be fully vaccinated before they are
of all students and staff. categories of HEI students who are minister, we suggested that stu- allowed in the campus. This is to “Phase two will be in mid-No-
fully vaccinated, in all phases of the dents who are yet to receive their create a ‘campus bubble’,” he vember, where another 35% will be
“At the same time, over the last 18 National Recovery Plan. student IDs be allowed to use their added. allowed back. These are students
months, we have become familiar offer letters to access vaccination who require labs, studios and
with all the protocols in managing a “This decision was made during a centres to get their vaccines. Universiti Putra Malaysia deputy on-site work.
safe environment and are deter- discussion session with the National vice-chancellor (academic and
mined to ensure that no clusters Security Council (MKN) and Health “What we hope will be addressed international) Prof Dr M. Iqbal “Meanwhile, the last phase will
emerge,” said Parmjit, who is the Ministry as well as HEI manage- is allowing students who have not Saripan said the varsity will be begin in mid-December where
ment involving vice-chancellors, attained the age of 18 due to their allowing students back to campus another 10%-20% will be allowed
deputy vice-chancellors, represent- date of birth, to get approval from back,” he said, adding that the rest
will continue studying online.

4 Nation THE STAR, Wednesday 15 september 2021

Docs have chance to take a breather

Vaccine stems the tide and paves the way to a meaningful malaysia day

KUALA LUMPUR: On Aug 31, staff to cope with the sudden rise of “During that time, the remains of unborn child as only one life could Mizan, who had been involved in
frontliners battled on to save lives Covid-19 patients at the hospital. Covid-19 Muslim patients were be saved. ferrying Covid-19 patients since the
ravaged by Covid-19. They could managed in three stages in a day; first wave, said he had initially iso-
not join the 64th National Day cele- “Furthermore, the virus was still noon, evening and night. We need- “These are tragic situations, and lated himself from his family for
bration in Putrajaya but from new to us, hence we had to fre- ed the strength of two men to it isn’t easy to watch a newborn fear of “infecting” them with the
where ever they were, the frontlin- quently change the procedures,” he retrieve the bodies from the storage child without the mother or the deadly virus.
ers paid tribute to Malaysia by giv- said, noting that as a result of the container and make arrangements mother’s loss of her baby.
ing their all. two-dose policy under PICK, hospi- for burials,” he shared. “I decided to stay away from
tal admissions to the intensive care “Let us rally together and do our them during the first wave as a pre-
Tomorrow, Sabah is set to host unit as well as fatalities had shown Dr Muhammad Firdaus Mat Noh, best to achieve our goals of freeing caution amidst my busy schedule,”
the Malaysia Day celebration in full a declining trend. from the Obstetrics and Gynaecology the nation from the pandemic he said.
compliance with the standard oper- Department of Hospital Enche’ despite the challenges,” he said.
ating procedures. “It is heartening for us frontlin- Besar Hajjah Kalsom in Kluang, HKL sports medicine physician
ers,” he said. Johor, said the pandemic demands Klinik Kesihatan Kuala Lumpur Dr Kamaljeet Singh said the pan-
The National Covid-19 that doctors work beyond their ambulance driver Mizan Ahmad demic brought people together in a
Immunisation Programme (PICK) HKL forensic pathologist Dr expertise. Fadzil said he would usually try to new way.
has given people reasons to be opti- Ahmad Hafizam Hasmi said follow- reduce the anxiety and fear of
mistic for the future, said Hospital ing the implementation of PICK, He said they had to handle child- Covid-19 patients, especially chil- “What’s special this time is that
Kuala Lumpur (HKL) physician Dr frontliners could now afford to take births involving Covid-19 patients dren, in their hour of need. Malaysians from all walks of life,
Mohd Fadhli Zil Ikram Karim. a breather given the dramatic drop in personal protective equipment regardless of race and religion, are
in the number of brought-in-dead (PPE). To comfort young patients, he united in the fight against the pan-
“We are now seeing the light at cases. would cheer them up by masking demic,” he said.
the end of the tunnel. The effective- “We have to save two lives, the up as superhero “Iron Man”.
ness of the vaccine dispensed He said since the third wave of mother and the unborn child. The Sharing his sentiments, Dr
through PICK is showing positive the pandemic, he and his team that delivery process is done through “Covid-19 patients experience Ahmad Hafizam said: “Malaysia
effects,” he said. included volunteers, had been caesarean, the best surgical proce- considerable levels of fear and anx- can only win this war against Covid-
working daily without any rest as dure that we recommend to pre- iety as they are wheeled into the 19 if we keep our focus, work
Dr Mohd Fadhli said at the start the remains of Covid-19 patients vent the transmission of Covid-19,” ambulance. I thought of wearing together and shoulder equal
of the pandemic, frontliners who needed to be treated with urgency he added. the superhero mask to comfort responsibility.”
had to cope with the unrelenting and in an orderly manner. young patients to motivate them to
surge in cases, experienced physical However, Dr Muhammad Firdaus recover from the infection. “We are close to achieving victo-
exhaustion as they had been work- In fact, Dr Ahmad Hafizam said, said, the situation could be heart- ry. Defeating Covid-19 demands a
ing tirelessly to help stem the tide. they used to receive and keep 200 breaking – when doctors had to “In fact, I used to get special collective effort under one
bodies at one time at HKL’s one-stop choose between the mother and her requests from parents of Covid-19 ‘Malaysian Family’. We will tri-
“We were then short of beds and mortuary centre. patients who wanted ‘Iron Man’ to umph,” he said. — Bernama
take them to the hospital,” he said.

Tearful goodbyes over lost battles in pandemic fight

By IMRAN HILMY
[email protected]

GEORGE TOWN: It has been a Intensive care: a nurse attending to a Covid-19 patient at penang Hospital. (right) dr mak
heart-rending time for doctors like drenched in sweat after removing her ppe.
Dr Sophie Mak Yi Hong, who saw
how Covid-19 patients fought their Uncle Ong, 74, was conscious but bing and introduced them to me. months ago, Dr Mak said the situa- patients but those who are young
battle until they drew their last lethargic during the video call she “He kept saying thank you while tion at Penang Hospital had wors- with no history of illnesses.
breath. arranged. The family confirmed he ened considerably.
was their missing family member. holding my hands. We tried our Dr Mak, who is a Universiti
“I had a patient whose last words best, but he died the next day. I felt “From only three Covid-19 wards, Malaya graduate, also discovered to
to me were ‘doctor, save me’,” said “Six hours later, he died,” said Dr really, really bad that I couldn’t save we now have 12 and several low her dismay, that many patients
Dr Mak. Mak. him,” she said. risk centres. Last time, most patients were unvaccinated because they
got well but now, many more can- were choosy about vaccines.
And she often had to steel herself In another case, a 60-year-old Every day when Dr Mak, 27, goes not see their families again.
for the final moments between the Uncle Yeap was admitted with an to work, she knows she would see “You can make a difference to our
patient and the family. oxygen level of just 70%. more pain and deaths. “Now, we count our oxygen ports nation by just getting vaccinated.”
every day because most of the
Dr Mak related the case of a Dr Mak braced herself as she “I had a patient who wanted to patients need it,” she told The Star. “If you have symptoms, be
stroke victim, identified as Uncle made a video call on his behalf, only give up because his wife died of responsible and quarantine your-
Tan, who had been infected with to discover that Uncle Yeap’s son Covid-19. When we reminded him Dr Mak caught public attention self, follow the standard operating
the virus. was her schoolmate. of his children, he fought bravely when her posts on her experience procedures and stop disseminating
but he died in the end.” on the front lines appeared on fake news about Covid-19,” she said.
Uncle Tan, 64, could only move She felt a pang in her heart then. social media, including in the Docs
his left leg. Doctors knew his chanc- “Uncle Yeap held my arm. He was Another patient told her he was on Vacay Facebook page which Dr Mak has an older brother who
es were slim and quickly arranged suffocating. He asked me not to scared and asked if he was going to belongs to a fellow frontliner Dr Iise is also a doctor in a health clinic in
video calls for him to speak to his show his family the bad condition die because he wanted to see his Chew. Cheroh, Pahang, who is in charge of
loved ones in Singapore and the he was in. wife and children again. the vaccination initiative for Orang
United Kingdom. “But when his sisters and wife According to her, she said the Asli in Raub. She has a younger
joined the video call, he started sob- As a young contract doctor illness now kills not only high-risk brother as well.
He cried his heart out during the assigned to the Covid-19 ward five
call. Uncle Tan could not utter a
word and the only response he
could give was to twitch his left leg
vigorously.

Dr Mak said she could see that
Uncle Tan had so much to say, but
all he could do was listen to his son
promising to get him durians when
he could return from Singapore.

Uncle Tan died five days later on
Sept 8.

Another sorrowful situation
involved a patient, Uncle Ong, who
was also warded at the Penang
Hospital with severe Covid-19.

Initially, Dr Mak could not get
details of his next-of-kin.

“While searching for his back-
ground, I saw a post on Facebook
about a family looking for a man
who went missing for two days,”
she recalled.

The MyKad photo in the post
resembled Uncle Ong, so Dr Mak
tried her luck and made contact.

WEATHER PRAYER TIMES

GEORGE TOWN K. LUMPUR JOHOR BARU KOTA BARU K. KINABALU KUCHING ALOR SETAR PENANG K. LUMPUR JOHOR BARU KUANTAN KOTA BARU
Subuh 6:01 Subuh 6:01 Subuh 5:57 Subuh 5:49 Subuh 5:54
No rain No rain Isolated No rain Zohor 1:16 Zohor 1:16 Zohor 1:11 Zohor 1:03 Subuh 5:52 Zohor 1:09
thunderstorms No rain Asar 4:21 Asar 4:20 Asar 4:12 Asar 4:04 Asar 4:14
AM Rain No rain Maghrib 7:20 Maghrib 7:19 Maghrib 7:15 Maghrib 7:05 Zohor 1:06 Maghrib 7:12
Isyak 8:29 Isyak 8:28 Isyak 8:23 Isyak 8:14 Isyak 8:18
Asar 4:05

PM Rain Thunderstorms Thunderstorms Thunderstorms Isolated Maghrib 7:08
thunderstorms
Isyak 8:17

THE STAR, Wednesday 15 september 2021 5

6 Nation THE STAR, Wednesday 15 september 2021

Covid-19 NMeawlacyassiae:s cTaosteasl recToovtaelred IVNAMCCAILNAAYTSEIDA TOTAL DOSES FULLY
ADMINISTERED VACCINATED
Current situation 15,669 2,011,440 1,764,579 (+18,053 ) As at 11:59pm Sept 13
(Daily figures in brackets) 38,990,335 17,480,766
(227,147) (157,912)

Perlis Kedah Penang Perak Selangor Kelantan Terengganu Pahang N. Sembilan Melaka Johor Sabah Sarawak K. LuFmT pur PutFraTjaya LaFbTuan

+30 +1,207 +1,651 +856 +2,632 +1,406 +483 +763 +143 +329 +1,974 +1,784 +1,983 +411 +14 +3

Simplified SOPs expected soon

Govt plans to reduce nrp dos and don’ts to 10 for easier understanding

By JOSEPH KAOS Jr “We spoke about this, and we feel must be tested before arriving in
and AUSTIN CAMOENS that there are many risks we need Langkawi.
[email protected] to consider. We need to look at what
activities we want to allow. There’s “We hope there won’t be a spike
KUALA LUMPUR: The frustration Press briefing: Hishammuddin speaking at parliament yesterday. With also the issue of states being in dif- in cases (in Langkawi). If there are,
of having to scour through a com- him are (from left) tan sri dr noor Hisham abdullah, annuar, Khairy and ferent phases. we need to make sure we have ade-
plex web of Covid-19 dos and don’ts tengku Zafrul. — bernama quate hospital capacity and so on.”
will be a thing of the past once a “It is not that simple and it would
more simplified version of standard ence in Parliament yesterday. the transition into the endemic be irresponsible if we just reopened On another matter,
operating procedures (SOPs) is He was speaking after a meeting phase. borders fully. Hishammuddin who is also Defence
introduced, says Senior Minister Minister, said he will liaise with
Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein. with Health Minister Khairy “The four of us have principally “But we are considering these Wisma Putra over the terrorism
Jamaluddin, Finance Minister Datuk agreed on several Covid-19 relaxa- relaxations because of people’s threat travel advisory released by
He said currently, there are 181 Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz and tions, and this will be presented to mental well-being as they have the Japanese embassy to its citizens
National Recovery Plan SOPs and Communications and Multimedia the Prime Minister, and he will been under lockdown for too long.” in Malaysia.
the government is reducing them to Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa. decide when to announce them,” he
just 10. added. Hishammuddin said it is now up “I am aware of the travel adviso-
Hishammuddin said the meeting to the Tourism, Arts and Culture ry and have been briefed by our
“I think it will be easier for the had several agendas which centred He added that the meeting also Ministry to show that the travel military Intelligence on the issue.
public to understand the SOPs after on the easing of Covid-19 restric- discussed whether interstate travel bubble plan which is set to com-
we reduce them from 181 to about tions, the reopening of sectors and can be allowed. mence tomorrow is a good and safe “It leaned toward an issue on a
10. initiative. social media platform.

“The National Security Council “If Langkawi fails, we will not “The Inspector-General of Police
(NSC) said they can do this in two to open other new travel bubbles. has already made a statement on
three weeks. the matter. There is no basis at all
“So it is incumbent on the minis- related to terrorism,” he added
“We will get the Communications try to prove to us that they can
and Multimedia Ministry to implement it in Langkawi first, “In terms of real threat, I can ver-
announce the SOPs to the public before we open other destinations,” ify based on military intelligence
using available platforms. he said of the Langkawi travel bub- and the Inspector-General of Police
ble initiative. that there is no need to be worried,”
“The ministry will coordinate the he said.
announcements to ensure the infor- He added that he will meet
mation disseminated is consistent Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister ThWeaStctahrtThVe .vcidoemo
and easy for people to understand,” Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri to discuss
Hishamuddin told a press confer- the travel bubble SOPs. New cases by category
for Sept 14
New cases dip for the second day This includes whether travellers
PUTRAJAYA: The country’s Covid- Sarawak, which has been record- were mild to asymptomatic infec- trend, with 228,124 cases reported TOTAL CASES 15,669
19 cumulative cases have breached ing the highest number of cases in tions. on Monday, a reduction of 9,153
the two-million mark, with recent weeks, reported 1,983 new cases from the previous day. Category 1, 2
2,011,440 infections reported since cases. “A further 283 cases (1.8%) are in
the pandemic began last year. categories three, four and five,” he Of the total active cases, 82.7% are 15,386 (98.2%)
This is followed by Johor (1,974), said in a statement yesterday. patients with mild infections who
The number of new cases saw a Sabah (1,784), Penang (1,651), are undergoing home quarantine. Category 3, 4, 5
dip for a second day, with 15,669 Kelantan (1,406), Kedah (1,207), In the same 24-hour span, 18,053
reported yesterday, which was an Perak (856), Pahang (763), patients were discharged from About 5.7% are hospitalised, 283 (1.8%)
improvement compared to Terengganu (483), Kuala Lumpur treatment, bringing the cumulative while another 0.3% are in intensive
Monday’s 16,073 cases. (411), Melaka (328), Perlis (30), total of recoveries to 1,764,579. care. The national ICU utilisation Source: Health Ministry
Putrajaya (14), and Labuan (three). rate currently stands at 84.8%.
In the Klang Valley, new infections The Health Ministry also identi- graphics
totalled 3,057, with Selangor record- Health director-general Tan Sri fied 29 new clusters, taking the Kedah’s ICU utilisation is
ing 2,632 cases, followed by Kuala Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said of active number to 1,448. stretched to 123.1%, while
Lumpur (411) and Putrajaya (14). the 15,669 cases, 98.2% (or 15,386) Kelantan’s is struggling with a utili-
The number of active Covid-19 sation rate of 103.3%.
cases is also on the downward

Non Covid-19 patients assured of treatment, says Khairy

KUALA LUMPUR: While the war Specialist clinics and surgeons hospitals and the armed forces hos- viders will be mobilised to hospitals cal treatments to private hospitals
against the pandemic continues, are presently practising under pitals will be optimised under the that do not have specific proce- in order to reduce waiting time
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin extended operating hours to accom- “cluster hospital” concept, where dures, such as the vitreoretina among patients.
assures Malaysians that non-Cov- modate non-Covid-19 patients, he some hospitals will be used for cer- emergency service at the southern
id-19 patients will not be left out of added. tain procedures and surgeries. zone. “Outsourcing is done in phases
the public healthcare system. according to the needs and present
“The operating hours of specialist For example, the Tuanku Mizan Private vascular surgeons in abilities of the ministry based on
He said the Health Ministry has clinics and surgery theatres have Hospital is used for emergency cor- Johor are able to carry out vascular the criteria of cases.
never stopped or reduced services been extended until after work neal paediatric ophthalmology sur- surgeries, specifically called ‘rup-
to non Covid-19 patients, especially hours, including Saturdays,” he told gery. tured aortic aneurysm’,” he added. “Up till July 31, the Health
emergency and partial emergency S. Kesavan (PH-Sungai Siput). Ministry has cooperated with 76
cases. Khairy said Health Ministry spe- Khairy also said the government private hospitals and it involves
Khairy also said non-specialist cialists and private healthcare pro- has been outsourcing certain medi- 3,947 procedures,” he added.

Health Ministry to form rapid deployment unit to help with supplies

KUALA LUMPUR: The Health spike in Sabah by sending 480 oxy- having a surge in cases and needing Rakyat yesterday. the number of hospital beds
Ministry will be forming a rapid gen cylinders and 48 oxygen regula- extra oxygen supplies,” Khairy Shafie had asked what was the through the construction of new
deployment unit to send urgent tors on Sept 7. added. hospitals as well as the upgrading of
oxygen supplies and modular ICUs government’s plan to address the hospitals and existing facilities,” he
to any states facing a surge in Covid- However, he admitted that dur- “While we must ensure beds with shortage of emergency oxygen sup- said to a question by S. Kesavan
19 cases in the future, says Health ing that latest surge, there was not pipe-in connection for oxygen are plies in Sabah, which had been fac- (PH-Sungai Siput).
Minister Khairy Jamaluddin. enough supplies. at a comfortable number, the ing a rise in Covid-19 infections.
Health Ministry will also be form- “The focus is on areas where
This is to ensure the same situa- “That’s why we sent additional ing a rapid deployment unit to Earlier, Khairy said the ministry available hospitals have the highest
tion that happened in the past will supplies to Sabah. ensure we can send oxygen sup- was aiming to increase the hospital bed occupancy rate (BOR).
not recur, whereby states facing a plies and modular ICUs quickly to bed to population ratio in the 12th
spike in cases did not have enough “In Tawau, the ministry had also any states facing a spike in cases if Malaysia Plan to 2.08 beds per 1,000 “Another factor that is also taken
capacity to treat patients. identified a site to set up a 100-bed new variants emerge,” he said in people compared to 2.01 beds per into account is population density,
field hospital,” he said. response to Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal 1,000 people now. access to services in existing hospi-
Khairy said the ministry had (Warisan-Semporna) in the Dewan tals and government financial allo-
responded to the recent Covid-19 “Taking a lesson from the situa- “To achieve this, the ministry is cation,” he said.
tion in Sabah, it is possible that continuing the initiative to increase
from time to time, we will see states

THE STAR, Wednesday 15 september 2021 7

8 Nation THE STAR, Wednesday 15 september 2021

‘Give Malaysian mums their rights’
Govt called upon to withdraw appeal against court decision on citizenship

By S. INDRAMALAR “I do not understand why the people? Is it too much to ask that a “father” must be read to include Malaysian mothers, sends a clear
[email protected] government is doing this. Am I not child should not be separated from “mother”, and that children born message that the government is in
PETALING JAYA: Malaysians have Malaysian? Am I less of a citizen his or her mother? abroad to Malaysian mothers are favour of “the continued discrimi-
expressed their disappointment because I am a woman? entitled to citizenship by operation nation and marginalisation of
over the government’s move to “Do we really need to explain of law. Malaysian mothers”.
appeal last week’s High Court deci- “The Prime Minister was promot- further why mothers are important
sion which allowed Malaysian ing ‘Keluarga Malaysia’, but they and should be given full access and The court determined that provi- “The judgment lifted the anxiety
mothers the right to confer citizen- have to put it into practice and rights? sions pertaining to citizenship that plagued us with the uncertain-
ship to their children. think about my family and my chil- rights – namely Article 14 (1) (b) of ty of our children’s status, well-be-
dren and many other women with “This is not an unfounded fight the Federal Constitution (FC) togeth- ing and future.
Myra Eliza Mohd Danil, one of innocent children. for equality; this is about giving er with the Second Schedule, Part II,
the six plaintiffs in the court case, every child in Malaysia their hopes Section 1 (b) and 1 (c) of the “The government, by appealing
said she was “so sad and disap- “Now I don’t know how to tell my and futures, an equal standing and Constitution must be read in har- against this decision, has delayed
pointed” by the government’s deci- daughter that she can’t be Malaysian equal opportunities. Please do not mony with Article 8 (2), which pro- justice not just to Malaysian women,
sion. like her brother yet,” said Myra punish them further by delaying hibits discrimination on the basis of but their children and their extend-
Eliza, whose daughter is eight. justice,” she said. gender. ed families.
“My daughter was so excited
about being a Malaysian. She even Another mother, Rekha Sen, said Two of Rekha’s three children are Following the landmark High “Justice delayed is justice
told her tutor that she is Malaysian she was “speechless” by the deci- still waiting for their Malaysian citi- Court decision, the government denied,” the group said in their
and can’t wait to get her identity sion to appeal. zenship – after ten years of applying filed a notice of appeal this week. statement, where it also called on
card. and re-applying. Malaysians to sign a petition call-
“To the Malaysian government I This, says NGO Family Frontiers ing on the government to with-
ask you this: Is it really too much to On Sept 9, High Court judge Datuk who filed the suit along with six draw its appeal.
ask, to do the right thing for the Akhtar Tahir ruled that the word

High Court urged to acquit Zahid, prosecutorial misconduct cited

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court misconduct or irresponsibility. “It is a dark day for our criminal from two contributors who came to answer the question.
has been urged to acquit and dis- “There was absolutely no weigh- justice system. It is an abuse of pro- testify at court, proving that the “That is our complaint. The pros-
charge Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid cess. It lends credence to the belief money did not come from illegal
Hamidi, who is accused of corrup- ing or consideration of the evidence that the motivation for the prosecu- activities. ecution did not investigate. The
tion involving Yayasan Akalbudi before pressing the charges against tion was political and not based on answer can only come from YALB,”
(YAB), as the charges against him the accused,” he said. law or evidence,” he argued. During the proceedings here yes- he said.
were “politically motivated”. terday, Justice Collin Lawrence
Ahmad Zahid is facing 47 charges The defence contended that the Sequerah also asked the defence the Hisyam added that the defence
In his submission, lead counsel – 12 for criminal breach of trust prosecution had failed to prove a million dollar question: why were had asked the investigating officer
Hisyam Teh Poh Teik said the (CBT), eight for corruption and 27 key element required in the 27 donations from Yayasan Albukhary but the officer did not carry out an
defence registered its “strongest for money laundering – involving money laundering charges – that (YALB) to YAB made in cash stuffed investigation.
protest” against the prosecution for tens of millions of ringgit belonging the money came from illegal activi- in bags and not in cheques?
preferring the 27 money launder- to Yayasan Akalbudi. ties. “Because there’s no investigation,
ing charges against the Umno presi- “Wouldn’t it have been easier to we cannot say that these are pro-
dent. The submission from Hisyam On Monday, Hisyam said a sum of just write a cheque, why bring a bag ceeds from unlawful activities,” he
heard in court yesterday was specif- RM5.9mil – which made part of the full of cash?” the judge asked. added.
“This is a case of prosecutorial ically on the 27 money laundering millions involved in the case – came
charges. Hisyam said only YALB could The hearing continues before
Justice Sequerah today.

FOCUS ON HIGH VALUE-ADDED ACTIVITIES
KUALA LUMPUR: As competition
in the international timber industry Local timber players must look to photo: Versalink pandemic, which directly impacts malaysia’s timber
intensifies, it is crucial for Malaysia’s continuous improvement in vari- ruptions – such as those relating to credit terms and cash flow manage- and timber-
timber players to focus on high val- ous aspects, said Law. enclosed areas, physical contact ment issues. related
ue-added offerings as they look into and safety precautions – as well as companies need
diversifying products and services, He added, “China is one of the to encourage healthier lifestyles Despite the looming obstacles, to start shifting
which would enable them to tap world’s major suppliers, but cus- among staff members to ensure Law believes that industry players their focus away
into new opportunities for growth, tomers won’t put everything in cri- they are ready to tackle opportuni- have to continue staying positive from mass
said Malaysian Furniture Council sis and local companies can lever- ties in the market. and swiftly implement strategies production into
(MFC) secretary-general Matthew age on the gaps in the global supply and processes for continuous the creation of
Law. chain. That said, he admits that there improvement, in order to remain high value-added
are challenges lying ahead, with competitive on the global stage. products such as
While recognising the challenges “With our stable base of trust- varying economic activity recovery furniture.
that the industry has faced as a worthy and reliable manufacturers levels in different states meaning He opines, “Our industry players “Although the more labour-inten-
result of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the skills that we have, Malaysia that supply chains are still not back must look beyond mass production sive aspects such as stitching and
Law said that timber and timber-re- is definitely one of the countries to normal, as companies adhere to to focus on high value-added prod- upholstery still require manual
lated companies can begin recoup- ready to take on that aspect.” regulations to operate at capacity in ucts. The sector also must be ready work, when it comes to panelling
ing market share lost during the tandem with full vaccination rates. to ramp up capacity to the next level and solid woods, it’s possible.”
total lockdown of movement con- On the other hand, there is also and embrace the implementation of At the same time, he cautions
trol order 3.0. rising competition from Eastern “The second challenge is for the Fourth Industrial Revolution to industry players to learn from their
European countries such as Poland, export. Although freight rates have future-proof their businesses, experience during Covid-19 to not
“Furniture is one of the largest which is geographically closer to increased to a range of 250% to instead of solely relying on foreign only diversify products with an eye
contributors to the export for the those markets and has relatively 300%, there’s no container space for workers. on adding value, but also exploring
timber industry. We will not be lower wages compared to Malaysia. us. So, we have to check with cus- more markets for growth.
phased out as it’s an industry that tomers beforehand whether they’re “It’s about digitising and automat- Stressing that sustainability prac-
will always remain [in the market],” Tackling challenges able to secure containers, which ing where possible to be prepared tices are the future for the industry,
he said, pointing to the RM12bil in affects production as well,” he said. to tap into new opportunities, be it Law said that Malaysia’s timber
timber exports for the first half of For Law, who also has his own engineering, software, or machin- industry is ready to meet such
the year, in which furniture was the company, plans for the short term Another major issue lies with ery. requirements.
top contributor at RM5.54bil, are to implement suitable standard market volatility due to the ongoing This is in order to cater to grow-
despite the country embroiled in operating procedures with extra ing demand, due to the rising trend
the pandemic. measures to minimise business dis- of customers in well-developed
countries outside of the US, UK and
Law also attributes the demand Europe – like Singapore and Japan,
for furniture to differing consumer for instance – becoming more
behaviour in different markets aware and discerning when it
including the US or the United comes to choosing environmentally
Kingdom, where it is the norm for friendly products.
households and businesses alike to
change furniture every three to five
years.

Notably with the continued trade
tensions between the United States
and China, alongside the supply
chain disruption at the height of the
pandemic, countries are increasing-
ly realising the risks in potential
gaps caused by the crisis and are
taking steps to diversify their sup-
ply chain for business continuity.

THE STAR, Wednesday 15 september 2021 Nation 9

At the dewan rakyat

reports by martIn CarVaLHO, raHImy raHIm, tarrenCe tan and FatImaH ZaInaL

Saravanan: Unemployment rate drops from 5.1% to 4.8% Govt to
look into
MALAYSIA’S unemployment rate Saravanan said and Negeri Sembilan, operating above full employment. automatic
has dropped to 4.8% in the second Labuan had an unem- each of the states saw “At the same time, the decrease of loan
quarter of this year, says Human ployment rate of 8.8% an average unemploy- moratorium
Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. while Sabah recorded ment rate of between unemployment was recorded in
Saravanan (pic). 8.7%. 3.5% to 3.9%. seven states and territory namely THE request for an automatic mor-
Sabah, Perak, Sarawak, Kedah, atorium for bank loan repayment to
“Based on the latest labour sur- “It means that of the “The lowest unem- Johor, Negeri Sembilan and ease the burden of the rakyat affect-
vey by the Statistics Department, 100 people who are ployment rate was Putrajaya. ed by the Covid-19 pandemic will be
unemployment had dropped by employed in those recorded in Putrajaya discussed, says Datuk Seri Ismail
0.3% to 4.8% in the second quarter states, nine people are at 1.7%. “Although Selangor recorded the Sabri Yaakob.
of 2021 compared to 5.1% in the unemployed,” he highest increase in terms of num-
second quarter of 2020,” he said in explained. “This could be due to bers who are in the workforce, it The Prime Minister said the mat-
reply to a question from Datuk the high participation also saw a jump in unemployment ter would be taken up for discus-
Ahmad Jazlan (BN-Machang) dur- During the same of the local residents from 161,300 to 165,000 individu- sion with the Finance Ministry.
ing the Minister’s Question Time. period, Perlis recorded who are employed as als.
an unemployment rate civil servants,” he “The government is aware of the
Ahmad Jazlan had asked the of 5.3%, while Kelantan, Kuala explained. “Kuala Lumpur, meanwhile, situation faced by the rakyat and
Human Resources Ministry to Lumpur, Perak, Selangor, Sarawak Saravanan said in total, seven recorded a total of 43,600 people will try to assist as best as possible,”
reveal the latest unemployment fig- and Terengganu recorded an unem- states that recorded an unemploy- who are unemployed which saw an he said when responding to a sup-
ures based on each state until ployment rate of more than 4%. ment rate of below 4% show that additional 10,400 unemployed peo- plementary question raised by
August this year. the economy in those states was still ple compared to the same period Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan
For Kedah, Penang, Johor, Melaka last year,” he said. (BN-Pontian).

Third Deputy Speaker soon Ahmad said household debts had
plan in the works to create post to be filled by Opposition increased by 93.3% and had increa-
sed further due to the pandemic.
THE government is looking to cre- that irrespective of who sits as the Fair Speaker was listed as the first order
ate a third Dewan Rakyat Deputy government, one of the deputy representation: of business under Parliament’s “Is the government considering
Speaker position which can be filled speakers will be from the Irrespective of Order Papers yesterday. implementing a non-accrual mora-
by an Opposition Member of Opposition,” he said when tabling who sits as the torium so that the rakyat can repay
Parliament. the motion to postpone the election government, one Based on Standing Order 6, the their house and car loans?” he said.
of a new Deputy Speaker to fill the of the deputy vacancy of the post of Deputy
Minister in the Prime Minister’s vacancy after Pengerang MP Datuk speakers will be Speaker must be filled at the first Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim
Department Datuk Seri Dr Wan from the convenient sitting of the House. (PH-Port Dickson) suggested the
Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar says the Opposition, said injection of an additional RM45bil
move requires an amendment to Wan Junaidi. There was an anticipated contest for Covid-19 relief efforts, adding
Article 57(1)(b) of the Federal — bernama for the position between Umno’s that any implementation of loan
Constitution to allow for the Pontian MP Datuk Seri Ahmad repayment moratorium must be
appointment of deputy speaker to Seri Azalina Othman Said resigned Maslan and DAP’s Teluk Intan MP one that was meaningful.
be increased from two to three. last month. Nga Kor Ming.
He added that the additional
He said although it was not spec- The motion was supported by Both Ahmad and Nga had lobbied funds must be monitored to avoid
ified where the deputy speakers Federal Territories Minister Datuk for support prior to the start of the the cash aid given being used to pay
were being chosen, the govern- Seri Shahidan Kassim and was later Dewan Rakyat meeting on Monday. off bank loans.
ment would create a ruling that passed.
one of them would be from the Wan Junaidi, who is in charge of Anwar raised the issue of what
Opposition. The appointment of a new Deputy Parliament and Law, added that he was being done by the government
had discussed the matter with the to address the decrease in house-
“Amendment to the Parliament Attorney General. hold income by 10.3%.
Standing Orders will also be carried
out so that one of the deputy speak- “The proposed amendments may Ismail Sabri acknowledged that
ers would be from the Opposition. be tabled during the current meet- the incidents of poverty had
ing for the first reading with the increased to 8.4% or involving
“The amendments would mean hope of getting it passed this 636,000 individuals and households
October,” he said. last year compared to 5.6% or
405,004 in 2019.
Mandatory Covid-19 test for those in Parliament
To help ease the burden on the
MEMBERS of Parliament, their the matter during a meeting yester- at the Multipurpose Hall. “The MP rotation system in the rakyat, Ismail Sabri said eight eco-
officers and other staff present at day to ensure the Covid-19 chain of “The whole process will take about Dewan Rakyat is carried out every nomic stimulus packages had since
the Parliament vicinity during the infection at the Parliament building hour as part of a measure to curb been implemented.
current meeting will need to under- could be controlled. 20 minutes per person,” he said. transmission of Covid-19 in the
go the Covid-19 saliva RTK test Azhar also suggested that all MPs Dewan Rakyat,” he said. However, he noted these were
every Monday and Wednesday. The first test will be conducted merely short-term plans and the
today. take turns entering the Dewan Rakyat. Azhar added that the Parliament government was looking at mid-
Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk “The MPs are encouraged to wear management had also improved and long-term plans.
Azhar Azizan Harun said the “The test will be conducted at the the ventilation and air conditioning
Parliament committee decided on Banquet Hall for the MPs while double face masks and face shields system. For more stories:
their officers will undergo the test inside the House, including during See StarBiz
debates.

Boost for Anwar’s role following signing of MOU

DATUK Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s role and opposition leaders signed a their respective parties in the prising five members from the gov- RM45bil into the Covid-19 fund,
as Opposition Leader received an historic MOU in Parliament, which House. This includes providing the ernment to be selected by the prime bringing the total amount to
immediate boost following the sign- paved the way for a bipartisan necessary supporting staff and minister and another five members RM110bil.
ing of the memorandum of under- and consensual approach in bring- allowances. from the Opposition.
standing (MOU) for bipartisan coop- ing stability and reform for the It is also agreed that RM10bil in
eration towards stability and nation. It was also agreed in the MOU The steering committee will con- cash aid is to be provided to the
Parliament reforms. that Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob tinue to operate for as long as the lower half of the 40% of house-
The MOU covers six areas - will remain as Prime Minister as MOU is in effect; it is to meet at least holds under the B40 group, hard-
One of the clauses in the MOU empowering the Covid-19 plan, long as the MOU is in effect until the once or twice a week. core poor and urban poor; 40% in
states that the role of the PKR presi- administrative transformation, Dewan Rakyat is dissolved and that the mid-range of the M40 group
dent and Port Dickson MP is rejuvenation of Parliament, inde- Parliament will not be suspended Also contained in the MOU are and those who have lost their
enhanced with immediate effect. pendence of judicial institutions, until July 31, 2022. plans to table the anti-party hop- income.
issues involving the Malaysia ping bill and law to limit the term of
This ensures that the Dewan Agreement 1963 (MA63) and the Other parliamentary reforms the prime minister to 10 years. Also stated is an automatic bank
Rakyat Opposition leader is given setting up of a steering committee. include the tabling of a Bill for loan moratorium on interest pay-
the appropriate rights and facilities Parliament Services Act by the sec- On Undi18, the government has ments for three months beginning
to be able to discharge his responsi- The restructuring of Parliament’s ond meeting of Dewan Rakyat next agreed to get the Election October for some 50% of those in
bilities effectively and comprehen- Special Select Committee and year. Commission to expedite its imple- the lower groups income.
sively, reads the clause. increasing of committee numbers mentation.
should the need arise, would also be The Parliamentary Services Act On the National Recovery
Also effective immediately is the implemented immediately. was enacted in 1963 after the for- These legislative reforms are tar- Council, both sides agree that it
equal allocation of funds for gov- mation of Malaysia but was later getted for implementation by the should comprise 50% experts from
ernment MPs as well as opposition Representation of government repealed in 1992. end of the fifth parliamentary ses- the public and private sectors and
lawmakers under the MOU. and opposition lawmakers in the sion next year. 25% each from the Opposition and
committees will be equal to reflect The MOU also calls for the setting government.
On Monday, the government up of a Steering Committee com- In the MOU, the government said
it would inject an additional

10 Nation THE STAR, Wednesday 15 september 2021

THE STAR STORY

Kee – the ink-credible storyteller

but cartoonist prefers
kee-ping a low profile

By JUNAID IBRAHIM prise for you,” he added. was called the Sungai Way Cat. that are relatable to Malaysians. Slice of
[email protected] So he hoped that a reader would These days, he is thankful to his Since the Covid-19 contagion durian life:
HIS work often puts a smile on Kee’s comic
people’s face, but little is known not be able to guess what his car- wife for connecting him to the emerged, he had drawn over 200 strips tell about
about CW Kee. toon would offer. digital world. comics related to the pandemic. the stories of
daily malaysian
And that’s because Kee, who is In that sense, he was ahead of “I do not have my own social He could not wait to draw some- life and current
The Star’s in-house cartoonist, pre- Tom Hank’s character Forrest media account. I want to maintain thing post-pandemic, he said. affairs.
fers to keep a low profile. Gump, known for the line “my a low profile. sometimes, his
mama always said life was like a To keep on producing content comics are
The man behind Kee’s World box of chocolates. You never know “So, to make sure I am updated for his daily comic strips, Kee said political even
started his career as an editorial what you’re gonna get” in the 1994 with the latest trend online, I use he is often paying attention to though he did
artist in 1981. movie. my wife’s social media accounts,” what is happening around him. not plan it that
he said. way. ‘everyone
Four years later, he introduced Speaking of movies, Kee shared “I always keep my ears open, I wants to politi-
a cartoon strip called It’s A Durian that one of the main reasons why But despite technological listen a lot because people around cise almost
Life in Sunday Star. he started drawing cartoons was advancement even in drawings, me may have stories that will everything,’ he
he wanted to have stories with Kee prefers doing it the manual inspire me. said.
He had also contributed to The which he is in control. way, using pens and colour mark-
Star’s metro section with a cartoon ers. “I like to think of myself like a He said he never had encoun-
strip named Food for Thought “In the 80s, there were a lot of sponge that will absorb almost tered a creative block, in fact, he
which became Kee’s World in the movies that I was interested in. Kee’s World revolves around the everything around me and think was always motivated to continue
national page until today. daily activities and current affairs of stories later on,” said Kee, 61. producing content even after 40
“So, when a movie came out years doing so.
Asked about his inspiration for which sometimes had a cliff-hang-
It’s A Durian’s Life, Kee said that er ending, I could not wait for its “Deadlines are my main motiva-
contrary to what people might sequel hence I started to draw my tion too. By hook or by crook, I
think, durian is not his favourite own stories,” he said, adding that need to deliver.
fruit and certainly not the reason Indiana Jones was one of his
why he named his comic strip that favourite films. “There is no time to have a crea-
way. tive block,” he chuckled.
That had also inspired another
“I do not eat durian because it is cartoon strip that attracted quite a Despite having worked for 40
expensive. I cannot afford to buy big audience back then, which years, Kee said: “I feel like I just
it,” he said, tongue-in-cheek. started working last week.”

Kee explained that he chose the With Star Media Group cele-
king of fruit as the title of his car- brating its 50th anniversary this
toon strip simply because of the year, Kee hoped the media compa-
element of surprise often provid- ny would continue to be the num-
ed by opening a durian. ber one news source.

“When you open one (durian),
you will never know what you will
get. And that itself would be a sur-

Student joins family for dine-in from the car Over 300
sextortion
By IWAN SHU-ASWAD SHUAIB as she had just received her second and planned to order more food but Auto cases
[email protected] dose of the vaccine and instead pitied Yasmeen who was waiting in car-mpany: in Selangor
PETALING JAYA: Since the waited in the car before heading for the car,” said mother Noor Aishah yasmeen (centre)
announcement of relaxations for breakfast together. Amirulizan. was unable to join SHAH ALAM: More than 300 sex-
the fully vaccinated, citizens have her fully tortion cases were reported in
been delighted to resume dining in “Everyone but myself was able to Aishah praised the restaurant inoculated family Selangor to date this year, police
at their favourite restaurants again. dine in as they have been fully vac- staff for abiding by the SOP which members from said.
cinated,” she said. increased their confidence in dining in at a
For Nur Yasmeen Eryka returning to the premises. restaurant and Selangor CID chief Senior Asst
Zulkefli,18, however, she could only This saw her father, who initially instead joined comm Nik Ezanee Mohd Faisal said
join her family from the car as she parked at a distance from the restau- Yasmeen, who is currently pursu- them from the there were only 50 such cases
was not yet fully inoculated, report- rant, moving their car to an empty car. reported last year.
ed mStar. parking space facing their table.
ing a Diploma in Management at the “The perpetrators ranged from
“I received my second dose of the This allowed Yasmeen to “dine Management and Science University syndicates to ex-lovers. The victims
vaccine on Saturday, my status in” with them from the car. “We (MSU), Shah Alam, said that dining recorded lewd acts and it came
showed I was partially vaccinated. could not just leave her alone so we in the car was a new experience. back to haunt them,” he told an
I can’t enter the restaurant. ordered apam manis and a pack of online cyber crime forum yester-
iced milo before delivering it to her. “I was jealous at not being able to day.
“I have been craving the apam dine in with them but at least I
manis here as I last visited this res- “At that time, we were already at joined them by eating my favourite SAC Nik Ezanee said sextortion
taurant a year ago,” she said. the restaurant for about 40 minutes apam manis in the car. But, I will cases were divided into three cate-
follow the SOP,” she said eagerly. gories.
Yasmeen added that she earlier
accompanied her family members “The first involves those who
who went jogging at Taman Tasik recorded lewd acts and within a
Shah Alam. few days, got extorted in exchange
for the videos not to be shared.
She was also unable to join them
“Payments were demanded in
Penang cops will shutter venues if SOP breached various forms, including fund trans-
fer and cryptocurrency,” he said.
By LIEW JIA XIAN “Penang is under Phase Two of at public beaches, parks and dams. Department on food distribution.
[email protected] the National Recovery Plan and the Comm Suhaily said the police had “I urge NGOs or political parties The second category involves for-
GEORGE TOWN: With large standard operating procedures mer lovers or spouses.
crowds and more vehicles on the (SOP) are still in place. been lenient as they understood to let us know in advance so that we
roads last weekend, Penang police that the people had been cooped up can facilitate the distribution pro- “In these cases, the couple record-
said it will not hesitate to propose “Over the past two weeks, Penang at home for a long time. cess,” he said. ed acts when they were together.
that the local government closes has been registering four-figure However, when they broke up or
down premises or public spaces to daily Covid-19 cases. “We will continue to monitor Comm Shuhaily was commenting got divorced, the ex-partner would
ensure crowd control and safety. these places, and the public will be on several video clips that saw huge threaten exposure out of spite or
“We will continue to monitor the told to go home if we feel these plac- crowds lining up to receive prawn jealousy,” he said.
Penang police chief Comm Datuk situation and take action against es are overcrowded.” balls at the Penang Gerakan head-
Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain warned those who breach the SOP,” he said quarters in Macalister Road. The third category is the rarest,
the public to be cautious as the fight at the state police headquarters On another matter, Comm involving phones being hacked
against Covid-19 is far from over. here yesterday. Shuhaily urged the non-govern- He also thanked the Bukit Aman after they were lost or sent for
mental organisations (NGOs) and Integrity and Standard Compliance repairs, he said.
Last weekend, there were more political parties to work closely with Department (JIPS) for auditing all
cars on the roads and huge crowds the police and State Welfare their work. Police believe many sextortion
cases last year went unreported.

THE STAR, Wednesday 15 september 2021 Nation 11

Five blood cancer myths
a haematologist debunks common myths about cancers of the blood

By Dr HABIBAH ABDUL HALIM involve children who are less than cancer is unfounded. patients, there are always treat- examination and blood tests.
six years old. With the advancement of can- ment options to be offered. And they need to be assessed
IN conjunction with Blood Cancer
Awareness Month this month, let’s Acute myeloid leukaemia how- cer research and drug develop- In fact, certain types of blood and treated by a medical profes-
take a look at some blood cancer ever, occurs most frequently in ment, we are now better at under- cancers have high remission rates, sional, not through self-diagnosis
myths. adults who are more than 60 years standing this disease, including its e.g. Hodgkin’s lymphoma and or self-medication.
of age, with the median age of causes, origins, pattern of develop- acute promyelocytic leukaemia.
The more truth we know, the such patients being 65 years old. ment and mechanisms. 5. All blood cancer patients need
less likely we are to panic and The remission rates of these a bone marrow transplant.
despair. Here are five of the most It is not common in children, Hence, we now have improved cancers can be as high as over 80%
common beliefs that should be accounting for less than 15% of approaches and strategies in man- with well-tolerated therapy. Not true.
dismantled: acute leukaemia in this age group. aging cancer.
4. If you have blood cancer, your As a matter of fact, the majority
1. There is only one type of 3. There is no cure for blood Blood cancers are generally sen- skin turns pale. of blood cancer patients have no
blood cancer, i.e. leukaemia. cancer, so all hope is lost upon sitive to treatment, be it targeted need of a bone marrow transplant.
diagnosis. Although a diagnosis of therapy, chemotherapy or radio- The symptoms and signs of
Incorrect! blood cancer is devastating, the therapy. blood cancer can come in a variety Most patients will be treated
notion that there is no cure for of forms, depending on the type of with combined and risk-adapted
There are many types of blood Therefore, for most cancer cancer. Pale skin normally indi- therapy, which may include target-
cancers, including leukaemia – a cates anaemia. ed therapy, chemotherapy and/or
disease that is generally more radiotherapy.
familiar to the public. Anaemia is caused by low hae-
moglobin levels, which may be a Of course, there are certain types
There are some that arise from sign of bone marrow failure. of blood cancers, e.g. acute myeloid
the bone marrow, such as acute leukaemia, that will require a bone
leukaemia (lymphoid and myeloid Bone marrow failure is a marrow transplant.
types), myeloproliferative neo- symptom of blood cancer.
plasm (e.g. essential thrombo- As this is such an intensive treat-
cythaemia and primary myelofi- There are numerous signs and ment, this course will be discussed
brosis) and multiple myeloma. symptoms of blood cancer, includ- at length between the patient, the
ing easy bruising, recurrent fever, patient’s family and the doctor.
And other types arise from the weight loss, night sweats and
lymph node glands, such as lym- enlarged glands. Dr Habibah Abdul Halim is a
phoma, which itself has many dif- consultant physician and
ferent subtypes. Having said that, pale skin due haematologist. For more
to anaemia can also be caused by information, email starhealth@
2. Leukaemia is a childhood dis- other non-cancerous illnesses. thestar.com.my. The information
ease. provided is for educational
Thus, it would be best to see a purposes only and should not be
No, leukaemia does not exclu- doctor for a proper investigation considered as medical advice. The
sively occur in children. before jumping to conclusions as Star does not give any warranty on
to what the illness may be. accuracy, completeness,
In fact, there are higher inci- functionality, usefulness or other
dents of this blood cancer among Signs and symptoms have to be assurances as to the content
senior citizens. taken into context based on a appearing in this article. The Star
proper medical history, physical disclaims all responsibility for any
However, certain types of leu- losses, damage to property or
kaemia are more frequent in cer- personal injury suffered directly or
tain age groups. indirectly from reliance on such
information.
For example, acute lymphoblas-
tic leukaemia has a higher inci-
dence in young children.

Three-quarter of these cases

Paris: There is no current need Report: Third dose not needed for now er than a third dose of an existing
for the general population to be vaccine.
given third doses of Covid-19 vac- al population are not appropriate the WHO. tries to avoid giving out extra
cines. at this stage in the pandemic”. She said vaccine doses should Covid-19 jabs until the end of the Commenting on the study,
year. Imperial College London Infectious
This is as the vaccines are effec- The authors, who reviewed be prioritised to people around the Disease Epidemiology Chair Dr
tive enough at preventing severe observational studies and clinical world still waiting for a jab. The UN health agency is urging Azra Ghani described it as a “very
cases of Covid-19, according to a trials, found that vaccines remain all nations to vaccinate at least thorough review” of current
report in The Lancet medical jour- highly effective against severe “If vaccines are deployed where 10% of their populations by the research.
nal published on Monday. symptoms of Covid-19. they would do the most good, they end of this month, and at least 40%
could hasten the end of the pan- by the end of this year. But she said that while the
Some countries have started And this held true across all the demic by inhibiting further evolu- reduction in efficacy of vaccines
offering extra doses over fears main SARS-CoV-2 viral variants tion of variants,” she added. The Lancet study concluded that against variants like Delta might
about the much more contagious including Delta, although they had current viral variants have not be small, it could still lead to “a
Delta variant. This has caused the lower success in preventing Countries like France have developed sufficiently to escape substantial increase” in people
World Health Organisation (WHO) asymptomatic cases of the disease. already started distributing third the immune response provided by needing hospitalisation when con-
to call for a moratorium on third jabs to the elderly and people with vaccines currently in use. sidered across a population.
jabs amid concerns about vaccine “Taken as a whole, the currently compromised immune systems.
supplies to poorer nations, where available studies do not provide The authors argue that if new “Even in the most developed
millions have yet to receive their credible evidence of substantially Israel has gone further, offering virus mutations do emerge that countries, these small differences
first jab. declining protection against severe children 12 and older a third dose are able to evade this response, it can put a severe strain on the
disease, which is the primary goal five months after receiving a sec- would be better to deliver special- health system,” she said in a state-
The new report by scientists, of vaccination,” said lead author ond jab. ly modified vaccine boosters ment to the Science Media Centre,
including from the WHO, conclud- Ana-Maria Henao-Restrepo from aimed at the newer variants, rath- adding there was no “one size fits
ed that even with the threat of WHO chief Dr Tedros Adhanom all” approach to booster vaccines.
Delta, “booster doses for the gener- Ghebreyesus has called on coun- — AFP

Processing time of MyTravelPass applications extended

PUTraJaYa: The time taken to process a ing Malaysia, Khairul Dzaimee said enforce- by three task forces under the Immigration “The increase in the
MyTravelPass (MTP) application has to be ment of the MTP was to control movements Department. The number has not gone down number of business
increased to 14 days from seven due to the and curb the spread of Covid-19. but has in fact, increased by the day,” he said. travellers follows the
high number of applications received, said reopening of many
Immigration director-general Datuk Khairul “The MTP enforcement has proven its Khairul Dzaimee also advised the public to more economic
Dzaimee Daud. effectiveness up to Aug this year. be aware of the latest announcements and sectors.”
rules made by the government, and to check
The increase in the number of business “The recorded imported positive cases of on the latest developments and related proce- datuk Khairul dzaimee daud
travellers follows the reopening of many Covid-19 was less than 0.4% from the total dures in order to understand the set condi-
more economic sectors, he added. number of cases in Malaysia,” he said in a tions when applying for the MTP before
statement. planning to travel abroad.
The MTP was introduced by the Immigra-
tion Department on Oct 7, 2020, whereby Up until Sept 10 this year, the Immigration “Careful evaluation also has to be made to
applications to enter and exit this country Department has received 356,510 applica- curb the spread of Covid-19 in this country,”
for Malaysian citizens and foreign nationals tions. Out of this number, 6,697 applications he said, adding that the Immigration
must be made through the system. were cancelled; 208,509 approved and 127,465 Department would continue improving the
rejected. MTP system to facilitate travel out and into
Responding to reports claiming that the the country. — Bernama
MTP has caused delays in exiting and enter- “The number of applications processed
during a set period is 13,000, and is managed

12 Nation THE STAR, Wednesday 15 september 2021

Ready to counter cyber attacks
measures in place to safeguard the nation, says armed Forces chief

By JUSTIN ZACK domains have become real threats Like last year, Covid-19 has made Proud moment: Jen affendi giving the thumbs up during a special
[email protected] due to their borderless nature. The the celebrations differ from interview session in conjunction with the 88th armed Forces day.
KUALA LUMPUR: Cyber warfare Armed Forces, through the BSEP, is pre-pandemic times. — bernama
countermeasures are in place to executing comprehensive initia-
ensure the nation is well protected tives to increase our capabilities in “We have implemented a green
from any such intrusions, says the facing these threats via building up bubble to ensure only Armed Forces
Armed Forces. the competency of our human personnel are involved. For the
resources, surveillance systems, public, we will share the celebra-
Armed Forces chief Jen Tan Sri cyber security measures, and policy tions via live feed.
Affendi Buang, in a special press enforcement,” he said.
conference to mark the upcoming “All involved in the celebrations
88th Armed Forces Day on Sept 16, Jen Affendi gave his assurance have completed their vaccination
said the Defence Cyber and that the Armed Forces would always and undergone testing to ensure
Electromagnetic Division (BSEP) was be able to respond to threats against they are Covid-19-free. Around
always ready to counter such attacks. the country. 2,500 officers and soldiers will be
involved in the parade and asset
“It is an ongoing operation to “To ensure the Armed Forces is showcase,” he said.
counter any cyber attacks that aim continuously prepared to face any
to weaken us. There have been threats, we have to be aware of any In his address to the media, Jen
instances where we were able to changes to the geo-strategic land- Affendi said the peace enjoyed by
detect attacks early, and there were scape, in which we would need to the country was built on the sacri-
times where we could launch coun- respond to both traditional and fices of servicemen of the past.
termoves due to our early warning non-traditional threats,” he said.
systems in place. “For 88 years, the Armed Forces
This year’s Armed Forces day has held fast to our oath to defend
“The electromagnetic and cyber parade will be held on Sept 22 at the country, sovereignty, and its
Kem Segenting, Port Dickson. interests, until the last drop of
blood,” he said.

General: Retiring soldiers need second career opportunities

KUALA LUMPUR: With the aver- that to happen opportunities must age. We have to do something about the Armed Forces be maintained or delay until the economy recovers.
age retirement age of Armed Forces be there. this,” he said in an interview in con- increased. But for us to operate day to day, I
personnel at 40 years, a major chal- junction with the 88th Armed hope it is either maintained or
lenge facing these veterans is find- “Those in their 40s will under- Forces Day on Sept 16. “Even when the Covid-19 pan- increased,” he said.
ing a new career path, says Defence stand. Monetary commitments are demic subsides, the Armed Forces
Forces chief Jen Tan Sri Affendi high at that age, with their kids still Jen Affendi said the Armed Forces ATM will require the necessary Jen Affendi said if Malaysia was
Buang. in school and house and car loans was addressing this issue. funds to protect the country. not equipped to face threats to the
still needed to be paid. security of the nation, it would dest-
He said a number of them faced “It needs a holistic approach. For “For operational expenditure, I abilise the country.
uncertainty on their future career. “If you don’t have a steady us, we have to prepare them feel it is important to maintain it.
income, how are you going to live? through the mental attitude so that With or without the pandemic, “There is no other way because
“There are no second career Then this will automatically put you when they quit the Armed Forces, threats are always there and I hope we are system dependent.
opportunities out there. For veter- in the B40 category. they are ready to face this next the government can give us priority
ans to have a life equal to other citi- phase of their lives,” he said. in this. “In our operations, we need oil to
zens, they need a new income “After sacrificing their blood and work our vehicles; maintenance
stream after retirement. And for sweat for the country, we discard On funding, Jen Affendi said it “If there are cuts, we understand work must also be performed. All
them when they reach retirement was imperative that the budget for and for new purchases we can these require dollars and cents.”

Other news & views

Compiled by Gerard GImInO, C. arUnO and r. araVIntHan

Zul Arrifin denies he is retiring from showbiz Teen gets
help to bury
ACTOR Zul Arrifin has denied Instagram that he was withdrawing not going on the set. On Aug 31, Eina announced that grandfather
rumours that he intends to retire or his name from the nomination list “However, I do still feel uneasy she along with her husband, Datuk
move to another country, reported at the upcoming Anugerah Bintang Kaiser Gurmeet Abdullah, and two A TEENAGER who struggled to bury
Utusan Online. Popular Berita Harian show. about returning to work,” she said. maids, had contracted the virus. his grandfather had received some
Despite this, Eina, whose real much-needed help, reported
The actor clarified this by men- He previously won the award for Her children Arianna Aubrey Makkal Osai.
tioning that he was preparing him- the most popular film actor at the name is Ainur Syakina Azman, and Karl Kreef were not infected.
self to be a better actor. 31st edition of the award show. mentioned that she would proceed Muguntha Vinoth, 15, had been
with shooting for her role in the A day later, Eina revealed that staying with his grandparents in
“For now, I am gradually trying to > Following her family’s experi- drama The Hotel as she did not her husband was admitted to hos- Butterworth, Penang, after his
improve myself and my career. ence of contracting Covid-19, actress want to trouble the production pital due to breathing complica- mother passed away a year ago in
Datin Eina Azman has expressed team. tions. an accident. His father died earlier.
“I am currently making prepara- concern about leaving home for
tions for the future and revving my work, Kosmo! reported. She added that she would contin- They were discharged and Chandrasekaran Karuppiah, 68,
engines for more to come,” he said ue taking precautionary measures declared free from Covid-19 last and his elderly wife took in
through an Instagram story. “I am definitely excited to contin- during the shoot and abide by the Thursday following 12 days of treat- Muguntha and his disabled young-
ue acting after several months of standard operating procedure. ment. er brother despite their own finan-
Recently, Zul announced through cial problems.

Bus fare operators expect full month’s fees When Chandrasekaran died, the
teenager had no way of burying him
STUDENTS will have to pay for the they go to, the home address and movement have been relaxed, I ment to conduct periodic testing to until Penang Kalai Kalachara Sevai
entire month’s bus fare even though the time classes end. hope that (school bus) operators put everyone at ease. Mandram and the Penang Hindu
they are attending classes for only will ensure that everyone remains Endowment Board came to his aid.
half the month, according to the “They even have to be concerned healthy and safe with the reopening “The government would need to
Federation of Malaysian School Bus about a series of safety measures. of business,” he said. be confident that they will be able > The controversial National
Operators Association president, We hope parents will understand to handle unexpected outbreaks in Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) in
reports China Press. that our fares are reasonable,” > Educationist group United school, as well as ensure the safety India has come under renewed crit-
Amali said. Chinese School Teachers’ of both teachers and students icism after a Tamil Nadu student
Its president Amali Munif Rahmat Association (Jiao Zong) urged the before classes can resume,” he said. due to sit for it took his own life,
said that operators will have to bear He expects that there will be a fall government to carry out periodic Makkal Osai reported.
the same cost of running a business in the number of students taking Covid-19 testing at schools to ensure Similarly, National Union of
even though the number of bus the school bus due to the pandemic. the safety of teachers and students Heads of Schools president Lim Bee The super competitive exam,
trips a student takes has reduced. when classes resume next month, Khim urged the ministry to have which is conducted by the National
He added that an operator would reports Sin Chew Daily. special allocations so that they are Testing Agency, is the entrance
No discounts will be given, he need at least 70% of its capacity able to purchase their own RTK- examination for medical and den-
said. filled in order to break even. Its president Cheah Lek Aee told Antigen rapid Covid-19 tests. tal programmes in Indian universi-
the daily that pupils below age 12 ties.
“School buses are not like public Amali said he hoped schools have not been vaccinated and were Lim, who is the headmaster of
buses where you get off at a point in would make arrangements to pre- at risk of catching Covid-19. SJK(C) Taman Connaught, added About 1.2 million students sat for
its designated route. vent parents from gathering out- that the test can be administered to the exam this year with papers in
side schools to pick up their chil- To prevent new outbreaks at students who feel ill at school to 13 languages, including Tamil for
“A bus driver will have to memo- dren, schools, Cheah urged the govern- reduce the risk of outbreaks. the first time.
rise each child’s face, the school
“Even though the restrictions on

THE STAR, Wednesday 15 september 2021 Views 13

EMAIL [email protected] or
MAIL The Editor, Menara Star, 15, Jalan 16/11,
Section 16, 46350 Petaling Jaya.
Letters must carry the sender’s full name, address
and telephone number.
A pseudonym may be included.

If you want to have your say immediately, Vital to inform rakyat of
use your cellphone. SMS your comments proceedings in Parliament
to The Star on topics and issues related
to general news, business and sports AS we celebrate the 58th year The discussions, Malaysian first does not make a how the Confidence and Supply
(include name/ pseudonym): Type STAR of the birth of Malaysia, it is impor- debates and person less Malay, Chinese, Indian, Agreement (CSA) will serve the pri-
NW (or BZ or SP) followed by the message tant that we reflect on matters decisions have a Kadazan, Iban, Bidayuh and etc. mary objectives without sacrificing
and send to 39993. This is a free service. such as where we were then, where direct impact on We should all proudly identify our- the interest of the rakyat.
However, normal mobile operators’ we are now, and where we are the people. selves first as Malaysian.
network charges apply. heading. To achieve this, there must be
prevailing issue. It’s no exaggera- We must oppose religious bigot- timely, comprehensive and consist-
> Gems of the nation We all know where we were tion to say that never before in our ry and racial extremism, and ent interaction with the people.
Students are important, so please and what life was like in the early history have we had to face so instead stand up for moderation. Free and regular public communi-
make the best decisions in their days of Malaysia. We had our many challenges on so many fronts We need to appreciate the concept cation is the key.
interest. With the stubborn pandemic initial challenges, but we all at the same time. of unity in diversity where every-
looming over us, please don’t make looked ahead with hope in our one accepts the uniqueness of the We need maximum coverage of
hasty and unplanned decisions that minds and love in our hearts for It looks like these challenges are others so that we can live together parliamentary proceedings by all
can destroy them. Go by science our beloved country. all coming to us on horseback and in mutual respect and trust. the media because the discussions,
and facts. Keep schools closed for a only going away on foot. debates and decisions have a direct
bit longer if needed or at least until We also know where we are The vision to build Malaysia into impact on the lives and livelihoods
all the teachers and students are now. Our collective challenges We have to remind ourselves a fully developed nation according of the people.
vaccinated. No students or teachers have increased by leaps and that we have faced critical prob- to our own mould must also be
should be sacrificed. They are our bounds principally by the health- lems in the past – the Emergency, based on mutual understanding One of the cardinal principles of
gems. – Ex-Teacher, Seremban care crisis due to the Covid-19 pan- Confrontation, race riots and finan- and unity. parliamentary democracy is that
> Let good sense prevail demic. cial crises – but we have been able the voters must be fully and regu-
The High Court of Kuala Lumpur has to overcome them. For this year’s Malaysia Day, we larly informed of the actions and
courageously decided that women And then there is the issue of must rekindle the spirit of Rukun decisions of their elected represent-
can confer citizenship to their racial polarisation and religious Together, we have achieved a lot Negara to renew our sense of love atives and whether or not they are
children on an equal basis with men. bigotry. These pose serious chal- of progress and milestones in vari- for the nation and help support the consistent with their election
It is unjust of the respondent to lenges to the concept of unity in ous fields in the past. efforts to address the Covid-19 pan- promises.
appeal against this ruling. Drop this diversity, which has been our demic.
appeal and allow children born pride, strength and rallying call in We have always identified our- Let’s aim high. Let’s not only be
overseas to Malaysian women with the past. selves as Malaysians first. Being In this, there is light at the end of satisfied with the low-hanging
foreign spouses to be citizens the tunnel because of initiatives by fruits.
forthwith. – Beatle5 The shifting sands in politics has the government for bipartisanship.
> Don’t delay grim statistics put the rakyat in a conundrum. A start has been made for the gov- Together we can. Together we
The government has been sharing After the last general election, we ernment and opposition to work must.
the statistics on Covid-19 infections thought we knew where we as a together to find quick and worka-
and deaths via the media daily since nation were headed. Now, we are ble solutions for the challenges fac- Happy Malaysia Day.
the pandemic struck our shores. not so sure. ing the people. TAN SRI LEE LAM THYE
However, the undesirable statistics Trustee,
on daily fatalities have not been Economic uncertainty is also a But it still remains to be seen
given on the same day since Sept 12. Malaysia Unity Foundation
Even the MySejahtera app only
provides the information on the Screen films earlier to deter piracy
following day. The government
should always be transparent when
reporting on the Covid-19 situation.

> Provide parking as well YAY, cinemas are reopening! For 9 (Oct 21) and A Quiet Place Part 2 demic, as films were released on films like Shang-Chi. This is
Penangites welcome the setting-up many, including myself, going to (Oct 28) are also questionable. streaming services in the United because once the film has reached
of the Covid-19 field hospital. We the cinema is a great pastime! It’s States. These services (Disney Plus 45 days of its theatrical run in the
also hope consideration will be taken cheaper compared to other activi- Unless you live under a rock or Premier Access and HBO Max) US (where the general release date
to oversee the provision of parking ties, and when a “good” movie hits, are sticking your head in the sand, aren’t available in Malaysia, so was Sept 3), it will be streamed on
spaces after the field hospital is set there’s nothing like the feeling of piracy is a huge issue in Malaysia, interested audiences stuck within on-demand services, and with a
up. As it is, finding a parking spot at having shared something magical and no one can or will ever solve the confines of their homes likely high definition pirated copy availa-
Penang General Hospital is like with the audience. it. Clamping down on piracy is a pirated films like Black Widow and ble, why would Malaysians, except
striking a lottery. – Org Penang useless endeavour, as determined The Suicide Squad. the diehards, rush to the cinema to
> Provide relief for businesses As a Marvel fan (the five high- individuals will always find a way see it?
Businesses have been suffering est-grossing “Hollywood” films in around to getting free entertain- I believe film exhibitors and stu-
financially since the pandemic Malaysia are Marvel films), I have ment. dios will potentially lose out on For me, the theatrical experience
started. Recovery might take at least been waiting in anticipation for much-needed revenue by delaying is not easily replaced, and it’s not a
three to four years. Hopefully, the Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Piracy has also likely accelerated the screening of highly anticipated movie without the popcorn! But,
government can provide tax relief Rings, a film that looks to not only tenfold during the Covid-19 pan- I’m likely in the minority here.
to the affected businesses. Also, delivering the much-needed Asian
please shelve the goods and services representation but also received According to major cinema oper-
tax (GST). – Suffering business rave reviews prior to its opening. ators in Malaysia, “studios need
owner So, imagine my surprise and disap- more time to get the film cen-
> Look out for cheats pointment when I found out it is sored”. But what is there to censor?
During these trying times, many currently slated for release in I doubt there’s an obscene scene
NGOs and volunteer organisations Malaysia in the middle of October. that’s inappropriate for children in
are distributing food baskets to the a film produced by the Walt Disney
people. The question is whether they You’re probably asking what’s Company.
are targeting the right people. There wrong with this entitled child who
have been cases of individuals can’t wait three weeks for a movie? Please release the film as fast as
driving luxury cars getting the food No doubt there are many more possible so that cinema operators
baskets. Please check to see if the important things to worry about, who have been out of business for
recipients are really from the B40 but as someone who’s been follow- months can maximise their profits
group. – Wks, Kepong ing the situation carefully, the and get back on their feet.
> Rakyat on losing end release dates slated for the films
I fully concur with “Support anti- Free Guy (Oct 14), Fast and Furious A MOVIE BUFF
corruption move” (Text Us, The Star, Ampang
Sept 13). Corruption pushes up the
cost of doing projects, and the rakyat Consider giving full loans for property below RM1mil
ultimately pay the price.
> Do the right thing AS feedback for Budget 2022, I sug- value for first and second housing ants, bankers and solicitors in marked up and the property buyer
To all anti-vaccination teachers, don’t gest that financial institutions give loan, 70% for third loan...” is no order to stay competitive. would then be given a full loan,
listen to the so-called doctors on full loans (100% end-financing) to longer relevant, as it can easily be attractive rebate, free legal fee,
social media. Real doctors don’t have purchasers of property priced circumvented by marking up the They would “shop” for an adjust- stamp duty and so on, or so it
time to be filmed. Make an informed below RM1mil. selling price of the property. ed and fake market value to fulfil seems.
decision. their client’s needs.
This would help to stimulate the Marking up is done when the Allowing a 100% loan to the mar-
sluggish property market due to sale and purchase (S&P) agreement With new valuation firms being ket value of a property will combat
the prolonged movement control price is purposely adjusted to a set up every year, marking up the the practice of marking up and ulti-
order since the outbreak of Covid- price that’s higher than the actual market value can be done easily as mately restore the pride and pro-
19 and also combat the practice of value to help the buyer secure a long as a request is made. fessionalism of real estate valua-
marking up the property’s transac- property without using their own tion.
tion price. money. The same thing happens in pro-
ject sales where the market value CHEAH POH OO
In conventional practice, the Marking up has become a com- of the property can easily be Lunas, Kedah
“90% loan margin from market mon practice among loan consult- manipulated by developers.

The selling price would be

14 THE STAR, WEdnESdAy 15 SEpTEmbER 2021

Vietnam Indonesia China Philippines Cambodia

Govt enhances With curbs eased, Daily urges scrutiny Experts fear remote Buddha statues see
supply of oxygen Bali is hoping to on cosmetic surgery learning for second enlightenment as
for patients welcome back commercials making year may worsen ministry modifies for
nationwide. >15 foreign tourists. >15 false promises. >16 education crisis. >17 more accuracy. >17

Indonesia

Hanging in the balance

Schoolgirls crossing a river using the remains of a bridge that was swept away during flooding the previous year at Malela village in Luwu Regency, South Sulawesi. — AFP

Getting tough on sex offenders
Halimah: More needs to be done, however, to curb predators at home

Singapore Longer jail when the average life expectancy for The new law comes after three Halimah highlighted that two cases one about adult behaviour that they
terms for sexual men was about 47. paedophiles were convicted and were revealed only when people are uncomfortable with and know
offenders passed in Parliament on sentenced this year. related to the victims reported the where to get help.
Monday are “badly needed” but on the same day, Parliament incidents.
more has to be done to curb sexual passed legislation to mete out harsh- In April, a man, 44, was sentenced “They need to be told that it’s not
predation at home, said Singapore er punishments for several sexual for sexually assaulting and raping “(For the case involving the taboo to seek help and they are not
President Halimah Yacob. offences. his daughter over seven-and-a-half 44-year-old,) the rape came to light to be blamed for wanting to protect
In a Facebook post yesterday, she years, starting when she was three only when the father molested his themselves,” said Halimah.
added: “My stomach churns every These include those who engage years old. While her mother was at daughter’s friend and her family
time I read about convicted paedo- in sexual activity in the presence of a work, he also showed her child por- reported him,” she noted. About 40% of sexual assault cases
philes who raped young, defenceless minor aged between 14 and 16, or nography. reported to the police from 2017 to
girls, often within the sanctity of the cause them to view a sexual image “In the second case (involving the 2019 involved victims below the age
home, which is supposed to be a safe as well as similar offences done Last month, a former Singapore step-grandfather), it was discovered of 16, Home Affairs and Law Minister
haven.” against minors aged between 16 and Armed Forces regular serviceman, when the girl’s brother, who wit- K. Shanmugam said in a written
Condemning rape as “the most 18, where the offender is in an 24, was sentenced for sexually vio- nessed the rape, told the family response to parliamentary questions
heinous” crime, she noted how the exploitative relationship with the lating a 15-year-old girl and preying about it.” in January.
damage inflicted could last a lifetime minor. on other victims, including a former
for a victim, unlike the convicted schoolmate. Calling for more to be done In those three years, there were
paedophile who “walks out free The Criminal Law (Miscellaneous beyond the law to protect girls, 6,988 reports of sexual assault,
after serving his term” and will not Amendments) Bill will increase the This month, a man, 71, was sen- Halimah said: “Fear, shame, intimi- including rape, sexual assault by
be caned if he is aged above 50. maximum jail term for these two tenced for raping his step-grand- dation, familial ties are common penetration, outrage of modesty and
on Monday, Murali Pillai (Bukit offences from one to two years. daughter when she was nine. tools employed by paedophiles to sexual offences involving children
Batok) noted in Parliament that the ensnare confused little girls who and vulnerable victims.
age limit was introduced in 1900 But legislation intervenes only if He had also watched pornogra- scarcely know what’s happening to
the rape is reported, said Halimah, phy with the victim, who learnt how them.” of these, 2,798 victims were below
adding that she was unsure how to search for such videos online 16, and 1,000 victims were between
effective existing programmes are from observing him. She added that the girls need to 16 and 20 years old. — The Straits
against sexual predation at home. know that it is safe to talk to some- Times/Ann
of these three convictions,

THE STAR, Wednesday 15 september 2021 StarAsean+ 15

A shot in the arm for Bali Singapore
island’s tourism industry looking for uptick after virus measures eased
Govt proposes
Indonesia Bali’s tourism said on Monday restrictions would eign tourists, although the timing collaboration to form a Phuket, online ‘foreign
industry is hop- be downgraded in Bali to allow for has not been finalised. langkawi and Bali tourism “trian- interference’ Bill
ing for an uptick in business after some tourist destinations to be gle”.
Covid-19 social restrictions were opened and cinemas to operate at He recently flagged possibly the government intro-
eased for the resort island, with the 50% capacity. applying Thailand’s “Phuket More than 66% of people on Bali duced a bill in parliament
government beginning to formulate sandbox” approach to Bali, which are fully vaccinated, according to on monday to prevent what
plans to allow foreign travel to “Our hope is the virus spread can would allow a limited number of data from the country’s health min- it called foreign interfer-
resume. be kept under control, so that we fully vaccinated foreign tourists istry. ence in domestic politics,
The country’s once thriving holi- can reach an 80%-90% vaccination from low-risk countries to visit which proposes empow-
day hotspot has been eerily quiet rate and then we can start to open without the need to quarantine. On Bali, locals whose livelihoods ering authorities to issue
amid indonesia’s Covid-19 outbreak for international tourists,” said Diah have taken a hit during the pan- take-down orders against
– one of the worst in asia – with anggraini, manager of the Grand Malaysia and Vietnam are also demic are keen for the reopening to “hostile information cam-
hotels, restaurants and beaches inna Kuta Hotel. looking at opening up tourist go ahead. paigns”. the home min-
shuttered. havens to travel bubbles, including istry said the bill targets
But cases in the south-East asian “The response from local tourists on the islands of langkawi and Phu “i hope the local government content that “can
nation have declined significantly has been very good so far,” she said. Quoc. here can keep negotiating with the cause immediate and
in the past month after peaking in central government to let Bali stay significant harm in
mid-July. “We see they are starting to have speaking at an online press con- open,” said 55-year-old Bali resident singapore”. — reuters
senior government ministers more confidence about travelling.” ference on Tuesday, sandiaga said Made Danendra.
tourism areas should reach vacci- Myanmar
Tourism Minister sandiaga Uno nation rates of 70% before reopen- “so that all my relatives including
said this week his ministry was ing, and also suggested regional my kids, brothers and sisters can go Two killed
drafting plans for reopening to for- back to work.” — Reuters in bomb blast

Authorities to Indonesia tWO people including a
start testing security force member
localised were killed and at least
lockdowns in four others injured in a
capital region bomb blast in mandalay
region on monday. accord-
Philippines THE Philip- ing to a release, the bomb
pines’ capital exploded at a Covid-19
region will exit wide-scale coronavi- checkpoint where health-
rus restrictions from tomorrow, as care measures were being
the government launches a pilot carried out. — Xinhua
test of localised lockdowns, amid
efforts to balance reopening the Laos
economy and containing the spread
of the coronavirus. Provinces get
The localised lockdown would be emergency aid
accompanied by five alert levels
designating the range of businesses authOrities in several
allowed to operate, including activi- provinces are speeding
ties targeted at fully vaccinated up the delivery of relief aid
individuals, officials said. to help people affected
if successful, the same formula by tropical storm Con
could be applied across the son that passed over
Philippines, which is battling one of the country on saturday
asia’s worst coronavirus outbreaks. Exam fever and flooding at least 70
The shift in the government’s houses. an official from
Covid-19 strategy could soon pave state civil employee candidates taking a test in banda aceh. the civil service exam is a mix of written tests saravan province said
the way for limited face-to-face and an interview. — aFp authorities had been
school classes and the reopening of carrying out rescue and
indoor entertainment facilities in relief efforts. — Vientiane
areas with low virus transmission Boost of nationwide oxygen supply times/ann
and adequate hospital capacity.
From tomorrow, the alert level Brunei
would be changed in Metro Manila,
allowing outdoor dining at 30% Recoverees told
capacity, and indoor dining for small Vietnam THE Health 100% as needed. to take it easy
groups of fully immunised people, Ministry held an Regarding the status of medical
Health Undersecretary Maria online training conference on a pro- “The investment reCOVered virus pa-
Rosario Vergerie told a briefing. ject to enhance the supply and use ... is not only oxygen technical infrastructure in tients are advised against
Religious gatherings and person- of medical oxygen for facilities for the Covid-19 medical facilities, it basically meets performing intensive
al care services will be allowed at treating Covid-19 patients. pandemic but routine medical care, but there are labour, while employers are
30% of building capacity. Monday’s conference aims to pre- also for the still some limitations when the urged to empathise with
The capital region, an urban pare, respond proactively, promptly future.” number of Covid-19 patients them regarding long-term
sprawl of 16 cities that is home to 13 and effectively in terms of medical increases. effects that may arise,
million people, is the country’s coro- oxygen for emergencies and for the tran Van thuan the health ministry said.
navirus epicentre, accounting for a treatment of Covid-19 patients. Meanwhile, Thuan said localities it added that side effects
third of cases and one in every four speaking at the conference, ing from mild levels such as oxygen should also strengthen iT applica- could last for months.
deaths. Three-fifths of the area’s Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van masks, oxygen therapy glasses and tion in the management and coordi- — borneo bulletin/ann
population have already been fully Thuan emphasised that investing in high flow oxygen to severe levels nation of medical oxygen, and at
vaccinated against Covid-19, gov- the medical oxygen supply system such as non-invasive and invasive the same time properly control the
ernment data showed. would be an investment for the long ventilation, ECMO, accounting for price of medical oxygen in the local-
The shift followed calls by some term. about 9.5% of the total cases. ity to ensure that the price is not a
health professionals for tighter “The investment ... of medical barrier when the demand for oxy-
curbs to give stretched hospitals a oxygen at medical examination and according to Nguyen Minh Tuan, gen increases.
breathing space. treatment facilities is not only for director of the Department of
“Up to now, cases are still increas- the Covid-19 pandemic but also for Medical Equipment and Construc- localities are asked to continue
ing. it’s just like the Olympics, we the future,” he said. tion, the supply capacity of oxygen to implement the motto “four on the
are waiting for when we will hit a in some southern provinces and across the country is about 1,200 spot”, proactively prepare, be ready
new record high,” said Geneve cities, the number of new cases of tonnes of liquid oxygen per day and promptly respond to medical
Rivera-Reyes, a public physician. Covid-19 along with the current and can be increased by 50% to oxygen needs in emergencies and
Metro Manila’s overall infections number of cases and the need for Covid-19 treatment: planning the
in the past 30 days alone accounted medical treatment for other diseas- procurement of medical oxygen
for more than a fifth of the coun- es has resulted in an increasing containers and other necessary sup-
try’s total of 2.2 million cases, while demand for medical oxygen. The plies and equipment; simultaneous-
overall deaths have reached 35,145. percentage of Covid-19 patients ly, continuously expanding training
— Reuters who have the need for oxygen rang- for doctors, nurses, medical staff at
all levels on medical oxygen thera-
pies in treatment suitable to all lev-
els. — Vietnam News/aNN

16 StarAsean+ THE STAR, Wednesday 15 september 2021

More cooperation in the works
China and s’pore focus on
virus and digital economy

Singapore CHInA and research and development and virus
Singapore research, among others, and to joint-
agreed to enhance the cooperation ly oppose vaccine nationalism, so as
in combating Covid-19 and develop- to make contribution to the regional
ing the digital economy. anti-pandemic course and the build-
The pledge was made during a ing of a community of common
meeting between visiting Chinese health for mankind.
State Councillor and Foreign
Minister Wang Yi and Singapore’s The pandemic has triggered a
Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee booming digital economy, Wang
Keat. noted, saying that China is ready to
At Monday’s meeting, Wang work with Singapore to utilise digital
said the China-Singapore relations technologies to upgrade the bilateral
have advanced with the times, play- cooperation projects and mecha-
ing a leading role in regional cooper- nisms, and expand the cooperation
ation. in areas including green economy,
China is willing to work together so as to facilitate the economic recov-
with Singapore to bring into full play ery of both countries and the region.
the Joint Council for Bilateral
Cooperation (JCBC), the highest-level Heng, for his part, said maintain-
and most influential cooperation ing high-level contacts amid the pan-
mechanism between the two coun- demic is of great significance in
tries, in order to push the bilateral strengthening bilateral cooperation
cooperation to new heights, Wang between Singapore and China.
said.
On the Covid-19 pandemic, Wang He hoped that a new JCBC meet-
said China is willing to join hands ing will be held to push forward the Ties that bind: Wang (left) and his singaporean counterpart Foreign affairs minister Vivian balakrishnan
with Singapore to work on medicine bilateral cooperation in the post-pan- posing for pictures during their meeting in singapore. — aFp
demic era.

Heng praised China for conduct-
ing vaccine cooperation. — Xinhua

Daily slams medical beauty ads giving false hopes

Nip and tuck: a patient waiting to go under the knife to enhance her BEIJING: The People’s Daily said it advertisements associate good as Chinese regulators have wielded
looks at a plastic surgery clinic in shanghai in this file photo. — reuters was “imperative and urgent” to reg- looks with “high-quality”, “dili- a wide-ranging crackdown on
ulate advertisements bombarding gence” and “success”, fabricating industries from technology to edu-
people with recommendations for stories about “plastic surgery cation to property to strengthen
cosmetic surgery, procedures and changing one’s destiny” and distort- their control over the economy and
treatments, as they had become ing aesthetic perceptions. society after years of runaway
excessive, and some made false growth.
claims. The criticism of the sector comes
In August, China’s market regula-
“From posters at bus stops and in tor drafted guidelines to regulate
subway, to introductions on social the medical aesthetics sector’s
websites and content platforms, advertising practices, saying that
from advertisements planted in they were prompting societal anxie-
films and television variety shows, ty over people’s looks.
to promotions by live-streamers,
medical beauty advertisements are Demand for plastic surgery
overwhelmingly pervasive,” the or medical aesthetic treatment
ruling Communist Party’s official has boomed in China in recent
newspaper said in a commentary years.
published on its website.
However, they have been criti-
The People’s Daily said some cised for failing to caution people
about risks. — Reuters

THE STAR, Wednesday 15 september 2021 StarAsean+ 17

Ministry aims to make modifications to statues of Buddha

Cambodia THE Battam– statue of Buddha’s enlightenment. of Buddhism will not know the
bang provincial “They requested a statue depict- exact style of Buddha being por-
Department of Cults and Religions trayed such as an image of his
is seeking permission for sculptors ing the enlightenment, but when it enlightenment. Secondly, the public
to make modifications to the was built it turned out to be a statue will criticise the authorities or
Buddha statues which are under of Siddhartha [Buddha] triumphing experts saying they are ignorant.”
construction on the face of Phnom over Mara,” he said.
Sampov Mountain after inaccura- A Facebook user named Siv Jing
cies were discovered during a He said the construction should who claimed to be the son of the
recent inspection. follow the book Templates of Buddha sculptor said the statue of Buddha
Department director Kun Statues in Cambodia released on triumphing over Mara was commis-
Sambath Moniroth said on Sept 12 Sept 1, 2014, by the religions minis- sioned by two Buddhist followers
that the people sponsoring the con- try and recognised by the Ministry identified as Tang Meng Hun and
struction had requested permission of Culture and Fine Arts. Sreng Sen.
to build three statues showing
Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and Constructing statues of Buddha The duo could not be reached for
nirvana. that are markedly different from comment.
However, he said he did not see the designs approved by the reli-
the blueprint and only after a prac- gions ministry could lead the young- Siv Jing said the statute of Buddha
tical examination did he realise that er generations to misunderstanding triumphing over Mara was meant Monumental task: the statues at the phnom sampov mountain in
there was a scriptural error in the the religion and could draw public to be a guardian of peace for battambang are poised for changes. — the phnom penh post/ann
criticism, he said. the nation and to show that no
enemy can persecute Cambodia. —
“Firstly, the younger generations The Phnom Penh Post/Ann
who do not have a deep knowledge

Deafening sounds of silence
Once vibrant migrant worker enclaves struggle to survive the pandemic

Singapore In Little India, was largely patronised by Indian imitation of the vibrant atmosphere Almost all of its Sunday takings
jewellers that Singaporeans and tourists, who of the Desker Road shophouse that have dried up since last March.
could count on five-digit takings never returned as they avoided the houses Dibashram.
each weekend are struggling to area out of fear of being infected by “I still have to pay my monthly
hold on, while a previously vibrant foreign workers. Mohsin’s struggle is a familiar rental and my staff,” said Rakkapan,
community space that drew one throughout Little India, a regu- adding he has survived only with
Bangladeshi workers from across Despite rental relief of four lar haunt of migrant workers from the weekly patronage of some of the
the island no longer pulses with months, two by the government both India and Bangladesh, many of Malaysian workers who are unable
fellowship. and two by his landlord, he had no whom live in dormitories. to travel out of Singapore.
In Geylang, Internet cafes once lit choice but to close the restaurant.
with neon and filled with night owls A group of leading Asian Following the restrictions He said he appreciated the gov-
seeking respite from their weekday newspapers working “I had planned for the restaurant imposed on those living in dormito- ernment’s assistance with wages
grind have gone dark. to help support Banglar Kantha and ries last March, businesses in Little and rents during the circuit breaker
Enclaves that once drew their toward improving coverage Dibashram, but it became a bur- India have struggled to make ends from April to June last year, but said
energies from and were the go-to of Asian affairs. den,” said Mohsin, 57. meet, much more than other these were not enough to save
weekend haunts for migrant work- migrant worker enclaves. every business in the area.
er communities here have been www.asianewsnet.net Banglar Kantha is a Bengali-
markedly changed since Covid-19 language newspaper that Mohsin is Ruthirapathy, 52, honorary secre- Sirajul Islam, 56, can attest to
restrictions were implemented in called it quits. editor of, and Dibashram – Bengali tary of the Little India Shopkeepers that. His wholesale business,
March last year and dormitories In november 2018, AKM Mohsin for daycare – is a cultural and activ- and Heritage Association, estimates Costkom, which imports groceries
locked down in April last year. ity centre he started to cater to a 50% drop in footfall compared from Bangladesh and distributes
Eighteen months later, there is took over Swaad, a vegetarian res- Bengali migrant workers in with before the pandemic. This, he them to minimarts and dormitories
finally light as a long-awaited pilot taurant in Desker Road, in hopes of Singapore. said, translated to falls in revenue here, had to shut down last year.
scheme for workers to return to the offsetting expenses for his work of up to 80% for some shopkeepers.
larger community begins this week, with the Bengali migrant worker Before the pandemic, Dibashram “The business went down to zero,
but many businesses are on their community. was a vibrant space that saw M. Rakkapan, director of Satya as all the minimarts had to close
last legs – if they have not already migrant workers coming together Jewellery, said the store used to during the circuit breaker, so I had
Little did he know the pandemic to socialise, read and jam. make about S$30,000 (RM92,970) on to throw away my entire last ship-
would ravage his business by up to weekends alone, accounting for ment from December 2019.
80%, even though the restaurant now, physical activities have all about two-thirds of the monthly
but stopped, replaced instead with revenue. “I don’t know how to survive,” he
online discussions that are a pale said. — The Straits Times/Ann

Children facing a learning crisis, say experts Covid-19
cases drop
Philippines CLASSRooMS below 12,000
here were
silent on Monday as millions of
school children hunkered down at
home for a second year of remote Thailand THE nation yes-
lessons that experts fear will wors- terday reported
en an educational “crisis”. 11,786 new Covid-19 cases and 136
While nearly every country in Home schooled: additional fatalities, according to
the world has partially or fully reo- Larrobis, a first the Center for Covid-19 Situation
pened schools to in-person classes, grade student, Administration (CCSA).
the Philippines has kept them closed practising her new cases went down again for
since the start of the coronavirus writing exercises at three days in a row after reporting
pandemic, the Un says. her home in Quezon a spike of over 15,000 cases on
President Rodrigo Duterte has so City, manila, ahead Saturday. out of the new cases
far rejected proposals for a pilot of another school reported, 2,788 were found in the
reopening of primary and second- year of remote capital Bangkok, the epicenter of
ary schools for fear children could lessons in the the country’s worst outbreak so far.
catch Covid-19 and infect elderly country due to the The CCSA also said that 14,738
relatives. pandemic. — aFp Covid-19 patients were discharged
“I want to go to school,” seven- from hospitals over the past 24
year-old Kylie Larrobis said, com- crisis before Covid... it’s going to be hours after making a full recovery,
plaining she cannot read after a even worse now,” he said. nearly 3,000 more than the number
year of online kindergarten in the “What is happening is not good,” or internet at home. of new infections.
tiny slum apartment in Manila she said Genel, who opposed a return More than 80% of parents are Fifteen-year-olds in the Since the beginning of the pan-
shares with six people. to in-person classes while the Delta Philippines were at or near the bot- demic early last year, there have
“I don’t know what a classroom variant ripped through the coun- worried their children “are learn- tom in reading, mathematics and been 1,406,542 cases and 14,621
looks like – I’ve never seen one.” try. ing less”, said Isy Faingold, Unicef’s science, according to oECD data. cumulative deaths in Thailand.
Larrobis, who enters first grade education chief in the Philippines, A total of 40.9 million vaccines
this year, cries in frustration when A “blended learning” programme citing a recent survey. Enrolments fell to 26.9 million in have been administered between
she cannot understand her online involving online classes, printed the 2020 school year and were Feb 28 and Sept 13.
lessons, which she follows on a materials and lessons broadcast on Around two-thirds of them sup- down a further five million days Roughly 18% of Thailand’s 69-mil-
smartphone, said her mother, television and social media was port the reopening of classrooms in before lessons restarted on Monday, lion population have been fully vac-
Jessielyn Genel. launched last october. areas where virus transmission is according to official figures. cinated so far. The country aims to
Her misery is compounded by a low. inoculate 70% of its population by
ban on children playing outdoors. It has been plagued with prob- Faingold fears many students the end of this year. — Xinhua
lems: most students in the “Distance learning cannot replace may “never return”. — AFP
Philippines don’t have a computer in-person learning,” Faingold said.

“There was already a learning

18 THE STAR, WEdnESdAy 15 SEpTEmbER 2021

Over US$1bil for Afghanistan putin stays
Donors offer lifeline to address country’s most pressing needs home after
Covid-19 cases
GENEVA: Donors have pledged country – all at once.” month in a lightning offensive that “moral obligation” to keep helping in inner circle
more than US$1.1bil (RM4.5bil) to He said food could run out by the took retreating US troops by sur- Afghans after a 20-year engagement,
help Afghanistan, where poverty prise. several speakers in Geneva said. MOScOW: President Vladimir
and hunger have spiralled since the end of this month, and the World Putin will self-isolate after corona-
Taliban took power, and foreign aid Food Programme said 14 million The Taliban ruled Afghanistan Neighbours China and Pakistan virus cases were detected in his
has dried up, raising the spectre of a people were on the brink of starva- according to their strict interpreta- had already offered help. inner circle, the Kremlin said, as
mass exodus. tion. tion of Islamic law from 1996-2001 Russia struggles with stubbornly
and were toppled in an invasion led But UN human rights chief high Covid infection rates.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday urged the by the United States, which accused Michelle Bachelet, also in Geneva,
Guterres, speaking halfway through international community to engage them of sheltering militants behind underlined the Western misgivings. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry
a UN conference seeking US$606mil with the Taliban and to provide a the Sept 11 attacks. Peskov told reporters that Putin
(RM2.5bil) to meet Afghanistan’s “lifeline” of desperately needed aid She accused the Taliban of break- was “absolutely healthy”.
most pressing needs, said it was too to Afghans, as the first foreign com- They swept back to power last ing recent promises by once more
early to say how much had been mercial flight left Kabul -- a hopeful month in a lightning advance as the ordering women to stay at home When asked whether Putin had
promised in response to the appeal. sign for those still trying to leave the last US-led Nato troops pulled out rather than go to work, keeping taken a coronavirus test and if it
country. and the forces of the Western- teenage girls out of school, and per- was negative, Peskov replied:
After decades of war and suffer- backed government melted away. secuting former opponents. “Undoubtedly”.
ing, Afghans are facing “perhaps He was in Geneva to host a donor
their most perilous hour”, he said. conference aimed at raising hun- With billions of dollars of aid Beijing last week promised Putin had been due to travel to
dreds of millions of dollars for the flows abruptly ending due to US$31mil (RM128.5mil) worth of Tajikistan’s capital Dushanbe for a
“The people of Afghanistan are violence-torn country, which was Western antipathy and distrust food and health supplies, and said it regional summit later this week
facing the collapse of an entire taken over by the Taliban last towards the Taliban, donors had a would send a first batch of 3 million but in a call with President
coronavirus vaccines. — Agencies Emomali Rakhmon said he would
not be able to attend in person.

“Putin said that in connection
with identified coronavirus
cases in his circle, he will
observe a self-isolation regime for
a certain period of time,” the
Kremlin said.

“Self-isolation doesn’t directly
affect the president’s work, there
will just be no in-person events for
some time,” Peskov told journal-
ists.

He did not specify how long the
68-year-old president will be
self-isolating for and declined to
say who in Putin’s entourage had
tested positive. — AFP

Return of the glitz and glamour WHO: Vaccine
boosters not
(Top) US tennis player Serena Williams and (left) Rihanna together with ASAP Rocky arriving for widely needed
the 2021 Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. This year’s Met Gala has a
distinctively youthful imprint, hosted by singer Billie Eilish, actor Timothee Chalamet, poet Amanda WASHINGTON: Additional Covid-
Gorman and tennis star Naomi Osaka, none of them older than 25. The Gala returns after being 19 vaccine booster shots are not
cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. — AFP/Reuters needed, leading scientists including
two departing senior US Food and
Japan’s richest person builds US$38bil fortune Drug Administration officials and
several from the World Health
TOkyO: Takemitsu Takizaki, the Retailing Co’s Yanai, who’s lost more its forthcoming inclusion in Japan’s Takizaki founded Keyence in Organisation said in an article.
founder of electronic-sensor maker than a fifth of his wealth in 2021, blue-chip equity index, the Nikkei 1974 and steadily built the company
Keyence Corp, has overtaken Uniqlo has a net worth of US$35.5bil 225 Stock Average. as a maker of sensors, measuring The scientists said more evidence
billionaire Tadashi Yanai to become (RM147bil). instruments, machine-vision sys- was needed to justify boosters. That
Japan’s richest person. “This positioning is likely to stay tems and other equipment for view disagrees with US government
It’s an example of how the wealth for a while,” Mitsushige Akino, industrial automation. plans to begin offering another
Takizaki is worth US$38.2bil landscape is shifting amid the a senior executive officer at round of shots to fully vaccinated
(RM158bil), according to the Covid-19 pandemic, as a factory- Ichiyoshi Asset Management Co. in The pandemic spurred demand Americans as soon as next week.
Bloomberg Billionaires Index, after automation entrepreneur replaces Tokyo, said of the wealth ranking. for factory automation as govern-
his company’s shares almost dou- a retail mogul at the top of the coun- “The big factor recently was being ments around the world imposed As Covid-19 cases caused by the
bled from the start of last year try’s rich list. added to the Nikkei 225.” social-distancing measures. — Delta variant of the virus rise,
through Monday’s close. Fast Bloomberg President Joe Biden’s administra-
Keyence has also been boosted by Keyence declined to comment. tion is concerned that infections
among those already vaccinated
are a sign that their protection is
waning.

The WHO has argued that the
vaccines are still needed for first
doses around the globe. — Reuters

On top of S. Korea sees more self-made super-rich
the world: SEOUL: South Korea, which has long est stockholders in each of the US, Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman
Emergence of relied on a few family-controlled busi- Korea and Japan. Lee Jae-yong, Amorepacific Group
new businesses nesses for its growth, has recently Chairman Suh Kyung-bae and Hyundai
fuelled by the seen an increase in the number of From 2018 to 2021, Asia’s Motor Group’s honorary chairman,
pandemic have people entering the league of the fourth-largest economy saw its num- Chung Mong-koo. The Celltrion found-
contributed in nation’s wealthiest, data showed. ber of the self-made among the richest er and honorary chairman, Seo Jung-
generational top 50 grow from 19 to 25 people. jin, was the only entrepreneur.
shift in The average age of entrepreneurs
super-rich club. among the 50 richest also has come Meanwhile, the US was up by one at The list of the top five richest stock-
— The Korea down during the pandemic, accelerat- 35 people and Japan was down by one holders in Korea this year included
Herald/ANN ing a generational shift in the corpo- to 38. Jae-yong and his mother as well as
rate world, according to Leaders the widow of late Samsung Chairman
Index, a local corporate tracker. In 2018, four out of five of the Lee, Hong Ra-hee. — The Korea
nation’s richest people had inherited Herald/ANN
Leaders Index analysed the 50 rich- their wealth – since-deceased Samsung
Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee,

THE STAR, Wednesday 15 september 2021 StarWorld 19

IN PICTURES

Photo online: http://gallery.thestar.com.my/

France: A cyclist seen looking at the Arc de Triomphe, Nigeria: People attempting to pull out a car washed away Peru: Health workers accompanied by former mayor of
in Paris, wrapped in silver-blue fabric as it was designed by flood water on a street affected by floods following Uros’ island, Inter-cultural manager Rita Subana (centre),
by the late artist Christo. The monument is covered as a a heavy downpour at Trademoore Estate, Lugbe, Abuja. are seen travelling to immunise vulnerable population who
posthumous tribute to Christo, who had dreamt of the Authorities confirmed three people died while dozens of have not yet received Covid-19 vaccines at the floating
project for decades. — AFP cars and houses were affected in the calamity. — AFP island of Uros in Titicaca lake. — AFP

‘Millions could be displaced’ Cat lovers
give millions
report: Climate change could move 216 million people by 2050 to kidney
research
BARCELONA: Climate change The report didn’t look at the fragile coastlines and the popula- Cause for
could push more than 200 million short-term impacts of climate tion’s dependence on agriculture - concern: reduced TOkyO: Cats may have nine lives,
people to leave their homes in the change, such as effects on extreme would see the most movement, with agricultural but their time on Earth is often cut
next three decades and create weather events up to 86 million climate migrants production, water short by kidney problems – so peo-
migration hotspots unless urgent moving within national borders. scarcity, rising sea ple in Japan who want their feline
action is taken to reduce global The findings “reaffirm the poten- levels and other friends to live longer have donated
emissions and bridge the develop- cy of climate to induce migration “This is our humanitarian reality adverse effects of nearly US$2mil (RM8.2mil) to the
ment gap, a World Bank report has within countries,” said Viviane Wei right now and we are concerned climate change search for a cure.
found. Chen Clement, a Senior Climate this is going to be even worse, could cause up to
Change Specialist at the World Bank where vulnerability is more acute,” 216 million people As the coronavirus pandemic hit
The second part of the Grounds- and one of the report’s authors. said Prof Maarten van Aalst, sirec- to leave their the economy last year, scientists at
well report published on Monday tor of the international Red Cross homes and the University of Tokyo lost their
examines how the impacts of In the worst-case scenario, Sub- Red Crescent Climate Centre, who migrate within corporate funding for a study on
slow-onset climate change such as Saharan Africa – the most vulnera- wasn’t involved with the report. their own countries preventing kidney disease in cats.
water scarcity, decreasing crop pro- ble region due to desertification, by 2050, the World
ductivity and rising sea levels could bank has warned. But thousands of Japanese cat
lead to millions of what the report — aFp lovers mobilised online to donate to
describes as “climate migrants” by the researchers after an article
2050 under three different scenari- Among the actions recommended about their plight by news agency
os with varying degrees of climate were achieving “net-zero emissions Jiji Press went viral.
action and development. by mid-century to have a chance at
limiting global warming to 1.5°C” “I lost my beloved cat to kidney
Under the most pessimistic sce- and investing in development that is disease last December ... I hope this
nario, with a high level of emissions “green, resilient, and inclusive, in research will progress and help
and unequal development, the line with the Paris Agreement.” many cats to live without this dis-
report forecasts up to 216 million ease,” one woman wrote in a mes-
people moving within their own Clement and Rigaud warned that sage alongside her US$20 (RM83)
countries across the six regions ana- the worst-case scenario is “plausi- donation.
lyzed. Those regions are Latin ble” if collective action to reduce
America; North Africa; Sub-Saharan emissions and invest in develop- Another donor, who gave US$90
Africa; Eastern Europe and Central ment isn’t taken, especially in the (RM373), said: “I recently got a kit-
Asia; South Asia; and East Asia and next decade. — AP ten. I make a donation in the hope
the Pacific. that it will be in time for this cat.”

In the most climate-friendly sce- Domesticated cats and their big-
nario, with a low level of emissions ger cousins in the wild are highly
and sustainable development, the prone to kidney problems because
number of migrants could be as of a genetic inability to activate a
much as 80% lower but still result key protein discovered by the Tokyo
in the move of 44 million people. researchers.

Britain to offer Covid-19 vaccine to 12- and 15-year-olds Immunology professor Toru
Miyazaki and his team are working
LONDON: All 12- to 15-year-olds in after a unanimous recommenda- 19, reducing transmission in tries pushing ahead with jabs for on ways to produce the AIM protein
Britain will be offered a Covid-19 tion by the Chief Medical Officers schools,” health minister Sajid Javid youngsters. – which helps clean up dead cells
vaccine after top medical advisers (CMOs) from the four nations of the said in a statement on Monday. and other waste in the body – in a
said that children would benefit United Kingdom. The CMOs recommended that stable quantity and quality.
from reduced disruption to their The programme will be rolled out children aged 12-15 in Britain get a
education. “I have accepted the recommen- at schools, with the consent of par- first shot of the Pfizer vaccine, after They hope to develop a new rem-
dation from the Chief Medical ents or guardians, according to the the Joint Committee on Vaccination edy they say could double the cur-
The British government con- Officers to expand vaccination to health ministry. and Immunisation decided this rent feline life expectancy of rough-
firmed that the offer would be those aged 12 to 15 – protecting month against making the recom- ly 15 years.
extended to all children aged 12-15 young people from catching Covid- Vaccinating children has become mendation. — Agencies
a thorny issue, despite other coun- “I hope that ultimately veterinar-
ians will give (cats) jabs every year
like vaccines,” Miyazaki said.

“It would be good to give them
one or two doses every year” of
AIM, he said. — AFP

Scientists potty train cows to use ‘MooLoo’

BERLiN: Turns out cows can be “The cows are at least as good as in the journal Current Biology. Practice
potty trained as easily as toddlers. children, age two to four years, at And it wasn’t just a “wow, this makes
Maybe easier. least as quick,” said study senior perfect:
author Lindsay Matthews, an ani- could be fun” academic question. a calf being
It’s no bull. Scientists put the task mal behavioural scientist at New Massive amounts of urine waste is a trained to
to the test and 11 out of 16 cows Zealand’s University of Auckland serious environmental issue, urinate in a
learned to use the “MooLoo” when who worked with colleagues on the Matthews said. ‘mooLoo’ as
they had to go. tests at an indoor animal research urine waste
lab in Germany. Urine contains nitrogen, and is a serious
Just like some parents, the when mixed with faeces becomes environmental
researchers used a sweet treat to What started with a half-in-jest ammonia, which is an environmen- issue. — ap
coax the cows to push through a question on a New Zealand radio tal issue with acid rain and other
gate and urinate in a special pen. talk show about the very real prob- problems, Matthews said, adding
And it took only 15 days to train the lem of livestock waste resulted in a that it can also taint the water with
young calves. Some kids take quite serious study published on Monday nitrates and create the airborne
a bit longer. pollutant nitrous oxide. — AP

20 Sport THE STAR, Wednesday 15 september 2021

Luxury
of choice

High-flying all blacks savour
promise of reinforcements

MELBOURNE: A New Zealand resting, injured or left home in New Tight squeeze: new Zealand’s sevu reece fails to score a try against argentina during their rugby
team that seemed doubtful and dis- Zealand, the Brodie Retallick- Championship match on sunday. — ap
jointed during Ian Foster’s first year captained All Blacks racked up five
in charge now appear on the verge tries to banish memories of their to negotiate a quick turnaround have the luxury of choice, with “We’ve got three physical test
of something special as they look to shock defeat to the Pumas in the Tri- before their re-match against loose forward enforcer Ardie Savea matches coming up, with Argentina
welcome a slew of top-shelf rein- Nations last year. Argentina in Brisbane on Saturday and hooker Codie Taylor available and then the Boks times two, so it’s
forcements to their Rugby and the back-to-back tests that fol- for selection after head-knocks going to be a tall order over the next
Championship campaign. Players usually condemned to toil- low against world champions South against Australia, along with fit- three weeks,” assistant coach John
ing on the fringes have savoured Africa. again props Ethan de Groot and Ofa Plumtree told reporters on Monday.
After thrashing Australia at Eden their moment in the limelight, with Tuungafasi. — Reuters
Park and Perth, the All Blacks fur- loose forwards Luke Jacobson and However, Foster and selectors
ther underlined their strength in Dalton Papalii producing three tries
depth with a 39-0 shutout of between them on the Gold Coast.
Argentina on the Gold Coast on
Sunday. Anton Lienert-Brown’s late with-
drawal due to a hamstring strain
They now lead the competition by was barely noticed as New Zealand’s
five points following second-placed ‘Mr Fix-it’ Rieko Ioane slotted in at
South Africa’s slip-up against centre with aplomb.
Australia.
Managing player workloads will
With about 10 first-choice players be key for the All Blacks as they look

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•
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• Menara Star (PJ) 03-7966 8388 • Penang 04-269 8000 • Ipoh 05-253 9269 • Seremban 06-762 6984 • Melaka 06-282 1909 • Johor Baru 07-331 5666 • Kuantan 09-513 1323 • Kuching 082-457 888

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anda/Minolroeavamiapnjoohpgryiooefmtesuomglleirm,vmaepoorohmyn,,ent.
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THE STAR, Wednesday 15 september 2021 Sport 21

This is the Real Deal
money not life is now the name of the game in the ring

MAKING money in boxing means not saying In the end, Blea got the
you’re sorry. winner right. But his 117-110
margin stood out in a fight
Not for allowing Evander Holyfield to risk his that was extremely close (the
life at the age of 58 just to make a few bucks. other two judges had it 115-
Certainly not for stealing money from gullible 112 Valdez).
fans for a farce of a pay per view show that The predictable online
would have done terrible damage to the sport if outrage about his scoring
only the sport wasn’t so badly damaged already. started making Blea think
maybe he did get it wrong.
No one was apologising – at least loud enough He watched a replay of the
to hear – among the crew at Triller Fight Club, a fight and concluded he
fledging promotional outfit on the fringe of should have scored the fight
boxing. They managed to get Holyfield licensed 115-112 or 114-113.
in Florida and moved the entire card there on So he issued an apology
short notice from California after planned that wasn’t just stunning, but
headliner Oscar De La Hoya pulled out with what unprecedented.
he said was Covid-19. All the horrible decisions
over the years. All the
Holyfield wasn’t apologising, either, after controversies over
being credited with landing just one punch terrible scoring.
before being stopped in the first round by a No one ever
former MMA fighter on Saturday. apologised for
them.
The Real Deal apparently now lives on the But a judge in Arizona
edge of reality as he suggested after the fight he did.
wanted another bout – this one against Mike Hopefully the people at
Tyson. Triller are paying attention
because they have some Down and out: evander Holyfield falls during a fight with brazilian martial artist Vitor belfort during a boxing
Somewhere else in boxing, though, there was apologising to do, too. match at Hard rock Live in Hollywood, Florida. — aFp
an apology. An apology both rare and heartfelt Throwing a man just four
from a judge who said he messed up. years from collecting Social
Security into the ring at the last moment wasn’t managers who have sacrificed fighters for the the second time they met looked slow and
Stephen Blea was one of three judges ringside just about making a mockery of a sport that better good of their wallets. They’ve ruined confused as he desperately tried to find some of
on Friday night in Tucson as hometown hero doesn’t need any more mockery. careers, and they’ve ruined lives in a sport so the old magic.
Oscar Valdez took on Robson Conceicao in a It was also about the callousness of risking a fraught with danger that any punch can be your Even sadder was Holyfield – who made
junior lightweight title bout. It was a familiar man ’s life – or scrambling his brain – just so the last. US$35mil (RM145mil) in 1997 for the second
position for Blea, who estimated he had profit and loss ledger could be balanced. Holyfield who gave Tyson a beatdown a Tyson fight – so desperate for cash that he was
officiated more than 60 title fights around the Boxing has a long history of promoters and quarter century ago and then forced him to foul delusional enough to even enter the ring. — AP
world.

On this night, the sellout crowd was cheering –
and cheering loudly – for Valdez. And the noise
influenced Blea early. He scored some rounds for
Valdez that could have been scored even, or for
Conceicao.

Djokovic denied as stars are born on New York stage Joshua
‘needs to
NEW YORK: The coronation of new Changing of the guards?: daniil medvedev reacts after scoring a point against novak djokovic during the fight’ fellow
champions Emma Raducanu and final of the Us Open. — ap champ Fury
Daniil Medvedev left tennis fans sal-
ivating at the prospect of what is to en’t lasted very long,” said ESPN by the massive burden of expecta- fifth set as players strove to make the LONDON: Anthony Joshua has said
come as the curtain dropped on analyst Chris Evert, herself a teenage tion on her. most of a more open field. he needs a fight against Tyson Fury
Grand Slam tennis for another year Grand Slam winner. “on my record” before his career is
at the end of the US Open on Sunday. Without the pulling power of Djokovic, the sole representative finished because boxing as a whole
“Who knows what’s going to hap- Federer, Nadal and 2020 champion of the “Big Three”, was certainly required at least one bout between
The fans were back after last pen when the target’s on their backs, Dominic Thiem – all absent through challenged. the two British heavyweights.
year’s Covid-19-enforced lockout or with this level of attention?” injury – it was left to the young guns
and they witnessed drama worthy of to provide the excitement in the The 34-year-old had dismissed Between them, the two boxers
any stage at the Broadway theatres Those concerned at how men’s draw too. Russian Medvedev in straight sets at currently hold all the major versions
only a few miles away. Raducanu and Fernandez will deal the Australian Open to win the first of the heavyweight world title.
with the attention need only to point Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz leg of what he hoped would be a first
Novak Djokovic had inevitably to Naomi Osaka, who announced played his part, sending third seed calendar year Grand Slam by a male Talks of a unification ‘superfight’,
been given top billing because of his her arrival on the big stage with her Stefanos Tsitsipas packing in the player since 1969. which went on for months, appeared
quest for a calendar-year Grand US Open triumph in 2018. third round and becoming the to be on the brink of ending in an
Slam and a 21st major title to break youngest player in the Open era to On Sunday, however, Medvedev agreement earlier this year only for
the three-way tie with Roger Federer Still only 23, the four-time Grand reach the quarter-finals. tore up that script with a brilliant a United States arbitrator to rule
and Rafa Nadal as the most success- Slam champion continued to performance to deliver what could Fury had to fight Deontay Wilder for
ful men’s player of all time. struggle with the mental health A record-equalling 34 matches in prove to be a breakthrough moment a third time.
issues she suggests were triggered the main draw went to a deciding in men’s tennis. — AFP
In the second week, however, he Joshua is set to face World Boxing
had to share the spotlight as two Organisation (WBO) mandatory
new tennis stars emerged in the challenger Oleksandr Usyk in
women’s draw. London on Sept 25.

Teenagers Raducanu and Leylah But Joshua, also the World Boxing
Fernandez – born two months apart Association (WBA) and International
in 2002 – generated frenzied hype as Boxing Federation (IBF) champion,
they swept all before them on unlike- knows that a fight against Fury is the
ly runs to the title decider. contest boxing fans want to see and
that a question mark will hang over
Raducanu, having battled her way his career if he does not face the
through qualifying at only her sec- ‘Gypsy King’.
ond major, emerged triumphant in
the final act on Saturday. “Do I need Tyson Fury on my
record? I need it,” Joshua told the
The manner of her triumph, and BBC 5 Live boxing podcast.
the fact she had reached fourth
round on Wimbledon grass on her “We need it for boxing. It’s what
Grand Slam debut, left many won- we all need, I need it. Come on, let’s
dering if Raducanu might possibly see how good I am.
be the dominant champion women’s
tennis craves. “Fight good fighters and they
bring out the best of you. Training
Canadian left-hander Fernandez camp is hard. To get better is very
had the harder route to the final, difficult in boxing. To fight Tyson
beating three top-five players and Fury is a big challenge.” — AFP
multiple major champions, and did
more than enough to suggest she
will not be a flash-in-the-pan.

“We’ve seen other careers that
have looked unstoppable but hav-

22 Sport THE STAR, Wednesday 15 september 2021

Harrington: No bias in selecting Lowry for Ryder Cup

LONDON: European captain Rose missed out. getting the picks, but having to tell Memorial Tournament. Zalatoris
Padraig Harrington says his friend- “Everybody says ‘You’re going to Shane that he got the pick was a big Lowry was also 12th in the belat- named PGA
ship with fellow Irishman Shane thrill of mine that he is a friend of Tour Rookie
Lowry made it harder not easier for pick Shane, you’re going to pick mine and knowing that it was the ed defence of his Open title, after the of the Year
the former British Open champion Shane’, and if anything that pushed right thing to do, it wasn’t me being coronavirus pandemic scuppered
to be selected for the Ryder Cup it away from me,” Harrington said. unconsciously biased.” the 2020 edition, at Royal St George’s.
team.
“I’m terrible like that. Lowry, one of three Ryder Cup Lowry said he is confident he can
Lowry held the last automatic “It actually made it harder for debutants in the European team justify Harrington’s faith as Europe
place heading into the final qualify- Shane to get in the team. I had to alongside Wiesberger and Viktor look to make it eight wins from the
ing event, but was knocked out of keep checking with the vice-cap- Hovland, has not won a tournament last 10 contests against the United
the European team by Bernd tains. You know, I’m not biased here. since triumphing at the British Open States.
Wiesberger’s performance in the This is right. Don’t let me be distract- at Royal Portrush in 2019.
PGA Championship at Wentworth. ed here because Shane is my friend.” “I have a huge amount of self-be-
Harrington, a three-time Major His best result in 2021 is a tie for lief that I can go there and deliver
But the 34-year-old Irishman was champion, added: “It was with the fourth, with Harrington and fellow points for Europe and that’s all that
then given one of Harrington’s three support of the vice-captains I was team member Paul Casey, in the US matters, really,” Lowry said.
wild cards for this month’s contest at able to give him the nod and I was PGA Championship at Kiawah
Whistling Straits, with Sergio Garcia thrilled with that. Island, but he has also recorded top- “Doesn’t matter whether you
and Ian Poulter the other two as “There’s downsides to this job, 10 finishes in the Players made the team number one or the
former world number one Justin having to tell the guys that weren’t Championship, RBC Heritage and last man to have done it. I have the
self-belief that I can deliver points
and that’s what it’s all about.” — AFP

Fighting cockerels LOS ANGELES: Will Zalatoris (pic)
was named PGA Tour rookie of the
year in a vote by his peers following
a season in which he counted a
Masters runner-up showing among
his eight top-10 finishes.

Zalatoris was selected for the
Arnold Palmer Award over South
African Garrick Higgo, making the
25-year-old American the first PGA
Tour special temporary member to
win rookie of the year honours
since Charles Howell III in 2001.

“This was something that two
years ago wasn’t even on my radar,”
Zalatoris said at Silverado Resort in
Napa, California, where he is com-
peting in the PGA Tour’s season
opener this week.

“I guess when we were sitting
around in Covid for four months
this was not even a goal just because
I didn’t think I was going to be play-
ing on the PGA Tour. The fact that I
accomplished it, obviously over the
moon.”

Zalatoris earned a spot in the
2020 US Open last September after
changes to the tournament’s eligi-
bility criteria and finished in a tie
for sixth.

He competed in all four Majors in
2021, three World Golf Champion-
ships events and The Players
Championship, with top-10 finishes
in three of those eight tournaments.
— AFP

Collision course: mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton (left) and red bull’s max Verstappen crash during the Italian Formula One Grand prix in monza. Indians
Verstappen was handed a three-place grid penalty for the next race in russia. — aFp refused
to play
Hamilton and Verstappen will not back off, says brawn fifth Test

LONDON: The title battle between to be split on who was to blame. at any moment for the rest of the qualifying race and Brawn saw LONDON: India’s cricket board
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstap- “It’s clear both drivers could have year but I hope the championship is “plenty of positives”. chief Sourav Ganguly said their play-
pen is likely to stay full-on to the won on the track not in the barriers ers refused to play the fifth and final
end of the season despite the pair avoided it,” he said in his regular or the stewards’ room.” “It shook up the order and led to Test against England due to Covid-19
crashing into each other at Monza, post-race column on the official a slightly evolved grid, which in concerns and denied that the upcom-
said Formula One boss Ross Brawn. www.Formula1.com website. Sunday was the second big clash turn created a different dynamic in ing Indian Premier League had
between the two in the space of five the race,” he said. played any part in the decision.
Italian Grand Prix Stewards “Ultimately, I think it’s another races after earlier wheel-to-wheel
deemed Red Bull’s championship consequence of two guys going incidents. “I think it offers a lot – and we still The Old Trafford Test was can-
leader Verstappen was at fault for head to head and not wanting to have a track to try it on. Then we’ll celled last Friday barely two hours
Sunday’s collision and handed the give an inch. At the British Grand Prix in July, make an objective assessment and before its scheduled start as the tour-
Dutch youngster a three-place grid Verstappen crashed at speed and work out a way forward.” ists, who were leading the series 2-1,
penalty for the next race in Russia. “Personally, I wouldn’t say it has ended up in hospital for checks failed to field a side after their phys-
changed the dynamic. You’ve got while Hamilton went on to win in He said the Italian Grand Prix iotherapist tested positive for Covid-
Brawn, a former Honda and two cockerels in the farmyard at the front of his home fans. also delivered “the strongest ever 19.
Mercedes team boss and ex-Ferrari moment and we are seeing the con- weekend streaming numbers we’ve
technical head, said fans were sure sequence of it. That race, like Monza, followed ever seen on our OTT platform “The players refused to play but
an experimental Saturday sprint F1TV”. — Reuters you can’t blame them,” Ganguly told
“I don’t think either will back off Indian newspaper The Telegraph on
Monday.
Aston Martin break ground on new Silverstone F1 factory
“Physio Yogesh Parmar was such
LONDON: Aston Martin have started work on a McLaren’s Norman Foster-designed headquar- image, our culture and our DNA.” a close contact of the players ... he
new Formula One factory and wind tunnel that ters at Woking, which opened in 2004, is the most Formula One is considering banning wind tun- mixed freely with the players and
team owner Lawrence Stroll said underpins his recent new F1 factory to be built in Britain but even performed their Covid-19 tests.
commitment to the sport and aim of fighting for Stroll said his would be very different to that. nels for aerodynamic development and testing
world championships in the next three to five but Stroll doubted that would happen and said “The players were devastated
years. “It will be the only one perfectly fit for purpose that even if it did, it would not be before 2030. when they came to know that he had
with the financial regulations (cost cap) taken into tested positive for COVID-19. They
The Canadian billionaire said the Silverstone consideration,” said Stroll, whose son Lance “We believe it’s a worthy investment that will feared they must have contracted
factory and ‘campus’ would cost £150mil-£200mil drives for the team. have seven to eight years to be able to use it before the disease and were dead scared.”
(RM864mil-RM1.1bil) and be the most sustainable any decision is made. — Reuters
in Formula One.The facility over the road from “It shows my belief in the team, it confirms my
the British Grand Prix circuit is expected to be ambitions and it confirms my belief in Formula “I personally don’t think wind tunnels will dis-
completed by late 2022 or early 2023 with One, because this is really an investment as well appear,” he said.
room for 1,000 people. in Formula One.
Stroll said the Aston Martin road car design
“This is a building that will truly represent our team would remain at the British sportscar com-
pany’s Gaydon site. — Reuters

THE STAR, Wednesday 15 september 2021 Sport 23

Ta-ta to Ba: Former Chelsea
striker hangs up boots

LONDON: Former Chelsea and Newcastle “What a wonderful journey it has been.
striker Demba Ba (pic) has called time on “Beside all the sweat and tears I have
his 16-year career, the 36-year-old said. faced, football has given me so many
beautiful emotions.
Ba scored 14 goals in all competitions “From the passion of the fans and the
for Chelsea before moving to Turkey after noise coming from the stands after every
one season. goal to the connection with my
teammates on and off the field, this will
He won the Turkish top-flight title forever remain in my head and heart.”
twice, with Besiktas in 2016-17 and Ba, who had two spells in China with
Istanbul Basaksehir in 2019-20. Shanghai Shenhua and won 22 caps for
Senegal, was without a club after leaving
“It is with a heart filled with Swiss side Lugano last month. — Reuters
gratefulness that I announce the end of
my playing career,” Ba tweeted on
Monday.

Sweet Pele to leave
toffees ICU this
week, says
daughter

everton hit back in BRASILIA: Pele will be moved out
style to beat burnley of intensive care in the next day or
two as the Brazil great continues his
LIVERPOOL: Everton struck three awaiting their first league win of On a roll: everton’s demarai Gray celebrates scoring their third goal recovery from surgery, his daugh-
times in seven minutes in the sec- the season and remain on one point with richarlison during their premier League match against burnley at ter Kely Nascimento said.
ond half as they came from a goal in 18th place. Goodison park. — reuters
down to beat Burnley 3-1 and move The 80-year-old, three-time World
level on points with Premier League Former Liverpool manager Rafa Keane to glance in his header. compilations of all my goals, she Cup winner has been in the Alberto
leaders Manchester United at Benitez’s arrival at Goodison was Townsend had gone almost a told me to watch it when I can and Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo since
Goodison Park. not universally popular amongst maybe I reminded myself I can do it doctors removed a tumour from his
Everton’s fans but they have started year without a Premier League and pulled it out,” Townsend said of colon earlier this month.
Ben Mee’s header on his 200th the season in style, scoring 10 goals goal but his effort was worth the his effort.
Premier League appearance hand- in four games. wait. “He is doing well post surgery, he
ed Burnley the lead in the 53rd Doucoure then split the Burnley is not in pain and is in a good mood
minute but Everton’s response was They were dealt a blow before Picking up the ball in a central defence to send Gray clear and he (annoyed that he can only eat jello
emphatic as the hosts came alive to kickoff with striker Dominic Calvert- area he jinked his way forward calmly beat Pope before Doucoure but will persevere!).
claim their third league victory of Lewin ruled out with a broken toe before sending a curling, dipping himself had a goal disallowed for
the season. and for much of the first half they left-footer into the top corner of the offside as Everton ran riot. — “He will move into a regular
were second-best against a fired-up net. Reuters room in the next day or two and
Michael Keane headed Everton’s Burnley. then go home,” Nascimento said on
equaliser in the 59th minute before “My mum is always sending me Instagram.
Andros Townsend curled in a sensa- Chris Wood should have put the
tional left-footed finish to give visitors in front early on but failed “He is strong and stubborn and
Everton the lead – his first league to make proper contact with his with the support and care of the
goal since joining on a free transfer header after a superb ball into the brilliant team at Einstein and all of
from Crystal Palace. area by Dwight McNeil. the love, energy and light that the
world is sending, he will get through
Seconds later Demarai Gray went Everton’s only real chance before this!
through all alone to slot home the break was when Townsend
Everton’s third goal to the delight of picked out the run of Abdoulaye “I wanted to say thank you ...
the home fans who had not liked Doucoure whose first-time angled from the bottom of my heart for
what they had seen earlier. effort was well saved by Nick Pope. all of the loving, concerned and
supportive texts, DMs and emails
Everton moved into fourth spot It was only after Mee headed you guys have sent me,” she
with 10 points from four games – Burnley in front that Everton came added.
level on points with Liverpool, alive and Townsend was the cata-
Chelsea and United. lyst. The hospital said last Friday that
Pele was recovering satisfactorily.
Burnley had been the better side He showed great feet to engineer
in the first half but they are still some space on the right wing before Pele has suffered from hip prob-
whipping in a perfect cross for lems for years and cannot walk
unaided.

His public appearances were
already being cut before the Covid-
19 pandemic and since then he has
made few unnecessary forays out-
side his house near Santos. —
Agencies

SlepaagnuiSeh Betis score late to end winless streak LEGA CALCIO ilteaalgiaune
ASERIE
ReSultS & StanDingS MADRID: Sergio Canales scored Manuel Pellegrini’s Betis opened matches and lost to Real Madrid ReSult & StanDingS
an 89th-minute winner with a the scoring with Rodrigo Sánchez’s before the international break.
getaFe 0 elche 1 beautiful run from near the mid- shot into the top corner in first bologna 1 verona 0
granaDa 1 r. betis 2 field to help Real Betis defeat half stoppage time, but Luis Suarez Granada remained winless,
Granada 2-1 and end their winless equalised for the hosts with a with two draws and two losses so
P W D l F a Pts streak in the Spanish league. strike from outside the area in the far. Roma P W D l F a Pts
Real madRid 4 3 1 0 13 6 10 66th. 3 3 0 0929
Canales left three defenders Lucas Perez came off the bench
ValenCia 4 3 1 0 9 2 10 behind him after picking up the Pellegrini rested some of his to make his debut with Elche and aC milan 3 3 0 0719
a. madRid 4 3 1 0 7 4 10 ball near the midfield line, then regular starters ahead of Betis’ scored the winner in a 1-0 victory napoli 3 3 0 0629
sent a low shot into the corner to match against Celtic in the Europa over Getafe.
R. soCiedad 4 3 0 1 6 4 9 give Betis the win in the Andalucia League tomorrow. inteR milan 3 2 1 0 9 3 7
a. BilBao 4 2 2 0418 derby. It was the first win for Elche this
Betis drew their first two league season, and the fourth straight Udinese 3 2 1 0627
seVilla 3 2 1 0517 defeat for Getafe. — AP
BaRCelona 3 2 1 0 7 4 7 Bologna 3 2 1 0427
lazio 3 2 0 1946
R. malloRCa 4 2 1 1 3 3 7
R. Betis 4 1 2 1445 FioRentina 3 2 0 1 5 5 6
sassUolo 3 1 1 1 4 4 4
elChe 4 1 2 1225
osasUna 4 1 2 1465 Verona sack coach three games into season atalanta 3 1 1 1334
toRino 3 1 0 2643
R. ValleCano 4 1 1 2 5 5 4
VillaRReal 3 0 3 0 2 2 3 BOLOGNA: Eusebio Di Francesco “relieved of his duties as first team last season. empoli 3 1 0 2353
became the first managerial coach” following Monday night’s Di Francesco led Roma to the genoa 3 1 0 2483
leVante 4 0 3 1563 casualty of the Serie A season, when 1-0 defeat in Bologna.
espanyol 4 0 2 2132 Verona announced the 52-year-old Champions League semi-finals in Venezia 3 1 0 2263
had been sacked after a poor start The result left the 19th-placed 2017-18, but since being sacked by sampdoRia 3 0 2 1 2 3 2
Cadiz 4 0 2 2472 to the campaign. side with three defeats from three the capital club the following year,
gRanada 4 0 2 2272 under the former Roma coach, he has not lasted a full season dur- JUVentUs 3 0 1 2351
A note on the club’s website con- who succeeded Ivan Juric in the ing spells with Sampdoria, Cagliari CagliaRi 3 0 1 2591
Celta Vigo 4 0 1 3 3 8 1 firmed Di Francesco had been summer after they finished 10th and now Verona. — Reuters
getaFe 4 0 0 4150 spezia 3 0 1 2391
VeRona 3 0 0 3370
alaVes 3 0 0 3180
saleRnitana 3 0 0 3 2 11 0

24 Sport THE STAR, Wednesday 15 september 2021

A lot on UEFA Champions League 2021-22 Al Hilal ease
Carlo’s into Asian
plate MATCHDAY 1: SEP 15 Head-to-head W D L Champions
League
GROUP A Form 2020-21 last eight

Club Brugge BEL 002 Man City Final DOHA: Saudi giants Al Hilal booked
PSG FRA First PSG S-final their spot in the quarter-finals of
Man City ENG Leipzig Last 16 the Asian Champions League with a
Leipzig GER meeting Brugge Group comfortable 2-0 victory over Iran’s
Esteghlal.
GROUP B 332 Atletico Last 16
Atletico ESP 011 Liverpool Q-final The 2019 champions struck
Porto POR Porto Q-final through Bafetimbi Gomis and
Liverpool ENG Milan Salem al-Dawsari either side of the
AC Milan ITA – break in Dubai to become the first
team to make the last eight phase of
GROUP C 002 Sporting – the Covid-19 impacted tournament.
Besiktas TUR 200 Dortmund Q-final
Dortmund GER Ajax Group The Asian Football Confederation
Sporting POR Besiktas trimmed the knockout stage to just
Ajax NED – one leg to make up for lost time
with the last-16 matches to be com-
real aim to assert GROUP D 011 Inter Group pleted over three days ending today.
themselves in europe again Sheriff MDA 728 Real S-final
Shakhtar UKR Shakhtar Group Al Hilal won the title two years
Inter ITA Sheriff Debut ago but were dramatically kicked
Real Madrid ESP out of the tournament last year
after several players tested positive
MADRID: After winning the But the task of reclaiming the REAL AMBITION: With Carlo Ancelotti (right) for coronavirus. They have now
Champions League three years in a Champions League appears even returning as coach – after guiding Madrid to 2014 qualified for the last eight five times
row, Real Madrid have gone three more formidable, when set against Champions League triumph – Spanish heavyweights in eight years.
years without getting close, the task the trajectories of English rivals like are aiming for 14th European trophy this season
now belonging to Carlo Ancelotti to Manchester City, Chelsea and But on Monday they were clearly
put the club back where they Manchester United, and in France, Wins in Champions League a cut above Esteghlal who fielded
believe they belong. Paris St Germain. several new players after 12 of the
Real Madrid Win ratio: 59.1% 165 NEW CAMPAIGN squad that played in the earlier
Real reached the semi-finals last United, City and Chelsea spent 156 Real have won 12 of rounds left the club ahead of the
season but were resoundingly beat- around €400mil (RM1.97bil) com- Barcelona 58.9% 151 last 13 matches against new Iran Pro League season.
en by Chelsea, whose 3-1 win on bined in the summer transfer win- Italian teams, beaten
aggregate would have been more dow as Ronaldo, Varane, Jadon Bayern 57.6% only by Juventus The revamped side tested the
emphatic had they not missed a Sancho, Jack Grealish and Romelu in 2018 accomplished Saudis.
cluster of chances in the second leg. Lukaku bolstered already-glittering Man Utd 52.6% 121
squads at the top of the Premier Siavash Yazdani headed wide in
Before that, Real were outclassed League. Ancelotti vying to become first coach Real: W41 L26 the 16th minute and later Al Hilal
by Manchester City and outplayed in history to win four European Cups Record D11 goalkeeper Abdullah al-Mayouf had
by Ajax, a pair of deflating exits in PSG gladly swept up Ramos and vs Italian to be at his best to stop a thundering
the last 16 serving as a painful real- Lionel Messi, La Liga’s two remain- 3 Zinedine Zidane FRA 2016, 17, 18 opposition volley from Amir Arsalan Motahari.
ity check after the giddy years ing grandees, to go with Gianluigi
between 2014 and 2018. Donnarumma, Achraf Hakimi and 3 Carlo Ancelotti ITA 2003, 07, 14 Al Hilal broke the deadlock in the
Georginio Wijnaldum. 39th minute with Gomis living up to
Four successes in that half-dec- 3 Bob Paisley ENG 1977, 78, 81 his reputation as one of the most
ade, and three in a row, established Real, meanwhile, made a profit of feared forwards in Asian football.
Real Madrid at the pinnacle of around €20mil (RM98mil), deals for Sources: UEFA, Gracenote Picture: Getty Images © GRAPHIC NEWS
Europe, even if Barcelona contin- Eduardo Camavinga and David Mohammad Moradmand slipped
ued to reign supreme in Spain. Alaba more than offset by the sales the last one – even if Luka Modric Europe’s elite. while attempting to stop a pass
of Varane and Martin Odegaard. and Karim Benzema might argua- There are talented youngsters from Matheus Pereira and Gomis
But an iconic generation grew bly grace all the starting line-ups of took full advantage with a fine lob
older and many have now depart- And while PSG’s determination to too, like Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo to beat Esteghlal goalkeeper Hossein
ed, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio keep Kylian Mbappe for at least the in attack and Miguel Gutierrez at Hosseini.
Ramos and Raphael Varane – the final year of his contract was tested left-back.
spine of the team – all gone. by Florentino Perez, many suspect Al Hilal were even more domi-
Zinedine Zidane, the coach, left too Real’s president was not too unhap- The 18-year-old Camavinga (pic) nant in the second half with
at the end of last season. py to wait nine months, when he showed in his debut on Sunday – al-Dawsari testing Hosseini early.
can sign the France World Cup win- when he scored just six minutes The young Saudi star then scored in
His replacement, Ancelotti, has a ner for free. after coming on – he could contrib- the 56th minute as he scored with
difficult job reclaiming La Liga ute sooner than many think. ease on a pass from Frenchman
from Atletico Madrid, who have Ancelotti’s job now is to manage Moussa Marega. — AFP
themselves retained all of their key the year in between, the season And if Ancelotti can revive the
players and been boosted by the without Mbappe to lead the next injury-ridden Eden Hazard, Real
return of Antoine Griezmann. era and with the ageing leftovers of might have the best new signing of
the lot.

But as recent years have shown,
winning in La Liga is not the same
as winning in Europe and Inter
Milan at the San Siro today will
offer Real their first test. — AFP

Milan dreaming big ahead of Champions League return at Anfield

MILAN: AC Milan make their Injured: aC milan between the pair and came two ter-finals of the Champions League Portuguese champions Porto also
long-awaited return to the forward Zlatan years after the Reds inflicted one of and in 2019, while recovering from potentially blocking their path to
Champions League this week on Ibrahimovic will the most traumatic defeats in major financial problems brough to the knockout stages, but legendary
one of the biggest stages the game not be available Milan’s history, coming back from the fore by a disastrous Chinese Milan boss Arrigo Sacchi said cur-
has to offer, a trip to Liverpool against Liverpool three goals down at half-time ownership, even failed to get out of rent coach Stefano Pioli is on the
today allowing them to dream of today. — aFp against a star-studded Rossoneri a Europa League group which con- right track.
Europe’s biggest prize once again. line-up before eventually winning a tained Dudelange, Olympiakos and
dreaming at night, in the day we historic final on penalties. Real Betis. “Milan have a difficult group,
There will be 13 European Cups need to work hard to realise those which will cost them a few points in
between the two teams at Anfield, dreams”. Since then Milan, by far Italy’s This year’s group is a much the league. But the important thing
but while Reds have become one of most successful team in Europe, tougher proposition, with La Liga is to win in this competition,” Sacchi
the continent’s most feared sides The last eight years have been have failed to get past the quar- holders Atletico Madrid and said.
under Juergen Klopp, winning their arid for the seven-time European
most recent Champions league in champions, who have not won Meanwhile, Zlatan Ibrahimovic
2019, the Italian side will run out Serie A in a decade and were last will miss today’s game against
for their first group fixture in the crowned the continent’s top team Liverpool due to an issue with his
competition since 2013. way back in 2007, when they beat Achilles tendon.
Liverpool in Athens.
They are in confident mood after Ibrahimovic made his return
a fast start to the new Serie A season That was the last meeting from injury against Lazio at the
which has earned them a perfect weekend, scoring in Milan’s 2-0 vic-
nine points from their opening tory at the San Siro.
three matches.
It was a significant boost for
Stefano Pioli, who has never won Milan ahead of their first Champions
a major honour as a coach, has a League game of the season at
promising team on his hands with Anfield.
the progress made since his arrival
in 2019 crystalised by Sunday’s 2-0 But it is now understood that
stroll against much-fancied Lazio at the Swede will not be available,
the San Siro. that he is only missing out as a
precautionary measure, having
Asked whether his side were suffered from some tightness
dreaming of going big in Europe, around his Achilles’ tendon since
Pioli said: “We should only be his return to action at the week-
end. — Agencies

THE STAR, Wednesday 15 september 2021 Sport 25

Kicking up a storm

messi gets
set for
Champions
League bow

BRUGES (France): Lionel Messi Terrific trio: (From left) paris st Germain’s neymar, Kylian mbappe and Lionel messi will most likely be field- Princes by Italy goalkeeper
came to Paris to win the Champions ed against brugge today. — aFp Gianluigi Donnarumma, flying full-
League again and today he is set to back Achraf Hakimi and former
finally make his first start for his Manchester City – the team that a team that has been built to win champions in three of the last four Real Madrid skipper Sergio Ramos,
new club when they kick off their knocked them out in last season’s something. I said to myself: ‘This is seasons. as well as Portuguese prospect
European campaign in Bruges. semi-finals – as well as Leipzig in a going to be massive’,” Georginio Nuno Mendes.
group that could hardly have been Wijnaldum, another of PSG’s sum- The last time PSG went to Bruges
Five weeks have passed since tougher, but this is a team built to mer signings, told sports daily was in the group stage two years Ramos has not played at all yet,
Messi was presented as a Paris St go all the way. L’Equipe. ago. There was no Messi then, and while Messi has been slowly pre-
Germain player and declared he there was no Neymar either, but paring himself, but PSG have still
was in “the ideal place” to win the “It makes me think of Liverpool They should, at the very least, be Mbappe bagged a hattrick in a 5-0 won five games out of five in Ligue
biggest prize in club football for the when I arrived there. Liverpool far too strong for their first oppo- win. 1, scoring 16 goals.
fifth time. were building a team to win the nents, even if the former European
Premier League. Here I have joined Cup finalists have been Belgian This summer Wijnaldum and Their recruitment drive, coupled
In more than a month he has Messi were joined at the Parc des with their decision to knock back
been seen in a PSG jersey for just 24 up to €200mil (RM983mil) from
minutes as a substitute in a Ligue 1 Real Madrid for Mbappe even with
game at Reims. the France star in the final year of
his contract, has had some of their
The 34-year-old had been expect- European rivals up in arms.
ed to make his full debut for the
Qatar-owned club last weekend but When it comes to Messi, La Liga’s
in the end he was rested against loss is PSG’s gain. That is clear even
Clermont after returning from if Messi has hardly contributed any-
international duty with Argentina. thing on the field for his new team.

However, PSG coach Mauricio “There are many more people
Pochettino is expected to finally who have a wider vocabulary to
unleash the six-time Ballon d’Or describe him closer to the reality
winner from the start at the Jan Leo deserves,” Pochettino told
Breydel Stadium against Belgian UEFA.com when asked for his
champions Club Brugge in the impressions of his compatriot.
Group A opener.
Pochettino, who is without the
If Neymar and Kylian Mbappe suspended Angel di Maria for the
start too, it will be the first time the start of the European campaign,
superstar attacking trio will have was wary of playing up PSG’s
been on the pitch together for the Champions League chances just yet.
Parisians.
“This is a really unpredictable
Expectations are sky-high, both competition ... you need to be
for Messi at his new club and for lucky,” he told UEFA.com.
PSG in the Champions League, a
trophy they have yet to win but Then again you can’t get much
crave more than anything. luckier as a coach than having
Messi, Neymar and Mbappe in your
PSG will play Abu Dhabi-backed team. — AFP

Unpopular Leipzig still no match for City, PSG’s petrodollars

MANCHESTER: Derided by oppo- Hakimi also arrived at the Parc des pions over the summer. and too expensive.” New kid on
sition fans for trampling over Princes during the transfer window. Instead, they have used fellow Leipzig beat PSG in the group the block:
German football traditions, Leipzig Leipzig lost
find themselves in the unusual posi- City made just one new addition, Red Bull-owned clubs in Salzburg stages last season on their way to marcel
tion of not being cast as the bad but broke the £100mil (RM576mil) and New York to recruit their best reaching the last 16 at Manchester sabitzer to
guys as the Champions League’s barrier for the first time in the talent, develop them and sell them United’s expense. bayern
group of death kicks off today. Premier League to get Jack Grealish on. munich over
from Aston Villa. However, expectations at shock-
Manchester City and Paris St “It would be absurd to think that ing one of the two favourites for the the summer.
Germain will cross swords again in Backed by energy drink giants it could work with them here,” for- competition this time are limited — aFp
Group A with both projects backed Red Bull, Leipzig are another exam- mer Leipzig sporting director Ralf ahead of their trip to Manchester
by oil-rich Middle Eastern states still ple of new money ruffling the feath- Rangnick said at the prospect of today. have lost three of their first four
chasing the holy grail of a first ers of the established powers. signing a Messi or Ronaldo five league games and were thrashed
European Cup. years ago. “They are both too old Under new coach Jesse Marsch, 4-1 by Bayern at the weekend.
The Germans are yet to win a last season’s Bundesliga runners-up
Amid the fallout of falling reve- major trophy in their history, but “Maybe we’re not ready for such
nue due to the coronavirus pan- are still deeply unpopular back big challenges,” said Marsch, on the
demic shutting stadiums for over a home for the way they have navi- prospect of facing City. “But no mat-
year and the failure of the European gated around the so-called ‘50+1’ ter, we have to stay strong and
Super League project, Abu Dhabi- rule in place to prevent any individ- believe in the process.”
owned City and Qatar-backed PSG ual having a majority controlling
have been the big winners. stake in a club. PSG will expect to make a win-
ning start when they visit Club
Uninhibited by the loss of gate Red Bull, founded by Austrian Brugge in the Group A’s other clash
receipts and encouraged by the eas- billionaire Dietrich Mateschitz, today. — AFP
ing of Financial Fair Play regula- owns 49%, with the remaining 51%
tions, they are the new power cou- owned by company employees.
ple of European football, much to
the anger of many of the continent’s “Leipzig are a pure marketing
traditional powers. project. Created solely to strengthen
the Red Bull brand,” cult football
PSG have reunited Lionel Messi magazine 11Freunde wrote after
with Neymar and shunned Real Leipzig reached the Champions
Madrid’s reported €180mil League semi-finals in 2020.
(RM884mil) bid for Kylian Mbappe
despite the France World Cup win- Yet, they have not produced the
ner having less than a year to run shake-up that City and PSG have to
on his contract. English or French football due to a
very different model.
Euro 2020 player of the tourna-
ment Gianluigi Donnarumma, Geor- Rather than gazumping Bayern
ginio Wijnaldum and €60mil Munich, Leipzig lost manager
(RM295mil) rightback Achraf Julian Nagelsmann and key play-
ers Dayot Upamecano and Marcel
Sabitzer to the Bundesliga cham-

26 Sport THE STAR, Wednesday 15 september 2021

Plus factor for Pearly-Thinaah ahead of major tournaments

PETALING JAYA: Newly-minted tion, 100Plus will surely look to reap are encouraged by the confidence Plus point: m. thinaah and pearly tan flanking F&n beverages
national No. 1 women’s doubles the reward from their investment they have in us. marketing sdn bhd head of marketing Leong Wai yin.
pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah have in Swiss Open champions Pearly-
been handed a massive morale Thinaah. “The players 100Plus has sup-
boost ahead of their two major ported have all gone on to win
assignments – the Sudirman Cup Their decision to sign Zii Jia and major titles including medals at the
and Uber Cup. Aaron-Wooi Yik in January and Olympics.
September last year – before they
The world No. 19 landed their won major honours – proved to be “We will continue to work hard
first major individual sponsorships spot-on. and aim for more success on the
after signing a two-year deal to world stage.”
become the face of 100Plus isotonic Pearly, 21, has vowed to follow in
drinks. the footsteps of her teammates as Pearly-Thinaah have big shoes to
she hailed the deal as a dream come fill in the coming two team competi-
They joined the illustrious list of true. tions following the retirement of
100Plus ambassadors that comprise Chow Mei Kuan last month.
of former world No. 1 Lee Chong “Since young, 100Plus is one of
Wei, All-England champion Lee Zii my favourite drinks after my train- They are set to feature in the
Jia and Tokyo Olympics bronze ing,” said Pearly. women’s doubles for Malaysia in
medallists Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi the Sudirman Cup in Vaanta,
Yik. “Who would have thought I’d get Finland, from Sept 26-Oct 3 and
to be their ambassador? spearhead the first doubles at the
If past results are of any indicia- Uber Cup Finals in Aarhus,
“100Plus is synonymous with Denmark, from Oct 9-17.
badminton in our country and we

Absolute fighter In-form Liek
seu bock: Jin Wei still achieved great feats despite ailment Hou’s bid
to reclaim
By TAN MING WAI world
title on hold
PETALING JAYA: Former wom- True grit: Goh Jin Wei has been battling health issues for the past three years.
en’s singles head coach Datuk Tey PETALING JAYA: Paralympic champion
Seu Bock hailed retired shuttler mances had led to a buoyant Jin Masters and German Open. Seu Bock added that Jin Wei Cheah Liek Hou will have to wait longer to get
Goh Jin Wei as a fighter after the Wei boldly declaring that she had But the stomach ailment even- would have been a world top-10 a crack at the world title.
latter fought all she could before her sights set on a medal at the player in the making had it not
finally hanging up her racquet. Tokyo Olympics. tually took its toll and she had to been for her health issue. The Para Badminton World Championships,
undergo a colectomy surgery to scheduled in Tokyo from Oct 25-31, has been
Seu Bock, who coached Jin Wei She walked the talk by reach- remove part of her colon in “She’s the best women’s singles postponed indefinitely due to the Covid-19
when she was hitting top form ing three semi-finals in four October 2019. player we’ve had since Wong pandemic.
between 2018 and 2019, revealed World Tour starts between Mew Choo. She’s top-10 material,
that Jin Wei has been battling November 2018 and March 2019. From then on, it was the start there’s no doubt about it. The Badminton World Federation (BWF),
with her stomach ailment for of the end for Jin Wei. when announcing the postponement last
almost three years now. Jin Wei upset the likes of “Jin Wei has practically week, did not suggest if the world meet can still
Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi, “It’s a shame that a player of everything, among them is be staged this year.
“It didn’t happen in 2019,” said China’s He Bingjiao and such immense talent had to retire strength and intelligence. The
Seu Bock, who is now deputy to American Zhang Beiwen en prematurely. But I believe she only thing missing is her height. “It has been decided that it is not feasible to
Hendrawan in managing the route to the last four of the has done all she can before mak- host the BWF Para Badminton World
men’s singles squad. Korean Masters, Malaysian ing the hard decision to call it “What a player she could have Championships 2021 on its original dates in
quits,” said Seu Bock. been.” October,” said the world body in a statement
“Jin Wei first had this health on their website.
issue back in 2018 before the
Commonwealth Games (in Gold “As such, the World Championships is post-
Coast, which she did not make poned until further notice. This decision has
the squad). been made in consultation with the host.

“At first it didn’t bother her too “The current requirements for travelling
much, but it got worse gradually and entering Japan, as well as significantly
until it reached a point in early increased costs for participating players relat-
2019 that she had to start taking ed to Covid-19 safety, would make it impossible
medicine. for broad participation across all regions and
countries.”
“But she’s such a fighter, she
soldiered on despite the pain and The in-form 33-year-old Liek Hou was hop-
was still able to produce her top ing to ride on his Tokyo 2020 success in a bid to
game. reclaim his SU5 men’s singles world crown he
surrendered to arch-rival Dheva Anrimusthi
“It’s amazing that she still man- in Basel, Switzerland, two years ago.
aged to achieve many great feats
throughout that period. She Then Liek Hou was denied his seventh
deserves a lot of credit for her world title after losing to the Indonesian in the
fighting spirit.” semi-finals and the latter went on to emerge
winner.
After winning the 2017 Kuala
Lumpur SEA Games gold, Jin Wei Since that defeat, Liek Hou was able to turn
continued her remarkable pro- the tables on Dheva, who’s 11 years younger,
gress the following year by tri- in the next three matches including a com-
umphing back-to-back in the manding 21-17, 21-15 win in the Paralympics
Youth Olympic Games in Buenos final.
Aires and World Junior
Championships in Markham, Although disappointed, Liek Hou said the
Canada. postponement did not come as a surprise.

The world junior title was her “I kind of saw it coming since the Covid-19
second, following her previous situation in Tokyo isn’t getting any better,” said
victory in Lima, Peru, in 2015. Liek Hou, who is in the eighth day of his two-
week quarantine at the Malaysia Paralympic
These encouraging perfor- Sports Excellence Centre.

Wen Li PETALING JAYA: Lai Wen Li claimed reach the last four. “Obviously I wish the world meet could pro-
downs her second Professional Squash She began her campaign with a 7-11, ceed. I’m in good shape and eager to keep the
second Association (PSA) title by winning the momentum going.
seed for GWC Challenger in Greenwich, 7-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-5 win over France’s
PSA title Connecticut. Julia Le Coq in the first round. “I also want to play more tournaments as I
have only managed to participate in just three
The world No. 80 dug deep to over- For the 21-year-old Wen Li, it is her this year including the Paralympics.
come second seed Marie Stephan of second PSA title since winning the
France 11-9, 11-8, 12-10 in the final on Inspirenet International in New Zealand “Ultimately, I want to reclaim the world
Sunday. in 2019. title.”

It was the third seeded Sabahan’s sec- Wen Li relocated to the United States However, Liek Hou preferred to look on the
ond big scalp of the week. in February to study at Cornell University bright side as he can now afford to take a
after putting on hold her plans for almost longer break and plans to take his family for a
Earlier, she downed top seed and one year because of the Covid-19 situa- holiday.
world No. 70 Karina Tyma of Poland tion.
11-8, 11-9, 11-7 in Saturday’s semi-finals. “I initially planned to just rest for several
She was runner-up in the Life Time days and then get back to training, but I think
Wen Li beat fifth seed Alicia Mead of City Centre International in Houston in I can afford to rest a little bit longer now.
England 11-13, 11-9, 12-14, 11-5, 11-9 to June this year.
“I just read that Langkawi will be reopening
soon, so I thought of bringing my family there.

“Believe it or not, I have not been to the
island all my life!”

THE STAR, Wednesday 15 september 2021 Sport 27

Alyaa won’t be star-struck at LPGA Tour debut

By TAN MING WAI Another Malaysian Genevieve Ling overwhelmed by the challenge of tak- Focused: alyaa abdulghany in action during the Cambria
PETALING JAYA: An LPGA Tour also gave the qualifier a shot but she ing on some of the world’s biggest portland Classic’s monday Qualifier at the Oregon Golf Club.
debut has come early for new- could only muster a 75 to be tied for names. — pix courtesy of portland Classic’s Instagram account
ly-turned Malaysian professional golf- sixth spot.
er Alyaa Abdulghany after she “As for now, I just want to play the
secured a start in this week’s US$1.4mil Alyaa is thrilled at the prospect of best as I can. I’m not focused on who
(RM5.8mil) Cambia Portland Classic. teeing up in her first-ever LPGA Tour is in the field,” she said.
event barely a month after turning
The 22-year-old made the cut with professional. This one-off LPGA Tour start will
flying colours by winning the tourna- surely whet Alyaa’s appetite to earn a
ment’s Monday qualifier that took She will join compatriot Kelly Tan full card to play in the Tour next sea-
place at the event venue - the Oregon in the 144-woman star-studded field son.
Golf Club in Orlando. which features world No. 2 Ko Jin-
young of South Korea, No. 9 Brooke She still has two stages of the
Alyaa shot a one-under 71 to quali- Henderson and two-time Major win- Qualifying School to negotiate with
fy alongside Australia’s Gabriella ner Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand. after passing the opening hurdle at
Ruffels by virtue of being the top two the Mission Hills Country Club in
finishers of the 18-hole contest. “I’m extremely happy to have qual- California last month.
ified for the Cambia Portland Classic
Ruffels, who was last year’s US for my first LPGA Tour start. It was The second stage will take place at
Women’s Amateur Open winner, was also my first time trying in a Monday the Plantation Golf and Country Club
also Alyaa’s teammate when the duo qualifier! in Florida from Oct 21-24.
were playing collegiate golf for
University of Southern California for “A lot of hard work and dedication If she advances, the final test for
four years from 2018-2021. has paid off and can’t wait to do well her is the gruelling 144-hole contest,
this week.” to be held at the Magnolia Grove (Dec
2-5) and Highland Oaks Golf Club (Dec
Alyaa added that she’s not feeling 9-12) in Alabama.

NSC will Cheng Hoe
Brook fancies bigger
no failure crowds
to get ball
aussie diving coach’s contract won’t be renewed rolling again

By LIM TEIK HUAT He was brought in to assist China diving at the Sydney Games in 2000. And as for the replacement, By T. AVINESHWARAN
PETALING JAYA: The Australian coach Zhang Yukun after Yang A clearer picture of what led to Malaysia Swimming have recom- PETALING JAYA: There’s not much of
experiment is over as coach Zhuliang’s contract as the head mended another Chinese coach to a spectacle when there are no specta-
Christian Brooker (pic) is parting coach was not renewed in late 2017. Brooker’s contract not being replace Brooker. tors. And the just concluded Super
ways with the Malaysian diving renewed should come out after the League season could have done with
team. Yukun then left not long after the NSC hold the joint committee meet- The recommendation comes bigger attendances at the stadiums.
2018 Commonwealth Games in ing today with Malaysia Swimming. from Li Rui but it will be subject to
The National Sports Council Gold Coast and another Chinese the NSC’s approval. National coach Tan Cheng Hoe
(NSC) are not renewing Brooker’s coach Li Rui came into the picture. The meeting is also to review the believes the games would have been
contract as the coach for the elite Tokyo Olympics outing where the Under Brooker and Li Rui, more competitive if more fans were
diving team. The contract ends after Both Li Rui and Brooker were in diving team failed to return with a Malaysia managed to maintain allowed at the venues.
this month. charge of the preparations for the medal, with Nur Dhabitah Sabri the their dominance in the SEA Games
diving team leading to the Tokyo only bright spark with her fourth- by sweeping all four gold medals at The league this season saw teams
The Tokyo Olympics in August Olympics last month. place finish in the women’s 3m stake in the Philippines in 2019. playing the full 22 games, compared to
was the last assignment for Brooker springboard individual final. only 11 last year due to the Covid-19
with the national diving team. Brooker, who has worked with It was under Brooker that Chew pandemic. But only some stadiums
the juniors in Australia and England “NSC have decided not to contin- Yiwei managed to claim his first were allowed to have a small number
The 40-year-old was a former before, must have paid the price for ue with Brooker’s contract, so we individual Asian Games medal in of fans.
national diver for Australia and has the failure of the men divers to have to respect their decision. Jakarta three years ago.
been in Malaysia for the last four qualify for the Olympics. It was the “The lack of fans has made the
years. first time that the men divers have “We will have a joint committee Yiwei took bronze in the men’s games a bit dull. You can’t see much
failed to qualify since Malaysia meeting today to finalise the plans 3m springboard individual and it aggression, and the tempo is also a lit-
started having representatives in for next year,” said Malaysia was the first medal by a Malaysian tle different.
Swimming secretary Mae Chen. male diver in 16 years.
“It’s not just the Malaysian League ...
Makaf sec gen Azmi will be SEA Games chef de mission this has also happened in the other
leagues when there were no fans,” said
PETALING JAYA: Malaysian Hamidin won the deputy presi- the chef de mission for the Olympic Kim Fatt and Shahrul are among Cheng Hoe.
Karate Federation (Makaf) secre- dent’s seat unopposed in the OCM Winter Games in Beijing next the five vice-presidents to serve the
tary general Datuk Nur Azmi annual general meeting early this February. OCM for the new term from 2021 to “In front of fans, players will feel the
Ahmad is taking over as the chef de month, replacing Datuk Seri Abdul 2025. urge to push themselves. When that
mission for the Vietnam SEA Games Azim Mohd Zabidi. Wushu Federation of Malaysia happens, the game’s tempo gets faster,
scheduled to take place next year. president Datuk Chong Kim Fatt Datuk Paduka Mumtaz Jaafar and you see lots of better movements
The Vietnam SEA Games were will lead the contingent to the will be the chef de mission to the and stronger defending. You can see
Azmi replaces Football supposed to take place in November Hangzhou Asian Games while Asian Youth Games in December the difference from the previous sea-
Association of Malaysia president but have been postponed to next Malaysian Rugby Union president 2022 while Datuk Wira Megat sons.
Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin, whose year with the dates yet to be decid- Datuk Shahrul Zaman Yahya will be Zulkarnain Tan Sri Omardin will
withdrawal has been accepted by ed because of Covid-19 concerns. the chef de mission to the take charge of the contingent to the “I hope the Malaysia Cup will be
the Olympic Council of Malaysia Commonwealth Games in Asian Indoor and Martial Arts more exciting and see the return of
(OCM). The OCM have also named assis- Birmingham next year. Games in March. fans. I’m sure it will boost the spirits of
tant secretary general Moira Tan as teams and players.”

Cheng Hoe, however, said the full
season allowed him to assess several
young players to be considered for the
national team.

“Terengganu played several young-
sters, who have impressed. Kuala
Lumpur also had some exciting play-
ers, which we have been watching. Not
to forget, Kedah and Penang also fea-
tured some good local players,” he
said.

“Petaling Jaya City also made an
impression with their all-local squad
and showed no fear when facing the
top sides boasting foreign players.”

Kedah’s veteran midfielder Baddrol
Bakhtiar ended up as the highest local
goalscorer in the Super League, with
seven goals in 21 games.

Asked if the 33-year-old would be
considered for national selection,
Cheng Hoe said: “The door is always
open for any player. As long as they
can contribute to the team, they will be
welcomed.”

THE STAR, WEdnESdAy 15 SEpTEmbER 2021

Out of Pope’s hands ENGLISH
PREMIER LEAGUE

RESULT & STANDINGS

EvErton 3 BurnlEy 1

Man Utd P W D l F A Pts
Chelsea 4 3 1 0 11 3 10
liverpool
everton 4 3 1 0 9 1 10
Man City 4 3 1 0 9 1 10
Brighton
tottenhaM 4 3 1 0 10 4 10
West haM 4 3 0 1 11 1 9
leiCester
Brentford 4 3 0 1539
C. palaCe 4 3 0 1339
aston villa
Wolves 4 2 2 0 10 5 8
s’haMpton 4 2 0 2466
Watford
arsenal 4 1 2 1325
leeds 4 1 2 1555
BUrnley
neWCastle 4 1 1 2574
norWiCh 4 1 0 3233

4 0 3 1463
4 1 0 3373

4 1 0 3193
4 0 2 2 4 11 2

4 0 1 3381
4 0 1 3 5 12 1

Everton’s Andros Townsend (No. 14) scoring the second goal past Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope. The Toffees won 3-1. — Reuters >See page 23 4 0 0 4 1 11 0

Coach Seu Bock stSuowruenrdse
hails Jin Wei’s
exemplary
fighting spirit. >26

Rude awakening
for boxing
legend
Holyfield. >21

Lewis and Max AC Milan’s long-awaited return to the Champions League with a trip
break Formula to Liverpool today won’t be a Swede affair as 39-year-old evergreen
with striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been left at home after an Achilles
riveting rivalry. >22 tendon strain. As for Real Madrid, Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti, 62,
is a man on the edge as he has to put the giants back where they
belong as they visit Inter Milan. >24

Published by Star Publications Sdn Bhd (202001037064) (1393385-K), Menara Star, 15 Jalan 16/11, 46350 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan. Printed by Star Media Group Berhad (197101000523) (10894-D), 2 Jalan Astaka U8/88, 40150 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan. Copyright ©

THE STAR, WEdnESdAy 15 SEpTEmbER 2021

Rpeergfioornmaal nRcEeIT Malaysia Singapore Hong Kong Grab cuts
full-year
(%) outlook on
10 delta variant

0 SINGAPORE: Grab Holdings Inc, South-East
Asia’s ride-hailing and delivery giant, cut pro-
-10 jections for 2021 as the region is battling one
of the world’s worst Covid-19 outbreaks due
-20 to the fast-spreading Delta variant.

-30 The Singapore-based company, which is set
to go public in the United States through a
-40 Sept Nov Jan March May July Sept deal with a blank-cheque company or SPAC,
Jan March May July 2021 expects full-year adjusted net sales of
2020 US$2.1bil (RM8.7bil) to US$2.2bil (RM9bil),
according to a statement yesterday.
Source: Bloomberg, UOB Kay Hian
Although Malaysian real estate investment trusts (REITs) have not been performing as well as the REITs in countries such as Singapore That compares with US$2.3bil (RM9.6bil) it
and Hong Kong, the opening of the economy is expected to bode well for local players. > See page 7 forecast in an investor presentation in April.

Bearing the brunt Grab also expects full-year gross merchan-
Talks to compel lenders to waive interest fees dise value of US$15bil (RM62bil) to US$15.5bil
(RM64bil), compared with an earlier projec-
BANKING Hong Leong Bank Bhd lost 34 sen to loan assistance from a sector average of 14% tion of US$16.7bil (RM65bil).
RM18.46, RHB Bank Bhd declined 12 sen to as of the end of the second quarter to 27% as
by dAnIEL KHOO RM5.35 and AMMB Holdings Bhd (AmBank) of early last month. “The Delta variant has unfortunately hit
[email protected] dropped 12 sen to RM3.13. the region hard,” chief executive Anthony
PETALING JAYA: Banking stocks reacted Among the banking groups, CIMB, Hong Tan said during the company’s earnings call
across the board on Bursa Malaysia, after the Banking stocks, a number of which had start- Leong Bank and Public Bank’s level of target- yesterday.
government said it would have high-level ed the day higher or unchanged, saw the deteri- ted assistance was at the lower end of the
discussions to compel lenders to waive inter- oration in prices after the announcement. industry range at 21%, 21% and 23%, respec- “South-East Asia now has the world’s high-
est fees on deferred loans. tively. est Covid mortality rate per capita and lock-
The broader market was negative biased down measures are still in place across major
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri with losers outnumbering gainers 715 to 339 As for Maybank and RHB, the level of tar- cities in the region.”
Yaakob, to a question in Parliament, said the and 425 counters unchanged. getted assistance was hovering at industry
government is aware of the situation and it is average of 27% and 28%, respectively. In Vietnam, even food delivery services are
in discussions with the Finance Ministry. There were 4.66 billion shares worth being restricted, affecting Grab’s business, he
RM3.01bil changing hands while the FBM The level of targetted assistance for AmBank, said.
Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank) closed KLCI declined 14.62 points to 1,555.51. BIMB, Alliance Bank and Affin Bank was
one sen lower at RM8.29, Public Bank Bhd With infections rising as the more conta-
declined six sen to RM4 and CIMB Group The possibility of more moratoriums will ThWeaStctahrtThVe .vcidoemo gious Delta variant of Covid spreads, many
Holdings Bhd dropped six sen to RM4.78 at put a dampener on banks, according to an parts of South-East Asia, home to 650 million
yesterday’s stock market close. analyst. > TURn TO pAGE 2 people, have reimposed curbs on movement
that hamper consumer-reliant economies.
UOB Kay Hian, in a Sept 8 report, said the
implementation of the more broad-based opt- Lockdowns have devastated businesses and
in loan moratorium since July had led to an dealt a setback to the region’s middle class.
expected rise in the take-up rate for targetted
In July, the Asian Development Bank down-
graded its South-East Asian growth forecast to
4% from 4.4%.

During the second quarter, Grab’s net loss
widened to US$815mil (RM3.4bil) from
US$718mil (RM3bil) a year earlier.

Revenue more than doubled to US$180mil
(RM747mil).

Grab reported its second quarterly finan-
cial results as it prepares to merge with
Altimeter Growth Gorp, the special purpose
acquisition company of Brad Gerstner’s
Altimeter Capital Management.

Grab has postponed the US$40bil
(RM166bil) deal – one of the largest-ever
mergers with an SPAC – to the fourth quarter
as it works on an audit of the past three years’
accounts.

Grab reiterated that the merger is set to
close this year.

“We remain on track to becoming a public-
ly listed company and to complete our busi-
ness merger with Altimeter Growth Corp in
the fourth quarter of this year,” chief finan-
cial officer Peter Oey said during the call. —
Bloomberg

2 News STARBIZ, Wednesday 15 september 2021

Synergy in privatisation Sign of positive
of Scientex subsidiary economic
growth, stability
Formidable group to emerge, say analysts
KUALA LUMPUR: The signing of the memo-
CORPORATE “The combined entities will also randum of understanding (MoU) on transfor-
have technical synergy, given that mation and political stability between the
By EUGENE MAHALINGAM Scientex is the expert in plastic film federal government and Pakatan Harapan
[email protected] manufacturing while Daibochi is strong (PH) will have a positive impact on the coun-
KUALA LUMPUR: Scientex Bhd’s proposed in converting flexible plastic packaging.” try’s economic growth in the fourth quarter
privatisation of subsidiary Daibochi Bhd is of 2021 and beyond.
expected to pave the way for the combined ta securities
entities to achieve greater business flexibility Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul
and stronger manufacturing capabilities. packaging manufacturing business. remains robust.” Abdul Aziz said political stability would contrib-
It primarily produces high-barrier laminat- Kenanga Research is maintaining its earn- ute to a more stable and conducive environ-
On Monday, packaging manufacturer and ment for the development of the country’s
property developer Scientex had proposed a ed flexible plastic packaging for reputable ings forecast for Scientex for 2021, but raising investment sector, capital market and economy.
voluntary takeover exercise that would entail multinational clients in the food and bever- it for 2022.
buying 38.12% of Daibochi’s issued shares, age and fast moving consumer goods seg- “Overall, the implementation of stimulus
excluding treasury shares, for RM2.70 a piece ments, as well as specialty sectors. “All in, we maintain our 2021 estimates. packages, the reopening of economic sectors
and 95.75% of its outstanding warrants for 32 Accounting for Scientex’s acquisition of the and Malaysia’s diversified economic struc-
sen each. Scientex acquired a 42.48% stake in remaining 38.1% of Daibochi, we raise ture have successfully resulted in the nation’s
Daibochi for RM222.5mil in February 2019. Scientex’s 2022 revenue and core net profit by gross domestic product (GDP) growth of
Analysts said the privatisation is expected 1% and 5% respectively. 16.1% in the second quarter of this year.
to provide Scientex with the flexibility of inte- Following the acquisition, Scientex
grating Daibochi’s business activities into the launched a mandatory general offer at “We maintain our 2021 dividend per share “The Finance Ministry is confident that the
Scientex group to become a formidable, one- RM1.59 per share and increased its stake in of 7.6 sen and increase our 2022 estimated MoU will continue to support economic
stop plastic packaging solution provider. Daibochi to 61.89%. dividends per share to 9.3 sen, based on a recovery and the GDP growth projection of
30% payout ratio, yielding 1.7% and 2% between 3% and 4% for this year,” he said in
“Daibochi will be able to leverage on CGS-CIMB said taking Daibochi private respectively.” a statement yesterday.
Scientex’s widespread manufacturing facili- would also put it in a better position to meet
ties across Malaysia, South-East Asia and the the stringent requirements of multinationals MIDF Research, meanwhile, said the deal’s The MoU was signed between Prime
United States, as well as reinforce the strength and local prominent brands. offer price per ordinary share represents a Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and
of its product brand to reach a larger foot- premium of 13% over the current market heads of the PH component parties at the
print of customers. “These companies are increasingly reliant value. Parliament on Monday.
on suppliers that are equipped with good risk
“Furthermore, the combined entities will management and business contingency plans “The offer prices are RM2.70 per ordinary Meanwhile, Tengku Zafrul said the govern-
also have technical synergy, given that with the capacity and capability to provide share and 32 sen per warrant, totalling ment would increase the ceiling cap for the
Scientex is the expert in plastic film manufac- reliable, dependable and quality products on RM345.3mil. Each warrant is exercisable into Covid-19 fund if necessary to continue sup-
turing while Daibochi is strong in converting a consistent basis. one new share at the price of RM2.50 per porting the people and businesses that are in
flexible plastic packaging,” TA Securities said share, which is payable in cash for a five-year need.
in a report. Pending completion of the takeover, TA period up to June 19, 2022.” Kenanga Research
Securities said it is making no changes to its said the offer price was fair. He said on Sept 10, the Cabinet approved a
The synergy is expected to allow the combined earnings forecast for Scientex. proposal to amend the Temporary Measures
entities to develop more sustainable packaging “Based on our back-of-the-envelope calcu- for Government Financing (Coronavirus
products, such as fully recyclable mono material “Based on our back-of-the-envelope calcu- lation, by ascribing a price-to-earnings ratio Disease 2019) Act 2020.
laminate solutions, which are widely sought lation, a 38.1% increment in the stake of of 13 times to Bloomberg’s 2022 consensus
after by multinational companies. Daibochi funded by 50% borrowings would core net profit of RM65.7mil, we believe This included raising the ceiling for the
result in a 4% to 5% increase in Scientex’s Daibochi’s fair value per share is RM2.60. Covid-19 fund from RM65bil to RM110bil and
CGS-CIMB said Scientex’s decision to take earnings per share and potentially raise Thus, in our view, the offer price of RM2.70 is increasing the government’s statutory debt
Daibochi private stemmed from the latter’s Scientex’s fair value to RM5.30 per share. fair, as the 4% premium is justifiable to gain ceiling from 60% to 65% of the GDP, he said.
short and long-term pitfalls. full control of Daibochi. The 13 times ascribed
“Scientex’s net gearing ratio is expected price-to-earnings ratio is lower than our The amendment to the bill will be tabled
“We had already seen Daibochi failing to to increase to 0.44-times from 0.32-times peers’ average of 15.5 times, mainly due to its for the Dewan Rakyat’s approval next month.
grow its sales and core net profit for the nine- currently. We believe the spike in net gear- lack of pricing power.” — Bernama
months period of its current financial year, ing would not exert excessive stress on the
due to shipping constraints in the wake of the group, given that operating cash flow MAHB’s Turkish
Covid-19 pandemic. Increasing logistics and airport leads
raw materials costs, meanwhile, gradually ate in recovery
into its quarterly pre-tax margins, from 11% in
the first quarter to 8.5% in the third quarter.” KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airports
Holdings Bhd’s (MAHB) Turkish asset,
Daibochi is involved in the flexible plastic Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport
(ISGA), continued to lead the airport opera-
Banks are to work on interest payment exemption tor’s recovery, registering 3.2 million passen-
ger movements last month or 90% of pre-Cov-
> FROM PAGE 1 monthly loan repayment will end up having moratorium immediately. id-19 level.
above the industry average of 32% to 34%, to pay a higher cumulative interest and this Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul
said the research house. would essentially help to partially offset the In a statement, it said the 7% increased
loan modification losses,” said UOB Kay Hian Abdul Aziz said, in the statement, that this from July registered by ISGA remained the
It added that the banking sector is expected in the report. would involve recipients of the moratorium main contributor to MAHB’s total passenger
to book in a net modification loss in Q3 aris- from the bottom 50% of Malaysians for a peri- movements of 3.5 million in August 2021.
ing from the recent increase in targetted Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri told Parliament od of three months in the fourth quarter of
assistance from 14% to 27%. yesterday that an automatic loan moratorium 2021. “To date, ISGA has also registered the high-
would help ease the plight of the rakyat est passenger movements in August, reaching
“However, the impact is going to be signifi- affected by the pandemic. Meanwhile, Opposition leader Datuk Seri 90% of August 2019 levels due to the increase
cantly less than the RM1.7bil (8% to sector Anwar Ibrahim had suggested, in the in summer travels.
earnings) that the sector had experienced in “The government is aware of the situation Parliament sitting, that an injection of an
2020. This is because the increase in targetted faced by the rakyat and will try to assist as additional RM45bil could be made for the “In Turkey, the relaxation of border and
assistance take-up rate of roughly 15 percent- best as possible,” he said in response to a sup- Covid-19 relief and any implementation of a inter-city travel, the lifting of national curfew,
age points this round is much lower than the plementary question by Pontian MP Datuk loan repayment moratorium should be mean- the upbeat progress of the country’s vaccina-
85% take-up rate in 2020 given the opt-in Seri Ahmad Maslan. ingful. tion rate, the equivalent acceptance of
nature of the current targeted assistance. European Union digital Covid-19 certificate
In a statement yesterday, the Finance In April last year, an automatic six-month and Turkish Covid-19 certificate have further
“In addition, customers who choose to Ministry said it had instructed banking insti- moratorium on all bank loans – except for encouraged travel to and within Turkey and
extend their loan tenure to reduce their tutions to work on the exemption from inter- credit card balances – was granted for those Europe as well as inter-city of Turkey during
est payments for recipients of the bank loan affected by the Covid-19 outbreak. this peak season,” it said.

Kelington wins RM420mil job from US company For the first half of 2021, MAHB said ISGA
was ranked fourth busiest airport in Europe
PETALING JAYA: Kelington Group Bhd has company in Kuching. “The work is to start in mid-September with continuous traffic momentum in the
bagged RM420mil job from a United States The job scope included construction work 2021 and expected to be completed by Dec 31, past two months.
company that has a manufacturing hub in 2022,” said Kelington, an engineering solu-
Sama Jaya Free Industrial Zone in Sarawak. with respect to their Sarawak expansion pro- tions provider. Flight bookings data showed Turkey and
ject. Istanbul listed as the third-best performing
In a filing with Bursa Malaysia yesterday, The group expects the contract to contrib- country and major city at 62% and 56.5% pre-
Kelington said its wholly-owned subsidiary “The manufacturing company is owned by ute positively to its earnings and net assets for 2019 level respectively.
Kelington Technologies Sdn Bhd has won the a US multinational company, a world-leading the financial years ending Dec 31, 2022, and
construction contract from a manufacturing developer, manufacturer, and provider of Dec 31, 2023. “The increase in air travel demand also
data storage devices and solutions,” it said. resulted in Pegasus, the main local carrier
adding a new route to Makhachkala, Russia
with three flights weekly,” it said.

On passenger movements’ performance in
Malaysia, MAHB said the local network of
airports registered 296,000 passengers in
August, consisting of 88,000 international pas-
sengers and 208,000 domestic passengers. —
Bernama

STARBIZ, Wednesday 15 september 2021 News 3

NFOs on strong Menang
recovery trajectory aborts private
pent-up demand seen to bolster sales placement plan

gaming “Further earnings upside could come from the PETALING JAYA: Menang Corp (M) Bhd
legislation of stricter gambling laws, and the has called off its private placement exer-
PETALING JAYA: Numbers forecast opera- potential monetisation of its stake in U-mobile.” cise to raise about RM21mil for debt
tors (NFOs) saw their shares trade largely in repayment.
the positive territory as reopening of their rHb research
outlets yesterday spurred sentiment. In a filing with Bursa Malaysia yester-
NFO outlets would remain closed until Dec 31, 2021 (FY21) by 14.4% after raising day, the company said it will raise funds
However, the counters lost some ground at end-September. draws assumption by eight days to factor in through other means to repay its borrow-
the end of the day in tandem with overall the slightly earlier-than-expected reopening ings.
market weakness. “As NFO outlets are now able to reopen, we of outlets.
can expect ticket sales to recover strongly, on In April, Menang announced the pro-
Magnum Bhd’s shares closed unchanged at pent-up demand and the overall inelastic As for BToto, the earnings forecast for the posed private placement to issue 48.08
RM2.06, off an intra-day high of RM2.10, nature of the business,” RHB Research said. financial year ending June 30, 2021 had been million shares or 10% of its share capital
while Berjaya Sports Toto Bhd’s (BToto) shares raised by 4.8% to factor in the latest news. at an indicative issuance price of 44.5 sen.
ended three sen higher at RM2.03, off an It noted that in the second half of 2020,
intra-day high of RM2.05. NFOs saw ticket sales recover to about 80% of RHB Research noted a joint venture (JV), It said the proceeds will be used to
pre-pandemic levels within three months of involving BToto’s 39.99%-owned associate reduce the company’s debt of RM557.18mil
NFOs are expected to stage a strong reopening after MCO 1.0 was lifted. Philippine Gaming Management Corp as of Dec 31, 2020.
rebound in income in the coming months, (PGMC), last week received a notice of award
given the reopening of most their outlets yes- Further earnings upside could come from from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Techna-X gets
terday. the ongoing clampdown on illegal gambling Office or PCSO for the procurement of a five- RM51mil job
and legislation of stricter gambling laws, RHB year lease of the customised lottery system. from SHT
Pent-up demand from punters and the Research said.
overall inelastic nature of the business sug- PGMC has a 49% stake in the JV, which won PETALING JAYA: Techna-X Bhd’s wholly
gest that the recovery in ticket sales by NFOs It has maintained a “buy” call on both the contract, valued at a total 5.8 billion peso owned subsidiary, TouchPoint
would likely be swift. Magnum and BToto, with target prices of (RM480mil). International Sdn Bhd, has bagged a two-
RM2.61 and RM2.36, respectively. year technology development and sup-
As seen in the second half of last year, “While we are positive on PGMC getting the port contract worth RM50.8mil from SHT
post-movement control order (MCO) 1.0, tick- RHB Research noted that both NFO opera- contract extension, its effective win under the Engineering Sdn Bhd to design and deliv-
et sales recovered strongly, and quickly tors offered attractive dividend yields, esti- JV is only 2.8 billion peso (RM235mil or a 49% er an analytics-enabled public safety and
returned to about 80% of pre-pandemic levels mated at 6% to 7% for the next two years. stake). security system.
within three months of reopening.
“Magnum remains our preferred pick, “This is below our expectations, as we had In a statement yesterday, Techna-X said
A majority of NFO outlets had been allowed being a pure-play NFO. previously anticipated that PGMC would pro- its subsidiary would incorporate the latest
by the government to resume operations yes- cure an exclusive contract,” RHB Research in IoT-powered computing mobile devic-
terday, following a nationwide closure since “Further earnings upside could come from said. es, GIS software components as well as
June 1 this year to comply with stricter meas- the legislation of stricter gambling laws, and professional engineering services in the
ures to curb the Covid-19 pandemic. The first the potential monetisation of its stake in As such, the brokerage has lowered its system.
draw will be held today. U-Mobile,” RHB Research said. FY23-FY24 earnings forecast for BToto by
1.2%. “This contract from SHT is a significant
RHB Research said it was positive on the The brokerage has raised its earnings fore- win for Touchpoint and Techna-X Group,”
latest development, citing the reopening of cast for Magnum for the financial year ending said Tunku Naquiyuddin ibni Tuanku
NFO outlets came slightly earlier than its Ja’afar, executive chairman of Techna-X.
expectations.
T7 Global
The brokerage had previously assumed proposes
placement
Malaysia Pacific Corp losses widen in Q4
PETALING JAYA: T7 Global Bhd has pro-
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia Pacific Corp Bhd ings and the balance RM40.46mil to pay (PN17), including to address the going con- posed to undertake a private placement
(MPCB) has reported a wider net loss of creditors and as working capital and esti- cern issue,” the group said. of up to 20% of the total number of issued
RM6.63mil in its fourth quarter ended June 30 mated expenses. shares of the company to third-party
from RM4.84mil a year earlier. Towards this end, MPCB said on June 28 investor(s) to be identified later and at an
Cumulatively, for the financial year ended that TA Securities Holdings Bhd had submit- issue price to be determined later.
In a filing with Bursa Malaysia yesterday, June 30, 2021 (FY21), MPCB fell into the red, ted an application to Bursa Malaysia for a
the company said the losses were due to posting RM6.41mil in losses compared to a further extension of time up to March 31, In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, the
impairment of receivables and the provision RM3.61mil profit in the same period last 2022 to make the requisite announcement company said as at Aug 27, 2021, the total
of finance costs claimed by the purchaser of year. and to submit the company’s regularisation issued share capital of T7 Global was
Wisma MPL, who paid the full settlement on plan to the regulatory authorities. RM204.98mil, comprising 633.85 million
behalf of the company to RHB Bank Bhd. Its revenue for the period was higher by shares, including 17.35 million treasury
57.3% to RM10.49mil from RM6.67mil previ- The extension had been approved by Bursa shares.
Its revenue for the quarter declined by ously, thanks to an increase in the subscrip- Malaysia on July 29 for an extension of time
half to RM1.8mil compared to RM3.65mil a tion rate. up to Dec 31, 2021 for MPCB to make the req- “The company may only issue up to
year ago due to slow construction progress uisite announcement and submit its regulari- 20% of the total number of issued shares
for the joint-venture project. Moving forward, MPCB expects the pros- sation plan to the regulatory authorities. for a period of 12 months,” it said.
pect for the current financial year to be chal-
To recap, the property development com- lenging due to the global and local economy MPCB was classified as a PN17 company by Crest Builder
pany sold its Wisma MPL in the Golden being deeply impacted by the Covid-19 pan- Bursa Malaysia on Dec 1, 2014. secures
Triangle of Kuala Lumpur to Asia New demic. contract
Venture Capital Holdings Sdn Bhd for Among the concerns raised by its inde-
RM189mil in March 2019. “Sluggish property market conditions are pendent auditor include the group and com- PETALING JAYA: Crest Builder Holdings
to continue in 2021. pany’s current liabilities having exceeded its Bhd has announced that its wholly owned
MPCB said it intends to utilise RM148.54mil current assets by RM142.44mil and subsidiary, CBTech (M) Sdn Bhd, has
of the sales proceeds to repay bank borrow- “And it is crucial to submit a comprehen- RM9.22mil, respectively. accepted two letters of award with a com-
sive regularisation plan for Practice Note 17 bined contract value of RM6.5mil from
Pembinaan Tuju Setia Sdn Bhd.
HIL Industries’ earnings double in second quarter
Crest Builder said the awards were for
PETALING JAYA: HIL Industries Bhd’s net the Penjana plan. The increase in revenue For the manufacturing sector, HIL is opti- the execution and completion of the sup-
profit has doubled to RM4.28mil in the second and results were also due to the number of mistic to recover strongly from the pandemic ply, delivery, installation, testing, and
quarter ended June 30 (Q2) from RM2.15mil a days affected by the imposition of the move- given the current high vaccination rate and commissioning of fire protection services
year ago, driven by its manufacturing and ment control order (MCO),” it said. reopening of most business segments. works and extra voltage services works
property divisions. related to the main building works for the
Last year, the MCO was imposed in the “Based on the pent-up demand from our proposed 121 Residence project in
In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, the group country with effect from March 18 to May 3, customers, we anticipate to rebound strongly Petaling Jaya, Selangor. ― Bernama
said its revenue rose 16.8% to RM25.59mil in 2020 which was for a total of 47 days, while subsequent to the end of the MCO and will
the quarter from RM21.91mil in the corre- the full MCO in this year was for 30 days only. work tirelessly to recover the lost revenue
sponding period a year ago supported by the during the periods of shutdown as a result of
manufacturing segment. Meanwhile, HIL said its property develop- the MCO,” it noted.
ment and management segment posted a fall
In the first half (H1), HIL’s revenue was up in revenue and an increase in results for the HIL said its revenue would mainly stem
11.8% to RM60.28mil compared to RM53.90mil current financial period-to-date of 3.21% and from its Amverton Links and its completed
in the corresponding period a year ago. 37.78% respectively as compared to the corre- project, 108 terrace house in Bukit Kemuning
sponding period a year ago. and Amverton Greens. It added that the four
“Both revenue and results were higher joint ventures that the group had undertaken
mainly due to the launch of several new mod- “The increase in results was mainly due to to build property development projects were
els during the financial period and also the higher profit recognition subsequent to expected to increase the group’s revenue and
increased sales enjoyed by our customers on the completion of Amverton Greens in Q1,” it profit contribution from the segment.
the extension of the waiver of sales tax under added.

4 Insight STARBIZ, Wednesday 15 september 2021

LEE HENG The necessity of reform
GUIE Laying the foundation for better malaysia

Comment Better tomorrow: Frontliners, in colourful costumes, at a Covid-19 growth that we need to promote with an urgent priority to imple-
vaccination centre during the recent national day. the time for reform and policy measures needed to ment parliamentary, political and
POST the Covid-19 pandemic is now for better malaysia and the future generation. build a highly productive green judiciary reforms to ensure the
world, there remain considerable economy? accountability and credibility of
domestic and external challenges growth and economic develop- mental weaknesses and structur- these institutions.
for our national socio-economic ment but there are still unsettling, al issues which will shape reforms It is widely accepted that institu-
development journey. uneven weaknesses and cracks in in the aftermath of the crisis: tional reforms are the fundamen- Strong leadership needed
the three pillars (institutions, social What kind of Malaysia (economy) tal creation of an environment nec-
The social and economic impli- and political) of the foundation. do we want to build going for- essary for development and eco- The reforms require strong lead-
cations from the pandemic would ward? nomic prosperity. ership to win consent from biparti-
place the government under great- Malaysia’s growth potential and san political parties.
er political and competitive pres- prospects look uninspiring in the What is the reset economic Political, judiciary and economic
sures to revitalise and reshape our absence of renewed reform dyna- model that will withstand against institutional reforms make the eco- Reformers need to act decisively
economy, create new industries mism. future crises and global challeng- nomic and social system more effi- as the cost of the status quo could
(smart digitalise, renewable, green, es? cient through strengthening the be even greater.
climate change), increase Policymakers are compelled to rule of law, better governance,
high-quality investment, plus grow look for answers to the funda- What are the new sources of effective execution, sound crisis Half-baked and half-hearted
skilled and high-income employ- management, and people interac- reforms will not improve the coun-
ment. tion principles. try’s growth prospects.

The time for reform is now for Countries like Singapore, Hong In advancing on the path of
Better Malaysia and the future gen- Kong, and New Zealand with effi- reforms, the economy needs to
eration. cient economic structure provide a confront the short-run adjustment
suitable environment and incen- costs as the benefits of better struc-
The government and public tives to their people and businesses tural policies may take time to
institutions must ensure equitable to grow faster compared with materialise.
growth and economic distribution states having extraordinary pow-
as well as the inclusiveness of ers. Hence, this should not be a
development and income policies deterrent to implementation.
for all Malaysians. The countries are providing
business freedom, investment free- More importantly, effective com-
The crisis has already led to dom, and secure property rights munication and public engage-
changes that would shape our poli- for the efficient functioning of ment are of great importance in
cies in the years to come. markets that raise the trust level, making reform based on a clear
reduce uncertainty, and create a evidence and the measurable
Deglobalisation, intense digitalisa- sustainable fiscal budget for the desired outcomes.
tion, ageing and environmental, economy.
social and corporate governance are (This the the first of a two-part
the megatrends shaping tomorrow’s A wide range of reforms is need- article on the necessity of reform.)
living standard and well-being. ed in Malaysia.
Lee Heng Guie is Socio Economic
We have built the foundation of More needs to be done, especial- Research Centre executive direc-
ly on reforms that ensure stronger tor. The views expressed here are
and fairer outcomes. It must begin the writer’s own.

Endemicity and the economy, the dance in disease control

By DHESI RAJA these strains are likely to allow Contingencies itself should be supported by prox- bullet. Covid-19 is here to stay with
IT has been 611 days since Covid- active circulation of these strains should be imity-based protocols and not just variants and waning immunity,
19 was first reported in Wuhan, within the immediate future. explored and location-based protocols that can further investments will be
China. As disasters go, Covid-19 has the investments rapidly detect potentially high-risk required to protect the population
been truly unprecedented. Considering the Malaysian prev- must be made contacts and quickly inform dis- from death and disease via booster
alence of disease lies somewhere in ensuring ease control teams. These applica- doses or next-generation vaccines.
The initial response that utilised between 10% and 20% of the popu- livelihood is tions must be built into a national
aggressive public health and social lation, fully vaccinating the popu- preserved. disease control architecture that is Resuscitating the economy
measures (PHSM) has been framed lation is unlikely to terminate integrated and intelligent.
as a trade-off between lives and transmission of Covid-19 in the Coordinating this dance will The entire system must be tied in
livelihood. near future. require multi-agency collaboration Too many person hours have by a truly multidisciplinary team
that involves all of society. been wasted on redundant tasks that would include individuals
Lombardy, Italy idealised this Under the assumption that evi- that waste precious human from all walks of life. Most impor-
comparison in the early days- dence-based disease control mech- Central to this thrust must be a resources unnecessarily. tantly, the process should be trans-
where a delayed response led to anisms are in place and vaccina- change in testing strategy where parent and with constant engage-
numerous mortalities. tion rates will increase, Covid-19 testing must become a way of life. Thresholds for action, the pre- ments with all levels of society.
will likely be transformed from a Population level testing with the scribed action and contingency
However, it quickly became rabid killer into a much less deadly adoption of rapid tests must be plans can be built into the above In improving trust, data should
apparent that this juxtaposition flu-like illness with periodic break- pursued. architecture. These must include also be democratised and made
was far more complex than previ- throughs of infection within the clear indicators that direct action. available for the population.
ously imagined. The cost of con- immediate future. Access to the tests, the procedure Communication must be improved,
trolling transmission was the to carry out the tests and the con- This can include: and it can only improve if trust is
plummeting of economies beyond This will be the road to disease tact tracing based on the reporting > Indicators of disease transmis- earned.
the levels of the great depression persistence, the road to endemici- of the results must become second sion such as the number of cases
and the crumbling of societies ty. Essentially this means that nature to the population at large. and deaths and its percentage The economy and the interlink-
under the invisible walls of lock- infections will continue to persist change, the reproductive number, ages to health can no longer be
down. within communities, just like the The ecosystem supporting each outbreak threshold based on sea- ignored. This framework of disease
flu. Hence, it will require the public of these processes must be built sonal patterns, and surveillance of control proposed here must
Notwithstanding, time and sci- health apparatus to continue mon- meticulously. excess mortality, include a functioning economy.
ence have intimated the way for- itoring the disease with clear > Indicators of healthcare capac-
ward. Effective governance led by thresholds for action, and clear Testing ecosystem must be more ity such as the number of general Contingencies should be
science-backed PHSM has been actions if thresholds are passed. than just an application, it must or intensive care unit beds availa- explored and the investments must
critical in protecting both lives and bring testing into every living room ble, the number of healthcare be made in ensuring livelihood is
livelihood. Supporting these meas- The dance in disease control of the population. workers infected with Covid-19 preserved.
ures with high levels of vaccination and the surge capacity limit, and
has also been shown to accelerate Tomas Pueyo suggested that the Testing must be supported by > Indicators of public health Despite being 611 days into a
progress to recovery. PHSM against Covid-19 is like a robust contact tracing and disease capacity such as number of cases pandemic, it is clear that the end
dance, and the early lockdowns, a control systems. The current pub- with a source identified within a remains elusive. Every passing
While, experts generally believe hammer. On current evidence, the lic health apparatus was not built pre-defined time, a predefined pro- day, it becomes increasingly appar-
that the possibility of herd immu- hammer has been our weapon of for long-lasting pandemics in large portion of contacts must be identi- ent that damaging lockdowns can-
nity against transmission of the choice against the pandemic result- populations. fied within a period of time and a not be the long-term solution.
disease remains unlikely with the ing in the economy and society proportion of that must be isolated
first generation of vaccines – many being unnecessarily imperilled. Innovation will be critical in and quarantined. As vaccination rates surge, so
countries have successfully begun upgrading these systems, but so These are examples of clear indi- must other efforts mentioned
the road to recovery by using this If we are to successfully navigate will investments. Contact tracing in cators that can be utilised in track- above as we prepare to enter the
approach. endemicity, we must progress to ing an endemic disease. These age of endemic Covid-19. Failing to
control the disease with economic must be tied into a robust health do so will lead to another 611 days
Nonetheless, the rise of mutant and social sustainability in mind, information architecture that can of infections, deaths, failures and
strains of SARS-nCoV-2 has unfor- hence the illustration of a dance. support and integrate all the work- tragedies.
tunately derailed much of this pro- flows effectively and seamlessly.
gress. Despite very little evidence Striking this balance, and doing Vaccinations must also be Dr Dhesi Raja is the chief medical
suggesting immune escape of cur- it quickly, will likely dictate the aggressively pursued with the innovation officer of Ainqa and a
rent circulating variants against speed at which Malaysia will recov- understanding that it is not a silver public health medicine specialist.
severe disease – it has become er from this crisis and learn to live The views expressed here are the
clear that the increasing fitness of with the pandemic. writer’s own.

STARBIZ, Wednesday 15 september 2021 5

6 STARBIZ, Wednesday 15 september 2021

STARBIZ, Wednesday 15 september 2021 News 7

On course for EXCHANGE RATE
improved earnings
OpENING RATES By MAyBANk ON SEpT 14, 2021

SEllING BuyING BuyING
TT/OD TT OD

Opening of the economy will boost footfall and sales 1 Us dollar ...........................4.2090 4.0840 4.0740
1 australian dollar ...............3.1160 2.9930 2.9770
property “While Malaysian reIts have not been 1 brunei dollar .....................3.1350 3.0440 3.0360
performing as well as reIts in countries 1 Canadian dollar ................3.3240 3.2350 3.2230
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian real estate such as Singapore and Hong Kong, the 1 euro ...................................4.9770 4.8170 4.7970
investment trust (REIT) sector is expected to opening up of the economy is expected 1 new Zealand dollar ..........3.0080 2.8970 2.8810
begin charting improved earnings for the to bode well for local players.” 1 singapore dollar ...............3.1350 3.0440 3.0360
remainder of 2021, as economic restrictions 1 sterling pound ..................5.8330 5.6500 5.6300
continue to be lifted. UOb Kay Hian 1 swiss Franc ......................4.5500 4.4450 4.4300
100 Uae dirham .................115.9300 109.9300 109.7300
Compared with the first half of the year, 100 bangladesh taka ..........5.0350 4.7120 4.5120
UOB Kay Hian in a recent report said it 100 danish Krone ..............68.6100 63.1500 62.9500
expects sector earnings in the second half of 100 Hongkong dollar ........54.6800 51.9700 51.7700
2021 to improve by 35%. 100 Indian rupee ................5.8200 5.4600 5.2600
100 Indonesian rupiah .......0.0306 0.0277 0.0227
The research house said the earnings rise 100 Japanese yen ...............3.8310 3.7120 3.7020
will be in tandem with the easing of the strict 100 norwegian Krone .......49.9800 45.9900 45.7900
standard operating procedures nationwide. 100 pakistan rupee ............2.5500 2.3800 2.1800
100 philippine peso ............8.5600 8.0600 7.8600
“The government has announced guide- 100 Qatar riyal ...................116.8900 110.9600 110.7600
lines for the fully vaccinated, amid the 100 saudi riyal ...................113.4700 107.7200 107.5200
increase in economic activities. Social activi- 100 south africa rand ......30.8600 27.8600 27.6600
ties and entertainment outlets are now per- 100 sri Lanka rupee ...........2.1700 1.9900 1.7900
mitted to operate, with cinemas having been 100 swedish Krona ...........50.4500 45.9600 45.7600
open since Sept 10 at 50% capacity. 100 thai baht ....................13.3800 11.8800 11.4800

“This bodes well for REITs as consumers business resilience. Hence, IGB REIT would place sometime during end-2021 and early- kAB partners
are starting to return to malls and will subse- rank first in terms of recovery pace for retail 2022.” with yTl
quently contribute to tenants’ sales.” malls, followed by Pavilion REIT and Sunway Global Ventures
REIT.” For the office sub-sector, UOB Kay Hian KUALA LUMPUR: Kejuruteraan Asastera
UOB Kay Hian said malls with a high local said assets in strategic locations will continue Bhd (KAB) has executed a term sheet with
catchment will recover the fastest. On a regional basis, REITs have been seeing to be resilient. YTL Global Ventures (YLGV) to start a new
an improvement in their performance since venture in the robotics solutions business.
“Noticeably, consumers are seen returning late last year. While Malaysian REITs have “Offices in strategic locations will continue
to malls as the government has lifted restric- not been performing as well as REITs in coun- to be resilient as evidenced by KLCC Stapled The parties will incorporate a joint venture
tions with 72% of the adult population being tries such as Singapore and Hong Kong, the Group and Sentral REIT’s steady earnings company named KAB Robotic and Automation
fully vaccinated. Currently, about 80% to 90% opening up of the economy is expected to throughout the pandemic. Solutions Sdn Bhd with a total initial equity
of the tenants in major malls are open for bode well for local players. capital of RM100,000, the company said in a
business.” “However, average rental rates in the Kuala statement. KAB will own a 70% equity stake
Additionally, UOB Kay Hian said it expects a Lumpur City Centre continue to remain in the joint venture while YLGV will own the
The research house said earnings recovery mild recovery for the hotel and hospitality under pressure at RM6.90 per sq ft.” remaining 30%.
will be more apparent for malls that have a sector, amid inter-district and interstate trav-
higher turnover sales portion. el. Although the industry is still grappling with Via this partnership, KAB and YLGV will
oversupply, the research house said selected jointly explore business opportunities to
“Other than IGB REIT, the turnover sales “The government has currently allowed a office REITs (located in strategic locations establish and develop the first robotics hub in
portion for most malls under our coverage domestic tourism bubble for Langkawi. We with good connectivity like KL Sentral) will Malaysia by leveraging on YLGV’s sole distrib-
historically constitutes about 5% of total expect some recovery in the second half of benefit from higher demand, amid the need utorship rights with OTSAW Technology Pte
annual revenue. Furthermore, the reopening 2021 when interstate travel will be permitted, for physical distancing. Ltd and its proprietary robotics solutions.
of international borders will further boost as hotels have thus far managed to enjoy
footfall and sales. decent occupancy of up to 40% during week- “Moreover, the average rental rates in KL “This venture marks a strategic move by
ends. Sentral are attractive at RM6.46 per sq ft, UOB KAB as we continue to build a sustainable
“We prefer prime retail, given their proven Kay Hian said, adding that the industrial business by venturing into the robotics solu-
“Hence, this segment will gain substan- sub-sector has been fairly resilient as busi- tions business, as well as expanding our elec-
tial traction when interstate travel is per- nesses have continued to operate. trical and engineering business division," said
mitted and especially when international KAB managing director Datuk Lai Keng Onn.
borders are open, which is expected to take “The segment is fairly unperturbed as most
of the industrial assets are in the logistics and
manufacturing space.”

Evolving with new healthcare practices

KUALA LUMPUR: With the pan- Leading the way: Island Hospital has seen a healthy recovery for local patients virtually, were things that and payment processes have also
demic driving people to take own- patients since the start of the pandemic. were new to us that have since seen a shorter wait time. And short
ership of their health and spurring become a norm that we will contin- wait times and instant response is
healthcare providers to deliver swab tests with quick turnaround patients engaged through various ue post Covid-19.” of utmost importance during times
solutions that are sustainable, digi- time and dedicated Covid-19 wards methods, be it online or offline. like these,” she said.
tally and easily accessible to all, to accommodate and treat category For instance, Island Hospital
Island Hospital chief operating one to three Covid-19 cases, along- She added, “Through teleconsul- launched the use of electronic med- As a business, Lee noted that the
officer Stephanie Lee said the indus- side preparing an intensive care tation, our patients are able to keep ical records, which has led to signif- pandemic has taught Island
try will be more flexible moving unit should the need arise. their health in check and (this helps) icant improvements in waiting Hospital that change is the only con-
forward. ensure that when they can travel times at clinics, as patient health stant in life, which can help spur
“This is to facilitate treatment for again, the transition will be seam- records is readily and easily accesi- innovation and growth, such as in
“Healthcare will be more flexible, our patients when the need arises less for them. ble with a click of the mouse, instead virtual consultation and medicine
including multiple ways to access and not further put a strain on pub- of having to be physically retrieved, delivery.
and receive care. We foresee that lic healthcare,” she explained. “The hospital has been transition- Lee said.
people will eventually gain better ing to the new normal from the She opined, “The pandemic has
accessibility to value-based care. The hospital has also introduced start of the pandemic and using the With the decrease in patient load shown us that, as soon as there is a
a paid vaccination programme for situation as our catalyst for positive last year, the hospital was also able strong enough stimulus, things can
“The new normal has inevitably those who are interested. change. With the prolonged lock- to stabilise and further enhance change. Changes like these have led
changed the way treatment is ren- down, we have unexpectedly gotten systems along the way, in prepara- to remarkable innovations and an
dered and how healthcare is engag- A silver award winner in the ser- more time on our hands to improve tion for serving its patients at opti- opportunity to step out of our com-
ing with patients. vices category for large companies on our patient’s experience at the mal levels once the situation fort zones. We see it as an opportu-
in the Export Excellence Awards hospital. improves. nity to create innovations that we
“Teleconsultation has had a dra- (EEA) 2019, Island Hospital is gear- can well maintain even after the
matic evolution since the start of ing up for the reopening of the “Teleconsultation, medicine “It has also improved our com- crisis.”
the pandemic and it is now the pre- country’s borders by keeping its delivery and reaching out to our munication with our patients; by
ferred way of consultation with our having improved communication Winning an award at EEA 2019 is
doctors, especially for our foreign with patients, we are able to reduce not only a constant reminder that
patients,” she said. turnaround time when it comes to Island Hospital have to be la eader
responding to queries, be it clinical in healthcare advancements and
Island Hospital is still navigating or billing inquiries. The discharge keep up to speed, she said, adding
a fluid situation tied to ongoing that the win has propelled the hos-
Covid-19 developments, with severe pital’s confidence towards achiev-
impact from the closure of the ing bigger goals in future develop-
country’s borders cutting off the ment.
inflow of foreign patients seeking
treatment. “Don’t stop evolving, and always
be excited about changes and
That said, it has seen healthy improvements,” she concluded.
recovery for local patients since the
start of the pandemic, due to rising EEA 2021 is organised by Star
trust and confidence in the strict Media Group in partnership with
standard operating procedures Standard Chartered, with Matrade
implemented to ensure the safety of as patron. It is audited by BDO.
patients and hospital staff.
Those keen to apply for EEA 2021
Moreover, with Covid-19 cases can visit exportawards.com.my. For
still on the rise, the hospital is also details, contact Victor at victor-
doing its part to serve the local com- [email protected] or Jency at
munity by having walk-in Covid-19 [email protected].

8 STARBIZ, Wednesday 15 september 2021

STARBIZ, Wednesday 15 september 2021 News 9

Planters to benefit Technology
from India’s move a pillar for
economic
World’s largest edible oil importer cuts import duties recovery, says
Bursa CEO

commodities “the reduction is likely to be PETALING JAYA: Innovation is no longer an
partially passed on to consumers.” option but a necessity, especially for small
PETALING JAYA: India’s decision to further businesses, said Bursa Malaysia chief execu-
cut import duties on edible oils including CGs-CImb research tive officer Datuk Muhammad Umar Swift.
palm oil starting Sept 11 is positive on the
upstream planters and integrated plantation Apart from palm oil, the base import tax on the country’s lower export levy on refined Speaking at the Sintok Dialogue @ ECOFI
players regionally. crude soybean oil and crude sunflower oil palm products against the price of CPO at 2021 organised by the Universiti Utara
has also been reduced to 2.5% from 7.5% about US$150 (RM623) per tonne for Malaysia’s Economic and Financial Policy
According to CGS-CIMB Research, local while the base import tax on refined soybean September. “This is around 12.6% of the ref- Institute or ECoFI yesterday, he said technolo-
planters such as IOI Corp Bhd, Kuala Lumpur oil and sunflower oil has been cut from 37.5% erence price of US$1,185 (RM4,919) per tonne gy and the digital economy were the keys to
Kepong Bhd (KLK) and Genting Plantations to 32.5%. for palm oil,” explained CGS-CIMB Research. the nation’s economic recovery.
Bhd will stand to benefit from India’s latest
move, which will result in the base import tax To put it into perspective, CGS-CIMB The research house has also reiterated a However, despite its undeniable impor-
on crude palm oil (CPO) being slashed to 2.5% Research said the reference CPO price used to “neutral” call on the plantation sector with its tance, digital migration among local business-
from 10% previously, while the base import calculate the import duties in India was set at top picks being KLK, Wilmar and First es continues to lag.
tax for refined palm oil has been cut to 32.5% US$1,029 (RM4,271) per tonne from Aug 11. Resources.
from 37.5% earlier. It is estimated that only about one-third of
“The 5.5%-point reduction ineffective “We continue to favour KLK as its current Malaysian businesses have implemented dig-
Other regional beneficiaries include import duties implies a reduction in import forecast financial year 2022 (FY22) price-to- ital transformation strategies, with less than
Wilmar International Ltd, First Resources Ltd duties of CPO of around US$56.60 (RM237) earnings (PE) ratio of 22 times is below its one out of every four businesses having a
and Astra Astro Lestari Tbk, it added. per tonne, which is likely to be partially historical average mean PE of 26 times. dedicated digital strategy team.
passed on to consumers,” it noted.
However, this latest move came as no big “There is also a potential earnings upside “Some of the major reasons for slower dig-
surprise, said CGS-CIMB Research in its latest In addition, the 11%-point import duty gap from its acquisition of a controlling stake in italisation adoption among businesses may
report. There had been talk that the world’s between CPO and refined palm oil is main- IJM Plantations Bhd,” said the research house. be high dependency on low-skilled workers;
largest edible oil importer was looking to cut tained post-latest revision to provide a mar- lack of enabling infrastructure and talent
the import duties to make palm oil, soybean gin advantage to Indian refiners to compete It added that First Resources was also pool to migrate towards tech-based opera-
oil and sunflower oil cheaper for its consum- against Indonesia’s palm oil refiners. attractive, given its strong output growth tions; and persistent challenges related to the
ers ahead of the upcoming festivals. prospects from its young estates and unde- affordability and quality of fixed broadband
Indonesian refiners had benefitted from manding valuation at 13.8 times PE for FY22. internet access and technology solutions,” he
This also marked the fourth time India has said.
revised its import duties on edible oils this
year. To address these challenges, Muhammad
Umar said the government had launched sev-
Sunway’s Singapore job win an earnings booster eral initiatives as a call-to-action to promote
business digitalisation, including the
PETALING JAYA: The recent win by Sunway Sunway’s successful bid for another develop- en bloc acquisition will have a marginal MyDigital Economy Blueprint rolled out by
Bhd for the redevelopment of Flynn Park in ment project in Singapore. It said Sunway’s impact on Sunway since it had a cash pile of the Economic Planning Unit in February this
Singapore ensures its continued presence in recent projects on the island nation have been RM1.5bil as at the second quarter of financial year.
the Singapore property market. well-received and with the location of Flynn, it year 2021.
believes demand for its units should be The nationwide initiative outlines the gov-
It will further enhance the earnings visibil- encouraging. Meanwhile, UOB Kay Hian said based on ernment’s aspirations to successfully trans-
ity of Sunway’s property developments in the most recent transactions in Pasir Panjang form Malaysia into a digitally-driven, high-in-
Singapore, said analysts. Sunway (which has 30% in the joint ven- in 2017, the purchase price of S$371mil come nation and a regional leader in the dig-
ture) and its partner Hoi Hup Realty won a bid (RM1.15bil) was slightly higher in terms of ital economy. The Blueprint projects a 22.6%
Following the deal, its Singapore based pro- for the en bloc acquisition of Flynn Park – a cost per sq feet and cost-to-GDV. contribution to the nation’s gross domestic
jects now consist of 47% of the group’s remain- condominium development along Yew Siang product by 2025, with RM70bil worth of
ing gross development value (GDV) for inter- Road, Pasir Panjang in Singapore – at a price MIDF said the indicative GDV of the pro- investments and 500,000 jobs created in the
national projects, which account for 9% of the of S$371mil (RM1.15bil). It covers 4.79 acres of posed redevelopment was S$750mil digital economy.
group’s total development value of RM54bil, freehold elevated land, with an allowable (RM2.3bil). Sunway’s Singapore projects
said AmInvestment Research. gross plot ratio of 1.4, the research house said. recorded encouraging new sales of about Given the numerous opportunities that the
RM1bil in the first half of 2021, which made digitalisation wave offers, such an endeavour
Kenanga Research said the incremental MIDF Research expects that the funding up more than half of its total new sales of could not come at a better time as digitalisa-
value to its revalued net asset value estimate requirement of RM345mil (30% stake) for the RM1.64bil during the period, MIDF said. tion can encourage innovation and econo-
was minimal, but it remained upbeat on mies of scale, allowing entirely new forms of
business and entrepreneurship to emerge,
said Muhammad Umar.

He added that digitalisation and technolo-
gies could also promote inclusion by serving
markets that were underserved. ― Bernama

Workforce needs to be nurtured

PETALING JAYA: As Malaysia strives to be a H1 of 2021 and the projects are expected to
high-income nation with high technology and create 32,220 job opportunities in various
Industrial Revolution 4.0 adoption, invest- positions and roles, leading on the path for
ments must be supported with policies to high-value and skilled employment.
support the workforce, especially high-skilled
labour, said economists. Zakariah opined that although the state-
ment mentioned that it would create 1,367
Independent economic analyst Prof managerial positions, 4,031 technical profes-
Emeritus Zakariah Abdul Rashid said sionals and 4,144 skills craftsmen, there was
Malaysia’s foreign direct investment in the no indication for the remaining 22,678 posi-
first half (H1) of 2021 was commendable and tions out of the 32,220 job opportunities.
reflected that the economic cycle of investing
in the country had returned. “This represents 70.38% (22,678 positions),
which could either mean low-skilled or
In 2020, total investments approved unskilled positions.
declined 22.4% to RM164bil, from RM211.4bil
in 2019, weighted by the impact of weak glob- “With only a ratio of 30% in the high-skilled
al demands due to the Covid-19 pandemic positions, it will be a constant challenge to
and the movement control order, according transform our economy, thus hindering the
to data by the Malaysian Investment country from achieving the target of a high-in-
Development Authority (Mida). come status country by 2030,” he said.

In 2018 and 2017, it stood lower at According to the Statistics Department, in
RM201.7bil and RM200.6bil, respectively, 2019, Malaysia’s share of high-skilled employ-
Mida added. ment (those who are employed in manageri-
al, professional or technical roles) was at
However, Zakariah said that while it may 27.5%, while the share of semi-skilled work-
augur well for Malaysia to have a sustainable ers stood at 60.1% and the share of low-skilled
economic recovery, more is needed to be employees was at 12.4%.
done for the country to achieve its goal of
having a high-level income economic status. Zakariah said to become a high-income
nation, the country must work towards reach-
Based on a recent statement by Senior ing at least 50% of a high-skilled workforce.
Minister and Minister of the International
Trade and Industry Ministry (Miti), Datuk Seri However, the level of below 30% of a high-
Mohamed Azmin Ali, 367 manufacturing pro- skilled workforce in Malaysia has stayed on
jects worth RM66.9bil had been approved in for about 15 years and this needs to improve,
he said. ― Bernama

10 Foreign News STARBIZ, Wednesday 15 september 2021

Nidec founder unhappy with profitability, pushes on targets

TOKYO: After handing over the reigns in same period a year earlier, the person, who into the electric-vehicle space. enterprise in terms of valuation in 2023, to
June, Nidec Corp founder and former chief spoke on the condition of anonymity said of Nothing has changed in regard to Nagamori mark the 50th anniversary of the company’s
executive officer Shigenobu Nagamori is unim- Nagamori’s admonition to an internal audi- founding, according to a person familiar with
pressed with the manufacturer’s recent profita- ence. The target would put the company being involved in management as chairman, the matter.
bility and stock-market performance, going as slightly ahead of its forecast. founder and largest shareholder, a spokes-
far as to say the world’s top maker of mini man for Kyoto-based Nidec said. Before Seki, another former Nissan employ-
motors is facing its biggest-ever business crisis. Nagamori, who has built up a reputation ee, Hiroyuki Yoshimoto, was promoted to
over the years as a tough and demanding The founder’s recent comments highlight a Nidec president in 2018. Two years later he
Nagamori, 77, recently told his senior man- leader, warned that if this objective it not level of uncertainty regarding Nidec’s post-Na- was demoted to vice-president and left the
agers that they need to do more to boost achieved, faith in the company’s new man- gamori future. During his days as CEO, company shortly after.
Nidec’s business performance and share agement will crumble. Nagamori was regarded as one of Japan’s best
price, a person familiar with the matter said. deal-makers. Nidec is facing the same challenges as its
He said he would do whatever it takes to peers – with rising material prices, chip short-
Nagamori is known to regularly send such support the CEO, Jun Seki, in achieving the Analysts had warned before he stepped ages and Covid-induced supply chain snarls
messages to employees of the company he goal. down that if the transition of power wasn’t hammering the manufacturing industry.
founded in a shack in 1973. smooth, Nidec could lose its “Nagamori pre-
Almost half a century after founding Nidec, mium.” After Seki handled Nidec’s last earnings
Nagamori told them to aim for operating Nagamori, who remains chairman, handed announcement in July, Nagamori said he
profit of at least 95 billion yen (US$863mil or over leadership to the former Nissan Motor The former boss has always maintained would skip attending the company’s next
RM3.5bil) in the first half of the fiscal year Co executive earlier this year and tasked him extraordinarily high standards for his compa- briefing, slated for Oct 26. Now he’s planning
ending March, an increase of 37% from the with leading the company’s ambitious pivot ny – and his successors. Nagamori had set a to attend. — Bloomberg
goal for Nidec to become Japan’s fifth largest

Japan stocks rise Heytea taps UBS
for US$500mil
nikkei 225 set for highest close since 1990 Hong Kong IPO

JAPAN On an uptrend: pedestrians stand in front of a stock indicator displaying the nikkei 225 SHENZHEN: Heytea, the Chinese teahouse
TOKYO: Japanese stocks advanced for a third stock average numbers in tokyo. Japan has been the world’s best-performing major stock chain, has tapped UBS Group AG for its poten-
day, lifting the Nikkei 225 Stock Average market over the past two weeks. — aFp tial Hong Kong initial public offering (IPO) as
toward levels last seen during the nation’s soon as next year, according to people famil-
bubble economy more than three decades On Monday, the government reported that Marko Kolanovic advise adding to Japanese iar with the matter.
ago. 50.9% of the population has received two stocks.
doses of the Covid-19 vaccine. The company, which is famous for its
Fanuc Corp and KDDI Corp were the larg- The resignation of Prime Minister Yoshihide cheese-foam teas, could raise at least
est contributors to a gain of as much as 1.1% “Japan’s vaccination rate has topped 50% Suga paves the way for a stable ruling party, a US$500mil (RM2bil) in an IPO, the people
in the Nikkei 225 during morning trading in and is on a similar level to that of the United scenario that the firm says has historically said, asking not to be identified as the infor-
Tokyo. States,” he said. produced better equity returns, they wrote in mation isn’t public.
a client note.
The blue-chip gauge rose to as high as “Japanese equities had been showing unsta- Plans are still preliminary and other banks
30,795.78, surpassing this year’s previous ble performance relative to US and European Taro Kono, a popular candidate among for- that have had discussions with Heytea could
peak in February, before paring much of equities because of political uncertainties and eign investors, is the favorite among the pub- be added to the lineup, the people said.
those gains. a delayed vaccination process but with the lic to replace Suga as the leader of the ruling
two factors having been resolved, investors’ party, according to a poll by Nikkei and TV Details of the potential IPO such as size and
Electronics makers gave the biggest boost moves to unwind their previous positions will Tokyo. timing could still change, the people said.
to the broader Topix, which advanced as continue.”
much as 0.9%. Foreign investors bought a net 662.7 billion A Heytea representative said they don’t
The Nikkei 225 is now up about 12% for yen (US$6bil or RM25bil) worth of Japanese have any IPO plans at this moment, and
Japan has been the world’s best-perform- the year, with the Topix up 17%. That com- equities and futures in the week through Sept declined to comment on whether they are
ing major stock market over the past two pares with a 19% gain for the S&P 500 Index 3, the day news unexpectedly broke that Suga considering a listing. A representative for UBS
weeks amid hopes for new leadership, an and 17% advance for the Stoxx Europe 600 would not seek for another term as Liberal declined to comment.
acceleration of vaccinations and a reshuffle Index. Democratic Party leader. It was the most in a
in the Nikkei 225 to include heavyweights single week since February. — Bloomberg Several of China’s teahouses are eyeing
Nintendo Co, Keyence Corp and Murata JPMorgan Chase & Co strategists led by IPOs in Hong Kong next year after bubble tea
Manufacturing Co. chain Nayuki Holdings Ltd raised US$654mil
(RM2.7bil) in a June share sale.
Crucially, foreign money is returning, with
JPMorgan, Baillie Gifford and BNP Paribas The candidates include Mixue Bingcheng
Asset Management among investors who say Co, which makes ice cream and tea, fruit tea
they’re becoming more positive on Japan. chain ChaBaiDao, milk tea chain Gu Ming and
brown sugar milk tea chain Lelecha,
“Global allocations to Japanese equities Bloomberg News has reported.
remain limited, suggesting room for inves-
tors to add exposure,” Goldman Sachs strate- Shenzhen-based Heytea, formally called
gists including Christian Mueller-Glissmann Shenzhen Meixixi Catering Management Co,
wrote in a note. started in 2012 in Guangdong province,
according to its website.
“The rebound in Japanese equities comes
after a prolonged underperformance versus Its original recipe is a combination of salt,
the S&P 500 and other major indices since cheese and tea, but it also makes fruit teas.
the second quarter.”
The chain, which operates all its own stores
Hideyuki Ishiguro, a strategist at Nomura and does not use a franchise model, has
Asset Management Co in Tokyo, said Japan’s expanded across China and also has locations
progress against the pandemic has been sup- in Singapore.
portive for the market.
Heytea has attracted backers including
IDG Capital, Sequoia Capital China and
Hillhouse.

The company was valued at more than 60
billion yuan (US$9.3bil or RM38.5bil) after its
latest funding round, Bloomberg News report-
ed in July. — Bloomberg

China likely suffered another economic slowdown last month

BEIJING: China’s economy likely slowed fur- The ongoing regulatory crackdown on sectors cooled property investment further. Authorities
ther in August, with data on consumption, like education, the Internet and property may haven’t stepped in to open the credit taps to
industrial output and investment due today have exacerbated the recent weakness. support real-estate demand and construction,
to reveal the extent of the damage caused by and there’s no indication yet that will change,
an outbreak of the Delta variant. mance, here’s a guide to what to watch for in private gauges pointing to the first contraction with the government aiming to make housing
the data: since early 2020. more affordable as part of efforts to reduce
The extent of the slowdown will be closely inequality.
watched for sign that it’s serious enough to > Consumption Although China now has the outbreak under
prompt authorities to change their current Consumption took the hardest hit in August control and has relaxed most restrictions, the Home sales in the four first-tier cities
stance of slowly withdrawing liquidity from as the Covid-19 Delta variant spread across impact on consumer spending will likely linger declined 16% in August from a year ago,
markets and keeping stimulus limited. The China, forcing the closure of tourist spots and and the incomes of service providers will take according to Bloomberg calculations based on
ongoing regulatory crackdown on sectors like some cities during the summer holidays. a long time to recover. weekly data.
education, the Internet and property may have However even before those outbreaks, China’s
exacerbated the recent economic weakness. consumption rebound was not solid. > Property > Infrastructure
Indicators of the services industry painted a Government measures to curb soaring China used to rely on debt-fuelled construc-
Today’s data will likely show China’s recov- bleak picture for August, with both official and house prices and also the worsening situation tion to boost growth, but infrastructure invest-
ery remains uneven. Strong global demand led at China’s largest property developer likely ment has disappointed this year, even as the
to record exports in August but domestic con- slowdown has sparked hopes for more govern-
sumers turned cautious as lockdowns and fear ment action. In July, spending on roads and
kept many at home, meaning the industrial other infrastructure shrank the most since
sector is expected to have fared better than the pandemic last February, dragged down by
retail sales. the slow pace of borrowing by local govern-
ments. — Bloomberg
To better gauge China’s economic perfor-

STARBIZ, Wednesday 15 september 2021 Foreign News 11

CHINA Embracing hydrogen
SHANGHAI: With China’s carbon neutrality power production
pledge further elevating hydrogen’s strategic
position in the country, companies are show- bid to boost demand for zero-carbon fuels working
ing more enthusiasm than ever, actively
involving themselves in hydrogen power pro- rochemical producer, also aims to become the Changing trend: Hydrogen power was first written into
duction, storage, refuelling and related busi- country’s top hydrogen company by 2025 and In this file photo, a China’s Government Work Report in 2019,
nesses. achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, petroChina gas which stated that the government will pro-
ten years ahead of the national target. station attendant mote the construction of charging and hydro-
While more than one-third of centrally in beijing is seen gen refueling facilities.
administered state-owned enterprises are Wang Xiaoting, an analyst with returning the noz-
gearing up to tap China’s hydrogen power BloombergNEF, believes China is likely to zle at the pumps. It was followed by a General Office of the
development, at least 23 provinces nation- become a major market for hydrogen and as climate change State Council document last year that called
wide have also announced hydrogen plans by Sinopec has the most ambitious target among impacts lives, for stepped-up efforts in research and devel-
August, according to figures released by the three national oil giants. hydrogen energy opment of technologies related to hydrogen
BloombergNEF. is expected to storage, refuelling, cost reduction and securi-
“In China, large firms are investing in play a vital role in ty.
Many of them have set transport as their hydrogen to demonstrate alignment with the the transition to
main downstream focus, with companies government’s carbon neutrality target and carbon-free socie- By the end of 2020, China had 128 hydrogen
such as China Petroleum and Chemical Corp, government funding is also on the rise,” ties in China. ― refuelling stations and more than 7,000
or Sinopec, China National Petroleum Corp Wang said. aFp hydrogen vehicles on its roads, said the
and State Power Investment Corp Ltd all com- Hydrogen Council, a global initiative of lead-
ing up with detailed plans for developing Sinopec is the largest producer of gray trolysers being shipped globally last year, she ing energy, transport and industrial compa-
hydrogen refueling stations and hydro- hydrogen in the country today and plans to said. nies.
gen-powered transportation, it said. commission 510 megawatts (MW) of green
hydrogen production capacity in 2022 based According to the Hydrogen Industrial Experts believe it is time to tap into hydro-
As the first national oil and gas (O&G) com- on two projects in Inner Mongolia and Technology Innovation Alliance of China, the gen’s potential, including in long-haul trans-
pany to look at green hydrogen for industrial Xinjiang, compared with only 200MW of elec- country’s hydrogen energy industry output port and the production of chemicals, iron
use, Sinopec – banking on Beijing’s environ- value will reach one trillion yuan (US$150bil and steel, to allow it to play a key role in
mental policies to boost demand for zero-car- or RM623bil) by 2025, while demand for China’s clean and safe energy mix.
bon fuels and the equipment and facilities hydrogen will approach 60 million tonnes by
needed to produce them – has been paving 2050. Luo Zuoxian, head of intelligence and
the way for China’s hydrogen strategy. research at the Sinopec Economics and
The alliance expects hydrogen will account Development Research Institute, believes the
It has invested in two of the world’s largest for more than 10% of the country’s terminal government will come up with a more
green hydrogen projects in Ordos, the Inner energy mix and become a new growth pillar detailed hydrogen energy industry develop-
Mongolia autonomous region and the of the economy, with annual output value of ment plan that covers hydrogen production,
Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, each the industrial chain exceeding trillions of transportation and consumption.
with an annual output capacity of 10,000 yuan by 2050 as policies and projects around
tonnes. the world involving the clean fuel have been As climate change impacts our lives more
expanding rapidly since 2018. than ever, hydrogen energy – a light, storable
The plant in Ordos is expected to be com- and transportable gas which produces no
pleted by next year, and will supply hydrogen The Chinese government has rolled out a emissions when made with renewable ener-
to a coal-to-chemicals plant there run by series of measures to boost the industry’s gy – is expected to play a vital role in the
Zhongtian Hechuang Energy. The one in development in recent years. transition to carbon-free societies, Luo said.
Xinjiang will supply Sinopec’s local oil refin-
ery. JH Investment also expects the sector will
receive heavy policy support in the long run
“China’s national O&G companies have all as it believes hydrogen power is one of the
announced their own net-zero targets follow- ultimate solutions to achieve net-zero emis-
ing the nation’s pledge, pursuing hydrogen sions.
use in transport as a hedge against future
drops in petrol-based fuel sales,” said Cao Many private firms are also actively involv-
Lujia, an analyst with BloombergNEF. ing themselves in the clean energy resource,
showing interest in hydrogen transport and
“While China National Petroleum Corp is industry as well as seeking new opportunities
eyeing the development of a low-cost hydro- as integrated energy suppliers.
gen value chain and to build hydrogen refue-
ling stations in anticipation of a drop in petrol Companies like Foran Energy and ENN
demand from road transport, Sinopec – with Energy have early-stage projects for blending
the largest downstream market presence in hydrogen into gas grids. ― China Daily/ANN
the country – has the most ambitious hydro-
gen plans in place, and hydrogen for the
transport sector will likely be its top priority,”
Cao said.

Sinopec, China’s largest oil refiner and pet-

Evergrande hires advisers to resolve cash crisis Rules for
banks under
HONG KONG: China Evergrande Group said “It looks like they are working on debt Asean accord
it has hired financial advisers (FAs) to explore restructuring after no concrete results on asset
“all feasible solutions” to ease its cash crunch, disposals, and the first task is to stabilise the BANGKOK: Malaysian banks seeking to oper-
warning there was no guarantee the compa- holders of wealth management products ate in Thailand under a regional accord can
ny will meet its financial obligations. which could be a social issue. The developer is open as many as 40 branches and should
working on rescheduling all onshore debt.” have at least 15 billion baht (US$455mil or
The firm has engaged Houlihan Lokey and RM1.89bil) in capital, according to rules
Admiralty Harbour Capital as joint FAs to daniel Fan unveiled yesterday.
assess the firm’s capital structure, Evergrande
said in a filing to the Hong Kong stock Fan, a credit analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. adding it was in talks with issuers and inves- Lenders must submit their applications to
exchange yesterday. “It seems the developer is working on tors on a repayment arrangement. the Bank of Thailand (BoT) to become a qual-
ified Association of South-East Asian Nations
The company said if it were unable to rescheduling pretty much all onshore debt, Evergrande expects “significant continuing (Asean) bank or QAB, Thailand’s Ministry of
repay debts on time or get creditors to agree and the next step is to do the same for off- decline” in contract sales in September, Finance said in rules notified in the Royal
to extensions or alternative arrangements, it shore investors.” resulting in “continuous deterioration” of Gazette. They will also have to secure approv-
may lead to cross-default. cash collection, according to the statement. als from the central banks in both the jurisdic-
Houlihan Lokey has one of the largest That will place “tremendous pressure” on the tions, and the Thai finance minister.
The company has also failed to make “mate- financial restructuring operations globally, group’s cashflow and liquidity, it said.
rial progress” on the sale of stakes in China having advised on some 1,400 cases with Similarly, Thai banks seeking to operate in
Evergrande New Energy Vehicle Group Ltd more than US$3 trillion (RM12.45 trillion) in In a statement late Monday, Evergrande Malaysia as QABs can indicate their interests,
and Evergrande Property Services Group Ltd, debt claims since 1988, according to its web- said rumours that it will go bankrupt are not according to a joint statement by the BoT and
while the sale of its office building in Hong site. true. While the developer is facing unprece- Bank Negara yesterday. The designated banks
Kong hasn’t been completed within the dented difficulties, it is firmly fulfilling its are meant to facilitate greater intra-Asean
expected timetable, it said. Its largest case by assets was Lehman responsibilities and is doing everything pos- trade and investment for the creation of an
Brothers Holdings Inc. sible to restore normal operations and pro- integrated and highly cohesive regional econ-
Evergrande is facing mounting protests by tect the legitimate rights and interests of omy, the regulators said.
homebuyers, retail investors and even its Two units failed to discharge their guaran- customers, according to the statement on its
own employees as the indebted developer tee obligations on time for wealth manage- website. ― Bloomberg The bilateral agreement is seen as a key
struggles to meet its obligations. Police ment products worth 934 million yuan step in boosting market access among mem-
descended on Evergrande’s Shenzhen head- (US$145mil or RM602mil), the company said, bers of Asean under an accord signed in 2015.
quarters late Monday after dozens of people The designation of QAB will allow lenders to
gathered to demand repayments on overdue expand network and services in the region as
wealth management products. Protesters the bloc speeds up the opening of its financial
numbered in the hundreds on Sunday, Caixin services industry. Thailand is in discussions
reported. with Indonesia, the Philippines and Myanmar
on similar pacts. ― Bloomberg
“It looks like they are working on debt
restructuring after no concrete results on
asset disposals, and the first task is to stabilise
the holders of wealth management products
which could be a social issue,” said Daniel

12 Foreign News STARBIZ, Wednesday 15 september 2021

Price of commodities surge
booming demand from global economic recovery a major factor

NEW YORK: Commodities have surged to a Price surge: a ship carrying bauxite from Guinea is unloaded at a port in shandong prov- tenance, while supplies remain constrained
10-year high amid rising costs for goods the ince, China. a coup in Guinea has sent aluminium prices to a 13-year high. — reuters from Russia.
world relies on for construction, manufactur-
ing and keeping on the lights. copper to remain historically high. excessive, and although aluminum is over- Benchmark European gas futures more
Yet the economic bellwether has been over- bought from a technical perspective, there is than tripled this year to a record in the
Materials from aluminium to steel have no sign as yet of any trend reversal,” Netherlands, and German power prices have
seen renewed rallies and European gas and shadowed lately as China’s move to curb Commerzbank AG said. notched all-time highs.
power have hit fresh records. A gauge of spot metals production to reduce pollution and a
commodities prices jumped to the highest coup in key bauxite supplier Guinea sent alu- With about a month before the heating A rally in the carbon market has also made
level since May 2011. minium to a 13-year high of US$3,000 season starts, Europe’s gas stockpiles are it more expensive to generate electricity.
(RM12,447) a tonne. already at the lowest in more than a decade
That’s threatening faster inflation, increas- for this time of year, pushing up the cost of Not all commodities are doing so well. Iron
ing consumer costs and putting pressure on China’s emissions clampdown has also producing electricity. ore futures in Singapore are down about 45%
central banks to curb the massive stimulus seen nickel hit the highest since 2014 and from a peak set in May as China’s steel restric-
measures behind much of the raw-materials pushed local steel prices higher. The region is struggling to boost supplies tions crimped demand expectations.
advance. with flows from Norway limited due to main-
“Although we view the current prices as In agriculture, crop futures eased in recent
Booming demand from the economic months amid better harvest prospects, even
recovery has combined with supply woes – as a measure of world food prices held near a
from China’s emissions crackdown that’s cut- decade-high.
ting metals output to scant European gas
reserves – to tighten markets. Oil prices have been relatively stable this
month, too. After jumping 10% in the final
At the same time, the cost of shipping those week of August as Hurricane Ida tore across
goods is rising. With a growing scarcity across the Gulf of Mexico, crude has held near US$70
physical markets, Goldman Sachs Group Inc (RM290) a barrel in New York for most of
sees prices climbing further in the coming September.
year.
While the storm caused an unusual bullish
“Physical goods demand has reached such shock by keeping a large amount of United
high levels – above pre-pandemic trends in all States oil production offline for two weeks,
but oil – that the system is becoming increas- that’s been offset by concerns about the
ingly constrained in its ability to supply these impact on demand from the fast-spreading
goods,” Goldman analysts including Jeff Delta variant of Covid-19, with China seeing
Currie said in a note on Monday. another flare-up.

“Markets are becoming increasingly Even so, there are signs that high commod-
exposed to any type of supply disruption or ity prices are further feeding through to con-
unexpected demand increase.” sumers. Data last week showed China’s facto-
ry-gate inflation accelerated to a 13-year high,
Massive global stimulus measures are while prices paid to US producers increased
keeping metals demand strong and helping more than forecast. — Bloomberg

RBA optimistic on economy, but rates to stay low BHP handing
small clean-up
SYDNEY: Australia’s top central banker said “We expect the economy to be growing tab to Woodside
yesterday coronavirus lockdowns would again in the December quarter, with the
cause a sharp contraction in the economy this recovery continuing into 2022.” MELBOURNE: BHP Group will transfer a
quarter but was confident activity would smaller-than-expected US$3.9bil (RM16bil) in
rebound quickly once restrictions were eased philip Lowe oil and gas decommissioning liabilities to
in the December quarter. Woodside when it merges its petroleum busi-
across Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra Much of this optimism was due to a rapid pick ness with the independent Australian gas
In a speech, Reserve Bank of Australia would likely see the economy contract by at up in vaccinations which should allow restric- producer.
(RBA) governor Philip Lowe also reiterated least 2% in the September quarter, and possi- tions to be eased in the December quarter.
that interest rates were not expected to rise bly by significantly more. Woodside’s shares jumped 6.5% after the
from record lows until 2024 given the persis- Meanwhile, core inflation has been under figure was disclosed in BHP’s annual report
tently sluggish growth of wages. Unemployment was also expected to reach the RBA’s 2-3% target band for the past five yesterday, outperforming gains of around 4%
the “high fives” for a short period, he said. years and policy makers want to be certain it among its peers.
Indeed, Lowe took issue with market pric- The jobless rate stood at 4.6% in July. is sustainably back in the band before tight-
ing for rate hikes in late 2022 and 2023. ening. “The long awaited BHPP (BHP Petroleum)
“This is a major setback, but it is likely to be abandonment provision number has been
“These expectations are difficult to recon- only temporary,” said Lowe. Lowe said that would require wages released, coming in below what we feared it
cile with the picture I just outlined and I find growth above 3%, from the current 1.7% could be,” Credit Suisse analyst Saul Kavonic
it difficult to understand why rate rises are “We expect the economy to be growing pace, which would likely take until 2024. — said in a note.
being priced in next year or early 2023,” Lowe again in the December quarter, with the Reuters
said after noting the considerable inertia in recovery continuing into 2022.” BHP said in its annual report that as of June
wages in Australia. 2021, its petroleum assets included “property
plant and equipment and closure and rehabil-
“While policy rates might be increased in itation provisions of approximately US$11.9bil
other countries over this timeframe, our (RM49bil) and US$3.9bil (RM16bil).”
wage and inflation experience is quite differ-
ent.” When the merger was announced in
August, investors had raised concerns as
Lowe acknowledged that the lockdowns Woodside declined to reveal the rehabilitation
liabilities that were assumed in setting the
BoA’s next CFO assures investors on risk profile deal terms with BHP’s petroleum business to
create a global top-10 independent oil and gas
NORTH CAROLINA: For anyone wondering “We’re pretty comfortable with our flak from some investors for being too company.
whether Bank of America Corp (BoA) would strategy,” Borthwick said Monday at a conservative in the wake of big losses on
shift its risk-averse tone after its recent conference sponsored by Barclays Plc. dealings tied to South African furniture The oil and gas rehabilitation provisions,
shakeup in leadership, the answer is proba- retailer Steinhoff International Holdings which are estimates of the cost of removing
bly not at all. “It is possible we could grow faster if NV. platforms and pipelines and cleaning up sites
we change our risk appetite,” he said, but at the end of their lives, make up about one-
At his first public appearance after being “none of us are interested in that.” The investment-banking division got a third of BHP’s total closure and rehabilitation
named the company’s next chief financial “a little too careful,” Moynihan said at the provisions of US$11.9bil (RM49bil) for all its
officer on Friday, Alastair Borthwick said BoA’s Chief executive officer Brian Moynihan end of 2018, but the bank has never assets.
longtime mantra of “responsible growth” would often repeats the phrase “responsible wavered from the strategy of keeping a
be his guiding principle as well. growth” during the company’s earnings tight lid on risk. — Bloomberg Kavonic said he had assumed Woodside
conference calls, even after the firm took might inherit as much as US$5bil (RM20.7bil) to
USS$7bil (RM29bil) in decommissioning liabili-
Businesses around the world struggling to hire ties in the merger with BHP’s petroleum arm,
which comprises assets in Australia, the Gulf of
WISCONSIN: Businesses around the world Businesses across all surveyed countries training and skills development to attract and Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, and Algeria.
want to hire but face a similar dilemma: reported stronger hiring outlooks for the end retain talent. A similar share reported offer-
attracting workers. of this year compared to the final three ing flexible work schedules. Nearly a third Citi had estimated BHP’s decommissioning
months of 2020. increased wages. Others offered signing liabilities in Australia’s Bass Strait alone at
A survey of nearly 45,000 employers across bonuses and more vacation time. US$3.4bil (RM14bil).
43 countries showed 69% of employers “Continued talent shortages mean many
reported difficulty filling roles, a 15-year high, businesses are prioritising retaining and The incentives differ by industry, with Once tax offsets are taken into account, the
according to employment-services provider training workers with the skills they need to financial service companies most likely to actual decommissioning cost may be below
ManpowerGroup Inc. At the same time, 15 succeed as the economic recovery continues,” offer training and development and flexible US$1bil (RM4.15bil), Kavonic said, adding that
countries – focused in Europe and North Jonas Prising, chief executive officer of work locations while manufacturers often those costs could be deferred through reusing
America – reported their highest hiring inten- ManpowerGroup, said in a statement. raised pay or offered more flexible schedules. sites for activities such as carbon capture and
tions since the survey began in 1962. — Bloomberg storage or offshore wind in the future. —
About 40% of respondents said they offer Reuters

THE STAR, WEdnESdAy 15 SEpTEmbER 2021 Advertising: (03)7966 8388 Customer Service: 1300-88-7827
[email protected] Content: (03) 7967 1290

Business has been challenging for fine
jewellery brands but those able to adapt
to the uncertainties and leverage on the
demand for affordable luxury have been
able to keep the shine on.

by nASA mARIA EnTAbAn decided to go ahead with their photo: The Straits Finery
[email protected] plans, albeit on a smaller scale.
With no events, weddings or cel-
ebrations to attend, dressing up “however we did see a good
isn’t at the forefront of anyone’s number of customers who chose
mind at the moment. to proceed with ring purchase or
alter the wedding plans to a small-
A big part of putting a look er scale for a more intimate wed-
together, whether it’s for a low- ding celebration,” says Low.
key tea party or a swanky soiree,
is accessorising, and with the pan- Founders of the Straits Finery
demic keeping people at home for Amira Yahaya and Foo Chia Chern
months on end with many cutting said the difficult part of running
back on spending, buying jewel- the business during the pandemic
lery has taken a back seat. While was staying positive.
revenue was affected by the pan-
demic, the silver lining is that this “the hardest thing is to remain
has brought on innovation creative and stay motivated in the
through digital adoption and various rounds of lockdowns we
changing consumer priorities. have been going through. it’s been
Despite the challenges, fine jewel- a trying time for everyone emo-
lery brands have been able to tionally and many of our plans
navigate the current landscape, had to be put on hold. the mental
and are emerging stronger. load has sometimes made it chal-
lenging to get into a headspace
Ethon Low, founder of tailored that will allow for creativity,”
Jewel, a brand that caters primari- expresses Amira.
ly to the wedding industry, says
that the brand was affected by the Many moving parts were
pandemic. beyond their control, according to
Foo.
“Due to our unique approach in
selling, our market is primarily “For example, our production
within the wedding industry, for partners in ho Chi Minh City were
clients between the age of 21 to 35 on lockdown due to surges in
years old,” says Low. “the pan- cases in Vietnam which heavily
demic has definitely affected the impacted our production sched-
wedding industry as many pro- ule,” explains Foo. “But at the end
posals and weddings plans are of the day, what matters most is
postponed or put on hold.” that our partners and their
employees remain safe and
Despite this, several customers healthy.”

> TuRn To pAgE 3

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY Enquiries
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[email protected] Daryl Goh [email protected] Gordon Kho Editor [email protected] Abirami Durai [email protected]
[email protected] [email protected] S. Indramalar [email protected]
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CarSifu Wong Li Za
[email protected] Belinda Lim
Editor [email protected]
Hong Boon How
[email protected] @StarLifestyleMy
@StarLifestyleMY

2 Style STARLIFESTYLE, Wednesday 15 september 2021

VANITY FAIR Get glowing

aPnrdonteocutrish Looking for a body lotion that does
more than hydrate your skin? The
For Vanity Fare this week, we newest Supergoop Glowscreen Body
look at skincare and makeup SPF40 is a multitasker that will give
with sun protection and healing your skin a subtle shimmer, offer pro-
properties for your skin. tection from UV rays and moisturise
your skin at the same time. This subtly
All in one shimmery body lotion with SPF40
helps give skin an all-over healthy
To keep your skin looking its best, the Dr Jart+ Cicapair Re-Cover SPF40/ glow. Suitable for all skin types, this
PA++ not only covers blemishes and neutralises redness, it also provides whipped airy lotion gives the body a
a SPF40 protection from UV light, and keeps a healthy appearance of warm, soft glow and has broad spec-
skin. trum protection. This body lotion is
fast-absorbing and water- and
This cream – suitable for combina- sweat-resistant, and it is formulated
tion, dry, normal and oily skin – will with light-reflecting minerals and
change from green-to-beige to correct nourishing emollients for hydration,
any redness and even out your skin so skin looks luminous.
tone, and protects skin from (UV light
and) environmental aggressors. Comfortable coverage

Its key ingredient of Centella asiati- You can now achieve long-lasting, comfortable
ca extract soothes skin irritated by and flawless coverage all day long with
external irritation and improves dam- Sulwhasoo’s reformulation of the Perfecting
aged skin barrier. It is also formulated Cushion SPF50+/PA+++ along with the makeup
with resurrection plant, houttuynia primer, Perfecting Veil Base. essential especial-
cordata and yarrow which restores ly during this pandemic season, they are also
skin barrier, while sodium, potassium, verified to be transfer-proof and will not stain
calcium and magnesium helps your face masks.
improve the skin’s moisture levels.
Its Skincare hybrid Formula is made up of
three ingredients: JAUM Activator (restores bal-
ance to skin and activates skin’s youth energy),
Nano emulsion (softens rough skin texture and
adds radiance) and Breathable Powder (breath-
able powder inspired by Korean hanji paper).
The Perfecting Cushion – which is available in
five shades – comes with a re-shaped puff to fit
angles around the eyes, nose and lip area for
better application.

Cool cat Dewy, clear skin

Prolonged mask use especially under hot and humid For radiant, healthy looking skin, the innisfree Jeju Cherry
weather may cause dry and chapped lips. To help Blossom Tone-up Cream SPF30 PA++ lets you enjoy an
repair and moisturise your lips, Mentholatum’s new instant tone-up effect and a dewy complexion. This light-
Therapy Lip Balm limited edition Kitty Cat Design SFP15 weight cream with SPF protection provides a natural finish
now comes with a Limited edition Kitty Cat packaging without leaving any white cast – an ideal base makeup
design. alternative.

It contains eucalyptus globulus leaf oil and Pinus syl- It contains Jeju cherry blossom leaf extract and niacina-
vestris leaf oil which have effective antiseptic and mide for a brightening effect while natural betaine ingredi-
anti-inflammatory treatment properties, and camphor ent keeps the skin moisturised and bright. With regular
for healing of dry, chapped and windburned lips. use, these ingredients work together to even your skin tone
Lanolin, a key moisturising ingredient, functions as an over time, giving you clearer, radiant skin.
emollient to soothe and moisturise the lips.
For those with dry skin, mix this product with the innis-
In addition, this lip balm also offers a fresh cooling free Jeju Cherry Blossom Jelly Cream for extra hydration
sensation as you glide it over your lips. While it offers and glowing effect.
SPF15 UV protection, it can also be used to keep your
lips moisturised when you are going to bed with the
air-condition on.

An elixir of youth in a plant

SheLL ginger – also known as in southwestern Japan, famed for of herbal tea, but it is also found Increasingly used in the cosmetics industry, shell ginger has anti-
Alpinia zerumbet – is usually pre- its inhabitants’ long life expectan- in some traditional dishes, as ageing properties. — aFp
sented as a plant straight from cy and its large number of cente- well as in waters and beauty oils
Japan that is said to increase life narians. This is due to a healthy that, according to the women of used by Cinq Mondes which offers including the “Ko Bi Do” ritual, a
expectancy. The ingredient, which diet, genetic factors, as well as the the archipelago, help combat a specific range with “Géto kind of natural ancestral facelift
is used in many traditional dishes consumption of... getto. wrinkles. It is therefore not sur- Suprême Le Contour Yeux et that also comes straight from
and drinks, is now being used in prising to learn that brands are Lèvres” and “Géto Suprême La Japan. Brands like Kanebo and
the cosmetics industry, particular- There has been such interest in now offering getto-based cos- Crème”. These two products are Shiseido have also been known to
ly for its anti-ageing properties. shell ginger that Shinkichi metics to fight against the signs used for some of the treatments use the plant in certain formula-
Tawada, a professor of agronomy of ageing. offered in Cinq Mondes spas, tions. – AFP Relaxnews
In their ongoing quest for new at the University of the Ryukyus
anti-ageing actives, cosmetic in Nishihara, Okinawa, has been From the leaves to the roots,
brands may have uncovered a studying this plant from the gin- everything can be used in the
miracle ingredient, albeit one ger family for no less than 20 shell ginger plant. And the plant
used for centuries by the years. Alongside other research- is known to be full of resvera-
Japanese. The Alpinia zerumbet ers, he gave shell ginger to one trol, which is also found in
plant, which has a multitude of group of demotodes, a species of grapes and is full of anti-
nicknames (“shell ginger”, “shell worm whose life expectancy is oxidants that help slow down
flower”, and in Japanese getto), is estimated to be about a month, skin ageing. Cosmetics formulat-
said to have anti-ageing virtues while a second group consumed ed with shell ginger are largely
not only when eaten, but also none. As a result, the scientists promoted as rejuvenating treat-
when applied to the skin. observed a 22.6% increase in the ments.
life span of the first group com-
So what is it? pared to the second. The Bijin brand has made getto
one of its signature ingredients,
Shell ginger is a plant with What can it do for the skin? which can be found in several of
large green leaves, white flowers its products such as the
and red berries, which can be On the island of Okinawa, shell “Rejuvenating Getto Body Balm”
found on the island of Okinawa, ginger is consumed in the form and the “Youthful Face
Concentrate”. But the plant is also

STARLIFESTYLE, Wednesday 15 september 2021 Style 3

photo: myJn
myJn the straits Finery

> FRom carat and above, money-back guarantees less steel pieces for tailored
pAgE 1 and free ring resizing within 12 months. two years and bring Jewel
them in for repairs,
MYJN co-found- Amira and Foo were just in the midst of and we are happy to
ers Tan May Juin incorporating more people and plan- help if we can,” says
and Ooi Jun Wen et-friendly elements into their brand when Tan. “We notice that the
had to reassign their the pandemic hit, and wanted to stay true to pieces are still in perfect
staff to take on various this path. condition, including its
extra tasks as they tried coating.”
to carry out their business “Instead of heavy discounting in order to Among The Straits Finery
with a smaller number of maintain a steady flow of sales, we found a customers, the founders are
workers. way to still be able to keep the business run- seeing a movement towards
ning yet make small changes that hopefully slow fashion, mindful purchasing
“For example, Jun had to have a more lasting impact,” said Amira. and an appreciation of the brand’s
work in customer support, as a story.
fulfilling crew, content creator, “We took the approach of helping our cus- “Our approach fits seamlessly into
as well as handle advertising, pro- tomers make more mindful decisions, by this ethos with practical everyday piec-
duction, quality and control,” says keeping the conversation going with them. es that can be passed down generations,
Tan. With every purchase we allow our custom- thus extending beyond any trend and
ers to have a change of heart and we have a era,” says Amira.
“Throughout all the movement con- returns policy for local purchases. If they are Foo notes that their minimalist pieces are
trol orders, the workload was so heavy not happy with their choice, or picked the popular among customers, who appreciate
for us, we found ourselves working until wrong size ring, we have a drop-off centre the versatility of their designs as they can be
2am every day, including replying to que- for returns to offer convenience and a con- stacked and layered.
ries from our customers,” she adds. tactless way to do exchanges to keep every- “This element of freedom to be creative
one safe.” with accessories is what our customers love
Adapting to the situation as they can feel like the designer of their own
“We are also aware that so many of us are style,” says Foo. “We aspire to create jewellery
Much like most businesses affected by the apart from our loved ones,” she continued. that can be a thoughtful part of the every day;
pandemic, jewellers have been forced to “So we thought of how we can help our cus- to inspire every woman to have a little spar-
rethink their business approach and strate- tomers send gifts of love to those far apart kle and creativity in her life. With ease and
gy. from them. We offer free gift wrapping ser- authenticity at the core of our design phi-
vices and help to include personalised notes losophy, the clean designs fit seamlessly
The acts of browsing through racks and on our custom stationery to your loved ones. into the personal style of every
shelves in a physical store and trying on To us, it’s all about the personal touch and woman,” she adds.
accessories had to somehow creating meaningful gifting moments for our Tailored Jewel, which
be replicated as an online customers.” manufactures made-to-or-
experience, or replaced with der pieces, uses materials
something else altogether, Current trends that are sourced and hand-
pushing brands into brain- picked directly from reliable
storming different ways to Today’s jewellery customers are more dis- suppliers around the
connect with customers digi- cerning, and lean towards personalisation world.
tally. and slow fashion when shopping. “Customers today are
big on injecting personali-
“For us, we are an MYJN, who make vermeil and stainless ty into their pieces as social
omni-channel business and steel jewellery, discontinue every collection media has made it more acces-
are well equipped on both after 100 units are sold as they only manu- sible for them to find inspiration and ideas,”
physical store and online facture small batches of their products. opines Low. “With the personalisation factor
channel hence we are able as well, couples are able to truly feel the sense
adapt to these changes as They subscribe to a “less is just enough” of belonging and that the rings are cus-
quick as possible to suit the philosophy, releasing their collections in lim- tom-made for them exclusively.
new norm,” explains Low. ited-run batches which mean they are made “Customers these days are also more
with higher production standards. receptive to boutique-style jewellers who
“We want to ensure all our customers that are able to provide the same level of quali-
purchases and services can still be done vir- “We have customers who wear their stain- ty without the hefty price tag. We are
tually and hassle-free regardless of any situa- always innovating and moving with the
tion during these unprecedented times.” trends in order to cater to the current
needs of society, and we do customisation
Two screens are set up to showcase rings services as well should a customer wish to
from two angles: close-up and 360 degrees, have a ring design of their own.”
and a hand model is present to show cus- He notes that the majority of their cus-
tomers how the rings look while worn. tomers prefer designs that are simple, yet
timeless and nothing too over the top.
At The Straits Finery, that has always been Currently, they are focusing on their
an online business, there wasn’t that much Everyday Jewellery and Gifting collections.
to adapt to, however social distancing meas- “We want to inject new life and modern
ures needed to be implemented. interpretations into traditionally-perceived
pieces like pearls or gemstones. Our goal is to
“Only one person is in charge of any pack- combine refined quality materials with supe-
ing for shipments that needs to be done. All rior craftsmanship to make luxury accessible
our jewellery, being solid gold or silver can to everyone,” says Low.
fortunately be thoroughly cleaned before Unisex jewellery is next on the list for
shipment. The courier picks everything up MYJN, who are launching their Cuun collec-
from a basket we have placed outside and tion this month.
the entire procedure is contactless,” said Foo. “It’s inspired by nature, such as the moon’s
surface, volcano eruptions, and is suitable for
“We have also managed to provide a new men and women. This fulfils our customers’
way for customers to pay for their pieces. We needs as we don’t have jewellery for men
have partnered with Split to offer a gentler yet,” says Ooi.
way to make payments via their buy now The Straits Finery were inspired by image-
pay later offering. Split offers the option to ry of the sea, with soft and organic designs.
pay in interest-free instalments,” she said, “Ebb & Flow is an embodiment of our
adding that shifting the main sales channel ever-changing mood, feeling and facet of
online brought them closer to their commu- being. It is a reflection of the sea that is both
nity of customers and followers like never calm and raging, humble yet ferocious,”
before. explain Amira and Foo.
“The theme of Ebb and Flow is reflected in
Brands began offering special deals and the coming parts by borrowing design ele-
discounts to entice their customers to shop ments from the sea, its world of creatures
when the pandemic first broke out. and life beneath the surface. Their subtle,
unknown presence is depicted in the design
“We didn’t before the pandemic, but when approach that is distinctive to The Straits
it happened we began giving higher dis- Finery; an understated elegance that perme-
counts,” recalls Ooi. ates every piece.”

“For example, we are selling the stainless
steel and vermeil pieces for a lower price,
and in addition there’s a discount, and we
only have a small margin to survive.”

Also included along with purchases were
deals like free silk scarves, free gift wrapping
with gift cards thrown in, and leather jewel-
lery trays, all given away with no extra
charge.

Low explains that all their online orders
include free insured shipment within
Malaysia, GIA certificates for diamonds at 0.3

4 Style STARLIFESTYLE, Wednesday 15 september 2021

a timeless bag whose original time to make a list of must-have bags
shape was a favourite of for every occasion.
princess diana. — Gucci
IT may feel like time stood still for over a year Many of us will be returning to working
and while many projects, events and launches from the office, and Braun Buffel’s classic blue a large tote is a must-have.
were put on hold, designers haven’t stopped Ophelia bag is the right combination of style — Versace
creating beautiful items. and serious.

Brands have been working in the background Gucci’s Diana bag is a timeless piece which
to introduce their latest offerings, and there are has seen several iterations over the years, and
plenty of new collections to choose from. remains a classic bag for every day use.

When it comes to bags, it’s important to For more casual outings when all you need is
own several different types to suit various your phone, cards, keys and cash, Balenciaga’s
occasions. classic La Cagole is ideal for those with bold
and edgy style.
A large tote, like Versace’s La Greca
Signature Tote is a must-have for days when In preparation for when we can travel
you are running errands and need a lot of again, check out the Saint Laurent Rive
Droite raffia bag, the perfect tote for a
space. Crafted from coated La Greca
canvas, the bag features a sup- beach vacation or a pool session if
ple calf leather trim and is you’re planning a staycation at a
durable enough for all nearby resort or hotel.
that running around.
— Nasa Maria Entaban

an ideal choice for those this raffia bag is a great choice for the office.
with bold and edgy style. perfect for a — braun buffel

— balenciaga beach getaway.
— saint Laurent

STARLIFESTYLE, Wednesday 15 sePteMBer 2021 Style 5

Malaysian singer-songwriter stYle WatcH
Foo Bihzhu takes fashion to
heart with her bright and
standout dressing.

Photos: Foo Bihzhu/Instagram By BERVIN CHEONG she embraces prints and colours, while
[email protected] exploring the unconventional with eclectic
1What’s your personal take on fashion? As a performer, Foo Bihzhu is blessed with choices. she is cheerful, and her clothes
A wise woman once told me that we should always harness all the tools at an enchanting, soulful voice. In matters of carry the same upbeat feel – joy being the
our disposal to navigate life, including clothes! Since then I’ve taken her style, she captivates with her eye-catching reason she chooses to wear a particular
words to heart and embraced fashion as a part of my personality. We always outfits. design.
say “Don’t judge a book by its cover”, but you cannot circumvent human
nature, and part of that experience is that fashion can be used to convey a The Penang-born singer-songwriter sees Foo, who has won numerous accolades
message about who you are, and what you’re about. But honestly, if you put fashion as part of showmanship and is not in the local entertainment scene, is not
aside this philosophical bent, I just want to say that fashion brings me so afraid to harness it to really make an bothered with being plus-sized too. she
much joy, and that is reason enough for me to love it! I would say my style impression. believes that being trendy is not about one
is eclectic. look based on just one view or opinion.
This 37-year-old dresses to fit her
2 You tend to embrace bright personality, best described as bold and she is also supportive of local fashion
colours and prints in your beautiful. talents, being the proud Malaysian that
dressing. How do you see she is.
that complementing your
personality? 4 What would your style advice
I’m naturally an upbeat, be to your fans? How does
positive person, so bright one embrace fashion but still
colours and prints do seem maintain their own sense of
like a very natural fit. But as I individuality?
grow and evolve as a person, I I am plus-sized, and growing up
do notice my taste evolving as in Malaysia, that meant not being
well. When I was younger, I able to wear the latest trends
definitely jumped head first because I often could not fit into
into anything quirky, but these them. In hindsight I think that
days I gravitate towards really helped me develop my own
pieces that are built well, and style, by not being a slave to
will get me a lot of wear. trends. As for advice, I think
Having said that though, I still we’ve departed from the decades
love colours and prints and I where everyone would be wear-
don’t see that going away ing the same thing, and I see so
anytime soon. much beautiful expression
3 How does fashion on social media of individuality
play a role in your and I love that. I will always
performances? choose comfort over everything
A HUGE part! Music is a else, and the key is to pick
multi-sensory experience something that fits well,
which includes the visual and looks fabulous. And it
as well as aural, and I often doesn’t matter if no one
get feedback from my audi- else likes it, if it brings
ence commenting on my you joy, then wear it!
outfits after performances,
so I know for a fact that 5 What are your style
what I wear makes an essentials?
impact. I remember when I Pockets! A shoulder bag,
toured India with my band and pretty eyelashes.
in 2019, I made sure that
my bandmates and I wore
Malaysian (or Malaysia-
based) designers in every
performance – Cassey Gan,
Fern Batik Collective, Man
Chien, and Nala Designs –
so you can say that fashion
plays an instrumental role.

6 Woman STARLIFESTYLE, Wednesday 15 september 2021

MEG Inokuma was seven years old fAorppasesaiokn s For years she had to run slow to
when she and her family travelled run long. now that meg Inokuma is
from Japan for a two-week vaca- healthy, she’s a trail-running beast.
tion in Alaska. She documented
the visit as if taking field notes. alaska has inspired many awestruck hikers like Inokuma. — Unsplash/rOd LOnG

“I still have the journal I kept who worked with com- think of such a big thing as a child, 2015, she returned to school, this
during that trip,” she said. puters, valued educa- so I kind of gave up that dream,” time at UAF to earn a master’s
tion and was an avid she said. degree in statistics.
“All I wrote every day was how hiker.
many animals I saw. Not just black She ran track in high But she never stopped dreaming Fatigue, then chest pain
bear and brown bear, but squirrel, school and belonged of Alaska. When it came time for
bird. Every single one.” to a bicycle racing graduate school, Inokuma wanted Sometime around then,
team at the to go to the University of Alaska Inokuma’s hemoglobin level began
Now 41, Inokuma is herself an University of Tokyo, Fairbanks, but her parents were to drop, but for a long time she
Alaska beast, and the place to find paying the bills. They were living really didn’t notice anything signif-
her is the mountains. but she never forgot about in New Mexico at the time so her icant. And what she did notice, she
Alaska. Soon after her family dad could study the Navajo cul- dismissed as a byproduct of a busy
The land that inspired an awe- vacation here, she decided she ture, and they wanted their daugh- life.
struck seven-year-old to fill a jour- wanted to be a mountain ranger in ter nearby. Inokuma wound up
nal listing all of the things she saw Denali National Park. getting a master’s degree in forest- “I thought, ‘I’m studying for 18
drew Inokuma back as an adult. “Back then I wrote a letter to ry at Northern Arizona University. hours a day every day, of course
She lives in Palmer and works as a some National Park Service but I’m out of breath. It will get easier
biometrician for the Alaska learned I would have to change That paved her way to Alaska tomorrow.’ And it just kept getting
Department of Fish and Game. my citizenship, and I couldn’t and a job with Fish and Game, first worse and worse,” she said.
in Kodiak and then in Soldotna. In
“The joke is I’m doing the exact
same thing and getting paid for it,”
she said.

She is one of the state’s top trail
and mountain runners, and in
recent weeks she fashioned back-
to-back triumphs.

She set a course record in the
Resurrection Pass 80-km race on
the Kenai Peninsula in July and
four weeks later ran the
eighth-fastest women’s time in the
history of the 25km Lost Lake Run
near Seward in Alaska.

Next up, if her knees are willing,
is the upcoming Equinox
Marathon in Fairbanks. At
the 2019 race she placed
sixth.

Inokuma could fill a
scrapbook with press clip-
pings from the last couple of
years.

She’s a beast, all right, one
who spends nearly every lunch
hour going up and down Lazy
Mountain, a 8km hike with about
914m of elevation gain.

Hard to imagine that as the sum-
mer of 2018 began, Inokuma was
so anemic she could barely make it
from her bedroom to her bath-
room.

Dreaming of Alaska

Inokuma is a self-made athlete
who was academically oriented as
a youth, the daughter of a man

Teenage hero

after her mother’s cancer diagnosis, a
young american teen sold lemonade for
charity, and inspired a song.

AT the end of fourth grade, Olivia NorthShore University during the pandemic, when the lemonade stand was put on hold, 14-year-old Ohlson-ellis tutored kids in
Ohlson-Ellis’ mom, Virginia Ohlson, HealthSystem’s Kellogg Cancer math over Zoom. — 123rf.com
was diagnosed with breast cancer. Center through her sale of lemon-
It was caught early through a ade and cookies at her stand in Ohlson-Ellis said. “I just wanted to Zoom. For families who couldn’t puts into kits and passes out at
mammogram, and she had a dou- front of her Evanston home in stand out there and squeeze the afford her services, she tutored for food pantries and local places that
ble mastectomy and chemother- Chicago in the United States. lemons ... more of a fun summer free. Those families who could give away clothing.
apy in the summer of 2017 to activity. But then when my mom afford her services, she asked them
remove the cancer that had spread The signature cookie: shortbread was diagnosed, it was more about to donate to the cancer center. The freshman at Evanston
to her lymph nodes. with pink icing and sprinkles. helping other families.” Township High School said she’s
Ohlson-Ellis also started Hygiene made 1,800 kits so far.
It was that summer, at 10 years Her work has caught the atten- Helping is what Ohlson-Ellis Kits for Evanston’s Underserved – a
old, that Ohlson-Ellis took her aspi- tion of television stations in the does. During the pandemic, when GoFundMe that helps her buy “We make sheets of the cookies
rations to run a lemonade stand past, but most recently, her efforts the lemonade stand was put on items such as deodorant, tooth- and then divide them into serving
and made them a reality. inspired Austin-based singer/song- hold, she tutored kids in math over paste, razors, soaps, etc., which she sizes,” Ohlson-Ellis said. “We’re
writer Jenn Hartmann Luck to pretty close to US$10,000; we’re try-
“She came to me with the idea write a song about her lemonade
of: ‘Could I do it and raise money endeavor.
for people at the cancer center?’”
recalled her mother. “I was in the Titled Lemonade, the song debut-
middle of chemo ... not feeling the ed in August on streaming plat-
best. It was something positive to forms, with 15% of each download
focus on and a distraction for her going to NorthShore Kellogg Cancer
because she’s going through this Center.
too. She was excited about some-
thing that she’d have control over, Some of the lyrics: “I stood up. I
and have fun with.” made lemonade out of the lemons
they laid in front of me. I helped
Since then, Ohlson-Ellis, now 14, my family.”
has raised US$9,600 (RM39, 744) of
her US$10,000 (RM41, 400) goal for “Some friends had them (lemon-
ade stands). This was before the
whole cancer center thing,”

STARLIFESTYLE, Wednesday 15 september 2021 Woman 7

She tried to diagnose herself, “At the finish line it felt like I Pioneer Peak from the parking lot through their
and although she didn’t discover didn’t use up everything I had, so I and she can climb 830m Lazy work, West (left),
what was wrong, she learned how knew I could go faster,” she said. Mountain top to bottom if she can and Cohen, the
to cope. “My goal was to break 8 hours. I stretch her lunch break to 90 min- co-directors of
did check the record just in case utes. the documentary
In the fall of 2017, Inokuma got but I didn’t aggressively go for it; I film Julia, hope
a blood test at a health fair and just wanted to run five minutes “I have never owned a fancy to highlight the
learned she had low hemoglobin faster than the year before.” GPS that tells me how fast I am lives of ‘extraor-
levels. She started taking iron sup- going. I don’t use a watch. I just lis- dinary women’.
plements but they weren’t enough She ran more than 35 minutes ten to my body,” she said. “I don’t — ap
to stop heavy bleeding during her faster. train. I don’t really do workouts. I
periods and her overall fatigue. go (to Lazy Mountain) to get fresh Feminist love stories
Several weeks before air because I’m at work standing
Then came pounding headaches Resurrection Pass, Inokuma in front of a computer all day.” THE label “date movie” hasn’t tra- her political beliefs. She became a
and chest pain. returned to Bird Ridge for the first ditionally been applied much to champion for Planned Parenthood.
time since 2015. She was unknow- Though she is making a name documentaries but filmmakers
In June 2018 she wound up in ingly anemic by then, “and it took for herself as a mountain runner Betsy West and Julie Cohen have Child wrote a letter in 1982 that
an emergency room. Her hemoglo- me forever to finish.” and trail runner, Inokuma said her twice now made non-fiction films was sent to Planned Parenthood
bin was at 6.9, well below the nor- passion is the pursuit of mountain of trailblazing female icons that donors. It read: “Few politicians
mal range of 12 to 16 for a woman “I suffered on Bird Ridge from peaks. also happen to be portraits of lov- will take the risk of publicly sup-
of her age. She received a series of 10 steps after the start through the ing, supportive marriages. porting either contraception or
five iron infusions and an IUD to finish,” she said. “My body was “I’m a peak bagger,” she said. abortion – and who is ‘for abor-
help slow the bleeding during her oxygen-deprived the whole time.” “That’s what I always wanted to In RBG, the 2018 Oscar- tion’ anyway? We are concerned
period. do. There are 120 peaks in nominated bio-documentary of with freedom of choice.”
She finished the race in 1 hour, 3 Chugach State Park, and I think Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the filmmak-
By the spring of 2019, her hemo- minutes, 34 seconds. eight people have completed all ers lingered over the encouraging “What Julia did at the time was
globin level was back to normal. 120.” role of her longtime husband, the pretty risky. This was not a time
She could still go long, and she Her time this year: 47:55, good lawyer Martin D. Ginsburg. Their when celebrities or celebrity chefs
didn’t need to go slow anymore. for third place. First, second and Inokuma has done 82 so far, latest, Julia, which premiered were going out of their way to take
Inokuma was in beast mode. fourth place went to members of some by herself, some with others. recently at the Toronto positions that were controversial,”
the US Ski Team. International Film Festival, is like- says West. “Julia was very confi-
A record and redemption Last summer she became one of wise about a pioneering 20th cen- dent in her beliefs and determined
“I was so happy by (how far) I a handful of women to complete tury woman, the adventurous TV to bring her celebrity to something
This summer showcased a have come that I cried after the the Chugach Front Linkup, a chal- chef Julia Child, whose ascent was she truly believed in.”
healthy Inokuma. race.” lenge that involves climbing the 12 tenderly and enthusiastically advo-
highest peaks in the Chugach cated for by her husband, Paul For West and Cohen, Julia is only
Two races in particular tell the Bagging peaks and living life Mountain front range, all in a sin- Child. part of their output following RBG,
tale, including the Resurrection gle push. She and Matt Green com- a blockbuster documentary that
Pass 50. Inokuma remembers taking a pleted the hike in a respectable 20 He even wrote a sonnet for her. collected more than US$14 million
train or a bus in order to find hours and 55 minutes. “For never were there foods, nor (RM58mil) in ticket sales. Their
“I always have a goal when I do mountains and trails with her fam- were there wines My Name Is Pauli Murray, which
a race, and the goal is to enjoy the ily when she was growing up. Her “I’m fast now,” Inokuma said. Whose flavor equals yours for opens in theaters this week (in the
race, except for Resurrection Pass father died three years ago but her “I’m back to myself as far as my sheer delight. US) and debuts on Amazon Prime
this year,” Inokuma said. mother and brother still live in health goes. O luscious dish! O gustatory Video next month, profiles a pivot-
Japan, where her brother is a suc- pleasure! al but sometimes overlooked activ-
She won the race in 2020, and cessful architect. I appreciate my health You satisfy my taste buds ist and writer who helped lay the
although it wasn’t her first ultra- every day. Everything is beyond measure.” legal framework for both the civil
marathon, it was her first 80km “His life is 180 degrees different like a gift.” – “Feminist love stories are our rights and women’s rights move-
race and the first time she’d done from mine,” she said. His office is Anchorage Daily genre,” Cohen says in an interview ments. Ginsburg credited Murray,
the whole trail. She in the busiest part of Tokyo. Hers News, Alaska/ alongside West. “RBG was a great who was Black and gender neu-
won the race in 8 is near the Alaska State Tribune News date movie. Julia is a slightly more tral, with inspiring her argument
hours, 4 minutes. Fairgrounds, and she can see Service expensive date movie because it in the 1971 Supreme Court case
really needs to be the movie and Reed v. Reed, in which the court
ing to get it with this stand.” Foundation’s patient support fund, “It was young people that were then a good dinner.” recognised women as victims of
“She’s very much a go-getter which pays for things not neces- being so hopeful and positive, and Julia, which Sony Pictures sex discrimination for the first
sarily covered by insurance, such inspiring me to tap into the light Classics will release in theaters in time.
and has a lot of ideas,” said as cold cap therapy for hair loss that just pours out of young peo- early November is an affectionate
Ohlson. “She’s intending to be a during cancer treatments, rent or ple. Lemonade is not a kids song. and flavourful tribute to a beloved “There is just a huge landscape
three-sport athlete at Evanston car payments, depending on need. But because a child is at the center culinary figure. The film surveys a of women out there whose stories
Township; she’s on JV golf right NorthShore sees about 4,800 of that story, it becomes a piece life that found fame relatively late. haven’t been adequately told,”
now. She’s very artistic ... she unique patients per year (which that a young person can respond Child was nearly 50 by the time says West. “It’s frankly an opportu-
teaches origami. And she writes does not include patients who to – they can see themselves inside her debut cookbook Mastering the nity for us to tell these stories.”
for sports for the school newspa- aren’t on active treatment). that song.” Art of French Cooking was released
per. in 1961. Her career on TV, begin- West and Cohen had worked in
“I’m always amazed that there Every song on the album ning with an omelet on Boston’s documentary film in various
“She just joined the Evanstonian is this spirit of people giving back centers on one child’s mission and WGBH, came the year after. There capacities before RBG dramatically
staff, and she’s working on her that’s passed down to their kids the spirit of giving back to organi- and beyond, Child was a charis- raised their profiles. Often, they’ve
first story.” and parents are encouraging sations doing the work; the kids matic, 188cm exception to a enjoyed themselves along the way.
their kids to give back now, rather have chosen the nonprofits that male-dominated cooking world At the National Board of Review
Next up, being featured in an than waiting until they’re in their will receive proceeds from album and a carefree antidote to the Awards in 2019, they performed
upcoming book series by 20s or 30s,” Watkins said. sales. force-fed image of the TV-dinner planks on stage as tribute to the
Minnesota-based author Stacy cooking ‘50s housewife. Supreme Court justice’s workout
Bauer. The series showcases doz- “It’s such a great, simple idea (a Hartmann is planning to visit Her husband, a former diplo- routines.
ens of youths who are changing lemonade stand). It really shows Chicago during October (Breast mat, contentedly took a back-
their communities in their own how when you care about some- Cancer Awareness Month) to do a ground role. In The French Chef “We’re hugely fortunate that
way. It’s called Young Change thing and you really want to help live, acoustic performance where Cookbook, Julia Child wrote: “Paul RBG got the attention that it did
Makers. out with a cause, it’s those little she can meet Ohlson-Ellis in per- Child, the man who is always because it sort of opened up some
things that grow so well and do a son for the first time. there: porter, dishwasher, official doors,” says Cohen. “It’s a sad and
“The media attention can be good job.” photographer, mushroom dicer discouraging fact that some of
both fun and embarrassing, but She wants people to come out and onion chopper, editor, fish these historical stories of women
the main point of it is to really Hartmann Luck agrees. and hear songs from the album illustrator, manager, taster, idea aren’t as well known or as under-
bring attention to my causes, not “Olivia is a young person who’s and do a fundraiser for the cancer man, resident poet, and husband.” stood as they should be. But our
me personally,” Ohlson-Ellis said. like: I see a problem, I step up,” center. Julia is only set partly among the perspective as documentary film-
“But I hope it inspires other peo- Hartmann Luck said. pots and pans (and heaps of but- makers is that it’s kind of like a
ple to help those around them “She sees opportunity for her to “Someone like Olivia ... they’re ter) that made Child famous. (The gold mine.”
too.” make the world better, and leans going to teach us ways to navigate filmmakers even built a replica of
in.” this new time that is us heading her kitchen to make and photo- It’s an ongoing project. Cohen
Brad Watkins, senior director of The album is called Raise Your into the 2020s, how we’re going to graph some of her best-known and West are currently editing
communications for NorthShore Voices (Songs Celebrating the Kids hopefully do better,” Hartmann dishes.) But the heart of Julia may another documentary about an
University HealthSystem Who Are Changing the World) and Luck said. lie outside the kitchen in capturing extraordinary American woman
Foundation, said it’s hard to keep every song on the record is her larger life and passions. Over they expect to release next year.
up with Ohlson-Ellis’ outreach inspired by young people. “Whether it’s in their churches, time, she spoke more openly about They won’t say who their subject is
efforts. “When Covid-19 hit, I knew I in their neighborhood, or on a this time, except to say that she’s
wanted to write a new album cen- global scale, kiddos find a way to alive. And, yes, Cohen promises,
He said there’s been a renewed tered around young people,” make things better, and to help this film, too, features what she
interest in her fundraising given Hartmann Luck said. those who could use a hand.” – calls a great feminist love story. –
the song’s release. Chicago Tribune/Tribune News AP
Service
Money raised from the single
goes to the NorthShore

8 Living STARLIFESTYLE, Wednesday 15 september 2021

By STEFAN WEISSENBORN Cycling made more fun
WHAT shall it be? Small wheels for
nimble BMX-style handling, a fake there are many sensible commuter bikes on the market, but bicycles designed purely
fuel tank on the crossbar for that with fun in mind are few and far between. Here’s a look at some quirky rides.
motorbike look or maybe a rugged
e-bike with a seat long enough for you can divide a family of four between two periscope scouts from
you to invite along a pillion passen- Co-motion. — Co-motion/dpa
ger.
Wheels like the Uni mK Classic from Urban drivestyle are designed to based in Regensburg, offers a simi- frame shapes are the hallmark of
Two-wheelers like these are a far combine a classic look with electric mobility. — Urban drivestyle/dpa lar concept for rider and passenger another fun bike category, the
cry from humdrum trekking or at around the same price with its beach cruiser. These are much
mountain bikes and they appeal to Turning heads also boasts “the longest bicycle seat Lil’Buddy. The company calls it “our slower than BMXs and encourage
individualists seeking something in the world”. homage to the crazy bicycles and an upright sitting position.
different. Cannondale has just revealed a mini-bikes of the seventies.”
versatile Dirt bike with BMX genes The UNI can handle loads of up They usually lack suspension
Some of these cool models are called Dave which uses even larger to 150kg so giving a lift to a girl- Even more like a motorbike is the forks and often come without gear-
more practical for everyday use 26-inch (66cm) wheels once com- friend or pal is no problem. The matte-black Café Racer from ing systems. Garish frame colours
than others but they are all sure to mon on mountain bikes. The firm rear set pegs are adjustable too. By Varaneo with its Harley-Davidson- are common so these machines are
attract attention. said the new model is designed for the way, the saddle is 78cm long style wide, curved handlebars, low- not for introverts.
“jump lines, street jibs, skatepark and there is even a longer version rider saddle and fake fuel tank. The
First off is the BMX, a classic fun flow, pump-track laps, whatever”. It of just under a metre on the option makers say “it revolts against the Cruisers are generally durable,
bike which can be used for scooting costs around US$1,150 (RM4,755). sheet. cycling mainstream”. no-frills machines with wide han-
around town or jumping in the dirt. dlebars and a soft, comfortable
These come with very small frames The radically styled bikes from The UNI’s rear hub-mounted elec- This electrified steed with saddle.
and tall, crossbar handlebars. The Berlin-based Urban Drivestyle do tric motor makes it nippy enough rear-mounted 250 kW Bafang
wheels have a diameter of 20 inches not fit into any standard category around town but the bike is digital- motor is named after young rockers This makes them ideal for cruis-
(50.8cm) which brings the rider but they sure turn heads. ly restricted to 25kph on roads in on motorcycles who used to hang ing around town, along seafront
close to the ground and means the Europe. A more powerful issue can out at transport cafes in the 1960s promenades and even across flat
bikes can be ridden in or out of the The engaging, retro-styled e-bike be ordered for markets which have and enjoy daring dashes on the beaches. They are too heavy for
saddle. UNI Mk Classic with its signature more relaxed e-bike laws. The roads in between. The Racer sells long distances.
big front headlamp looks like a Classic costs ¤2,700 (RM13,215). for ¤2,690 (RM13,167) and can
BMX machines offer a light, snap- moped missing its engine and cover up to 80km between charges. More flashy versions come as
py feel and they are great for tack- exhaust. The maker says the model Ruff Cycles, a German maker stretch or low-ride cruisers and
ling ramps and other street obsta- Beach cruiser feature elongated frames with the
cles. “BMXs are probably the fun pedals located closer to the front of
bikes par excellence,” said Thomas Fat balloon tyres and unusual the bike. Both models are just fine
Geisler who writes about bicycles in for posing in front of the local ice-
Germany. “They are a great choice cream parlour. – dpa
for both youngsters and young-at-
heart adults.”

BMX bikes originated in the
United States in the 1960s as a spin-
off from motocross, off-road motor-
cycles. They boomed in Europe 20
years later in the wake of the Steven
Spielberg classic film, ET The Extra-
Terrestial. The hero is a boy who
uses his BMX bike to rescue an
alien.

Adults might find a BMX a bit of a
handful to ride since the steering is
very direct and there are no gears.
Typical complete bikes from makers
like Haro, Sunday, Verde Bikes of
KHE cost around ¤470 (RM2,300) to
buy.

Larger models that are fitted with
24-inch (61cm) wheels are more
comfortable for older riders search-
ing for that dirt park look.

TRAPPED on island habitats made Lurching towards extinction ties for sustainable fishing, tour-
smaller by rising seas, Indonesia’s ism, traditions and food security in
Komodo dragons were listed as climate talks in Glasgow (Nov 1-12), the long term.”
“endangered” on Saturday (Sept 4), he added.
in an update of the wildlife Red The Food and Agriculture
List that also warned that overfish- the Komodo dragon has now been listed as ‘endangered’ in an update Alarming rate Organization reports some 800,000
ing threatens nearly two in five of the wildlife red List. — aFp tonnes of sharks caught – inten-
sharks with extinction. The most comprehensive survey tionally or opportunistically – each
French city of Marseille Sept 3-11, mate change” said the IUCN: rising of sharks and rays ever undertak- year, but research suggests the true
About 28% of the 138,000 species is that disappearing species and the sea levels are expected to shrink its en, meanwhile, revealed that 37% figure is two to four times greater.
assessed by the International Union destruction of ecosystems are exis- tiny habitat at least 30% over the of 1,200 species evaluated are now
for the Conservation of Nature tential threats on a par with global next 45 years. classified as directly threatened Conservation tracker
(IUCN) are now at risk of vanishing warming. with extinction, falling into one of
in the wild forever, as the destruc- Outside of protected areas, the three categories: “vulnerable”, The IUCN on Saturday (Sept 4)
tive impact of human activity on the And climate change itself is fearsome throwbacks are also rap- “endangered” or “critically endan- also officially launched its “green
natural world deepens. threatening the futures of many idly losing ground as humanity’s gered”. status”, the first global standard for
species, particularly endemic ani- footprint expands. assessing species recovery and
But the latest update of the Red mals and plants that live on small That’s a third more species at measuring conservation impacts.
List for Threatened Species also islands or in certain biodiversity “The idea that these prehistoric risk than only seven years ago, said
highlights the potential for restora- hotspots. animals have moved one step clos- Simon Fraser University Professor “It makes the invisible work of
tion, with four commercially fished er to extinction due in part to cli- Nicholas Dulvy, lead author of a conservation visible,” Molly Grace,
tuna species pulling back from a Komodo dragons, the largest liv- mate change is terrifying,” said study published on Monday (Sept a professor at the University of
slide towards extinction after a ing lizards, are found only in the Andrew Terry, Conservation 6) underpinning the Red List Oxford and Green Status co-chair,
decade of efforts to curb over-ex- World Heritage-listed Komodo Director at the Zoological Society of assessment. told a press conference the same
ploitation. National Park and neighbouring London. day.
Flores. “The conservation status of the
The most spectacular recovery Their decline is a “clarion call for group as a whole continues to dete- Efforts to halt extensive declines
was seen in Atlantic bluefin tuna, The species “is increasingly nature to be placed at the heart of riorate, and overall risk of extinc- in numbers and diversity of ani-
which leapt from “endangered” threatened by the impacts of cli- all decision-making” at crunch UN tion is rising at an alarming rate,” mals and plants have largely failed.
across three categories to the safe he told AFP.
zone of “least concern”. In 2019 the UN’s biodiversity
Five species of sawfish – whose experts warned that a million spe-
The species, a mainstay of high- serrated snouts get tangled in cast- cies are on the brink of extinction,
end sushi in Japan, was last off fishing gear – and the iconic raising the spectre that the planet
assessed in 2011. shortfin mako shark are among is on the verge of its sixth mass
those most threatened. extinction event in 500 million
“This shows that conservation years.
works – when we do the right Chondrichthyan fish, a group
thing, a species can increase,” said made up mainly of sharks and The IUCN Congress is widely
Jane Smart, global director of rays, “are important to ecosystems, seen as a testing ground for a UN
IUCN’s Biodiversity Conservation economies and cultures,” said treaty – to be finalised at a summit
Group. Sonja Fordham, president of Shark in Kunming, China, next May – to
Advocates International and co-au- save nature.
“But we must remain vigilant. thor of the upcoming study.
This doesn’t mean we can have a “We would like to see that plan
free-for-all of fishing for these tuna “By not sufficiently limiting call for the halt to biodiversity loss
species.” catch, we’re jeopardising ocean by 2030,” said Smart.
health and squandering opportuni-
Clarion call A cornerstone of the new global
deal could be setting aside 30% of
A key message from the IUCN Earth’s land and oceans as protect-
Congress, which took place in the ed areas, she added. – AFP
Relaxnews

STARLIFESTYLE, Wednesday 15 september 2021 Living 9

Clash of the titans
Just off the northern coast of Iceland, scientists are collecting
data from whales’ breath to find out if they get stressed by
whale-watching boats, an industry that has boomed in recent
years.

RESEARCHERS from Whale Wise, then compare the two samples to Reykjavik, in the south of the coun- Whale-watchers off the coast of the tiny fishing village of Husavik,
a marine conservation charity, are determine the direct impact of that try. Iceland. a study has found that tourist boats disrupt the feeding of
studying the whales’ stress levels in encounter on stress levels. minke whales in the short term. — aFp
their hormones. “We found that the minke
Tourists have been increasingly whales were disturbed in their This summer, some of the sam- carbon dioxide.
From their small sailboat, a flocking to the waters of the North feeding, but it was only a short- ples were collected together with While whales are a tourist
drone lifts off. After six hours of Atlantic off Iceland to admire the term disturbance,” said one of the French environmental group Unu
waiting, the scientists have finally majestic creatures, though 2020 authors of the study, Marianne Mondo Expedition, which travelled attraction, they are also hunted in
spotted a humpback whale. was a quiet year due to the pan- Rasmussen, director of the to Iceland for a month-long expedi- Iceland.
demic. University of Iceland Research tion to study climate change issues.
Attached to the flying device are Center in Husavik. The International Whaling
two petri dishes – transparent More than 360,000 whale watch- “The whales are important to us, Commission banned commercial
cylindrical containers – that will ers were registered in 2019, three “It didn’t affect their overall fit- for our lives, because they are part whaling in 1986, but Iceland, which
collect water droplets from the times the number a decade ago. ness.” of the ecosystem on our planet,” opposed the moratorium, resumed
whale’s spray. said Sophie Simonin, 29, the organ- its hunt in 2003.
Almost a third of them began The method used by Whale Wise isation’s co-founder.
The timeframe to collect the their whale watching tour in the this summer has been used else- Iceland only bans the hunt of
sample is short – the duration of a Husavik harbour, heading for the where by biologists but this was a “They also absorb enormous blue whales.
whale’s breath. chilly waters of Skjalfandi Bay. first for researchers in Iceland. amounts of carbon dioxide,” she
added. But while the country has estab-
This time, the drone flies over Feeding disruptions “From the samples, you can look lished an annual quota of 209 fin
the whale carefully, crossing at hormones such as cortisol, According to a December 2019 whales and 217 minke whales until
through the spray coming from the Previous studies on tourism’s which is a stress-related hormone, study by the International 2023, no whales were hunted this
whale’s blowhole... and mission impact on whales, which were and then you can determine the Monetary Fund, a large whale cap- year for the third straight year, as
accomplished. It returns to the sail- based on behavioural observations, physiological stress levels of these tures an average of 33 tonnes of whalers say it is not financially via-
boat, delivering its precious cargo concluded that tourism caused whales,” said Tom Grove, Whale ble. – AFP Relaxnews
to the researchers. only minor disruptions to the Wise co-founder and a PhD student
mammals. at the University of Edinburgh.
Once wrapped in paraffin and
frozen, the samples will be sent to The most recent study, from Since 2018, 59 samples have
a laboratory for analysis. 2011, found that whale-watching been collected. While a minimum
excursions were disrupting minke of 50 are needed for a proper anal-
The researchers aim to collect whales in the Faxa Bay near ysis, he hopes to collect around
samples before a whale watching 100.
boat arrives and then afterwards,

Trees threatened with extinction
AROUND a third of all the world’s Mauritius where 59% and 57% of as well as more fires, pests and dis-
tree species are threatened with tree species respectively are threat- ease. moisture
extinction, according to a global ened. remains in a
index published Sept 1, warning Huge opportunity laundry
that climate change could tip some Ecosystem collapse machine
forests into ecosystem collapse. The five-year assessment was after wash-
The report also raised concerns coordinated by Botanic Gardens ing, which
Land clearance for farming – that the destruction can cascade Conservation International and promotes
both crops and livestock – and log- across ecosystems affecting com- specialists from the International the growth
ging are by far the biggest threats munities of trees. Union for Conservation of Nature of a film of
to trees, the State of the World’s (IUCN), which held a key biodiver- bacteria and
Trees report said, adding that cli- Notable examples include the sity conference in France early this fungi. — dpa
mate change was also “having a loss of a million hectares of spruce month.
clearly measurable impact”. species in Alaska and some 10 mil- Why does the washing
lion hectares of lodgepole pine in Vie said that the strong focus on machine smell funny?
The study looked at the risks to British Columbia, Canada. restoring forests to mitigate the IT MIGHT not feel right if you’re gent or gel capsules.
58,497 tree species worldwide and effects of climate change was a trying to conserve energy, but it’s Another way to stop microorgan-
found that 30% (17,500) are threat- Forest ecosystems can collapse “huge opportunity to change this actually a good idea to run your
ened with extinction, with a fur- when they are subjected to multi- dire picture”. washing machine at a high temper- isms from multiplying is to open
ther 7% listed as “possibly threat- ple stressors – like fire, logging and ature at least once a month, to kill up the door of the washing
ened”. the break-up of habitat – that have But he said it was crucial to off microorganisms. machine, or the lid to the drum
the potential to interact and “drive make sure the right trees are plant- and the rinse chamber, after each
For 21% of species there was not abrupt ecological change”, the ed in the right places. Otherwise, you may wind up wash to let the interior dry out.
enough data for an evaluation, and report said. with an unpleasant smell as the
just over 40% were listed as “not “Tree species that have evolved organisms from dirty laundry mul- Meanwhile, wiping the rubber
threatened”. “However, climate change has over millions of years, adapting to tiply in the damp interior of the seal and the inside of the door not
the potential to become the princi- changing climates, can no longer machine. only absorbs moisture but also
Well-known trees such as mag- pal driver of collapse in most, if not survive the onslaught of human removes any bits of lint or hair left
nolias were among the most threat- all, types of forest ecosystem,” said threats,” said Vie. All that bacteria and fungi is nor- in there from your last wash. It’s
ened, while oaks, maples and ebon- Adrian Newton, director of conser- mal and comes from food, people’s best to regularly clean out the rinse
ies were also deemed at risk. vation ecology at Bournemouth “How short-sighted are we to skin, soil, plants and animal hair – chamber to get rid of any detergent
University, England, in the report. allow the loss of tree species on all of which winds up in the residues too.
Some 142 tree species were which global society is ecologically machine along with your dirty
found to be extinct, and more than The impacts of a changing cli- and economically dependent. If we clothes. If there is still a lingering funny
440 have fewer than 50 individual mate and severe weather – listed as could only learn to respect trees, smell, then it could be because the
trees in the wild. a direct threat to more than a thou- undoubtedly many environmental That can lead to a layer of slime lint filter is full.
sand species – include shifting hab- challenges would greatly benefit.” – made up of bacteria and fungi –
“Many tree species are on the itats, increasing storms and floods, AFP Relaxnews known as biofilm – that sometimes You might also want to ensure
brink of extinction, some repre- smells bad and, unfortunately, can that the water inflow and outflow
sented by one last living individu- a study looked at the risks to 58,497 tree species worldwide and found also ruin the sweet smell of your are free to make sure there is
al,” said Jean-Christophe Vie, direc- that about 30% are threatened with extinction, with a further 7% listed as freshly washed clothes. always enough water in the
tor general of Fondation Franklinia, ‘possibly threatened’. — aFp machine, as that is the only way
in a foreword to the report. The good news is that no danger- the detergent can be dissolved
ous germs are brewing in there, properly, and that suds and rinse
He said it was “shocking” that according to a German laundry water can drain off properly.
deforestation rates remain so high, association.
given the crucial role that trees In general, high temperature
play – providing habitat for a huge But run a wash that is 60°C or aren’t needed for most wash cycles,
proportion of the world’s animals higher once a month at least, they say the experts. It’s sustainable and
and plants, slowing climate change say. Add in a heavy-duty or mul- saves energy if you wash your
by absorbing carbon, and provid- ti-purpose detergent that contains clothes at low temperatures of 30°C
ing ingredients for medicines. bleach. Otherwise, if you are using or 40°C, which is usually plenty to
a stain remover that contains get rid of the dirt. But a hot wash
Brazil, home to large swathes of bleach in a particular load of laun- now and again is still a good idea
Amazon rainforest that is increas- dry, then that should be sufficient, to stop any unfortunate smells
ingly under threat from massive when combined with liquid deter- from developing. – dpa
agricultural expansion and logging,
has the most tree species (8,847)
and also the largest number of
threatened trees (1,788).

But the highest proportion of
threatened species was found to be
in tropical Africa, especially in
islands like Madagascar and

10 Showbiz STARLIFESTYLE, WedneSdAY 15 SePtember 2021

Tainted celebrities
What’s behind China’s crackdown on the entertainment
industry?

By HO AI LI Zhao Liying and Wang Yibo co-starred in drama serial Legend Of Fei but
the show did not do as well as expected. — Handout
IN 1998, the period drama My Fair
Princess became a smash hit across Prof Foo notes that the and aims to rectify the entertain- Fan, one of China’s best-paid actresses, disappeared from public view
Asia, making stars out of Vicki Communist Party of China has ment circle systematically from for months in 2018 after getting into trouble for tax evasion. — AFP
Zhao, Ruby Lin and Fan Bingbing always been mindful of the influ- production to promotion to con-
at a time when mainland Chinese ence of the film and television sumption,” Dr Xu says of the China University of Political The pair had co-starred in period
dramas were hardly mainstream industry, and this year marks the clampdown. Science and Law scholar Zhu Wei drama The Legend Of Fei (2020),
outside the country. 100th anniversary of its founding. told China’s Legal Daily newspaper but the show did not do as well as
Prof Zhang, who researches fan that the over-deification of celebri- expected.
Some two decades later, dramas “It’s not just a political party but culture, says commercial interests ties has led to a warped fan cul-
and variety shows from China is, to some extent, also a moral play a significant, if not always visi- ture, and fan groups have immense Zhao’s fans were unhappy that
have become staple fare across authority,” he says. ble, role in creating problems in mobilising power online and their idol might be acting alongside
Asia, but Zhao and Fan have gone the entertainment industry. offline. Wang again in another show and
from being the entertainment Associate Professor Zhang got into a war of words with his
industry’s shiny new faces to sym- Weiyu, from the communication Online platforms need “traffic”, Take the so-called 227 Incident, fans online. The actress later issued
bols of the problems plaguing it. and new media department at the such as visitor numbers, to appeal an organised boycott against popu- an apology.
National University of Singapore, to advertisers, she says. This can lar actor Xiao Zhan, 29, starting in
Fan, 39, one of China’s best-paid says moral guidance has been a help them attract investors or do February last year. Unhappy that As with many sectors in China
actresses, disappeared from public component of Chinese governance well in the stock market. their idol had been featured in facing increased government scru-
view for months in 2018 after get- since Maoist days. homoerotic fan fiction, Xiao’s fans tiny in recent months, such as tui-
ting into trouble for tax evasion. They thus invent features, such reported the Archive Of Our Own tion or online gaming, rapid devel-
What is different this time, says as rankings of celebrities based on fan fiction site to the authorities, opment has meant the authorities
Zhao, 47, who has courted con- Dr Xu Jian, a scholar in Chinese voting, to get fans to use their plat- causing it to be blocked in China. have had to play catch-up in regu-
troversy over her business inter- media and celebrity studies at forms. The authorities have since lation.
ests, has practically been erased Deakin University, Australia, is that ordered that these rankings be Users of the site retaliated by
from the Chinese Internet. Beijing is not just going after “taint- removed. calling for a boycott of the actor “For a long time, certain sectors
ed celebrities” like in past years. and the brands he endorses, flood- were like the Wild West. There’s no
Her works were removed from Says Prof Zhang: “Fans invest ing these brands’ pages with nega- regulation and you can do practi-
Chinese video streaming platforms, He says this round of govern- real money in this game of boost- tive comments. Xiao’s agency later cally anything,” says Prof Foo.
but it is not known why she was ment regulation targets “the eco- ing traffic numbers because they made a public apology.
targeted in particular. system of the star industry”, includ- believe that such numbers can sup- The Chinese government is now
ing fan communities, online plat- port their idols. Beside boycotts, there have also trying to set norms - albeit belated-
This comes amid Chinese author- forms and idol shows, usually been reports of fans stalking their ly - for the entertainment industry
ities issuing a flurry of directives in involving contestants competing to “Celebrities encourage fans to idols or of rival fan groups clashing in how celebrities, fans and the
recent months to clean up the be part of boy bands. play the ‘traffic’ game because online. businesses fuelling their growth
entertainment industry in the these numbers help the cultural should behave.
wake of various scandals, notably These shows have come under industry behind them to gain A few weeks ago, some fans of
the arrest of Canadian-Chinese pop fire for encouraging viewers to advantages in the stock market - a A-list Chinese actress Zhao Liying, Says Prof Foo: “It’s like the party
star Kris Wu for rape. spend to vote for their favourites. manifestation of the financialisa- 33, had their Weibo accounts sus- coming out to say, ‘Ultimately, I
tion of the cultural industry.” pended for attacking popular actor have the final say. You have to toe
Two weeks ago, China’s media Eyebrows were raised when fans Wang Yibo, 24, on social media. the line’.” – The Straits Times/Asia
regulator, the National Radio and reportedly bought an estimated 48 Fans behaving badly News Network
Television Administration, issued million yuan (RM31mil) worth of
guidelines calling for a boycott of milk to vote in their idols in talent While fans behaving badly is not
“immoral personnel”, so-called show, Youth With You 3, which was unique to China, Dr Xu says the key
“sissy idols” and “idol selection sponsored by a milk brand. A video difference is their sheer numbers
shows”, among other things. showing people pouring away milk there. “The destructive force if they
sparked anger about the amount of go wrong would be much strong-
Influence of the film and waste generated by such shows. er,” he adds.
television industry
“This is more comprehensive
What lies behind the crackdown
on the entertainment industry?

“When celebrities with a huge
following do funny stuff, the
authorities have to do something,”
says Associate Professor Foo Tee
Tuan, a film studies expert from
the Singapore University of Social
Sciences.

Wu, for example, had more than
50 million followers on his Weibo
account before it was deleted fol-
lowing his arrest.

Times have changed A towering legacy

Stories by CALLEN Singapore at the drop of a hat – Chieng hasn’t been able to return to HOWARD University, located in Photo: AFP
JAMES MARSH direct flight from JFK Airport Singapore to visit his mother due to Washington DC, the United States, actress Phylicia Rashad as the
[email protected] (in New York) to Singapore – travel restrictions. — AP shared on Twitter that its College of dean. It was also the same year
MALAYSIA-BORN actor Ronny and you can’t do that any- Fine Arts has officially been Boseman gained global stardom
Chieng hasn’t been able to trav- more.” renamed after its past student and through his portrayal of King
el back to Singapore in over late actor Chadwick Boseman (pic). T’Challa in Black Panther.
two years to visit his mother. Aside from travelling, film
production had also been great- “Yesterday, the letters were The university also shared in the
Much like many people all ly affected by the pandemic. installed over the now official tweet that the actor had left “an
around the world, visiting Chadwick A. Boseman College of immeasurable legacy for the next
friends and loved ones over- Chieng, who can be seen in Fine Arts” tweeted the school on generation”.
seas turned into a challenge as the new blockbuster Shang-Chi Sept 3.
the world went into lockdown And The Legend Of The Ten
mode to combat Covid-19. Rings, recalled not being able It was first announced back in
to film back in March 2020. May that the performing and visual
Chieng shared with AsiaOne arts school would be renamed after
that he regrets taking the free- He shared that production in the Black Panther star who passed
dom to openly travel for grant- Sydney, Australia had to be away a year ago after a four-year
ed. shut down for two weeks. battle against colon cancer, at the
age of 43.
“I definitely would have seen “We didn’t know if we would
her more if not for Covid,” he walk outside the house and Boseman graduated with a
said, expressing how much he die,” the Crazy Rich Asians star Bachelor of Arts degree in directing
misses his mother. said. During this time, Chieng in 2000. During his time, the uni-
said he gained a newfound versity had made the decision to
Chieng has referenced his appreciation for the good fold its College of Fine Arts into the
mother many times in his stand moments in life, “because they College of Arts & Science. The
up shows, including the 2019 can be rare and they can be Marvel actor had led a protest
Netflix special Ronny Chieng: fleeting”. against this absorption.
Asian Comedian Destroys
America. Needless to say, the first It wasn’t until 2018 when it was
thing Chieng plans to do after finally declared that the perform-
The 35-year-old added: “It travel restrictions are lifted is ing and visual arts school would be
used to be, you could just go to to fly to Singapore to visit his returning to independence, with
mother.