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TELLING IT AS IT IS ON FRIDAY FEBRUARY 3, 2023 No. 8201 PP 2644/12/2012 (031195) www.thesundaily.my INSIDE More nations shun greenback in foreign trade PUTRAJAYA: In a bid to intensify technical and vocational education and training (TVET), Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has suggested that the private sector and government-linked companies (GLC) step up their involvement and cooperation in such efforts. He said this was important to meet the needs of industries and resolve problems such as mismatch between training provided and industry requirements as well as unsatisfactory facilities. “I have proposed that immediate measures be taken. We have studies and committees to ensure that our children are trained for jobs that provide a reasonable income,” he told a press conference after chairing the weekly Cabinet meeting yesterday. Anwar said for example, Petronas could use its expertise to manage the TVET centre in Pengerang, Johor, to cater to the needs of Petronas, and DRB-Hicom in Pekan, Pahang, in the automobile sector while the Sunway and Berjaya groups could provide training in hotel and tourism, and general services. Apart from this, groups from the business conglomerate owned by Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Albukhary could also participate in TVET or training institutions, he added. Anwar said the Cabinet committee on TVET would take additional steps, including identifying private companies which could aid government efforts, Bernama reported. “This is a major decision and we have called for immediate action, apart from explaining this in the budget (revised Budget 2023) on Feb 24,” said Anwar, who is also finance minister. He said based on last year’s budget, the allocation for TVET was RM6.7 billion, covering various ministries, departments, agencies and 500 public skills training institutes with a total enrolment of about 250,000 trainees. He said efforts to strengthen TVET also involved various ministries and departments, including the Higher Education Ministry, Education Ministry, Rural and Regional Development EARLY BLESSINGS ... A kavadi bearer leaving Batu Caves yesterday after fulfilling his vows in conjunction with Thaipusam. To beat the crowds, a steady stream of Hindu devotees made their pilgrimage to the location ahead of the festival on Sunday. – SYAZWAN KAMAL/THESUN Ministry, Youth and Sports Ministry, Human Resources Ministry and Giatmara. On a separate matter, Anwar said Malaysia condemns in the strongest possible terms the relentless and ferocious suppression campaign by Israel against the Palestinians, especially against detainees from Jenin in the West Bank. In a statement yesterday, he stressed that it includes suppression in several Israeli occupation prisons as well as collective punishment and reprisals. “Malaysia calls on all rightminded world leaders and free peoples to categorically denounce the outright killings of the Palestinian peoples committed by the authorities of Israel.” Anwar said Malaysia also calls upon the international community to hold the Israeli regime to account for the crimes, and demands the regime immediately cease further acts of cruelty and barbarism. He also said Malaysia expresses sympathy, condolences and prayers to the families of the scores of Palestinians killed and wounded on account of the unmitigated aggression of Israeli forces during the recent raids on a Jenin refugee camp. He stressed that Malaysia continues to stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine, and reaffirms its unwavering support for the Palestinians and their cause to achieve freedom from the illegal Israeli occupation, and realise their aspirations for an independent and sovereign state of Palestine based on pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as the capital. oAnwar calls for greater private sector, GLC participation Partake in TVET theSun will observe the Thaipusam replacement holiday and there will be no publication on Monday. Please visit www.thesundaily.my for the latest news. 3 page

2 theSUN ON FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 3, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS Anwar’s proposal on open tender system lauded PETALING JAYA: The open tender system will reduce political interference, lobbying, nepotism and cronyism. It will also reduce opportunities for corruption, said former treasury secretary-general Tan Sri Sheriff Kassim. He was commenting on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s recent instruction to civil servants that approval for government procurement can no longer be given without a tender process. Anwar said his government will not allow leakages or corruption to continue in the country, and that to ensure corruption will not take place, the approval and procurement process without a tender should no longer be allowed. Sheriff said the open tender system has always been a part of the Finance Ministry’s regulations. As it is more transparent, bidding for a project will be more competitive and bidders will try to oMove will make bidding more competitive, reduce corruption opportunities, political interference and cronyism, says former sec-gen █ BYRAJVINDER SINGH [email protected] give the best possible price. “The treasury will make its cost estimate before the tender is open. If the bidding price is too low, it might not be a practical offer, therefore the treasury studies all open tender bids carefully before awarding the contract,” he said, adding that having open tenders do not mean corruption will be eliminated but it will be reduced. Sherrif said in certain cases it might not be practical to have open tenders, for example when it involves military projects or there might be only one supplier for the product. He said ministries are not allowed to depart from the standard practice of having an open tender, they have to give the reason as to why they want to hold direct negotiations with a contractor. If they want to avoid the open tender system, the reason must be justified, he said. Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said on Wednesday the implementation of an open tender policy would lead to cost reduction for the government while boosting national income. Economist Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam said the open tender system is best if it is done in a transparent and accountable manner. In a closed system those involved can get “a few friends” to bid for the tender before it is awarded to one of them. “In an open bidding system, there is a set number of prequalifiers, such as capability and track record. The whole process is very strict and the bids cannot be shared with others, or the process will be corrupted. “If done well, the system will reduce leakages and save money for the government, but if controls are lax, then leakages will become a problem. The possibility of corruption exists if those involved in the open tender are in cahoots with the bidders,” said the former deputy treasury secretary-general and Transport Ministry secretarygeneral. Ramon also said the lowest tender bid might not be best because the winner may not be able to deliver the project or meet the required quality. “Before a bid is awarded in an open tender system, all bidders must be carefully scrutinised to ensure the winner can deliver. Failure to deliver even in an open system will cause the government to lose money.” No interference in MACC probe on Bersatu, says PM PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yesterday stressed that the unity government under his leadership does not interfere in investigations carried out by any law enforcers, including the investigation conducted by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Anwar with Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof and Transport Minister Anthony Loke. – BERNAMAPIC ‘One-third seat for Sabah, S’wak in discussion stage’ KUALA LUMPUR: Returning the one-third seat composition in the Dewan Rakyat for Sabah and Sarawak as stipulated in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) is still in the discussion stage, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof. However, he said the matter will take two to three years to complete as it needed to go through stages, namely the MA63 steering committee; MA63 technical committee and MA63 implementation action council as well as various parties. Fadillah said the MA63 technical committee chaired by him would discuss issues related to MA63 based on topic. It would give priority to those that did not involve complicated legal or technical matters. “Once it is decided at the technical level, it will be taken to the implementation action council for final approval before being presented to the Cabinet to make amendments to all related laws. “So it is still a long process. We also have to get Cabinet approval before tabling it in Parliament, which requires a two-thirds majority support,” he said after appearing as a guest on the RTM’s Naratif Khas Bersama Timbalan Perdana Menteri programme. Earlier in the programme, Fadillah, who is also Plantations and Commodities minister, said the one-third parliamentary seat allocation for Sabah and Sarawak was important as it would not allow the peninsula to amend the Constitution that may eliminate the rights of the two states as enshrined in MA63. In addition to the parliamentary seat allocation, he said the return of autonomy of education and health to Sabah and Sarawak was also in the discussion stage. Fadillah said the “Sarawak First” slogan was created to restore the spirit of the people of Sarawak to build and develop Malaysia. He said although there were calls for Sarawak to leave Malaysia, the Gabungan Parti Sarawak leadership has expressed commitment that the state will remain as part of Malaysia. – Bernama Commission (MACC) against Bersatu. Speaking after chairing the weekly Cabinet meeting here yesterday, Anwar said the investigation, enforcement and judiciary bodies remain independent to carry out their respective probes. He said it was irresponsible for the opposition party to make accusations against the unity government relating to the issue. “We will not do what they did and we will not use these (investigation and enforcement) bodies,” he said. On Wednesday, Bersatu secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin was reported as saying the party is disappointed with the Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional government’s move to use a government agency to achieve its political aim of killing the credibility of Bersatu and Perikatan Nasional to achieve their political agenda. MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki had also confirmed that the graft busters have frozen Bersatu’s accounts to investigate funds believed to have been obtained from illegal proceeds. On the probe against Bersatu, Anwar said there were reports made to police and the MACC on the use of funds by the party. – Bernama Nik Nasarudin is new education sec-gen PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Nik Nasarudin Mohd Zawawi has been appointed as the new secretary-general of the Education Ministry effective yesterday, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali said. Nik Nasarudin, 57, has been in the public service for 32 years, starting as a teacher or education service officer on Jan 12, 1988, before joining the Administrative and Diplomatic Service Scheme on Dec 16, 1996. In a statement yesterday, Mohd Zuki said Nik Nasarudin has extensive experience in various fields including planning, implementation, monitoring of development projects as well as administration and human capital development. “The holder of a bachelor’s and a master’s degrees in economics from Universiti Malaya and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia respectively, gained that experience after serving in the Economic Planning Unit, the Implementation Coordination Unit, the Prime Minister’s Department and the Pahang State Secretary’s Office. “With his experience and credibility, I am confident he will be able to carry out his responsibilities by continuing the ministry’s mission to preserve a quality education system to meet the aspirations of Malaysia Madani,” said Mohd Zuki. – Bernama Free studies scheme a boost for poor students KUALA LUMPUR: Free studies sponsorship programme for firstgeneration students from poor families to pursue studies at institutions of higher learning can change their fate. Commenting on the suggestion by Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Centre for Studies in Learner Diversity senior lecturer Dr Anuar Ahmad said the programme had successfully supported this group through various initiatives such as hostels, scholarships, and loans. “In the 1970s, these programmes were able to open up many opportunities for children in this group. “Through the programmes, many of them excelled in their education and became professionals earning good incomes,” he said. Meanwhile, Universiti Sains Malaysia senior economics and mualamat faculty lecturer Dr Muhammad Iqmal Hisham Kamaruddin said the programmes had helped the poor and the B40 group realised their potential. – Bernama

3 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 3, 2023 ‘More nations using own currencies to pay for imports’ oLocal firms can benefit if ringgit is strong as it will translate to cheaper imports for manufacturers, thus lowering costs: FMM PETALING JAYA: More importers of Malaysian products are using other currencies to pay for their purchases, bypassing the US dollar (USD) due to its volatility, said Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) president Tan Sri Soh Thian Lai. He said the US Federal Reserve has been increasing the interest rate by 0.75 percentage points each quarter as a move to fight inflation. However, last Wednesday, the increase was just 0.25 percentage points, which is the lowest in over a year. But this has not changed the position of importers from using other currencies. Soh said importers from China have requested to pay in renminbi while Malaysian exporters are being paid in euros for exports to the European Union. “Despite its volatility, the USD is generally used as the principal financial instrument for export proceeds as it is widely accepted and requested by foreign buyers. “Additionally, manufacturers also need to import raw materials and components, and pay their foreign Johor hospital provides more parking bays 10,000 Felcra participants sign up for Socso protection LUMINOUS ATMOSPHERE ... Visitors taking a photo at the River of Life in Masjid Jamek, Kuala Lumpur in conjunction with Federal Territories Day recently. – WAN MIRZA ISKANDAR/THESUN suppliers in USD. The US dollars received from exports are used to offset suppliers, in this way, there will be no loss in the exchange rate.” Soh said a strong ringgit would mean cheaper imports for manufacturers, thus lowering costs. He added that this would particularly benefit companies that are net importers and have high import volume for their raw materials, which are currently impacted by the weakening ringgit and global inflationary pressures. Sunway University economics professor Dr Yeah Kim Leng said the advantage of using currencies other than the USD is that it will boost trade and investment between the countries involved, and help to prevent currency volatility. “Malaysian importers and exporters are using the renminbi to pay for Chinese-made goods as there is a trade settlement facility. Long-term contracts can be agreed and settled using own currencies.” He said BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) nations currencies can also be used for international trade, adding that this could be achieved if goods are no longer traded in USD but in those currencies. However, it is important to set up a settlement facility. Yeah said 70% to 80% of world trade is conducted in USD but it has been declining as nations start using other currencies for trade settlement. “Purchasing of machinery and materials will be cheaper with a strong ringgit as it will help companies improve their productivity with better machinery. The ringgit needs to strengthen against the country’s major trading partners. The offset against a strong ringgit is that exports will become more expensive.” According to Yeah, a strong ringgit reflects strong growth. “The nation’s well-being and wealth will also increase, and the country can sustain a strong economy. This will lower inflation and, hence, benefit the public.” He noted that the ringgit has been undervalued since the Asian financial crisis, but “ever since the appointment of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as Malaysia’s 10th prime minister, the ringgit has been recovering its position. Before his appointment, the ringgit hovered around RM4.50 to the USD but it is now around RM4.20”. Universiti Tun Abdul Razak economist Dr Barjoyai Bardai said there are pros and cons to a strong ringgit because the country’s exports will become more expensive and importers may look at other alternatives. However, he added that a strong ringgit will benefit the nation as it will make imports cheaper. But ultimately, there will not be a huge difference as 80% of Malaysian products are exported and about 80% of goods are imported. “Those who will benefit from a strong ringgit are foreign and shortterm investors who want strong exchange rates as they believe their money will be safer.” Foreign minister to attend Asean meeting in Jakarta PUTRAJAYA: Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir will lead Malaysia’s delegation to the 32nd Asean Coordinating Council (ACC) meeting and Asean Foreign Ministers’ (AMM) retreat in Jakarta, Indonesia today and tomorrow. Indonesia helms the chairmanship of Asean this year, with the theme “Asean matters: Epicentrum of growth”. The Foreign Ministry in a statement yesterday said Indonesia is expected to brief participants on its proposed key priorities and deliverables for 2023. Other issues that are expected to be discussed are updates on the implementation of the decisions reached during the 40th and 41st Asean Summits in November 2022. These include the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus on Myanmar, Timor-Leste’s application for Asean membership, Asean’s capacity and institutional effectiveness, external relations as well as the exchange of views on regional and international issues of mutual interest. “The 32nd ACC and AMM retreat will provide Malaysia and other members with an excellent opportunity to further strengthen Asean’s efforts towards building an inclusive, sustainable and resilient community against the backdrop of the compounding challenges of geopolitical dynamics, inflationary pressures as well as food and energy crises,” said the ministry. In line with the decision of the 40th Asean Summit, Timor-Leste will participate in the meetings as an observer. Zambry will also hold sideline meetings with some of his counterparts to discuss the strengthening of bilateral relations, it added. – Bernama KUALA LUMPUR: The Social Security Organisation (Socso) has received the Self-Employment Social Security Scheme contributions from Felcra Bhd for 10,000 participants through the SPS Tani initiative under the Felcra SPS Contribution Matching programme. The SPS Contribution Matching programme is a government matching grant initiative introduced in Budget 2022, aimed at encouraging and easing the burden of the self-employed to get social protection from Sosco. “Under the initiative, the government will cover 80% of the Self-Employment Social Security Scheme Plan 2 contribution, while contributors only have to pay 20%, which is RM46.60 of the full contribution amount of RM232.80,” according to a joint statement by Socso and Felcra Bhd yesterday. The contribution under SPS Tani by Felcra is realised through the Tango project, a platform that gathers entrepreneurs and the self-employed, including online gig workers, to participate in the scheme. The scheme provides protection from employment injuries, occupational diseases and accidents during work-related activities, medical benefits, temporary and permanent disablement benefits and attendance allowance. The others include dependants and funeral benefits, physical or vocational rehabilitation facilities and education benefits. Meanwhile, Socso hoped that more agencies would emulate Felcra so that more self-employed individuals can be protected under the sheme. “This scheme provides protection to not only self-employed individuals but also their dependants in the event of a work-related death,” it said. To date, around 711,000 contributors have registered for the scheme out of approximately 2.8 million self-employed individuals nationwide. – Bernama JOHOR BAHRU: The Sultan Ismail Hospital at Jalan Mutiara Emas Utama in Taman Mount Austin here has opened an area for additional parking. Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, when announcing this, hoped that the additional parking will reduce traffic congestion at the hospital. “Be assured that the state government will always do its best to assist the Health Ministry in improving the quality of services, not only in terms of healthcare, but also infrastructure, for the well-being of the Bangsa Johor,” he said in a post on Facebook yesterday. Onn Hafiz also expressed his appreciation to State Health and Unity Committee chairman Ling Tian Soon, State Health director Datuk Dr Aman Rabu and State Public Works Department director Abu Bakar Abd Aziz. In August last year, the state government announced an allocation of RM500,000 for upgrading the parking area and RM95,000 for the replacement of the roof and related works, as well as RM75,000 for the purchase of chairs. – Bernama Bersatu to seek lifting of freeze on accounts KUALA LUMPUR: Bersatu will send a letter to the Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission (MACC) to request the latter to lift the freeze order on the party’s bank accounts. Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said lifting the order was crucial to enable the party’s administration to run smoothly and financial commitments made on time. “When our accounts are frozen, we do not have funds to pay administrative salaries even for one month. And now they (MACC) say the accounts will be frozen for three months, which will affect the party’s administration. “We request that once the MACC completes its investigation and finds no wrongdoings or abuse of power, it lifts the order as soon as possible,” he told reporters after the PN MP retreat here yesterday. Elaborating, Muhyiddin, who is also Pagoh MP, said MACC’s move also affected Bersatu’s preparation for the upcoming six state elections. – Bernama █ BYRAJVINDER SINGH [email protected]

4 theSUN ON FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 3, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS Ministry will not tolerate violations of WHO tobacco control policy KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry will not compromise with any official who violates Article 5.3 of the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) and related policies. Health Deputy Director-General (Public Health) Datuk Dr Norhayati Rusli said the ministry viewed the allegation that two of its senior officials had met tobacco industry representatives seriously. The meeting is said to have violated Article 5.3 of the WHO FCTC. Norhayati said initial investigations found that the two officials were visited by two individuals, who had introduced themselves as the owners of a Putrajaya bicycle company and a printing company. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss a proposal to organise a weight loss programme, but nothing was agreed to during the discussion. “The Health Ministry is taking the allegations seriously. This puts the ministry and the government in bad light.” She added that as civil servants, it is their responsibility to ensure that any conflict of interest is avoided when meeting private companies or NGOs. Article 5.3 of the WHO FCTC stipulates that Malaysia, as a member state, must implement a public health policy on tobacco control and protect it from commercial interests and the interests of the tobacco industry based on local laws. The article sets out guidelines on control measures that must be established such as limiting any interaction with the tobacco industry, ensuring the transparency of any interaction that occurs, rejecting partnerships and agreements with the tobacco industry and avoiding conflict of interest for government officials and employees. Norhayati said as a signatory to the WHO FCTC since Sept 16, 2005, the Health Ministry has always ensured any interactions with the tobacco industry complies with the guidelines set out in Article 5.3. – Bernama RM34.9 million windfall for two jackpot winners KUALA LUMPUR: Ushering in the Year of the Rabbit, Sports Toto gave out Chinese New Year ang pows in the form of jackpots amounting to RM34.9 million on Jan 22 and 25. A 57-year-old car sales agent from Selangor won RM27.13 million in the Supreme Toto 6/58 jackpot on Jan 22. When collecting his winnings at the STM Lottery head office, the winner said he would usually buy Lucky Pick tickets for the Lotto games. “It’s Chinese New Year, and it’s the best time to test our luck. I am so happy I have the ‘ong’ to win the jackpot on the first day of Chinese New Year.” The winner said it was his wife who found out the happy news when she went to a Toto outlet to check the tickets at the CheckWin machine. “She was so confused when she saw so many numbers appearing on the CheckWin machine. Luckily, a helpful Toto staff helped her to call me to tell me the great news.” The winner’s Lucky Pick ticket netted him RM27,130,904.85 and he said he would share the winnings with his wife and daughter. Three days later, a 45-year-old human resource supervisor from Perak won the RM7.77 million Power Toto 6/55 jackpot on Jan 25. The winner said he bet on the same number combination consisting of his family members’ birth dates, age and wedding date for more than 10 years. He won RM7,770,241.70 and said he would use the winnings to pay off his debts. Modern treatment for cancer offers hope to patients KUALA LUMPUR: This year, World Cancer Day falls on Feb 4 and is celebrated to raise awareness surrounding cancer in its many forms and effects, as well as treatments and recovery. Sunway Medical Centre Velocity said in a statement cancer fighting technology has improved in leaps and bounds in recent years, and one newer technology that has been known to be effective in treating cancer is immunotherapy, which is available in Malaysia. It said immunotherapy is unique in the way that it uses the body’s own immune system to fight cancer. According to its consultant clinical oncologist Dr Hafizah Zaharah Ahmad, the immune system is like the police force of our bodies. She said it is designed to protect the body against infection, illness and disease. “It can also protect us from the development of cancer. Normally, it can detect and destroy faulty or mutated cells in the body and oImmunotherapy uses body’s own immune system to fight disease, says consultant Negeri Sembilan to crack down on illegal settlements SEREMBAN: The Negeri Sembilan government will not compromise on any security issue, especially involving foreigners who trespass on land, that is either privately owned or state government property, to turn it into illegal settlements, said Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun. He added that all parties, including enforcement agencies such as the state immigration department, police and local authorities, need to take immediate action and monitor all risk areas to ensure such cases do not occur. “I was surprised by the news and I stress that it shouldn’t happen. “We don’t want any settlements to exist for so long before action is taken, as it would be difficult to evict them. “This is a big issue that needs to be taken seriously.” – Bernama Govt to build houses for army veterans KAJANG: The Defence Ministry is aiming to build 40 houses nationwide this year under the Armed Forces Veterans Housing Initiative Project. Deputy Defence Minister Adly Zahari said the target was achievable based on last year’s programme, that managed to build 25 houses. “This year, the ministry intends to build 40 houses, which will be given free to Armed Forces veterans who cannot afford a house but own a piece of land. “If the land has multiple owners or belongs to other family members, then it would require written consent from all individuals involved,” he told reporters after visiting Kpl (Rtd) Sarafuddin Suhaimi at his home in Taman Semarak here yesterday. Sarafuddin, 62, is a Royal Malay Regiment veteran who lost his right leg during Op Gubir in 1985. – Bernama URGENT MOVE ... A Kinabatangan family in Sabah loading their belongings onto a boat after their village in Pangkalan Bukit Garam was flooded. – BERNAMAPIC eliminate them before they become a significant threat.” She also said cancer can still develop when the immune system is not strong enough to kill cancer cells, or when the cancer cells hide from the immune system, adding that cancer cells can camouflage themselves as normal cells. Hafizah said immunotherapy is more targeted as a cancer treatment. “Immunotherapy can boost or change how the immune system works so it can recognise and kill cancer cells.” She said as cancer cells start out as normal cells, the immune system does not always recognise them as a threat, adding that various immunotherapy agents are given as an infusion into a vein typically once every two, three or four weeks and can be given by themselves, or in combination with targeted therapy or chemotherapy. She said for advanced stage cancer, immunotherapy treatment generally is given for two years, alongside close monitoring, Bernama reported. Although immunotherapy may seem like the light at the end of the tunnel for cancer patients, Hafizah cautioned that not all cancers will respond well to the treatment. She added that immunotherapy can be used as a treatment for various cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer, triple-negative breast cancer, those affecting the head and neck, cervix, liver, colon and bladder, gastric cancer, oesophageal cancer, melanoma, renal cell carcinoma and endometrial cancer. She also said as with any form of treatment, immunotherapy presents its own sets of side effects. “Generally, the treatment is well tolerated, with possible side effects such as feeling tired, skin rash and muscle or joint pain. “Although rare, some patients could also exhibit allergic reactions including dizziness, fast heart rates, face swelling or breathing problems. “Signs of autoimmune reactions that can cause serious problems may occur in the lungs, intestines, liver, hormone-making glands, kidneys, or skin. “Examples of symptoms to look out for are diarrhoea, severe abdominal pain, worsening cough, shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing.” Hafizah said cancer research has pushed treatment to new frontiers, leading to higher cancer control or cure rates, but recommends taking on medical insurance to manage the rising cost of treatment.

5 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 3, 2023 AGC axes Sarawak Report editor’s bid to quash charge KUALA LUMPUR: The AttorneyGeneral’s Chambers (AGC) has rejected a representation by Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown, seeking the prosecution to withdraw a charge made against her for allegedly making defamatory statements against the Sultanah of Terengganu Sultanah Nur Zahirah. Rewcastle-Brown, who is from the United Kingdom, was charged in the Kuala Terengganu Magistrate’s Court on Sept 23, 2021 with defaming Sultanah Nur Zahirah in a book The Sarawak Report - The Inside Story of the 1MDB Expose. The charge, framed under Section 500 of the Penal Code, provides imprisonment of up oAlleged offence relates to defamation of Terengganu Sultanah in paragraph from defendant’s book on 1MDB expose to two years or a fine, or both. Her lawyer Guok Ngek Seong said he was informed of the matter through a letter sent via email on Jan 25. “We will submit a new representation to the AGC,” said Guok. He added that the court fixed March 10 for further case management and it would be held before a new judge, K. Muniandy, who replaced Justice Mohamed Zaini Mazlan. DPP Noor Haslinda Che Seman confirmed the matter when contacted. She also said the hearing of the case, which was supposed to take place at the Kuala Terengganu Magistrate’s Court last month, was postponed due to Rewcastle-Brown’s application to transfer the case to the High Court. Rewcastle-Brown filed the representation on Dec 13, following a High Court decision on Oct 31 in dismissing the defamation suit filed by Sultanah Nur Zahirah against her. In the application, RewcastleBrown said the High Court had ruled the paragraph in the book was not defamatory, and as such, the prosecution will face difficulties in proving the case beyond a reasonable doubt. Judicial commissioner John Lee Kien How @ Johan Lee ruled that the statement was not defamatory and ordered RM80,000 in costs to be paid to Rewcastle-Brown and other defendants, namely publisher Cheong Ton Sin and printer Vinlin Press Sdn Bhd. – Bernama DEADLY WEAPONS ... Kelantan police chief Datuk Muhamad Zaki Harun (second from left) with his officers showing firearms and ammunition seized in two separate raids in Pasir Mas, during a press conference at the Kelantan Police Contingent Headquarters yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC Former manager charged with money laundering involving RM28m SHAH ALAM: A former finance manager of a musical equipment company was charged in two Sessions Courts yesterday with 22 counts of money laundering involving RM28 million. Foo Yong Xian, 35, pleaded not guilty to all the charges, which were read out separately before Justice Muhamad Anas Mahadzir and Justice Norazlin Othman. In the case before Muhamad Anas, the defendant was charged with 10 counts of receiving and disposing RM9.6 million, believed to be proceeds from unlawful activities, while the remaining 12 charges, involving transferring and disposing RM18.4 million, were before Norazalin. He is alleged to have received the money through cheques and transferred it online from a bank account belonging to the company into his personal account and several other company accounts. The offences were allegedly committed at two bank branches in Bangsar and Bandar Puteri Puchong between February 2018 and December 2020. The charges were framed under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 and punishable under Section 4(1) of the same law, which provides imprisonment of up to 15 years and a fine of not less than five times the amount or value of proceeds from the unlawful activities or RM5 million, whichever is higher. DPP Muhammad Zulfadli Mohd Nawawi prosecuted in both cases, while Foo was represented by lawyer Tuw Min Ric. Foo was allowed bail of RM154,000 in two sureties for the charges and was also ordered to report to the nearest police station once a month. Muhamad Anas allowed the case to be transferred and tried together on March 22 after the prosecution applied for it. – Bernama Police receive 444,120 reports in 2022 KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 444,120 reports were lodged with Kuala Lumpur police last year, compared with 374,588 in 2021. Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Azmi Abu Kassim said 40% of the reports involved investigations by other enforcement agencies. “An average of 50 reports are received at all police stations in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya every day. All the cases are investigated, as the emphasis is on obtaining justice. “The increase is good because it shows public confidence in the police,” he said. Azmi added that a total of 86,409 investigation papers were opened by the Criminal Investigation Department, the Commercial Crime Investigation Department, the Narcotics Crime Investigation Department and the Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department last year. He said the number increased by 22,474 compared with 63,935 in 2021. “A total of 79,621 cases have been taken to court last year, an increase of 25,660 compared with 53,961 in 2021.” He also said a total of 14,342 operations were conducted by Kuala Lumpur police, involving all the departments last year. Police also conducted 63,560 anticrime preventive programmes last year to enhance public awareness on the matter, he said, adding that this was in line with efforts to make Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya safe cities to live in. – Bernama Fire destroys 15 motorcycles in parking area BUKIT MERTAJAM: Fiftteen motorcycles in a parking area at Flat Tuna D4 in Seberang Jaya were damaged in a fire yesterday. No one was injured in the incident, said Penang Fire and Rescue Department operations officer Shahrul Munawer Taharen. He said the department received a distress call at 5.11am and a team from the Perai station rushed to the scene. “Upon arrival, the team found 15 motorcycles in the parking area were on fire and efforts were made to prevent the blaze from spreading. “The fire also caused damage to a store used to keep prayer paraphernalia,” he said. Shahrul added that the operation was completed at 5.40am and the department is investigating the cause of the fire. – Bernama Cops to probe alleged racial slur by influencer KUALA LUMPUR: Police have opened an investigation paper on influencer “fatinamyralee,” who is alleged to have made a racial slur during a concert at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium last Saturday. Cheras district police chief ACP Zam Halim Jamaluddin said on Wednesday, police received a report in connection with a video. He said the investigation would be conducted under Section 504 of the Penal Code, for intentionally insulting with the intention of causing a breach of the peace. It will also be investigated under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, for improper use of network facilities. “We have taken witness statements and a detailed investigation is being carried out regarding the incident. “The police advise the public not to make any speculation that may cause confusion,” he said. Zam Halim urged the public to contact the Cheras police hotline at 03-9284 5050/5051, the Kuala Lumpur police hotline at 03-2115 9999 or any police station if they have any information regarding the incident. – Bernama Police record statements over protest at Swedish, Dutch embassies KUALA LUMPUR: Police have recorded statements from 10 individuals to assist in investigations into two protest gatherings held in front of the Swedish and Dutch embassies in the capital. City police chief Datuk Azmi Abu Kassim said the statements of those involved had been recorded recently. “More individuals will be summoned in the future to assist in the investigations,” he said. Dang Wangi district police chief ACP Noor Dellhan Yahaya said police detected two gatherings last Saturday that did not comply with the law, one to deliver a memorandum protesting the burning of a copy of the Holy Quran in Stockholm and another, a solidarity demonstration. Noor Dellhan said police have opened two investigation papers under Section 9(5) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 in connection with the two protests. – Bernama

6 theSUN ON FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 3, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS Philippines grants US greater access to bases oChina says agreement hurts regional stability and escalates tensions MANILA: The Philippines has granted the United States greater access to its military bases, their defence chiefs said yesterday, amid mounting concern over China’s increasing assertiveness in the disputed South China Sea and tension over self-ruled Taiwan. The US would be given access to four more locations under the 2014 Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Philippine counterpart Carlito Galvez said in a joint news conference at the military headquarters in Manila. Austin, in the Philippines for talks as the US seeks to extend its security options as part of efforts to Indian journalist walks free after two years in jail Pakistan mosque suicide bomber ‘was in police uniform’ B R I E F SAMERICA REOPENS SOLOMONS EMBASSY HONIARA: The United States reopened its embassy in the Solomon Islands yesterday after a 30-year hiatus, part of a bid to counter China’s growing influence in the South Pacific. Re-establishing the diplomatic outpost was a renewal “of our commitment to the people of Solomon Islands and our partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region”, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. The US closed its embassy in the capital Honiara in 1993 after the end of the Cold War led to a reduction in diplomatic posts and a shift in priorities. The statement said the reopening “builds on our efforts to place more diplomatic personnel throughout the region and engage further with our Pacific neighbours”. – AFP STATE DEPT DENOUNCES EMERGENCY EXTENSION WASHINGTON: The United States on Wednesday denounced the Myanmar junta’s extension of a state of emergency, saying it prolonged suffering two years after a coup toppled an elected government. “The United States strongly opposes the Burma military regime’s decision to extend the state of emergency, prolonging the military’s illegitimate rule and the suffering it inflicts upon the country,” said State Department spokesman Ned Price. On the coup anniversary, the junta said it was extending the emergency by six months, pushing back the date for elections under the constitution. Price said the US was determined to work with other countries to “deny the regime international credibility.” – AFP SEEKING FAIRNESS ... Teachers taking part in a protest organised by trade unions in Saint Peter’s Square in Manchester as part of a national strike. Children missed school and commuters faced severe disruption in the UK as half a million workers staged walkouts calling for higher wages. – AFPPIC deter any move by China against self-ruled Taiwan, referred to the Philippine decision as a “big deal” as he and his counterpart reaffirmed their commitment to bolstering their alliance. “Our alliance makes both of our democracies more secure and helps uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific,” said Austin, whose visit follows one by US Vice-President Kamala Harris in November, which included a stop at Palawan Island in the South China Sea. “We discussed concrete actions to address destabilising activities in the waters surrounding the Philippines, including the West Philippine Sea, and we remain committed to strengthening our mutual capacities to resist armed attack. “That’s just part of our efforts to modernise our alliance. “These efforts are especially important as the People’s Republic of China continues to advance its illegitimate claims in the West Philippine Sea.” China said greater US access to Philippine military bases undermined regional stability and raised tensions. “This is an act that escalates tensions in the region and endangers regional peace and stability,” said China Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning. “Regional countries should remain vigilant about this and avoid being used by the US.” The additional sites under EDCA bring to nine the number of military bases the US would have access to. The US has announced it was allocating more than US$82 million for infrastructure at the existing sites. EDCA allows US access to Philippine military bases for joint training, pre-positioning of equipment and the building of facilities such as runways, fuel storage and military housing, but not for a permanent presence. Austin and Galvez did not specify the sites that would be opened to US access. The former Philippine military chief had said the US had asked for access to bases on the main northern island of Luzon, the closest part of the Philippines to Taiwan, and on Palawan in the southwest, near the disputed Spratly Islands in South China Sea. Outside the military headquarters, dozens of protesters opposed to an American military presence chanted anti-US slogans and called for the EDCA to be scrapped. Before meeting his counterpart, Austin met Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos and assured him of US support. “We stand ready to help you in any way we can,” he said. – Reuters HK offers 500,000 free flights to lure visitors HONG KONG: Chief Executive John Lee unveiled yesterday a promotion campaign that will include 500,000 free flights to lure visitors, businesses and investors back to the financial hub after more than three years of tough Covid-19 curbs. The “Hello Hong Kong” campaign launched with dancers and flashing neon lights in the city’s main convention centre beside its harbour, with a backdrop carrying the slogan in various languages, including Russian and Spanish. Lee, speaking in English, said the campaign would show the city was open for tourism and was aimed at boosting business and investment. “Hong Kong is now connected to mainland China and the whole international world, and there will be no isolation, no quarantine and no restrictions on experiencing (and) enjoying the hustle and bustle of Asia’s world city.” Officials from the city’s tourism, trade and aviation departments also attended the launch. Hong Kong was largely sealed off behind closed borders for much of the past three years in a bid to ward off Covid, with mandatory quarantine of up to three weeks for arrivals, as well as intensive testing and screening. The former British colony closely followed China’s zero-Covid policy until the middle of 2022, when it began to gradually unwind its rules. Hong Kong dropped most of the rest in December, but mask-wearing remains mandatory except during exercise, along with daily rapid antigen testing for students. There remains a quota system for travellers between the mainland and Hong Kong and a Covid test requirement. Three of Hong Kong’s border checkpoints with China have remained closed. Lee said Hong Kong would host sports and cultural events and highlight attractions such as the Palace Museum and M+ museum, as well as a revamped Peak Tram with special vouchers. Upcoming events include the Clockenflap music festival, Hong Kong marathon and the Rubgy Sevens tournament. Hong Kong celebrities, officials and business executives featured in promotional videos streamed during the ceremony that would be used to promote the city, Lee said. Airlines Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Express and Hong Kong Airlines will receive free flight tickets to be distributed to overseas visitors for six months from March 1, officials said. – Reuters ISLAMABAD: The suicide bomber who killed 101 people inside a mosque at a police headquarters in Pakistan was wearing a uniform and helmet when he staged the attack, a police official said yesterday. Hundreds of policemen were attending afternoon prayers in what should have been a tightly controlled compound in the northwest city of Peshawar on Monday when the blast erupted, causing a wall to collapse and crush officers. “Those on duty didn’t check him because he was in a police uniform. It was a security lapse,” said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province police chief Moazzam Jah Ansari. Police have a “fair idea” about who the bomber was after matching his head found at the scene with CCTV images. “There’s an entire network behind him,” Moazzam said, explaining that the bomber had not planned the assault alone. Authorities are investigating how a major breach could happen in one of the most sensitive areas of the city, which houses intelligence and counter-terrorism bureaus and is next door to the regional secretariat. It is Pakistan’s deadliest assault in several years and the worst since violence began to resurge in the region after the Afghan Taliban takeover in Kabul in 2021. Authorities are also investigating the possibility that people inside the compound helped to coordinate the attack, a senior police official told AFP on condition of anonymity. “We have detained people from the police line (headquarters) to get to the bottom of how the explosive material made its way in and to see if any police officials were also involved in the attack.” The official said 23 people had been detained, including some from the nearby former tribal areas that border Afghanistan. – AFP NEW DELHI: An Indian journalist held in custody for more than two years without trial walked free yesterday after being granted bail in a money laundering case. Siddique Kappan was arrested in October 2020 in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, where he had travelled to report on a high-profile gang rape case. He and three others were accused of belonging to a fundamentalist group and eventually charged with conspiracy to incite violence. Kappan has maintained his innocence and said he had only travelled from his home state of Kerala to do his duties as a journalist. He was bailed in the case in September last year but remained behind bars for months longer because of a separate money laundering case against him. “I will continue my fight against draconian laws. “They kept me in jail even after I got bail,” Kappan told NDTV news network after his release from jail in the city of Lucknow. “These two years were very tough but I was never afraid.” India has slipped 10 places in the Reporters Without Borders press freedom ranking to 150 out of 180 surveyed countries since the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office in 2014. Critical reporters often find themselves behind bars and hounded on social media by supporters of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Nine other journalists are currently in Indian prisons, according to Reporters Without Borders. – AFP

7 * NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS @thesundaily theSUN ON FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 3, 2023 FOLLOW ON TWITTER SCAN ME Haley to challenge Trump for Republican nomination WASHINGTON: Former UN ambassador Nikki Haley moved closer on Wednesday to the widely expected launch of her US presidential campaign – previewing a “big announcement” that looks certain to confirm her as an early rival to frontrunner Donald Trump in the race for the Republican nomination. Casting herself as a younger, fresher alternative to the former president, Haley has been hinting at a possible run for weeks, posting a video on social media declaring that America is ready for “a new generation” of leadership. “My family and I have a big announcement to share with you on Feb 15th! And yes, it’s definitely going to be a Great Day in South Carolina!” she tweeted, inviting supporters to turn out at an event in Charleston, the Palmetto State’s largest town. At this point in the 2020 cycle, 10 Democrats had launched campaigns or exploratory committees, but Trump is the only Republican to do so officially this time around. Haley, 51, who was South Carolina’s governor before serving for two years as Trump’s United Nations ambassador, had said she would not run against her former boss. “Nikki has to follow her heart, not her honour. She should definitely run!” Trump said in an acerbic post on his social network that appeared calculated to raise questions over her loyalty. Haley is unlikely to be the last Republican to throw their hat in the ring. Some Washington watchers speculated that her announcement might prompt a stampede from rivals such as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Trump’s vice-president Mike Pence. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Nimrata “Nikki” Randhawa was raised in Bamberg, South Carolina as a Sikh, but now identifies as Christian. She is married to a South Carolina National Guard officer and has two children. Haley rose quickly in the southern state’s politics, building a reputation as a plain-spoken conservative in its House of Representatives from 2005 until 2011, when she was elected governor. She left the Trump administration in 2018 with a strong global profile and a reputation for standing up to her mercurial boss. Haley averages 3% in 2024 primary opinion polls, according to Morning Consult, trailing Trump at 48%, DeSantis at 31% and Pence, who is also in single digits. – AFP Iran says Israel responsible for drone attack TEHRAN: Iran’s envoy to the United Nations said archenemy Israel was responsible for a drone attack on a Defence Ministry site in central Isfahan province, Iranian media reported yesterday. “Preliminary investigations show the Zionist regime (Israel) is responsible for the terrorist attack on the Defence Ministry workshop complex,” ISNA news agency quoted Amir Saeid Iravani as saying in a letter to UN chief Antonio Guterres. Amir Saeid did not elaborate on the investigations, but referred to recent occasions on which Israeli officials had threatened to attack Iranian infrastructure. He called on the UN Security Council to “condemn the belligerent statements of the Zionist authorities and ask this regime to comply with international laws and end its dangerous programmes and destructive activities in the region”. Iranian authorities reported an “unsuccessful” drone attack on Saturday that targeted a Defence Ministry “workshop complex” in Isfahan. An anti-aircraft system destroyed one drone and two others exploded, the ministry said, adding that there were no casualties and only minor damage to the site. Iran has been engaged in a shadow war with Israel for years. It has accused Israel of being behind a series of sabotage attacks and assassinations targeting its nuclear programme, carried out alongside the United States. – AFP Australia removes British monarch from banknotes CANBERRA: Australia will remove the British monarch from its banknotes, replacing the late Queen Elizabeth II’s image on its A$5 note with a design honouring Indigenous culture, the central bank said yesterday. The decision to leave her successor King Charles III off the A$5 note means no monarch would remain on Australia’s paper currency. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) said it would consult Indigenous people on a new design that “honours the culture and history of the First Australians”. Queen Elizabeth’s death on Sept 8 last year was marked by public mourning in Australia, but some Indigenous groups also protested against the destructive impact of colonial Britain, calling for the abolition of the monarchy. oRepublican movement welcomes decision, monarchists call it ‘neo-communism’ Late cardinal’s funeral sparks Sydney protests CANBERRA: Protesters confronted mourners with chants of “shame” outside the funeral of controversial top Vatican cardinal George Pell in Sydney yesterday. Pell died in Rome last month aged 81 and was buried in the crypt of St Mary’s Cathedral amid angry protests and a heavy police presence. Dogged by scandal in his later years, Pell was the highest-ranking Catholic to be imprisoned for child sexual abuse, before his convictions were overturned in 2020. He continues to divide opinion – supporters have dubbed him a “saint for our times” but campaigners accuse him of protecting paedophile priests while a senior Church official. As he was laid to rest, riot police lined barricades to keep protesters away from the thousands of mourners queuing to get into the funeral. The protesters cried “shame” while waving banners declaring “Pell Burn in Hell”. Economist William Coleman, 63, lined up to pay his respects to Pell, who he said was a “good man” that was unfairly persecuted. “I think it’s disgraceful to attempt to disrupt a funeral.” – AFP FIERY CELEBRATION ... Young participants parading through the streets of Lerwick, a town in Shetland archipelago, Scotland as they take part in the Junior Up Helly Aa fire festival. Up Helly Aa celebrates the influence of the Scandinavian Vikings and culminates with up to 1,000 guizers (men in costume) throwing flaming torches into a longboat and setting it alight. – AFPPIC B R I E F SUKRAINE TARGETS OLIGARCH, EX-MINISTER KYIV: Ukraine expanded a clampdown on corruption on Wednesday, launching coordinated searches of residences linked to an oligarch and a former minister as well as tax offices in the capital. The searches came ahead of a key summit with the EU and appeared to be part of a push by Kyiv to reassure military and financial donors in European capitals and Washington that Ukraine is tackling systemic graft. The searches have targeted influential billionaire Igor Kolomoisky and former interior minister Arsen Avakov, said the head of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Servant of the People party David Arakhamia. Law enforcement also raided tax offices in the capital and senior customs officials were fired, Arakhamia said. – AFP KENYA TEACHERS FORCE PUPILS TO SIMULATE SEX NAIROBI: Kenyan police said yesterday they had arrested six teachers over a viral video of primary school pupils simulating sex as punishment in an incident that caused uproar. The footage showed four boys in school uniform simulating sexual acts under a tree in the school compound in the town of Nyamache as the teachers watched. The six are heard chatting in the background of the 29-second clip and bursting into laughter as one shirtless child wipes tears from his face. Six teachers – five women and a man – have been arrested and “are assisting in (the) investigation”, police said. The incident sparked fury on social media with many calling for action against the teachers. – AFP Australia is a constitutional monarchy, a democracy with King Charles III as its head of state. A referendum proposing a switch to a republic was narrowly defeated in 1999. The central bank said its decision was supported by the centre-left Labour government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who favours an eventual move to an Australian republic. The new banknote would take “a number of years” to be designed and printed, it said, with the existing A$5 note remaining legal tender even after the new design is in people’s hands. The RBA move was hailed by the Australian Republic Movement, which noted that Indigenous people predated British settlement by 65,000 years. The Australian Monarchist League said the decision was “virtually neo-communism in action”. “Before a referendum is held on whether the people want to retain the king as sovereign or opt for a president, this government has arbitrarily moved to discard the king’s head from Australia’s five dollar note,” it said in a statement. “It is certainly not Australian democracy.” A British monarch has featured on Australian banknotes since 1923 and was on all paper bills until 1953, the year of Elizabeth II’s coronation. The queen’s face adorned the new A$1 note from 1966. That first A$1 banknote also included imagery of Aboriginal rock paintings and carvings based on a bark painting by Indigenous artist David Malangi Daymirringu. The queen’s face has peered up at Australians from the polymer A$5 note since 1992. But RBA governor Philip Lowe announced three months ago that the bank had begun talking with the government about whether to forego replacing the queen’s image with a portrait of King Charles III. Australian coins, which are issued by the Royal Australian Mint, currently feature an image of the queen. – AFP

8 theSUN ON FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 3, 2023 SPEAK UP @thesundaily FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM SCAN ME Gopal Sri Ram’s lasting legacy THE death of Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram, at the age of 79, marks the passing of one who, paraphrasing Shakespeare, bestrode the legal world as a colossus, as a lawyer and as a judge. In his role as a judge, he loomed large as a major judicial figure shaping the law in conformity with his view of dispensing justice. A rare achievement was his direct appointment from private practice to the Court of Appeal in 1994 and he plunged almost immediately into pushing the boundaries of the law succeeding quite superbly in the field of administrative and constitutional law as is the focus of this article. His trail-blazing in this context was first noticed when he held that the rightto-life guarantee of the Federal Constitution encompassed the right to livelihood and a clean and healthy environment. “Nay, the wherewithal of human existence”: Tan Teck Seng. He later extended the right of the Orang Asli to their way of life and their entire forest-based life support system: Kajing Tubek. He tempered the doctrine of the absolute freedom of contract and held that it must yield to the higher claims for social justice: Syarikat Kenderaan Melayu Kelantan Bhd v Transport Workers’ Union. In this case, he decisively abolished the artificial distinction between “mere” errors of law on the face of the record and errors that went to the jurisdiction. Only the latter was amenable to judicial review. Rather boldly, he tortured precedent and held that no decision-making authority has jurisdiction to commit any error of law, for then he exceeds his jurisdiction. Perhaps, his most distinctive mark of greatness was in reviving the basic structure doctrine as a clear remit of the judiciary’s constitutional mandate under the Federal Constitution: Kok Wah Kuan v Public Prosecutor. Sri Ram marshalled scholarship, courage and the sense of opportunity to restore the credit of the fundamental posits of the constitution in this respect when the chance came his way. He was overruled by the Federal Court. But a later Federal Court reinstated the basic structure doctrine: there are certain features of the Federal Constitution that cannot be violated by any act of Parliament: Semenyih Jaya. Yet another significant mark: the introduction of the proportionality principle in assessing the validity of an administrative decision. Strike One in favour of fundamental freedoms and his disdain for interference with an individual’s rights. I knew he had it in him when, in his early lawyering years, we together challenged the ISA unlawful detention cases arising from Operation Lalang in 1987. Interestingly, Sri Ram preceded the UK apex court which was merely contemplating its possible adoption in the future: CCSU v Minister of the Civil Service. Until he left the bench as a Federal Court judge in 2010, he moulded the law to his perceptions of private and public morality. Reaching unhesitatingly, to precedents near and far, including Indian Supreme Court decisions (establishing public interest litigation), often couching his pronouncements that appealed to widespread common sense, or at least to conventional wisdom, such as the fundamental right of citizens to access justice (that is, to courts). His prose was simple and comprehensible, expressing complex concepts that sometimes lawyers struggled to articulate in crystalline terms. He shone at the Bar before and after becoming a judge. You just could not keep him away from the courts, even taking on more than one case in a higher court in a single day much to the chagrin of opposing lawyers. In his early years, he was a walking dictionary, with an uncanny ability to recite case citations from memory – a blessing when online access was nonexistent. Until the end, this compendious memory never deserted him. At hearings and in judgments he would refer to authorities which counsel had not produced, sometimes, unhappily for lawyers, even predicating his decision on them. One sitting judge has described the limits to his tolerance, on the bench he did not suffer the indolent or the unprepared lawyer. His scholarly acumen emerged in his chief editorship of the White Book, a rich resource as a commentary on our rules of court. He never looked at the interpretation of statutes with a myopic vision. The Constitution must be interpreted generously like a prism, he said. The light shone through it, revealing its constituent submerged fundamental rights’ colours. Howsoever Sri Ram is adjudged, it is difficult not to conclude that he made a significant difference in the development of legal architecture whether as a judge, a lawyer, or simply as a towering personality, prompting the Chief Justice’s tribute to his tremendous contribution to the judiciary throughout his tenure as a judge at the Court of Appeal and the Federal Court. Sri Ram was my contemporary, though much more in years. Even in private conversations, he displayed a penetrating mind and he loved to regale listeners to stories of renowned (and not so renowned) personalities of the Bar. The last of which was at a small dinner evening on Dec 30, 2022. As he heaved into his red Rolls Royce, we parted with a commitment to meeting up soon for a coffee chat. Alas! It was not to be. Farewell, my friend and rest in peace. Gurdial Singh Nijar, a former law professor, is the president of Hakam, the National Human Rights Society. Comments: [email protected] “Howsoever Sri Ram is adjudged, it is difficult not to conclude that he made a significant difference in the development of legal architecture whether as a judge, a lawyer, or simply as a towering personality, prompting the Chief Justice’s tribute to his tremendous contribution to the judiciary throughout his tenure as a judge at the Court of Appeal and the Federal Court. What we can do about rise in gender-based violence AFTER years of strong advocacy work by women’s organisations, violence against women is a type of violence that affects people of all ages and encompasses domestic violence, sexual violence and human trafficking. In addition to being a grave health concern, harassment towards women and girls also violates fundamental rights. Each of every three women will experience it at some time in their life due to a worldwide pandemic. In accordance with the World Health Organisation (WHO), 37% of women have been physically and/or sexually abused by an intimate relationship, as well as sex crimes by a non-partner. Gender-based violence (GBV) primarily affects women and girls around the world, although it can also affect men. It is a widespread public health problem with devastating consequences for the individual, family, and community. For this reason, Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Inequality, target 16.2 was set up. These goals are aimed at eradicating “every form of violence against women, including trafficking, sexual and other forms of exploitation, as well as all forms of abuse, exploitation and trafficking of children”, as well as “ending abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence and torture”. Malaysia is not an outlier when it comes to combating GBV. Domestic violence has escalated drastically in Malaysia in the previous two years because of Covid-19, which has been compounded by the government’s pandemic-fighting tactics, which include extended lockdowns. Over 9,000 domestic violence cases have been reported since movement control order 1.0. Family abuse, assault, mistreatment of domestic help, maltreatment of children, disrespect for decency and sex crimes, were reported in 153,507 cases between 2000 and 2018, with perpetrators aged 26 to 35 being the most common. It is clearly a worrying situation that has to be addressed right away. The WHO states that there will be a serious negative cascade of events as a result of violence against women. For starters, it affects their psychological and physical well-being, and the health of their children, who will be exposed to violence later in life. Domestic violence is a problem in Malaysia that has existed for a long time. The Women, Family, and Community Development Ministry reported a total of 7,468 cases, a 42% increase from 5,260 in 2020. The likelihood of developing mental health problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder, despair, panic, alcoholism and suicidal ideation is higher among women who have experienced domestic violence or abuse. It is also considered a significant impediment to growth. Its influence on women’s health and wellbeing has been found to result in reduced productivity, high treatment expenses and indirect costs on other family members such as children, who often face the brunt of the consequences. Sexual and gender-based violence violates an individual’s basic dignity and hinders their growth. Individual attitudes that condone violence within the family, community, and state are at the basis of GBV. The recent wave of sexual violence that has affected people from all walks of life, young and old, has shocked Malaysian society. Research by the Centre for Governance and Political Studies and the All-Action Women’s Society found that 57% of Malaysian women claim to regularly experience verbal sexual harassment while walking down the road. A total of 62% of 1,010 women who participated in a poll by the Women’s Aid Organisation reported having encountered work-related sexual harassment. Another 56% of women, according to the research, have experienced employment discrimination. Sexual violence has a profound impact on both bodily and emotional health. Along with causing physical harm, it is associated with an increased chance of numerous issues with reproduction and sexual health, which may have both shortterm and long-term repercussions. Victims of sexual assault may experience severe negative effects on their welfare, including humiliation and exclusion from their families and other people. Human trafficking is getting international attention as a severe violation of human rights. After the trafficking of drugs and weapons, trafficking in human beings is the thirdlargest illegal industry in the world, and Malaysia is no exception. Malaysia is a popular work destination for women, men and children from a variety of nations due to its geographic location and economic strength. Undocumented immigrants frequently enter Malaysia legitimately, but later become undocumented for a variety of reasons, as detailed further in this section. It’s crucial to remember that not all migrant workers are victims of human trafficking, but many of them are refugees, asylum seekers and stateless people. According to the Borgen Project report, there are currently about 212,000 persons in Malaysia who are victims of human trafficking. Based on the above-mentioned facts and figures, it is obvious that gender-based violence is soaring in Malaysia. Therefore, it is high time to address this issue to achieve sustainable development goals by 2030. Hence, we provide a few policy recommendations. The first step is raising public awareness and educating youngsters and teenagers. Second, guarantee that professionals dealing with violence against women have specialised training. Third, victimised women’s empowerment through effective support and aid structures that prevent secondary victimisation. Fourth, national and international research, data gathering and networking should be created. Fifth, increase public awareness of the issue and its horrible effects on individuals and society at large by organising or supporting conferences and informational campaigns. This will enable society to discuss violence against women openly and without bias or preconceptions. Sixth, include information on how to treat family abuse and all other forms of violence against women in the basic training courses for police officers, judges and those in the clinical and social fields. Seventh, civil rights educational interventions and sexual education programmes that emphasise gender equality and mutual respect should incorporate or reinforce a gender viewpoint. Eighth, encourage the media to join in public awareness efforts about domestic abuse against women. Ninth, encourage those responsible for municipal, regional and urban planning decisions to take into account the significance of improving women’s safety and reducing violent crimes in public places. Finally, promote the creation of emergency responders, such as free, anonymous telephone helplines for those who have experienced violence or who are threatened by it. Keep monitoring phone calls and assess the information gleaned from the assistance offered while upholding data protection standards. The writer is a research fellow at the Ungku Aziz Centre for Development Studies (UAC), Universiti Malaya. Comments: [email protected] COMMENT by Dr Rulia Akhtar

ON FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 3, 2023 The annual Thaipusam festival is a time for devotees to seek forgiveness, and ask Lord Murugan for better health and prosperity for the new year

Buzz theSun BUZZ ON FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 3, 2023 S2 THE Hindus celebrate Thaipusam, a significant holiday, on the full moon of the Tamil month of Thai (January-February). The month’s name, Thai, and a star’s name, Pusam, are combined to form the phrase Thaipusam. The Hindu festival of Thaipusam honours Murugan, the son of Shiva and Parvati. Kartikeya, Subramaniam, Sanmukha, Shadanana, Skanda, and Guha are other names for Murugan. The goddess Parvati is said to have given Lord Murugan a spear on this day to aid him in defeating Tarakasura’s army of demons and putting an end to their bad actions. Thaipusam commemorates the triumph of good over evil as a result. Lord Murugan devotees place a great deal of emphasis on the Vel. Silver, gold, lead, copper, and iron are the five metals that make up the Vel, which is said to be able to absorb all negative energy, spread positivity, and destroy all dangerous energies. The shape of the Vel, which has a broad head that narrows to a point at the tip, represents the breadth and depth of our mind. The sharp tip suggests how we should apply our knowledge with tact. Hinduism is more approachable because of the way the gods are portrayed, which is not simply based on imagination but also has symbolic importance. In several states of Malaysia, Thaipusam is observed as a public holiday. It is celebrated fervently anywhere there are major Tamil ethnic communities, not just in our country. Months before Thaipusam, devotees start making extensive preparations and putting themselves through a rigorous ritual. In order to prepare themselves for the rigours of the ritual, believers purge their minds and bodies of impurities through a mix of fasting, dieting, and prayer. A common kind of giving during Thaipusam is the Paal Kudam (Milk Offering). This is the most basic version that will be conducted by the devotees on Thaipusam. The Paal Kudam refers to carrying paal (milk) in a kudam (vessel in the shape of a pot) on one’s head to be given to Lord Murugan. The priest would next use this milk to perform Paal Abhishegam. The individuals who take part in the festivities conduct the “burden dance”, or Kavadi Attam, as they carry sacrifices to their god. By putting their endurance to the test, devotees may show how strong their faith is through the Kavadi Attam. According to a proverb, only those who are meant to do so would be able to deliver a Kavadi to Lord Murugan. More than any other gift, the Kavadi is regarded as the most auspicious and meticulous offering to Lord Murugan. In addition to carrying a gift for the gods, the Kavadi’s bearer views the entire object as his personal shrine. Some devotees carry heavy carts Devotees carry the kavadis to offer thanks to god, keep a vow or to ask for forgiveness. – 123RF █ BYTHASHINE SELVAKUMARAN (left) Milk offerings are carried by worshippers as a show of devotion. – SUNPIX Devotees shave their head as a form of sacrifice to Lord Murugan. – FLICKR (right) Breaking coconuts is a symbolic act of offering oneself to God. –123RF Chariots, also known as moving temples, allow everyone to worship the deity. – 123RF via hooks fastened to their bodies, while others would puncture the skin on their backs with hooks from which they hang milk bottles. Many people also use skewers to puncture their lips and cheeks as a memento of the spear Parvati gave him. The constant drumming and chanting of “vel vel shakti vel” during such piercing causes the majority of devotees to go into a trance. The followers who go to such lengths claim they are in a spiritual and devotional trance that makes them feel no pain and draws them nearer to Lord Murugan. The largest temple in the nation, Batu Caves, is based in a limestone outcrop made up of a series of caves and is situated 13km north of Kuala Lumpur. You won’t want to miss the challenging climb up the 272 rainbow steps leading to the cave temple. Take heed that there will be an almost overwhelmingly huge crowd if you intend to visit Batu Caves during Thaipusam. But since most individuals act decently, everything unfolds in a systematic way. Simply follow the flow, be patient, and pay attention to your surroundings. oThis important Tamil-Hindu festival takes place every year, with devotees marking their devotion in different ways

Buzz theSun BUZZ ON FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 3, 2023 S3 THE Hindu community celebrates Thaipusam, an annual temple festival, on the full moon according to their calendar. Thaipusam falls on Feb 5 this year. The magnificent Thaipusam festival is celebrated in various temples around the nation annually. Here are the top three temples in our country where Thaipusam parades will be held. Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur The most well-known Thaipusam festival in Malaysia takes place at the Batu Caves in Selangor’s Gombak District. Three major caverns and a few smaller cavelets make up these caves. Visitors must ascend 272 rainbow stairs to the cave mouth in order to access the upper cave. The cave is open all year round, but during Thaipusam, when more than a million people converge on Batu Caves to see the procession, its tourist count is at its highest. The highest Lord Murugan statue in the world is a magnificent landmark at the base of the limestone ledge. The journey to the Batu Caves takes eight hours. oHere’s where you should go if you want to see the procession this year You can expect to see a number of kavadi bearers milk pot carriers making their way to the temple in Kallumaalai Temple, Ipoh. – TRIPIFY Batu Caves is ready to welcome over a million worshippers and tourists for the festival. – 123RF █ BY THASHINE SELVAKUMARAN Then, with the help of friends and family, devotees would carry their milk pots, followed by kavadi bearers. As they go alongside them while chanting Murugan’s name, drums can be heard filling the atmosphere. Address: Gombak, 68100 Batu Caves, Selangor Waterfall Temple, Penang One of the most important locations for the annual Thaipusam festival is the Penang Waterfall Temple, also known as Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple, which is one of the state’s oldest Hindu temples and is situated in Botanical Garden. The main tower is known as the biggest temple outside of the Lord Murugan Temple in India, despite not being the first Hindu temple in Penang. It is a widespread belief that a sadhu picked the location near the waterfalls for a temple to Murugan. The location was referred to as thanner malai, which is Tamil for “water hill”, and the god was named Thannermalaian, which means one who lives by the waterfall. Tourists and worshippers must climb 513 steps to get there. To avoid delays during the Thaipusam Festival, when thousands of tourists are anticipated, Devotees are even more ready for their rituals like cleansing their body through fasting and abstinence. – WIKIPEDIA a separate set of stairs is offered for those coming down from the temple. Address: 17, Jalan Kebun Bunga, Pulau Tikus, 10350 George Town, Penang. Kallumaalai Temple, Ipoh The 70-foot-tall Kallumaalai Temple, which was built in 1889, features the nation’s highest tower. The hilltop monastery, which is normally calm and tranquil, comes alive during the holiday season. Every year, Hindus from all over the world travel to see the colourful parade of the kavadi which is accompanied by followers. The streets will be lined with stalls and congested with hundreds of people throughout this time. When you first approach the temple, you will notice sculptures that have been brightly painted and each tell a unique tale. Hindu deities and myths are represented by sculptures all throughout the structure. Address: 140, Jalan Raja Musa Aziz, 30300 Ipoh, Perak. Every temple devoted to Lord Murugan will offer special prayers on this day. Also, don’t worry if you can’t attend the temple festivities this year. Even now, doing prayers at home is regarded as a blessing. Be mindful that this is a religious festival and be ready to be fascinated. Dos and don’ts during Thaipusam THE number of worshippers completing their vows to Lord Murugan at the temples has already begun to rise. TheSun has put up a list of dos and don’ts to help you get prepared for Thaipusam, which is just a few days away. This is to guarantee a peaceful celebration for everybody. 0 DO Respect the culture and tradition It is crucial to understand the significance of Thaipusam. It’s not just a ‘chariot and Kavadi event’. It is not a party; rather, it is a religious festival. The sole subject of the event is Lord Murugan. Don’t disrespect the faith by engaging in improper behaviour around Thaipusam. The fundamentals of Thaipusam should be taught to the younger generation. It is very important to recognise the true meaning of Thaipusam, and concentrate on keeping your promises. Follow rules Temples are more than just houses of prayer. They are the specific location where the specific god resides in a Devotees should wear appropriate traditional clothes before entering the temple. – 123RF █ BY THASHINE SELVAKUMARAN Do not distract worshippers from fulfilling their vows. – TWITTER subdued form and accepts devotion. It’s crucial to follow certain customs and etiquette. Please familiarise yourself with the guidelines established by the temple administration to prevent problems on that day. The most crucial elements are to dress correctly, pay attention to the opening hours, and observe the regulations while keeping vows. (Kavadi, Paal Kudam, etc.) 0 DON’T Litter It is expected that these temples frequently draw large throngs of people who travel there to make sacrifices and offer prayers during the festival. But once the vows are fulfilled, there remain heaps of leftover food, beverages, and plastic. So this year, refrain from leaving trash at the temple. Keep the surroundings tidy by using the available waste bins. Harass devotees Photographers find festivals to be a rewarding subject matter. It is true that brilliant colours, strong pictures, and a lively environment may be found everywhere. However, it’s also crucial to keep in mind that devotees are there to fulfil their vows; as a result, avoid directing your cameras in their faces or otherwise upsetting them. Although you can spend the day in discomfort due to being shoved or the large throng, seeing and experiencing Lord Murugan’s gift is undoubtedly beneficial. However, please stay at home if you have a cough and fever to prevent the transmission of any possible viruses. It’s more important to keep everyone safe!

Buzz theSun BUZZ ON FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 3, 2023 S4 THAIPUSAM is almost here! Every year, hundred of thousands of Hindus gather at various temples across the country to celebrate Thaipusam. It is the secondlargest festival after Deepavali. Thaipusam attracts devotees who come to pay their respects to Lord Murugan. It is a colourful and devotional Hindu festival in which devotees pierce themselves with pins and spikes, hang pots and fruit from their chests with hooks, and pull chariots or people suspended from heavy rope attached to their backs by hooks. And the beats of the urumi are perfect to set the tone for the festival! Accompanied by this devotional music filled with energy, every devotee is able to find the strength to make his or her way to the temple. This instrument – a double-headed hourglass shaped drum held together by a pair of ropes and additional coils – is widely thought to be endowed with supernatural and sacred powers. Specific beats on the urumi are said to be able to induce spirit possession when played in religious ceremonies and processions. The urumi also gives its name to the urumi melam, an Indian folk music ensemble originating from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Members of the ensemble play the urumi with sticks while standing or walking, and are able to produce a variety of sounds such as drum strikes, rubbing, and “talking drum” sounds. Urumi melam is frequently based on a fastpaced and repetitive rhythm. For basic ensembles, one to three urumi drums are usually used, along with other instruments such as the pambai (a pair of waist-worn two-headed drums) and nagaswaram (a traditional doublereed instrument). The most common types of traditional urumi melam songs are devotional, trance, and funeral songs. Over the years, the genre has been expanded to more commercial uses, such as wedding songs and dances. Recently, theSun had the opportunity to speak with the leaders of two local urumi melam teams, in the lead up to the Thaipusam festival. Tirusuli Aiyanar Urumi Melam is an urumi melam group founded in 1998 by Shyam Kumar, also known as ‘Etta’, and led by Dharshen, with team advisors Karthik and Saravanan. The group originally started with eight people, and currently comprises 15 members from various locations, including Klang Valley, Ipoh and Johor Bahru. We were intrigued by their decision to form an urumi melam group. For most of its members, the choice to perform this particular brand of music is a spiritual one. “The vibes given by each of the instruments combined with our songs [touches] my heart,” Dharshen said. “And nothing can compare to the happiness it gives knowing we’re giving our best to the Almighty Gods! “Even better is knowing that this is our cultural music that has been passed down by our ancestors.” The members of the group are not exactly new to the industry. Dharshen’s own journey began in 1995 when he was a singer with a few other urumi groups, then he and a few others joined Tirusuli Urumi Melam just three years later. There were several unique challenges in the beginning, as they each had to effectively ‘start over’ as a new group. This included trying to source equipment and uniforms and to find the instruments such as thet urumi, thavil (barrel-shaped drum), pambai, and so on. We asked Dharshen if the group experinced any particularly memorable moments during their long career of performances. He replied: “There are a bunch of [memorable] moments for us. But at the top would be when we released our first album named Aiyanareh in 2000, where our official group name changed from Tirusuli Urumi Melam to Tirusuli Aiyanar Urumi Melam, which is what we are known by today.” To date, they have released a total of 18 albums which feature songs composed by either their founder Etta, or Dharshen. There are also several songs which were composed by the o For Thaipusam, we speak to two groups who perform devotional music with wildfire energy on the traditional urumi melam (drums) █ BYSHOBANA MANOKARAN Tirusuli Aiyanar Urumi Melam performing during the Anirudh concert. – TIRUSULI AIYANAR URUMI MELAM Their performance was well-received by the audience. – TIRUSULI AIYANAR URUMI MELAM group’s singers. One of their biggest hits is the track Tata Taitai, which was on their album Paandimuni, which was released during Thaipusam in 2014. The song, with vocals by Etta, is still popular amongst the community today, and is still requested during performances. Among their biggest achievements as a group was when they performed for three days in the Pilgan Muniswaran Temple, Tiruchi, Tamil Nadu in April 2015. And recently the team performed at Anirudh’s Once Upon A Time Tour which took place last September. Dharshen added: “We as part of the entire Urumi Melam family are all equal. Each of us have been gifted different talents by God to bring out the best in us, and to offer it to God and all urumi melam lovers here. Let’s not create a divide between us, but instead unite like a family.” Their dream goal is to be able to sustain and make an impact on the cultural music scene, and to bring Urumi Melam to future generations. The next generation must continue to value cultural traditions and carry on the legacy of the evergreen legends. “Let’s not just depend on digitalised music albums but also go with live performance with songs and drums to get the original vibes. Soon, a new song, Radhe Krishna, will be released on our YouTube channel, and a few more Urumi Melam single tracks are in the works.” Does he have any advice for aspiring urumi melam musicians? Dharshen said: “Don’t let our cultural music end with this generation. Don’t be shy to ask and learn at any chance you get. You can do it yourself as long you have the passion, the interest to learn. Take small steps, you’ll get there in no time.” We also spoke with Veeran, the founder of another urumi melam ensemble, the Om Sri Sadamuni Urumi Melam Team, which was started in 2004. Veeran confessed: “Back then I didn’t know anything about urumi melam.” At the time, he had heard of someone wanting to start a group in Batu Belah, Klang. Veeran decided to learn the instrument, and was taught the techniques of playing from scratch, and even provided with all the necessary equipment. Veeran added: “Because I saw [my seniors] doing so well, I was inspired to do even better.” After learning everything, Veeran said: “I seized the opportunity, and with friends who also had a desire to learn as my support, we decided to form our own group called Om Sri Sadamuni Urumi Melam. “Our group has no leader; we work as a group. We are extremely grateful to the people in our neighbourhood who began providing us with opportunities to showcase our team’s talent at each event.” Despite their enthusiasm, things were not easy for the group at the start. “Our boys faced The group founder, Etta. – TIRUSULI AIYANAR URUMI MELAM

Buzz theSun BUZZ ON FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 3, 2023 S5 (above) Several members of Tirusuli Aiyanar Urumi Melam. – TIRUSULI AIYANAR URUMI MELAM Veeran (kneeling, first from left) and members of the group during one of their events. – OM SRI SADAMUNI URUMI MELAM (left) The group members dedicated long hours to practise and hone their craft. – OM SRI SADAMUNI URUMI MELAM m o re challenges because some of them were studying and others were working, and they were sacrificing a lot of their time to come over for practises and events even if it was late at night.” Veeran said that one heartbreaking moment was when his senior Sivakumar passed away. Sivakumar was the one who taught him the basics of the instrument. Two other original team members also passed away in the intervening years, and it is in their memory that the team is carrying on. Veeran also explained how the urumi is played. The urumi is slung across the drummer’s shoulder and played horizontally. This simple harness allows the drummer to play while standing or walking. The drum can produce five basic sounds: an “open sound” is produced by striking the right head, a deep resonant “moaning” sound is produced by striking the right head while simultaneously rubbing the left head with the edge of a long curved stick, a bent “talking drumlike” tone is produced by striking the right head while the left hand squeezes and releases the rope holding the heads together, and two closed (non-pitched) sounds are produced by striking and pressing the right head. Castor oil is frequently applied to the left head to help the drummer produce the “moaning sound” described above. The team’s most notable achievement to date was their participation in a competition held in Melaka, where they won an award for the best traditional outfit by an urumi melam group. They also released an album in 1997 titled Om Sri Sadamuni Vera Ganapathy. They also released a single track, Muthu Muthai Uthithavale, in 2020, which became their biggest hit. Veeran said: “Due to the pandemic, Thaipusam celebrations have been reduced for the last two years. However, the festivities are back in full swing this year. I’ve had a lot of bookings, especially for urumi and thavil drums. “[I can’t wait to beat] the urumi as the devotees chant ‘Vel Vel’ as a massive crowd pushes forward towards a cave high in a cliff above. As you sway in the intense heat among the crowd, it feels like a dream. We can’t wait to get back into action.” You can watch the members of these two groups perform for Thaipusam. Tirusali Aiyanar Urumi Melam will be performing at the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Buntong, Ipoh on Feb 4 and 5, while Om Sri Sadamuni Urumi Melam will be performing at Batu Caves during the Thaipusam Festival there. Group leader Dharshen. – TIRUSULI AIYANAR URUMI MELAM

WHEN the Mazda CX-5 was first introduced back in 2012 it was a dark horse of sorts in a segment that had deeply entrenched competitors. The likes of the Honda CRV, Toyota Rush, Kia Sportage and the Nissan X-Trail were already dominant in the segment, among a handful of others. The CX-5 was viewed as the newcomer, it was Mazda’s first salvo at the C-Segment SUV market. So it had an uphill climb. But the company behind the marque, Bermaz Auto, was also one that was in the midst of rebuilding the Mazda brand in Malaysia, and it was committed and had right people at the helm. Soon the CX-5 was selling well, it was the go to SUV for those looking for something unconventional, something irregular in a road filled with CRV’s and X-Trail’s. The CX-5 was refreshing, and it offered a focus that no other competitor had – a focus on the driver. The CX-5 was fun to drive but it had a thorn in its side – it was too compact when compared to the competition. It was simply too tight around the knees for bigger family’s and the booth space offered was dwarfed other SUVs. For anyone who wanted to stay within the Mazda family but wanted a bigger SUV, the only choice was to get a CX-9, which was around RM300,000, due to being a fully imported model. The price was simply too much, and Mazda had a real problem. The CX-5 was selling, many more wanted a Mazda but it just needed to be bigger. Enter the Mazda CX-8. It offered all of the joy’s of a CX-5, just better. And most importantly, it had space, lots of it. In fact, the CX-8 is so well adapted to life as a family car that Mazda thought it could also do well as an executive SUV, and so fitted it with separated seats in the second row so each passenger gets his own seat rather than the usual bench. This appeals to an entire different class of people who prefer to be driven in a car rather than to drive. Sitting at the top of the CX-8 line-up is the car highlighted here, the 2.5T. It offers all the goods and features that Mazda has and more. But the real party trick of this model is what lays underneath the bonnet – a 2.5-litre, turbocharged engine producing 228hp and 420Nm of torque. That’s some serious numbers for a car that costs just under RM225,000 (depending the colour of your choice). Power delivery is not explosive in a hot hatch sense, but is delivered in a linear fashion. The Mazda CX-8 2.5T has some surprises for those looking for a family SUV █ KESHY DHILLON ON FRIDAY FEBRUARY 3, 2023 ► Contributing Editor: KESHY DHILLON / [email protected] ► Tel (Editorial): 03-7784 6688 / +6012-580 3470 ► To advertise email: [email protected] Designed to impress, the CX-8 2.5T also offers an exhilarating drive. The 2.5-litre turbocharged engine offers 228hp and 420Nm of torque. Big & powerful The Mazda CX-8 boasts LED combination lights all around.

7 FEBRUARY 3, 2023 The 8-inch infotainment system offers touchscreen practicality but only at speeds below 10kph. The meter panel is part digital and part analogue and offers a refined finish. There is plenty of onboard tech to satisfy the most demanding of tech fans. The knob is called the Mazda Multifunction Command Control and is used to navigate the infotainment system when the touchscreen is inaccessible. Fit, finish and buttons are top notch. There is little turbo lag when you put your foot down, and the six-speed gearbox shifts quickly without hesitation. This gives this CX-8 a rather aggressive feel when you need to get somewhere quick, but yet the cabin feels serene and disconnects you from the drama that is happening underneath and around you. The interiors of Mazdas have a tendency of being underwhelming. There is not much to wow onlookers, but the devil truly is in the details when it comes to this CX-8. Such as the fact that the stitching around the steering wheel and the dashboard is perfect while the leather is soft yet supportive at the same time. The soft touch plastics too feel expensive. The interior of the CX-8 is a canvas displaying Mazda’s devotion to perfection. Beyond that though it is the interior features that make living with the CX-8 2.5T such an occasion. The seats are ventilated and the rear passengers get their own independent airconditioning controls, letting them choose temperature settings. There are also six USB ports sprinkled around the interior, giving the occupants plenty of charging choices. The driver on the other hand will appreciate the 10-way power adjustable seat with twin memory function. As for entertainment, the eight-inch Mazda Connect infotainment system offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. On the move, the CX-8 2.5T comes with Mazda’s Radar Cruise Control that automatically adjusts the speed of the car according to surround traffic, making long distance journeys less tiresome. As for safety systems, the CX-8 2.5T has it all, from six-airbags and dynamic stability control to lane departure warning and blind spot monitoring. It even comes equipped with Mazda’s latest GVectoring Control Plus that automatically applies the brakes to stabilise the car when needed. There are over a dozen safety systems working in the background to keep the occupants safe and comfortable in all conditions. There are some niggles though. The 2.5T is a very thirsty car and goes through its 74-litre tank quicker than most cars. This is thanks in part to the all-wheeldrive system that the 2.5T comes equipped with. Besides that, the touch screen entertainment system only functions below 10kph. Beyond that you have to rely on the rotating dial at the centre console to shift through music, make a phone call or even input GPS data. This can be distracting and painfully annoying. But it is difficult to fault the CX-8 2.5T, it offers everything one could possibly want in an SUV and elevates it with Mazda’s own take on luxury, performance and refinement. If you can live with the fuel consumption, the CX8 2.5T is the SUV to have this side of a Mercedes-Benz GLE. SPECIFICATIONS Engine: 2.5-litre turbocharged, 4-cylinders Power: 228hp @ 5,000rpm Torque: 420Nm @ 2,000rpm Transmission: 6-speed automatic Max Speed: 200kph Acceleration: N/A Fuel consumption: Weight: 8.7L/100km 1,896 Price: RM224,360.40 Refined interior, power delivery, spaciousness Thirsty engine, touch screen doesn’t work when car is moving The 3rd row seats are able to fold flat to offer a gargantuan booth space. The second row seats are separated and give each passenger added comfort.

CARMAKERS often collaborate with companies in other industries for special promotions of their models, usually taking inspiration from their products to create special editions. These are usually for a limited number of units so whoever buys it is lucky to have a rare model. With a name like Kicks for its crossover SUV, it seemed only a matter of time before Nissan came up with a collaboration with a footwear brand, in this case New Balance. But there’s a twist to this collaboration: instead of New Balance having a Nissan Kicks-inspired shoe, it is Nissan that has a New Balance shoe-inspired Kicks! Although the Kicks is sold in many countries, the collaboration is not a global one and only for the Japanese market. The Kicks 327 Edition, as the special crossover is known, is inspired by the 327 sneakers of the brand and the exterior of the vehicle looks like the shoe. The recognisable design elements of New Balance shoes can be seen around the vehicle and even on top of it, there is the tongue part (enlarged) of the shoe like a cargo box. As this is not a part of the bodywork, the designers have given it a texture that is similar to that of the 327 sneaker. The laces are also shown on the bonnet. Until the end of February 2023, the Kicks 327 Edition – the only one in the world – will be on display at various locations in Japan. Members of the public are invited to take a picture of the vehicle and post it on Twitter. From all the Twitter posts, one lucky person will be chosen to receive the prize of a Kicks e-Power 4WD. However, it will be a standard model and not the Kicks 327 Edition, Nissan notes. FOR those who are still not satisfied with what the BMW M3 Competition has to offer, the new M3 CS extends performance levels that make it the most powerful M3 ever. As one of the special edition models in BMW M’s range for this year, the M3 CS will be produced only in limited numbers. Visually, the M3 CS can be differentiated from the M3 Competition by the more aggressive look to the large grille. The frameless BMW kidney grille has a stripped-back look reminiscent of racing cars. Both the model badge at the front and its counterpart on the bootlid have black surfaces with a red border as identifying features. The powertrain uses an upgraded version of the high-revving in-line 6- cylinder S58 3-litre engine with M TwinPower Turbo technology developed for the M3 and M4. It therefore has many technological features derived directly from a racing car engine. The 550bhp/650Nm engine in paired with an 8-speed M Steptronic transmission. All that power to the four wheels through an MxDrive intelligent allwheel-drive system and Active M differential at the rear. The driver can also switch off the DSC system altogether and engage 2WD mode. This sends drive power only to the rear wheels and suppresses any intervention from the control systems to stabilise the vehicle, requiring driver skill to fully exploit. With more boost used to bump up the power output, the M3 CS is claimed to be able to get from 0 to 100 kph in 3.4 seconds. Though it can go faster, BMW M has installed an electronic limited keeping the top speed to 302kph. Lightweight construction with extensive use of carbonfibre play a major part in achieving the high performance of the M3 CS. Besides carbonfibre for the roof, the special-edition model also uses this lightweight, high-tech material for its bonnet, front splitter, front air intakes, exterior mirror caps, rear diffuser and rear spoiler. Inside, the centre console, shift paddles on the steering wheel and interior trim strips are also manufactured from CFRP and the standard M Carbon bucket seats save a lot of kilogrammes. Making the rear silencer of titanium also takes away 4kg and in total, the weight-saving measures of the M3 CS amount to 20kg compared to the M3 Competition Sedan with M xDrive. Much of the chassis technology is derived from the M3 Competition, with specific settings for the DSC system and M Dynamic Mode purposefully geared to the specific demands of high-speed circuit driving. The electronically controlled dampers of the adaptive M suspension likewise come in a model-specific setup, as do its electromechanical M Servotronic steering with variable ratio and its integrated braking system. Standard wheels for the M3 Cs are forged M light alloy units in an exclusive V-spoke design with a Gold Bronze finish. Customers can also have them in Matt Black if they prefer a more discrete look. Measuring 19 inches in diameter at the front axle and 20 inches at the rear, the wheels are fitted (as standard) with track tyres that have been developed for the M3 CS. The fronts are sized 275/35 ZR19 and the rears are 285/30 ZR20. 8 FEBRUARY 3, 2023 Nissan Kicks inspired by a shoe! Speed demon M3 CS – the most powerful BMW M3 ever Tribute to the first Porsche sportscar ALTHOUGH Ferdinand Porsche was making cars from 1931, each car and every project was numbered sequentially but did not carry the Porsche name. For example, order No. 22 was for the legendary Auto Union Grand Prix racing car and the Type 60 was the Volkswagen. The numbers therefore rose with each new order, with each engine designed, or with each drawing for an axle, gearbox or tractor. In 1948, by which time the project numbers had reached 356, something of historical significance happened – for the first time, an automobile was made under the official brand name of Porsche, hence it was called the Porsche 356. Seventy-five years later, Porsche celebrates its anniversary year with a special model that pays tribute to the 356. Known as the Porsche Vision 357, it is strictly a design study, the company emphasises, and manifests potential expressions of the future design philosophy. It tried to answer the question of what the dream of a sportscar of Ferdinand Porsche might look like today? “We created a very special birthday present in the form of the Porsche Vision 357, one which uses the 356 as a basis to underscore the significance of our design DNA,” said Michael Mauer, vicepresident Style Porsche. “The design study is an attempt to combine the past, present and future with coherency, featuring proportions that are reminiscent of its historical archetype and details that visualise the outlook for the future.” Unrestrained by the regulations that apply for production models, the Vision 357 is built on the technology platform of the 500ps 718 Cayman GT4 RS. With its monolithic form, the narrow passenger cell with an abruptly sloping flyline and broad shoulders, the proportions of the Vision 357 evoke the lines of the 356. The future of Audi design WITH the transition to electromobility and, perhaps by the end of the decade, automated driving as well, car design will change much more than it has at any time in recent decades. Interiors, in particular, will be remodelled with the freedom given by new architecture developed specifically for electric vehicles. The “inner space” will thus become the core of new vehicle design. Since 2021, Audi has been presenting a series of concept vehicles which show how the brand will design its future luxury cars, with much focus on interior design. The series is unified by the sphere concept and the latest activesphere model joins three others presented over the past two years. As the fourth and final model in the series, the activesphere concept adopts a 4-door crossover coupe bodystyle, following on from the skysphere roadster, grandsphere sedan, and urbansphere people-carrier. Each concept model interprets the paradigm shift in design differently, with the passengers’ needs and quality of experience at the very top of the priority list. To achieve this, technological innovations and the highest quality materials and workmanship have been used. Measuring 4.98m long and 2.07m wide, the activesphere concept has impressive ground clearance, with large 22-inch wheels indicating the ability to depart from the highway as well. The activesphere’s versatility on different surfaces is made possible by a quattro drive system and suspension which is equally adept both on and off the road. The steering wheel and pedals allow the driver to actively control the vehicle when required, but there is also autonomous capability if desired. With an electric drive and quick-charging technology from Audi’s PPE modular system, the activesphere generates no emissions so it is good for the environment as it travels offroad. A range of about 600km is claimed and 800V technology allows for quick recharging of the battery pack. The interior zones feature horizontal contrasting colouring and the reigning centrepiece is the seating surfaces and door and front panelling in warm lava red, which contrast with the dark exterior even when looking through the side windows. Above and below this central zone, dark colours also dominate. While the design has classic proportions and lines, within just a few seconds, it can transform into a pick-up truck. The Sportback rear – referred to as an active back – can turn into an open cargo bed at the touch of a button. The space available is enough for carrying recreational equipment such as two e-bikes or watersports gear. The activesphere marks the first time that a car with a Sportback hatchback incorporates the design elements and technical equipment of an allroad version. For this reason, Audi calls the new body variant ‘active Sportback’ in contrast to the allroad.

KLCI 1,489.80 4.30 STI 3,363.68 19.08 HANG SENG 21,958.36 55.17 SCI 3,285.67 0.75 NIKKEI 27,402.05 13.97 TSEC 15,595.16 175.03 KOSPI 2,468.88 S&P/ASX200 7,511.60 9.90 FRIDAY FEBRUARY 3, 2023 Editorial Tel: 03-7784 6688 Fax: 03-7785 2624/5 Email: [email protected] Advertising Tel: 03-7784 8888 Fax: 03-7784 4424 Email: [email protected] 5 MOST ACTIVES February 2, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (sen) +/– (sen) HONGSENG-WB 237,469,800 2.0 UNCH VELESTO 218,964,200 25.5 +2.5 BORNOIL 202,014,400 2.0 UNCH HONGSENG 195,645,000 21.5 +1.5 SAPNRG 155,063,200 5.0 UNCH EXCHANGERATES FEBRUARY 2, 2023 Foreign currency Bank sell Bank buy Bank buy TT/OD TT OD 1 US DOLLAR 4.2950 4.1620 4.1520 1 AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR 3.0830 2.9610 2.9450 1 BRUNEI DOLLAR 3.2880 3.1930 3.1850 1 CANADIAN DOLLAR 3.2280 3.1410 3.1290 1 EURO 4.7340 4.5820 4.5620 1 NEW ZEALAND DOLLAR 2.8080 2.7060 2.6900 1 SINGAPORE DOLLAR 3.2880 3.1930 3.1850 1 STERLING POUND 5.3220 5.1540 5.1340 1 SWISS FRANC 4.7170 4.6080 4.5930 100 UAE DIRHAM 118.2200 112.1100 111.9100 100 BANGLADESH TAKA 4.1320 3.8440 3.6440 100 CHINESE RENMINBI 64.0000 61.5000 N/A 100 HONGKONG DOLLAR 55.3300 52.5800 52.3800 100 INDIAN RUPEE 5.3400 5.0100 4.8100 100 INDONESIAN RUPIAH 0.0297 0.0268 0.0218 100 JAPANESE YEN 3.3420 3.2370 3.2270 100 NEW TAIWAN DOLLAR 15.6000 N/A N/A 100 PAKISTAN RUPEE 1.6400 1.5300 1.3300 100 PHILIPPINE PESO 8.0500 7.5900 7.3900 100 QATAR RIYAL 119.0300 113.0000 112.8000 100 SAUDI RIYAL 115.6500 109.7900 109.5900 100 THAI BAHT 13.7200 12.1700 11.7700 Source: Malayan Banking Berhad/Bernama KL MARKET SUMMARY February 2, 2023 INDICES CHANGE FBMEMAS 10,878.00 +61.73 FBMKLCI 1,489.80 +4.30 CONSUMER PRODUCTS 603.87 +4.79 INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS 190.27 +0.34 CONSTRUCTION 159.49 -0.85 FINANCIAL SERVICES 16,341.60 -71.70 ENERGY 907.57 +20.32 TELECOMMUNICATIONS 606.09 +2.24 HEALTH CARE 1,681.58 +4.60 TRANSPORTATION 975.29 +11.03 PROPERTY 687.66 +7.85 PLANTATION 6,903.67 +74.29 FBMSHA 11,185.00 +108.80 FBMACE 5,811.32 +99.86 TECHNOLOGY 69.40 +1.87 TURNOVER VALUE 5.144 BIL RM2.945 BIL 5 TOP GAINERS February 2, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (RM) +/– RM HEIM 1,137,600 29.00 +1.00 FANG-2XL 100 6.98 +0.92 CARLSBG 366,400 24.20 +0.66 F&N 266,500 25.40 +0.60 PETDAG 478,500 22.30 +0.50 5 TOP LOSERS February 2, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (RM) +/– RM HAPSENG 765,100 7.14 -0.26 CANONE 192,200 3.31 -0.14 PCHHEM 11,995,800 8.22 -0.13 HLFG 454,900 18.38 -0.12 SP500-H19 4,571,700 0.235 -0.12 Agmo EV Dashboard guide for charge point operators PETALING JAYA: Agmo Holdings Bhd, a home-grown digital solutions and application development specialist, launched its Electric Vehicle (EV) Dashboard for charge point operators (CPO), the first of its kind in Malaysia. Agmo EV Dashboard, equipped with a suite of intelligence about EV charging stations, is a tool that assists CPO to plan the installation of their next charging station by employing a scientific approach backed by data, as well as leveraging artificial intelligence and big data analysis technologies. The launch of this latest technology, which specifically addresses the commercial oFirst of its kind in Malaysia, tool assists in planning and installation of charging stations BLand appoints Chester Voo as CEO, group aviation KUALA LUMPUR: Berjaya Land Bhd (BLand) has appointed Datuk Captain Chester Voo (pic) as CEO, group aviation, effective yesterday. Voo will oversee the airlines under Berjaya, namely Berjaya Air, Asia Jet and Rafflesia Airways. Commenting on the appointment, Berjaya Corp Bhd (BCorp) founder and chairman Tan Sri Vincent Tan said: “Datuk Captain Chester Voo has a solid track record in the aviation industry. With his vast experience and acumen, I am confident that the group’s aviation business is in good hands under Datuk Captain Chester Voo to expand and grow.” Welcoming Voo to his new role, Syed Ali Shahul Hameed, deputy executive chairman of BLand, who is also the joint group CEO of BCorp, said, “Datuk Captain Chester Voo is well respected in the aviation industry and we are truly honoured to have him here in Berjaya. His extensive experience and knowledge will be a great asset to us and I look forward to having him to lead the Group Aviation to greater heights.” Voo is a veteran in the aviation industry with 29 years of experience. Prior to this appointment, he was the CEO of Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) from June 2020 until December 2022 where he led the aviation safety regulator through the Covid-19 crisis and regained its Category 1 rating from the US Federal Aviation Administration, enabling Malaysian carriers to enter and add flights to the US. Voo commenced his illustrious career as a pilot with Malaysia Airlines in 1993. He subsequently joined AirAsia in 2008 where he was very much involved in the flight operations before joining CAAM. IHH subsidiary Acibadem acquires Turkiye’s Kent Health Group KUALA LUMPUR: Acibadem Healthcare Group, a subsidiary of IHH Healthcare Bhd, has acquired 100% of Kent Health Group, a leading private healthcare service provider in Izmir, Turkiye. Founded in 2004, Kent operates the largest private hospital in Izmir – the 340- bed Izmir Kent Hospital with an attached cancer centre – as well as two medical centres in the city. Founder and chairman of Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydınlar said the group is proud to bring the Acibadem brand to Izmir, which is the third largest city in Turkiye. “This transaction aligns with our growth strategy in the country and achieves our long-awaited goal to serve the people of Izmir. We are pleased to be providing our services to the community by adding Kent Health Group, a prominent player in Izmir’s private healthcare arena, to our portfolio,” he said in a statement. Meanwhile, chairman of Kent and partner at MidEuropa, Matthew Strassberg, said the acquisition by Acibadem validates the strategic value generated by Kent through these investments and ensures the continuity of focus on medical and service excellence for the benefit of patients and other stakeholders. Izmir Kent Hospital would be Acibadem’s 19th hospital in Turkiye and 25th globally. The number of medical centres in Acibadem’s network would increase to 16 with this acquisition. The transaction is expected to close during the first quarter of 2023 following the completion of necessary regulatory approvals. – Bernama Sarawak rakes in record revenue of RM11.9b for 2022 KUCHING: Sarawak has recorded a revenue of RM11.9 billion for 2022, the highest revenue performance ever achieved by the state. Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the figure surpassed its projected revenue of RM10.2 billion by 17%. He said Sarawak’s revenue comprised four main categories – tax revenue, non-tax revenue, non-revenue receipts and federal grants and reimbursements. Abang Johari said tax revenue contributed RM6.7 billion or 56% of the total revenue, while the other categories made up 44%. “Under the tax revenue category, state sales tax (SST) contributed 84% or RM5.6 billion of the total tax revenue collected. The taxable products under SST, among others, were oil and gas products, oil palm products and aluminium. “The improved performance in SST collection was due to higher market prices in 2022 for oil and gas products and oil palm products,” he told a press conference at the state assembly building here yesterday. – Bernama 113.82 viability of EV-related solutions, marks an important milestone under Agmo’s ongoing environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy in expediting the nation’s transition towards electric mobility. Agmo Holdings CEO Tan Aik Keong said: “Our mission at Agmo is to provide digitally-powered ESG solutions that help customers succeed in their business operations in a sustainable way. “Armed with multiple sets of relevant data, the new Agmo EV Dashboard is a powerful tool that will provide valuable information to CPOs so they can make informed decisions about where to install charging stations, how many are needed, and where they should be strategically located. This will help CPOs optimise their return of investment and ensure profitability for their investments, which are crucial aspects in ensuring long-term resiliency for both CPOs and EV users alike.” On the back of the anticipated growth of the EV ecosystem in the country, Agmo has been developing a range of EV-related app solutions. To date, Agmo has developed an app platform to locate the nearest EV stations and backend system for EV charging stations for its customer. Tan said Agmo has the necessary skill sets and know-how to broaden its existing EV initiatives, and the launch of the Agmo EV Dashboard demonstrates its commitment to its ESG agenda as it continues to support business and social engagements and performs a key role in supporting the industries that could generate economic progress and environmental changes. “The development of this tool will help build a better EV ecosystem in Malaysia by preventing redundant charging points from being established due to lack of reliable data on which particular areas require more charging stations than others,” Tan said. He added that from a consumers’ perspective, efficient planning and installation of charging stations at optimum locations by CPOs would encourage much wider EV adoption while addressing the issue of ‘range anxiety’ whereby drivers worry about being stranded by the roadside due to the lack of fastcharging infrastructure. Participation 46.9 26.7 26.4 100.0 Institutions Retail Foreign Bought RM m 1383.1 767.5 795.4 2946.0 Sold RM m 1382.7 803.5 759.8 2946.0 Net RM m 0.4 -36.0 35.6 0 % Preliminary stats (excluding trade amendments). For final data, please refer to www.bursamalaysia.com Source: Bursa Malaysia A Participating Organisation of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad A Trading Participant of Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Berhad S E C U R I T I E S S D N. B H D. 197201001092 (12738-U) 2/02/2023

10 theSUN ON FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 3, 2023 SUNBIZ READ OUR HERE /thesundaily SCAN ME Malaysia’s trade outlook positive even beyond 2023 PETALING JAYA: Looking beyond 2023, MIDF Research said it is positive on Malaysia’s external trade outlook due to the ratified Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for TransPacific Partnership (CPTPP). In its thematic report, Remarkable Post-Pandemic External Trade Performances, the research house said that apart from elevated commodity prices and lower monetary rates, external trade activities of Malaysia are anticipated to expand steadily amid impact from new trade agreements. “As of 2022, RCEP members contributed 58.1% of Malaysia’s total trade while CPTPP members sponsored 27.5%. Even though RCEP held larger contribution of the total trade, Malaysia’s trade surplus with CPTPP members higher at RM132.9 billion versus RCEP members RM89.6 billion in 2022,” it said in a statement yesterday. MIDF Research foresees slight moderation in export growth, from 25% year-on-year (y-o-y) for 2022 to 9.2% y-o-y for 2023. “Malaysia’s export markets can still hold, among others, underpinned by oversea sales of commodity products with prices remain elevated, crude palm oil oMIDF Research sees benefits from high commodity prices and impact from new regional agreements, among others at RM3,500 per tonne and Brent crude oil at US$94 barrel for 2023. As for imports, strong domestic demand and improving local activities led to higher inbound shipments, averaging 31.3% y-o-y for 2022. Import growth forecast is set to touch 9.5% y-o-y, higher than exports as we view domestic demand to stay sturdy,” the research house said. Malaysian exports surged 25% last year, sustained double-digit yearly growth for the second year compared with 26.1% in the year prior, underpinned by strong demand for electrical and electronics (E&E) products as well as diversified export products. Malaysia gained from external demand for commodities particularly crude oil and petroleum products, LNG and palm oil and palm oil-based products, it noted. “To a certain extent, the robust growth in commodity exports was also boosted by higher commodity prices, while growing exports of manufactured goods reflect improved easing constraints on the global supply chain. Imports, on the other hand, grew by 31.3%, stronger than 23.3% expansion in 2021. On the ratio to gross domestic product (GDP), it said that exports’ contribution to the economy surged to 94.7% in 2022 compared with 81.9% in 2021, the highest since 2007. The re-exports-to-GDP ratio skyrocketed to a record high at 20.2% while contribution by domestic exports at 74.6%, highest since 2009. Imports’ ratio jumped from 65.2% in 2021 to 79.2% in 2022, 16-year high. Nevertheless, net exports contribution moderated from 16.7% in 2021 to 15.6% last year. MIDF Research opined that the strong import growth underpinned by domestic economic reopening outperformed the export expansion rate – which drove the lower net export contribution. In addition, labour and input shortages as well as oilfield maintenance works among others limited industrial production activities and outbound shipments last year. Looking into exports, domestic shipments continued to dominate with 78.7% while re-exports hit a new peak point of 21.3% in 2022. Additionally, the research house observed that the external front remained challenging, particularly with concerns of a global economic slowdown, inflation bite, tightening monetary policies in many countries and geopolitical risks in Europe and Asia. Last year, 28.6% of Malaysia’s total trade occurred in Johor, which outpaced Penang (27.4%) and Selangor (28.2%). Johor hit its highest record share of national total trade in 2022. “The rise was in line with the expansionary trends seen in seaports and land gates in the state such as Pasir Gudang, Tanjung Pelepas Port, Tanjung Kupang and Tambak Causeway,” MIDF Research said. “Even though lower share, trade value via Bayan Lepas and Butterworth grew steadily by 20.1% and 6.6% respectively last year. Selangor, another key state, saw its external trade increase by a low single-digit rate of 3.9%, dragged down especially by a marginal expansion rate of 0.8% in Port Klang, MIDF Research added. CGS-CIMB expects Bursa Malaysia’s earnings to grow 5.5% this financial year KUALA LUMPUR: CGS-CIMB Research expects Bursa Malaysia Bhd to post a net profit growth of around 5.5% for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2023 (FY23), compared withh a decline of 36.3% in FY22. In a note yesterday, it said the forecast was partly due to the absence of the one-off prosperity tax (Cukai Makmur) that was imposed in FY22. As for the topline, the research house has projected a decent growth of 3.6% in equity income (on the back of a 4.8% increase in equity average daily trading value) and a 5.7% growth in derivative income for Bursa Malaysia in FY23. “We maintain our FY2023-24 earnings per share (EPS) forecasts and target price of RM6.60 for Bursa Malaysia, which is pegged to a five-year historical price to earnings (P/E) of 21.5 times. We reiterate ‘hold’ on the stock as we believe its expected FY2023 net profit growth would have been priced. “The stock price should be supported by a decent dividend yield of 3.9% for FY2023,” it added. Meanwhile, MIDF Research believes that growth targets set by Bursa Malaysia for FY23 are achievable given that it is very conservative, especially on its MIDF Research believes that growth targets set by Bursa Malaysia for FY23 are achievable. pre-tax profit target, given that external factors might be in favour of trading activities this year. However, operating expenditure growth is expected to be in the mid-single digit as it will be investing to support these targets, the research house said in a separate note. “Financial targets (set by Bursa Malaysia) are a pre-tax profit of RM295 million to RM326 million, non-trading revenue growth of 5-7% year-on-year, while non-financial targets are 39 initial public offerings (IPOs) with RM10 billion total IPO market capitalisation, launch of new products such as Bursa Gold Dinar, and environmental, social and governance target to reduce ≥5.0% of Scope 1 & 2 emissions,” it said. On the other hand, after two straight years of average daily value (ADV) contraction, Hong Leong Investment Bank (HLIB) is hopeful of a modest reprieve in FY23 for Bursa Malaysia, noting that in the past decade, ADV had never declined for more than two consecutive years. “Granted, January’s ADV of RM2.0 billion is short of our FY2023 target, but we are still in the early days. While the rising probability of a US recession and its contagion could dampen investor sentiment, we reckon that China’s reopening will offer some cushioning effect to this,” it said. – Bernama Adelene Foo named Grab Malaysia managing director PETALING JAYA: Grab Holdings Inc has appointed Adelene Foo as managing director of Grab Malaysia, effective Feb 1, 2023. Foo will oversee the business strategy and operations of Grab’s businesses in Malaysia. A 10-year veteran at Grab, she was previously the country head in Malaysia between 2012 and 2014 before moving on to regional roles, most recently the regional head of merchants and regional head of GrabExpress as well as newly appointed CEO of Jaya Grocer. She succeeds Sean Goh, who assumes the position of regional head of deliveries and mobility. Prior to joining Grab, Foo was a consultant with Accenture Management Consulting, as part of the customer relationship management practice. B R I E F SPLS PLANTATION TO REDUCE OIL PALM BUSINESS TO 15% KUALA LUMPUR: Ekovest Bhd’s subsidiary, PLS Plantation Bhd, is planning to reduce its oil palm plantation business from 80% currently to just about 15% over the next few years. Ekovest group executive chairman Tan Sri Lim Kang Hoo said for now, most of the company’s revenue is still dominated by oil palm. “The company will gradually diversify its crops to include durian, pineapple, bananas and others that are also important in the government’s food security initiative,” he told reporters during Ekovest group’s Chinese New Year open house yesterday. Lim said the company is looking forward to exploring the durian market’s huge export potential. “There is a big market for durian in countries such as China, Japan, South Korea and also Australia,” he said. – Bernama RESERVOIR LINK SHARES UP AFTER ACQUISITION OF INDONESIAN POWER FIRM KUALA LUMPUR: Reservoir Link Energy Bhd’s shares closed 2 sen or 5.56% higher at 38 sen with 3.466 million shares traded after its wholly owned subsidiary, Skyline Energy Sdn Bhd, entered into a term sheet to acquire a 90% stake in Indonesia’s PT Eco Power Engineering (EPE) for RM12.81 million. EPE is expected to enter into a power purchase agreement with state-owned company, Perseroan Listrik Negara (PLN) for a 9.6MW mini hydropower plant. PLN is a company tasked with supplying the electricity needs of the Indonesian people. – Bernama LOAN GROWTH IN DECEMBER 2022 BEAT FORECAST: MIDF KUALA LUMPUR: Loan growth in December 2022 recorded an increase of 5.7% year-on-year (y-oy), slightly higher than the projected 5.0-5.5%, said MIDF Research. It was a 0.7% growth on a month-onmonth (m-o-m) basis. In a note yesterday, the research house said December’s system loan growth was relatively stable, following a sharp contraction in the previous month. “With lending rates having nearly normalised and liquidity no longer as cheap, our 2023 system loan forecast is a muted 4.5 to 5.0%,” it said. MIDF Research said leading indicators showed a continued downward trajectory with system loan applications continuing to decline, contracting by 12% m-o-m. It said that contributors to the steep decline were spread out, although prime drivers were hire purchase loans, residential mortgages and working capital loans. – Bernama

11 * SUNBIZ theSUN ON FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 3, 2023 /theSunMedia FOLLOW ON YOUTUBE SCAN ME MTDC, Gobi co-invest in ECF platform pitchIN oMove will support potential high growth local technology companies to expand their business locally and internationally KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Technology Development Corp (MTDC), a wholly owned unit of Khazanah Nasional Bhd, has announced its investment participation in Pitch Platforms Sdn Bhd (pitchIN) together with Gobi Partners as co-investor. Pitch Platforms’ pitchIN equity crowdfunding (ECF) platform is a Registered Market Operator with the Securities Commission. To date it has successfully funded 154 deals, the most among all ECF platforms in Malaysia. pitchIN has raised over RM280 million to date, with over 7,600 investments made into fast growing Malaysian companies. It holds records for projects that raised the most funds and for the most number of backers for a single project. MTDC and Gobi Partners are coinvesting into the company with total amount of investment of RM5 million, through MTDC’s Business Growth Fund and Gobi‘s Superseed II Fund. The fund will further assist the company to expand their ECF platform offering, launch initial exchange offering and secondary market platforms locally and initiate similar ventures regionally. Prior to this, MTDC had signed a MoU with Pitch Platforms in 2020 to collaborate and cooperate in the areas of equity crowdfunding. The MTDC-pitchIN Equity Crowdfunding Programme allows MTDC to participate in equity crowdfunding investment of up to 30% in eligible prospective firms per campaign. With this additional investment in pitchIN, MTDC will be able to further facilitate fundraising for local technology-based firms via their crowdsourcing online platform. Kerjaya Prospek bags RM135m design-and-build contract from BBCC Predictive networks, security resilience to shape a digital-first Malaysia MTDC will also provide its integrated support services for the companies funded which includes Technology Centre Management, Technopreneur Training Academy, Centre of 9 PillarsÒ and advisory services such as mentoring, softlanding, branding, fund raising, international collaboration and networking. In a statement yesterday, MTDC’s CEO Mohammad Hazani Hassan said he welcomed this coinvestment with Gobi Partners as it will support potential high growth local technology companies to expand their business, locally and internationally. He added that through this coinvestment, the company will benefit from the extensive business networking and connections from both parties that will further expediate and accelerate the company’s future expansion. “We support and believe that this co-investment will benefit Malaysia’s local technology companies as their capability to sustain and grow their business in the wake of the recent pandemic is another reason for our continued partnership with them. MTDC would also like to invite other investors to co-invest alongside us, specifically in the technology sector,” said Mohammad Hazani. Meanwhile, Gobi managing partner (Malaysia) Jamaludin Bujang highlighted that the coinvestment partnership will allow entrepreneurs especially the startups and SME to receive additional funding especially in the challenging economic landscape in Malaysia. “With the launching of the company’s Secondary Market and Initial Exchange Offering platforms this year, this is a key inflection point on the increased popularity of ECF in Malaysia and that is the reason why Gobi and MTDC will be investing in the best ECF platform in the country.” Pitch Platform’s CEO Sam Shafie said, “We are pleased to welcome two strategic corporate investors into pitchIN. MTDC and Gobi Partners both bring experience and market reach, and we are confident that their investment will lead to more growth at pitchIN. We thank them for their confidence in our vision and look forward to working with them as we roll out upcoming services and planned expansion.” Oppstar inks underwriting deal with Affin Hwang IB for IPO KUALA LUMPUR: Oppstar Bhd, an integrated circuit design service provider, yesterday signed an underwriting agreement with Affin Hwang Investment Bank Bhd (AHIB) in conjunction with its initial public offering (IPO) and listing on the ACE Market of Bursa Malaysia Securities. Oppstar’s IPO involves a public issue of 165,479,000 new shares, which represents approximately 26.0% of its enlarged issued share capital of 636,200,000 shares upon listing. AHIBB is the sole underwriter of the 54,077,000 shares made available for application by the Malaysian public and eligible directors, employees and business associates of the group. Oppstar’s executive director/CEO Ng Meng Thai said, “The signing of the underwriting agreement symbolises a significant milestone for Oppstar as it brings us one step closer to being a listed entity. The IPO will provide funding for our expansion and enable the public to participate in the group’s growth. We aim to increase our presence in the integrated circuit design industry in the region and create a greater impact on the semiconductor supply chain.” The officer-in-charge of Affin Hwang Investment Bank Bhd Ng Meng Wah said, “We are honoured to be part of Oppstar’s listing exercise by being the principal adviser, sponsor, sole placement agent and sole underwriter. Oppstar provides IC design services covering front-end design, back-end design and complete turnkey solutions to its customers in the region and they also work closely with multinational companies in the semiconductor industry. With its experienced management team, we believe Oppstar will grow along with the technological trend.” KUALA LUMPUR: Businesses will need to modernise their IT infrastructure with SD-WAN technologies which will allow them to securely connect users, devices, and IoT to systems, apps, and data with unified management and security policy administrations, said Cisco Malaysia managing director Hana Raja. She said they must also move away from stand-alone security toward a connected platform strategy that focuses on detection, response, and recovery. “If the last few years have taught us anything, it is that the future is predictably unpredictable. This year, businesses face pressure which include stepping up to evolving expectations from employees and their stakeholders, and focus on leveraging the right technologies to remain relevant in an ever-evolving, digital business environment,” said Hana, adding that connections between people, devices, and data are everexpanding, with billions of open, shared, and accessible touchpoints multiplying in a hybrid work, cloud-first world. She said applications are just the front door to an expansive digital landscape that is evolving and growing in scale and complexity. “With Asean’s super app market forecasted to reach US$23 billion or RM99.53 billion in revenue by 2025, applications are now the new business model. Businesses have one shot to impress customers, with over half (57%) saying if their digital service does not perform, they won’t use them again,” she added. She said the key to delivering a great digital experience is having full-stack visibility into the different data, system interactions, interdependencies, and business metrics that are happening in real time across the digital interface. “We foresee a greater adoption of 5G as more businesses in the Asia Pacific begin to realise the benefits of digitising and using future technologies. This can potentially drive the total 5G revenue in the region to US$23.89 billion or RM103.38 billion in 2025. The combination of WiFi 6 and 5G will pave a new future of connectivity for almost every industry, by providing three times more bandwidth and five times the speed of WiFi 5. As Malaysia moves faster to widespread 5G deployment, key sectors will stand to benefit like manufacturing, which requires high bandwidth and secure connectivity to support critical applications in process automation, robotics, remote monitoring, and more. To support the nation’s transition, Cisco and Telekom Malaysia last year announced a 5G-as-a-service center of excellence to springboard 5G adoption and develop proof of concepts for enterprises and vertical industries that address unique business challenges. PETALING JAYA: Kerjaya Prospek Group Bhd through its 49% owned subsidiary company Kerjaya Bina BMK Sdn Bhd, has won a design-andbuild contract worth RM135.41 million from BBCC Development Sdn Bhd, for a proposed development project in Kuala Lumpur. The latter is a joint venture company set up by Employees Provident Fund, UDA Holdings Bhd and Eco World Development Group Bhd. The contract covers the design and build of main building for the proposed development project of 31 storey service apartment, basement and podium consists of seven storey carpark, main lobby and multipurpose hall located at Lot PT 20029, Seksyen 56, Off Jalan Hang Tuah/Jalan Pudu, Kuala Lumpur. The contract will commence on March 1, 2023 and be completed within 36 months from then, said the group in a bourse filing yesterday. The contract will have no effect on the issued share capital of the company but it is expected to contribute positively to the earnings and net assets per share of the group for the financial years ending 2023 to 2026,” it said. DNeX awarded software maintenance job for LHDN’S HITS CYBERJAYA: Dagang NeXchange Bhd’s (DNeX) subsidiary Innovation Associates Consulting Sdn Bhd (IAC) has bagged a maintenance contract from the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (LHDN). Under the contract, IAC will be responsible for the application and software maintenance of Malaysia Hasil Integrated Taxation Systems (HITS). The one-year contract, valued at RM4.05 million, is expected to commence this month. DNeX executive chairman Tan Sri Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir said the contract is a testament to IAC’s capabilities with a comprehensive range of information technology project management services, leveraging on cutting-edge technologies to help organisations transform, optimise and enhance their operations. He said the maintenance contract for HITS can further position DNeX on a better footing and reinforce the company’s technology consulting and system integration arm via IAC to expand their digital capabilities into becoming a top regional digital transformation player. From left: Oppstar executive director/chief technology officer Cheah Hun Wah, Ng Meng Thai, Ng Meng Wah and AHIB chief financial officer Mustafa Shafiq Razalli at the signing ceremony.

12 theSUN ON FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 3, 2023 SUNBIZ /thesundaily FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK SCAN ME ECB to raise rates again pace of its own hikes on Wednesday and some data pointed to a bleaker outlook for the euro zone. The Fed raised rates again and said more rate increases were needed but also acknowledged that it had turned a corner on inflation and disinflation was underway, comments that buoyed stocks. Lagarde has pushed back so far on any suggestion that the ECB is relenting in its fight against inflation and investors generally see her reaffirming that line yesterday, an expectation that pushed the euro sharply higher overnight. “We suspect the ECB will reiterate its hawkish message in February, as there are still uncertainties regarding underlying inflationary pressures and a change of tone would undermine the ECB’s credibility,” said Annalisa Piazza, a fixed-income research analyst at MFS Investment Management. In December, the ECB said rates would be increased “at a steady pace” until it was happy inflation was heading back down to its 2% target. But that guidance is now proving a source of contention within the Governing Council, as headline inflation falls sharply, though underlying price growth is still inching up and becoming increasingly broad. Policy hawks who favour higher rates, such as the Netherlands’ Klaas Knot, Slovakia’s Peter Kazimir and Slovenia’s Bostjan Vasle, have explicitly called for further 50-basis-point hikes in both February and March. This tension may result in a compromise on the language, as happened in December, whereby the ECB makes the size of its next rate hike dependent on incoming data, analysts said. “Probably emboldened by the resilience of the euro zone economy, the ECB is likely to look through the energy-driven decline in headline inflation and to focus squarely on underlying inflationary pressure,“ UniCredit said, expecting signals for a 50-basis-point move in March as well. BNP Paribas meanwhile thought the ECB might take out the reference to a “steady pace” of rate hikes or offset it so that a 50-basis-point increase would be “not predetermined (but) still a possible outcome”. Financial markets expect the ECB’s deposit rate to peak at 3.5% by the summer, which would be the highest level since the turn of the century. – Reuters oEuropean Central Bank seen making 50-basis point increase as investors seek hints about future moves Adani market losses snowball to US$100b on shelved share sale NEW DELHI: India’s Adani group shares sank yesterday after market turmoil forced the conglomerate to axe a crucial US$2.5 billion (RM11 billion) stock offer, deepening its market losses to more than US$100 billion and sparking worries about the potential systemic impact. The withdrawal of Adani Enterprises’ share sale marked a dramatic setback for Gautam Adani, the school dropout-turned-billionaire whose fortunes rose rapidly in recent years, but have fast dwindled due to a US-based short-seller’s critical research report released on Jan 24. The events are an embarrassing turn for the billionaire who has forged partnerships with foreign players and marquee investors in a global expansion of businesses that stretch from ports to mining to cement. Adani late on Wednesday called off the share sale as a stocks rout sparked by short-seller Hindenburg’s criticisms intensified, despite the offer being fully subscribed on Tuesday. In the fallout of the attack, Adani also lost his title as Asia’s richest man. The group’s flagship firm – Adani Enterprises – plunged 10% after opening higher yesterday. Other group companies – Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone, Adani Total Gas, Adani Green Energy and Adani Transmission – fell 10% each, while Adani Power and Adani Wilmar dropped 5% each. Adani has slipped in the ranking of the world’s richest to 16th, as per Forbes’ list, down from third last week. Adani’s plummeting stocks have raised concerns about the likelihood of a wider impact on India’s financial system. India’s central bank has asked local banks for details of their exposure to the Adani group of companies, government and banking sources told Reuters yesterday. CLSA estimates that Indian banks were exposed to about 40% of the 2 trillion rupees (RM105 billion) of Adani group’s debt in the fiscal year to March 2022. Hindenburg’s report last week alleged an improper use of offshore tax havens and stock manipulation by the Adani group. It also raised concerns about high debt and the valuations of seven listed Adani companies. The Adani group has denied the accusations, saying the short-seller’s allegation of stock manipulation has “no basis” and stems from an ignorance of Indian law. The group has always made the necessary regulatory disclosures, it added. Earlier this week, the Adani group said it had the complete support of investors, but investor confidence has tapered in recent days. As shares plunged after the Hindenburg report, Adani managed to secure the share sale subscriptions on Tuesday even though the stock’s market price was below the issue’s offer price. But on Wednesday, stocks plunged again. – Reuters B R I E F SSHELL MAKES RECORD US$40B PROFIT IN TUMULTUOUS 2022 LONDON: Shell delivered a record US$40 billion (RM171 billion) profit in 2022, the energy giant said yesterday, capping a tumultuous year in which a surge in energy prices after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine allowed it to hand shareholders unprecedented returns. The British company’s record earnings, which more than doubled from a year earlier, mirror those reported by US rivals earlier this week and are certain to intensify pressure on governments to further raise taxes on the sector. Shell also posted record fourthquarter profit of US$9.8 billion on the back of a strong recovery in earnings from liquefied natural gas trading, beating analyst forecasts for an US$8 billion profit. – Reuters ANA, JAL NINE-MONTH EARNINGS SOAR ON TRAVEL REVIVAL TOKYO: Japan’s leading air carriers ANA Holdings and Japan Airlines (JAL) posted net profits for the nine months to December, turning around losses as domestic and international travel resume, the companies said yesterday. ANA, the country’s biggest airline, reported a net profit of ¥62.6 billion (RM2.1 billion), reversing a ¥102.8 billion loss in the same period the year before, while its rival JAL saw a ¥16.3 billion net profit, up from a loss of ¥128.3 billion. Both companies were hit hard by restrictions in Japan and worldwide during the pandemic. – AFP HONDA TO PRODUCE HYDROGEN FUEL CELL SYSTEM WITH GM TOKYO: Japan’s Honda Motor Co said it will start producing a new hydrogen fuel cell system jointly developed with General Motors Co (GM) this year and gradually step up sales this decade, in a bid to expand its hydrogen business. Honda will target annual sales of around 2,000 units of the new system in the middle of this decade, the company said yesterday, aiming to boost that to 60,000 units per year in 2030. The Japanese carmaker is seeking to expand the use of its new system not only for its own fuel cell electric vehicles, but also commercial vehicles such as heavy trucks, as stationary power stations and in construction machinery. – Reuters Airbus and Qatar Airways settle bitter A350 jet row PARIS: Airbus and Qatar Airways have settled a dispute over grounded A350 jets, the companies said on Wednesday, averting a potentially damaging UK court trial after a blistering 18-month feud that tore the lid off the global jet market. The “amicable and mutually agreeable settlement” ends a US$2 billion (RM8.5 billion) row over surface damage on the long-haul jets. The spat led to the withdrawal of billions of dollars’ worth of jet deals by Airbus and prompted Qatar to increase purchases from Boeing. The cancelled orders for 23 undelivered A350s and 50 smaller A321neos have been restored under the new deal, which is also expected to see Airbus pay several hundred million dollars to the Gulf carrier, while winning a reprieve from other claims. The companies said neither admitted liability. Both pledged to drop claims and “move forward and work together as partners”. The deal heads off what amounted to an unprecedented public divorce trial between heavyweights in the normally tight-knit and secretive US$150 billion jet industry. The two sides had piled up combined claims and counter-claims worth about US$2 billion ahead of the June trial. – Reuters FRANKFURT: The European Central Bank (ECB) is all but certain to raise interest rates again yesterday and pencil in more hikes for the next few months, with the only open question being how big these will be. The ECB has been increasing rates at a record pace to fight a sudden bout of high inflation in the euro zone – the byproduct of factors such as the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic and an energy crisis that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The central bank for the 20 countries that share the euro is seen raising its deposit rate by another half a percentage point to 2.5% yesterday, in line with what it said in December. That would take the rate the ECB pays on bank deposits to the highest level since November 2008, after a steady climb from a record low of -0.5% in July. But ECB President Christine Lagarde is certain to face questions about smaller rises from next month, after the US Federal Reserve slowed the

13 * SPORTS theSUN ON FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 3, 2023 Consolation win for England DAWID MALAN (pix) and captain Jos Buttler hit centuries to set up a 59-run win for England in the third and final one-day international against South Africa at the Diamond Oval in Kimberley yesterday. Malan made 118 and Buttler scored 131 in an England total of 346 for seven. South Africa were bowled out for 287 with fast bowler Jofra Archer taking a career-best six for 40. South Africa had already clinched the series by winning the first two matches but England captain Jos Buttler said yesterday’s win was a reward for the hard work his players had put in during the short series. “There’s been some really good stuff. Guys getting hundreds and Jofra Archer was brilliant. We’ve got a good thing going. We’re building nicely,” said Buttler. India clinch T20 series OPENER Shubman Gill yesterday announced himself as an all-format player with his maiden Twenty20 international century to help India crush New Zealand by 168 runs in a seriesclinching victory. Gill smashed an unbeaten 126 off 63 balls to steer the team to 234-4 after they elected to bat first in the decider at the world’s biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad. Indian bowlers skittled out the Kiwis for a paltry 66 in 12.1 overs for a 2-1 series win. The hosts had whitewashed the Kiwis in three one-day matches. “I was backing myself to get the big ones even in one-days and T20s, unfortunately it don’t happen for me in the Sri Lanka series,” said the 23- year-old Gill. Asked about the demands of playing all three formats, Gill said: “When you are representing your country, I don’t think there is any kind of fatigue. I always wanted to play for India and being fortunate enough to play all the three formats, it is a blessing.” HOST International Foundation (1354783- V) invites the submission of food and non-food items (NFIs) bids from qualified suppliers of food and hygiene items for the preparation and delivery of these items to the location provided in the RFQ document. Prospective bidders must be capable of providing food & NFI items for a one time delivery in the month of March across 5 states, namely Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Perak and Negeri Sembilan for a total of 1300 kits of food & NFI items. All items and delivery details are provided in the RFQ. The vendor should take into account all the following: Have good business reputation and performance, proven clean track record. Possess all relevant certificate of registration, licenses approvals and permits with the local authorities and a copy of which are to be furnished when requested. All employees, especially food and beverage handlers, are required to comply with food safety requirements. The vendor shall be able to produce a Food Safety Plan containing procedures on hygienic food storage, preparation, handling, waste management, hygiene, and pest control. Please email: malaysia@hostinternational. org.au for access to RFQ. The key dates for this tender are as follows: Tender open date : 30/01/2023 Tender closing date : 08/02/2023 Last day for bid submission : 08/02/2023 by 5pm Period of bids analyses and comparison : 3 days Date of announcing the awarded tenderer: 13/02/2023 Submission of tender bid: All bids can be submitted either online or send hard copy to our HQ address. Send by email to: malaysia@ hostinternational.org.au Send as hardcopy to the address: No 208 Block A Pusat Dagangan Phileo Damansara 1, No 9 Jalan 16/11, Off Jalan Damansara, 46350 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. Any inquiries or questions can be sent by email to: malaysia@hostinternational. org.au Content provided by HOST International Foundation. 322 Notices IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF PERCOM (M) SDN. BHD. Reg. No. 198201007842 (87600-X) (IN MEMBERS’ VOLUNTARY WINDING-UP) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to Section 439 of the Companies Act 2016, that the Special Resolutions set out below were duly passed by the Members of the Company on 1 February 2023. 1. THAT the company be liquidated by way of members’ voluntary winding up pursuant to Section 439(1)(b) of the Companies Act 2016 (“the Act”). 2. THAT Chan Eng Mat of 4-5-3A Kompleks Kantonmen Prima, 698 Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, 51200 Kuala Lumpur be appointed as Liquidator to act for the purpose of winding-up the company’s affairs and distributing its assets to the members and to exercise the powers of the Liquidator as set out in Section 456 of the Act. 3. THAT the Liquidator be indemnified by the company against all costs, charges, losses, expenses and liabilities sustained by him in the execution and discharge on his duties as liquidator and in relation hereto. LEE SEE MING Director Dated: 3 February 2023 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the creditors of the abovementioned Company, which is being wound up voluntarily, are required on or before 3 March 2023 to send in their names and addresses and the particulars of their debts or claims and their names and addresses of their solicitors (if any) to the undersigned, the Liquidator of the said Company, and if so required in writing from the said Liquidator, are by their solicitors or personally, to come in and prove the said debts or claims at such time and place as shall be specified in such notice, or in default thereof, they will be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made before such debts are proved. CHAN ENG MAT Liquidator 4-5-3A Kompleks Kantonmen Prima, 698 Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, 51200 Kuala Lumpur Dated: 3 February 2023 IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF AVANTHA FOUNDATION (MALAYSIA) Registration No. 201101028707 (956842-T) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding Up) NOTICE OF RESOLUTION NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT at a Members’ Meeting of Avantha Foundation (Malaysia) duly convened and held at Unit No. 203, 2nd Floor, Block C, Damansara Intan, No. 1, Jalan SS 20/27, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor on 27th January, 2023, the following Special Resolution was duly passed - (a) That the Foundation be placed in members’ voluntary winding up; (b) That Mr. Chong Fook Sin of Unit No. 203, 2nd Floor, Block C, Damansara Intan, No. 1, Jalan SS 20/27, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor be appointed as the Liquidator of the Foundation for winding-up the Foundation’s affairs and distributing its assets either in cash or in specie to some other institution(s) having objects similar or cognate to the Foundation; and (c) That unless caused by negligence of the Liquidator, the Liquidator be indemnified by the Foundation against all costs, charges, losses, expenses and liabilities incurred in or sustained by him in the discharge of his duties as Liquidator and in relation thereto. Sanjeev Chadha Director Petaling Jaya 3rd February, 2023 NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT the creditors of the abovenamed Foundation which is being wound up voluntarily are required on or before 6th March, 2023 to send in their names and addresses with particulars of their debts or claims and the names and addresses of their solicitors (if any) to Mr. Chong Fook Sin of Unit No. 203, 2nd Floor, Block C, Damansara Intan, No. 1, Jalan SS 20/27, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, the Liquidator of the said Foundation and, if so required by notice in writing from the said Liquidator, are, by their solicitors or personally, to come in and prove their said debts or claims at such time and place as shall be specified in such notice or in default thereof they will be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made before such debts are proved. Chong Fook Sin Liquidator Petaling Jaya 3rd February, 2023 IN THE HIGH COURT OF MALAYA AT KUALA LUMPUR IN THE FEDERAL TERRITORY OF KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA COMPANIES (WINDING-UP) NO.: WA-28NCC-17-01/2023 In the matter of the Companies Act 2016 And In the matter of section 465(1)(e) of the Companies Act 2016 And In the matter of section 466(1)(a) of the Companies Act 2016 And In the matter of Masterskill Designs Sdn. Bhd. (Company No. 200601010801 (730551-V)) BETWEEN MERCEDES-BENZ SERVICES MALAYSIA SDN. BHD. (COMPANY NO.: 201201027083 (1011573-P) …PETITIONER AND MASTERSKILL DESIGNS SDN. BHD. (COMPANY NO.: 200601010801 (730551-V) …RESPONDENT ADVERTISEMENT OF PETITION Notice is hereby given that a Petitioner for the winding-up of MASTERSKILL DESIGNS SDN. BHD. (Company No.: 200601010801 (730551-V)) by the High Court was, on the 6th day of January 2023, presented by the Petitioner, Mercedes-Benz Services Malaysia Sdn Bhd (Company No.: 201201027083 (1011573-P)). And that the said Petition is directed to be heard before the Court sitting at the High Court of Malaya at Kuala Lumpur at 9.00 o’clock in the morning, on the 22nd day of August 2023; and any creditor or contributory of MASTERSKILL DESIGNS SDN. BHD. desiring to support or oppose the making of an order on the said Petition may appear at the time of hearing by himself or his counsel for that purpose; and a copy of the Petition will be furnished to any creditor or contributory of MASTERSKILL DESIGNS SDN. BHD. requiring the same by the undersigned on payment of the regulated charge for the same. The Petitioner’s address is MercedesBenz Services Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Wisma Mercedes-Benz, Level 3 Jalan BK 1/13 Taman Perindustrian Bandar Kinrara, 47180 Puchong, Selangor. The Petitioner’s solicitor is Messrs. Chooi & Company + Cheang & Ariff of Level 5, Menara BRDB, 285 Jalan Maarof, Bukit Bandaraya, 59000 Kuala Lumpur [Tel No.: 03-2055 3888; Fax No.: 03-2055 3880]. [Ref: B20200137 CPY] Sgd. ........................... Messrs Chooi & Company + Cheang & Ariff Solicitors for the Petitioner NOTE :- Any person who intends to appear on the hearing of the said Petition must serve on or send by post to the abovenamed solicitors, Messrs. Chooi & Company + Cheang & Ariff, notice in writing of his intention so to do. The notice must state the name and address of the person, or, if a firm, the name and address of the firm, and must be signed by the person or firm, or his or their solicitor (if any) and must be served, or, if posted, must be sent by post in sufficient time to reach the abovenamed solicitors not later than 12.00 o’clock noon of 21st day of August 2023. DALAM MAHKAMAH MAJISTRET DI SHAH ALAM DI NEGERI SELANGOR DARUL EHSAN (BAHAGIAN SIVIL) GUAMAN SIVIL NO.: BA-A72NCC-298-11/2022 ANTARA WINSTAR ALUMINIUM MANUFACTURING SDN BHD (No. Syarikat: 568790-K) …PLAINTIF DAN EE SIEW ENG (No. K/P: 801117-14-5204) (Dahulu berniaga sebagai ESE Aluminium Trading) (No. Pendaftaran Perniagaan: 2129495-P) …DEFENDAN NOTIS PENYAMPAIAN GANTI Ambil Perhatian Bahawa satu Writ telah difailkan di Mahkamah Majistret di Shah Alam dimana kamu telah dinamakan sebagai Defendan dalam tindakan tersebut. Penyampaian Writ dan Pernyataan Tuntutan telah di perintahkan secara penyampaian ganti melalui perintah bertarikh 18 Januari 2023 terhadap kamu secara pengiklanan. Ambil Perhatian Lanjut bahawa anda mesti memasuki kehadiran dalam tempoh masa 7 hari dari tarikh pengiklanan ini dan sekiranya anda gagal memasukkan kehadiran tersebut, satu penghakiman ketidakhadiran akan dimasukkan terhadap kamu. Salinan Writ dan Pernyataan Tuntutan tersebut boleh di perolehi dari peguamcara Plaintif Tetuan L.K Pong & Co. di No. 6, Jalan Sekuci, Taman Sri Bahtera, 56100 KL. [Tel: 018- 6630130 E-mel: kean@ lkpong.com] Bertarikh pada 03 Febuari 2023 …………t.t………… Tetuan L.K Pong & Co. Notis ini telah dikeluarkan oleh Tetuan L.K Pong & Co. di No. 6, Jalan Sekuci, Taman Sri Bahtera, 56100 KL. [Tel: 018-6630130 E-mel: [email protected]] DALAM MAHKAMAH MAJISTRET DI GEORGETOWN DALAM NEGERI PULAU PINANG, MALAYSIA GUAMAN SIVIL NO. PA-A72NCVC-538-12/2022 ANTARA PERBADANAN PENGURUSAN PAVILION RESORT [NO. PENDAFTARAN: PTG/STRATA/03/ PPP-176] …PLAINTIF DAN TROPICAL HILL RESOURCES SDN. BHD. [NO. SYARIKAT: 200901023586 (866685-H)] …DEFENDAN NOTIS PENGIKLANAN (Untuk Penyampaian Writ dan Pernyataan Tuntutan bertarikh 14-12-2022) Kepada: TROPICAL HILL RESOURCES SDN. BHD. 29-3 JALAN 1/116B KUCHAI ENTREPRENEURS PARK OFF JALAN KUCHAI LAMA 58200 KUALA LUMPUR WILAYAH PERSEKUTUAN DAN/ATAU TROPICAL HILL RESOURCES SDN. BHD. NO. 29-4, JALAN 1/116B KUCHAI ENTREPRENEURS’ PARK OFF JALAN KUCHAI LAMA 58200 KUALA LUMPUR WILAYAH PERSEKUTUAN Dalam perkara Writ Saman yang dikeluarkan pada 14 haribulan Disember 2022. AMBIL PERHATIAN bahawa suatu tindakan telah dimulakan terhadap kamu dalam Mahkamah Majistret Georgetown dalam Guaman Sivil No. PAA72NCVC-538-12/2022 oleh Perbadanan Pengurusan Pavilion Resort yang mempunyai alamat berdaftar di No. 8 Jalan Teluk Kumbar, 11920 Teluk Kumbar, Penang, Malaysia, dalam mana tuntutan Plaintif terhadap Defendan adalah untuk jumlah wang sebanyak RM 24,765-01 setakat 31-08-2022 dan faedah ke atas RM 24,765-01 pada kadar 5% setahun dari tarikh 1-9-2022 sehingga tarikh penyelesaian sepenuhnya dan kos dan mana-mana perintah yang difikir suai manfaat oleh Mahkamah yang Mulia ini. Dan bahawa telah diperintahkan yang penyampaian Writ Saman kepada kamu dalam tindakan ini hendaklah dilaksanakan melalui pengiklanan ini serta penampalan di Papan Notis Mahkamah Georgetown dan penampalan di alamat-alamat terakhir yang diketahui. Sekiranya kamu berniat untuk membela diri kamu, kamu hendaklah dalam tempoh empat belas (14) hari dari tarikh tersiarnya iklan ini, termasuk hari penyiaran itu, memasukkan kehadiran di Pejabat Pendaftaran Mahkamah Majistret Georgetown. Jika ingkar apaapa kehadiran yang demikian maka penghakiman boleh dibuat terhadap kamu. Bertarikh pada 17 Januari 2023 t.t. Veon Szu & Kok Thye Peguamcara Plaintif Notis Pengiklanan ini difailkan oleh Tetuan Veon Szu & Kok Thye, peguamcara bagi pihak Plaintif dan mempunyai alamat penyampaian di No. 29C-03A-10, Persiaran Karpal Singh 2, 11600 Jelutong, Pulau Pinang No. Tel: 04-3730331 No. Faks: 04- 3730329 Emel: veonszu@ lawyerveonszu.com [Ruj Kami: KVS/CP/GW034/2022/AAA/ Pavilion(Tropical)@ymm] DALAM MAHKAMAH MAJISTRET DI KUALA KUBU BHARU DALAM NEGERI SELANGOR DARUL EHSAN, MALAYSIA GUAMAN SIVIL NO: BF-A72NCvC-214-10/2022 Antara MAJLIS PERBANDARAN HULU SELANGOR (dahulunya dikenali sebagai MAJLIS DAERAH HULU SELANGOR) ...PLAINTIF Dan 1. KHONG SEE YONG (NO. K/P: 600528-01-5649) 2. MAK SIEW CHIN …DEFENDAN-DEFENDAN NOTIS PENYAMPAIAN SECARA PENGIKLANAN Kepada, KHONG SEE YONG NO. K/P: 600528-01-5649) MAK SIEW CHIN No. 101 Jalan Beringin Taman Melodies 80250 Johor Bahru Johor KHONG SEE YONG NO. K/P: 600528-01-5649 MAK SIEW CHIN No. 35 Jalan Kemboja 3F Perniagaan Jalan Kemboja Bukit Sentosa 48300 Rawang, Selangor AMBIL PERHATIAN bahawa suatu tindakan telah dimulakan terhadap kamu di Mahkamah Majistret Kuala Kubu Bharu dalam Guaman Sivil No. BF-A72NCvC-214-10/2022 oleh MAJLIS PERBANDARAN HULU SELANGOR (dahulunya dikenali sebagai MAJLIS DAERAH HULU SELANGOR) yang beralamat di Jalan Bukit Kerajaan, 44000 Kuala Kubu Bharu, Selangor Darul Ehsan dan Mahkamah ini telah memberi perintah bahawa Writ Saman bertarikh 14.09.2022 hendaklah dilaksanakan secara penyampaian ganti kepada DefendanDefendan dengan menampalkan satu salinan perintah ini pada papan kenyataan di Mahkamah Majistret, Kuala Kubu Bharu, menampalkan satu salinan perintah ini pada alamat terakhir DefendanDefendan yang diketahui dan juga secara menyiarkan sesalinan Notis Periklanan untuk sekali sahaja di suratkhabar tempatan dan bahawa penyampaian sedemikian hendaklah menjadi satu penyampaian yang sempurna dan cukup dalam tempoh empat belas (14) hari dari tarikh akhir penampalan dokumen tersebut dan pengiklanan notis tersebut mengikut yang mana lebih lewat. Jika kamu berhasrat untuk membela dalam tindakan tersebut kamu mestilah dalam masa empat belas (14) hari dari penampalan dan penyiaran pengiklanan ini, memfailkan Memorandum Kehadiran. Kegagalan kamu untuk berbuat demikian boleh menyebabkan Penghakiman Ingkar boleh diberikan terhadap kamu. Bertarikh pada 03 haribulan Februari 2023. t.t. ………………………… Peguamcara bagi pihak Plaintif Law Practice of K.A. Ramu Notis Penyampaian Secara Pengiklanan ini telah dikeluarkan oleh Law Practice of K. A. Ramu , Peguambela & Peguamcara, peguamcara bagi Plaintif yang dinamakan diatas dan yang mempunyai alamat penyampaiannya di 15-1-A Jalan MH3, Taman Muzaffar Heights, 75450 Ayer Keroh, Melaka Tel : 03-76665625 Ruj:KARV/LIT/MDHS(KSY)/1395/2019 Email :[email protected] 0701AUC2022000035 LAMPIRAN B KANUN TANAH NEGARA Saman Kepada Penggadai Supaya Hadir Dalam Siasatan Di Bawah Seksyen 261 Kepada, Kasmawati binti Osman yang beralamat di No. 4-09, Tingkat Damai 1, Taman Permata Indah, 14000 Bukit Mertajam, Pulau Pinang dan/atau No. 7892, Permatang Berangan, 13300 Tasek Gelugor, Pulau Pinang penggadai dalam gadaian yang tersebut dalam jadual di bawah ini bagi tanah yang tersebut di dalamnya. Bahawasanya saya telah menerima daripada Pemegang Gadai dalam gadaian yang tersebut suatu permohonan supaya perintah jual dikeluarkan di bawah Sub-Seksyen 260 (2) Kanun Tanah Negara. Dan bahawasanya saya bercadang hendak mengadakan suatu siasatan berkenaan dengan permohonan tersebut di Pejabat Daerah Dan Tanah, Seberang Perai Tengah, Bukit Mertajam pada 08.03.2023 pada pukul 10.00 pagi. Maka oleh yang demikian, menurut Perenggan 261 (1) (c) Kanun Tanah Negara tuan/puan adalah dengan ini dikehendaki hadir dalam siasatan tersebut dan menunjukkan sebab-sebab mengapa perintah tersebut tidak patut dibuat. Bertarikh pada 19 haribulan Disember 2022 s.k Tetuan Murad & Foo Peguambela & Peguamcara Suites 10.01 Tingkat 10, MWE Plaza,No. 8, Lebuh Farquhar,10200 Pulau Pinang, (Ruj. Tuan : TLN/HLBB/F211/2020/ina) ..............t.t............... Pentadbir Tanah Seberang Perai Tengah JADUAL TANAH * DAN KEPENTINGAN Bandar / Pekan / Mukim (1) No. Lot/ Petak/ P.T. (2) Jenis dan No. Hakmilik (3) Bahagian Tanah (jika ada) (4) No. Berdaftar * Pajakan/ Pajakan Kecil (jika ada) (5) No. Berdaftar Gadaian (jika ada) (6) Mukim 15 Seberang Perai Tengah Lot 12197 GM 1590/ M1/5/58 KESEMUA Tiada Persn. No 2366/2003 Jilid No. - Folio No. - DALAM MAHKAMAH SESYEN DI JOHOR BAHRU DALAM NEGERI JOHOR DARUL TA’ZIM WRIT NO : JA-A52NCC-325-10/2022 ANTARA LEGEND HOUSE CONCEPT (M) SDN BHD (No. Syarikat: 1087869-V) …PLAINTIF DAN TRENDBUILD PROJECTS SDN BHD (No. Syarikat: 1258113-T) …DEFENDAN NOTIS PENYAMPAIAN GANTI Ambil Perhatian Bahawa satu Writ telah difailkan di Mahkamah Majistret di Shah Alam dimana kamu telah dinamakan sebagai Defendan dalam tindakan tersebut. Penyampaian Writ dan Pernyataan Tuntutan telah di perintahkan secara penyampaian ganti melalui perintah bertarikh 22 Disember 2022 terhadap kamu secara pengiklanan. Ambil Perhatian Lanjut bahawa anda mesti memasuki kehadiran dalam tempoh masa 14 hari dari tarikh pengiklanan ini dan sekiranya anda gagal memasukkan kehadiran tersebut, satu penghakiman ketidakhadiran akan dimasukkan terhadap kamu. Salinan Writ dan Pernyataan Tuntutan tersebut boleh di perolehi dari peguamcara Plaintif Tetuan L.K Pong & Co. di No. 6, Jalan Sekuci, Taman Sri Bahtera, 56100 KL. [Tel: 018- 6630130 E-mel: kean@ lkpong.com] Bertarikh pada 03 Febuari 2023 …………t.t………… Tetuan L.K Pong & Co. Notis ini telah dikeluarkan oleh Tetuan L.K Pong & Co. di No. 6, Jalan Sekuci, Taman Sri Bahtera, 56100 KL. [Tel: 018-6630130 E-mel: [email protected]] 322 Notices 322 Notices IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF KIM NINWONI (M) SDN. BHD. 201801039919 (1301950-X) (SHARE CAPITAL REDUCTION) Pursuant to the Members’ Written Resolution dated 02- 02-2023, the following special resolution was duly passed:- Special Resolution – Reduction and Repayment of Capital THAT approval be and is hereby given for the Company to reduce the share capital of the Company from RM500,000.00 comprising of 500,000 ordinary shares to RM76,000.00 comprising of 76,000 ordinary shares by cancelling RM424,000.00 in the share capital of the Company that is in excess of the needs of the Company and such reduction be effected by returning to the holder of the Company to the extent of RM1.00 per share payable by way of set-off against the amount owing by the shareholder (“Proposed Capital Reduction”). AND THAT the Board of Directors be and is hereby empowered and authorised to do all such acts, take such steps and execute all such documents in order to finalise, implement and/ or give full effect to the Proposed Capital Reduction and assent to and accept any conditions, variations, modifications and/ or amendments in any manner as may be required or imposed or permitted by the relevant authorities or as the Board of Directors may deem necessary or expedient in the best interest of the Company. LOK KHING MING Company Director 03-02-2023 322 Notices IN THE HIGH COURT OF MALAYA AT JOHOR BAHRU IN THE STATE OF JOHOR DARUL TAKZIM MALAYSIA COMPANIES (WINDING-UP) NO. JA - 28NCC - 7 - 01/2023 In the Matter of the Companies Act 2016 AND In the Matter of Citypro Educare Management Sdn Bhd (Company No. 199701040361 (455861-U) CHUAN YUAN HOLDINGS SDN BHD (Company No. 199301027786 (282524-D) ... PETITIONER AND CITYPRO EDUCARE MANAGEMENT SDN BHD (Company No. 199701040361 (455861-U) … RESPONDENT ADVERTISEMENT OF PETITION NOTICE is hereby given that a petition for winding-up of the above-named company by the High Court was, on the 9th day of January, 2023, presented by M/s CHUAN YUAN HOLDINGS SDN BHD (Company No. 199301027786 (282524- D)) and that the said petition is directed to be heard before the Court sitting at Johor Bahru at nine o’clock in the forenoon, on the 6th day of March, 2023, and any creditor or contributory of the said company desiring to support or oppose the making of an order on the said petition may appear at the time of hearing by himself or his counsel for that purpose; and a copy of the petition will be furnished to any creditor or contributory of the said company requiring the same by the undersigned on payment of the regulated charge for the same. The Petitioner’s address is No. 3, Jalan Wisata, 80200 Johor Bahru, Johor. The Petitioner’s Solicitors is MESSRS CM YEO & ASSOCIATES of Upper Level, No. 134, Jalan Dato Sulaiman, Century Garden, 80250 Johor Bahru, Johor Darul Takzim. Tel No.: 07-334 8867, 07-335 8867. Fax No.: 07-335 3867. Signed by CM YEO & ASSOCIATES Solicitors for the Petitioner Note :- Any person who intends to appear on the hearing of the said petition must serve on or send by post to the abovenamed Solicitors, notice in writing of his intention so to do. The notice must state the name and address of the person, or, if a firm, the name and address of the firm, and must be signed by the person or firm, or his or their solicitor (if any) and must be served, or, if posted, must be sent by post in sufficient time to reach the above-named not later than twelve o’clock noon of the day of 5th day of March, 2023 (the day before the day appointed for the hearing of the petition). (Ref No.: JY/L-9027/0721) IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF TSB CAPITAL SDN. BHD. (198301002634 (97870-W)) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding-Up) At the General Meeting of the members of TSB Capital Sdn. Bhd. (In Members’ Voluntary WindingUp) duly convened and held at the Registered Office of the Company, 47A Jalan Chung Ah Ming, Pasir Puteh, 31650 Ipoh, Perak Darul Ridzuan on Wednesday, 25 January 2023, the following resolutions were duly passed:- THAT the Company will be liquidated by way of members’ voluntary winding-up AND THAT Ms Ng Yuet Seam of 47A Jalan Chung Ah Ming, Pasir Puteh, 31650 Ipoh, Perak Darul Ridzuan be appointed as Liquidator to act for the purpose of winding-up the Company’s affairs and distributing its assets AND THAT the Liquidator be hereby indemnified by the Company against all losses, damages, causes of action, claims, demands whatsoever, whether at law or in equity, including legal fees, incurred or sustained by her in the execution and discharge of her duty as liquidator and in relation thereto. By Order of the Board NG YUET SEAM (MAICSA 7005639) CHEN PEAK HOOI (MAICSA 7035780) Secretaries 3 February 2023 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the creditors of the abovenamed Company which is wound up voluntarily, are required on or before 5 March 2023 to send in their names and addresses with particulars of their debts and claims, and names and addresses of their solicitor (if any) to the undersigned Liquidator at 47A, Jalan Chung Ah Ming, Pasir Puteh, 31650 Ipoh, Perak Darul Ridzuan and, if so required by notice in writing from the said Liquidator, or by its solicitors, to come in and prove their said debts and claims at such time and place as shall be specified in such notice, or in default thereof they will be excluded from the benefits of any distribution made before such debts or claims are proved. NG YUET SEAM Liquidator 3 February 2023 IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF WORLD CLASS MASTER SDN. BHD. 201401001031 ( 1077102 – V ) ( IN MEMBERS VOLUNTARY WINDING UP ) At the Meeting of Members of WORLD CLASS MASTER SDN. BHD. duly convened and held on Wednesday, 1st day of February 2023, the following resolutions were duly passed: SPECIAL RESOLUTION THAT the company be wound up by way of a members voluntary winding up pursuant to Section 439(1)(b) of the Companies Act 2016 (The Act) ORDINARY RESOLUTION THAT Lee Yat San (MIA(CA) – 6628) of No. 4391, Jalan Heng Choon Thian, 12000 Butterworth, Penang be and is hereby appointed as Liquidator to act for the purposes of winding up the company’s affairs and distributing its assets pursuant to Section 445(1) of The Act and that he is to exercise any power and duty specified under the Eleventh Schedule in a voluntary winding up pursuant to Section 456 of The Act ( Chan Han Song ) ( Director ) Dated this 3rd day of February 2023 IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF WORLD CLASS MASTER SDN. BHD. 201401001031 ( 1077102 – V ) ( IN MEMBERS VOLUNTARY WINDING UP ) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Creditors of the abovenamed company, which is being wound up voluntarily are required on or before 2nd March 2023 to send in their names and addresses with particulars of their debts or claims and the names and addresses of their solicitors (if any) to the undersigned liquidator at No. 4391, Jalan Heng Choon Thian, 12000 Butterworth, Pulau Pinang and if so required in writing from the said liquidator, are by their solicitors or personally to come in and prove their debts or claims at such time and place as shall be specified in such notice or in default thereof they will be excluded from the benefits of any distribution made before such debts are proven. ( Lee Yat San ) ( Liquidator ) Dated this 3rd day of February 2023 Advertise with us & connect to our urban readers. KLANG VALLEY PENANG | KEDAH PERAK | PERLIS PAHANG | KELANTAN TERENGGANU MS. Shoba TEL: 03-7784 8888 FAX: 03-7784 4424 MALACCA MR. Rajah TEL: 012-628 2844 FAX: 06-764 2051 JOHOR BAHRU MS. Anne Lim TEL: 013-770 6699 FAX: 07-355 5549 HOST International Foundation (1354783- V) invites the submission of food and non-food items (NFIs) bids from qualified suppliers of food and hygiene items for the preparation and delivery of these items to the location provided in the RFQ document. Prospective bidders must be capable of providing food & NFI items for a one time delivery in the month of March across 5 states, namely Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Perak and Negeri Sembilan for a total of 1300 kits of food & NFI items. All items and delivery details are provided in the RFQ. The vendor should take into account all the following: Have good business reputation and performance, proven clean track record. Possess all relevant certificate of registration, licenses approvals and permits with the local authorities and a copy of which are to be furnished when requested. All employees, especially food and beverage handlers, are required to comply with food safety requirements. The vendor shall be able to produce a Food Safety Plan containing procedures on hygienic food storage, preparation, handling, waste management, hygiene, and pest control. Please email: malaysia@hostinternational. org.au for access to RFQ. The key dates for this tender are as follows: Tender open date : 30/01/2023 Tender closing date : 08/02/2023 Last day for bid submission : 08/02/2023 by 5pm Period of bids analyses and comparison : 3 days Date of announcing the awarded tenderer: 13/02/2023 Submission of tender bid: All bids can be submitted either online or send hard copy to our HQ address. Send by email to: malaysia@ hostinternational.org.au Send as hardcopy to the address: No 208 Block A Pusat Dagangan Phileo Damansara 1, No 9 Jalan 16/11, Off Jalan Damansara, 46350 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. Any inquiries or questions can be sent by email to: malaysia@hostinternational. org.au Content provided by HOST International Foundation. 322 Notices IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF PERCOM (M) SDN. BHD. Reg. No. 198201007842 (87600-X) (IN MEMBERS’ VOLUNTARY WINDING-UP) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to Section 439 of the Companies Act 2016, that the Special Resolutions set out below were duly passed by the Members of the Company on 1 February 2023. 1. THAT the company be liquidated by way of members’ voluntary winding up pursuant to Section 439(1)(b) of the Companies Act 2016 (“the Act”). 2. THAT Chan Eng Mat of 4-5-3A Kompleks Kantonmen Prima, 698 Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, 51200 Kuala Lumpur be appointed as Liquidator to act for the purpose of winding-up the company’s affairs and distributing its assets to the members and to exercise the powers of the Liquidator as set out in Section 456 of the Act. 3. THAT the Liquidator be indemnified by the company against all costs, charges, losses, expenses and liabilities sustained by him in the execution and discharge on his duties as liquidator and in relation hereto. LEE SEE MING Director Dated: 3 February 2023 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the creditors of the abovementioned Company, which is being wound up voluntarily, are required on or before 3 March 2023 to send in their names and addresses and the particulars of their debts or claims and their names and addresses of their solicitors (if any) to the undersigned, the Liquidator of the said Company, and if so required in writing from the said Liquidator, are by their solicitors or personally, to come in and prove the said debts or claims at such time and place as shall be specified in such notice, or in default thereof, they will be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made before such debts are proved. CHAN ENG MAT Liquidator 4-5-3A Kompleks Kantonmen Prima, 698 Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, 51200 Kuala Lumpur Dated: 3 February 2023 IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF AVANTHA FOUNDATION (MALAYSIA) Registration No. 201101028707 (956842-T) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding Up) NOTICE OF RESOLUTION NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT at a Members’ Meeting of Avantha Foundation (Malaysia) duly convened and held at Unit No. 203, 2nd Floor, Block C, Damansara Intan, No. 1, Jalan SS 20/27, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor on 27th January, 2023, the following Special Resolution was duly passed - (a) That the Foundation be placed in members’ voluntary winding up; (b) That Mr. Chong Fook Sin of Unit No. 203, 2nd Floor, Block C, Damansara Intan, No. 1, Jalan SS 20/27, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor be appointed as the Liquidator of the Foundation for winding-up the Foundation’s affairs and distributing its assets either in cash or in specie to some other institution(s) having objects similar or cognate to the Foundation; and (c) That unless caused by negligence of the Liquidator, the Liquidator be indemnified by the Foundation against all costs, charges, losses, expenses and liabilities incurred in or sustained by him in the discharge of his duties as Liquidator and in relation thereto. Sanjeev Chadha Director Petaling Jaya 3rd February, 2023 NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT the creditors of the abovenamed Foundation which is being wound up voluntarily are required on or before 6th March, 2023 to send in their names and addresses with particulars of their debts or claims and the names and addresses of their solicitors (if any) to Mr. Chong Fook Sin of Unit No. 203, 2nd Floor, Block C, Damansara Intan, No. 1, Jalan SS 20/27, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, the Liquidator of the said Foundation and, if so required by notice in writing from the said Liquidator, are, by their solicitors or personally, to come in and prove their said debts or claims at such time and place as shall be specified in such notice or in default thereof they will be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made before such debts are proved. Chong Fook Sin Liquidator Petaling Jaya 3rd February, 2023 IN THE HIGH COURT OF MALAYA AT KUALA LUMPUR IN THE FEDERAL TERRITORY OF KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA COMPANIES (WINDING-UP) NO.: WA-28NCC-17-01/2023 In the matter of the Companies Act 2016 And In the matter of section 465(1)(e) of the Companies Act 2016 And In the matter of section 466(1)(a) of the Companies Act 2016 And In the matter of Masterskill Designs Sdn. Bhd. (Company No. 200601010801 (730551-V)) BETWEEN MERCEDES-BENZ SERVICES MALAYSIA SDN. BHD. (COMPANY NO.: 201201027083 (1011573-P) …PETITIONER AND MASTERSKILL DESIGNS SDN. BHD. (COMPANY NO.: 200601010801 (730551-V) …RESPONDENT ADVERTISEMENT OF PETITION Notice is hereby given that a Petitioner for the winding-up of MASTERSKILL DESIGNS SDN. BHD. (Company No.: 200601010801 (730551-V)) by the High Court was, on the 6th day of January 2023, presented by the Petitioner, Mercedes-Benz Services Malaysia Sdn Bhd (Company No.: 201201027083 (1011573-P)). And that the said Petition is directed to be heard before the Court sitting at the High Court of Malaya at Kuala Lumpur at 9.00 o’clock in the morning, on the 22nd day of August 2023; and any creditor or contributory of MASTERSKILL DESIGNS SDN. BHD. desiring to support or oppose the making of an order on the said Petition may appear at the time of hearing by himself or his counsel for that purpose; and a copy of the Petition will be furnished to any creditor or contributory of MASTERSKILL DESIGNS SDN. BHD. requiring the same by the undersigned on payment of the regulated charge for the same. The Petitioner’s address is MercedesBenz Services Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Wisma Mercedes-Benz, Level 3 Jalan BK 1/13 Taman Perindustrian Bandar Kinrara, 47180 Puchong, Selangor. The Petitioner’s solicitor is Messrs. Chooi & Company + Cheang & Ariff of Level 5, Menara BRDB, 285 Jalan Maarof, Bukit Bandaraya, 59000 Kuala Lumpur [Tel No.: 03-2055 3888; Fax No.: 03-2055 3880]. [Ref: B20200137 CPY] Sgd. ........................... Messrs Chooi & Company + Cheang & Ariff Solicitors for the Petitioner NOTE :- Any person who intends to appear on the hearing of the said Petition must serve on or send by post to the abovenamed solicitors, Messrs. Chooi & Company + Cheang & Ariff, notice in writing of his intention so to do. The notice must state the name and address of the person, or, if a firm, the name and address of the firm, and must be signed by the person or firm, or his or their solicitor (if any) and must be served, or, if posted, must be sent by post in sufficient time to reach the abovenamed solicitors not later than 12.00 o’clock noon of 21st day of August 2023. DALAM MAHKAMAH MAJISTRET DI SHAH ALAM DI NEGERI SELANGOR DARUL EHSAN (BAHAGIAN SIVIL) GUAMAN SIVIL NO.: BA-A72NCC-298-11/2022 ANTARA WINSTAR ALUMINIUM MANUFACTURING SDN BHD (No. Syarikat: 568790-K) …PLAINTIF DAN EE SIEW ENG (No. K/P: 801117-14-5204) (Dahulu berniaga sebagai ESE Aluminium Trading) (No. Pendaftaran Perniagaan: 2129495-P) …DEFENDAN NOTIS PENYAMPAIAN GANTI Ambil Perhatian Bahawa satu Writ telah difailkan di Mahkamah Majistret di Shah Alam dimana kamu telah dinamakan sebagai Defendan dalam tindakan tersebut. Penyampaian Writ dan Pernyataan Tuntutan telah di perintahkan secara penyampaian ganti melalui perintah bertarikh 18 Januari 2023 terhadap kamu secara pengiklanan. Ambil Perhatian Lanjut bahawa anda mesti memasuki kehadiran dalam tempoh masa 7 hari dari tarikh pengiklanan ini dan sekiranya anda gagal memasukkan kehadiran tersebut, satu penghakiman ketidakhadiran akan dimasukkan terhadap kamu. Salinan Writ dan Pernyataan Tuntutan tersebut boleh di perolehi dari peguamcara Plaintif Tetuan L.K Pong & Co. di No. 6, Jalan Sekuci, Taman Sri Bahtera, 56100 KL. [Tel: 018- 6630130 E-mel: kean@ lkpong.com] Bertarikh pada 03 Febuari 2023 …………t.t………… Tetuan L.K Pong & Co. Notis ini telah dikeluarkan oleh Tetuan L.K Pong & Co. di No. 6, Jalan Sekuci, Taman Sri Bahtera, 56100 KL. [Tel: 018-6630130 E-mel: [email protected]] DALAM MAHKAMAH MAJISTRET DI GEORGETOWN DALAM NEGERI PULAU PINANG, MALAYSIA GUAMAN SIVIL NO. PA-A72NCVC-538-12/2022 ANTARA PERBADANAN PENGURUSAN PAVILION RESORT [NO. PENDAFTARAN: PTG/STRATA/03/ PPP-176] …PLAINTIF DAN TROPICAL HILL RESOURCES SDN. BHD. [NO. SYARIKAT: 200901023586 (866685-H)] …DEFENDAN NOTIS PENGIKLANAN (Untuk Penyampaian Writ dan Pernyataan Tuntutan bertarikh 14-12-2022) Kepada: TROPICAL HILL RESOURCES SDN. BHD. 29-3 JALAN 1/116B KUCHAI ENTREPRENEURS PARK OFF JALAN KUCHAI LAMA 58200 KUALA LUMPUR WILAYAH PERSEKUTUAN DAN/ATAU TROPICAL HILL RESOURCES SDN. BHD. NO. 29-4, JALAN 1/116B KUCHAI ENTREPRENEURS’ PARK OFF JALAN KUCHAI LAMA 58200 KUALA LUMPUR WILAYAH PERSEKUTUAN Dalam perkara Writ Saman yang dikeluarkan pada 14 haribulan Disember 2022. AMBIL PERHATIAN bahawa suatu tindakan telah dimulakan terhadap kamu dalam Mahkamah Majistret Georgetown dalam Guaman Sivil No. PAA72NCVC-538-12/2022 oleh Perbadanan Pengurusan Pavilion Resort yang mempunyai alamat berdaftar di No. 8 Jalan Teluk Kumbar, 11920 Teluk Kumbar, Penang, Malaysia, dalam mana tuntutan Plaintif terhadap Defendan adalah untuk jumlah wang sebanyak RM 24,765-01 setakat 31-08-2022 dan faedah ke atas RM 24,765-01 pada kadar 5% setahun dari tarikh 1-9-2022 sehingga tarikh penyelesaian sepenuhnya dan kos dan mana-mana perintah yang difikir suai manfaat oleh Mahkamah yang Mulia ini. Dan bahawa telah diperintahkan yang penyampaian Writ Saman kepada kamu dalam tindakan ini hendaklah dilaksanakan melalui pengiklanan ini serta penampalan di Papan Notis Mahkamah Georgetown dan penampalan di alamat-alamat terakhir yang diketahui. Sekiranya kamu berniat untuk membela diri kamu, kamu hendaklah dalam tempoh empat belas (14) hari dari tarikh tersiarnya iklan ini, termasuk hari penyiaran itu, memasukkan kehadiran di Pejabat Pendaftaran Mahkamah Majistret Georgetown. Jika ingkar apaapa kehadiran yang demikian maka penghakiman boleh dibuat terhadap kamu. Bertarikh pada 17 Januari 2023 t.t. Veon Szu & Kok Thye Peguamcara Plaintif Notis Pengiklanan ini difailkan oleh Tetuan Veon Szu & Kok Thye, peguamcara bagi pihak Plaintif dan mempunyai alamat penyampaian di No. 29C-03A-10, Persiaran Karpal Singh 2, 11600 Jelutong, Pulau Pinang No. Tel: 04-3730331 No. Faks: 04- 3730329 Emel: veonszu@ lawyerveonszu.com [Ruj Kami: KVS/CP/GW034/2022/AAA/ Pavilion(Tropical)@ymm] DALAM MAHKAMAH MAJISTRET DI KUALA KUBU BHARU DALAM NEGERI SELANGOR DARUL EHSAN, MALAYSIA GUAMAN SIVIL NO: BF-A72NCvC-214-10/2022 Antara MAJLIS PERBANDARAN HULU SELANGOR (dahulunya dikenali sebagai MAJLIS DAERAH HULU SELANGOR) ...PLAINTIF Dan 1. KHONG SEE YONG (NO. K/P: 600528-01-5649) 2. MAK SIEW CHIN …DEFENDAN-DEFENDAN NOTIS PENYAMPAIAN SECARA PENGIKLANAN Kepada, KHONG SEE YONG NO. K/P: 600528-01-5649) MAK SIEW CHIN No. 101 Jalan Beringin Taman Melodies 80250 Johor Bahru Johor KHONG SEE YONG NO. K/P: 600528-01-5649 MAK SIEW CHIN No. 35 Jalan Kemboja 3F Perniagaan Jalan Kemboja Bukit Sentosa 48300 Rawang, Selangor AMBIL PERHATIAN bahawa suatu tindakan telah dimulakan terhadap kamu di Mahkamah Majistret Kuala Kubu Bharu dalam Guaman Sivil No. BF-A72NCvC-214-10/2022 oleh MAJLIS PERBANDARAN HULU SELANGOR (dahulunya dikenali sebagai MAJLIS DAERAH HULU SELANGOR) yang beralamat di Jalan Bukit Kerajaan, 44000 Kuala Kubu Bharu, Selangor Darul Ehsan dan Mahkamah ini telah memberi perintah bahawa Writ Saman bertarikh 14.09.2022 hendaklah dilaksanakan secara penyampaian ganti kepada DefendanDefendan dengan menampalkan satu salinan perintah ini pada papan kenyataan di Mahkamah Majistret, Kuala Kubu Bharu, menampalkan satu salinan perintah ini pada alamat terakhir DefendanDefendan yang diketahui dan juga secara menyiarkan sesalinan Notis Periklanan untuk sekali sahaja di suratkhabar tempatan dan bahawa penyampaian sedemikian hendaklah menjadi satu penyampaian yang sempurna dan cukup dalam tempoh empat belas (14) hari dari tarikh akhir penampalan dokumen tersebut dan pengiklanan notis tersebut mengikut yang mana lebih lewat. Jika kamu berhasrat untuk membela dalam tindakan tersebut kamu mestilah dalam masa empat belas (14) hari dari penampalan dan penyiaran pengiklanan ini, memfailkan Memorandum Kehadiran. Kegagalan kamu untuk berbuat demikian boleh menyebabkan Penghakiman Ingkar boleh diberikan terhadap kamu. Bertarikh pada 03 haribulan Februari 2023. t.t. ………………………… Peguamcara bagi pihak Plaintif Law Practice of K.A. Ramu Notis Penyampaian Secara Pengiklanan ini telah dikeluarkan oleh Law Practice of K. A. Ramu , Peguambela & Peguamcara, peguamcara bagi Plaintif yang dinamakan diatas dan yang mempunyai alamat penyampaiannya di 15-1-A Jalan MH3, Taman Muzaffar Heights, 75450 Ayer Keroh, Melaka Tel : 03-76665625 Ruj:KARV/LIT/MDHS(KSY)/1395/2019 Email :[email protected] 0701AUC2022000035 LAMPIRAN B KANUN TANAH NEGARA Saman Kepada Penggadai Supaya Hadir Dalam Siasatan Di Bawah Seksyen 261 Kepada, Kasmawati binti Osman yang beralamat di No. 4-09, Tingkat Damai 1, Taman Permata Indah, 14000 Bukit Mertajam, Pulau Pinang dan/atau No. 7892, Permatang Berangan, 13300 Tasek Gelugor, Pulau Pinang penggadai dalam gadaian yang tersebut dalam jadual di bawah ini bagi tanah yang tersebut di dalamnya. Bahawasanya saya telah menerima daripada Pemegang Gadai dalam gadaian yang tersebut suatu permohonan supaya perintah jual dikeluarkan di bawah Sub-Seksyen 260 (2) Kanun Tanah Negara. Dan bahawasanya saya bercadang hendak mengadakan suatu siasatan berkenaan dengan permohonan tersebut di Pejabat Daerah Dan Tanah, Seberang Perai Tengah, Bukit Mertajam pada 08.03.2023 pada pukul 10.00 pagi. Maka oleh yang demikian, menurut Perenggan 261 (1) (c) Kanun Tanah Negara tuan/puan adalah dengan ini dikehendaki hadir dalam siasatan tersebut dan menunjukkan sebab-sebab mengapa perintah tersebut tidak patut dibuat. Bertarikh pada 19 haribulan Disember 2022 s.k Tetuan Murad & Foo Peguambela & Peguamcara Suites 10.01 Tingkat 10, MWE Plaza,No. 8, Lebuh Farquhar,10200 Pulau Pinang, (Ruj. Tuan : TLN/HLBB/F211/2020/ina) ..............t.t............... Pentadbir Tanah Seberang Perai Tengah JADUAL TANAH * DAN KEPENTINGAN Bandar / Pekan / Mukim (1) No. Lot/ Petak/ P.T. (2) Jenis dan No. Hakmilik (3) Bahagian Tanah (jika ada) (4) No. Berdaftar * Pajakan/ Pajakan Kecil (jika ada) (5) No. Berdaftar Gadaian (jika ada) (6) Mukim 15 Seberang Perai Tengah Lot 12197 GM 1590/ M1/5/58 KESEMUA Tiada Persn. No 2366/2003 Jilid No. - Folio No. - DALAM MAHKAMAH SESYEN DI JOHOR BAHRU DALAM NEGERI JOHOR DARUL TA’ZIM WRIT NO : JA-A52NCC-325-10/2022 ANTARA LEGEND HOUSE CONCEPT (M) SDN BHD (No. Syarikat: 1087869-V) …PLAINTIF DAN TRENDBUILD PROJECTS SDN BHD (No. Syarikat: 1258113-T) …DEFENDAN NOTIS PENYAMPAIAN GANTI Ambil Perhatian Bahawa satu Writ telah difailkan di Mahkamah Majistret di Shah Alam dimana kamu telah dinamakan sebagai Defendan dalam tindakan tersebut. Penyampaian Writ dan Pernyataan Tuntutan telah di perintahkan secara penyampaian ganti melalui perintah bertarikh 22 Disember 2022 terhadap kamu secara pengiklanan. Ambil Perhatian Lanjut bahawa anda mesti memasuki kehadiran dalam tempoh masa 14 hari dari tarikh pengiklanan ini dan sekiranya anda gagal memasukkan kehadiran tersebut, satu penghakiman ketidakhadiran akan dimasukkan terhadap kamu. Salinan Writ dan Pernyataan Tuntutan tersebut boleh di perolehi dari peguamcara Plaintif Tetuan L.K Pong & Co. di No. 6, Jalan Sekuci, Taman Sri Bahtera, 56100 KL. [Tel: 018- 6630130 E-mel: kean@ lkpong.com] Bertarikh pada 03 Febuari 2023 …………t.t………… Tetuan L.K Pong & Co. Notis ini telah dikeluarkan oleh Tetuan L.K Pong & Co. di No. 6, Jalan Sekuci, Taman Sri Bahtera, 56100 KL. [Tel: 018-6630130 E-mel: [email protected]] 322 Notices 322 Notices IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF KIM NINWONI (M) SDN. BHD. 201801039919 (1301950-X) (SHARE CAPITAL REDUCTION) Pursuant to the Members’ Written Resolution dated 02- 02-2023, the following special resolution was duly passed:- Special Resolution – Reduction and Repayment of Capital THAT approval be and is hereby given for the Company to reduce the share capital of the Company from RM500,000.00 comprising of 500,000 ordinary shares to RM76,000.00 comprising of 76,000 ordinary shares by cancelling RM424,000.00 in the share capital of the Company that is in excess of the needs of the Company and such reduction be effected by returning to the holder of the Company to the extent of RM1.00 per share payable by way of set-off against the amount owing by the shareholder (“Proposed Capital Reduction”). AND THAT the Board of Directors be and is hereby empowered and authorised to do all such acts, take such steps and execute all such documents in order to finalise, implement and/ or give full effect to the Proposed Capital Reduction and assent to and accept any conditions, variations, modifications and/ or amendments in any manner as may be required or imposed or permitted by the relevant authorities or as the Board of Directors may deem necessary or expedient in the best interest of the Company. LOK KHING MING Company Director 03-02-2023 322 Notices IN THE HIGH COURT OF MALAYA AT JOHOR BAHRU IN THE STATE OF JOHOR DARUL TAKZIM MALAYSIA COMPANIES (WINDING-UP) NO. JA - 28NCC - 7 - 01/2023 In the Matter of the Companies Act 2016 AND In the Matter of Citypro Educare Management Sdn Bhd (Company No. 199701040361 (455861-U) CHUAN YUAN HOLDINGS SDN BHD (Company No. 199301027786 (282524-D) ... PETITIONER AND CITYPRO EDUCARE MANAGEMENT SDN BHD (Company No. 199701040361 (455861-U) … RESPONDENT ADVERTISEMENT OF PETITION NOTICE is hereby given that a petition for winding-up of the above-named company by the High Court was, on the 9th day of January, 2023, presented by M/s CHUAN YUAN HOLDINGS SDN BHD (Company No. 199301027786 (282524- D)) and that the said petition is directed to be heard before the Court sitting at Johor Bahru at nine o’clock in the forenoon, on the 6th day of March, 2023, and any creditor or contributory of the said company desiring to support or oppose the making of an order on the said petition may appear at the time of hearing by himself or his counsel for that purpose; and a copy of the petition will be furnished to any creditor or contributory of the said company requiring the same by the undersigned on payment of the regulated charge for the same. The Petitioner’s address is No. 3, Jalan Wisata, 80200 Johor Bahru, Johor. The Petitioner’s Solicitors is MESSRS CM YEO & ASSOCIATES of Upper Level, No. 134, Jalan Dato Sulaiman, Century Garden, 80250 Johor Bahru, Johor Darul Takzim. Tel No.: 07-334 8867, 07-335 8867. Fax No.: 07-335 3867. Signed by CM YEO & ASSOCIATES Solicitors for the Petitioner Note :- Any person who intends to appear on the hearing of the said petition must serve on or send by post to the abovenamed Solicitors, notice in writing of his intention so to do. The notice must state the name and address of the person, or, if a firm, the name and address of the firm, and must be signed by the person or firm, or his or their solicitor (if any) and must be served, or, if posted, must be sent by post in sufficient time to reach the above-named not later than twelve o’clock noon of the day of 5th day of March, 2023 (the day before the day appointed for the hearing of the petition). (Ref No.: JY/L-9027/0721) IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF TSB CAPITAL SDN. BHD. (198301002634 (97870-W)) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding-Up) At the General Meeting of the members of TSB Capital Sdn. Bhd. (In Members’ Voluntary WindingUp) duly convened and held at the Registered Office of the Company, 47A Jalan Chung Ah Ming, Pasir Puteh, 31650 Ipoh, Perak Darul Ridzuan on Wednesday, 25 January 2023, the following resolutions were duly passed:- THAT the Company will be liquidated by way of members’ voluntary winding-up AND THAT Ms Ng Yuet Seam of 47A Jalan Chung Ah Ming, Pasir Puteh, 31650 Ipoh, Perak Darul Ridzuan be appointed as Liquidator to act for the purpose of winding-up the Company’s affairs and distributing its assets AND THAT the Liquidator be hereby indemnified by the Company against all losses, damages, causes of action, claims, demands whatsoever, whether at law or in equity, including legal fees, incurred or sustained by her in the execution and discharge of her duty as liquidator and in relation thereto. By Order of the Board NG YUET SEAM (MAICSA 7005639) CHEN PEAK HOOI (MAICSA 7035780) Secretaries 3 February 2023 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the creditors of the abovenamed Company which is wound up voluntarily, are required on or before 5 March 2023 to send in their names and addresses with particulars of their debts and claims, and names and addresses of their solicitor (if any) to the undersigned Liquidator at 47A, Jalan Chung Ah Ming, Pasir Puteh, 31650 Ipoh, Perak Darul Ridzuan and, if so required by notice in writing from the said Liquidator, or by its solicitors, to come in and prove their said debts and claims at such time and place as shall be specified in such notice, or in default thereof they will be excluded from the benefits of any distribution made before such debts or claims are proved. NG YUET SEAM Liquidator 3 February 2023 IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF WORLD CLASS MASTER SDN. BHD. 201401001031 ( 1077102 – V ) ( IN MEMBERS VOLUNTARY WINDING UP ) At the Meeting of Members of WORLD CLASS MASTER SDN. BHD. duly convened and held on Wednesday, 1st day of February 2023, the following resolutions were duly passed: SPECIAL RESOLUTION THAT the company be wound up by way of a members voluntary winding up pursuant to Section 439(1)(b) of the Companies Act 2016 (The Act) ORDINARY RESOLUTION THAT Lee Yat San (MIA(CA) – 6628) of No. 4391, Jalan Heng Choon Thian, 12000 Butterworth, Penang be and is hereby appointed as Liquidator to act for the purposes of winding up the company’s affairs and distributing its assets pursuant to Section 445(1) of The Act and that he is to exercise any power and duty specified under the Eleventh Schedule in a voluntary winding up pursuant to Section 456 of The Act ( Chan Han Song ) ( Director ) Dated this 3rd day of February 2023 IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF WORLD CLASS MASTER SDN. BHD. 201401001031 ( 1077102 – V ) ( IN MEMBERS VOLUNTARY WINDING UP ) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Creditors of the abovenamed company, which is being wound up voluntarily are required on or before 2nd March 2023 to send in their names and addresses with particulars of their debts or claims and the names and addresses of their solicitors (if any) to the undersigned liquidator at No. 4391, Jalan Heng Choon Thian, 12000 Butterworth, Pulau Pinang and if so required in writing from the said liquidator, are by their solicitors or personally to come in and prove their debts or claims at such time and place as shall be specified in such notice or in default thereof they will be excluded from the benefits of any distribution made before such debts are proven. ( Lee Yat San ) ( Liquidator ) Dated this 3rd day of February 2023 Advertise with us & connect to our urban readers. KLANG VALLEY PENANG | KEDAH PERAK | PERLIS PAHANG | KELANTAN TERENGGANU MS. Shoba TEL: 03-7784 8888 FAX: 03-7784 4424 MALACCA MR. Rajah TEL: 012-628 2844 FAX: 06-764 2051 JOHOR BAHRU MS. Anne Lim TEL: 013-770 6699 FAX: 07-355 5549 INSIDE EDGE

14 theSUN ON FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 3, 2023 SPORTS /thesuntelegram FOLLOW ON TELEGRAM SCAN ME ASTRO and Malaysian Football League (MFL) are delighted to announce that they have entered a strategic partnership to champion Malaysian football. The terms of this wide-ranging new deal will see Astro become the official broadcaster of MFL’s Liga Malaysia competitions comprising Perlawanan Sumbangsih (Piala Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah), Liga Super, Piala FA and Piala Malaysia for the next 3 seasons, from 2023 to 2025 commencing Feb 24 February with Perlawanan Sumbangsih. Euan Smith, Group CEO of Astro said, “We are thrilled to be the official broadcaster for Liga Malaysia, truly cementing our position as the home of sports. We have always recognised the importance of sports in nation building, and both Astro and MFL are committed to raising the bar for coverage of local football leagues from live games, behind the scenes training to updates on players and coaches and the latest football news benefitting sports fans across Malaysia. Stay tuned for updates on our coverage which will cover live, on-demand and new magazine content.” “Liga Malaysia will further strengthen our local sports offerings, which in addition to our coverage of international sports including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League & Europa League, La Liga, BWF, MotoGP, NBA, UFC, WWE, PGA Golf and majors, the ATP Tours and many more, make Astro the home of sports,” Euan added. Astro has always been championing local sports and athletes and launched Astro Arena in 2010, the first local sports channel in the region, which also featured many former athletes as on-air talent. Astro Arena HD is the destination for local sports news and updates whilst Astro Arena 2 HD provides a sample of all our extensive sports offering with Bahasa Malaysia programming and commentary. In partnership with national sports associations, Astro has successfully developed and popularised local sports IPs including SepakTakraw League (STL), Netball Super League (NSL) and sooka Super Series: Volleyball (SSSVB) that are igniting passion for these sports among local sports fans. Nicholas John, Head of Sports of Astro said “We will put our best talent forward and use our production resources to deliver comprehensive coverage of Liga Malaysia in HD all of which will be streamed live on Astro GO to drive engagement for a league that has gifted players, great teams and passionate followers.” For more information on Astro and its products, visit www.astro.com.my Astro, MFL to champion local football Barca earn tense win Catalans survive late Betis onslaught to extend La Liga lead RAPHINHA and Robert Lewandowski’s strikes helped Barcelona move eight points clear at the top of La Liga with a 2-1 win at Real Betis yesterday. The Catalans put pressure on second-placed Real Madrid, who host Valencia overnight, by scraping a narrow win from an intense clash at the Benito Villamarin. With French winger Ousmane Dembele out injured for the next few weeks, Raphinha grabbed his chance to prove himself. He put Barcelona ahead in the 65th minute and Lewandowski, back after a three-match league ban, netted the second with 10 minutes to go. Jules Kounde scored an unfortunate own goal to give Betis a fighting chance of a point in the final stages but Barcelona held out for the win. “I think we had a good game, our play was very good, excellent I would say,” Barca coach Xavi Hernandez told Movistar. “We played a great game at a very difficult place to come. I’m very happy not just for the result but for how we played, we’ve improved a lot from the Girona game.” After a goalless first half, Frenkie de Jong cleverly fed Alejandro Balde from a quick freekick and the young leftback slid a ball across the face of goal for Raphinha to tap home. “It’s about attitude, competitiveness, desire, faith, our hopes are huge,” said Xavi when asked about De Jong’s quick thinking. “We are at a good moment with this, we have confidence and the morale to achieve success. That matters, too, it’s about competing well.” La Liga’s top scorer Lewandowski’s return was largely a frustrating one for the striker, having a shot blocked after Sergio Busquets set him up, while his touch was unusually clunky. However the Polish international finished clinically after Ronald Araujo headed down to him, to net his 14th league goal of the season and 23rd across all competitions. Substitute Ansu Fati headed wide from another fine Balde cross, before Kounde accidentally chested a ball into his own net past the outstretched arm of Marc-Andre ter Stegen, setting up a nervy finale. Barcelona survived to round off the first half of their league campaign with a victory, aiming to win the title for the first time since 2019. Betis, sixth, had William Carvalho sent off after the fulltime whistle for protesting some of the refereeing decisions. “They made it difficult for us at the end, it’s true… We had the chance for the third with a header from Ansu and then we were unlucky with the own goal, but we played a great game at a very difficult stadium,” said Xavi. The Andalusians sit three points behind Atletico Madrid in fourth. “Against Barca the games are always like this, it’s hard to take the ball off them, they are capable of pushing you back and keeping you in your own half,” Betis forward Borja Iglesias told Movistar. “Until their goal we were doing well, from there it was a different game.” – AFP Mbappe worry for PSG after missing spot-kick and limping out PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN extended their lead at the top of Ligue 1 with a 3-1 win at Montpellier yesterday but their evening was overshadowed by an injury to Kylian Mbappe, who had earlier missed a penalty. The France superstar had an eighth-minute spot-kick saved by Montpellier’s Benjamin Lecomte and then remarkably saw his second attempt turned onto the post by the goalkeeper after the referee ordered a retake. Mbappe then limped off with what looked like a hamstring injury midway through the first half, raising the alarm for PSG with the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Bayern Munich now less than two weeks away. Speaking after the game, coach Christophe Galtier suggested the injury was down to a knock rather than a muscle problem. “He took a knock to the back of the knee or the back of the thigh, so we’ll see,” said Galtier. “I’m not too worried,” he added. “It’s a bruise or a contusion, we don’t know yet. “With the run of matches we don’t want to take risks with a very busy fixture list, but it doesn’t appear that serious.” PSG host Bayern in Paris on Feb 14, with the second leg in Germany on March 8. They are desperate to avoid a repeat of last season when they were knocked out at the same stage of the Champions League by Real Madrid. After winning just one of their last four league games, yesterday’s awkward trip for PSG saw them also lose Sergio Ramos to injury and have two goals disallowed before Fabian Ruiz put them ahead 10 minutes into the second half. Ruiz then set up Lionel Messi to make it 2-0 with a deft finish in the 72nd minute, the Argentine scoring his 14th club goal of the season. Sixteen-year-old midfielder Warren ZaireEmery made sure of the win in stoppage time after Arnaud Nordin had pulled one back. PSG, who were without the rested Neymar, extended their lead at the top of the table from three to five points after Lens lost 1-0 at home to Nice. “It was a good performance in general,” Galtier said. “There was an incredible scenario in the first half with the retaken penalty, we hit the post, had goals disallowed and two injuries because Sergio Ramos was involved in a collision and on falling he hurt his adductor, but apparently it is nothing serious.” – AFP Mourinho fumes as Cremonese stun Roma CREMONESE will play Fiorentina in the last four of the Italian Cup after Serie A’s bottom club inflicted a surprise 2-1 defeat on Roma yesterday. Davide Ballardini’s side are yet to win a league game in their first top-flight season since 1996 but have a two-legged semifinal to look forward to thanks to Cyril Dessers’ 28th-minute penalty and a Zeki Celik own goal shortly after halftime. They will take on Fiorentina, who beat Torino 2-1 earlier yesterday, in April following the second shock cup win of their season after beating Serie A’s runaway leaders Napoli on penalties in the previous round. Roma exit with a poor performance from an initially second-string team, nothing like the display Jose Mourinho’s team put in at Napoli on Sunday. Mourinho was so enraged by his side’s first half efforts that he made four changes at the break but not even the introduction of Paulo Dybala and Tammy Abraham was enough to turn the result in Roma’s favour despite Andrea Belotti’s late strike for the hosts. Mourinho made a remarkable quadruple substitution at half-time after storming down the tunnel early, and he said the Giallorossi could have no complaints following their dire start. “Congratulations to Cremonese. They have achieved two great victories against Napoli and Roma, it’s a strange cup that favours small teams, they have even more merit for this,” Mourinho said via romapress.net. “They are deservedly in the semifinal, we pay for a horrible first half, of a low level. “I can say that this squad struggles with rotation, with three matches in a week, but let’s think about this single match, and in the first half we deserved to pay the price. “Football is like this, this happens with the top teams and with the smaller teams. In Naples (in Sunday’s 2-1 loss at Napoli) we deserved more and for this I was proud, even after the defeat. “Today I can’t say, others can comment. My job is to think about the next game.” – AFP/Agencies Barcelona’s Raphinha celebrates with teammate Pedri after scoring a goal during the Spanish La Liga match against Real Betis yesterday. – AFPPIX

15 * SPORTS theSUN ON FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 3, 2023 THE Portuguese No. 7 made a dramatic mid-season exit from a Manchester club where he had been a transformative figure. Sound familiar? Joao Cancelo is not Cristiano Ronaldo. For starters, Bayern Munich were interested in him. He found a suitor in the European elite, not the Saudi super-rich. The conversations that led to his departure took place with Pep Guardiola, not Piers Morgan. There was no explosive interview: indeed, as Cancelo was unveiled at Bayern, he denied it was because his relationship with the Manchester City manager “was not the best”. Yet the clues were that it had deteriorated rapidly. And, compared to his compatriot, Cancelo’s move represents the real shock. Ronaldo did not rank in Erik ten Hag’s strongest team. Cancelo helped define Guardiola’s side in the previous two seasons. He had seemed at the peak of his powers. And, though there is a clause in his loan that means Bayern have the option to buy him for £61.5 million (RM325m) in the summer, the reality is that City have let an outstanding footballer go for now without recouping a transfer fee or replacing him when they had not really replaced Oleksandr Zinchenko either. All of which does not simply happen when a player wants more minutes. He had started just three of 10 games since the World Cup; in one of those, he was replaced at halftime after playing on the right wing. He did not figure at all in their last three matches; as City know from 2019-20, he can start to eye the exit when not playing. Meanwhile, Guardiola, in one of his stranger rants, had taken aim at the “happy flowers” in his squad, the players he seemed to deem guilty of complacency. Phil Foden, another languishing on the fringes since Qatar, looked the most prominent among them; it now seems Cancelo was the first flower for the chop. Especially as the two Guardiola has praised most in recent weeks are Rico Lewis and Nathan Ake; it would have felt improbable a few months ago that they would have displaced Cancelo from the fullback roles but Guardiola is savouring his underdog tale, of the converted centreback and the teenage rookie. Lewis is shaping up as the boy who has made Cancelo surplus to requirements, the budding Philipp Lahm who can go into midfield and act as a deep-lying passer in possession. Cancelo finished behind only Kevin De Bruyne and Gabriel Jesus for Premier League assists for City last season. He was the defender-creator, less metronome than the man who could provide a defence-splitting ball. And if the dynamic is different with Erling Haaland, with the requirements altering deeper in the pitch, with no false No. 9, with Cancelo recording a solitary League assist, the tactical element only feels part of the equation. Guardiola has been restless of late, talking of how his hunger as a player diminished after winning four consecutive La Liga titles. He has looked to shake things up. Cancelo’s fall from grace has been sudden. He started each of City’s first 19 games of the season: he will not be at the club for their last 18 Premier League matches. It may mean two awkward seasons bookend two brilliant ones, that he proves a player who, for a relatively brief period, was exceptional. Because the two players who reinvented the fullback’s role most in England were Trent Alexander-Arnold and Cancelo. Each looked unique, not copyable. And now Cancelo culture at City has taken on a different meaning. Now it is about his sudden exit, not the classy way a one-off showed his passing range. – The Independent ENGLISH CARABAO CUP (Semifinal 2nd leg): Manchester United 2 Nottingham Forest 0 – United win 5- 0 on agg. LA LIGA: Real Betis 1 (Kounde 85- og) Barcelona 2 (Raphinha 65, Lewandowski 80). TOP 5 P W D L F A PTS Barcelona 19 16 2 1 39 7 50 Real Madrid 18 13 3 2 38 16 42 Sociedad 19 12 3 4 28 18 39 Atletico 19 10 4 5 28 16 34 Villarreal 19 9 4 6 21 14 31 Italian Cup (Quarterfinals): Fiorentina 2 Torino 1, Roma 1 Cremonese 2. FRENCH LIGUE 1: Angers 1 Ajaccio 2, Reims 4 Lorient 2, Toulouse 4 Troyes 1, Lille 0 Clermont 0, Nantes 0 Marseille 2, Monaco 3 Auxerre 2, Rennes 3 Strasbourg 0, Lens 0 Nice 1, Lyon 0 Brest 0, Montpellier 1 Paris-Germain 3. TOP 5 P W D L F A PTS Paris SG 21 16 3 2 52 16 51 Marseille 21 14 4 3 42 17 46 Lens 21 13 6 2 33 15 45 Monaco 21 12 5 4 46 29 41 Rennes 21 12 4 5 40 22 40 EPL PREVIEWS & PREDICTIONS MATCH-BY-MATCH facts and stats ahead of the next round of Premier League fixtures (all in Malaysian time/11pm unless stated): TOMORROW CHELSEA VS FULHAM (4AM) – Home Win Chelsea have the highest win rate in Premier League London derbies (52.7%) while Fulham have the lowest (19.3%). After winning their first three League games under Graham Potter, Chelsea have won only two of their subsequent 11 (D4 L5). They also scored as many goals in those first three games as they have in their last 11 (7). Fulham have won only two of their 37 away League games at Chelsea (L22 D13) and are winless in their last 17 since a 2-0 win in November 1979. EVERTON VS ARSENAL (8.30PM) – Away Win Everton have won three of their last four Premier League games against Arsenal (L1), as many as they had in their previous 26 against them (D7 L16). The Gunners have scored at least five goals on five separate occasions in Premier League games against Everton, including a 5-1 victory in their last meeting in December 2021. ASTON VILLA VS LEICESTER CITY – Home Win Villa have won five of their seven Premier League games under Unai Emery (D1 L1), as many wins as they had in their previous 24 matches in the competition (D6 L13). Leicester have scored 17 goals and conceded 23 in 10 away League games so far, keeping three clean sheets and failing to score only once. BRENTFORD VS SOUTHAMPTON – Home Win Brentford are unbeaten in their last eight Premier League games (W4 D4) while Southampton have one win in their last five League games and sit bottom of the standings with 15 points from 20 games. Saints manager Nathan Jones has taken just one point from his four previous League games against Brentford across spells with Luton Town and Stoke City. He has also lost seven of his last eight League games in London (W1). BRIGHTON VS BOURNEMOUTH – Home Win Brighton have scored 26 goals in 13 Premier League games under Roberto De Zerbi, with only the top two sides Arsenal (28) and Manchester City (30) netting more than the Seagulls since the Italian took charge while Bournemouth have lost just one of their last 12 League games against Brighton (W7 D4), going down 2-0 at the Amex Stadium in December 2019. WOLVES VS LIVERPOOL – Away Win Wolves have taken as many points in five Premier League games under Julen Lopetegui as they had in the 10 games before his arrival (7) while Liverpool have lost five of their nine away Premier League games this season (W2 D2), as many as they had across the previous two campaigns combined (W23 D10 L5). Wolves are looking to win consecutive League games at Molineux for the first time since a run of three in November 2021. SUNDAY NEWCASTLE VS WEST HAM (1.30AM) – Home Win Newcastle’s Callum Wilson has scored nine goals in 11 Premier League appearances against West Ham, more than he has against any other side. The hammers are winless in their last eight away League games (D2 L6) since a 1-0 win at Aston Villa in August. Three of Newcastle’s last four Premier League games have ended goalless. They have kept a Leaguehigh 12 clean sheets so far, their most in a single top-flight campaign since 2011-12 (15). NOTTINGHAM FOREST VS LEEDS UNITED (10PM) – Draw Forest are unbeaten in their last four Premier League games (W2 D2), last having a longer run without defeat in the top-flight between February and November 1995 (25 games) while Leeds have won all five of their away games against promoted sides by an aggregate score of 14-3 since their return to the Premier League in 2020. No side has won fewer Premier League points away from home (five) than Leeds United this season (W1 D2 L6), with their only victory on the road coming at Liverpool in October. MONDAY TOTTENHAM VS MANCHESTER CITY (12.30AM) – Away Win Tottenham have lost four of their last five Premier League home games (W1) and conceded at least twice in each match. City have lost two of their last five Premier League away games (W3), as many as in their previous 37 on the road. City manager Pep Guardiola has lost all four of his visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in all competitions. Reuters RESULTS & STANDINGS Pep replanting the garden Cancelo culture hits City as Guardiola starts deadheading ‘flowers’ █ RICHARD JOLLY United boss wants ‘quicker’ Devils ERIK TEN HAG has demanded a quicker version of Manchester United after pinpointing how his team can improve on the winning performance over Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup semifinal. The Red Devils won 2-0 on the night thanks to goals from Anthony Martial and Fred, advancing to the final at Wembley. But Ten Hag was upset with the performance in the first half and outlined what must change for the Red Devils as they prepare for the final against Newcastle. “We didn’t create chances and we allowed them to,” Ten Hag told Sky Sports. “The second half was better, more tempo, we are 3-0 up, don’t give them the momentum. “They wait for one chance to get back into the game. We are searching for gaps, they played well, defended compact, we didn’t find the gaps. “You have to be smart, they set a trap, don’t dive in, don’t give anything away, keep the ball, pass it around. We should have done more. “Movement in behind, quicker switches, things like that, we didn’t create that. We just want to improve every day, we have a good squad, we have to demand high standards, control them. “We are not satisfied, I told the players as well, when you’re a United player you have to match the standards. “It’s a luxury problem, the schedule, how we want it, what is normal for a club like Man Utd, to play every third day. We’re looking forward to it. “For us, make every next game better than the previous one.” Meanwhile, Jadon Sancho returned to the pitch for the first time since October, with Ten Hag playing him as a No. 10. “We have done it before,” said the Dutchman. “Bruno out, it’s a different dynamic, Jadon can play as a 10, a winger, we mix it up and around. “That’s what I like, the position has to be occupied, to keep the discipline, otherwise it’s going to be a mess.” – The Independent █ JACK RATHBORN Magpies desperate to end 54-year trophy drought NEWCASTLE boss Eddie Howe has told his players they cannot be satisfied with reaching the Carabao Cup final and challenged them to win it to end the club’s 54-year trophy drought. Wednesday’s 2-1 semifinal second leg victory over Southampton at a packed St James’ Park secured a 3-1 aggregate success and kept alive the Magpies’ hopes of landing a first piece of major silverware since 1969 and a first domestic prize since the 1955 FA Cup. However, with Manchester United awaiting for them at Wembley on Feb 27, head coach Howe insists they cannot be done yet. He said: “You always want something. We’ve achieved what we wanted to achieve, which was getting to the final, but then you say, ‘Well, I’m not happy with that, we want to win it’. “I think that’s a great thing and I want my players to feel the same way. “We really want to embrace our past and be very proud of what’s happened here before, but we also want to create new history for ourselves so that’s what we’re determined to do.” Victory on the night perhaps fittingly came courtesy of local boy Sean Longstaff’s early double. Asked about Longstaff’s contribution, Howe said: “Sean’s just a really level-headed lad. He loves the club, he’s Newcastle through and through. “I’m so pleased that he’s got the headlines tonight. The two goals were great finishes.” – The Independent █ DAMIAN SPELLMAN Cancelo

theSun is published and printed by Sun Media Corporation Sdn Bhd (221220-K) of Lot 6, Jalan 51/217, 46050 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Tel: 03-7784 6688 Fax: 03-7783 7435 • Tel (Editorial): 03-7784 6688 Fax: 03-7785 2624/5 Email: [email protected] • Tel (Advertising): 03-7784 8888 Fax: 03-7784 4424 Email: [email protected] MANCHESTER UNITED boss Erik ten Hag says his side have to finish the job at Wembley after sealing their place in the Carabao Cup final. United will face Newcastle in the showpiece on Feb 27 (12.30am Malaysian time) after they beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 in the semifinal second leg at Old Trafford to seal a 5-0 aggregate win. The foundations were laid with a 3- 0 triumph at the City Ground in last week’s first leg and quickfire goals in the second half from Anthony Martial and Fred rubber-stamped their trip to the capital. It is their first domestic final since 2018, when they lost the FA Cup, and puts them one win away from ending a six-year trophy drought, going back to the 2017 Europa League success under Jose Mourinho. Ten Hag knows it is not job done, saying: “It’s good to reach the final, but it’s not about reaching the final, it’s about winning it that’s going to be tough, a great opponent. “Now the focus is on the Premier League, in two days it will continue. It has to give the motivation in the first place, we want to bring that cup to the fans. “But in this moment I’m not looking ahead, we’re focusing on other things, a big week is coming up, we have Crystal Palace and then two games against Leeds and they are going to be great games, derby games that we are looking forward to.” Another positive for United was the return of Jadon Sancho, who made his first United appearance since October after a lengthy absence. Sancho was “not in the right status or fitness state” having done an individual fitness programme in the Netherlands rather than travel to the squad’s winter camp to Spain. He returned to huge cheers from the Old Trafford crowd and Ten Hag is looking forward to getting the 22-yearold back to his best. “Most important players (have to) enjoy football, which gives energy, that gives them the motivation to act and to perform,” the Dutchman added. “I think it was great, the reception from the fans to him, and also that will give him even more a push to continue in the way he’s now acting, he’s just started again, the restart he’s back at Carrington for two weeks, we see that smile and hopefully he can keep that and contribute to the team. “He already showed his quality this season for instance, the game against Liverpool, a great goal, scored against Leicester, he had some really good games, Spurs, he already showed his great capabilities. “I hope when you are available all the time and play often together with the players we have now in the midfield and front line, our attacking play will improve and create more chances, then it’s a process players enjoy more and better motivated to work together.” Forest boss Steve Cooper knew his side blew any chance they had by losing last week’s first leg, but was proud of how far the club have come. “We are overall disappointed we haven’t got through because when you get this far you want to go one step further,” he said. “The damage was done last week and I couldn’t say that before because it was a defeatist message. “If we score the clear-cut chances in the first half, or even one of them, then it is a different game. United over the two legs have been far better than us. “We shouldn’t lose sight of the fact we have got to a semifinal and how many clubs would have loved to have been on the stage we have been on in the last couple of games? The first time in 30 years. “This time last season we were 10th in the Championship, so for us to try and compete in the Premier League and get to semifinals tells us that the club is on an upward projection.” – The Independent FRIDAY • FEBRUARY 3, 2023 Who won the January transfer window… and who lost? PREMIER LEAGUE clubs invested a record £815 million (RM4.26 billion) during the January transfer window to strengthen their squads for battles at both ends of the table. Here we take a look at some of the winners and losers when the deadline passed. WINNERS Chelsea The Blues were the biggest spenders of the January window, as Todd Boehly’s consortium laid out in excess of some £300m (RM1.56b). A British-record £106.8m (RM558) deal for Enzo Fernandez from Benfica was finally confirmed by the west London club late Wednesday to further bolster the options for head coach Graham Potter. However, with the likes of Mykhailo Mudryk, who arrived for £88.5 million from Shakhtar Donetsk and Joao Felix to fit into the side along with Noni Madueke and centreback Benoit Badiashile, Potter certainly has his work cut out to keep everyone onside and mould them all into a winning team. Arsenal Arsenal may have missed out on Mudryk as well as Moises Caicedo, but it was nevertheless a very positive January window at the Emirates Stadium. In a largely unexpected deadline day move, the Gunners switched attentions to land Italian defensive midfielder Jorginho from Chelsea, which supplemented the other arrivals of Leandro Trossard and Poland centreback Jakub Kiwior. Whether or not sporting director Edu has given Mikel Arteta enough for his side to last the distance in the Premier League title race remains to be seen, but the couple of shrewd additions mean they certainly should give title rivals Manchester City a run for their money through to May. Wolves New Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui was determined to freshen up the squad during January to kick-start their survival battle. Looking to get an edge on some of their relegation rivals, Craig Dawson from West Ham adds some experience to the backline while it is hoped forwards Pablo Sarabia and Matheus Cunha can provide a cutting edge in the final third. Brazilian Joao Gomes also came on board ahead of the deadline to add some flare to the midfield as the influence of former Spain and Real Madrid boss Lopetegui on the side continues to show positive progress. Losers Everton With Everton sacking manager Frank Lampard and turning to Sean Dyche, it was perhaps unlikely to expect major transfer moves during January – well, incomings anyway, as Anthony Gordon was sold to Newcastle for £45 (RM235m). Nevertheless, despite the timing of the change in the dugout, beleaguered Toffees fans would have hoped for at least one new face to bring into the ranks for the relegation dogfight. Everton will be counting on the former Burnley boss to make a swift impact with the players he has got and on a squad which was much in need of a lift well before the transfer window opened. Liverpool Over at Anfield, it has hardly been a hive of transfer activity either. Liverpool did get some business done early, with Dutch forward Cody Gakpo coming in from PSV Eindhoven. It was, though, not just in attack where Jurgen Klopp’s squad could have done with an extra impetus. Central midfield was one area which some felt should have been strengthened, and England international Jude Bellingham was said to be the primary target. Despite a lack of more fresh faces, fully expect Klopp to battle on, looking to both recapture the team’s form as well as silence the critics. West Ham Like Everton, the Hammers are embroiled in a fight for survival, sitting just a point clear of the relegation zone heading into the next round of Premier League fixtures. A January move for veteran forward Danny Ings for £12m (RM62.8m) from Aston Villa looked a positive step, only for him to get injured when making his debut. Hammers boss David Moyes has seen his plans derailed somewhat by such injury problems all season – but that will count for little if the team fail to move up the table and the pressure mounts for a change in the dugout. The Independent █ JIM VAN WIJK No easy task Ten Hag knows United still have work to do to win Carabao Cup █ JONATHAN VEAL Nottingham Forest’s Neco Williams (left) vies with Man United’s Alejandro Garnacho (center) during the Carabao Cup semifinal second-leg match at Old Trafford yesterday. – AFPPIX