The Sun 19062023

KUALA LUMPUR: A clinical psychologist has urged parents not to put too much pressure on their children to perform academically, and instead encourage them to pursue their interests and passions for a more balanced upbringing. Dr Cassandra Aasmundsen-Fry, who runs a clinical practice, said children have difficulty handling stress. She was giving her views on recent comments by Untuk Malaysia, a movement to rejuvenate the education system, which said 70,445 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia 2022 candidates did not get certificates because they failed their Bahasa Melayu or History papers, or did not sit for the exams. A total of 403,637 candidates sat for the written exams from Feb 20 to March 15, involving 3,355 examination centres nationwide. Education Director-General Datuk Pkharuddin Ghazali said a total of 75,322 candidates (20.1%) obtained average results, with at least a Grade C for all subjects. Aasmundsen-Fry said: “Children who face too much stress and pressure have unrealistic expectations for their grades and will react disproportionately if they do poorly. “Poor grades could also cause difficulties in the parent-child relationship as well as their academic and future success. But most importantly, they could develop chronic stress-related problems such as high blood pressure, heart disease and increased susceptibility to illnesses. “Psychologically, they can develop anxiety, depressive disorders, or trauma-based issues. Teaching children to communicate and regulate their emotions as well as how to handle stress is just as important as nurturing them academically. A well-balanced child can thrive in all areas of his life,” she said. Mother of three, Thayalini Gunasegaran, said in the past, it was common for children to perform well in school as academic success was highly expected. But today, when children think about exams, it is often associated with the stress and pressure to achieve a high grade. “In the 80s, academic achievement was highly valued and exams were seen as an important milestone. Success in them would show our measure of intelligence and competence. They played a big role in solidifying our foundation for a better future. “We were expected to study for long hours, which included school and homework. Furthermore, the focus on studying was not understanding but ‘rote learning’ and memorisation, which further tired us.” Thayalini, who is a pre-school teacher in Kota Kemuning, Shah Alam, said she has noticed a change in the way modern parents raise their children. “There is an understanding of the importance of balance and the need to give children time to explore their interests and discover their passion. Every child is unique and cannot be put into a box and expected to perform. “As a modern parent, instead of aiming purely for academic excellence, I try to instil a love for learning in them so that they can pursue their interests and passions.” Ravindran Annamalai, who is a manager at a telecommunications company and a father of two, said the expectations placed on children during the 70s and 80s might have caused negative effects. He said the shift in parental attitude could be due to social media and how it educates newer parents about how to view their children’s academics as well as focus more on the socio-emotional well-being of their children. “A balanced approach that instils a love for learning and encourages the pursuit of passions may be more effective in helping children reach their full potential.” A biology teacher from the Klang Valley, who gave her name as Clara Edmund, said: “The shifting parental attitudes towards children could be due to worries of negatively impacting their mental health and self-esteem.” oToo much pressure to do well in exams could result in unrealistic expectations, disproportionate reaction: Expert █ BY ETHAN YEO [email protected] Go easy on children 2 page INSIDE Vital to ensure global acceptance of palm oil 3 page Plug leaks in subsidised goods: Anwar TELLING IT AS IT IS ONMONDAY JUNE 19, 2023 No. 8291 PP 2644/12/2012 (031195) www.thesundaily.my YOUNG STARS ... Children going through a dance routine at Bazaar Junior Perak at Meow Garden in Tambun, Perak on Saturday night. Apart from the performance, the programme allowed preteens to learn about entrepreneurship. – BERNAMAPIC She said a societal shift in values and parenting styles plays a heavy role in promoting children’s self-esteem and emotional well-being. “While it is difficult to generalise parenting, I believe it is moving towards a positive direction. With the growing understanding of child development and mental health, parenting approaches have shifted towards promoting positive values,” she said.

2 theSUN ON MONDAY | JUNE 19, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS READ OUR HERE /thesundaily SCAN ME Vital to ensure global acceptance of palm oil KUALA LUMPUR: All quarters need to play a role in ensuring that Malaysia’s palm oil, which is the source of income for over a million people in this country, continues to be accepted by the global market, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof. Fadillah, who is also plantation and commodities minister, said those involved in the palm oil industry need to implement the principles set out under the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification scheme to ensure that palm oil and commodity-based products continue to be accepted by the market. He said the MSPO certification comprises three main principles which balance human needs, environmental sustainability and profit generation. “When the industry studies and practises 100% the principles set in oIndustry must implement principles set by MSPO certification to ensure marketability of commodity, says deputy prime minister the MSPO, we can deal with all the restrictions and negative campaigns of several irresponsible quarters with certain interests. “Efforts to fend off the claims by irresponsible quarters need to be proven and I believe one of the ways is through certification,” he said in a post on his Facebook page. Fadillah said the rapid development of the country’s palm oil industry was not achieved easily and the industry had to deal with various challenges and obstacles to ensure that palm oil was accepted around the world, including countering negative campaigns by certain quarters that palm oil was bad for health. He said although negative campaigns were answered through clear scientific studies which showed that palm oil, with its high nutritional value, is suitable for use in various cuisines and products, the industry continues to face challenges such as the European Union’s actions to introduce new regulations supporting the import of deforestation-free products. He added that Malaysia made early preparations to ensure that palm oil production is based on principles set in the MSPO certification scheme, which is mandatory for all industry players from 2020, Bernama reported. Fadillah said since MSPO’s introduction in 2013, a total of 661,844.12ha of oil palm plantations or 81.10% of the private smallholder category have MSPO certification as of May 31. He said a total of 665,535.51ha or 99.65% of oil palm planted areas under the organised smallholder category of the Federal Land Development Authority, Felcra Bhd, Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority, Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority and the Sabah Land Development Board was certified as MSPO. “Besides making the MSPO certification a success, the government will also remain committed to ensuring that palm oil products can be marketed gobally through negotiations and engagements to correct negative perceptions about palm oil.” 175,000 covered by social security scheme for housewives SEREMBAN: A total of 177,858 housewives are covered by the Housewives’ Social Security Scheme as of June 15, said Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar. He said RM254,617 in benefits had been paid to insured housewives and families under the social safety net programme for the period starting from Dec 1. “Housewives are encouraged to register and contribute to the scheme for protection against domestic disasters, disability or death while managing their households. “I encourage husbands to pay the contribution of RM120 each a year under the scheme for their respective wives in appreciation of their role and sacrifices for the family.” Sivakumar also called on nongovernmental organisations and private companies to sponsor the contribution under the scheme for the welfare of their employees as a corporate social responsibility. Earlier, Sivakumar presented Social Security Organisation (Socso) benefits to contributor R. Chandran in Taman Desa Temiang, here. Chandran, 40, while working as a salesman at a tobacco company near here, suffered an accident in 2012 and he received RM14,291.62 after being referred to a panel of doctors to determine permanent disability benefits. The father of one suffered a right knee problem which made him unable to stand for long periods or do heavy work. Sivakumar said Socso is looking for a new job for Chandran that suits his condition. Private sector worker Leong Tai Hee, 49, who suffered a stroke, was given a Socso pension of RM2,757.08 per month after being referred to a medical panel. Sivakumar added that the government would also look into the payment of allowances for students who undergo industrial training, following a report on a public university student who expressed concern about living expenses during the training period. “For me, this matter (payment of allowances) needs to be given serious attention by the government. This has also been raised in International Labour Organisation conferences so that it is given due consideration around the world. “These interns (students undergoing industrial training) cannot be considered as free labour. We will look into this matter and I will give feedback soon.” – Bernama BONDING TIME ... Zulfaiz Zakaria celebrating Father’s Day yesterday with his one-year-old son at a playground in Kota Damansara, Selangor. – ADIB RAWI YAHYA/ THESUN PM to speak on current economic situation JOHOR BAHRU: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is expected to make an announcement today on several matters regarding the current economic situation in the country, including mitigating the depreciation of the ringgit. Deputy Finance Minister I Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said the announcement would be made at the launch of a programme at Securities Commission Malaysia. “Around noon, the prime minister will launch a programme there and he is expected to make certain announcements related to economic matters. So, we wait,” he said at a media conference after visiting Wisma Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) Johor.” Ahmad, who is Pontian MP, was commenting on the depreciation of the ringgit and the Finance Ministry’s plan to mitigate it. He added that the third phase of the Rahmah Cash Aid would be paid before the Hari Raya Aidiladha celebration, involving an allocation of RM2.14 billion for 8.4 million recipients. He said the three groups that would receive the aid are households, involving a total of 3.9 million people, elderly people without partners (1.2 million), and singles (3.3 million). The deputy minister said the Rahmah Cash Aid distribution under the unity government is the largest in history compared with all the series of such assistance given by the previous government. He said appeals by individuals who were not selected could be made at the counter of the Inland Revenue Board or online starting July 1. – Bernama King, Queen extend Father’s Day wishes KUALA LUMPUR: The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and the Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah wished all fathers a Happy Father’s Day. A Happy Father’s Day poster with the message “Thank You Dad” against a background of photographs of the royal family was posted yesterday on Istana Negara’s official Facebook page. Father’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of every June to honour fathers and father figures who have been pillars of strength and played an essential role in keeping the family happy. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim congratulated the Sultan of Kedah Al-Aminul Karim Sultan Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah on the Ruler’s 81st birthday yesterday. Anwar, in a post on his Facebook page, prayed for Sultan Sallehuddin and the Sultanah of Kedah Sultanah Maliha Tengku Ariff and the entire royal family to always be blessed with good health, prosperity and sovereignty, Bernama reported. “May His Royal Highness remain committed to ruling the people of Kedah Darul Aman fairly and equitably.” Anwar also said that he and the people would continue to pledge their allegiance and undivided loyalty to Sultan Sallehuddin. People of Kelantan not denied rights TUMPAT: The federal government does not deny the people of Kelantan their rights although the state is administered by the Opposition, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. He said despite political differences, negotiations and meetings were regularly held with regard to allocations for the state, especially for religious and welfare matters. “Amicable discussions between the federal and state governments are very necessary to help the people. “As the prime minister, I do not want to see the people suffering from cruelty, being denied their rights, and sent to prison on false charges, although I myself had been a victim before. Now we need to engage in proper negotiations and resolve whatever we can so as not to burden the people.” He was speaking yesterday at a ceremony to hand over the prime minister’s contribution of RM7.76 million for a project to complete the Masjid At-Taqwa Alor Pasir here. – Bernama

3 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON MONDAY | JUNE 19, 2023 KOTA BHARU: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called on civil servants, especially those in enforcement agencies, to focus on addressing issues of leakages involving subsidised goods. He said subsidies should be enjoyed by the poor but, sadly, most have been misused, Bernama reported. “This country is prosperous, but there are far too many ‘leaks’. Subsidies meant for the poor have been stolen. Cooking oil, diesel subsidies have been arrogated. So, when will these subsidies ever be enough? “That’s why enforcement agencies should pay more attention to checking leakages in the system,” he said at a special address to Kelantan civil servants at Balai Islam Lundang here yesterday. Also present at the event were Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob, Public Service Department director-general Datuk Dr Zulkapli Mohamed, Prime Minister’s Department Implementation Coordination Unit director-general Datuk Seri Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz and Kelantan state secretary Datuk Nazran Muhammad. Citing electricity subsidy as an example, Anwar said it should be enjoyed by ordinary citizens, but at present even high-income earners are receiving the subsidy. “How much is the subsidy for electricity? If left uncontrolled this year it could reach RM30 billion. If this is how much we spend on the electricity subsidy, how can we afford to build new schools and universities?” Amwar added that he is against the decision to abolish part of the electricity subsidy and increase the electricity rate because the people are struggling and this would be an additional burden on them. “So, what choice do we have? We increased the rates for high income earners, while the rest of the people are not affected.” As such, Anwar called on civil servants to help explain the policies that have been implemented by the government involving taxes and subsidies to the people. “At times it is difficult to understand these policies because they are not fully explained, and civil servants, as the voice of the government that sees to policy implementation, should know that I do not intend to raise taxes that affect people in the low-income group. “But, I am forced to raise the taxes on the rich, be it for electricity, water, haj travel, diesel or petrol.” Koperasi Tentera announces 7% dividend KUALA LUMPUR: Koperasi Angkatan Tentera Malaysia Berhad (Koperasi Tentera) has announced a 7% dividend to its 156,156 members involving a payment of RM130.4 million for the year 2022. Deputy Defence Minister Adly Zahari said the dividend payment was much higher compared with the RM89 million announced in 2021. “We will get approval from the Cooperative Commission of Malaysia for the payment of the dividends to members and it is our intention to channel it to them before Hari Raya Aidiladha,” he told a press conference after officiating the Koperasi Tentera 57th annual general meeing in Wisma Perwira yesterday. He said Koperasi Tentera also recorded a net income of RM256 million last year with a profit before tax and zakat of RM154 million. He said the encouraging performance was the result of financing offered to small and medium enterprises, which is increasing. Adly also said in the last 10 years, Koperasi Tentera has channelled contributions totalling RM17.7 million, or an average of RM1.7 million a year, to its members. “This has benefited a total of 42,706 members and includes educational, medical and general donations in addition to death benefit contributions amounting to RM572,000 distributed to members’ heirs last year. “These are direct contributions paid for the welfare of members and their families.” He said Koperasi Tentera also achieved additional success when it received recognition as a premier cooperative from the Cooperative Commission of Malaysia for the third consecutive year last year. – Bernama ‘Focus on plugging leaks in subsidised goods’ oCivil servants should also help explain government policies involving taxes and subsidies to the people, says PM 500 school-leavers to become Malacca tourism ambassadors ALOR GAJAH: Some 500 SPM school-leavers are expected to join Volunteer Malacca, which was set up by the state government in conjunction with Visit Malacca Year 2024. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf said the volunteers will attend training, history and other tourism industry-related courses to learn interesting facts about popular local destinations in order to help tourists get accurate information on the areas that they visit. “These volunteers will be our tourism ambassadors and we hope to instil the Malacca spirit in them,” he told reporters after officiating Coach Airways@Freeport A’Famosa Outlet here yesterday. Also present at the event were Tourism Promotion Board director-general Datuk Ammar Abd Ghapar and Freeport A’Famosa Outlet director Datuk Julian Lau. Meanwhile, Ab Rauf said the state government is also gazetting a strategic area that is being identified along the Malacca River as a cultural site. He said the site will showcase the diverse culture and art of the state, involving the Malay, Baba and Nyonya, Portuguese and Chettiar communities. In conjunction with Visit Malacca Year 2024, the state government will pick a day to give tourists the opportunity to experience a river cruise service for free, he said, adding that discussions are ongoing with the Navy for the former frigate-turned-museum ship KD Hang Tuah to be displayed in the state. “We are also planning to hold a giant kite competition and organise hot air balloon rides at Dataran 1Malaysia in Klebang.” – Bernama Teaching children to be entrepreneurs IPOH: A total of 257 children aged six to 12 participated in the Bazaar Junior Perak event aimed at helping to build and develop young entrepreneurs. Perak Women, Family, Social Welfare and Entrepreneur Development Committee chairman Salbiah Mohamed said the one-day programme was organised by the Junior Chamber International Kinta (JCI Kinta) in collaboration with the state government. “The event provided a platform for participants to generate innovative ideas, develop their own product or service and deal with customers,” she told reporters after officiating the programme launch on Saturday. JCI Kinta president Tan Teck Yin said this is the second such programme to be held this year and 60 stalls selling various items such as food, drinks and ornaments were run by the children. She said 10% of the proceeds from the sales would be channelled to charitable organisations. Meanwhile, bazaar participant Zulfarihi Faris Zulkifli, 10, from Yayasan Amanah An-Nur Maisarah in Chemor said running the stall with his friends was enjoyable. – Bernama Gerakan president to contest in Penang GEORGE TOWN: Gerakan president Datuk Dominic Lau confirmed that he will be vying in the coming Penang state election. Lau said he intends to stand for a state seat in Seberang Perai, Bernama reported. “I will announce the state constituency after the dissolution of the state legislative assembly,” he said at the Gerakan annual delegates conference yesterday. Lau said for the state polls, which involves six states – the Perikatan Nasional (PN) component party is only contesting four states, namely Penang, Negeri Sembilan, Selangor and Kedah. “Gerakan will not be fielding candidates in Kelantan and Terengganu because in the 15th general election, PN used the PAS logo. “Also, Bersatu and PAS will play a key role as they have many incumbents in both states.” Anwar being greeted by students at an event yesterday at the Universiti Malaysia campus in Bachok, Kelantan. – BERNAMAPIC Sabah PKR eyes one seat per constituency SANDAKAN: Sabah PKR hopes to be given the chance to contest in at least one state seat in every parliamentary constituency in the next state election. State PKR chairman Datuk Dr Sangkar Rasam said this was to ensure that the party would have the opportunity to be represented throughout the state. “This quota will be discussed at the Pakatan Harapan level. We hope other component parties will agree to our suggestion to allocate seats based on need.” In Sabah, PKR has two state seats, namely Api-Api, represented by Sabah PH chairman Datuk Christina Liew, and Inanam, where Peto Galim is assemblyman. State PKR’s sole parliamentary seat – Sepanggar – is represented by Deputy Human Resources Minister Mustapha Sakmud. – Bernama

4 theSUN ON MONDAY | JUNE 19, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS @thesundaily FOLLOW ON TWITTER SCAN ME Woman detained over offensive post on title awarded to Kit Siang GEORGE TOWN: Police arrested a woman for allegedly posting offensive remarks against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah regarding the conferment of an honorary award to veteran DAP politician Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang. Penang police chief Datuk Khaw Kok Chin said the 32-year-old woman was arrested at the North Seberang Perai district police headquarters on June 13. On June 7, police received reports from the public regarding content on social media deemed as insults against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Bernama reported. “On June 13, the Classified Crime Investigation Unit of the Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department arrested the woman to assist in the investigations,” he said. Khaw added that based on preliminary investigations, the woman is also believed to have implicated Lim as an instigator of the May 13 riots. He said following the arrest, police seized the woman’s laptop, mobile phone and SIM card. Khaw said the woman was released on police bail on the same day she was arrested as she claimed to be six months pregnant. “The case is being investigated by Bukit Aman according to Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948 as well as Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1988,” he said. Prostitution ring busted in immigration raid, 72 arrested PUTRAJAYA: The Immigration Department successfully busted a syndicate supplying foreign women for sex services and arrested 72 foreigners in special operations conducted around Kuala Lumpur on Thursday. Immigration Director-General Datuk Ruslin Jusoh said the operations, that started at 9pm involving officers of various ranks from the Immigration headquarters Intelligence and Special Operations Division in Putrajaya, were conducted in Cheras and Kepong following information and intelligence gathering. “Also arrested were seven local men who acted as ‘captains’ and caretakers of the premises,” he said. Ruslin Jusoh added that five premises were raided and 72 foreigners were arrested, involving 43 Vietnamese women, 15 Indonesian women, six Thai women, four Vietnamese men, three Bangladeshi men and an Indian man, all aged between 25 and 42. He said initial checks found that they committed various offences, including not having valid travel documents, expired social visit passes and misuse of passes and the detained foreign women were believed to have provided sex services. Also seized were 48 Vietnamese passports and an SUV, that is believed to have been used to ferry the foreign women to clients, as well as RM6,275 in cash that is believed to be from payments for sex services offered. It was also found that the syndicate was operating in a three-storey shoplot, with the first floor serving as living quarters while the second and third floors were used for sex services. He said the modus operandi of the syndicate was for clients who wanted to engage in sex services to send a message through WhatsApp, and would then be given a password to enter the premises, with the women’s booking fees starting at RM230 per hour. Ruslin Jusoh added that the syndicate is believed to have been operating for almost two years and advertised sex services on social media platforms, including WhatsApp and Telegram. Twenty local men who were clients have been issued notices to appear to provide statements to assist in the investigations. All the foreigners arrested were taken to the Semenyih Immigration Depot for action and investigations for offences under the Immigration Act 1959/63, the Passport Act 1966 and the Immigration Regulations 1963 and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007. – Bernama Wang Kelian residents call for opening of shopping arcade PADANG BESAR: The local community is urging the state government to open the Wang Kelian shopping arcade soon, in an effort to revive economic activities in the border town after the free-flow zone between Malaysia and Thailand was abolished in 2015. Resident Zul Zalina Othman, 40, expressed hope that the state government could expedite the process to allow shops to operate at the arcade, which has been completed for some time. “Earlier, we were told that the arcade would be opening in March but nothing has happened and we have not received any news after that,” said the former day market trader. Zul Zalina hopes the opening of the arcade would liven up Wang Kelian again as it could provide oCommunity traders hope move would boost business activity, tourism draw Location for Johor hospital to be finalised JOHOR BAHRU: The Health Ministry and Defence Ministry are expected to decide on the proposed location for the construction of the Sultanah Aminah Hospital 2 in two or three months. Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said discussions between the two ministries proceeded smoothly and the Defence Ministry also took note of the importance and need for the construction of the hospital. “ We will have no problem once the location is finalised,” she said after a handover ceremony of a Johor health facility at Sultanah Aminah Hospital yesterday. Also present were Health Director-General Datuk Dr Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan and Johor Health Committee chairman Ling Tian Soon. On another matter, Zaliha said her ministry would refine a proposal to allow cancer patients to buy formula milk in the hospital at a cheaper price than on the market. – Bernama Delayed breakwater project to be resumed JERTIH: Work on construction of a breakwater at the mouth of Sungai Besut, which has been delayed for more than two years, will be resumed by a rescue contractor starting next month. Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said the project was supposed to be completed in December 2019, but was delayed due to problems with the contractor and infrastructure. “The ministry, through the Department of Irrigation and Drainage, appointed a rescue contractor through an open tender on Nov 17 last year, with the new project costing RM250 million and expected to be fully completed by December 2025. “The scope of the new project is to complete the remaining work covering the construction of the breakwater in the northern part measuring 1.3km while in the southern part, it is 1.85km long,” he said. Nik Nazmi added that the project started in 2016, but the initial contractor was terminated in December 2020. – Bernama DEDICATED TO COUNTRY ... Officers and voluntary members of the Territorial Army Regiment participating in a parade in conjunction with its 65th anniversary celebrations at Kem Force 136 in Pekan, Pahang yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC additional income to the people in the area, who are mostly farmers, Bernama reported. “It is also hoped that the arcade operator would not impose strict conditions to traders and allow them to sell products from neighbouring countries,” he said. Another resident, Md Razak Md Daud, 64, who shared the same opinion, was also confident that the economy of the local population would improve as local and foreign tourists would be passing through the border town to get to Southern Thailand. “These days during weekends, we see vehicles passing through Wang Kelian without stopping as there is nothing to attract tourists,” he said. Md Razak added that tourists often ask about the attractions available at the Wang Kelian View Point Arcade when it is opened, which leaves him disheartened as he too was unsure about it. Meanwhile, Perlis Forestry Department director Ag Shaffie Ag Ahmadni said the department has been given the responsibility to manage the arcade. “We want to open the arcade as soon as possible, but we are facing constraints in terms of the number of traders who are interested in setting up their business there. “The department has advertised to get local traders to operate stalls and we received encouraging response at first, but out of 32 business letters issued, only eight traders responded,” he said. Ag Shaffie added that he hoped that the vacant lots would be taken up by the locals soon so that the arcade could be opened. He said it was learned that the traders wanted the same concept being practised in Padang Besar, which is to allow them to sell Thai products. “But at Wang Kelian, it has been set that traders can only sell local products because we don’t want the arcade to be dominated by foreign traders”, he said.

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6 theSUN ON MONDAY | JUNE 19, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS Main Asean members skip Thai-hosted Myanmar talks BANGKOK: Thailand’s caretaker government was set to host the foreign minister of Myanmar’s ruling junta at informal regional peace talks yesterday, but key Southeast Asian counterparts were staying away from the meeting that has drawn sharp criticism. Only Cambodia has so far officially confirmed it intended to attend the talks. Myanmar’s generals have been barred for nearly two years from senior-level meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) for failing to honour an agreement to start talks with opponents linked to the ousted civilian government that had been led by now-jailed Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. But Thailand, whose prime minister himself first took power in a military coup, invited Myanmar’s junta-appointed Foreign Minister Than Swe to the talks along with other foreign ministers in the 10-member Asean bloc, two sources with knowledge of the meeting told Reuters. Myanmar’s junta spokesman could not be reached for comment. Thailand’s Foreign Ministry was tight-lipped about exactly who was attending the hastily called two-day gathering in the resort town of Pattaya, for which outgoing Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai sent invitation letters just four days before its planned start. Foreign Ministry deputy spokesman Natapanu Nopakun said yesterday he had “no information” on the meeting. Critics of Thailand’s initiative say it risks legitimising Myanmar’s military government and is inappropriate because it is outside the official Asean peace initiative, known as the “five-point consensus”. Others questioned why Thailand called the talks now, when it is expected to have a new government in August after the pro-military coalition was soundly beaten in the May 16 elections by progressive and populist parties. Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn was to attend the meeting, his government said in a statement on Friday. Other Asean members have declined Thailand’s invitation, including this year’s chair, Indonesia, as well Singapore, whose Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said on Friday “it would be premature to re-engage with the junta at a summit level or even at a foreign minister level”. Nantiwat Samart, secretary to the Thai minister of foreign affairs, defended the talks yesterday. He was quoted on the website of Thai-language Nation TV as saying Myanmar should not be isolated or cut out from Asean. Vietnam’s government said its foreign minister would not attend “due to a prior engagement”. Malaysia also would not be attending, said two sources with knowledge of the matter. The Philippines, which had not responded to questions by yesterday morning, is seen as firmly in the camp of isolating Myanmar’s generals. – Reuters Philippine ferry catches fire at sea, 120 rescued MANILA: All 120 people onboard a ferry that caught fire at sea in the central Philippines yesterday have been rescued, the coast guard said. The M/V Esperanza Star, which was carrying 65 passengers and 55 officers and crew members, caught fire while sailing from Siquijor island in the south to nearby Bohol island, the coast guard said. Coast guard firefighters onboard another vessel used a water cannon and declared the fire out by around 0200 GMT (10am in Malaysia). The cause of the fire is still unknown. Two coast guard vessels involved in firefighting and rescue operations were still in waters in the vicinity of the fire. The whereabouts and conditions of the rescued passengers and crew members were not disclosed. The Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,600 islands, has a poor record for maritime safety, with vessels often overcrowded and many ageing ships in use. In March, a ferry carrying about 250 people also caught fire in the southern Philippines, leading to the deaths two dozen people. – Reuters Smoke rising from the burning ferry yesterday. – PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD/REUTERSPIC Blinken in China for key talks BEIJING: Secretary of State Antony Blinken began talks in China yesterday on the highest-level trip by an American official in nearly five years as the two powers looked to notch down the temperature in an escalating rivalry. Both sides have voiced guarded hope of improving communication and preventing conflict, with the world’s two largest economies at odds on an array of issues from trade to technology and regional security. Blinken and his aides opened the two-day visit by meeting Foreign Minister Qin Gang at an ornately decorated state villa in Beijing’s ancient Diaoyutai gardens, where the Chinese hosts will later throw a banquet dinner. Qin and Blinken walked along a red carpet and shook hands next to a pair of national flags standing in front of a painting of craggy mountains and wispy clouds. Blinken earlier said he would seek to avoid “miscalculations” and to “responsibly manage” relations with the country identified by US policymakers across party lines as oBoth sides voice guarded hope of improving communication India eases curfew in violence-hit Manipur NEW DELHI: Indian authorities said yesterday they had started to relax a curfew imposed in violence-hit Manipur after 45 days of civil unrest in the north-east state, seeking to reduce anger spilling onto the streets and restore normalcy. “We have decided to remove curfew from 5am until 5pm to enable residents to buy food, medicines, and other essentials,” said Diana Devi, a local government official based in capital city of Imphal, not far from the border with Myanmar. Manipur has experienced widespread violence since May 3, following protests by indigenous communities sparked by resentment over economic benefits and quotas for government jobs and education reserved for Kukis, an ethnic group who mostly live in the hills. Meiteis, the dominant community in the low lands of the state, who account for half of state’s population, demand extension of limited affirmative action quotas to them. But Kukis fear it would mean Meiteis would get a greater share in education and government jobs reserved for them. Last week’s Home Ministry records showed 83 people have been killed and more than 60,000 residents displaced since May in the violence. On Thursday, a federal minister’s house was set on fire in Imphal. He hails from the majority Meitei community. Neighbouring states, which have provided shelter to the displaced population, appealed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to release funds needed to feed the refugees. – Reuters B R I E F SAUSTRALIAN SENATOR QUITS LIBERAL PARTY CANBERRA: A senator from Australia’s main opposition Liberal Party facing accusations of sexual misconduct by several female politicians has resigned from the party but will stay in Parliament, the senator’s office said yesterday. The claims against Liberal Party Senator David Van follow a 2021 inquiry into Australia’s Parliament culture that found one in three people working there had experienced sexual harassment. Van, who denies the accusations, said in a message to the president of the Victorian division of the Liberal Party that he would resign his membership immediately. “I cannot remain a member of a party that tramples upon the very premise on which our justice system is predicated,” Van said. – Reuters PAKISTAN ARRESTS 10 TRAFFICKING SUSPECTS ISLAMABAD: Pakistan authorities arrested 10 alleged human traffickers days after dozens of migrants drowned off the coast of Greece, officials said yesterday. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also ordered an immediate crackdown on agents engaged in people smuggling, saying they would be “severely punished”. Every year, thousands of young Pakistanis embark on perilous journeys attempting to enter Europe illegally in search of a better life. There were likely dozens of Pakistanis among those aboard the rusty trawler that sank off Greece’s Peloponnese peninsula on Wednesday, killing at least 78 people with hundreds more missing. – AFP the greatest challenge to Washington’s global primacy. He was originally scheduled to visit in February but abruptly scrapped his plans as the US protested – and later shot down – what it said was a Chinese spy balloon flying over its soil. US President Joe Biden played down the balloon episode as Blinken was heading to China, saying: “I don’t think the leadership knew where it was and knew what was in it and knew what was going on.” “I think it was more embarrassing than it was intentional,” Biden told reporters on Saturday. Biden said he hoped to again meet President Xi Jinping after their lengthy and strikingly cordial meeting in November on the sidelines of a Group of 20 summit in Bali, where they agreed on Blinken’s visit. “I’m hoping that, over the next several months, I’ll be meeting with Xi again and talking about legitimate differences we have but also how there are areas we can get along,” Biden said. The two leaders are likely to attend the next G20 summit, in September in New Delhi, and Xi is invited to travel to San Francisco in November when the US hosts the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. America and China are at odds over a slew of issues including trade, technology and Taiwan. Beijing has not ruled out seizing Taiwan by force and has conducted military drills twice since August near the self-governing democracy, in response to the actions of top US lawmakers. Ahead of Blinken’s visit, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said the US needed to “respect China’s core concerns” and “give up the illusion of dealing with China ‘from a position of strength”. Beijing has been especially irritated by Biden’s restrictions on the export of high-end semiconductors to China, with the US both fearing their military application and eager to prevent the communist state from dominating next-generation technologies. In a rising domestic priority for the US, an aide said Blinken is expected to press China to curb precursor chemicals sent to Latin America to produce fentanyl, the powerful painkiller behind an addiction pandemic that kills tens of thousands of Americans a year. Washington has also lashed China over human rights, with Blinken’s visit the first by a cabinet member since the US formally accused Beijing of genocide against the Uyghur minority. Blinken is the first top US diplomat to visit Beijing since a stop in 2018 by his predecessor Mike Pompeo. – AFP

7 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON MONDAY | JUNE 19, 2023 Ukraine war must end, South Africa tells Putin MOSCOW: South Africa’s president, in Russia as part of a delegation pushing for peace between Kyiv and Moscow, told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Saturday that the fighting had to stop. His delegation put forward a set of principles that the Kremlin deemed “very difficult to implement”, a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ruled out talks with Moscow. The delegation brought the voice of a continent that has badly suffered from repercussions of the Ukraine conflict, particularly with rising grain prices. “This war must be settled ... through negotiations and through diplomatic means,” South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa said after talks in the suburbs of Saint Petersburg. oKremlin says peace delegation’s principles ‘very difficult to implement’ Russian authorities have effectively banned the word “war” to describe their military operation in Ukraine. Ramaphosa added that his delegation, which has leaders and senior officials from seven African countries, “would like this war to be ended”. Ramaphosa listed 10 principles, which included de-escalation, the recognition of countries’ sovereignty, security guarantees for all countries, unimpeded grain exports through the Black Sea and sending prisoners of war and children back to their countries of origin. The mission included the presidents of South Africa, Senegal, Comoros and Zambia, as well as top officials from Uganda, Egypt and Congo-Brazzaville. “Any initiative is very difficult to implement,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by the state-run agency RIA Novosti. “But President Putin has shown interest in considering it,” Peskov said after the leaders held a meeting behind closed doors. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the plan was “not formulated on paper”. Putin had praised the delegation’s “balanced” approach and said he was “open to a constructive dialogue with all those who want to implement peace based on the principles of justice and respect for the parties’ legitimate interests”. Moscow has in the past repeated that any negotiations would need to take into account “new territorial realities”. Zelensky, speaking on Friday after Ramaphosa called for de-escalation following their talks in Kyiv, repeated his position that Ukraine must recover territories lost to Russia to achieve peace. African countries have been divided over their response to the fighting. While some have sided with Ukraine, others have remained neutral or gravitated towards Moscow. – AFP REGAL SALUTE ... Prince William, Prince Edward (centre) and Princess Anne inspecting the Horseguards during the Trooping the Colour parade in London in honour of the official birthday of King Charles. – UK MOD/REUTERSPIC 41 dead in Uganda school attack KAMPALA: Distraught families gathered at a mortuary in western Uganda yesterday for news of their loved ones after a militant attack left dozens of students dead and others missing. Officials said at least 41 people, mostly students, were massacred at a secondary school near the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo on Friday by militants linked to the Islamic State group. Victims were hacked, shot and burned to death in a brutal attack at Lhubiriha Secondary School in Mpondwe that has shocked Uganda and drawn condemnation from around the globe. The army and police have blamed the Allied Democratic Front (ADF), a militia based in Congo, who fled back to the border with six abductees in captivity after the attack. The military said it was pursuing the attackers and would recover those kidnapped. Many of the victims were burned beyond recognition when the attackers set a locked dormitory ablaze, frustrating efforts to identify the dead and account for the missing. At a mortuary in Bwera, a town near where the attack occurred, families wailed as the bodies of their loved ones were put into coffins and taken away for burial. But for many others, there was no news of missing relatives. Many of those killed in the fire were transferred to the city of Fort Portal where DNA testing can be conducted. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called it “an appalling act” while the United States, a close ally of Uganda, and the African Union also sent their condolences and condemned the bloodshed. Seventeen male students were burned in their dormitory while 20 female students were hacked to death, said Uganda First Lady and Education Minister Janet Museveni. A security guard and three members of the public were also killed, officials said. The army would track down “these evil people and they will pay for what they have done”, Museveni said on Saturday. But questions have been raised about how the attackers managed to evade detection in a border region with a heavily military presence. Major-General Dick Olum said intelligence suggested the presence of the ADF in the area at least two days before the attack, and an investigation would be needed to establish what went wrong. – AFP UK minister says sorry over lockdown party video LONDON: Senior British government minister Michael Gove yesterday described a video showing a party at the ruling Conservative Party campaign headquarters during a Covid lockdown in 2020 as “terrible”, and apologised to the public. The video was published by the Mirror newspaper just days after a parliamentary committee ruled that former prime minister Boris Johnson had wilfully misled lawmakers about rule-breaking lockdown parties at his office. The 45-second clip shows revellers partying in December 2020 when the public were banned from socialising indoors to help prevent the spread of Covid-19. People can be seen dancing and drinking in the video. Two of those at the gathering, which had previously been investigated by police when a still photo of it emerged, were given honours by Johnson in his resignation list earlier this month. “It’s terrible,” Gove, the housing minister, told Sky News. “I think it’s completely out of order. I just want to apologise to everyone, really.” The issue of rule-breaking during Covid lockdowns helped bring down Johnson, who left office last year, and still hangs over the Conservatives and current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Johnson stepped down as a member of Parliament on June 9, days before the privileges committee – the main disciplinary body for lawmakers – issued its damning verdict on him, re-opening divisions in the party and re-igniting public anger. Lawmakers will vote today on whether to endorse the privileges committee’s report. Although largely symbolic now Johnson has quit as a lawmaker, his supporters have said those who backed its findings could face a backlash from Conservative members and even face de-selection as candidates in the next election due 2024. – Reuters Mexico authorities find 129 migrants in cargo truck MEXICO CITY: Mexican authorities found 129 migrants packed into the back of a cargo truck, the National Institute of Migration said on Saturday. The “migrants from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and India” were discovered on Friday night in the eastern state of Veracruz, it said in a statement. Mexico is in the middle of a heat wave that has killed at least eight people. The truck full of migrants was found in the town of Sayula de Aleman, where temperatures are forecast to hit 44°C today, according to the National Meteorological Service. The migration institute said 51 migrants from Guatemala were returned to that country. Another 19 unaccompanied minors from Guatemala and Honduras were transferred to a special shelter and the rest were transferred to a migration station. Thousands of migrants, many fleeing poverty and violence in their own countries, cross Mexico daily hoping to reach the United States. Along the way they often fall victim to organised crime gangs or human traffickers. More than 2,100 migrants were abducted in Mexico last year, according to the National Institute of Migration. – AFPB R I E F SNEW TRUCE BETWEEN SUDAN’S GENERALS KHARTOUM: A fresh ceasefire took effect in Sudan yesterday after intense fighting that saw air strikes in Khartoum and an exodus of wounded over the border into Chad. The army, commanded by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has since April 15 been battling the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, headed by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. “Saudi Arabia and US announce the agreement of representatives of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces on a ceasefire throughout Sudan for a period of 72 hours,” a Saudi Foreign Ministry statement said on Saturday. – AFP CYCLONE LEAVES 11 DEAD IN BRAZIL BRASILIA: At least 11 people were killed and 20 were missing after a cyclone tore through southern Brazil, authorities said on Saturday. “According to the Protection and Civil Defence Service, 11 people died from the effects of the cyclone,” the government of Rio Grande do Sul state, which borders Argentina and Uruguay, said in a statement. “Eighteen people are still missing in Caraa and two in Tres Forquilhas,” it said. A total of 2,330 people were left with damaged houses and 602 were evacuated from areas at risk due to the passage of the cyclone between Thursday and Friday. – AFP NATO: PEACEKEEPERS ‘UNWAVERING’ BRUSSELS: Nato yesterday underlined the “unwavering” commitment of its KFOR peacekeeping force to its duties in Kosovo as tensions flare with pressure building on Serbia over the detention of three Kosovo police officers. “The commitment of Nato KFOR to the implementation of its mandate is unwavering,” alliance spokesman Oana Lungescu said. Serbia is holding three Kosovo police officers who were detained on Wednesday. Kosovo’s government has called it a kidnapping and, as a “security measure”, banned all Serbian trucks from entering its territory. – AFP

8 theSUN ON MONDAY | JUNE 19, 2023 SPEAK UP /thesundaily FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK SCAN ME Protect our rare earths for geopolitical strength PRIME MINISTER Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has stated in Parliament that the threats affecting our critical industries of rare earth and emerging new energy sectors will weaken our economic and security capacities if not urgently handled. The mushrooming of illegal activities and exploitations of our rare earth assets over the past few years have indicated a clear and present danger of our critical assets being plundered by both internal and external parties at our own expense. The incidents have been recurring and each time it is being dealt with in ways that further exposed our ignorance and seemingly cavalier attitude towards safeguarding our key geostrategic deposit and advantage that run into billions of ringgit, and most importantly, our future parameter for our national security and geopolitical survival. Already, our incoherent and disunited approach to managing our key assets and resources, especially our vital rare earths, has further emboldened external parties in taking advantage of our lack of foresight, seriousness and strategic clarity on this issue. The line of oversight, control and authority over key resources remains divided and drowned in the division of federal and state authorities, further exacerbated by political divisions, at our long-term strategic expense. Whether knowingly or unknowingly, the clear ignorance and mismanagement of our crucial national assets must be stemmed in the bud, and a clear and urgent national action plan must be undertaken to protect our national advantage and resources which will ensure our immediate survival and economic power. For far too long, we have lacked the coordinated, all-of-nation and whole-ofgovernment approach in dealing with our rare earth industry, and our collective emerging resources that will shape our national power agenda. This disconnect between the state and the federal level, and the lack of future-driven awareness of the importance of these assets further created a vicious cycle for foreign powers to seize upon this opening and to extend their overtures and efforts to get a hand on these resources through various means. Throughout the country as a whole, there is a compelling and strategic need for all states with strategic resources, particularly rare earth, to coordinate with the federal government and also the National Security Council in a holistic way. conventional trap and addictive lure of fast and easy gains. In 2019, the Parliament was informed that the country has RM732 billion worth of metal mineral reserves in the form of coal, tin ore, iron ore, gold, manganese, silica sand and kaolin to be explored. In Kedah, RM60 billion worth of rare earth assets are ripe for extraction, it needs careful assessment and planning. Malaysia has been blessed with a significant amount of non-radioactive rare earth deposits. The US Geological Survey estimates that about 30,000 metric tons of rare earth ores can be found in Peninsular Malaysia. Rare earth elements (REEs) have been increasingly important in consumer electronics, electric vehicles, clean energy and most strategically, in military equipment and usage. In the military, REEs are used in vital military assets, particularly precisionguided weapons, communication equipment, Global Positioning System equipment and other defence electronics. The US$ 800 million (RM3.7 billion) Lynas plant in Malaysia is the world’s largest, single, rare earths-processing facility and the only scale producer of separated rare earths outside China. It must not be framed overwhelmingly from a negative viewpoint and it must include our longterm security and geopolitical calculations. Lynas Malaysia’s operation in Malaysia since 2012 has been able to break the monopoly by being the first refining plant outside China. It is also one of the world’s biggest rare earth refining plants. Malaysia has the opportunity to be a world leader in this industry that supports technologies used every day such as cars and smartphones, as well as future-facing industries such as electric vehicles and wind turbines and we must play our cards well. The government has said Malaysia could attract investments of up to RM100 billion in the rare earth sector over the next decade. We must not let this opportunity of having the biggest REEs supplies outside China slip away and squander it to foreign forces that will backfire on our geopolitical strength and advantage. Malaysia has a strategic advantage as home to the only significant nonChinese supplier of rare earth products, a position that we must capitalise on and seize upon for our future strategic assurance. It can be further developed to create an impactful stepping stone towards providing positive messages and assurances to other critical industries and top manufacturers in the crucial high-impact field, including semiconductor and high technology industries. Rare earths are increasingly being used as another vital and critical resource factor in a greater global geopolitical competition, especially in enhancing military technology and capacity, and in technological supremacy, which includes technology and space race. This alone compels us to be wise and have the foresight and boldness to play our cards well which will ensure our long-term returns in the broader picture of our security and geopolitical gains and not out of pure monetary returns alone. The investment by Western companies, including Lynas, has the added boosts in creating positive chain effects and spillover impact on to other economic fields in creating the foundation pillared on values, transparency, integrity, environmental awareness and protection efforts, labour standards, human rights and injection of high-value jobs, expertise and technology transfer. Malaysia’s New Energy Direction Plan 2022 to 2035 and the National Energy Policy 2022 to 2040 must include strategic plans to holistically elevate our rare earths and semiconductor industries in transforming our economic fundamentals and in securing our geopolitical gains. It is high time we look at the big picture and long-term considerations for the country, rather than being tied down by persistent past dogma and the trap of short-term gains and political interests. Collins Chong Yew Keat is a foreign affairs and strategy analyst at Universiti Malaya. Comments: [email protected] “The investment by Western companies, including Lynas, has the added boosts in creating positive chain effects and spillover impact on to other economic fields in creating the foundation pillared on values, transparency, integrity, environmental awareness and protection efforts, labour standards, human rights and injection of high-value jobs, expertise and technology transfer. COMMENT by Collins Chong Yew Keat It will need the synergy and amalgamation of other expertise, including advisory bodies comprising top experts and strategic thinkers on how best to preserve and cultivate our assets, from the development and contract-awarding process to the preservation of sustainable cultivation. This crucial strategy must not be left to any individual state or party to decide alone, bypassing greater national interests. There must be a prevailing and overarching decision-making process that involves all stakeholders, policymakers and the public in determining the best path forward in managing our vital resources worth billions of ringgit, but more importantly, in creating the best investments for the future of our survival. Rare earths have been one of the most important resources in the changing geopolitical ecosystem in the world today and we are at the forefront of this interplay where our role is critical in both ensuring our leverage and bargaining chips as well as in maximising our security stakes and assurances. We have been in the eyes of the great powers in their global competition for supremacy, where green energy and critical new resources, especially rare earths, become the quintessence of the geopolitical race. The US is increasing its urgency and overtures to reduce Beijing’s dominance in this field and along with its outreach, we must be wise to capitalise on the larger spectrum and positive baggage of ripple and spillover effects in the higher technological realm of mobility, transfer and practical impact of expertise and knowledge development in these high impact sectors. In securing food, energy, resources and supply chain resilience and security, we are at the centre stage of exerting bigger chips and cards, and this is where we must be forward-looking and strategic in managing our assets and in determining the best returns to the country. We are a country blessed with strategic and vital resources but remain at risk of being squandered the wrong way with long-term strategic mistakes by our inability to break free from the

9 SPEAK UP theSUN ON MONDAY | JUNE 19, 2023 Economic growth on the right track THE Malaysian economy’s expansion of 5.6% in the first quarter of 2023 is indeed positive news. Comparing it with the growth rates of other countries in the region such as Indonesia (5%), China (4.5%) and Vietnam (3.3%), Malaysia’s growth rate appears to be higher. This indicates that Malaysia’s economy is performing relatively well compared with its regional counterparts during that period. Furthermore, the strong growth performance in the first quarter (Q1) of 2023 is expected to contribute significantly to achieving the forecast for 2023, which ranges between 4% and 5%. This suggests that Malaysia’s economy is on track to meet or exceed the projected growth rate for the entire year, which is a positive indication of economic stability and progress. Furthermore, the performance of Q1 2023 exceeds the 4.8% growth achieved in Q1 2022, marking an improvement in the economy over the same period. Additionally, on a quarter-onquarter seasonally adjusted basis, the economy grew by 0.9% in Q1 2023. This is a significant improvement compared with the contraction of 1.7% that occurred in Q4 2022. The growth rate indicates a rebound and recovery from the previous quarter’s contraction, suggesting that the economy has regained strength and momentum. Based on the positive indicators, it can be inferred that Malaysia’s current economic performance and prospects suggest that the country is on the right track. The broad-based growth across sectors, strong domestic demand, improved labour market conditions and relatively low inflation rate are positive signs for Malaysia’s economy. Malaysia’s economic growth in the first quarter of 2023 was supported by growth across all sectors, with services and manufacturing leading the way. The services sector grew by 7.3%, indicating a strong performance in industries such as finance, tourism, telecommunications and other service-oriented activities. The manufacturing sector grew by 3.2%, reflecting expansion in manufacturing activities and potentially including industries such as electronics, automotive and consumer goods. Besides, the sustained domestic demand played a crucial role in driving economic growth. This suggests that consumers and businesses in Malaysia were confident in the country’s economic outlook, leading to increased spending and investment. Strong private expenditure indicates higher consumer spending and business investment, which can contribute to economic expansion. The labour market in Malaysia maintained its growth momentum and full employment level during Q1 2023. The unemployment rate stood at 3.5%, slightly lower than the previous quarter’s rate of 3.6%, indicating a relatively stable job market with low levels of unemployment, which is a positive indicator for the economy. In addition, the inflation rate in Q1 2023 moderated to 3.6% compared with 3.9% in the previous quarter (Q4 2022), attributing to, among other factors, the government’s implementation of price control measures and consumer subsidies. These measures may have helped in controlling prices and reducing the overall inflationary pressures in the economy. Moreover, Malaysia’s domestic inflation rate of 3.4% in March 2023 is lower than that of some advanced and regional countries such as the UK (10.1%), the Philippines (7.6%), Singapore (5.5%), the US (5%) and Indonesia (5%). This suggests that Malaysia’s inflation rate is relatively more moderate compared with these countries, indicating a better inflationary environment. To maintain and improve the growth rate, Malaysia could continue to work on diversifying its economy beyond its traditional sectors, such as manufacturing and commodities. Encouraging the growth of new industries, promoting innovation and entrepreneurship, and investing in emerging sectors can enhance resilience and reduce dependency on a few sectors. Besides that, investing in education and skills development is crucial for creating a highly skilled workforce that can meet the demands of a rapidly changing economy. Malaysia could focus on improving the quality of education at all levels, promoting vocational and technical training, and fostering lifelong learning opportunities – initiatives which can be done by focusing more on STEM. Next, continued investment in infrastructure, including transport networks, utilities and digital infrastructure, can enhance connectivity and support economic growth. Malaysia could prioritise infrastructure projects that improve connectivity within the country and enhance its position as a regional hub. Additionally, embracing digital technologies and fostering digital innovation can drive economic growth and competitiveness. Malaysia could focus on digital infrastructure development, promoting digital literacy, supporting digital entrepreneurship and enabling digital transformation across sectors. Furthermore, Malaysia could prioritise sustainable development by addressing environmental challenges and promoting sustainable practices across sectors. This can include promoting renewable energy, implementing green initiatives, and adopting sustainable practices in industries such as agriculture, manufacturing and tourism. Lastly, ensuring good governance, transparency and a favourable business environment are crucial for attracting investments and fostering economic growth. Malaysia could continue to enhance governance frameworks, strengthen the rule of law and promote transparency and accountability in public and private sectors. By addressing these areas, Malaysia can enhance its resilience, competitiveness and long-term economic growth potential. It is crucial for Malaysia’s government, policymakers and relevant stakeholders to assess the specific needs and priorities of the country, develop comprehensive strategies and work towards implementing them effectively. It is also equally important that we continue pursuing proactive measures, such as fostering innovation, investing in human capital, promoting sustainable practices and adapting to technological advancements, to ensure sustained economic growth in the face of evolving global dynamics. DrPaul Anthony Mariadas and Dr Uma Murthy are lecturers for the School of Accounting and Finance at Taylor’s Business School, Faculty of Business and Law at Taylor’s University. Comments: [email protected] “It is also equally important that we continue pursuing proactive measures, such as fostering innovation, investing in human capital, promoting sustainable practices and adapting to technological advancements, to ensure sustained economic growth in the face of evolving global dynamics. Stamping out illegal online gambling THREE factors have contributed to the continued existence of online gambling activities in the country, according to Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail. They are 1) political patronage and lack of will, 2) archaic laws and 3) new gambling websites that pop up on a regular basis. There is also a fourth factor and that is public apathy. These factors have been the cause and effect of making illegal online gambling a multi-billion ringgit industry. The home affairs minister must be congratulated for being frank about this issue which was raised in Parliament. He has promised to take this matter up with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim with a view to introducing amendments to two relevant legislations, namely the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953 and the Betting Act 1953. Was it political patronage or political expediency that caused these acts to be put on the back burner for the past 70 years? The past is past and we need to act anew to stem this pernicious tide once and for all. Firstly, we must investigate why and how some politicians and law enforcers have been aiding and abetting such illegal activities. Then the relevant laws must be amended to give law enforcers more clout to act against online gambling activities. Other actions that must be taken include: 0Educating the public about the negative consequences of illegal gambling and how it can undermine society through media campaigns, community outreach programmes and social media platforms; 0Establishing independent regulatory bodies or commissions free from political influence to investigate any suspected collusion between politicians and illegal operators; 0Encouraging individuals with inside knowledge to come forward without fear of reprisal and establish appropriate channels for reporting such activities; 0Promoting transparency in political financing and lobbying activities by requiring politicians to disclose their financial interests and contributions received from the gambling industry; and 0Collaborating with international organisations to exchange information and share best practices in combating illegal gambling. It will take time, effort and expense to stamp out this corrupting influence but it is never too late to start. Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye Kuala Lumpur COMMENT by Dr Paul Anthony Mariadas and Dr Uma Murthy RECENTLY we have succeeded in Court for a criminal appeal related to Sections 5 and 94(g) of the Employees’ Social Security Act 1969. In essence, this case concerns the alleged failure of a multinational corporation to register and pay Social Security Organisation contributions for its alleged employee as required under Section 5 of the Employees’ Social Security Act 1969. It was the company’s position that the individual involved was an independent contractor and hence was not an employee under the meaning of Section 2(5) of the Employees Social Security Act 1969. Court decision In arriving at the decision that there existed a contract for service (for independent contractors), the court considered that the independent contractors did not have a fixed working schedule and that the service appointments were dictated by the company’s customers without the company’s involvement. The allowances provided by the company were also based on the number of services rendered by the independent contractors each month. There was no minimum payment or guaranteed payment to be paid to the independent contractors by the company and the payment depends on the number of services taken up by the independent contractors. The court applied the applicable tests and decided that there was no element of control of the independent contractors by the company because they had complete liberty in deciding the working time, duration, amount and the manner of conducting or completing work. The jobs can be done by other independent contractors if another independent contractor chose not to take up the jobs. The independent contractors were also not part and parcel of the company’s business. The peculiar features of engagement by the company point towards the conclusion that the arrangement was a Contract for Service under all applicable tests, i.e, the control test, independence test, integration test, economic reality test and entrepreneur test. The factors considered by the court include but were not limited to: a) the independent contractors had no fixed hours and location of work; b) the independent contractors had the freedom to decide when to and not to work; c) the independent contractors were not given minimum payment or guaranteed payment; d) the independent contractors own company and side businesses; and e) there was no exclusivity of service and the independent contractors can have different jobs at the same time. Key takeaways The consequences of misclassifying employees as independent contractors can lead to tremendous impact and penalties. Companies that engage and rely on a group of agents or contractors should be cautious to ensure that the contracts for service truly reflected the relationship of an independent contractor and not an employer-employee relationship under the pretext of an independent contractor. The recent amendments to the Employment Act 1955 codified a list of elements whereby an employment relationship shall be presumed until the contrary is proven by the employer. While the distinction between an “employee” and an “independent contractor” could be fuzzy and blurred, the intentions of companies should never be. Leonard Yeoh is a partner and Pua Jun Wen is an associate with the law firm Tay and Partners. [email protected] COMMENT by Leonard Yeoh and Pua Jun Wen Are you an employee or a contractor? LETTERS [email protected]

10 theSUN ON MONDAY | JUNE 19, 2023 MEDIA & MARKETING KUALA LUMPUR. Starbucks is reigniting summer fun this summer by presenting a bold, vivid, and varied blend of drinks that express a sense of emancipation, maximal joy, and unfettered pleasure. Be daring with the all-new mango dragonfruit with lemonade, Starbucks Refreshers, and Dragon Drink with Mango Dragonfruit Starbucks Refreshers. The two new beverages, which expand the Starbucks Refreshers portfolio in Malaysia, inspire you to go all out for summer with their bright colours and multi-sensory composition, empowering real selfexpression in any way you wish. If you have a wild side, try the allnew Starbucks Honeycomb Salted Caramel Oatmilk Frappuccino, a beverage created with passion to generate a buzz wherever you go. Hit your tropical sweet spot while enjoying the all-new beverages that will be available in all Starbucks locations. The sun is shining, the shades are on, and it’s time to raise your OOTD game. Pose with the gorgeous Starbucks Shining Pastel product line to make your photos shine brighter than before. Express your most daring and authentic self with this collection, which features a blast of summer colours, an iridescent effect, geometric forms, and whimsical summer artwork. The collection includes unique designs for tumblers, cold cups, water bottles, mugs, and more! This collection is the essence of summer boldness, with its one-of-a-kind design. This summer collection includes a variety of materials, and to complement your summer looks, stay unique and fashionable while paying with the new Shine So Bright Starbucks Card. Your summer adventure does not come to an end here! With this season’s whole bean coffee, the Starbucks Single Origin East Timor Letefoho, go to the hilly island of East Timor, and dive through the rift valley between Kenya and Ethiopia with the Starbucks Kati Kati Blend. A coffee origin unlike any other may be found on the island of East Timor, among the wildness, steep terrain, and limestone soil where coffee grows and matures slowly. It is in the Letefoho region, which translates as “top of the mountain,“ where cooperative smallholder farmers grow coffee on small plots in a densely forested landscape, shaded by a towering 50-metre-tall tree canopy, creating a rich and multilayered note of coffee with hints of black butter and nutmeg with Get a jump start today on creating a successful tomorrow! For the best in local and international higher education institutions, catch theSun's fortnightly Education Focus. FOCUS 2023 EDUCATION Contact us now for special deals on digital, video and print advertising. Bring in the sun with Starbucks’ new summer fun oSummer has arrived, and with it, new Starbucks Refreshers flavours, eye-catching collections and whole bean coffee options The new series will be available from tomorrow, with a second phase of the launch on July 11. every sip. The Kati Kati Blend coffee cherry, which ripens on the tree, is chosen and thoroughly washed before each bean is delicately dried and rotated by hand on elevated beds, imparting crisp citrus and spice overtones to every cup of hot or iced coffee. Starbucks Malaysia is inviting you to enjoy the summer to the fullest by embarking on a trip that is more than just an act of exploration. Travel has the capacity to excite our senses and ignite our creativity, whether we seek a spectacular experience or a temporary vacation. The Christy Ng + Starbucks: Outdoor Series, inspired by this fundamental connection, allows you to infuse each day with the spirit of exploration, pulling inspiration from the world around you. This collection emits a lively energy that evokes the soul of adventure, boldly embellished with Ng’s distinctive checkerboard designs in classic Starbucks Green. It dares us to perceive the world through new eyes by enhancing heritage and rethinking the concept of outdoor retreats. However, it is the exquisite nuances that actually distinguish these items, transforming every voyage into an exceptional experience. This Christy Ng + Starbucks: Outdoor Series will be available from tomorrow, and will be followed by the second phase of the launch on 11 July, 2023, at all Starbucks Malaysia outlets, while supplies last. More announcements will be made on our official Instagram page, @mystarbucks. It’s never been easier to get your favourite Starbucks cup! To learn more, go to starbucks.com.my/mobile-orderpay.php. Visit starbucks.com.my for more details on these daring summer treats.

KLCI 1,388.61 6.88 STI 3,260.03 17.18 HANG SENG 20,040.37 211.45 SCI 3,273.33 20.36 NIKKEI 33,706.08 46.07 TSEC 17,288.91 17.25 KOSPI 2,625.79 S&P/ASX200 7,251.20 75.90 MONDAY JUNE 19, 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 June 16, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (sen) +/– (sen) TWL 203,456,000 3.0 UNCH TOPGLOV 155,794,600 97.5 -11.5 CLASSITA 135,677,700 9.5 -0.5 SCIB 114,299,100 40.5 -1.5 YTL 60,000,100 97.5 +5.0 EXCHANGERATES JUNE 16, 2023 Foreign currency Bank sell Bank buy Bank buy TT/OD TT OD 1 US DOLLAR 4.6830 4.5490 4.5540 1 AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR 3.2330 3.1040 3.0800 1 BRUNEI DOLLAR 3.5020 3.4010 3.3840 1 CANADIAN DOLLAR 3.5290 3.4330 3.4070 1 EURO 5.1340 4.9680 4.9050 1 NEW ZEALAND DOLLAR 2.9260 2.8180 2.7950 1 SINGAPORE DOLLAR 3.5020 3.4010 3.3840 1 STERLING POUND 5.9950 5.8090 5.7400 1 SWISS FRANC 5.2330 5.1150 5.0540 100 UAE DIRHAM 128.7000 121.9900 122.2400 100 BANGLADESH TAKA 4.3890 4.1160 3.9450 100 CHINESE RENMINBI 65.8000 63.3000 N/A 100 HONGKONG DOLLAR 60.3700 57.3500 57.3000 100 INDIAN RUPEE 5.8000 5.4400 5.2500 100 INDONESIAN RUPIAH 0.0323 0.0293 0.0244 100 JAPANESE YEN 3.3510 3.2460 3.2160 100 NEW TAIWAN DOLLAR 16.3000 N/A N/A 100 PAKISTAN RUPEE 1.6600 1.5500 1.3600 100 PHILIPPINE PESO 8.5000 8.0100 7.8200 100 QATAR RIYAL 129.5700 123.0100 123.2400 100 SAUDI RIYAL 125.9300 119.5500 119.7900 100 THAI BAHT 14.1000 12.5100 12.1100 Source: Malayan Banking Berhad/Bernama KL MARKET SUMMARY June 16, 2023 INDICES CHANGE FBMEMAS 10,247.60 +34.90 FBMKLCI 1,388.61 +6.88 CONSUMER PRODUCTS 555.35 +2.44 INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS 160.79 +1.90 CONSTRUCTION 161.58 -0.14 FINANCIAL SERVICES 15,173.30 -30.68 ENERGY 793.89 +6.67 TELECOMMUNICATIONS 599.49 +2.96 HEALTH CARE 1,769.89 -24.25 TRANSPORTATION 914.64 +3.81 PROPERTY 684.87 -3.14 PLANTATION 6,648.54 -52.13 FBMSHA 10,611.70 +47.25 FBMACE 5,125.76 +20.95 TECHNOLOGY 62.72 +0.02 TURNOVER VALUE 3.537 BIL RM3.250 BIL 5 TOP GAINERS June 16, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (RM) +/– RM MPI 372,400 29.00 +0.70 PETDAG 353,300 22.54 +0.54 MAXIS 3,479,200 4.55 +0.44 PMBTECH 930,000 4.01 +0.31 D&O 2 972,600 4.15 +0.30 5 TOP LOSERS June 16, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (RM) +/– RM KLK 6,302,200 20.62 -1.12 PMBTECH-LA 4,100 18.44 -0.56 UWC 6,718,400 2.99 -0.35 GEELY-C17 3,545,200 0.015 -0.285 BKAWAN 5,700 20.44 -0.28 Participation 28.2 18.0 53.8 100.0 Institutions Retail Foreign Bought RM m 899.6 614.0 1736.8 3250.4 Sold RM m 932.2 559.0 1759.2 3250.4 Net RM m -32.6 55.0 -22.4 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) 16/06/2023 AI revolutionising M’sian economy, job market PETALING JAYA: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionising the country’s economy and job market, bringing forth a wave of increased productivity and opening doors to new opportunities, the co-founder & CEO of Malaysia HR Forum Arulkumar Singaraveloo (pic) said. He stated that with its potential to transform industries and drive innovation, AI is rapidly reshaping the economic landscape of the nation. “According to a recent report by IDC for MDEC, Malaysia’s big data and analytics industry is projected to surge from US$1.1 billion (RM4.5 billion) in 2021 to US$1.9 billion (RM7.9 billion) by 2025. As AI becomes more prevalent, both businesses and workers are poised to reap the benefits, albeit with some challenges on the horizon,” he told SunBiz. He highlighted the potential impact of AI on the job market, warning that certain positions could be automated or undergo significant transformation. “However, it is important to note that AI is more likely to augment human o At the same time, it is bringing waves of increased productivity and opportunities: Expert █ BYHAYATUN RAZAK [email protected] Top Glove targets positive EBITDA in final quarter PETALING JAYA: Top Glove Corp Bhd foresees that a return to the black is unlikely to occur for the next quarter of its financial year 2023 (FY23), despite better outlook projections for average selling prices (ASP) of its glove products, improved demand and declining natural gas prices. Managing director Lim Cheong Guan explained that due to the challenging position and market it is in, the group will “unlikely” to be back in the black for its final quarter in FY23. However, it will aim to turn earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) positive. In this situation, he said the emphasis will be on cash flow, while EBITDA positive means to increase the utilisation rate in the second half of the year to about 50%. “Hopefully, the price (of rubber gloves can increase by) around 3% to 5% range, so we can at least have EBITDA break even, then the next step we can look into returning to black,” he said during a webinar briefing on its performance in the third quarter ended May 31, 2023 (Q3’23) recently. For Q3’23, Lim said sales volume decreased by 21% and ASP rose by 6%, driven by the increased ASP which impacted sales volume and utilisation, price competition between glove players as well as customers placing smaller orders due to short delivery time. From left: Top Glove managing director Lim Cheong Guan,chairman Tan Sri Dr. Lim Wee Chai and director Ng Yong Lin, during the webinar. █ BYGLORIA HARRY BEATTY [email protected] 220.59 capabilities rather than completely replace human workers. This creates a need for upskilling and reskilling the Malaysian workforce to remain relevant in the AIdriven economy,” he said. Recognising the transformative potential of AI and the need to navigate its challenges, the Malaysian government has launched a series of initiatives and policies that lay a foundation for a sustainable ecosystem in the country. “The government initiatives and policies include the National AI Framework, which aims to promote AI adoption, develop AI talent, and create an enabling ecosystem for AI-driven innovation. Additionally, there are efforts to encourage collaboration between industry, academia, and government to accelerate AI research and development,” said Arulkumar. Many of the country’s companies are embracing AI including the national energy giant, Petronas, which is establishing an artificial intelligence Centre of Excellence (AI CoE) in Kuala Lumpur, in collaboration with a network of global partners. Its goal is to accelerate the advancement of AI solutions to support energy delivery, operational efficiency, and sustainability. The first round of collaborations involving Baker Hughes, Boston Consulting Group and Microsoft was formalised via three memorandums of understanding signed at the Adipec 2022 conference. According to an article by Loni Lee and Shardha Lim on azmilaw.com, AI is making advancements in various sectors in Malaysia. In healthcare, the Stethee Pro, an AIenabled stethoscope system developed through collaboration between Malaysian organisations, enhances the examination of heart and lung sounds. It allows recordings to be transmitted to smart devices for detailed analysis, helping detect diseases and providing actionable data for healthcare professionals. In fashion, Saratix and Custlr have partnered to launch SARA, an AI fashion technology. SARA offers body profiling using an A4 paper, fashion analytics, and retail reports. By accurately measuring body sizes and leveraging AI algorithms, SARA helps fashion businesses improve inventory management, conversion rates, and customer targeting. Meanwhile, Sabah’s Digital and Artificial Intelligence Legal Aid Centre, the first of its kind in Malaysia, offers legal advice and computer services to the public. In terms of costs, he said the natural rubber latex concentrate price increased by 2% quarter on quarter (q-o-q), while nitrile latex price also rose by 7% q-o-q. In terms of energy costs, the natural gas tariff declined by 16% from April 2023 and is expected to reduce further by 11% from July 2023. Furthermore, the appreciation of US dollar and its ongoing cost optimisation initiatives help mitigate higher costs. Lim noted that the ASP of its gloves have bottomed out since the second quarter of FY’23 and are on an upward trend. In terms of demand outlook, he anticipates that replenishment activity is expected to commence as customer glove inventory is close to depletion, which could spur an uptick in glove demand in the second half of the year. “The good thing is that glove consumption has also gone up post-pandemic, on the back of elevated hygiene and health awareness. With that...utilisation is expected to improve as demand increases,” he said. The group had employed measures which include decommissioning obsolete production lines and temporarily stopping production at 17 out of its 49 factories, in light of the softer global glove demand. The glove marker posted a net loss of RM130.59 million for Q3’23 compared with a net profit of RM15.29 million in the corresponding quarter last year. Revenue fell to RM530.62 million from RM1.49 billion previously.

12 theSUN ON MONDAY | JUNE 19, 2023 SUNBIZ Meeting the expectations of post-pandemic consumers KUALA LUMPUR: Local businesses are looking into ways to adapt to the unpredictable expectations of different generations of Malaysian consumers who have emerged from the Covid-19 pandemic. According to global payments platform Adyen country manager Soon Yean Lee (pic), the different generations of local consumers that have surfaced post-pandemic have unpredictable expectations of their individual shopping experience due to “instant gratification”. “Nowadays, there’s so much experiences we can go through as a consumer that we’re spoilt for choice. That’s where the trend we’re seeing is, that businesses are also trying to get into the point of (finding solutions to serve) a different generation (of consumers) … they came out from the pandemic,” he told SunBiz. He said he would not classify it as revenge spending, but believed that Malaysian consumers are more willing to spend their disposable income “if the experience is right”. Soon pointed out that as the country transitions to the endemic phase and international travel has picked up, Bank Negara Malaysia oMalaysian businesses seek to cater to new generations of shoppers who have emerged as a result of Covid-19, says Adyen country manager █ BY GLORIA HARRY BEATTY sunbiz@thesundaily,.com (BNM) and other financial regulatory authorities in other countries have made efforts to create seamless cross-border payment systems and foreign card usage by tourists have risen. On opportunities in Malaysia, Soon said the world is experiencing a digital transformation and a lot of businesses post-pandemic need to continue to stay relevant. “Online space is here to stay … brick-and-mortar is also here to stay. There’s no saying which one is going to go away and they both have to coexist because we need to have the convenience. “Where we come in, the moment businesses embark on the journey of unifying all their solutions. Payments will be one of it as well and that’s where we’re going to fit in nicely,” he said. In Malaysia, the company is registered as a non-bank merchant acquirer with BNM. With an acquiring licence, Adyen acts as a bank for merchants by helping them accept payments from their customers. Acquirers must be licensed by local financial regulators and card schemes to relay transactions. On whether Malaysia has the internet infrastructure to support payment for its clients, Soon noted that the government is working hard towards enabling internet connection for the whole nation. The Netherlands-based company, which is due to launch its Malaysia Retail Report 2023 in July, shared that it found Malaysian shoppers want more choices in return for their loyalty, with 83% wanting more rewarding experiences. The study also revealed that postpandemic Malaysian consumers are more deliberate in their buying – the majority (55%) “will abandon their purchase if they can’t pay how they want”. In addition, it found that there is a growth of omnichannel retailing and connecting through physical stores. “Malaysian retailers understand that physical stores need to evolve and become more connected. About 83% believe physical stores are important for brand consideration, even if consumers make a purchase on another channel,” according to the report. Lastly, its findings revealed that unified commerce is a retail opportunity, with 55% of retailers believing that unified commerce brings more data to inform business decision making, which is an increase of 38% from 2022. Meanwhile, 50% retailers believe that unified commerce helps with inventory management, a rise of 22% from its study last year. Among Adyen’s regional or global customers are Zalora, Uniqlo, Shein as well as Mandai Wildlife Group (Singapore), Sephora SEA Digital (Hong Kong), Nando’s (Australia and New Zealand), Guzman y Gomez (Singapore), Domino’s Pizza (Europe and Japan). KIP REIT acquires KIPMall Kota Warisan for RM80m PETALING JAYA: Pacific Trustees Bhd, the trustee of KIP Real Estate Investment Trust (KIP REIT), has entered into a conditional sale and purchase agreement to acquire KIPMall Kota Warisan from Cahaya Serijaya Sdn Bhd for RM80 million. The acquisition is pursuant to a right of first refusal granted to Pacific Trustees Bhd in 2016. Upon completion of the acquisition, which is expected to be by the first quarter of 2024, it will expand KIP REIT’s portfolio to 11 assets from the existing seven KIPMalls, located in Bangi, Tampoi, Kota Tinggi, Masai, Senawang and Malacca as well as Aeon Mall Kinta City in Ipoh and three industrial properties in Pulau Indah, Port Klang. KIPMall Kota Warisan, located in Sepang, Selangor, opened in October 2017 with close proximity to Glomac Saujana, the Sunsuria Serenia Township and Xiamen University campus as well as easy connectivity to major highways such as Maju Expressway and the DamansaraPuchong Expressway. Based on the certificate of valuation issued by CBRE WTW Valuation & Advisory Sdn Bhd dated May 17, 2023, the market value of KIPMall Kota Warisan is RM80 million. The acquisition will be funded by a mixture of bank borrowings and equity capital, increasing KIP REIT’s gearing ratio from 33.2% as at March 31, 2023 to 37.2%. Commenting on the acquisition, KIP REIT executive director cum CEO Valerie Ong Pui Shan said, “Guided by our strategy to acquire value-accretive assets with stable rental yield, we believe that KIPMall Kota Warisan will be a valuable asset to add to the portfolio.” She added that they are drawn towards its strong occupancy rate of 98% and together with the catchment of residential population within the district of Sepang standing at 207,354 people or 111,953 households, they are confident that the retail demand within the mall will be resilient. “Coupled with the growing number of townships underway within the Sepang area, we see huge potential for KIPMall Kota Warisan in terms of vibrancy with capital gain upside,” said Valerie, adding that with this acquisition, KIP REIT’s total assets under management will cross the RM1 billion mark. “This is a huge achievement and paves the way for us to grow further. We continue to aggressively look for communitycentric retail assets as well as industrial assets that will add value to KIP REIT as we remain steadfast on delivering long-term value to our unitholders,” she said. MyEG in spotlight with RM3.3m in value traded LAST week, total warrants turnover was RM279.6 million, 36.7% higher week-on-week, with a daily average of RM55.9 million, up 9.3%. Trading in warrants over the Hang Seng Index (HSI) continued to be the dominating factor, accounting for RM234.4 million, which is over 83.8% of the overall turnover owing to a relatively bullish movement in the HSI last week. HSI June futures kicked off the week slightly higher on Monday and Tuesday before losing ground on Wednesday ahead of the US Federal Reserve’s policy announcement and inflation data. The bulk of its gain came on Thursday and Friday when the futures soared 2.0% and 1.6%, lifting the futures to close above the 20,000-level at 20,127 on Friday, recording a weekly gain of 4% as investors were expecting the central government will boost the world second largest economy with stimulus measures after a series of dismal economic reading. The week saw active trading in both and put warrants over the HSI. HSI-COW and HSI-CLZ claimed the top two spots by value traded, recording a turnover of RM68.1 million and RM56 million, respectively over the week. Investors should note that HSICLZ will be expiring in less than two weeks’ time and warrants nearing expiry will experience a much higher rate of time decay, i.e. the warrant price will start reducing more rapidly even if the underlying price or level remains constant. The July expiring put warrants HSI-HK9 and HSI-HKU which recorded turnover of RM41.6 million and RM20.7 million each, occupying the third and fourth spots in the warrants board. In Malaysia, warrants over MyEG were in the spotlight, with MYEGC4L logging a trading value of RM3.3 million. Its underlying, which closed 1.8% higher for the week recently, announced a partnership deal on electric motorcycles and placement of battery-swapping stations at designated locations for a trial period. Other than MyEG, GTRONICC24 also saw active trading last week with 19.5 million units changing hands and a total turnover of RM1.9 Hildrics emerges as substantial shareholder in GIIB PETALING JAYA: AGF Investment (I) Pte Ltd (HAGF) has become a substantial shareholder in GIIB Holdings Bhd after acquiring 48,609,3000 ordinary shares of the group. HAGF is wholly owned by Hildrics Asia Growth Fund I, a Singapore-based private equity fund managed by Hildrics Capital Pte Ltd) founded in 2021 by Choo Kee Siong and Wee Teng Chuen, Hildrics Capital primarily focuses on direct investments into mid-sized companies with high growth prospects in Southeast Asia. “We are pleased to partner GIIB, a leading Malaysian rubber product manufacturer with established track record of close to 30 years and extensive presence across 60 countries, to support its next growth phase and expansion plans,” said Choo, founder and CEO of Hildrics Capital. The strategic investment in GIIB marks Hildrics Capital’s first investment in Malaysia. Tai Qisheng, GIIB group executive director, said: “We warmly welcome Hildrics Capital as our shareholder, which is the first foreign institutional fund to invest in us.” WARRANTS WATCH Top warrants by value traded: Warrant Value Issuer Exercise Expiry date name (RM’ mil) level HSI-COW 68.1 Macquarie 20.600 30 Aug 2023 HSI-CLZ 56.0 Macquarie 20.000 30 Jun 2023 HSI-HK9 41.6 Macquarie 18.800 28 Jul 2023 HSI-HNU 20.7 Macquarie 19.400 28 Jul 2023 HSI-COO 13.5 Macquarie 21.800 28 Jul 2023 million. Its mother share price rallied 6.8% w-o-w. To view the full list of structured warrants available on Bursa Malaysia, visit malaysiawarrants.com.my. Provided for Malaysian residents’ information only. This commentary has not been reviewed by the Securities Commission Malaysia. It is not an offer or recommendation to trade and is not research material. Past performance is not indicative of future performance. You should make your own assessment and seek professional advice. The warrants will not be offered to any US persons. Nippon Paint expands protective coating offerings, works with Petronas PETALING JAYA: Nippon Paint Malaysia is collaborating with Petronas Technology Ventures Sdn Bhd (PTVSB) to expand its protective coatings offerings to oil & gas (O&G) industry use. Group managing director Yaw Seng Heng said the new product Nippon Paint 9049 GR is infused with Petronas’ graphene-based additive ProShield+ to offer superior corrosion protection. The product will be launched under a new technology called GrapheneTec+, which anchors on the additive’s ultra-high barrier properties proven to strengthen the coating’s corrosion resistance against harsh weather, doubling the average coated steel lifespan to up to 16 years. Petronas vice-president of Group Technology & Commercialisation, Aadrin Azly said the collaboration marked another significant step in both companies’ sustainability pursuits. “We are excited to work with Nippon Paint Malaysia in expanding the adoption of ProShield+, Petronas’ breakthrough graphene-based technology that addresses pain points stemming from corrosion.”

13 * SUNBIZ @thesundaily theSUN ON MONDAY | JUNE 19, 2023 FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM SCAN ME A successful journey from employee to leading fintech provider in Malaysia KUALA LUMPUR: – Rathnavel Anandhakumar, the successful founder of three technology companies in Asia, Ascertain Technologies, RinggitPay and Finforz Technologies continues to forge a strong presence in the Asian Fintech space. From an employee, Rathnavel known as Ratnaa embarked on his lifelong ambition to become a tech and IT entrepreneur when in 2008, Ascertain Technologies, a Malaysian fintech start-up was set up. The company has grown into a leading fintech solution provider for the banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) sector, with an ever expanding clientele, partnering with well-known brands throughout Southeast Asia. With over two decades of experience in tech, IT and innovation sectors, CEO and founder, Ratnaa, fondly recalls how he began his career as a programmer for a local private university college, before going on to establish himself as a technopreneur focusing on enhancing banking and financial operations. “Our first project back in 2009 was a cheque p r o c e s s i n g e n h a n c e m e n t solution for banks to better manage their cheque f u l f i l m e n t processes. This solution gained rapid market traction and helped put us on the map of the local BFSI sector,” said Ratnaa. As the company grew, so did its capabilities, and today, Ascertain Technologies boasts a team of over 200+ employees serving as major players in the BFSI sectors. Through its collaboration with leading ASEAN banks, Ascertain Technologies has become a trusted partner in developing digital payment and investment solutions for the industry. His latest venture, RinggitPay, has been gaining a lot of interest among Malaysian businesses, as it aims to bridge the gap between local and international digital payment infrastructure by enabling secure and reliable solutions for local businesses. Ratnaa plans to merge his three current businesses by 2025 and grow Ascertain Technologies as a unified entity which holistically caters for banking, payments and IT service industries. His journey from employee to entrepreneur is a true embodiment of perseverance passion, and unwavering determination. While sharing his advice for budding entrepreneurs, Ratnaa keeps it simple by saying, “Lead with interest, empower your team, and soar towards success together.” For further information about Ratnaa or Ascertain Technologies, follow him on LinkedIn : https:// w w w . l i n k e d i n . c o m /in/ratnaa/ or visit www.ascertain.tech or email to [email protected]. Successful Technopreneur Rathnavel Anandhakumar MRCB wins gold at 73rd Annual Australasian Reporting Awards 2023 PETALING JAYA: Malaysian Resources Corporation Bhd (MRCB) won the Gold Award at the 73rd Annual Australasian Reporting Awards 2023 held in Sydney, Australia, recently for its 2021 Integrated Annual Report, marking the fifth time that MRCB has been bestowed the coveted accolade. The Australasian Reporting Awards (ARA), which is administered by an independent not-for-profit organisation with the support of professional bodies concerned with the quality of financial and business reporting, was created to uphold, and improve standards of reporting. Its Gold Award represents the highest standard of reporting and disclosure, based on global best practices and international benchmarks that focus on transparency and accountability. “There have been big improvements in corporate reporting over the last few years, driven by growing disclosure requirements by regulators and stakeholders,” said MRCB chief corporate officer, Amarjit Chhina. “Nevertheless, despite the bar being continuously raised in corporate reporting, winning another Gold Award proves our unwavering commitment to setting the highest standards in corporate governance and disclosure, and communicating honestly and transparently with all our stakeholders,” he added. MRCB also won the Gold Award for TDM joins Nestle Malaysia’s RELeaf programme KUALA TERENGGANU: TDM Plantation Sdn Bhd (TDMP), the plantation division of TDM Bhd, (TDM), has joined hands with Nestlé Malaysia to uphold the sustainability of the earth and reserving 514 hectares of land to plant 350,000 trees in Nestlé’s RELeaf Project to plant three million trees throughout Malaysia by early 2025. With the replanting of 2,000 trees at TDMP Jernih Estate, Kemaman, in Terengganu Nestlé Malaysia has planted one million trees. The Nestlé Cares Nationwide Tree Planting programme was carried out concurrently in five locations, with the participation of 450 volunteers from TDM Plantation, Nestlé and Sime Darby Plantation (SDP) – at TDMP Jernih Estate in Terengganu, SDP Carey Island Estate in Selangor, SDP Gunung Mas Estate in Johor, SDP Tenom Estate in Sabah, and Hutan Simpan Bukit Bintang in Perlis. Present to launch the programme were TDMP director Che Alias Hamid accompanied by TDMP CEO Hamdan Ibrahim and Nestlé Malaysia CEO Juan Aranols. Hamdan said they are happy working with Nestlé Malaysia as the act of replanting 2,000 trees will not only contribute to the reforestation of the area but also help fight climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. In congratulating TDM and Nestlé Malaysia on their collaboration, Che Alias said Nestlé Malaysia’s Project RELeaf operations in Terengganu represent a significant collaborative effort among individuals, communities, and corporate or business entities to restore the balance of nature. It demonstrates a common understanding that every effort, no matter how modest, may make a big difference in the battle against environmental degradation,” he added. TDM is also supporting the “Road to 1 Million Trees 2023”, a Terengganu State-Level initiative in collaboration with the Malaysian Greening Programme through the 100 Million Tree Planting Campaign. All activities carried out under its collaboration with Nestlé Malaysia’s Project RELeaf programme are in accordance with the RSPO Riverbank Reserve Management and Restoration Guidelines 2018. oReserves 514 hectares of land for the planting of 350,000 trees Resintech, SEDC plan JV to produce sustainable aviation fuel from algae KUCHING: Main Market-listed company Resintech Bhd, a leader in plastic pipes, water tanks and fittings manufacturing, recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with its wholly owned subsidiary Resintech Plastics (Sarawak) Sdn Bhd (RPSSB) and SEDC Energy Sdn Bhd (SEDC E), a subsidiary of Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC). The MoU is for a joint venture leveraging both entities’ strengths and resources to operate in the plastic industry sector and contribute to the production of the world’s first sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from algae. SAF produced from algae presents an environmentally friendly and efficient solution to the problem of greenhouse gas emissions from the aviation industry. Unlike conventional fossil-based jet fuels, algae-based SAF is produced through a process of bioconversion, where the naturally occurring photosynthetic processes of the algae are harnessed to convert sunlight and carbon dioxide into lipids. These lipids are then harvested and refined into the final fuel product. Resintech will provide the critical infrastructure for the cultivation of algae, the precursor in the production of the SAF. SEDC E is known for pioneering the “new renewable energy” ecosystem in Sarawak. Amarjit Chhin with the ARA award. Governance, Reporting and Transparency at the ESG Positive Impact Awards 2022 held on June 8 2023. The ESG Positive Impact Awards recognises businesses that have demonstrated exemplary environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices, and is endorsed by several esteemed organisations, including Ernst & Young, the ABAC Center of Excellence Limited and the Malaysian Institute of Corporate Governance. These awards recognise years of unflagging efforts by MRCB in ESG as well as corporate disclosure and build on the recognition received last year when it ranked second out of 864 listed companies in the Minority Shareholders Watch Group’s Asean Corporate Governance Awards, and received a Platinum Award (Companies With Less than RM2 Billion in Market Capitalisation) at the Malaysian Institute of Accountants National Annual Corporate Report Awards. In 2022, MRCB was ranked first for Transparency at the Malaysia Developers Awards. UWC acquires two firms from Meta Health PETALING JAYA: UWC Bhd, an integrated engineering support services provider, recently acquired two wholly owned subsidiaries of Meta Health Ltd – MCE Technologies Sdn Bhd and MCT Thailand Co Ltd . These subsidiaries are primarily engaged in metal stamping as well as manufacturing of tools and fixtures in Malaysia and Thailand. The acquisitions, which will be funded internally, align with the group’s plan of creating a synergistic combination with the existing business. UWC executive director and group CEO Datuk Ng Chai Eng said these two subsidiaries will not only fortify its position in the industry but also play an important role in creating a synergistic combination with its existing business. With this strategic move, he added, UWC can optimise its manufacturing capabilities and increase its output capacity.

14 theSUN ON MONDAY | JUNE 19, 2023 SUNBIZ PARIS: US planemaker Boeing slightly raised its annual 20-year forecast for new jetliner deliveries, propelled by the strength of the narrowbody market fuelled by demand from low-cost carriers. Boeing expects airlines will need to buy 42,595 jets from now until 2042, up from 41,170 planes in its previous 20-year forecast last year. The latest projection – released yesterday ahead of the Paris Airshow – is still lower than the 43,610 new jets that were predicted as part of the market outlook in 2021, when Russian aircraft demand was factored in. Boeing expects that narrowbody jets like its 737 MAX or the A320neo family made by European rival Airbus will dominate aircraft deliveries, with 32,420 single-aisle jets delivered through 2042. That demand will be driven by low-cost carriers, which are slated to double the size of their current fleets, said Darren Hulst, Boeing’s vice-president of commercial /thesuntelegram FOLLOW ON TELEGRAM SCAN ME Boeing lifts 20-year global market outlook oUS aviation giant: Demand for narrowbody aircraft from low-cost carriers to fuel deliveries Argentina faces crunch talks with IMF amid debt woes BUENOS AIRES/NEW YORK: Argentina and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have a US$44 billion (RM203 billion) dilemma, with the two sides set to meet for crunch talks to revamp the country’s huge, wobbling debt deal, key to avoiding default on billions in looming debt payments. The South American country, a serial defaulter that has struggled for years with inflation and currency crises, struck a US$57 billion loan deal with the IMF in 2018, which failed and was replaced last year with a new US$44 billion programme. But with net foreign currency reserves estimated to be in negative territory, hit by a major drought that sunk the key soy and corn harvests, Argentina is at risk again of missing debt repayments, with US$2.7 billion due to the fund this month alone. Economy Minister Sergio Massa is expected in Washington as early as this week to try to unlock talks to accelerate IMF disbursements and ease economic targets attached to the deal, with investors and traders watching closely. “The fund knows that Argentina is a problem, it is its main debtor, but it seems to me that the negotiation has stagnated. One does not see significant progress,” said Ricardo Delgado of Argentine financial services firm Analytica. In a sign of potential holds-ups, an economy ministry source said on Friday that Massa’s trip, previously briefed to happen in the next few days, could be delayed depending on how virtual talks progressed. “Until everything is sealed, no one travels. When everything is ready, they’ll travel to put things on paper. And when everything is written, Massa will travel,” the source said. On the streets of Buenos Aires pressure is rising. Inflation has hit 114%, hurting salaries and spending power, reserves have tumbled and one-in-four people is in poverty, with many blaming – not for the first time – austerity linked to the IMF. The government is hoping to bring forward over US$10 billion in IMF disbursements scheduled for this year, though is reluctant to agree to tough austerity measures with an eye on October general elections where it faces likely defeat. “Investors are paying real attention to signs from the IMF negotiations,” said economist Gustavo Ber. “Receiving fresh funds – or at least rescheduling disbursements and payments - would be crucial to reduce exchange and financial tensions at this stage.” Meanwhile Argentina has been rolling over local debt to push back peso-denominated repayments, has extended a currency swap line with China, and faces a wall of obligations with private foreign creditors next year. And many worry that even sped-up IMF payouts won’t solve Argentina’s problems for long. “Frontloading disbursements could be a ‘damage control’ solution until the end of the current government’s term in December”, the Institute of International Finance, a Washington-based banking trade group, said in a report. Argentina got a hint of good news this week with monthly inflation cooling in May for the first time in half a year and coming in below analyst expectations, though it was still an eyewatering 7.8% for the month. “Inflation continues to be very high and affects the entire economic scenario, but the fact that it has eased somewhat with respect to April helps to remove some pressure,” an Argentine banker said, asking not to be named. “It is like the sick patient with a fever that has gone down slightly. But the patient is still sick and still has a fever.” – Reuters Binance to repatriate US customer funds as legal problems mount WASHINGTON: Binance has agreed to repatriate its US customers’ assets pending a massive lawsuit against the world’s largest crypto exchange, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said on Saturday, adding that it will secure the funds. Binance and its boss Changpeng Zhao have “agreed to repatriate to the United States assets held for the benefit of customers of the Binance.US crypto trading platform”, the SEC said in its statement. The regulator did not specify how many of Binance’s US customers are affected, nor the value represented by these funds. Earlier this month the SEC charged the crypto giant with securities law violations that it said amounted to “an extensive web of deception” and “calculated evasion of the law”. Binance is alleged to have permitted US residents to trade, even though the platform is not registered in the United States as a securities exchange. The case also alleges the firm misused customer funds. The SEC says it wants to keep US customer funds safe, adding that the court order also prohibits Binance and Zhao “from spending corporate assets other than in the ordinary course of business”. “Given that Zhao and Binance have control of the platforms’ customers’ assets and have been able to commingle customer assets or divert customer assets as they please, as we have alleged, these prohibitions are essential to protecting investor assets,” said Gurbir Grewal, director of the SEC’s enforcement division, in the statement. “Further, we ensured that US customers will be able to withdraw their assets from the platform while we work to resolve the alleged underlying misconduct and hold Zhao and the Binance entities accountable for their alleged securities law violations,” he said. A Binance spokesperson told AFP that user “funds have been and always will be safe and secure on all Binance-affiliated platforms”. “Although we maintain that the SEC’s request for emergency relief was entirely unwarranted, we are pleased that the disagreement over this request was resolved on mutually acceptable terms,“ the spokesperson said via email. The platform, created in Shanghai in 2017, has cornered much of the crypto-trading market, turning its globe-trotting founder Zhao into a billionaire. But it has long been accused of facilitating money laundering, setting up complex structures to avoid regulation, and busting sanctions – claims it denies. After the SEC announced the charges, Binance said earlier this month that it was halting US dollar deposits and encouraged clients to withdraw their dollars. The case comes on the heels of charges in March against Binance by another US regulator, the Commodities Futures and Exchange Commission, and as the company faces a legal probe in France on allegations of illegal trading and money laundering. – AFP Goldman says markets too optimistic on inflation fall: Bloomberg NEW YORK: Inflation in the United States will not decline as quickly as markets are currently pricing, according to a note from strategists at Goldman Sachs cited in a Bloomberg report on Saturday. “Although we expect further declines in inflation going forward, markets appear considerably more optimistic than we are about the pace of cooling,” the Goldman strategists wrote in the note dated on Friday, according to the Bloomberg report. Markets are ignoring the potential for “delayed-onset inflation” in sectors such as healthcare, the strategists wrote, Bloomberg reported. The strategists wrote that investors could be assuming that a sharp deceleration in US economic growth will lead to a more rapid easing of price pressures. But the strategists, according to the Bloomberg report, saw limited chances for those factors to bring down inflation. The US Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged on Wednesday but signalled in new projections that borrowing costs may still need to rise due to a slower decline im the inflation rate. The Goldman strategists recommended that investors who share their viewpoint on inflation buy one-year swaps to bet on inflation realising higher than current market pricing, according to the Bloomberg report. – Reuters marketing, during a briefing with reporters ahead of the report’s release. Deliveries from now until 2042 are also expected to include 7,440 widebody planes, 1,810 regional jets and 925 freighters. About half of new jet deliveries will replace older models, while the other half will grow airlines’ fleets, Boeing predicts. “The end of the recovery has played out largely as we’ve expected, with a few different nuances and dynamics,” such as a reduction in demand for regional jets compared to last year as interest in narrowbody planes grows, Hulst said. Boeing expects the global aircraft fleet to almost double over the next 20 years, from about 24,500 jets in 2022 to 48,600 by 2042. Last year’s outlook predicted a global fleet of 43,470 aircraft in 2041. The company also raised its industrywide passenger traffic forecast growth rate slightly from 3.8% to 4%. And while the air cargo market is taking “a little bit of a breather”, the estimated 3% annual growth in trade over the next 20 years will provide a tailwind for future demand, Hulst said. “I think we’ll again see how resilient the demand for air cargo is because it’s consistently around 3.5% to 4% growth,” he said. Although Chinese air traffic remained depressed in 2022, Hulst said Boeing remains “very bullish” on China, which will make up 20% of the market, with the rest of Asia making up another 22% of demand. Airbus, which published its own market forecast on Wednesday, also raised its delivery projections, estimating that 40,850 new jets would be handed over to customers through 2042. – Reuters

1 9 J U N E 2 0 2 3 M O N D A Y Karla Majam crowned Miss Uniworld 2023 I N a triumph of determination and talent, Karla Majam, an autistic 17-year-old woman from the Philippines, made history by securing the coveted crown of Miss UniWorld 2023, earning the esteemed title: Queen of Kilimanjaro. The grand finale of the highly anticipated event, which took place on June 11 at the prestigious JW Marriott Kuala Lumpur, served as the scene of Karla’s remarkable accomplishment. She was presented with a replica of the esteemed Queen of Kilimanjaro crown as a token of remembrance, along with gifts and a cash prize totaling RM460,000. In addition to winning the esteemed title of Miss UniWorld 2023, The Filipino-born also earned the prestigious accolade of ‘Best in Catwalk’ Award, showcasing her exceptional talent and skills on the runway. Speaking on the occasion, Miss UniWorld CEO, Roslan Rosdi, expressed his admiration for Karla Majam stating, “Miss UniWorld is more than just a beauty pageant; it’s a platform for women to showcase their talents, share their stories, and make a positive impact on the world. Karla Majam has the qualities we are looking for, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact she will have as Miss UniWorld 2023.” Expressing gratitude for her victory, Karla shares, “I am profoundly honoured to take on the title of Miss UniWorld 2023 and wear the Queen of Kilimanjaro crown. This victory symbolises so much more than personal achievement – it signifies a promise to uphold the values of Miss UniWorld and serve as an advocate for positive change.” She continued by asserting, “This journey will be dedicated to empowering women, fostering cultural exchange, and driving global impact. I’m excited for the opportunities ahead and eager to use this platform to inspire and make a difference.” Niousha Roohbaksh, the reigning Miss UniWorld 2022 from Iran, was given the honour of crowning Karla as Miss UniWorld 2023. The significant moment also featured the presence of oInspiring women everywhere, autistic 17-year-old Filipina conquers every obstacle to achieve title of Miss UniWorld 2023 █ BY HAZIQUE ZAIRILL DeAge Titanium Beauty launches new beauty pageant Chin, who has achieved numerous accolades in pageant competitions, such as being crowned Miss Malaysia Tourism International 2002, securing the 1st Runner-Up position for Miss Malaysia Fitness 2002, and claiming the 3rd RunnerUp title for Miss Malaysia Universe 2000, has set the minimum age requirement for contestants at 27. “This age criterion is deemed suitable from our perspective as it allows mature individuals to embark on a journey of self-confidence building,” she added. The dinner and preview night was graced by the presence of Puan Sri Datin Seri (DR) Susan Cheah, who has been granted the honor of being the Guest of Honour. Additionally, the event was made even more spectacular with captivating performances by talented local artists. The highly anticipated Grand Final of the Ratu DeAge Titanium Beauty Pageant is scheduled to take place on September 20 at The RuMa Hotel & Residences. This prestigious event will showcase the culmination of the pageant, featuring the most talented and confident contestants. With its significance and widereaching appeal, the Grand Final will be broadcasted extensively by various mainstream media platforms, ensuring that the event reaches a large audience and captivates viewers from all corners. A preview show for the Ratu DeAge Titanium Beauty Contest 2023 was held at Ruyi & Lyn Modern Chinese Restaurant. – ALL PICS BY RATU DEAGE TITANIUM BEAUTY PAGEANT █ BYHAZIQUE ZAIRILL These incredible women demonstrate how the Miss UniWorld competition was brimming with international spirit and incredible talent. – AMIRUL SYAFIQ/THESUN LEADING beauty company, Titanium Beauty had just launched its inaugural beauty pageant contest this year with an elegant dinner and captivating preview night held at Ruyi & Lyn Modern Chinese Restaurant in Bangsar. Dubbed the “Ratu DeAge Titanium Beauty Contest,” it aims to empower women by providing them with opportunities to enhance their self-esteem, self-confidence, and overall personal growth. Jacqlyne Chin, the founder of DeAge Titanium Beauty, stated during the launch event: “We hope that through this pageant contest, we can also promote goodwill, empower women, and contribute to charity.” Chin added: “I believe that participating in these pageants helped me build my confidence and determination to succeed, so it is my earnest desire that other women can also experience the same growth and achieve personal triumph through their participation in this esteemed pageant as well.” Miss Latvia Anastasia Alekseevska, who secured the position of first runner-up, and Miss Georgia Makuna Amashukeli, who achieved the title of second runner-up. Karla is now set forth on a remarkable expedition as a global ambassador for Miss UniWorld after being awarded with the esteemed crown. In her p r e s t i g i o u s position, she takes on the duties of embodying the principles and virtues upheld by Miss UniWorld, while also fostering empowerment and advocating for cultural exchange. Armed with her exceptional achievements and unwavering determination, Karla is poised to leave an indelible mark on the world, serving as a beacon of inspiration and instigating transformative change. For those who are still interested in participating, there is good news as the pageant is still open for more contestants. They are aiming to have another 20 participants, and any ladies aged 27 and above are eligible to join. For more information and to register, please contact +60163374296. Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of the Ratu DeAge Titanium Beauty Pageant and showcase your beauty, confidence, and inner strength. Niousha Roohbaksh, the reigning Miss UniWorld 2022 from Iran, crowned Karla alongside the first runner-up, Miss Latvia Anastasia Aleshevska. – MISS UNIWORLD Chin was also crowned Miss Malaysia Hawaiian Tropic International winner in 2000. The Miss UniWorld beauty pageant brought together 25 contestants from different countries in Malaysia on June 4. The competition put their physical beauty, intelligence, confidence, charisma, and compassion to the test through various challenges. The preliminary rounds, which made up 30 percent of the total score, assessed their confidence and dedication. In the final round, which accounted for 70 percent of the score, the top five finalists participated in a question-and-answer session, demonstrating their understanding and fluency on important topics. Following the conclusion of the competition, Roslan expressed his heartfelt appreciation to all participants, sponsors, partners, and dedicated team members whose support and commitment were instrumental in making Miss UniWorld 2023 a r e s o u n d i n g success. “ T h e i r relentless dedication encapsulates the spirit of UniWorld’s mission – empowering women and driving positive change across the globe. We invite everyone to join us in our mission, following our journey to help make a positive difference in the lives of many around the world,” said Roslan. Karla, from Santa Rosa in Laguna, made headlines last March when she competed in the first Miss Supermodel Philippines pageant. – AMIRUL SYAFIQ/THESUN

16 ENTERTAINMENT theSun LYFE ON MONDAY | JUNE 19, 2023 Pedro Pascal is inspired by costar Bella Ramsey RECENTLY, Pedro Pascal was in a segment of Variety’s Actors on Actors with Steven Yeun and unsurprisingly, he spoke highly of Bella Ramsey. The two are both costars in the critically acclaimed HBO series, The Last of Us, with Pascal playing Joel and Ramsey playing Ellie. Pascal admitted that at first, he was worried to work with a fresh-faced 19-yearold Ramsey, especially on a project that had a high intensity. “How scary it was to know that you were going into an exp er ience that was 1 2 oPascal compliments Ramsey’s commitment to her role on THE LAST OF US ▪ BY YASMIN ZULRAEZ months away from home – with a teenager,” he told Yeun. Pascal also added that it was admittedly quick to see that Ramsey was definitely “cool”. “I couldn’t have asked for a more a n c h o r i n g , generous, and t h o u g h t f u l teenager. And I don’t mean to say that in a patronising way,” Pascal stated. “I relied on Bella for so much of the experience. We were both scared and shy about that, but Bella just inspired me to be mature about it.” “I really don’t think I’ve met anybody like Bella,” he continued. “They brought the best out of me as a person.” It’s apparent that Pascal and Ramsey both adore each other both onscreen and offscreen and it is rare to have a relationship so genuine, especially in Hollywood. The Last of Us was a massive success locally and internationally as the premiere episode had a whopping 4.7 million viewers in the United States on its first night of availability, including linear viewers and streams on Max, making it the second-largest debut for HBO since 2010, behind House of the Dragon. The viewers for the following episodes only increased as the series went on. The series itself is an adaptation of the 2013 Naughty Dog video game of the same name, and it takes place during a post-apocalyptic United States plagued by a fungal infection that causes people to transform into zombie-like creatures. Joel is tasked with escorting Ellie, who is immune, across the country in hopes that she can be the cure. Although they initially get off to a rocky start, the two characters gradually form a close fatherdaughter-like relationship which drives an ultimatum in the season finale. The first season of The Last of Us is available to stream on Max, Apple TV and Prime Video. From Kardashian to Thompson KHLOE Kardashian has welcomed her second child with Tristan Thompson through a surrogate, expanding their family that already includes their daughter, True. Khloe Kardashian opens up about surrogacy struggles and motherhood realities on a recent episode of The Kardashians. – PEOPLE.COM █ BYTHASHINE SELVAKUMARAN Tamannah is in love AFTER months of rumours, actress Tamannah Bhatia, who is popular in South Indian movies, finally broke her silence about dating fellow actor, Vijay Varma. The Bahubali actress was caught hugging and kissing her beau in a viral video during a New Year’s party, but the two has kept mum about the relationship. Recently, she was seen leaving a restaurant with him in a car. Tamannah admitted in an interview that Vijay is someone she looks up to, and they had bonded very organically. “I created a world for myself, and here is a person who understood that. He is a person, who I care about, and yeah, he is my happy place,“ said Tamannah. Tamannah said she is very attracted to someone uncomplicated, who she doesn’t feel she has to walk on eggshells around and can just be herself with him. “It’s a friendship, and that is a crucial part of any equation – essentially, someone you can laugh with about anything,“ she adds. Both Tamannah and Vijay have acted on the sets of Lust Stories 2. Tamannah’s next project is the Jee Karda series, and her movie with South Indian superstar Rajinikanth, Jailer, is expected to be released on August 10, 2023. Her new partner Vijay Varma however, was recently seen in the web series Dahaad, which was released just last month. Tamannah Bhatia speaks about Vijay Varma – INSTAGRAM referred to as “Baby” until Khloe Kardashian decided on the name Tatum. Eventually, Khloe changed her mind about the baby’s surname and legally changed it to Thompson. Khloe and Tristan began their relationship in 2016 and had their daughter, True, two years later. However, their bond suffered after Tristan was unfaithful during Khloe’s pregnancy. During the pandemic, they reconciled and isolated together. However, in early 2022, Tristan cheated on Khloe with Maralee Nichols, who later gave birth to their son Theo while Khloe pursued surrogacy with the NBA player. Khloe recently shared her journey with motherhood on a recent episode of The Kardashians, where she spoke to her mother, Kris Jenner, about her experience. She revealed that she had struggled with feelings of guilt and found it more difficult to form a bond with Tatum after the surrogacy, compared to her bond with True. Khloe expressed her self-criticism and wished she could be kinder to herself, acknowledging that she is kind to others but not to herself. However, she also described motherhood as a magical experience. Kris encouraged her daughter to be more compassionate towards herself, referring to her as “the mother of the year.” This follows Khloe’s earlier admission about her surrogacy struggles in the season’s première, where her honesty sparked an important conversation about the realities of motherhood and reassured new mothers that it’s normal for their experience to differ from fairytales. Disney turns ‘Little Mermaid’ into TV series DISNEY announced last week that a new animated children’s series inspired by its 1989 film The Little Mermaid, which like the live-action adaptation released last month will feature a Black Ariel. Disney Junior’s Ariel, a musical series for toddlers, is currently in production and is due for release next year. It depicts the underwater adventures of Ariel, the eight-year-old mermaid princess, and her friends including Flounder in the fairytale Caribbean-inspired kingdom of Atlantica. “I’m super excited about Ariel, I certainly didn’t think we would have an iconic character like Ariel in a pre-school play world,“ said Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television, a subsidiary dedicated to television content. “I’m also very excited to have a character that my daughter can sort of identify and see herself in.” The plan is not a minor consideration for Disney. It faced a racist backlash online after it awarded the role of Ariel to pop singer Halle Bailey for the recently released remake, as opposed to a white actress as in the original. Disney’s first black princess appeared only in 2009 as Tiana in the animated feature The Princess and the Frog. – ETX Studio Disney Junior’s Ariel is due for release next year. – ETX STUDIO According to reports, the couple’s son, Tatum Thompson, initially had the last name Kardashian. Sources disclosed that Tatum, who is 10 months old, also didn’t have that name as his first name. Allegedly, the newborn was simply

17 ENTERTAINMENT theSun LYFE ON MONDAY | JUNE 19, 2023 MESMERISED, is what I felt throughout Irish-born Damien Rice’s long-awaited concert, which happened recently at Plenary Hall, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on the 7 June. The 49-year-old musician and singer-songwriter held an amazing performance throughout the night with songs included from his older albums mixed in with some new songs that were a bit different than his usual style, but enjoyable nonetheless. When I entered the hall by 8:30 PM, Liesl Mae, the opening act was already on stage performing a couple of songs that were melodious and easy to listen to while people were slowly filling up the hall. When the hall was finally filled to the brim with his loyal and attentive fans, Rice finally appeared on stage sporting a simple outfit, and hairstyle and yet, his voice was anything but. Even the first song he performed, The Professor & La Fille Danse was an immediate attention-grabber of how he used his voice and fluency in French to further elevate the experience of hearing and seeing it live. Rice continued wow-ing the crowd after that, with the estimation of having 1500 voices cheering and screaming for him. The stage itself was nothing particularly spectacular, not having any special effects or anything else added to it, and yet, Rice shone through with the projection of his voice, high notes, and the colour of his music. One of my favourite highlights of coming to this concert was definitely the humour exhibited by Rice. As concerts usually are, there will be stragglers that will either arrive later than the expected opening act or have the constant itch to go to the bathroom before coming back to their seats. There will also be the odd group of hecklers that like to either voice their opinions or demand certain things and yet, Rice handles it in such a classy way while also being humorous about it, sarcastically joking with the crowd before laughing along with them. Among his old songs, there were also a couple of new ones that were quite memorable, especially since it was accompanied by actual flashing lights, and required a couple of stage theatrics. But if I had to pick out of all the songs that Rice performed, The Box, I Remember, Older Chests, I Don’t Want to Change You and The Blower’s Daughter are definite earworms and must-sees in person. Despite Rice being the main show, a memorable highlight of the concert was definitely his guest for the Malaysia stop, Francisca Barreto. Rice picked such a great voice to accompany him as her voice suited his so well, enhancing his colour much further while she showed off the crispness of her voice, clear vocals flowing through everyone’s eardrums. While Lisa Hannigan was a great previous duet partner for Rice, Barreto was a great change-up. Nearing the end of the concert, Rice playfully complained that everyone was too far away from him and made a gentle request for everyone to come closer, and not even a minute later, the crowd gathered around him like bees to their favourite flowers. Every single person in the crowd had their phones up and was ready to get up close and personal. At this point of the concert, he definitely shows how much he cares for his fans by how much he indulges them. There would be countless requests coming his way, even as the concert comes to an end, and you would think he would end the night with the song that was already scheduled to be played but nope, with a small smile and a shrug, he ends up playing some of the songs that they requested and even performed multiple encores, that entails, Amie, Rootless Tree and The Blower’s Daughter. Other than being talented and humorous, Rice is also known for his advocacy for human rights, as well as humanitarian campaigns throughout his concerts worldwide. In Malaysia, he is adamant about supporting Chan Tonnamphet, an 18-yearold indigenous community (land) rights activist in Thailand who is being investigated by authorities. She broke emergency rules while peacefully protesting the government’s takeover of her ancestral land at Kaeng Krachan National Park. Rice also highlighted in between his performances that he is a constant advocator for all sorts of human rights campaigns, and in his speeches, he always manages to thank everyone that is involved as well as his loyal fans. All in all, it was definitely an experience that was worth repeating because it was one of those rare concerts that truly let me soak in the vocals and melodies without any over-added theatrics. It was proven multiple times throughout the night that not only was Rice an amazing musician, but he also had a great personality too. It was truly a night to remember. Serenaded by Damien Rice Rice with Francisca Barreto. Liesl Mae opening for Damien Rice. █ BYYASMIN ZULRAEZ oDamien Rice showed off his vocals while keeping humour with his loyal fans Damien Rice front and centre. – ALL PIX BY LUSHINGTON MALAYSIA

18 HEALTH theSun LYFE ON MONDAY | JUNE 19, 2023 FOR thousands of years, moringa was used for medicinal purposes and consumed as food because of its many health benefits Moringa, also known as the drumstick tree or horseradish tree, is a tall tree that can grow up to 10 to 12m in height and is native to India. This tree is also found on continents like Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia. Known as “murungai”, which means twisted pods in Tamil, most parts of the flowering tree; leaves, pods, stems, and flowers are used in traditional herbal medicines, especially in ancient Ayurvedic practises. In fact, South I n d i a n s w o u l d m a k e moringa curry or dishes with the leaves and pods, but for more general health consumption, moringa is usually consumed as a powder or capsule form. Much has been written about the health benefits of moringa, and we have rounded up five of them for you. Do note that it’s important to seek a doctor’s advice before consuming moringa supplements if you have any existing health conditions. Rich in essential vitamins Moringa gained popularity around the world for its high nutritional value and it is generally considered as a superfood. Moringa leaves contain vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B6, vitamin C, iron, riboflavin (B2), vitamin A, and magnesium. While, the pods (drumsticks) are excellent sources of Vitamin C which is important to maintain good health. In addition to this, moringa is high in protein. Helps lower cholesterol High cholesterol levels are linked to heart diseases, and consuming moringa leaves may lower cholesterol levels, which in turn, helps protect the heart. This is because a high level of cholesterol poses a risk for developing certain heart diseases. Moringa supplements may help to lower c h o l e s t e r o l levels over time. May reduce inflammation Moringa has antiinflammatory compounds called isothiocyanates in its leaves, pods and seeds. When a person experiences an illness, the body usually responds with inflammation as a form of internal protection. However, inflammation for a long period of time could lead to many other problems, and moringa may help in the reduction of inflammation. Lower blood sugar High blood sugar is the main cause of diabetes and other health problems. Hence, its essential to maintain a lower level of blood sugar and moringa which is rich in antioxidants, helps to stabilise blood sugar levels. Moringa leaf has antioxidant ingredients such as quercetin, which helps lower blood pressure, and chlorogenic acid, which moderates blood sugar levels. These powerful properties reduce oxidative damage by acting against radicals, which are connected with heart diseases. Amazing benefits of moringa Nutritious moringa leaves – FREEPIK MOST men shampoo their hair without thinking about it, while blankly staring off into the distance. It’s basically a motor reflex action for many. We hop in the shower daily – especially in the current hellscape weather – and sooner or later, the shampoo bottle is grabbed. We do this every single day, but did you know that you don’t need to shampoo daily? However, as much benefits there are to shampooing one’s mane, there are also unavoidable side effects. As more men are beginning to take care of their faces, it’s best not to forget what covers the crown above. Here is a – rather obvious – guide to shampooing and using hair conditioners, especially for men growing their hair out. 0 Shampoo daily, or rarely? The general idea behind using the shampoo less is because it removes oil, and ironically, your scalp needs that oil to keep the hair nourished and hydrated. By spacing out the shampooing cycles, the scalp is trained to produced less oil over time, and this is especially important for the group of men with oily scalps. One reason the latter could be happening might be due to daily shampooing, because as you do it daily, the oils are stripped away, and your scalp – wanting to not be the Sahara desert – begins overproducing sebum, which then leads to other problems, primarily dandruff. The reasoning behind staying physically healthy applies to the scalp; focus on the prevention (keeping the hair moisturised and nourished), not the cure (excessive, desperate shampooing). Excessive shampooing is not a good thing. – ALL PIX FROM FREEPIK.COM There is no “miracle cure” or one perfect product in choosing the best shampoo or conditioner. █ BY S.TAMARAI CHELVI Moringa supplements come in powder or capsule form – FREEPIK 0 What to get In terms of which shampoo to get, don’t just put a blindfold on and grab one off the shelf. Typically, find one that is scalp-friendly, such as an anti-dandruff shampoo, and then look for one that is coupled with ingredients geared towards scalp health, such as tea tree oil, peppermint, aloe vera, or rosemary. Next, think about not only getting a conditioner, but also one that would be used consistently. Additionally, make sure you are not being cheap, and get a bottle each of shampoo and conditioner separately. Avoid 2- in-1 shampoo and conditioners if possible as they actually do not work together. If a shampoo strips away not only dirt and excess waste, but also moisture and essential nutrients, conditioners will reverse the latter, by rehydrating and restoring nutrients. For men with longer than average hair, a conditioner is essential. With both, try shampooing every third day, while consistently using a conditioner daily. 0 More oil, less oil The daily rule for conditioners however does not apply to men with naturally oily scalps. It’s incredibly easy to self-diagnose whether one has this: if by the end of the day your hair looks like it has hair gel in it, despite you not using any, and if your face is regularly oily. Men with this “problem” will benefit by washing their hair every day with a quick rinse (without shampoo), which will take out excess oil. Shampooing every third day still applies, but conditioner should be lessened to every other day. Additionally, try to incorporate “dry shampoo” into the routine, if absolutely necessary. Dry shampoos function by absorbing excess oils, while also giving “weight” to the hair. The usage is different and largely depends on your shampoo and conditioner regiment. Like everything else, this not a bulletproof method of taking care of one’s hair. Everyone is built different, and go through different things. If there is any takeaway, experiment on shampooing methods and find which helps you hit the equilibrium needed for having good hair. █ BY MARK MATHEN VICTOR Double-edged nature of shampooing oShould shampooing be a daily practise? The surprising answer is no.

19 LIFESTYLE theSun LYFE ON MONDAY | JUNE 19, 2023 ON 7 June, CzipLee launched its latest concept store, CzipPlus. It is a quaint charmer, and the more you look at it, and peel back its layers, the more you’ll appreciate its beauty and meaningful presence. Located along Jalan Telawi, the new concept store is complete with its own curated selection of writing tools, ink products, fine arts as well as printing services. CzipPlus is one of the moves made to redirect the brand of CzipLee. Going in a new direction, they invested and strategised a whole new concept with a more intimate setting that would attract a different set of customers, as well as retain the ones they currently have. For this new direction, they are no longer bounded by physical locations but have adapted to concept stores and pop-ups. Each of these stores is distinct in its selection of stationery, art supplies and lifestyle products. Other than CzipPlus, CzipLee’s stores range from CzipLee Southkey which features fine writing, journaling and seasonal workshops based in Johor, to CzipPetit, which is located in Bangsar Village 2, featuring a little bit of everything from general stationery and curated books to journaling materials. CzipLee also has a pop-up at Jippuri, Pavilion Bukit Jalil that features exclusive Japanese stationery. As they’re devoted to keeping their legacy, CzipLee has also preserved its original CzipLee in Kajang, which features general stationery and schoolbooks. The chosen name, CzipLee has so much meaning that it basically represents everything it stands for. The meaning reflects the traditional family-run business principles. “Czip” means the gathering of a certain few coming together in unity which is reflected in the tightly-knit family unit. But unity comes to nought without strength, which is why “Lee” means endurance, strength and vision. Going back in time, CzipLee is a dedicated family-owned business that has been up and running for over 50 years since 1968. They started off as a humble sundry store in Kajang, Selangor and during its early days of sundry store business, CzipLee sold a knick-knack of items from sweets to newspapers to a limited selection of stationery. Through their own persevering family-style service and kindred spirit, this homegrown stationery business managed to expand its very Pat Sajak announces retirement PAT Sajak is stepping down from hosting Wheel of Fortune after more than four decades at the helm of the US television game show, he announced last week. The 76-year-old TV personality said his 41st season at the long-running show, which begins in September, would be his last. “It’s been a wonderful ride,” he wrote on Twitter. Sajak started hosting Wheel of Fortune, a popular word puzzle show, in 1981, six years after it first aired. A successor host for the show, a mainstay across US networks that has spawned international adaptations across the globe, has not yet been announced. – AFP Sajak has been hosting Wheel of Fortune for 40 years. – PIC FROM INSTAGRAM Eat, Pray, Love writer yanks new Russia-set novel AUTHOR Elizabeth Gilbert, whose multimillion-selling Eat, Pray, Love was made into a Hollywood smash hit starring Julia Roberts, said last week she is shelving her new novel – The Snow Forest – after an outcry because it was set in Russia. The move illustrates the difficulties that publishers, celebrities, sporting and artistic bodies have as they try to handle the fallout from Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Gilbert announced last week that The Snow Forest would be published early next year, but a blizzard of negative publicity forced a reversal. “I have received an enormous, massive outpouring of reactions and responses from my Ukrainian readers expressing anger, sorrow, disappointment and pain about the fact that I would choose to release a book into the world right now – any book, no matter what the subject of it is – that is set in Russia,“ she said in an Instagram video. “I’m making a course correction and I’m removing the book from its publication schedule. “I do not want to add any harm to a group of people who have already experienced and who are all continuing to experience grievous and extreme harm.” The novel is set in 1930s Soviet Russia and follows a family trying to resist the authoritarian government. Despite its distance from modern-day events, readers on the Goodreads website were nearly unanimous in lambasting the choice of subject matter. “While Ukrainians are dying from Russian terrorists, famous authors are writing books about them and romanticising these people,” wrote one of the hundreds of people who left a one-star review. “Do you write about Russia, romanticise this country while it commits genocide and ecocide in Ukraine? A complete shame! I’m disappointed in you!” wrote another. New York’s Metropolitan Opera last year distanced itself from Russian star Anna Netrebko over her previous support for President Vladimir Putin. Russian and Belarussian athletes have been barred from taking part in some sporting competitions under their national flags. Eat, Pray, Love – stylized without the punctuation when it was made into a film – tells the story of a journey of self-discovery a middle-aged woman undertakes after a painful divorce. – AFP Gilbert has shelved the upcoming controversial new novel, The Snow Forest. – PIC FROM INSTAGRAM CzipLee continues to dominate its homegrown brand CzipLee executive directors Alvin and Jason Chen. – PIC COURTESY OF CZIPLEE oMaintaining the family business with a great rebrand █ BYYASMIN ZULRAEZ first outlet in Kajang from a small storefront to a four-storey shoplot spanning more than 10,000 square feet of retail space. CzipLee is also a stationery distributor and has also managed to sustainably retain its speciality services to offer visitors books and stationery supplies, as well as fine stationery, art supplies, printing services, and lifestyle products. Today, visitors can browse through CzipLee’s combined inventory of more than 70,000 curated products at any of their stores in the Klang Valley and Johor. To know more, go to www.cziplee.com or follow CzipLee on their Instagram or Facebook (@cziplee).

20 FOOD theSun LYFE ON MONDAY | JUNE 19, 2023 Switch to Japanese vegan cuisine oCheck out the recently-opened Japanese vegan restaurant, Kuki, that will tempt you to come back again WHILE many vegan cafes and restaurants are opening up in Malaysia, it’s not easy to find a Japanese vegan restaurant that not only serves a tempting array of sushi and handmade ramen, but also handmade pasta. Located on the first floor of Menara KEN, TTDI, Kuki opened to the public on 24 May, a first in the area to offer Japanese vegan food including gluten-free options. Kuki is the brainchild of Summer Ng, who also owns a casual dining place called Kusa in Bukit Bintang. “We make clean and comfort Japanese cuisine,“ she tells us. For Summer, the name Kuki has a special meaning. Her first restaurant named Kusa, means grass in English, and Kuki translates to a stem of a growing plant. “At the restaurant, we apply Japanese principles of focusing on one thing at a time and we focus only on food, particularly the mixing and matching of tastes, food plating, aroma, and dining experience,” said Summer. Simple but sophisticated interior The restaurant opened its doors for a media preview on 27 May, and we got an opportunity to try Summer’s specially curated menu. The location of the building was easy to find, but one could easily miss the entrance of the restaurant, situated right at the front of the elevator on the first floor. According to Summer, the pathway to the entrance filled with Japanese bonsai plants, the sounds of water and birds chirping overhead, provides a calming feel as guests enter. “Our food is colourful and we hope people would focus on the food. I want people to stay in the moment, forget their phones and feel connected to the taste of the food,” said Summer. It turns out the entire space is designed based on fundamental Japanese interior design principles. The interior design encapsulates the essence of Japanese aesthetics, Wabi Sabi, which is about beauty in simplicity. Aside from simplicity as the key component, they have incorporated natural wood materials, texture and connection with nature. An exploration of tastes and flavours Kuki’s cuisine combines ingredients that you would not typically expect put together, but the rendered results are exquisite. For example, the Cubed Watermelon Tofu. Apart from its intriguing name, the taste is refreshing and delightful with a dressing made of basil, mint, and lime. Who would have thought that bringing watermelon and tofu together on one plate would taste so good? Every bite of this dish is a pleasure on the palate! Then, there is a Japanese Corn Potage Soup with ingredients like corn, soy milk, aonori, onion, and paprika served chilled. It proved to be light and delicious. Next, Arancini Onigiri – deep-fried rice balls made with portabello, tofu, and wakame seaweed, were perfectly crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Following this was a Goma Miso Ramen: a bowl of freshly handmade ramen that’s smooth and velvety in an aromatic and spicy broth, garnished with baked tomato ginger that provides a bit of a kick. A simple yet luxurious dish. Finally, the dessert, Fuji Apple Tart, looked appetizing with a pretty and delicate little rose in the middle made with a single layer of a thin slice of apple. The golden brown crust was flaky and the caramelised apple was naturally sweet. We also got to sample some bitesize appetisers and my favourite was the peculiarly spicy watermelon jam with rice paper cannoli. It was shocking to find out that this watermelon appetiser takes three days of preparation! It’s a unique dish that’s definitely a must-try here. Premium ingredients Every ingredient that is used is of premium quality, like raw sugar. “We don’t use white sugar and no seasoning. We extract the taste from the ingredients themselves. The taste comes from the food,” Summer explained. “We import our ingredients like matcha directly from a farm in Japan. All our noodles are made from scratch, even our pasta. We don’t use processed food.” As everything is prepared from scratch, the kitchen staff spends a lot of time on preparation alone. What should you try? For a first-time customer, Summer suggested trying all of their sushi. “Our sushi is the highlight,” she says. For example, Watermelon Ahi with Pico De Gallo takes days to prepare. For beverages, the restaurant serves mocktails, cocktails, Kohi or Chai, and cold-pressed juice. Strawberry Mojito, for example, is made with fresh fruits. Another crowd favourite is Turmeric Tonic and non-alcoholic Uji matcha. One of the prominent guests who attended the event, Berjaya Founder Tan Sri Vincent Tan – a vegetarian himself – shared that the food and the interior decor were very interesting when approached by The Sun. “Personally, I like this place. The food is unique and delicious. No one has Japanese vegan, as well as, nondairy, or gluten-free food. Hopefully vegans, vegetarians and nonvegetarians will come and try the food here,” shared Vincent. Sustainability and zero waste Apart from serving phenomenal, the restaurant plays its part to minimize waste and use only natural products. “We are a zero-waste restaurant, and we believe in sustainability. Everything we use in the restaurant is natural. We don’t serve napkins; instead, we use cold folded towels with essential oils,” says Summer. █ BY S.TAMARAI CHELVI The entrance to Kuki, with Japanese style screens. – ALL PIX BY AMIRUL SYAFIQ Zen-like Japanese interiors. Arancini Onigiri Gomen Miso Ramen Fuji Apple Tart Japanese Corn Potage Soup Summer Ng, the owner, is a lover of art. A long bar counter. Cubed Watermelon Tofu

21 * SPORTS theSUN ON MONDAY | JUNE 19, 2023 AFTER YEARS of struggle, Rickie Fowler is ready to relish his shot at the US Open, where he shares the lead with Wyndham Clark heading into the final round at Los Angeles Country Club. “After going through the last few years I’m not scared to fail,” Fowler said. “I’ve dealt with that. We’re just going to go have fun, continue to try to execute, leave it all out there, see where we stand on 18.” Fowler, 34, burst onto the pro scene in 2009, fans drawn by his game as well as his brash style, signature orange outfits and flat-bill caps. Fowler finished in the top five in all four majors in 2014 and owns eight top-five finishes in majors in his career. But as his game deserted him in 2021 and 2022, it looked like the widely predicted major glory might never materialise. Fowler, who slumped as low as 185th in the world rankings, does not downplay what a victory would mean. “Obviously it would be huge,” said the Californian. “Especially being here in Southern California, having a lot of people, family and friends that are out here this week.” Fowler missed the US Open in the past two years, but made up for lost time with a stunning 8-under 62 in the first round that broke the record for a low round at a US Open first established 50 years ago. Xander Schauffele matched that round on Thursday, but Fowler had managed to get his nose in front on Friday, when his eight birdies took his 36-hole tally to 18 – another record. “I would say this week, this is the best I’ve felt all year and definitely in a long time,” Fowler said. “We all feel nerves at times, depending on certain shots or circumstances, but I mentioned it yesterday and then still stand by it. “This is the best I’ve felt, let alone in a normal tournament but especially a major, and I would say, really, ever in my career.” – AFP IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF ALTIDEX CONSTRUCTION SDN BHD Registration No.: 200601012192 (731942-U) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding Up) Notice is hereby given that pursuant to Section 459(2) of the Companies Act 2016, a Final Meeting of the members of Altidex Construction Sdn Bhd will be held at the Liquidator’s office at No. 1 Jalan Lasam, 30350 Ipoh, Perak Darul Ridzuan on Friday, 21 July 2023 at 10.00 a.m. for the following purposes: AGENDA 1. To receive and adopt the account from the Liquidator showing the manner in which the winding up has been conducted and to hear any explanation that may be given by the Liquidator. 2. To determine pursuant to Section 518(3)(b) of the Companies Act 2016, the manner in which the books, accounts and documents of the Company and of the Liquidator thereof shall be disposed of. CHEAI WENG HOONG Liquidator Ipoh Date: 19 June 2023 Note: A member entitled to attend, participate, speak and vote at the meeting is entitled to appoint a proxy to attend and vote instead of him. The instrument appointing a proxy must be deposited at No. 1 Jalan Lasam, 30350 Ipoh, Perak Darul Ridzuan not less than 48 hours before the time appointed for holding the meeting. IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 1965 AND IN THE MATTER OF USAHA KUKUH SDN. BHD. (199001003418) (194985-X) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding Up) NOTICE OF FINAL MEETING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to Section 272 of the Companies Act, 1965, a Final Meeting of the abovementioned Company will be held at UOA Business Park, Tower 3, 5th Floor, K03-05-08, 1 Jalan Pengaturcara U1/51A, Section U1, 40150 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan on Tuesday, 25 July 2023 at 10.30 a.m., for the following purposes:- 1. To receive and consider the Liquidator’s account of winding up of the Company and any explanations arising thereof. 2. To resolve that under Section 284(3)(b) of the Companies Act, 1965, all books and papers of the Company and of the Liquidator be destroyed upon the dissolution of the Company. Dated this 19th day of June, 2023 Jason Sia Sze Wan Liquidator NOTICE We are currently tracing the biological father/mother or heirs who recognize the boy child called “Rakshan” born on 22.10.2017. The boy child who was left without any documents to a married couple, Mr. Maran A/L Nagiah and Ms. Sivagami A/P Mariappan, residing at 4-4-19 Gugusan Dedap Sek 11/1 Kota Damansara, Jalan Merbah, 47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. The child was left with a caregiver by the biological father known as “RIO,”without any documents and left at the caregiver’s home. That the Department of Social Welfare (JKM) can conduct further investigations for the purpose of placement, welfare and care of the child. In this regard, the Department hopes that members of the public who recognize the child’s parents or heirs do contact: Protection Officer: Mr. Muhammad Haziq Bin Md Jauhari at the Children’s Unit, District Social Welfare Office of Petaling at the following telephone numbers: 03-7842 2584/03- 7842 2587, as soonest possible and/or attend the Magistrate Court Petaling Jaya on 3 August 2023 at 9.00 a.m. for the hearing of BB-89-413-05/2023 under subsection 19(2) of the Children’s Act 2001 (amended 2016). 322 Notices 322 Notices CONFERENCE CONNECT SDN. BHD. (Company No.: 201301025320 (1055150-V)) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding-Up) NOTICE OF FINAL MEETING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to Section 459 (1)(a) of the Companies Act 2016 that a Final Meeting of the members of the above-named Company will be held at its registered office situated at No. 31-3, Jalan Tasik Selatan 3, Metro Centre, Bandar Tasik Selatan, 57000 Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, the 18th day of July, 2023 at 10.30 a.m. for the following purposes: 1. To receive and consider the final accounts of the Liquidator. 2. To resolve under Section 459 (5) of the Companies Act 2016, that the books and papers of the Company be destroyed after the expiration of three (3) months from the date of the final meeting. LEE SHOOK MUN @ LEE YUE YEE (f) Liquidator Dated this: 19th day of June, 2023 NOTE: A member entitled to attend and vote at the above meeting is entitled to appoint a proxy to attend and vote in his stead. A proxy need not be a member of the Company. The instrument appointing a proxy must be deposited at the Company’s registered office not less than 48 hours before the time fixed for the meeting. NOTIS JUALAN SECARA LELONG AWAM Akta Pemegang Pajak-Gadai (81) 1972 Sandaran-sandaran yang tidak ditebus Pemegang Pajak Gadai yang tersebut dibawah ini Akan Di-jual Dengan Lelong Umum Di-59 Tingkat 1 Jln Kendi Kawasan Perniagaan Pada Hari 03hb JULAI 2023, Tmn Merak 14100 Simpang Ampat Waktu 3.30 Petang NEGERI PULAU PINANG NAMA PAJAK GADAI ALAMAT PAJAK GADAI Pajak Gadai Emas Jaya Sdn Bhd 29 Jalan Usahawan 4 13200 Kepala Batas Pajak Gadai YS Sdn Bhd 442 Jalan Penang 10000 Penang Pajak Gadai Kah Hin Sdn Bhd 6688 Jalan Bagan Ajam 13000 Butterworth YMC Capital Sdn Bhd 47 Jalan Permatang Rawa Bandar Perda 14000 Bukit Mertajam Shun Chang Sdn Bhd 228 Jalan Pasar 14000 Bukit Mertajam Sing Tai Foh Sdn Bhd 716 Jalan Raya 14200 Sungai Bakap Pajak Gadai Lian Hin Sdn Bhd 1078 Jalan Che Ahmad 14300 Nibong Tebal Pajak Gadai Sun Heng 16 Jalan Keruing Kawasan Perniagaan Simpang Ampat 14100 Simpang Ampat Yong Chang Dang Sdn Bhd 293 Jalan Burmah 10350 Penang Pajak Gadai Bukit Mertajam 75 G Jalan Perniagaan Gemilang 1 Pusat Perniagaan Sdn Bhd 14000 Bukit Mertajam Pajak Gadai Butterworth Sdn Bhd 776 G Taman Kekaya Jalan Bagan Ajam 13000 Butterworth Pajak Gadai MVJ Sdn Bhd 6679 Jalan Juru 14100 Simpang Ampat Pajak Gadai Zillion Worth Sdn Bhd 2889 Jalan Baru Bandar Perai Jaya 13600 Perai Sing Yee Li Sdn Bhd 46 Jalan Todak 2 Pusat Bandar Seberang Jaya 13700 Perai Sandaran-sandaran tersebut boleh diperiksa dengan Pemegang Pajak Gadai berkenaan diatas pada 20hb JUN 2023 sehingga 22hb JUN 2023, pukul 10.00 pagi sehingga 4.00 petang sebelum tarikh jualan lelong itu. Iklan Bertarikh 19-06-2023 CHONG KIAN CHONG Pelelong Berlesen 04-5792628 322 Notices NOTIS JUALAN SECARA LELONG AWAM Akta Pemegang Pajak-Gadai (81) 1972 Sandaran-sandaran yang tidak ditebus Pemegang Pajak Gadai yang tersebut dibawah ini Akan Di-jual Dengan Lelong Umum Di-12 Tingkat 1 Lrg 1 Tmn Ria 08000 Sungai Petani Pada Hari 04hb JULAI 2023, Waktu 9.30 pagi NEGERI KEDAH NAMA PAJAK GADAI ALAMAT PAJAK GADAI Pajak Gadai EMJ Sdn Bhd 12 Lorong 1 Taman Ria 08000 Sungai Petani Pajak Gadai Kah Yuit Sdn Bhd 15 Taman Cenderawasih Jalan Kelang Lama 09000 Kulim Pajak Gadai Kah Yong Sdn Bhd 6A Jalan Kampung Baru 08000 Sungai Petani Min Seng Pawnshop 7 Jalan Raya 09300 Kuala Ketil Pajak Gadai San Heng Loong Sdn Bhd LC 1203 Jalan Baling 09400 Padang Serai Pajak Gadai Sin Yit Foh Sdn Bhd 23-B Main Road 06300 Kuala Nerang Pajak Gadai Sing Lee Seng Sdn Bhd 5 Jalan Semiling 08100 Bedong Pajak Gadai Poh Fook Sdn Bhd 52G Jalan Kuala Kedah Taman Gunung Indah 05400 Alor Setar Pajak Gadai Sungai Petani Sdn Bhd 174 Jalan Kuala Ketil 08000 Sungai Petani Sandaran-sandaran tersebut boleh diperiksa dengan Pemegang Pajak Gadai berkenaan diatas pada 20hb JUN 2023 sehingga 22hb JUN 2023, pukul 10.00 pagi sehingga 4.00 petang sebelum tarikh jualan lelong itu. Iklan Bertarikh 19-06-2023 CHONG KIAN CHONG Pelelong Berlesen 04-5792628 322 Notices IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF DESA TELIPOT SDN BHD Company No. 197201000158 (11798-V) REDUCTION OF SHARE CAPITAL Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to Section 117(1) of the Companies Act, 2016, that the Special Resolution set out below was duly passed by the members of the company on 16 June 2023. “RESOLVED THAT the issue and paid up capital of the Company be REDUCED from RM6,345,009.00 comprising 6,100,000 Ordinary Shares of RM1.00 each, 24,500 Redeemable Preference Shares of RM10.00 each and transfer from capital redemption reserve of RM9.00, to RM5,595,009.00 by returning to the shareholders 24,500 Redeemable Preference Shares of RM10.00 each (issued as paid up otherwise than in cash) and 505,000 Ordinary Shares of RM1.00 each (issued as paid up in cash), which is in excess of the needs of the Company, in cash. KHOI HOAY LING Director Shah Alam, Selangor Dated this 19 June 2023 No fear Fowler ‘not scared to fail’ as US Open beckons Wolff howls Schumacher praises AS a reserve driver Mick Schumacher is making contributions to Mercedes push to challenge Red Bull, but team principal Toto Wolff said yesterday, the son Formula One great Michael Schumacher should be in a race car not a simulator. Let go by Haas at the end of last season Schumacher found himself without a seat and taking a job with Mercedes as their reserve driver. Schumacher won the Formula Two title in 2020 after joining the Ferrari young driver programme in 2019 and debuted with Ferrari-powered Haas in 2021. The son of a seven-times world champion came under considerable criticism for a lack of performance but has found a huge supporter in Wolff, who believes he was mishandled and unfairly judged at Haas. “Every time we speak highly of him somebody say something negative,” Wolff told reporters tor the Canadian Grand Prix. “Wherever I can speak highly and praise Mick that’s what I am doing but in the end it is every team authority to decide on their drivers. “I think teams are missing out on Mick. I think he was burned last year. “I believe whoever gets him will get a very good pilot.” While positive reviews were rare during Schumacher’s time with Haas the reports on the young German have been glowing coming out of the Mercedes camp have been glowing. “First of all it is great to have a mature successful and experienced Formula One driver supporting us,” said Wolff. “In the simulator his feedback is a tremendous advantage. “And if George or Lewis were to have a fish poisoning then we know we have a super guy that would drive the car well. “As much as I like the situation for the benefit of the team I would every day of the week prefer Mick sits in a cockpit and actually races.” – Reuters USMAN KHAWAJA said the taunts of the Edgbaston crowd spurred him on to an “emotional” maiden Test hundred in England as he led Australia’s fightback in the Ashes opener yesterday. Australia were reeling at 67-3 after Stuart Broad struck twice in two balls to remove David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne, the world’s top-ranked Test batsman, before England captain Ben Stokes captured the prize wicket of Steve Smith. Yet they recovered to 311-5 at stumps on the second day, 82 runs behind England’s first-innings 393-8 declared, with left-handed opener Khawaja 126 not out. Broad later blasted the pitch as “soulless”. Khawaja’s more than six-and-ahalf hour stay may have lacked the dynamism of some of England’s “Bazball” batting, but there was no denying the value of an innings that still featured 14 fours and two sixes. The 36-year-old’s seventh hundred in 18 Tests since he was recalled last year also ended a decade-long wait to reach three figures at this level on English soil. Prior to this innings, Khawaja’s top score in a Test in England was 54, with his corresponding average a lowly 19.60. “When I’m getting sprayed (barracked) by the crowd as I’m walking out there today and as I’m going to nets being told that I can’t score runs in England… I guess it was just a bit more emotional than normal,” he said. Broad said the intensity of the occasion allied to a “soulless” pitch, contributed to a “frustrating day”. “I’m not really a big no-ball bowler,” he told the BBC. “I have probably bowled more today than in a Test match day before. There’s no excuse. “But it is the first innings of an Ashes Test match, you have some big emotions there so you are trying to gain energy from the surface and maybe pushing a little bit too hard.” He addded: “It is certainly one of the slowest pitches I can remember bowling on in England… Hopefully it is not a trend for the whole series.” – AFP Khawaja savours ‘emotional’ Ashes ton Tiafoe reaches Stuttgart final FRANCES TIAFOE reached his first grass court final yesterday after seeing off Hungarian qualifier Marton Fucsovics in straight sets. The 12th-ranked American came through 6-3, 7-6 (13-11) and will face Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff for the title in what will be his seventh tour final. “I have played some solid tennis. It is one of my favourites surfaces. It is good to get out here and get some matches,” said Tiafoe who saved six set points in a marathon second set tie-break. Struff saw off Polish fourth seed Hubert Hurkacz 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 to close in on a first ever title. “I am very happy,” Struff said. “Hubi is an incredible grass-court player, so I knew I had to play a very good match. After starting off well I found a way and I am very happy with the win.” All-British affair in Nottingham KATIE BOULTER and Jodie Burrage yesterday set up the first all-British final on the WTA Tour in 46 years at the Nottingham grass court tournament. Boulter defeated compatriot Heather Watson 6-4, 7-5 before 131st-ranked Burrage clinched a 7-5, 7- 5 win over France’s former top 20 player Alize Cornet. The last all-British final on the WTA Tour was in 1977 when Sue Barker beat Virginia Wade in San Francisco. “It means so much to me, especially here,” said Boulter. “I just tried to put my heart on the line, and I managed to get through it in the end.” Burrage made the final after a testing week on the Nottingham grass courts – needing three hours to defeat Tereza Martincova as well as seeing off Magdalena Frech and Australian Open semifinalist Magda Linette. “I wasn’t expecting this coming into this week, not going to lie, but I’m very happy with my performance today,” Burrage said. TRAMLINES Rickie Fowler. – AFPPIX

22 theSUN ON MONDAY | JUNE 19, 2023 SPORTS /theSunMedia FOLLOW ON YOUTUBE SCAN ME Bruno at the double … as Portugal beat Bosnia in Euro qualifying BRUNO FERNANDES scored a late brace as Portugal eased to a 3-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina yesterday to maintain their perfect record in Euro 2024 qualifying. Bernardo Silva opened the scoring just before the break at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon, and Manchester United star Fernandes headed in the second with 13 minutes remaining. He then got his second, and Portugal’s third, in stoppage time and Portugal have now scored 13 goals and conceded none while winning their opening three matches in Group J. As a result they sit top of the six-team section, two points clear of Slovakia and five above Luxembourg, with the top two sides advancing to next year’s finals in Germany. Roberto Martinez’s Portugal side visit Iceland on Tuesday (Wed 2.45am Malaysian time) when another victory will take the Euro 2016 winners a step closer to securing qualification. “Our attitude as a team was spectacular but the difficulty for us was more to do with mental fatigue than anything physical,” said Martinez, who was not fully satisfied with the display. “We played more with our hearts than our heads. We still need to develop our full potential.” Cristiano Ronaldo wore the captain’s armband and played all 90 minutes as the 38- year-old men’s international appearance recordholder won his 199th cap. However, the forward now playing for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia did not manage to add to his record 122 international goals – he found the net with a header midway through the first half only to be denied by an offside flag. Martinez hailed the 38-year-old’s commitment to football as “complete” and labelled Ronaldo as an “example” to the locker room. “Playing in a non-European club is sometimes an advantage when playing in the national team,” he told reporters. “We have three ways of analysing a player: individual quality, experience and commitment. Cristiano’s commitment is complete. “He is an example for the locker room, an example for Portuguese and world football. He has played 199 matches for the national team. “Cristiano and (veteran FC Porto defender) Pepe are examples of Portuguese football, and we need them to pass all the experience and wisdom to the youngest players. “Like any other player, he (Ronaldo) needs to train well in order to play. We need a highperformance environment with competition for our players,” he added. Silva, who helped Manchester City win the Champions League last weekend, opened the scoring a minute before the interval, finishing first-time after Ronaldo and Fernandes combined to set him up. Bosnia, with 37-year-old Edin Dzeko leading their attack, could not find an equaliser and Portugal struck again on 77 minutes as Fernandes headed in unmarked from a Ruben Neves cross. Fernandes then sealed Portugal’s victory when he controlled on his chest at the edge of the box and finished on the half-volley. – AFP/Agencies Lukaku rescues Red Devils AUSTRIA claimed a potentially important away point as they held Belgium to a 1-1 draw in their Group F European Championship 2024 qualifier in Brussels yesterday, ending their hosts impressive winning run in the preliminaries. The result meant Austria, who played a robust physical game, advanced to seven points from three games, three more than Belgium, who were playing their second group game, in the bid to qualify for next year’s finals in Germany. Austria took the lead from a 21st minute corner, swung over to the back post where Michael Gregoritsch struck the ball in. Belgium midfielder Orel Mangala stuck out his heel in a sloppy effort to block the ball and only succeeded in diverting it past goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. Romelu Lukaku, captaining Belgium in the absence of injured Kevin De Bruyne, had missed a good chance early in the second half but made up for it in the 61st minute as he was given time to turn and fire in the equaliser. The goal extended Lukaku’s record for his country to 73 goals in 108 appearances, but the draw brought to an end Belgium’s run of 15 successive wins in the European Championship qualifiers, stretching back to 2015. Courtois made a diving stop to deny Stefan Posch from restoring Austria’s lead soon after, but the woodwork denied Belgium a stoppage-time winner as Youri Tielemans rattled the crossbar. The match marked a disappointing home debut for Belgium’s new coach Domenico Tedesco, whose side are next up away against Estonia on Tuesday. Austria have a chance to keep up their group lead when they take on Sweden in Vienna on the same night. – AFP Keeper howler sinks Morocco A BLUNDER by Morocco goalkeeper Munir el Kajoui led to a 2-1 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying defeat in South Africa yesterday – their first loss since reaching the 2022 World Cup semifinals. Zambia completed a joyful day for southern Africa by hammering the Ivory Coast 3-0 in Ndola to secure a place in the finals for the first time since 2015. South Africa and World Cup historymakers Morocco had qualified ahead of a lively Group K clash in Johannesburg that drew a 50,000 crowd despite near-freezing conditions. El Kajoui, standing in for rested Yassine Bounou, allowed a Percy Tau cross slip from his grasp into the net after only five minutes and Zakhele Lepasa added a second on 48 minutes. Hakim Ziyech halved the deficit on the hour, but an equaliser eluded Morocco, who last December became the first African and Arab team to reach the World Cup semifinals. “We could have scored four or five goals against Morocco, who are currently the best team in Africa, and it is a great confidence booster to beat them,” said South Africa coach Hugo Broos. “Having played in front of small crowds lately, it was wonderful to have so many people backing us, and I believe they left the stadium feeling very proud to be South Africans.” Morocco coach Walid Regragui, mastermind behind successes over Belgium, Spain and Portugal before a semifinal loss to France in Qatar, said he was “not unhappy with the result”. “Call me crazy if you wish for saying that, but you sometimes learn more from a loss than a win. My players were tired after a gruelling season of domestic and World Cup matches.” – AFP FROM LEFT: Bosnia’s Edin Dzeko, Portugal’s Ruben Dias and Joao Palhinha in action during their EURO 2024 qualification match. – AFPPIX

23 * SPORTS theSUN ON MONDAY | JUNE 19, 2023 KENNY MCLEAN scored a dramatic 89th-minute winner for Scotland in Norway as the visitors turned their Euro 2024 qualifier on its head with two goals in as many minutes. Scotland were trailing to Erling Haaland’s 61st-minute penalty and had barely posed a threat before Lyndon Dykes capitalised on some hesitancy in the Norwegian defence to nudge the ball home after John McGinn’s attempted through ball had been intercepted. The Group A leaders soon ensured they continued their perfect start to the campaign when Dykes laid McGinn’s pass back to substitute McLean, who curled a low shot just inside the far post. The visitors wore black armbands in memory of Gordon McQueen, who scored his fifth and final international goal in a 4-0 win in the same stadium in 1979 on the previous occasion the teams met in a European Championship qualifier. And they provided a fitting tribute to the 30-times capped centreback with a sensational comeback victory. That did not seem likely with mere minutes to go in a baking hot Ullevaal Stadion as Norway seemed comfortable. Manchester City’s recordbreaking striker was practically a spectator for the first hour, but was lurking in the box waiting for a cross when Ryan Porteous blithely stuck out a leg, resulting in the penalty. Haaland drilled the ball past a diving Angus Gunn to give Norway a deserved lead. At that point Scotland had only had two shots on target before inspiring a crazy turnaround. Leo Ostigard could only clear McGinn’s pass into Dykes’ path, and he stayed composed to prod in. Just as heart rates in the Scotland end had returned to normal, Dykes knocked a cross into McLean’s path and he beautifully stroked in a priceless winner. Scotland fans have seen too many false dawns to get ahead of themselves – but captain Andy Robertson says they simply “have to qualify” for Euro 2024 after a perfect start. A home win against Georgia on Tuesday (Wed 2.45am Malaysian time) would bring Euro 2024 tantalisingly close, and earn a fourth straight qualifying win for the first time ever. “We couldn’t have started this campaign better,” Robertson told Viaplay. “We have to qualify now. “The lads who came off the bench did so well. Going behind is difficult, but we knew this was the next step in our improvement. “It was trying to get the balance right. The team spirit is second to none. To create that in international football is unique.” Goalscorer McLean added: “The lads did so much, and we made the changes and got some momentum after the first goal. “Goals change games and they did for us. We were hanging in at the end. The lads who played 90 minutes out there, I don’t know how they did it. I was sat in the dugout sweating. Just watching it I was knackered,” McLean told BBC Scotland. “We’ve worked so hard over the last few weeks, results like this make it worth while. We’re in a decent position, but we want to be in an even better position.” – The Independent/ Agencies DAVID BROOKS accepts that “people will be starting to doubt us” following Wales’ humiliating 4-2 Euro 2024 qualifying defeat against Armenia. Wales would have gone top of Pool D had they beaten a team 71 places below them in the world rankings. And life will not get any easier in terms of the battle for automatic qualification as Wales face an appointment with group leaders Turkey in Samsun tomorrow (2.45am Malaysian time) “If we win that, we go back into a position of power,” Brooks said. “We all know that, and that is what we are going to be trying to do. “We all know what we want to achieve – we want to get to the major tournaments. We have to kind of get over it and get back to work. “I think people will be starting to doubt us, but we have got to go and try and put in a performance to prove all those people wrong. “We all want to get to a major tournament, so nothing has changed.” Wales’ first European Championship qualifying defeat at home since 2011 dropped them to third in the group as Turkey won 3-2 in Latvia. Brooks added: “Four goals at home isn’t good enough, I think we all know that, and we will be getting together and trying to figure out how to put that right in two days’ time. “Bigger teams than us have done that to us, and we’ve caused upset results. It happens near enough every week in the Premier League, and we all knew that going into the game. They took their chances well. Brooks’ return to the international arena was a highlight of an often chaotic night at Cardiff City Stadium. He was diagnosed with stage-two Hodgkin lymphoma while on international duty in October 2021, and Brooks received a standing ovation when he went on as a second-half substitute. “It was special,” he said. “It has been a long two years to finally put that Wales shirt back on. “To get the reception that I did, especially when I came on – I could hear every single one of them (fans) – and I just want to say thank you.” – The Independent EURO 2024 (Qualifiers) Group A: Norway 1 (Haaland 61-pen) Scotland 2 (Dykes 87, McLean 89), Cyprus 1 (Pittas 40-pen) Georgia 2 (Mikautadze 31, Davitashvili 84). Group E: Albania 2 (Asani 52, Bajrami 76) Moldova 0, Faroe Islands 0 Czech Republic 3 (Krejci 15, Cerny 44, 75). Group F: Azerbaijan 1 (Krivotsyuk 62) Estonia 1 (Sappinen 27), Belgium 1 (Lukaku 61) Austria 1 (Mangala 22-og). Group G: Lithuania 1 (Girdvainis 15) Bulgaria 1 (Petkov 27), Montenegro 0 Hungary 0. Group J: Luxembourg 2 (Sinani 59, Rodrigues 89) Liechtenstein 0, Iceland 1 (Finnbogason 41-pen) Slovakia 2 (Kucka 27, Suslov 70), Portugal 3 (Bernardo Silva 44, Fernandes 77, 90+3) Bosnia and Herzegovina 0. AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS Group E: Central African Republic 1 Angola 2. Group H: Zambia 3 Ivory Coast 0, Lesotho 0 Comoros 1. Group J: Equatorial Guinea 1 Tunisia 0, Botswana 1 Libya 0. Group K: South Africa 2 Morocco 1. Group L: Benin 1 Senegal 1. Scotland stun Haaland’s Norway Van Dijk speaks out on Liverpool future LIVERPOOL’S Virgil van Dijk wasn’t up to his usual lofty standards in the 2022-23 season after a “shock” drop in form. His performances have been a far cry away from his stellar best, having enjoyed a fine campaign just last season and having been widely regarded the best defender in the world before a knee ligament injury in 2021. His finest season came in 2018/19. That year he finished just seven points behind Lionel Messi in the 2019 Ballon d’Or vote. However, he is unlikely to get anywhere near this summer’s shortlist. Yet the 31-year-old is now determined to turn his fortunes around and kick on with Liverpool for the remaining two years of his contract. The Dutchman is under the assumption that he is still an important member of the team despite his recent dip. “I still have two years left on my contract and I assume that they (Liverpool) still consider me important for the team,” said Van Dijk. “If not, I am sure I would have heard about it. “My contact with the manager is good and I feel very positive about things again. The way we finished the season motivates me to go into pre-season with the new players who are coming in.” He added: “I don’t feel too big to be vulnerable. It has been quite an intense season, with many ups and downs and people must understand that we aren’t robots. “It has been a year in which I learned a lot – especially off the pitch, and certainly mentally. In football it’s never plain sailing – but this season was still quite a shock. “Sometimes the criticism was just right, both on the team and on me individually. But quite often it was not quite right. “Either way, you have to be able to deal with it – and I’m glad I came out of it well. Mentally, that’s not always easy.” When the going got tough Van Dijk turned to his family, friends and the coaching staff at Anfield for support. “I always talk to people who are close to me,” he continued. “That’s really important. No one is too big to talk or to make yourself vulnerable. “At home, I talk a lot with my wife and at the club, we have enough people you can talk to who specialise in that. No player has a career with only highlights. “But if criticism is fierce and negative, you can suffer as an athlete. The trick is to deal with it properly – and I’m quite happy with how that has gone in the last few months.” – Express Newspapers Dragons need to get back to winning ways, says Brooks █ ANDREW BALDOCK RESULTS Tartan Army strike late to gave Scotland victory in the Euro 2024 qualifier Kenny McLean celebrates scoring Scotland’s second goal yesterday. – REUTERSPIX

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] PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN had long expected Kylian Mbappe’s letter, such was his overt dissatisfaction with how everything was going, but that was emphatically not the case with the rest of Europe. Last week’s news that the French star would not be signing his one-year contract extension caused “a scramble” around the continent’s top clubs. “Nobody was prepared for this,” one well-placed figure says. It instantly saw a number of sporting departments do a lot of investigation to see if any deal might be possible. That’s the power of Mbappe, who has probably succeeded Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in becoming one player who clubs will drop everything for. It also speaks to that power that the player’s camp didn’t even feel the need to reach out to potential suitors beforehand. There were no backdoor soundings here. The door was instead blown off, with Mbappe himself then casually insisting he would still see out next season with PSG. That is dependent on a range of circumstances. Mbappe’s decision came down to some simple factors, though. While the primary issue was the club’s failure to progress at Champions League level, he is also conscious of how globally sidelined he is for most of the club season. Mbappe only really plays in about eight high-profile matches a year outside of tournaments, if even that. It is why so much is built up to those Champions League last-16 games. As such, he needs a move for the benefit of his life ambitions, not just his football ambitions. One increasing complication is that Mbappe faces a very modern dilemma. Just like Messi in 2021, his sheer value has actually limited his options. There are only a handful of clubs who could afford him in the current market. They are Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid. New Financial Fair Play (FFP) constraints meanwhile limit that further. When one “big-six” executive was asked whether his club would be interested in pursuing a move, they just laughed. “Don’t be ridiculous.” City have a long-standing interest in Mbappe from 2017, but it would take a complete rearrangement of their squad in order to accommodate him. This is really a profound illustration of FFP’s positives, even as there is so much debate about the regulations. They are visibly preventing the same small group of clubs hoarding even more players. Chelsea meanwhile will need to sell an entire starting XI before they can even think of Mbappe. United offer a more interesting option, especially as they are actively looking for a No. 9 – especially a fast one – and could come up with the budget. The issue is that it would prevent strengthening elsewhere. There also remains the uncertainty of the sale of the club, as Qatar seek to buy United through Sheikh Jassim – which again leaves Madrid as the most serious option. But it has caused a rethink in their transfer plans, especially after the departure of Karim Benzema. The idea in the last two weeks had been that Madrid would bring in Jude Bellingham and a two-year option like Harry Kane – with that move more advanced than many had anticipated – but last week’s events instead brought intensive talks about what to do next. Mbappe is there to be signed. The main problem may be political rather than financial. Such is the current relationship between Madrid and PSG that Florentino Perez does not want to give the Qatari-owned project any money in terms of a fee, and PSG do not want to sell to Madrid. The French champions are “livid” at the entire situation, particularly with Mbappe himself. They had long realised the need to restructure the club and the idea had been to do exactly as their French star wanted. He has now disrupted all of that, while disrupting the entire transfer market. – The Independent GARETH SOUTHGATE wants England to retain a relentless winning mentality akin to treble winners Manchester City as the road to Euro 2024 continues. Tomorrow’s (2.45am Malaysian time) Group C encounter against North Macedonia marks the halfway point of qualification for next summer’s tournament in Germany. England already look all but assured of reaching the Euros having won at reigning champions Italy and beaten Ukraine in March before swatting aside Malta 4-0 on Saturday. Southgate’s opposite number Michele Marcolini said the minnows, ranked 172nd in the world, could not get anywhere near the visitors as they had an “amazing attitude on the pitch from the first minute”. That is the product of the impressive mindset cultivated by England, who are also expected to beat 65th-placed North Macedonia as this mammoth season finally comes to a close tomorrow. Put to Southgate that progress to date will count for nothing if complacency seeps in at Old Trafford, the England boss said: “Correct, yeah. That’s what we have to be. “We’ve just watched the team win three trophies. Why? Because pretty much every game I saw them play the mentality was spot on. “That helps when you’ve got competition for places like we have because also you know that you can’t afford a dip. You’ve got to produce. “So sometimes you can say things as a coach but the fact that there’s somebody sitting ready to take your place that’s a good player also has an impact. “But we have good professionals. Everybody, of course, is excited by our younger players, but our senior players have a big impact on the way they train. “The way they embrace the younger ones coming in and the way they demand in the dressing room, the mentality that they start to set, so it all plays a part.” Southgate utilised an experienced core in Malta, while giving Marc Guehi and James Maddison starts on a night when Trent Alexander-Arnold played in midfield. That experiment worked brilliantly as the Liverpool rightback put in a man-of-thematch display, scoring a fine effort and playing a part in England’s two other first half goals. Southgate admits England’s performance in Malta has slightly altered his thinking ahead of facing North Macedonia, but suggested it was down to other aspects than Alexander Arnold’s display. “Yep (the performance made me think differently) but not the obvious that you might think!,” he said with a smile. “We always have in mind what happens (next). Of course, there’s still training over the next couple of days also to take into account. “But what we saw tonight probably confirmed a couple of things, but also, you know, left one or two things open. “You’ve always got a plan but normally we’re on plan E, F or G by the time we get to matchday because of the players we’ve lost or things that have happened. “So, you always have to be flexible but pleased to get the players off that we got off and nice to give some minutes to some others as well.” Harry Kane – who scored England’s third – Luke Shaw, Jordan Henderson and Maddison were withdrawn in the second half after Bukayo Saka was taken off at the break. The 21-year-old forward had looked in discomfort after a tackle just before halftime, but Southgate moved to allay any injury concerns. “He is good,” the England boss said. “We just thought there’s no point in taking any chances with the scoreline as it was.” In truth, Saturday’s straightforward match in Malta will not live long in the memory but it will be forever etched in Eberechi Eze’s memory. Denied a place in England’s provisional Euro 2020 squad by a cruelly timed Achilles injury, the Crystal Palace midfielder finally made his debut as a 70th-minute substitute at the Ta’ Qali National Stadium. “He’s fabulous boy, I have to say. He really gives a lot of energy every day, which is brilliant,” Southgate said. – The Independent or download app from the App Store or Google Play TM . Read iPaper at www.thesundaily.my FREE access Interactive MONDAY • JUNE 19, 2023 █ MIGUEL DELANEY England’s Harry Kane (right) in action with Malta’s Zach Muscat during the Euro 2024 Qualifier Group C match. – REUTERSPIX No complacency Southgate wants England to retain winning mentality on road to Euro 2024 █ SIMON PEACH The ‘problem’ Mbappe faces after disrupting entire transfer market