providing an exceptional bus service that will draw passengers from private vehicles. “Complementing the rail demand will be useful too. Additional measures to deter private transport use may also provide a faster and more sustainable impact on relieving congestion.” Universiti Putra Malaysia Road Safety Research Centre head Assoc Prof Dr Law Teik Hua said aside from addressing overlapping bus services, there should not be undue pressure on the ministry to handle the immense task of managing the proposed 4,000 buses daily from 766 currently in the Klang Valley. INSIDE TELLING IT AS IT IS ONMONDAY SEPTEMBER 25, 2023 No. 8358 PP 2644/12/2012 (031195) www.thesundaily.my Fruitful visit to US, says Anwar NEWYORK: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said his four-day visit to the US has successfully highlighted Malaysia’s stance on global issues and raised the country’s profile on the international stage. He said the visit also provided an opportunity for him to share the country’s policies and aspirations related to international relations. “Indeed, the results are good and our international profile has increased. Following meetings with my counterparts, I have had the opportunity to share experiences and exchange opinions on global issues and common interests,” he said. He told a press conference at the end of his visit to New York to participate in the 78th UN General Assembly that he received many requests for meetings on the sidelines of the general assembly. “There were so many requests for bilateral meetings that we couldn’t cope because of time constraints. I am happy Malaysia’s international profile has risen to a position that is admirable,” he added Anwar, who is also finance minister, said the visit provided an opportunity for Malaysia to highlight international issues such as the Ukraine-Russia conflict, Islamophobia, climate change and problems in Myanmar. While in New York, Anwar said he had the opportunity to hold bilateral meetings with the leaders of Turkiye, Iraq, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Iraq, Bernama reported. Anwar also said efforts to attract more investment and trade to Malaysia continue to bear fruit through meetings with several large US companies. Anwar held meetings and interacted with 15 leading US companies listed in the Fortune 500, including Airbnb, Amazon, Amazon Web Services, Boeing, ConocoPhillips and KimberlyClark at the Harvard Club. Stern action to be taken over homestay spycam case 2 page Ethics poser in outsourcing student assignments 3 page KITCHEN DANCE ... Participants warming up prior to the start of the Apron Walk 2023 held to mark World Food Safety Day at Anjung Floria in Putrajaya yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC Beyond buses oFocus on creating better and more integrated public transport system, say experts █ BYQALIF ZUHAIR [email protected] PETALING JAYA: While Transport Minister Anthony Loke said last week that the Land Public Transport Agency will coordinate bus routes in the Klang Valley to improve services, experts have instead called for a better and more integrated system of public transport. Universiti Sains Malaysia School of Civil Engineering Transport Engineering lecturer Prof Datuk Dr Ahmad Farhan Mohd Sadullah said increasing the number of buses should see an increase in the number of passengers, but congestion remains a serious issue. “Supplying more buses would increase Turn to — page 2 passengers, but it will not necessarily solve traffic congestion if the buses only attract new travellers and not prompt motorists and motorcyclists to use buses. “Congestion will only be relieved when traffic is below road capacity.” Ahmad Farhan said achieving this requires multiple strategies, one of which is for the ministry to improve the roads first. He said having more buses would only achieve the desired results if they are adequately designed to serve their numerous functions in the Klang Valley’s urban setting. “Buses provide the first and last-mile travel for urban rail users such as LRT and MRT. It is also the local transport in towns where most short-distance travel occurs and links to longer-distance travel.” Ahmad Farhan said Loke’s plan is a good start, but the immediate focus should be on Turn to — page 2
2 theSUN ON MONDAY | SEPTEMBER 25, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS Stern action to be taken over homestay spycam case KUALA LUMPUR: The Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry views as serious the claims by foreign tourists that a hidden camera was installed inside a wall socket at a homestay where they were staying. Its minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing said the Sabah government, the state Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry and related agencies have been asked to take stern action over the allegations, which were revealed on Shanghaibased social media platform Xiaohongshu on Sept 14, and later shared by local news portals. “Stern and appropriate punishment should be imposed on any party found guilty because this kind of reprehensible act not only violates the laws but also affects the image of the country’s tourism industry. “I would like to remind all homestay operators or owners, who oPerpetrator must be punished as act violates law and tarnishes image of country, says minister Education Ministry ready to face floods Fadhlina chatting with a student during the opening of the centre at Sekolah Kebangsaan Sungai Aceh yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC are registered under the ministry and have obtained a grading from the ministry, if they are found to be breaking the law and are convicted, stern action will be taken such as revoking their registration and grading,” he said in a post on his Facebook page yesterday. Tiong reminded all homestay operators or owners registered under Airbnb to pay serious attention to discipline and check the backgrounds of their employees. “There is no denying that things such as this may happen due to the personal actions of irresponsible homestay or Airbnb workers.” He said the ministry will not compromise on such matters. On a separate issue, the ministry’s deputy secretarygeneral (Culture) Mohd Yusri Mohd Yusoff said the ministry would continue to promote the country’s art, culture and heritage in line with the National Culture Policy, Bernama reported. He said the country has several intangible heritage elements recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation such as Mak Yong (2005), Dondang Sayang (2018), Silat (2019), Wangkang Ceremony (2020), Pantun (2020) and Songket (2021). “The ministry is taking a serious role to ensure that these elements are preserved and restored over time. “This is to ensure that future generations also get to see and learn them, and to maintain continuity of the country’s arts and culture,” he said at the opening ceremony of the Kelate Folk Art Festival 2023 in Pantai Geting on Saturday. The festival is an event that highlights the uniqueness of art, culture and traditional heritage of the East Coast community, particularly in Kelantan, through activities such as dance competitions, traditional art performances like dikir barat, Siamese drums and traditional games. Apart from cultural performances, there are religious lectures, qasidah performances and azan competitions, held in collaboration with Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia and Yayasan Islam Kelantan. “Bus mobility should be the key focus, ensuring the seamless movement of the vehicles in the Klang Valley,” he said. He added that the routes should be revised to create an effective network, along with better coordination with traffic light sensors that require precise timing. Law also said considering the broader impact, a comprehensive approach towards an integrated public transport system should be adopted, rather than relying solely on buses. “Malaysia should not just focus on improving bus routes, but all forms of public transport to connect the country with an integrated public transport system.” He said balancing the competition between public transport, private cars, and motorcycles is complex. “The limitations of the MRT and the impracticality of ‘park and ride’ schemes should be addressed, including measures like reducing parking spots or increasing toll charges to incentivise the use of public transport.” Law said the improvements require the government to make up its mind on what exactly it wants to achieve and have its efforts driven by strong political will. “There is a need for informed decision-making processes and continuous evaluation of these efforts, as well as input from nearby communities, especially public transport users.” Aid to buy Quran learning machines PUTRAJAYA: The Federal Territory Islamic Religious Council has provided aid of RM150,000 to the Association of Blind Muslims Malaysia and the Al-Rayyan Welfare Association of Malaysia for the purchase of Al-Quran learning machines. Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar said the fund is for the purchase of the machines, each costing RM3,000, to facilitate the learning of the Quran by members of the associations. The council gives priority to the disabled to ensure that they get the opportunity to read the Quran, he said in a statement yesterday. He added that the assistance provided by the council for the disabled is in line with the Al-Falah Transformation Plan, which is based on five elements, including Sustainable Islamic Administration, Human Well-being and Islamic Institutions. He said the plan, among other things, focuses on efforts to strengthen understanding and appreciation of religion among Muslims, including the disabled, homeless and asnaf (tithe recipients). The plan was launched in January this year and was designed based on the philosophy and spirit of hayya ‘alal falah (heading to success), which is mentioned every time in the azan. – Bernama Public transport users input needed From front page Preschools to have internet access KUCHING: The Community Development Department has entered into a strategic partnership with Telekom Malaysia to provide internet facilities in all its preschools (tabika), said Rural and Regional Development Deputy Minister Datuk Rubiah Wang. She said a total of 51 tabika in Sarawak have benefitted from the collaboration. “The ministry remains committed to ensuring that preschool children in rural areas, especially in Sarawak, are not left behind in this digital age,” she said at the closing ceremony of the state-level Community Development Department Potential Day yesterday. – Bernama NIBONG TEBAL: The Education Ministry is prepared to face floods in the country with the approach of the monsoon season, said its minister Fadhlina Sidek. She said the ministry is in contact with the National Disaster Management Agency and working together with the agency to face any disaster. “We are always prepared. The coordinating committee has discussed the matter and the Flood Monitoring Centre is also prepared for the monsoon season,” she said after the opening of a Multidimensional Centre at Sekolah Kebangsaan Sungai Aceh yesterday. She said the ministry has finalised the mechanism for flood preparations, including schools that might be used as relief centres, Bernama reported. Yesterday, Perak, Sabah and Sarawak were hit by floods, resulting in the evacuation of hundreds of residents to relief centres. On another matter, Fadhlina said the ministry has provided guidelines to be observed by teachers when meting out punishment. “The guidelines are there, so we want all parties to ensure that they are followed,” she said when asked about a proposal by a non-governmental organisation for the presence of a witness when meting out punishments to students. This followed an incident last Friday, in which a teacher of a school in Klang was reported to have slapped a student on the face over a missing letter. At the Invest Malaysia New York event attended by equity and bond capital market investors with assets under management reaching US$40 trillion (RM187.6 trillion), Anwar gave the government’s commitment to ensuring a conducive investment environment. He said he was happy with his decision to attend the general assembly although he initially did not want to because of various domestic issues. “There were domestic issues to be resolved, so many changes, such as energy transformation, industrial master plan, civil economy, the mid-term review of the 12th Malaysian Plan and by-elections. “It was really heavy ... fortunately things are much better now.” Anwar also commended the staff of the Malaysian Embassy in the US and Permanent Mission of Malaysia to the UN, Foreign Ministry, Investment, the Trade and Industry Ministry and other agencies involved in making his visit a success. Anwar commends M’sian agencies From front page
3 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON MONDAY | SEPTEMBER 25, 2023 Move to strengthen civil service PUTRAJAYA: The 27th Public Service Psychology Conference that will be held from tomorrow until Wednesday in Shah Alam, Selangor, is aimed at building the resilience of civil servants to strengthen the civil service. Public Service Department Psychology Management Service director Dr Abdul Jalil Hassan said resilience is the ability or capacity to keep going when something bad happens or when faced with challenges and difficulties in personal life or working environment. “This ability is an essential trait because civil servants constantly face challenges, pressure and complex situations daily. They are entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring the smooth running of the public service. In order to cultivate resilience, their mental, emotional and physical well-being must be attended to.” He said the components that need to be focused on to build resilience among civil servants include mental health, training and education, physical health and fitness, work-life balance, stress management techniques as well as crisis intervention and debriefing, to prevent developing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. “Building the resilience of civil servants is not meant for just their well-being but it is also beneficial for the community they serve. Officers who have resilience skills would be able to handle challenges, make better decisions and have a positive impact on public services.” Some 500 participants comprising psychology officers, human resource managers and integrity officers from numerous ministries, departments, agencies, and Public Service Counselling Associates as well as academicians and university lecturers are expected to attend. – Bernama Campaigning parties urged to behave BENTONG: “Don’t behave badly in Pelangai.” That is the advice of residents to political parties campaigning in the state seat by-election. The campaign period for the polls started on Saturday after the nomination process was completed and will end at 11.59pm on Oct 6. Resident Sharif Muhammad, 36, of Kampung Shafie said all parties need to have a sense of responsibility not to disrupt the harmony and order of the area with excessive campaigns, including raising race, religion and royal institution issues. “Here, there are many Felda settlers but there are also people of various races. So, don’t incite things that can trigger disharmony and mind the language, because the current trend is such that what leaders say that goes viral online will be followed by young people.” He added that he does not want life in the community, which is peaceful, to be strained due to political issues. Sabar Sarip, 66, said as a person who was born, raised and has settled in Simpang Pelangai, she is in tune with the constituency, which she described as very peaceful. “Nowadays, outsiders like to come here. We welcome everyone, including those who want to campaign. Any party is welcome as long as they don’t promote negative things that have a bad effect on us residents,” she said. Pahang village heads chief Razak Beretong said candidates need to campaign responsibly by championing local issues, which should include the Orang Asli community. “For example, a majority of the Orang Asli here are rubber tappers and they face income problems as the price of rubber is very low at the moment, at around RM2.70 per kg, not to mention the increase in the cost of raw materials. So, the family’s economy is also unstable,” he said. – Bernama Terengganu assembly speaker appointed KUALA TERENGGANU: Bukit Payung assemblyman Datuk Mohd Nor Hamzah was appointed speaker of the Terengganu State Legislative Assembly yesterday. The former Terengganu Human Development, Dakwah and Information Committee chairman Mohd Nor took the oath of office at a swearing-in ceremony before the state assembly secretary Zulkifly Isa at Wisma Darul Iman. Mohd Nor, 51, who is also state PAS Liaison Body treasurer, became an assemblyman in 2008 and held the position of a state executive council (exco) member for one term, from May 2018 until June this year. Meanwhile, Seberang Takir assemblyman Khazan Che Mat was appointed as deputy speaker. A total of 32 elected representatives who won in the state elections recently also took the oath of office before Zulkifly at the same ceremony. Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar led the swearing-in ceremony, followed by 10 exco members and 21 other assemblymen. – Bernama PETALING JAYA: The rise of online assignment helpers has sparked a contentious debate within the education community. These assignment helpers, sometimes called “essay mills,” offer services to assist students struggling with tight deadlines or complex assignments. While some argue that the service provides much-needed support to overwhelmed students, others fear it may promote academic dishonesty and undermine the integrity of the education system. But many postgraduate students and working professionals have benefitted from the services of assignment helpers. With demanding schedules and multiple commitments, these individuals often struggle to meet the rigorous demands of their academic courses. A 28-year-old postgraduate student in his second year in bioinformatics at Universiti Selangor, who asked to be known only as Melvin, said: “Assignment helpers have provided invaluable assistance in managing my coursework while balancing my work responsibilities. “They have helped me stay on track and maintain a good academic record, ensuring my success in both areas. Their services include customised assistance, enabling students like me to get clarification, guidance and support to complete our assignments effectively.” Nur Amiliana Nazri, a former assignment helper and current secondary school Malay language teacher, said not all assignment helpers operate unethically. “While some students may misuse the services of assignment helpers, we cannot disregard the fact that many genuinely require assistance due to various reasons, such as language barriers, mental health issues or personal emergencies. “During the Covid-19 pandemic, I began assisting undergraduate and postgraduate students with their assignments. “Online learning presents numerous challenges and tasks for students, making it difficult for them to complete their work within the given time. “I stopped providing the service after faceto-face classes resumed. However, I will accept assignments upon request by my regular clients. Although financial compensation was a factor, the most rewarding aspect was the opportunity to assist many students to complete and pass their subjects on schedule.” Private university business school senior lecturer Assoc Prof Dr Hindumathie Panirselvam said such services thwart the principles of academic integrity. “It encourages plagiarism and intellectual laziness and promotes a culture of ‘paying for success’, which does not align with the principles of genuine learning and knowledge acquisition. “The availability of assignment helper services has granted students an easy escape from the challenges of critical thinking and independent learning. “As a result, there are concerns that students may over-rely on such services, compromising their ability to develop the essential skills required for their careers.” To address such concerns, Hindumathie said many universities have established strict policies and guidelines on academic conduct, stressing the importance of originality and individual effort. “These policies include educating students about the ethical implications of using assignment helpers and the potential consequences they may face. The universities are encouraging students to seek support from on-campus resources instead.” She added that while seeking assistance and guidance is not inherently wrong, it is crucial for students to recognise the importance of academic integrity. “Professors and teaching assistants are becoming more accessible to students, providing guidance and feedback to help them navigate the complexities of challenging assignments. “By developing time management skills, seeking appropriate academic support when needed and embracing a growth mindset toward their studies, students can achieve success without compromising integrity.” Ethics poser in outsourcing student assignments oFeedback from supporters and detractors indicate practice of using ‘essay mills’ may be double-edged sword KUALA LUMPUR: Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar has expressed hope that the tabling of Budget 2024 in Parliament next month will continue to give priority to the improvement of Islamic institutions and education. “The Islamic education system in this country is unique. It is not only coordinated and implemented under the federal government but also by the state governments through the state Islamic Religious Councils, the state Islamic Religious Departments and the state Islamic Foundations,” he said yesterday. – Bernama Islamic education hope in Budget █ BYSIVANISVARRY MORHAN [email protected] CULINARY TALENT ... A stall operator puts on a show while serving food at the Nasi Kandaq Fest event at Sunway Putra Mall in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. – ADIB RAWI YAHYA/ THESUN
4 theSUN ON MONDAY | SEPTEMBER 25, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS 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. Majority of eateries complying with hygiene standards PUTRAJAYA: A total of 43,107 of 45,467 premises inspected nationwide from January to August complied with hygiene requirements set for food handling, said Deputy Health Minister Lukanisman Awang Sauni. He added that 1,097 eateries were ordered to close for failing to meet standards. “This means more eateries are complying with hygiene standards, including food trucks,” he said at the Apron Walk event yesterday. Lukanisman said 235,245 eateries were inspected nationwide between 2020 and August this year, of which 4,767 were ordered to close under Section 11 of the Food Act 1983 for unhygienic conditions. According to him, 58,675 compounds were issued during the same period for various offences under the Food Regulations 1985. He also said 294 food poisoning cases were reported from January to August and 76 incidents occurred at schools under the Education Ministry. “We are working with the ministry on a programme to monitor and advise on hygienic aspects of food preparation at educational institutions.” Over 1,000 individuals participated in the Apron Walk, which was organised in conjunction with the national level World Food Safety Day and 60th anniversary of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, an international body that sets food control standards. – Bernama Villagers grateful for RM1 rice sale programme LUMUT: Locals from Manjung formed a queue as early as 6am to purchase 5kg of imported rice for only RM1 during a Misi Jual Beras RM1 event in Kampung Datuk Seri Kamaruddin yesterday. Officially starting at 9.30am, it took about 30 minutes for the goods to be completely sold out. Taman Samudera resident Siti Nordiana Kassim, 25, said she learned about the event from her neighbour, who shared it on social media. “I have never had this opportunity (to buy rice for RM1). My neighbour and I came here early because we did not want to miss out.” Local resident Halijah Kassim, 65, said she joined the queue at 7am. “At first, I thought it was just a scam because no one has sold rice for only RM1. However, the village head promoted it in our WhatsApp group. Only then did I believe it. “This event should be held more often because the price of rice has suddenly gone up. So, it helps reduce our expenses.” Ayer Tawar resident Suraya Residents of Kampung Datuk Seri Kamaruddin at the event yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC oNGO sells 1,000 packs at special price, distributes 120 for free to underprivileged, senior citizens and pregnant women Three siblings find niche in eco-friendly batik KANGAR: Three siblings in Langkawi are making waves by creating batik designs using natural materials, after having been inspired by their love for the environment. Suraizam Saad, 49, and her twin sisters Suraini and Suhaila, 40, use the “ecoprint” technique to produce patterned batik using curry, peka and jarak leaves, among others. “We also use turmeric, jackfruit skin and padang and ketapang leaves as dyes,” Suraizam said at the Festival Kraf Utara, adding that their products are chemical-free to protect the environment from pollution. “We only use tawas (alum) as a preservative to ensure the leaf patterns stick to the fabric.” She said the products, under their “Sue’s Collection Langkawi” brand, include headscarves, women’s clothing and earphone cases priced from RM10 to RM600. Suraizam added that she learned the technique through YouTube tutorials by producers in neighbouring countries like Indonesia and Thailand. “We received support and assistance from government agencies, especially from Kraftangan Langkawi, to improve the quality of our products.” She said their business is currently growing, successfully marketing products online to Singapore, the UK and other countries. Around 60 entrepreneurs are participating in the Festival Kraf Utara, which began on Sept 22 and ends on Oct 1. – Bernama Ibrahim, 42, said the event provided relief as she spends around RM50 just to purchase rice for her family. “Although I could only buy a bag of rice, it still lightens my family’s monthly expenses.” The inaugural programme by NGO Misi Rakyat provided 1,000 packs of rice and distributed an additional 120 packs for free to selected recipients, including the underprivileged, senior citizens and pregnant women, Bernama reported. Its founder Nur Ahmad Faiz Mohd Azmi said another such event would also be held in Kedah tomorrow. “We want to assist the less privileged in buying rice, considering the sudden increase in the price of the staple food. “We also hope that it can be implemented nationwide, if there are parties willing to contribute to this programme.”
5 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON MONDAY | SEPTEMBER 25, 2023 Flash floods mainly due to extreme rainfall: DID IPOH: The recent flash floods in Perak were primarily due to the exceptionally heavy or extraordinary rainfall, said state Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) director Ahmad Shahrir Md Naziri. He said the department found that some flood incidents were due to rainfall of over 50 ARI (average recurrence interval), which is an exceptionally high reading for small rivers. “In Perak, most of the flooding occurred in areas with relatively narrow rivers and their usual capacity could handle only about two to five ARI. “We have implemented various methods to address this matter and carried out flood preparedness programmes earlier, which ran smoothly but it was somewhat surprising because floods occurred while the construction process was still oMeasures implemented to address issue and preparation programmes conducted, says department director Four foreign fishing boats seized, 43 crew held PASIR PUTEH: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) detained four fishing vessels and 43 Vietnamese fishermen, including their skippers, for illegal fishing in the country’s waters on Thursday. Kelantan MMEA deputy director (operations) Maritime Commander Khairun Dalilah Baharun said the illegal fishing vessels were detained during Op Damai, Op Khas Kuda Laut, Op Naga Barat and Op Tiris patrols by the KD Amanah enforcement vessel about 125 to 150 nautical miles from the Tok Bali estuary. She said two of the boats were detained at 8.18am and 9.01am, and the other two were seized while the enforcement vessel was escorting the first two boats back to the detention jetty at 2.32pm and 2.50pm. “The fishing boats tried to flee towards international waters when they were ordered to stop. “The enforcement vessel had to overtake them and board the boats by force. All the fishermen on board were Vietnamese men aged between 16 and 61,” she said during a press conference at the MMEA Tok Bali office yesterday. Khairun Dalilah said the four boats had some 6,000kg of fish on board, and put the value of the catch, navigation and communication equipment as well as diesel seized in the operation at RM3.86 million. “The case will be investigated under Section 6(1) of the Immigration Act 1963 for failure to provide any valid identity document, and the four skippers (face charges) under Section 16(3) of the Fisheries Act 1985,” she said. She added that a total of 17 Vietnamese fishing vessels with 137 fishermen and skippers on board have been detained by the Kelantan MMEA so far this year, with an estimated RM18.56 million in seized items. – Bernama Khairun Dalilah examining one of the seized boats. – BERNAMAPIC under way,” he said during a media conference yesterday. He added that instructions have been issued to expedite ongoing flood preparedness projects. Earlier, Ahmad Shahrir attended the state-level World Rivers Day celebration and the launching of Friends of Kinta River Basin (FOKiRB) by state infrastructure, energy, water and public transport committee chairman Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, Bernama reported. As of yesterday, the State Disaster Management Committee Secretariat in a statement said the number of flood evacuees rose to 38 people from 35 on Saturday and were placed at the temporary relief centre in Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Changkat Lobak in the Kerian district. Meanwhile, Mohammad Nizar said FOKiRB, which was established last year, currently has 40 members from 17 community groups or local organisations in the vicinity of the Kinta River catchment area. “The members have been empowered in the care of Sungai Kinta, serving as the eyes and ears of government agencies and departments to monitor and report incidents of pollution,” he said. FOKiRB members, community groups and the Kinta district DID yesterday received appreciation certificates and river monitoring kits to assist in carrying out river maintenance activities in their respective areas. Meanwhile, a total of 299 evacuees are still at four relief centres in three flood-hit states as of 9am yesterday. In Sabah, the number of evacuees in Beaufort remains at 228, involving 72 families from five villages, and they are accommodated at the Dewan Selagon relief centre. There was no change in the figures in Sarawak, with 33 evacuees involving seven families at two centres in the Limbang Division. Joint efforts to curb phone scams KUALA LUMPUR: Inter-agency cooperation has led to the success in curbing scams via phone calls and SMS. This was made possible through smart partnerships between police, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission and teleco companies, among others. Bukit Aman commercial crime investigation department director Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf said efforts to combat such crime, which has caused victims to lose millions of ringgit, will be further intensified. He said apart from cooperation among agencies, existing laws also need to be looked into as the crime is constantly evolving and contains new elements. “Perhaps, the existing laws are inadequate because the modi operandi have changed. Also, the explosive development of artificial intelligence technology requires a revision of the laws,” he said, adding that the offence still falls under Section 420 of the Penal Code. On Sept 22, Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil said almost two billion suspicious calls and 581 million suspicious SMS were successfully blocked from reaching consumers, with the assistance of telco service providers. From 2020 to April, the ministry also received a total of 8,499 complaints related to fraudulent activities and within the same period successfully blocked 3,370 phishing sites. G. Dachainee, a 24-year-old student, said the restrictions were a relief but the problem was still worrying as some people were not aware of the development of technology. “The proposal is good enough to curb online fraud, but the way the perpetrators are identified needs to be improved as the victims involved are mostly the elderly and students,” she said. Businesswoman Amirah Idris, 35, said the anti-scam efforts show the government views the problem of online fraud seriously, but people should always be vigilant as cybercrime can be committed in various ways. “I think the government’s efforts need to be improved because there are still loopholes in the measures, such as verifying personal information through links on websites, such as banking applications.” – Bernama Angler drowns after boat overturns JERTIH: A man angling for freshwater prawns with his friend and went missing after their boat overturned near the Pengkalan Nangka Dam (Tok Gong) in Sungai Besut on Saturday was found drowned yesterday morning. The body of the victim, Husin Jusoh, 46, was found at 7.45am by a search and rescue team about 250m from where he was last seen. Besut district police chief Supt Abdul Rozak Muhammad said the victim’s family confirmed the identity and the body was sent to the Besut Hospital Forensic Unit for a post-mortem. “The search and rescue operation ended at 9am and police opened a ‘sudden death’ investigation paper. Police are waiting for the (postmortem) report,” he said in a statement yesterday. On Saturday, the media reported that Husin was feared to have drowned while fishing for giant freshwater prawns with a friend. – Bernama Body of woman found on beach MALACCA: The body of a woman, believed to be a local, was found washed up at Pantai Puteri in Tanjung Kling at 8am yesterday. Central Malacca district police chief ACP Christopher Patit said the deceased, believed to be in her 20s, was found by passers-by. “Based on the initial examination of the body, there were no injuries or elements of crime and the identity of the victim is being established through her fingerprints. “However, we believe the victim is a Malaysian based on the BCG (Bacillus Calmette Guerin) injection mark on her left arm,” he said yesterday. The victim’s body was taken to the Malacca Hospital Forensic Department for a post-mortem and urged the public with any information related to the incident to come to the nearest police station to assist investigations. – Bernama Continuous rain warning KUALA LUMPUR: The Meteorological Department issued an alert-level continuous rain warning for Perlis and several areas in Kedah yesterday and today. In a statement, the department said the affected areas in Kedah include Langkawi, Kubang Pasu, Kota Setar, Pokok Sena, Padang Terap, Yan and Pendang. In a separate statement, it said strong westerly winds are expected to blow and persist in the northern area of Peninsular Malaysia until today. “This situation has the potential to produce thunderstorms with heavy rain and strong winds over an extended period in the northern states of Peninsular Malaysia, including the coastal areas of these states,” it said. The public is advised to refer to the department’s official website at www.met.gov.my, social media platforms or download the myCuaca application for the latest and accurate information. – Bernama
6 theSUN ON MONDAY | SEPTEMBER 25, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS /thesuntelegram FOLLOW ON TELEGRAM SCAN ME Tourist calls police after being charged S$938 for chilli crab SINGAPORE: A group of tourists were left so “speechless” by an eye-watering restaurant bill in the city-state that they called the police. Junko Shinba, from Japan, was visiting Singapore with three others when they stopped at Seafood Paradise to dine on chilli crab. But the quartet were shocked when they were charged S$938 (RM3,222) for the dish. The waiter recommended the Alaskan king crab dish, Shinba claimed, which is priced at S$26.80 per 100gm, reported Asia One. While the menu on the restaurant’s website states that this particular crab dish has a “seasonal price”, the others are clearly priced based on weight – though Shinba alleged that the waiter did not explain this to her party. Other dishes they ordered have a set price. For example, tom yum soup costs S$12.80 and braised pork belly ribs are priced at S$12.90. The issue came to a head when the group was presented with the bill, which totalled S$1,322.37. “We all became speechless knowing that one dinner for four adults cost that much. “None of us were informed that the whole crab would be cooked only for us, as some other restaurants serve crabs partially,” Shinba said. “There were three plates full of crab and many other dishes, we were unable to finish everything.” She called the police, who turned up at the restaurant to resolve the complaint. Seafood Paradise confirmed that it eventually offered a discount of S$107.40 “out of goodwill”, though Shinba claimed she has contacted the Singapore Tourism Board about the issues. In a statement, Paradise Group, which operates Seafood Paradise, said it was “deeply upset by the inaccurate claims made by this group of customers, seemingly aimed at tarnishing (its) reputation”. It stated that staff “communicated twice to the customers that the price of the Alaskan king crab was the same as the Scotland snow crab, while pointing to the menu”, and that “they even brought the whole live Alaskan king crab to the table before preparation”. Still images from CCTV appear to back up the restaurant’s claims, with the group being seen taking photos with the live creature. – The Independent B R I E F S BIDEN TO HOST PACIFIC ISLAND LEADERS WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden will host a second summit with Pacific island leaders this week, part of a US charm offensive to block further Chinese inroads into a strategic region Washington has long considered its own backyard. During the three-day meeting, the US will announce diplomatic recognition for two Pacific islands, promise new money for infrastructure, including to improve internet connectivity via undersea cables. The White House said this year’s effort would focus on climate change, economic growth, sustainable development, public health and countering illegal fishing. The US will also officially recognise the Cook Islands and Niue. – Reuters MAN DIES AFTER BEING GORED BY BULL MADRID: A man died from his injuries after he was gored by a bull at a festival in eastern Spain. The Spaniard, who was not named, was gored in his side by a bull called Cocinero during the bull running festival in the town of Pobla de Farnals in Valencia region on Saturday. He was taken to hospital but died later, officials there said yesterday. A second Spaniard was gored in the leg by the same bull and was in a stable condition in hospital. Bulls are released into the streets and runners dash ahead of them in a tradition played out in 1,820 Spanish municipalities every year. – Reuters Philippines condemns Chinese ‘floating barrier’ MANILA: The Philippines yesterday accused China’s coast guard of installing a “floating barrier” in a disputed area of the South China Sea, saying it prevented Filipinos from entering and fishing in the area. Manila’s coast guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources “strongly condemn” China’s installation of the barrier in part of the Scarborough Shoal, coast guard spokesman Jay Tarriela posted on the X social media platform. The barrier blocking fishermen from the shoal was depriving them of their fishing oFishermen blocked from Scarborough Shoal deprived of livelihood: Coast guard and livelihood activities”, the spokesman said. “The (Philippine coast guard) will continue to work closely with all concerned government agencies to address these challenges, uphold our maritime rights and protect our maritime domains,” Tarriela said. The Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately reply to requests for comment. China claims 90% of the South China Sea, overlapping with the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines. Beijing seized the Scarborough Shoal in 2012 and forced fishermen from the Philippines to travel further for smaller catches. Beijing allowed Filipino fishermen to return to the uninhabited shoal when bilateral relations were improving markedly under then-president Rodrigo Duterte. But tension has mounted again since his Survivor of lethal mushroom mystery leaves hospital CANBERRA: An Australian man who unwittingly ate the same dish containing deadly mushrooms that killed three other diners has been released from hospital, his family said. Nearly two months after eating a beef Wellington dish, which police believe contained “death cap” mushrooms, during a family lunch, Ian Wilkinson left the hospital. Each lethal mushroom contains enough poison to kill a healthy adult, experts said. Despite having fallen gravely ill after eating the contaminated meal, Wilkinson has made “significant progress in his recovery” and was discharged on Friday, his family said. Other diners – Wilkinson’s wife Heather, as well as married couple Don and Gail Patterson – all died after also experiencing food poisoning symptoms. The lethal mushroom mystery gripped Australia after Erin Patterson cooked and served the beef Wellington for her estranged parents-in-law, Don and Gail, as well as the Wilkinson couple, on July 29. Erin has been named as a suspect because she appeared to remain in good health despite her four guests falling gravely ill. She was married to Don and Gail’s son Simon, but the couple had been living separately for some time. She has not been charged and police have provided no evidence of wrongdoing. Erin reportedly said she unknowingly bought the deadly mushrooms from a grocery store and that the poisonings were accidental. Death cap mushrooms sprout freely in parts of Australia. – AFP successor, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, took office last year. Philippine coast guard and fisheries bureau personnel discovered the floating barrier, estimated at 300m long, on a routine patrol on Friday near the shoal, locally known as Bajo de Masinloc, Tarriela said. Three Chinese coast guard rigid-hull inflatable boats and a Chinese maritime militia service boat installed the barrier when the Philippine vessel arrived, he said. Filipino fishermen said China typically installs such barriers when they monitor a large number of fishermen in the area, Tarriela said. The Chinese boats issued 15 radio challenges and accused the Philippine ship and fishermen of violating international and China’s laws, before moving away “upon realising the presence of media personnel onboard the (Filipino) vessel”, he said. – Reuters Crocs push stray dog to safety after it falls into river NEW DELHI: In an apparent example of interspecies compassion, a group of crocodiles appeared to usher a dog to safety after it fell into a dangerous river. The dog, believed to be a stray, was being chased by a pack of other feral canines when it jumped into the River Savirtri in India. But the river was infested with local mugger crocodiles, and three of them were floating near the stray. This should have been the end of the helpless pup, with the crocs being “well within the striking range”, according to a report published by scientists in the Journal of Threatening Taxa. However, the crocodiles appeared to usher the dog back to safety on the shore. “They were actually touching the dog with their snouts and nudging it to move further for a safe ascent on the bank and eventually escape,” the researchers wrote. “The muggers were well within the striking range and could have easily devoured the dog, yet none of them attacked and instead chose to nudge it towards the bank, implying that the hunger drive was absent.” Adult male mugger crocs can reach 18 feet long and weigh up to 1,000 pounds, according to the Wildlife Institute of India. The researchers said they believe that the pup rescue could be a sign of the crocs having emotional intelligence. “The curious case seems more on lines of empathy than altruistic behaviour,” the scientists said. – The Independent A Chinese coast guard ship shadowing Philippine fishing boats anchored near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. – AFPPIC
7 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON MONDAY | SEPTEMBER 25, 2023 Thousands march against police violence in France PARIS: Tens of thousands of people marched in France on Saturday to protest police violence in demonstrations organised by the left, with clashes breaking out on the margins of the Paris rally. The nationwide protest came just under three months after the point-blank-range killing by a policeman of a youth at a traffic check sparked more than a week of rioting in Paris and elsewhere. In the capital, demonstrators of all ages held placards proclaiming “Stop state violence”, “Don’t forgive or forget” or “The law kills”. Demonstrators took particular aim at article 435-1 of the internal security code, introduced in 2017, which extends authorities’ leeway to shoot in the event of a suspect’s refusal to comply. They were responding to a call by the radical left including the hard-left France Unbowed. Unions said some 80,000 people joined the protests across France, including 15,000 in Paris, but the Interior Ministry put the number at 31,300 nationwide, with 9,000 in Paris. The government denounced “unacceptable violence” on the margins of the march in Paris, after officers were trapped in their police vehicle when it was attacked. Hundreds of hooded people wearing black broke away from the main march of several thousand people in Paris. They smashed the windows of a bank branch and threw objects at a police car stuck in traffic, an AFP reporter said. Paris police said the car was attacked with a crowbar and that anti-riot officers were forced to intervene. Police said three officers were slightly injured. A video later published by the BFMTV channel and shared on the internet showed a group of masked protesters running after the car, repeatedly kicking it, as one man smashes a window with a crowbar. An officer gets out and brandishes his service weapon, but does not fire it and gets back in the vehicle. “We see where anti-police hatred leads,” Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin wrote on X, formerly Twitter, denouncing “unacceptable violence” against the police. Paris police chief Laurent Nunez said three people had been arrested over the incident. In total, six people were arrested throughout the country, according to a report by the Interior Ministry. – AFP Benin fuel depot explosion kills 34 COTONOU: At least 34 people died in Benin near Nigeria’s border on Saturday when a contraband fuel depot exploded into flames, sending up a black cloud of smoke into the sky and leaving dozens of charred bodies at the site. The blaze erupted at a warehouse for smuggled fuel in the southern Benin town of Seme Podji, where cars, motorcycles and tricycle taxis came to stock up on fuel, according to local residents. Nigeria is a major oil producer and fuel smuggling is common inside the country and along its borders, with illegal refineries, fuel dumps and pipelines sometimes causing fires. “I am still in shock. We heard people screaming for help. But the intensity of the flames was too much for people to try to approach,” said local carpenter Innocent Sidokpohou. “I got gas for my motorcycle to go do my shopping. I left and barely five meters away I heard an explosion. When I turned around it was all black smoke.” Benin’s Interior Minister Alassane Seidou told reporters a serious fire had ocurred in the town, but did not give details. “Unfortunately, we have 34 deaths including two babies. Their bodies are charred because the cause of the fire is smuggled fuel.” The minister said another 20 people were being treated in hospital. – AFP Russia accuses West of direct fighting in Ukraine NEW YORK: Western powers through their support to Ukraine have effectively entered direct fighting against Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday. “You can call it anything you want, but they are fighting with us, they are straight-up fighting with us. We call it a hybrid war, but that doesn’t change things,” Lavrov told a news conference at the United Nations. US President Joe Biden has repeatedly said he is seeking to avoid oForeign minister scoffs at Zelensky’s blueprint for peace London policemen refuse firearms duties LONDON: A number of London policemen have stepped back from firearms duties after a fellow officer was charged with murder over the fatal shooting of a young black man, a force spokesman said yesterday. The specialist firearms officers, around 100 according to one report, had handed in their tickets, accreditation that allows them to carry guns while on duty. Last week, a London firearms officer appeared in court over the death of 24-year-old Chris Kaba in September last year. Kaba died hours after he was struck by a single gunshot fired into the vehicle he was driving in the Streatham area of south London. A Met Police spokesman said “a number of officers have taken the decision to step back from armed duties while they consider their position”, with the number rising in the past 48 hours. Police in Britain are not routinely armed and the small proportion who are authorised to carry guns are highly trained. “Many are worried about how the decision impacts on them, on their colleagues and on their families,” the spokesman said. “They are concerned that it signals a shift in the way the decisions they make in the most challenging circumstances will be judged.” The Met, the UK’s largest police force, has come under fire in recent years over a string of scandals including the kidnap, rape and murder of a young woman by a serving officer. The force has around 1,000 officers suspended or on restricted duties while they are investigated for alleged wrongdoing and incompetence. – AFP STAYING AFLOAT ... Venezuelan migrant Alexander Gallardo is helped by a member of the Panamanian National Border Service as he uses plastic bottles to cross the Turquesa River with an injured knee near the village of Bajo Chiquito, the first border checkpoint in Panama’s Darien province. – AFPPIC B R I E F S120,000 ARMENIANS TO LEAVE FOR ARMENIA YEREVAN: The 120,000 ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh will leave for Armenia as they do not want to live as part of Azerbaijan and fear ethnic cleansing, the leadership of the breakaway region told Reuters yesterday. Armenia Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also said the Karabakh Armenians were likely to leave the region, and that Armenia was ready to take them in, following a defeat last week at the hands of Azerbaijan in a conflict dating back to the fall of the Soviet Union. The Armenians of Karabakh, a territory internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan but previously beyond Baku’s control, were forced to declare a ceasefire on Sept 20 after a lightning 24-hour military operation by the much larger Azerbaijani military. – Reuters COP KILLED IN ATTACK IN NORTH KOSOVO PRISTINA: One policeman was killed and another wounded in north Kosovo yesterday during an armed attack on a patrol as it approached a blocked road near the border with Serbia. “As soon as they arrived in the vicinity of the place where the blockade was reported, the police units were attacked from several positions with an arsenal of firearms, including hand grenades and shoulder-fired missiles,” police said in a statement. Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti was quick to condemn the attack, calling the ambush an act of terrorism. “The attackers are professionals with masks and armed with heavy weapons. We condemn this criminal and terrorist attack,” Kurti wrote on social media. – AFP a direct confrontation with Russia, a fellow nuclear power, and will not send American troops. His administration has also distanced itself from Ukrainian attacks into Russia itself. But Lavrov pointed to the billions of dollars in Western military equipment provided to Kyiv since Russia attacked last year, as well as US and British intelligence support and the presence of Western military advisers. Westerners are “de facto fighting against us, using the hands and bodies of Ukrainians”, Lavrov said. “I think everybody present here who pays at least some attention to ... the situation in Ukraine knows very well that Americans, Britons and others are fighting, first of all, through providing more and more weapons.” The minister also pointed to the presence in Ukraine of Western mercenaries. The US and several other Western governments said they discourage citizens from travelling to Ukraine and that such fighters have gone on their own. Lavrov was taking part in the annual UN General Assembly, where all eyes were on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who flew to New York to appeal for greater support against the invasion. Zelensky on Wednesday addressed a special Security Council session, in which he demanded that Russia be stripped of its veto. Lavrov showed up well after the Ukrainian president had spoken. “I watched it on TV. He seemed rather grim,” Lavrov said. “But I have my own affairs to attend to. We all knew what he was going to say, so why waste time?” Zelensky has promoted a 10-point blueprint for ending the war that would include a complete Russian withdrawal from Ukrainian territory – including Crimea, which Moscow seized in 2014 – and a special tribunal for accountability on war crimes. Lavrov scoffed at Zelensky’s plan and denounced the US and European Union for backing it. “It is not realistic and everybody understands this, but at the same time they say this is the only basis for negotiations. “We draw our conclusion that nobody wants to seriously show an understanding of what is happening.” On ending the conflict, “under these circumstances, if they say it’s on the battlefield, then fine, it’ll be on the battlefield”, he said. – AFP
8 theSUN ON MONDAY | SEPTEMBER 25, 2023 SPEAK UP Nod for foreign nurses lauded Or download app on the AppStore or Google Play ENJOY A SEAMLESS READING EXPERIENCE. Read our iPaper at https://www.thesundaily.my/ I WAS recently admitted to a private hospital near where I live for a minor chest infection. It is one of those conditions that come with being 76. Thank God, the doctor was able to sort out the problem fast. However, during my three nights in the hospital, I noticed that the ward I was in was understaffed. There were only about three or four nurses overseeing probably a dozen or so patients on my floor. They looked tired having to juggle the different needs of the patients, including accompanying doctors on their rounds, on top of performing administrative duties. I spoke to one of the nurses, who looked haggard, at the end of her shift. She said one of her fellow nurses had fallen ill that day, while another had gone on an earlier-than-expected maternity leave. This was why she and her colleagues were stretched. To be fair, all of them had done a good job, given their limitations. However, I was surprised to find out that the shortage of nurses in private hospitals was not confined to the ward or the hospital I was at. It is quite widespread in private hospitals throughout the country. Part of the reason is that the young are not so keen to pursue nursing as a career due to its long hours and low pay. Many would rather take up courses such as graphics design, marketing or human resources after their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination. Another reason is that many trained nurses prefer to work overseas, such as in Dubai, as they can get higher salaries. As a result, the country is facing a shortage of nurses. However, a few days ago, I was pleasantly surprised to read in the news that Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa had announced that private hospitals are allowed to hire foreign nurses starting next month, subject to certain conditions. I commend the decision by the minister, who is a trained doctor, for being conscientious in this matter as it can help alleviate the workload of nurses in the country. Nurses make up the critical backbone of our health and wellness sector. Well done to the Health Ministry. As a retiree, I can vouch that this move will provide much relief to not only patients but also healthcare practitioners. Aloycious Goh Sungai Petani READ OUR HERE /thesundaily SCAN ME LETTERS [email protected] Turning dental jitters into smiles THE emergence of a child’s first tooth is a significant milestone, often met with excitement from proud parents. This moment also marks the ideal time for their child’s first dental visit. However, for many children, the idea of visiting the dentist can stir up feelings of apprehension and anxiety. While such feelings are natural and common, the right approach can help ease these fears, transforming dental appointments into positive experiences. Introducing your child to dental visits shortly after the eruption of the first tooth and ensuring regular appointments thereafter can help him become familiar with the dental environment. This familiarity significantly reduces anxieties in subsequent visits. To make dental concepts more relatable at home, parents can play pretend dentist games. Activities, such as counting their teeth or demonstrating brushing on a toy, can make the dental process engaging and fun. For those seeking specialised care for their children, paediatric dentists are an option. These professionals specialise in treating children, ensuring that the young ones receive care tailored to their unique needs medically and emotionally. Paediatric dentists are adept at addressing the specific challenges and fears children may face, offering an environment that is comforting and age-appropriate. Today, many dental clinics recognise the need to cater to their younger patients. They are creating child-friendly environments complete with thematic designs, such as dinosaurs, under-the-sea adventures and even playground waiting areas. Such engaging themes can captivate children’s imaginations, diverting their attention and reducing anxiety before their appointments. The language we use to describe dental procedures can greatly influence a child’s perception. By avoiding alarming terms, such as “pain”, “shot” or “drill”, and allowing the dental team to use child-friendly vocabulary, parents can make visits less intimidating. Additionally, reading children’s books about dental appointments will familiarise the child with the process, making it less daunting. Parents play a pivotal role in shaping their child’s attitude toward dental visits. Children Assuring your child that the dentist is there to help, not harm, can provide significant comfort. – REUTERSPIC often mirror adult emotions, so displaying calmness and speaking positively about dental appointments can establish a reassuring atmosphere. “Parents play a pivotal role in shaping their child’s attitude toward dental visits. Children often mirror adult emotions, so displaying calmness and speaking positively about dental appointments can establish a reassuring atmosphere. COMMENT by Dr Nabihan Dziaruddin Assuring your child that the dentist is there to help, not harm, can also provide significant comfort. While rewarding good behaviour with treats, such as a sticker, after a dental visit can be motivating and essential to strike a balance, using dental appointments as bargaining chips can inadvertently introduce negative associations. Open communication with the dental team is crucial. Understanding the root of a child’s anxiety allows professionals to employ tailored techniques, ensuring a smoother experience. Creating a positive dental experience for children requires a mix of understanding, preparation and choosing the right professional guidance. With these elements in place, children’s dental anxiety can be transformed into confidence and smiles. The writer is a lecturer and paediatric dental specialist at the Faculty of Dentistry at Universiti Malaya. Comments: [email protected]
9 SPEAK UP theSUN ON MONDAY | SEPTEMBER 25, 2023 Holistic advantages of sports RECENT news reports have highlighted the issue of bullying among children at school, sparking discussions among teachers, parents and authorities. Some cases have resulted in serious injuries and even fatalities. Learning martial arts can be an effective way to address this problem. Douglas Hartmann, in his article titled “Theorising sport as social intervention: A view from the grassroots”, proposes that martial arts training can be viewed as a sports-based mental health intervention. In this perspective, sports serve as a platform to deliver p s y c h o - s o c i a l i n t e r v e n t i o n s effectively. With its core values of respect, self-regulation and health promotion, martial arts training can emerge as an effective alternative to traditional antibullying approaches. Participation in sports among children has numerous advantages in shaping self-confidence and promoting healthy growth. For example, taking up martial arts can help them not only learn how to protect themselves against unexpected events but also boost their self-confidence in many aspects of life. Some martial academies or clubs may send their trainees to participate in national and international championships organised in various places. This exposure can lead to various advantages for the participants. Firstly, engaging in competitions will allow them to develop a great mind and high resilience to encounter challenges or obstacles. They need to have a strong mindset and be physically fit, not only to win the games but also to avoid getting injured. Thus, it requires full c o m m i t m e n t , determination and consistency during training sessions and matches. A d d i t i o n a l l y , martial arts competitions offer another advantage by promoting a strong sense of sportsmanship. When the games end, participants shake hands and meet the opponents’ coaches as an act of respect and appreciation. They also learn how to deal with victory or defeat freely and with an open mind. Furthermore, martial arts are important in instilling essential values in individuals, including discipline, integrity and a sense of responsibility. This can contribute to the positive and robust development of children’s characters. S e c o n d l y , participation in martial arts competitions can also build a strong and positive family bond between the child and his family. During the competition, families come to watch the games and provide moral support to the participants. They also support other team members during the matches. This will not only promote good relationships among family members but also extend to other teammates as well. Being supportive parents can be shown by the parents’ presence, involvement and encouragement in their child’s life journey. The significance of ongoing support will promote a sense of togetherness in the children’s minds and have a profound influence on their lives. Thirdly, martial arts competitions also encourage sports tourism. For example, in international taekwondo championships, participants come from various countries such as Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, India and many others. Apart from competing, they also have opportunities to visit interesting places and spend money on food, accommodation, transportation and even shopping. This can help boost our economy and support small entrepreneurs as well. Based on the Statista Research Department, in 2018, the sports industry in Malaysia contributed RM101.72 billion to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). From 2016 to 2017, the sports industry’s contribution to the GDP increased from RM86.79 billion to RM94.26 billion. In conclusion, sports participation, especially in martial arts competitions, offers a holistic development experience for children, impacting their physical and mental well-being, family relationships and even the economy. The writer is a senior lecturer at Universiti Teknologi Mara in Malacca. Comments: [email protected] “Sports serve as a platform to deliver psycho-social interventions effectively. With its core values of respect, selfregulation and health promotion, martial arts training can emerge as an alternative to traditional anti-bullying approaches.” Martial arts are important in instilling essential values in individuals, including discipline, integrity and a sense of responsibility. – REUTERSPIC Ensuring egg-cellent email security I AM not much of a chef but I can do some cool things with eggs. Omellets? Check. Scrambled? You got it. Eggs are my staple diet and go with pretty much anything. I spent almost four years in the world of email security, working first with email security solutions provider Avanan and then transitioning over to leading cyber security solutions provider Check Point when the startup was acquired in 2021. During that time, I have spent many hours thinking about the different modes of email security and why some work better than others. Why is email security important? A new report from Check Point research found that 92% of attacks start with emails. Phishing is the number one access point, with hackers continuously improving their techniques to exploit it. We have found that 18% of malicious emails successfully eluded Microsoft’s filters and ended up in recipients’ inboxes. With nearly 20 out of every 100 emails being potentially harmful, the importance of bolstering email security becomes evident. So, what is the connection between eggs and email security? Imagine you are preparing to make a three-egg omellet. The first step involves cracking the eggs. While they may appear fine in the carton, you cannot be certain of the quality inside until you crack them open. You crack the first egg into the bowl and it looks normal. Then, you crack the second one and it, too, looks good. However, as you crack open the third egg and it lands in the bowl, an unpleasant odour hits your nose. Now, what do you do? You may try to remove the spoiled egg from the bowl as soon as you detect the problem but it has mixed with the other eggs. Bacteria has spread and the damage is done, compromising the entire omellet. Surprisingly, this scenario mirrors how email security operates. In some systems, all emails end up in the “bowl” or inbox, regardless of their content. Whether an email is good or bad, it lands in the inbox. Fortunately, security systems can detect and remove harmful emails before any damage occurs. However, just as removing an egg, or for a more challenging task extracting a piece of eggshell, the malicious email has already infiltrated the inbox. Deleting it may be an option but the damage is already done. We often wish for a more efficient approach to both email security and egg preparation. What if we can peer inside the egg before cracking it open? Imagine being able to see and smell its contents through the shell, determining its safety in advance, saving a great deal of time and frustration. This is precisely how an email security solution operates. It scans emails before they reach the inbox, allowing you to open them with confidence, knowing they are safe. It functions like a scanner, scrutinising all email attributes to assess their safety, much like a mystical egg investigator inspecting the inner workings of an eggshell. This way, when it is time to open the email, you can proceed without worry. You may ask: “Isn’t that what default security measures and secure gateways are for?” To some extent, yes. Think of these services in this way: when you inspect eggs at the grocery store, you can spot imperfections or early cracks immediately but it is impossible to see what is inside. Email security solutions, on the other hand, focus on uncovering what may have been missed and preventing potential threats that are difficult to detect. They pay special attention to the most difficult-to-spot issues and stop them. When you open an email, you need to be sure that doing so will not harm your organisation or yourself. It is crucial to be certain that the email you are about to open is safe, allowing you to respond without any concerns. In essence, you need assurance that when you enjoy your omellet, you will not unexpectedly encounter a piece of eggshell that you can choke on. Before transitioning into the field of email security, I spent five years working as a sportswriter. This career change brought me into the realm of email security with an open mind, free from any preconceived notions about what works and what does not. My perspective is shaped by what I have observed, which is unique due to my background as a former sportswriter who also enjoys cooking with eggs. From this standpoint, one thing is evident: the importance of thorough inspection, whether it is applied to eggs, emails or any other engagement, is paramount. The writer is a content marketing specialist for Harmony Email and Collaboration at Check Point Software Technologies, a leading provider of cyber security solutions. Comments: [email protected] COMMENT by Joeaiza Juhari COMMENT by Jeremy Fuchs
10 theSUN ON MONDAY | SEPTEMBER 25, 2023 MEDIA & MARKETING Top destinations for Malaysian students recommended by AECC COMPLETING your SPM, IGCSE, A-Level, AUSMAT or even obtaining a degree is a significant achievement. It is a stepping stone to your future and you might be considering taking the leap to further your studies abroad. If the idea of studying overseas has crossed your mind but you're unsure about where to start, let AECC Malaysia be your guide. The organisation has aided more than 10,000 students in their international studies endeavors since its inception in 2017. It lists the following countries it considers as the best destinations for Malaysian students. 1. Australia: Leading with top-notch Institutions, facilities “Australia offers exceptional educational facilities and a robust academic system that incorporates innovative teaching methodologies and cutting-edge digital technologies, effectively equipping students for their future career. “In 2022, seven Australian cities were recognised in the QS World Ranking for Best Student Cities,” says AECC Malaysia. The popular courses in Australian universities are Medicine and Health Sciences, Engineering, Media Communications, Digital and Creative Technology, and Business Studies. Australia also offers post-study opportunities, such as post-study work visas and Professional Year Programmes. Five Australian universities have partnered with AECC Malaysia – University of Sydney, Monash University, University of Queensland, University of Adelaide, and University of Western Australia. 2. United Kingdom: Vibrant multicultural experience, quality education “Malaysian students stand to benefit from the UK’s state-of-the-art infrastructure, worldclass research programmes and enhanced employment prospects,” says AECC Malaysia. The popular programmes offered by UK universities are Law & Bar Practice Course (BPC), Management, Accounting and Finance, Architecture, Art and Design, Psychology, Health Sciences, and Engineering. AECC Malaysia adds that Malaysian students can consider enrolling in one of the following top four UK universities, all of which can be accessed with the company’s guidance – Durham University, University of Sheffield, University of Leicester, and the University of Exeter. 3. United States of America: Shaping futures through technological innovation “What sets American higher education apart is its unwavering commitment to technological innovation and research, delivering a wellrounded academic experience that drives positive change on a global scale,” says AECC Malaysia. “The highly sought-after programmes there are Business Studies, Computer Science and IT, Media Film and Studies, Sports Related Subjects, and Arts, Humanities and Political Studies.” The US universities affiliated with AECC Malaysia are the University of MassachusettsBoston (UMass Boston), University of Illinois Chicago, Cleveland State University, University of Utah and the American Collegiate at American University. 4. New Zealand: Quality-Assured Education with Global Recognition “New Zealand boasts one of the world's finest higher education systems. With the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) ensuring quality standards, the country’s universities offer internationally-recognised programmes”, says AECC Malaysia. “Combine that with their cost-effective education structure, and you can achieve an internationally-recognised qualification without straining your finances.” The top NZQA-approved programmes are Business, Marketing and Logistics, Education and Teaching, Computer Science and IT, Hospitality and Tourism, and Veterinary Science and Agriculture. AECC Malaysia adds: “If New Zealand captures your imagination as a study destination, consider enrolling in one of these top three New Zealand universities with the support of AECC Malaysia – University of Auckland, University of Waikato and Massey University.” “From course selection and application to credit transfers and accommodation advice, AECC Malaysia offers comprehensive assistance for all your queries about studying abroad, covering every aspect from A to Z – all at no cost.” AECC will organise a “Study Abroad Education Fair” on Sept 30 and Oct 1 (see pix). Scan the QR code to save the poster on your devices, to register yourself and also to get the PDF file of the list of higher learning institutions involved at the two dates and venues. The institutions are located in Australia, UK, USA, New Zealand, Ireland, Canada and Singapore. Admission is free. Alternatively, click on edufair.aecc.my/theSun. KUALA LUMPUR: IWK Eco Park @ Pantai Dalam, run by Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) Sdn Bhd, hosted members of the local community for a vibrant “Fitness and Film” day, embracing the spirit of unity in conjunction with Malaysia Day. With the emphasis on health, wellness and fun, it provided a unique opportunity for community members from surrounding areas to come together and enjoy a day filled with fitness activities and outdoor cinema. Those who visited the park were invited to join a lively Zumba class in addition to a relaxing yoga session. Celebrity instructors such as Atilia Haron, Hanif Shawn, and Yasmin Hani led the activities, motivating participants to prioritise their physical well-being while fostering a sense of camaraderie among visitors. As the sun set, the crowd gathered for an open-air movie screening under the stars, which featured a heartwarming Malaysian movie chosen to celebrate the spirit of Malaysia Day. Visitors were also treated to a delightful array of street dining options, with local food trucks and booths adding to the overall enjoyment of the evening. “We hope that through these enjoyable activities, we can not only create a memorable day of bonding and learning for the entire community but also highlight the beautiful backdrop of our lush green park. This reflects our enthusiasm towards promoting healthier life choices while reinforcing the importance of contributing to a greener future,” said IWK’s Head of Corporate Communications, Wan Esuriyanti Ahmad. Earlier in the day, as part of the festivities, IWK hosted a friendly futsal competition, the “Piala Futsal IWK,” that brought together 16 teams from the local community. The players showcased their skills and teamwork, fostering a sense of friendship that echoed the day’s celebration of unity and togetherness. “We Futsal proved to be a popular game at the Malaysia Day “Fitness and Film” event. IWK Eco Park’s Malaysia Day event hope to inspire community members to take an active role towards a healthier and greener tomorrow. “Together, we can stand as stewards of our communities and environment, safeguarding overall well-being and ensuring sustainability for generations to come,” Wan Esuriyanti added. For more information on IWK Eco Park @ Pantai Dalam or to place a booking for any sports or recreational facilities, please visit ecopark.iwk.com.my or call 03-22 420 420.
KLCI 1,450.23 2.02 STI 3,204.82 2.01 HANG SENG 18,057.45 402.04 SCI 3,132.43 47.73 NIKKEI 32,402.41 168.62 TSEC 16,344.48 27.81 KOSPI 2,508.13 S&P/ASX200 7,068.80 3.60 MONDAY SEPTEMBER 25, 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 September 22, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (sen) +/– (sen) KNM 113,937,000 12.5 +0.5 MERSEC 79,076,900 29.5 -0.5 EKOVEST 77,867,900 59.0 +2.5 HSI-CRT 73,888,300 19.0 +4.5 UEMS 65,037,400 91.0 +3.0 EXCHANGERATES SEPTEMBER 22, 2023 Foreign currency Bank sell Bank buy Bank buy TT/OD TT OD 1 US DOLLAR 4.7540 4.6200 4.6100 1 AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR 3.0630 2.9420 2.9260 1 BRUNEI DOLLAR 3.4770 3.3770 3.3690 1 CANADIAN DOLLAR 3.5250 3.4310 3.4190 1 EURO 5.0750 4.9120 4.8920 1 NEW ZEALAND DOLLAR 2.8280 2.7250 2.7090 1 SINGAPORE DOLLAR 3.4770 3.3770 3.3690 1 STERLING POUND 5.8500 5.6670 5.6470 1 SWISS FRANC 5.2380 5.1180 5.1030 100 UAE DIRHAM 131.0300 124.2700 124.0700 100 BANGLADESH TAKA 4.4160 4.1290 3.9290 100 CHINESE RENMINBI 65.5400 62.7800 N/A 100 HONGKONG DOLLAR 61.4800 58.4300 58.2300 100 INDIAN RUPEE 5.8400 5.4800 5.2800 100 INDONESIAN RUPIAH 0.0320 0.0290 0.0240 100 JAPANESE YEN 3.2260 3.1250 3.1150 100 NEW TAIWAN DOLLAR N/A N/A N/A 100 PAKISTAN RUPEE 1.6500 1.5500 1.3500 100 PHILIPPINE PESO 8.5000 8.0100 7.8100 100 QATAR RIYAL 131.9400 125.2600 125.0600 100 SAUDI RIYAL 128.2500 121.7500 121.5500 100 THAI BAHT 13.7500 12.2000 11.8000 Source: Malayan Banking Berhad/Bernama KL MARKET SUMMARY September 22, 2023 INDICES CHANGE FBMEMAS 10,746.90 +20.26 FBMKLCI 1,450.23 +2.02 CONSUMER PRODUCTS 557.35 +0.30 INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS 174.83 +0.42 CONSTRUCTION 185.62 +0.94 FINANCIAL SERVICES 16,220.60 -7.34 ENERGY 906.92 +15.03 TELECOMMUNICATIONS 585.73 +1.35 HEALTH CARE 1,704.66 -0.49 TRANSPORTATION 925.15 +8.18 PROPERTY 887.72 +11.90 PLANTATION 6,927.22 +2.12 FBMSHA 11,007.80 +35.36 FBMACE 5,209.06 -5.08 TECHNOLOGY 63.23 -0.12 TURNOVER VALUE 3.130 BIL RM2.076 BIL 5 TOP GAINERS September 22, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (RM) +/– RM KESM 4,900 7.40 +0.35 BAT 505,000 9.50 +0.27 HEXTECH 4,300 24.20 +0.26 UNIMECH 462,800 1.95 +0.25 CARLSBG 34,900 20.12 +0.24 5 TOP LOSERS September 22, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (RM) +/– RM NESTLE 397,200 129.00 -0.40 BKAWAN 5,900 20.20 -0.20 F&N 37,000 25.30 -0.20 RAPID 194,700 23.80 -0.20 HSI-HPY 40,000 0.855 -0.105 Participation 28.9 44.1 27.0 100.0 Retail Institutions Foreign Bought RM m 576.9 877.6 621.6 2076.1 Sold RM m 621.3 954.5 500.3 2076.1 Net RM m -44.4 -76.9 121.3 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) 22/9/2023 ‘Increase income growth to boost home ownership’ PETALING JAYA: Online property portal PropertyGuru Malaysia has urged the government to look into ways to increase income growth in Budget 2024, as it will boost home ownership. Country manager Sheldon Fernandez said stagnant wages, increasing property prices and rising living costs have made home ownership out of reach for most locals. He lauded the government for its various home ownership initiatives and schemes, including promoting affordable housing. However, household income is a key factor as a higher disposable income was necessary to drive home ownership. Fernandez said median household █ BYGLORIA HARRY BEATTY [email protected] Securities Commission rolls out more measures to woo investors PETALING JAYA: The Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) is rolling out key measures to boost market vibrancy and enhance investor access to the country’s capital markets. These include the automatic promotion of eligible Public Listed Companies (PLCs) from the Ace to the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia, reduction of stamp duty, enabling fractional share trading by investors through stockbrokers and introducing the Foreign Exempt Scheme framework. The latter provides high net worth entities and institutional investors greater onshore access to foreign investment funds. Plans are also under way to facilitate and attract the setting up of family offices in Malaysia, widening the definition of sophisticated investors to include angel investors and reduce board lot size for share trading on Bursa Malaysia. The SC is also working to speed up the initial public offering process and reduce time-to-market to ensure Malaysia’s competitiveness and attractiveness, SC chairman Datuk Seri Dr Awang Adek Hussin said. vEarth seeks metaverse partners in Malaysia PUTRAJAYA: Singapore-based technology startup vEarth Pvt Ltd is seeking partners in Malaysia to contribute to the development of the country’s smart city plan through its hybrid reality metaverse, vEarth. The metaverse industry, set to be worth US$5 trillion (RM23.4 trillion) by the end of the decade, is at the core of vEarth’s ambitious plans. VEarth founder Dr Reid Lim (pic), in an exclusive interview with SunBiz, said the company is eager to establish partnerships with major corporations and smart cities in Malaysia to integrate its metaverse technology into the country. “Now we are working with Cyberjaya on an MoU (memorandum of understanding) for their smart city. So we are looking into how we can integrate with Cyberjaya, on how we can put Cyberjaya into the metaverse,” he disclosed. He said what sets vEarth apart from other metaverses is its utilisation of Global Positioning System (GPS) geolocation. Unlike traditional metaverses where users enter entirely fictional realms, vEarth aims to recreate the real world by using GPS oS’pore startup recreates the ‘real’ world, offers a location-based experience by using GPS technology █ BYHAYATUN RAZAK [email protected] 6.84 technology to represent users’ physical locations. Lim said vEarth is “entering a real world, a real representation of where we are” through GPS. “vEarth offers a location-based experience. So the whole idea of Cyberview and Cyberjaya is that they are in the business of promoting Malaysia to deserving tenants outside. vEarth uses GPS to provide this sense of location. For example, a Tokyo-based company interested in moving to Cyberjaya can use an app or link to explore CyberJaya via vEarth. They can virtually visit places like the CyberJaya Collaborative Campus. This feature is valuable for CyberJaya’s promotion,” he added. Lim said vEarth can also display realtime data on the map. For instance, it can show autonomous vehicles in action, track their movements using GPS data and even indicate air quality. This enhances the user experience, he added. Additionally, in contrast to other metaverses that focus on creating visually stunning environments, vEarth prioritises community engagement and practical applications. Lim referred to its approach as “Metaverse Minus Experience”, where the emphasis is on meeting people, exploring businesses and experiencing various applications rather than hyper-realistic graphics. “Because many companies have done that, a real life, very beautiful, very big creation of the metaverse, and they have failed. So vEarth does not want to end up in the same category. So what we are doing is a very cartoonish, low polygon representation. It is not meant to be very good looking. Because our emphasis is not on that,” he said. Lim believes that, within the next five to 10 years, more people will use the metaverse as virtual reality technology becomes more accessible and commonplace. He envisions the metaverse as the future evolution of the internet, consolidating various online activities into a unified experience. Meanwhile, his vision for vEarth is to become the go-to one-stop metaverse for Asia, offering a wide range of services and experiences, from ride-hailing to shopping, and even virtual travel. He said vEarth holds the potential to reshape how people interact with the digital world, bringing them closer to real-world experiences within the metaverse. The launch of vEarth metaverse is expected to take place over a few months in phases, depending on the development of suitable use cases. income grew by only 2.5% last year, compared with 3% before the Covid-19 pandemic. In recent years, he added, there was disproportionate growth between household income and property prices as the latter had outpaced the former. For greater home ownership, household incomes need to catch up with property prices. With government aid, the gap can be narrowed and home ownership can become more affordable to more Malaysians. Raising the minimum wage will also help. “The biggest challenge in Malaysia right now when it comes to either property prices, affordable housing or income growth, is the execution (of government incentives and schemes),” Fernandez told reporters during a briefing on the consumer sentiment study for the second half of 2023 recently. On the outlook for 2024, he is optimistic on the property sector, albeit noting that property affordability would still be a challenge for potential homebuyers. He suggested that while the government could be in the driving seat to raise home ownership, other players, such as property developers should also play their part. Fernandez said that based on its survey, 56% of respondents intended to buy a property next year, with 54% already halfway through to achieving their savings target and 27% having saved enough. “Based on the consumer sentiments survey, aspiration is at an all-time high … and some are ready to go into the market. Investors are ready because the two top buyer considerations, rental income and return on investment, (are favourable).”
12 theSUN ON MONDAY | SEPTEMBER 25, 2023 SUNBIZ @thesundaily FOLLOW ON TWITTER SCAN ME Most SMEs expect ‘fair’ business prospects next year PETALING JAYA: More than half of local SMEs anticipate fair business prospects in 2024, due to weak domestic demand and uncertainties in the export market, the Small and Medium Enterprises Association (Samenta) said. Based on its annual survey for 2023, the association found that a majority of respondents gave projections of fair (52%), followed by good (38%), bad (8%) and excellent (2%) next year. “Weak demand is both from domestic and uncertainties in the export market. China is also a significant contributing factor as its growth has been below expectations,” national secretary Yeoh Seng Hooi (pic) told SunBiz. In terms of current business performance, the survey found that most respondents reported performances that were bad to fair, good and excellent at 74%, 20% and 6%, respectively. Among the main challenges faced by the respondents were high cost of inputs, declining market demand, weak ringgit, talent shortage, excessive government regulations and supply chain issues. The survey concluded that the results showed a cause for concern as it implied that the economic recovery was “still slow and subdued”. oSamenta survey respondents cite high input cost, declining market demand, weak ringgit, talent shortage and supply chain issues as among main challenges █ BYGLORIA HARRY BEATTY [email protected] Yeoh said the current challenges were expected to continue until the following year, which influenced the projections for 2024. Meanwhile, the survey found that 35% of respondents faced difficulty in securing financing, which it said was an alarming figure as it implied that one out of three companies had issues in accessing borrowings. It said the main reasons included limited collateral, complex application process, high interest rates and lack of credit history recommendations. The survey found that this tied in with Samenta’s call for development financial institutions such as SME Bank and Bank Pembangunan Malaysia Bhd to steer away from collateral-based lending and focus more on cashflow and transactional-based lending, as “otherwise, it defeats the purpose of having such government-linked companies banks if they are assuming the same roles as commercial banks”. Yeoh said collateral is one of the major issues faced by respondents as most SMEs, particularly those that are newly incorporated or established, are not likely to have assets to pledge. The survey recommended that soft loans that are targeted at micro and small businesses to remain available, and enhanced with bigger allocations. It urged the government to focus on economic growth and pointed out that the reduction of doing business will help SMEs significantly. The survey suggested that SMEs need matching grants to export, brand, automate and digitalise in order to be competitive and sustainable. On the proposed introduction of the Progressive Wage Model, the study found that 53.25% of the respondents were favourable, followed by uncertain (25.97%), unfavourable (11.69%) and not aware to comment (9.09%) “SMEs are receptive to a type of progressivelinked wage model. “However, the reskilling and upskilling requires continued support from the government,” it said. Touching on Samenta’s wishlist for Budget 2024, the association hopes that it will focus on stimulating demand as well as improving infrastructure to support SMEs. “For industrial demand, more linkages should be established between multinationals corporations and SME-supporting industries. There should be preconditions in the Pioneer Status that at least 70% of their inputs and purchases are from local SMEs, unless it can be proven that such components are not available locally. “Integrated flatted factories should be built and rented to smaller SMEs to be housed in business-friendly and employee-centric environment that attracts talent,” it said. Samenta suggested the government reduce the income tax rate for the M40 as the higher disposable income will boost demand in the market as well as spur economic recovery. Itmax secures RM111m contract from Iskandar Puteri City Council KUALA LUMPUR: Itmax System Bhd has secured a RM111.2 million contract from Iskandar Puteri City Council to provide a closed circuit camera system with artificial intelligence features and smart traffic light system. Under the terms of the contract, the company is responsible for designing, installing, and maintaining a smart command centre, a closed-circuit camera system with artificial intelligence features as well as a smart traffic light system within the city of Iskandar Puteri for a period of 15 years on a service subscription basis. CEO and managing director Tan Wei Lun said in a statement that the company will provide a networked video surveillance system and a smart traffic light system simultaneously in Iskandar Puteri City. This is the second contract Itmax has secured from Johor, he said. “As Itmax developed these systems, we have designed them to seamlessly integrate with each other, contributing to a more comprehensive approach to building a smart city,” he said. The company is primarily involved in the business of supply, installation, and provision of public space networked systems. – Bernama Johor, Batam to set up task force on entrepreneur development JOHOR BAHRU: Johor and Batam, Indonesia, have agreed to set up the Johor-Batam Business (Jobat Biz) task force to jointly look into entrepreneur development in their areas. Johor Youth, Sports, Entrepreneur Development, Cooperatives and Human Resources Committee chairman Mohd Hairi Mad Shah said the decision on establishing the task force was made during a meeting between a delegation from the state government and the mayor of Batam recently. He said the meeting, held in conjunction with the Johor-Batam Entrepreneurship Development and Training Programme in Indonesia, was attended by directors of various agencies from Batam Islands as well as representatives from the consulate general of Indonesia in Johor Bahru. “The long-standing good relations between Johor and Batam provide entrepreneurs, especially those in Johor, the opportunity to expand and strengthen their business in neighbouring countries. “Jobat Biz can look into important aspects that need to be addressed for cross-border business between Johor and Batam, such as labour issues and water transportation alternatives,” said Mohd Hairi in a post on his Facebook account. The task force can also look into issues faced by entrepreneurs, cooperatives and human resources, from the lower level to the top level in Johor and Batam. “All issues related to the agencies under my portfolio can be discussed in the task force before they are brought to a higher meeting level such as Sosek Malindo and the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle,” he said. According to Mohd Hairi, all proposals, plans or formation of policies will take into account the interests, needs and sensitivities of all parties. – Bernama MNRB announces 4.45 sen final dividend for FY23 PETALING JAYA: MNRB Holdings Bhd’s board of directors has approved the distribution of a single-tier final dividend of 4.45 sen for the financial year ended March 31, 2023 (FY23). The dividend amount is higher by 78% compared with the previous financial year’s payout, underpinned by a commendable performance across its reinsurance and takaful subsidiaries. “The group wishes to express our sincere gratitude to our shareholders for their resolute support and firm faith in MNRB throughout our 50 years of business operations. The group had navigated the demands of challenging operating landscapes throughout the years. Our focus remains on operational resiliency to ensure revenue growth and continuously generate strong return to our shareholders,” said MNRB president and group CEO Zaharudin Daud. Modify SST to make it business friendly and increase govt revenue THE government is unlikely to reintroduce Goods and Services Tax (GST) in light of the slowing world economy. GST is seen to be a regressive tax that will burden lower income groups. At the same time, the government requires revenue to reduce the budget deficit and to finance the development expenditure. Where will the money come from? The money needed will have to come from increased collection of existing taxes or the introduction of new taxes such as capital gains tax, luxury tax and low value goods tax. Why don’t we think out of the box and look at ways of increasing the tax collection and removing some of the headaches faced by the business community in complying with the Sales and Service Tax (SST) mechanism? You can kill two birds with one stone. Increasing tax collection from direct taxes will be unproductive since our tax rates are already on the high side with the top individual tax rate at 30% and corporate tax rate at 24%. However, modifying indirect taxes, in particular SST, will be less painful if it is targeted away from the B40 and possibly the lower band of the M40. Headaches faced by businesses in complying with SST The common headache faced by manufacturers in complying with sales tax are the conditions associated with the exemptions used to provide relief from paying sales tax on the purchases of inputs. These conditions are onerous – for example, a manufacturer who imports raw materials or inputs needed for manufacturing and thereafter exports the finished goods needs to comply with different exemption conditions on the importation of the raw materials and on the export of the finished goods. Another example is where trading companies buy goods from registered manufacturers and export such goods, the transaction has to be conducted within six months of the purchase. Similarly, many exemptions enjoyed by manufacturers require meeting various conditions. This is cumbersome as they need to keep track of the transactions. The chances of manufacturers slipping up in the process is real, and this becomes a “catand-mouse game” between the Royal Malaysian Customs Department and the manufacturers. Why do we need to waste our resources when the underlying intention of the manufacturers is to produce the goods and sell them in the local market or export them? There are equal number of problems in implementing the service tax. Local service providers rely on the business-to-business (B2B) exemption to avoid the multiple stages of taxation. To enjoy the B2B exemption, the services have to be the same, and only limited categories, such as professional services and advertising services, can enjoy the exemption. All other providers buying or importing services to incorporate them into their final service will end up bearing the cost. The current service tax mechanism is not efficient and adds layers of costs to the cost of doing business in Malaysia. How do we overcome these headaches? A simple answer will be to introduce some of the good elements of the previous GST regime into the existing SST system. The most important one would be to introduce the input and output tax mechanism and do away with most of the exemptions needed throughout the supply chain. By introducing the input and output tax mechanism, refunds will inevitably arise, and the previous experience of delays in obtaining refunds should be avoided. How do we increase revenue? This recommendation does not change the SST regime. You can still use the positive list (i.e. tax will only apply on goods and services that are specifically mentioned in the list). If the government wants to increase taxes, then it must consider increasing the number of goods and services that will be subject to sales tax and service tax. The additional goods and services prescribed should avoid burdening the B40 group and the lower segment of the M40. Serious thought should be given to modifying the SST regime with some of the good elements of GST such that there will be an increase in tax revenues and the same time easing the doing of business in Malaysia. This article is contributed by Thannees Tax Consulting Services Sdn Bhd managing director SM Thanneermalai (www.thannees.com).
13 SUNBIZ theSUN ON MONDAY | SEPTEMBER 25, 2023 Issues over Ekovest and UEMS back in the spotlight FOR the week ended Sept 22, overall turnover in the warrants market rose by 6.9% week-on-week (w-o-w) to RM274.7 million from RM257 million in the previous five trading days. Warrants over the Hang Seng Index (HSI) remained the primary focus, making up 56.2% of the weekly turnover with a contribution of RM154.4 million, while warrants over Malaysian stocks contributed more than RM114.6 million, jumping by 43.8% to RM114.6 million due to higher trading turnover in warrants over property-related stocks. It was another volatile week for the HSI futures which started with a 1.3% drop on Monday and subsequently falling through the week to close at 17,671 on Thursday. The futures continued to decline during the early session on Friday, reaching an intraday low of 17,514 before staging a notable rebound, surpassing the psychological 18,000 level, rallying 2.4% to finish the week at 18,097. Nevertheless, the HSI futures still ended the week down by 0.5%. The volatile moves saw both call and put warrants over the HSI being actively traded. The call warrant HSICRT and HSI-CRN recorded up to 220.9 million and 175.2 million units traded respectively for the week, taking up the first two places in the most active warrants list. Meanwhile, the September expiry put warrant i.e. HSI-HN8 emerged as the top traded warrant with up to 150.7 million units changing hands, logging a value traded of RM40.6 million. HSI-HN8 will be expiring on Sept 29, with its last trading day on Sept 26,, which is two days prior its expiry. Investors may check their warrants portfolio and plan their trading strategies accordingly as warrants that are expiring soon experience a higher rate of time decay. On the domestic front, warrants over property-related names were popular among investors with Ekovest-C39, UEMS-C92 and Ekovest-C38 clocking in up to 48.3 million, 45.1 million and 40.4 million units traded, respectively as their underlyings soared. The shares of Ekovest rose by 7.3% w-o-w while UEM Sunrise rallied by 24.7% 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. WARRANTS WATCH Top stock warrants by volume traded: Warrant Volume Issuer Exercise Expiry date name (mil) level HSI-CRT 220.9 Macquarie 21,000 28 Dec 2023 HSI-CRN 175.2 Macquarie 20,400 29 Nov 2023 HSI-HN8 150.7 Macquarie 18,200 29 Sep 2023 HSI-CRA 64.1 Kenanga 22,000 28 Dec 2023 HSI-HNS 59.2 Macquarie 17,000 29 Sep 2023 Accounting for a sustainable future – integrating ESG principles AS TEMPERATURES around Europe and the rest of the world continue to soar to record levels along with unrest over social inequalities, environmental, social and governance (ESG) adoption and compliance have taken centre stage. In Malaysia, major and frequent floods are expected to continue. We are also experiencing more frequent and severe heatwaves. As Malaysia faces the realities of climate change and social disparities, the importance of ESG has come to the forefront. According to KPMG’s biennial Survey of Sustainability Reporting 2022, 97% of Malaysia’s top 100 companies include sustainability data in their annual reports. Malaysia is also making strides in sustainable investment and ESG practices, with a focus on strong governance. In 2022, the overall ESG score for Malaysian companies was 2.5 out of 5, which represents a 33.7% increase since 2018. Transparency and accountability lie at the core of corporate sustainability practices. Amid these developments, accountants, equipped with their expertise in financial reporting and regulatory compliance, are uniquely positioned to ensure that businesses adhere to ESG standards and accurately communicate their sustainability efforts. By disclosing relevant sustainability information, accountants build trust between businesses and their investors, customers and stakeholders. Accountants play a crucial role in shaping a sustainable and responsible future. They are becoming agents of positive change, promoting transparency, accountability and corporate responsibility. As businesses recognise the significance of sustainability, accountants are embracing their evolving role as advocates for sustainability. Additionally, accountants today are not just financial experts – they are instrumental in assessing and addressing environmental and social impacts, measuring contributions to sustainability, and aligning financial reporting with ESG metrics. By integrating sustainability practices into their work, accountants provide stakeholders with a comprehensive understanding of an organisation’s long-term value creation and its impact on society and the environment. The integration of ESG into financial reporting also aligns with the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), showcasing the commitment of businesses to sustainability and responsible practices. As investors prioritise ESG, this alignment impacts investment decisions. Recognising the pivotal role of accountants in sustainability, The Malaysian Institute of Certified Public Accountants (MICPA) and Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ) have collaborated to develop the MICPA x CA ANZ Qualifying Programme. This forward-thinking curriculum emphasises sustainability and ESG principles, preparing accountants to meet the evolving demands of corporate sustainability. The programme instills a deep understanding of sustainability concepts, such as identifying and measuring environmental and social impacts, conducting risk assessments, and developing sustainable strategies for organisations. It aims to produce accountants who are well versed in the evolving demands of corporate responsibility and foster a mindset of corporate stewardship, where accountants are empowered to contribute to the sustainable growth and success of the organisations they serve. Beyond number-crunching, accountants now act as strategic advisors, championing sustainable practices and guiding businesses towards ethical decision-making. Their expertise in ESG integration drives positive change, making a tangible impact on society and the environment. From reducing carbon footprints to promoting social inclusivity, accountants are now key drivers of progress towards achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. In Malaysia’s pursuit of a greener and socially responsible future, accountants are proving to be indispensable partners and they are at the forefront of this transformational journey towards a more sustainable and equitable world. This article was contributed by Foo Yoke Pin, executive director of the Malaysian Institute of Certified Public Accountants. THE ACCOUNTANT‘S PERSPECTIVE Chin Hin raises stake in Ajiya, triggers MGO PETALING JAYA: Integrated conglomerate builder Chin Hin Bhd is acquiring 6,218,200 ordinary shares in building materials manufacturer Ajiya Bhd or a 2.11% equity interest for RM9,513,846 in cash or RM1.53 per Ajiya share. Chin Hin announced to Bursa Malaysia on Friday that it had entered into a conditional share sale agreements with How Lian Yeong and Ong Hang Ping to acquire the shares. As at Sept 11, Chin Hin and persons acting in concert (PAC), already own in aggregate 94,385,250 ordinary shares in Ajiya or a 32.0% equity interest. Once the proposed 2.11% share sale is completed, Chin Hin and PACs’ shareholding in Ajiya will increase from 32.0% to 34.1%. Accordingly, Chin Hin will be obliged to extend a conditional mandatory general (MGO) offer for all the remaining Ajiya shares not already owned by Chin Hin at a cash offer price of RM1.53 per Ajiya share. Chin Hin intends to maintain the listing status of Ajiya on the Main Market of Bursa Securities after the completion of the MGO, Petronas, Mitsui, MISC to jointly build LCO2 carriers KUALA LUMPUR: Petroliam Nasional Bhd’s (Petronas) wholly owned subsidiary, Petronas CCS Ventures Sdn Bhd, has signed a term sheet with Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd (MOL) and MISC Bhd for the potential incorporation of a joint venture to invest in developing and monetising liquefied carbon dioxide (LCO2) carriers for carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects in Malaysia. The parties have agreed in principle on the key commercial terms to allow progress to the next stage. Petronas executive vice-president and CEO of upstream Datuk Adif Zulkifli Adif said LCO2 carriers are integral to the CCS value chain to connect customers to carbon capture sites and storage locations. “Our partnership with MOL and MISC is a powerful synergy of multiple expertise, abundant resources, and shared values. By combining our individual strengths, we will be able to facilitate the development and subsequently materialise the transportation of liquefied CO2 in a safe and sustainable manner,” he said in a statement recently. Petronas said building on the February 2022 memorandum of understanding signed with MOL and the four approvals in principle for the conceptual design of the LCO2 carriers in June 2023, the term sheet marked another milestone for the positioning of CCS as a key lever in Petronas’ net zero carbon emissions by 2050 ambition. Meanwhile, MISC president/group Standing from left: MOL executive vice president, executive officer and chief operating officer Toshiaki Tanaka, Adif Zulkifli and Rajalingam. Seated, from left: MOL executive officer Yasuchika Noma, Petronas head of carbon management and Petronas CCS Ventures CEO Emry Hisham Yusoff and MISC vice president, gas assets & solutions Hazrin Hassan. – PETRONAS PIC oPartners agree in principle on key commercial terms of venture to cater to carbon capture and storage projects in Malaysia CEO Captain Rajalingam Subramaniam said the company is pleased to partner with Petronas and MOL in this strategic venture, which he considered a perfect fit with MISC’s advocacy for a just transition, where responsible practices take centre stage in managing societal emissions. “As a future-focused shipowner, MISC is well equipped to deliver the technical expertise required for LCO2 shipping, a crucial link in the carbon capture and storage value chain. “Our call to the maritime and other hard-to-abate industries is to collaborate for the betterment of everyone through viable solutions that are available,” he said. Petronas said the partnership further reinforces its commitment in establishing Malaysia’s potential as a prominent regional hub for CCS. In line with its strategic objectives, the group actively collaborates with industry partners, taking deliberate actions to accelerate the development of a sustainable energy portfolio that prioritises responsible practices, it said. – Bernama
14 theSUN ON MONDAY | SEPTEMBER 25, 2023 SUNBIZ @thesundaily FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM SCAN ME India to delay import licensing of laptops after US, industry push back NEW DELHI: India will defer an import licence requirement for laptops and tablets, two government officials said, a policy U-turn after industry and the US government complained about the move, which could hit Apple, Samsung and others. The plan will be delayed by a year, after which the government will consider whether to implement a licensing regime or not, one of the officials told Reuters, requesting anonymity. The licensing regime, announced abruptly on Aug 3, aimed to “ensure trusted hardware and systems” enter India, reduce dependence on imports, boost local manufacturing and in part address the country’s trade imbalance with China. But following industry objections, the initial plan was quickly delayed by about three months. Last month US trade chief Katherine Tai raised concerns with India over the move, which would also affect companies such as Dell and HP. India’s electronics ministry is now proposing a simpler import registration process that is due to start in November, said the officials, who have direct knowledge of the discussions. A representative for India’s IT ministry did not respond to a request for comment. The new ‘imports management system’ will need companies to obtain ‘registration certificates’ for imports of laptops, tablets and personal computers, instead of licences proposed earlier by the Aug. 3 order, one of the officials said. The ministry conveyed the proposal to industry officials in a meeting on Friday, they added. India’s electronics imports, including laptops, tablets and personal computers, stood at US$19.7 billion (RM92.3 billion) in the April to June period, up 6.25% year-on-year. – Reuters LG Chem, Huayou Group team up for Morocco venture SEOUL: South Korea’s LG Chem Ltd said yesterday it has entered into partnership with China’s Huayou Group’s subsidiary Youshan to build a joint electric vehicle (EV) battery material plant in Morocco in an effort to diversify its portfolio. The plant, set to start production in 2026, aims to produce 50,000 tonnes of lithiumphosphate-iron (LFP) cathode materials annually, enough to be installed in 500,000 entry-class EVs, the South Korean chemical maker said in a statement. LG Chem, known for manufacturing more oSouth Korean company to enter lithium-phosphate-iron cathode business for first time expensive nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) cathodes, is entering the LFP cathode business for the first time to meet growing demand for cheaper LFP batteries as the auto industry steps up efforts to produce more affordable EVs, whose most expensive components are the batteries. LG Chem said LFP cathodes produced at the Morocco plant will be supplied to the North American market and receive subsidies from the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) as Morocco is a free-trade partner with the United States. The IRA is designed to wean the United States off the Chinese supply chain for EVs. It requires at least 40% of the value of critical minerals used in an auto battery to be sourced from the United States or a free trade partner to qualify for a US$3,750 (RM17,500) tax credit per vehicle. South Korea has a free-trade agreement with the United States. LG Chem and Youshan would need to adjust PBOC adviser proposes structural reforms to lift economy SHANGHAI: China has limited room for further monetary policy easing, and it should pursue structural reforms such as encouraging entrepreneurs rather than counting on macroeconomic policies to revive growth, a central bank adviser said yesterday. Liu Shijin, a member of the People’s Bank of China’s (PBOC) monetary policy committee, told a financial forum in Shanghai that Beijing’s room for monetary policy easing was limited by widening interest rate differentials with the US. Fiscally, Chinese governments at various levels are under stress, he told the annual Bund Summit conference. “If China continues to focus on macro policies in its efforts to stabilise growth, there would be more and more side effects,” said Liu, vice president of the Development Research Center of the State Council. “More importantly, we will again miss the opportunity for structural reforms.” China’s post-Covid recovery has lost momentum amid weak consumption, falling exports and a deepening property debt crisis, and the economy is struggling despite a slew of monetary and fiscal measures to boost confidence. Liu proposed yesterday a new round of structural reforms that could aid the economy immediately, while also injecting long-term growth momentum. They include demand-side reforms with a focus on giving migrant workers access to public services enjoyed by city dwellers, as well as supply-side reforms that involve igniting entrepreneurship in emerging industries, he said. China’s top economic planning body announced this month it would create a new department to help private businesses, as Beijing seeks to revive investor confidence hurt by government crackdowns on sectors ranging from the internet to private tutoring. Liu said yesterday that China should give clearer recognition to private businesses’ status, both ideologically and politically. In a separate development, China Business News reported yesterday that China Reform Holdings Corp, a Chinese manager of state assets, plans to raise at least 100 billion yuan (RM64.2 billion) for a fund that will invest in emerging industries The fund has already received investment intentions from more than 20 central government-owned enterprises as well as local governments and private investors, and will start operating by the end of this year, the newspaper said. – Reuters their respective equity share in compliance with the US Treasury Department’s guideline of a “foreign entity of concern”, a provision aimed at China, LG Chem said in the statement. The US Treasury Department has not yet provided a precise definition of “foreign entity of concern” and how it would be applied. LG Chem also announced an additional investment plan with Huayou Cobalt to build a lithium conversion plant in Morocco, aiming to start mass production by 2025 with an annual capacity of 52,000 tonnes of lithium. Furthermore, LG Chem said it plans to build two other facilities in Indonesia – a precursor plant with an annual production capacity of 50,000 tonnes and a plant to extract mixed hydroxide from nickel ore for precursor production. The size of LG Chem’s investments for its four facilities with Huayou Group has not been finalised yet. – Reuters Tesla, Google and Microsoft expected to invest US$5b: Thai PM BANGKOK: Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said yesterday the country expected to receive investment of at least US$5 billion (RM23.4 billion) from Tesla, Google and Microsoft. “Tesla would be looking into an EV manufacturing facility, Microsoft and Google are looking at data centres,” he said, without detailing whether the US$5 billion was expected to be a combined investment or made individually by each company. Tesla, Google and Microsoft did not respond to requests for comment. Srettha was speaking to reporters in Bangkok after attending the UN General Assembly in New York where he also held talks with company executives last week. Fresh foreign investment would boost Thailand’s flagging economy, which is expected to grow by 2.8% this year, less than previously projected, due to weaker exports. Srettha spoke with Tesla CEO Elon Musk about the electric vehicle sector. – Reuters China’s postCovid recovery has lost momentum amid weak consumption, falling exports and a deepening property debt crisis. – AFPPIC Aviation authorities say cannot interfere in Akasa-pilots dispute NEW DELHI: India’s aviation authorities have ruled out intervening in a dispute between Akasa Air and its pilots after the budget carrier accused the regulator of inaction, a legal filing shows. Over 40 of Akasa’s 450 pilots quit without serving their notice in recent weeks, and the airline has sued some of them and challenged Indian authorities in court for not acting on its requests to deal with alleged pilot “misconduct”. The airline has also warned of a shut down due to the crisis. India mandates a notice period of 6-12 months for pilots which some pilot organisations are challenging in court. Akasa argues its contractual obligations with pilots remain in force, and is suing the regulator for not intervening in the public interest. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the aviation ministry in a Sept 22 filing at the Delhi High Court said Akasa’s plea should be thrown out as the regulator is unable to interfere in the matter. The DGCA “does not have any power or delegated authority to interfere in any employment contract”, it said. Akasa, which has previously said it was in discussion with the DGCA, did not respond to a request for comment on the new filing, which has been seen by Reuters. A DGCA official declined to comment. Akasa has accused the DGCA of being “unwilling to take any action” which resulted in “significant financial and operational hardship” to the airline The pilot resignations caused 632 flight cancellations in August, according to Akasa, an estimated 18% of the roughly 3,500 flights the airline usually operates in a month. – Reuters
2 5 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 3 M O N D A Y A better looking Spidey on page 18 Paris Hilton drops in on page 19 Former One Direction member turns actor on page 16 All good things Final Fantasy returns on page 17
16 ENTERTAINMENT theSun LYFE ON MONDAY | SEPTEMBER 25, 2023 for his actions. He assured SF9’s supporters that his intention was never to retreat from the limelight. He shared his genuine appreciation for every cherished moment he experienced as a member of SF9. Yet, at the age of 27, he yearns for fresh challenges and uncharted adventures in his career. Concluding his heartfelt letter, Rowoon expressed his profound gratitude to his fans and expressed hope for their unwavering support as he embarks on a new journey. Rowoon’s acting journey, which began in 2017 with his debut in School 2017, has since seen him in various notable shows such as About Time, Extraordinary You, The King’s Affection, Tomorrow, and Where Stars Land. Currently, Rowoon is captivating audiences as the male lead in Destined With You and eagerly preparing for his upcoming K-drama project titled Wedding Match. Rowoon leaves SF9 RENOWNED singer-actor Rowoon has officially announced his departure from the K-pop sensation SF9, marking a significant turning point in his career. FNC Entertainment, the agency behind SF9, disclosed that all SF9 members have successfully renewed their contracts. However, a transformative change is in the works as the group is set to undergo reorganisation, transitioning into an eight member ensemble without Rowoon. The reason behind this pivotal decision lies in Rowoon’s determination to dedicate himself entirely to his personal pursuits, with a primary focus on acting. In an emotionally charged and deeply personal gesture, Rowoon wrote a heartfelt handwritten letter exclusively for his devoted fan base, known as “Fantasys”. The artiste began by acknowledging the challenge of initiating this heartfelt message, admitting that it has been some time since he last communicated directly with his fans. He expressed his desire to avoid having his departure from the group being seen as his reintroduction. Rowoon candidly confessed that he had been grappling with mounting frustration stemming from the difficulty of balancing his commitments to SF9 and his burgeoning acting career. This internal struggle led to disappointment and irritation among some fans, who believed he was neglecting group responsibilities in favour of his solo ambitions. Acknowledging the pain and anger felt by Fantasys, Rowoon extended a sincere apology K-pop star Rowoon bids farewell to SF9, sets sights on acting journey. – KPOP oBegins a new journey toward bigger things █ BYTHASHINE SELVAKUMARAN Vijay Antony’s daughter dies TAMIL film actor and music composer Vijay Antony’s teenage daughter was believed to have committed suicide. The heartbreaking news broke on Tuesday and shocked many fans and the film industry. According to reports, Meera Vijay Anthony was found hanging in her bedroom at 3am on Tuesday and was rushed to a hospital, but she was said to have died before arrival. The 16-year-old girl was studying in the 12th grade at a private school in Chennai. On March 12, Vijay Anthony’s wife, Fatima Vijay Anthony, posted a message. “The force behind my strength, the consolations to my tears, the reason for my stress (naughtiness super loaded), my Thangakattichellakutty. Meera Vijay Antony, congrats, baby.” The actor is heartbroken. - PICS BY VIJAY ANTONY INSTAGRAM █ BYS. TAMARAI CHELVI Beyond Darth Vader NOW fully embracing his role as Anakin Skywalker, Hayden Christensen has once again returned to a galaxy far, far away. In Ahsoka’s fourth and fifth episodes, Christensen’s Anakin is reunited with his former Jedi apprentice, Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson). Guiding her in the world between worlds, Anakin helps Ahsoka to resolve her guilt and deliver his final lesson to her: accepting her own legacy, both the good and the bad, to move forward. More than a force ghost, Anakin also displays something very few Jedi are actually capable of: adeptly using and switching between both the light and dark sides of the force. Following the fifth Ahsoka episode, Disney shared a behind-the-scenes featurette of Christensen’s return, where series creator Dave Filoni explains why he brought Anakin back. “You know, as I was figuring out the story for Ahsoka, I just really thought, ‘Well, there’s an opportunity’, ” Filoni says in the video. “I could bring Anakin and Ahsoka together.’ It’s just awesome.” Despite the fanfare and overwhelmingly positive reception for Christensen’s portrayal of Anakin in Ahsoka, this is the first time he has returned to the role. The actor reunited with his prequel trilogy costar Ewan McGregor in last year’s Obi-Wan Kenobi, playing both Darth Vader and a younger version of Anakin in flashback sequences. “Putting on the Anakin costume and getting to wear those Jedi robes kind of blow your mind every time,” Christensen says. “I just feel very grateful.” █ BY MARK MATHEN VICTOR Louis Tomlinson’s solo documentary debuts STREAMING platform Paramount+ recently announced its upcoming release of the documentary Louis Tomlinson: All of Those Voices on its streaming platform next month. Having initially premiered in specific cinemas this March, the documentary offers an intimate glimpse into the life and music career of the former One Direction member. Directed by Charlie Lightening, known for directing Liam Gallagher’s As It Was, and produced in collaboration with 78 Productions and Trafalgar Releasing, the documentary will be accessible for streaming on Paramount+ in various countries, including the UK, Australia, Latin America, Brazil, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and South Korea, starting on Oct 5. “I’m really excited to announce that All of Those Voices will be available to stream on Paramount+,” said the former One Direction member in a press release at the time of the film’s announcement. “This film means everything to me, and I’m looking forward to having it out there in the world”. The film explores Tomlinson’s personal struggles with loss and his journey from a member of One Direction to a solo artist. After releasing his debut album Walls in 2020 and his follow-up Faith in the Future in 2022, Tomlinson chose to pull back the curtain in this documentary film, showing a much more intimate side of him that his fans had not had a chance to engage with since the storied boy band he grew up in disbanded in 2015. “This has been something I have been working on for years, and I’m really excited to finally put it out into the world,” said Tomlinson. “I’ve said it a million times, but I’m lucky enough to have the greatest fans an artist could wish for, and as they always go above and beyond for me, I wanted to share my story in my own words’. ” He closed his post by offering warm congratulations to his longtime friend and acknowledging the worldwide acclaim and love Tomlinson has been receiving on his solo path — a journey that began when they joined forces in 2010 The former One direction member. during the formation of One Direction.
17 GAMING & TECH theSun LYFE ON MONDAY | SEPTEMBER 25, 2023 Final Fantasy returns next year THE release date for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has been revealed. Announced on Sept 14 in the latest PlayStation State of Play, the sequel to 2020’s Final Fantasy VII Remake also came with a three-minute-long trailer that showcased a lot of what the game will cover. Like Remake, Rebirth will also come with two discs, and judging by what was shown in the trailer, it will contain an impressive amount of content, which looks to be far more than Remake had. The sequel will cover almost everything after Cloud and the main party escape Midgar until the Forgotten Capital, the Rebirth is the second part of a new trilogy. – PICS BY SQUARE ENIX oHighly anticipated news among gamers █ BY MARK MATHEN VICTOR Aerith’s (left) fate may change in Rebirth. climactic location that fans of the original game will know as the location where series antagonist Sephiroth kills Aerith. As already established, Rebirth is set on an alternate timeline compared to Final Fantasy VII from 1997; certain events will not play out as they originally did. That said, the trailer seems to be pointing towards a different outcome in the Forgotten Capital. Maybe this time, it’s Cloud that dies, which would be a bold move by Square Enix to kill off one of gaming’s most iconic heroes. In a roundtable interview with Rebirth producer Yoshinori Kitase, creative director Tetsuya Nomura, director Naoki Hamaguchi, and music supervisor Keiji Kawamori, the article on PlayStation Blog detailed some of the new things the game will introduce. Unlike the first game, Rebirth will have skill trees that work in tandem with the matrix system. “Many new materials with new abilities not seen in the first game are available as well, so players will have even more options to customise and build character load-outs to their own taste,” Hamaguchi explained. The director also pointed out that certain characters will have their own mechanics, such as Red XIII; the wolf-like character, who was present in the first game but could not be directly controlled, will have both an ATB gauge and a “revenge gauge”, so that players can “balance between offensive strategy using the ATB gauge and defensive strategy using the revenge gauge”. On that note, Nomura also revealed that all the original party members from 1997’s Final Fantasy VII will be in Rebirth, but there will be a caveat. Characters like Cait Sith and Vincent Valentine will be relegated to Red XIII’s role in Remake; they will be guest party members. “There are characters who are accompanying members in Rebirth that will become official party members in the next title,” he explained. Additionally, Rebirth will have a collector’s edition with a hefty price tag of US$350 (RM1,638.17). This pricey edition will come with the game, a steel bookcase, a 48-cm-tall detailed sculpture of Sephiroth and several in-game downloadable pieces of content. For added perspective, all these will cost more than a Nintendo Switch or an Xbox Series S. Pre-orders for the game are currently live, with Final Fantasy VII Rebirth releasing next year on Feb 29 exclusively for the PlayStation 5. New royalty fee causes meltdown ACCORDING to a 2021 report by Unity Technology, its Unity cross-platform game engine was the top choice, with 61% of the developers who were surveyed using it. The engine is used by many game developers, from AAA studios down to the most obscure indie developers. Ever heard of Pokemon Go, Genshin Impact, Among Us, Beat Sabre or Cities: Skyline? These games run on Unity. So, it was a bold move when the company announced a new pricing model on Sept 12 that immediately angered the video game developer community. According to IGN, as summed up in the blog post by Unity game developers, they will be charged a small fee every time someone downloads a game built on the Unity engine. “It’s called the Unity Runtime Fee, and the new pricing model will apply to developers who reach a certain amount of installs and revenue,” the IGN article reads. The loudest voices are coming from game developers of “freemium” games and gamers who are rallying behind them; freemium games cost nothing to download or play, but they rely on in-game purchases to make a profit. A developer of Dead Static Drive going by the handle @kurtruslfanclub on X (formerly Twitter) gave an example of how the new royalty-based fee structure will affect game developers: A free-to-play game is developed, and it makes US$200,000 (RM 938,300) from in-app purchases, but because it was installed millions of times, the developers may need to pay Unity more than the profit they made. Game developers are rightfully pushing back hard on the new pricing structure that is planned to go into effect on January first next year. Innersloth, the developers of Among Us, which has been installed millions of times, have announced they will port the game elsewhere if Unity goes through with their plan. In the latest update at the time of writing, Axios’ Stephen Totilo has reported that Unity has “regrouped” over the pushback and is claiming that the company will only charge for the initial installation. As this is a developing situation, things may change further down the line. A lot of games like Among Us were developed on Unity and would face severe fee charges. – INNERSLOTH █ BY MARK MATHEN VICTOR Start from scratch AS the marketing for next year’s Final Fantasy VII Rebirth ramps up, key details of the game are being gradually released. Being the sequel to 2020’s Final Fantasy VII Remake, most players have been curious how Rebirth will treat the progression they made in Remake, as the events in the latter directly lead into the former, along with having the same characters in the party. Many assumed they would be able to port or import their saved data from Remake into Rebirth, effectively starting the sequel with the same progression, skills, weapons, accessories and summons they ended Remake with, but that will apparently Progression will not carry over; everyone states Rebirth being weak. █ BY MARK MATHEN VICTOR not be possible. In a PlayStation Blog interview with the game’s developers, director Naoki Hamaguchi explained that players will not be able to transfer their overpowered characters from Remake into the sequel. He even noted that each entry in the “FFVII remake trilogy” will function as a standalone game. “Because of this, each game’s balancing is done independently”, explained Hamaguchi. “And a player’s levels and abilities will not carry over from one game to the next.” Ultimately, these mean players can’t port over their overpowered characters or equipment, like the Gotterdammerung accessory that gives players a full Limit Break gauge at the start of any battle. Accessories like that would only trivialise any challenge in Rebirth’s early areas, which would render the game design and difficulty balancing pointless. However, Hamaguchi revealed that those who played Remake will have “special bonuses” once they boot up Rebirth. According to Square Enix’s official website, players will receive the Leviathan Summon Materia and the Ramuh Summon Materia should they have a save date for Remake and Intermission, respectively. This should serve as some consolation, as these two free materials were originally only available in their respective games after beating certain challenges. The developers have confirmed antagonist Sephiroth will be playable.
18 GAMING & TECH theSun LYFE ON MONDAY | SEPTEMBER 25, 2023 A better looking Spider-Man A few weeks away from release, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is set to raise the standards for a SpiderMan game through the PlayStation 5’s capabilities. The first two games in the franchise, Marvel’s Spider-Man and its spin-off, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, were developed for the PlayStation 4. In an IGN interview with the game’s developers, Insomniac Games director of core technology Mike Fitzgerald and project director Jeannette Lee revealed how Insomniac has utilised the console’s system to achieve ray tracing for whichever graphic performance setting the player chooses. “For this game, we’re really able to deliver (ray tracing) as a baseline performance mode,” Fitzgerald told IGN. According to Fitzgerald, Spider-Man 2 will feature a selection of frame rate options, ranging from 30, 40 and 60 frames per second (fps). The 30fps option will have better graphical fidelity, while the 60fps option will see players trade some of the image quality for a smoother frame rate. A middle ground of sorts, the 40fps is for those with a 120Hz TV. Venom makes his PS5 debut with a different origin story. – PICS BY INSOMNIAC GAMES oInsomniac Games’ latest game pushes the PS5 harder █ BY MARK MATHEN VICTOR Ray tracing provides realistic lighting in scenes through reflections, refractions, shadows and indirect lighting. Fitzgerald goes on to explain that any of the three options will have ray tracing switched on by default, and this is due to the studio’s development time spent on the PlayStation 5. “There’s no mode of this game that has the ray tracing turned off; there’s no need for it. We’ve really figured out how to deliver what we feel like is the right Spider-Man visuals, and we want to make sure every player is seeing that”. Last week’s PlayStation State of Play also revealed some new minor information leading up to the game’s release: 0 The game’s city has doubled in size. 0 Web wings provide faster traversal. 0 Peter Parker’s old high school can be visited, along with Miles Morales’ Visions Academy. 0 Swapping between Parker and Morales is instant, similar to Grand Theft Auto V. 0 Civilians will often ask for help, and sometimes they will ask for a specific Spider-Man. 0 There is a new fast-travel system. 0 More than 65 new suits to unlock and wear. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 releases exclusively for the PlayStation 5 on Oct 20. ‘Game of Thrones’ author sues ChatGPT creator over copyrights Titanium edges catch scratches RECENTLY, Apple presented the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max as its lightest and most robust devices to date, thanks to the adoption of a Mars Rover-level “premium alloy” for the frame. However, despite this high-quality material and the innovative “thermomechanical” production process, the devices haven’t escaped scrutiny. Tech content creators have expressed a common concern, which has been widely discussed on social media. Even during the hands-on Several iPhone 15 Pro frames, marked by fingerprints. –TWITTER/@ANDREWJCLARE █ BYHAZIQUE ZAIRILL preview stage, it’s evident that the phones have a susceptibility to retain fingerprints and grime to the extent that it affects the vibrancy of their new colours. A single image clearly depicts how easily scruffs or marks can mar the titanium edges, emphasising the importance of using a protective case when using it for an extended period of time. Andrew Clare, a renowned “tech content creator,” pointed out that the new brushed-metal-effect edges attract fingerprints to an unexpectedly high degree. This observation has also been echoed by Weibo contributor Lurenlu, who captured a video illustrating the issue during a recent in-person iPhone demo event. This issue has been reported in the 15 Pro and Pro Max versions, particularly the ones in blue and natural titanium finishes. However, only a limited number of tech contributors have openly recognised this concern up to this point. Consequently, it remains uncertain whether titanium iPhones are genuinely more susceptible to these imperfections and if they pose greater challenges for long-term maintenance compared to their stainless steel counterparts. Apple’s approach to addressing the issue of easily scratched finishes on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max is uncertain. There is no clear indication if it plans to honour warranties by offering immediate replacements or if its employees have been directed to educate customers on the use of protective cases to safeguard the titanium finish in advance. For those who are eager to stick with the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, a suitable and protective cover is highly recommended. “GAME of Thrones” author George RR Martin and other best-selling fiction writers have filed a classaction lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing the tech startup of violating their copyrights to fuel its generative AI chatbot ChatGPT. The Authors Guild, an organisation representing writers, and several novelists, including Martin, John Grisham and Jodi Picoult, accused the California-based company of using their books “without permission” to train ChatGPT’s “large language models,” algorithms capable of producing human-sounding text responses based on simple queries, according to the lawsuit. “And at the heart of these algorithms is systematic theft on a massive scale,” said the complaint, filed Tuesday in a New York federal court. Numerous other lawsuits have been filed by artists, organisations, and coders against OpenAI and its competitors, with the plaintiffs claiming their work has been ripped off. OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment from AFP. The firm’s language models “endanger fiction writers’ ability to make a living, in that the models allow anyone to generate — automatically and freely (or very cheaply) — texts that they would otherwise pay writers to create,” Tuesday’s complaint read. ChatGPT can be used to produce “derivative works,” imitating the style of writers, it added. “Unfairly and perversely, without Plaintiffs’ copyrighted works on which to “train” their language models, Defendants would have no commercial product with which to damage, if not usurp, the market for these professional authors’ works,” the complaint said. “Defendants’ willful copying thus makes Plaintiffs’ works into engines of their own destruction.” The Authors Guild and the writers are seeking a ban on the use of copyrighted books to develop language models “without express authorisation,” as well as damages. OpenAI has relied on mountains of texts found online to power its chatbot but has not specified exactly which sites and writings have been used. OpenAI has been the subject of several complaints since the success of ChatGPT last year, including one from computer engineers who also sued Microsoft, its main investor, and the GitHub platform. In January, artists filed a class-action lawsuit against DreamUp, Midjourney and Stable Diffusion, three image-generating AI models programmed with art found online. Microsoft announced this month that it would provide legal protection for customers sued for copyright infringement over content generated by its AI tools. - ETX STUDIO Martin is among a group of fiction writers who have filed a class-action lawsuit against OpenAI.
19 LIFESTYLE theSun LYFE ON MONDAY | SEPTEMBER 25, 2023 AMERICAN socialite and reality TV star Paris Hilton captivated Malaysian fans when she arrived at the Centre Atrium on the ground floor of Sogo Kuala Lumpur to launch her latest fragrance, Ruby Rush, on Sept 13. Hilton rose to fame all thanks to her reality show, The Simple Life, which ran on television from 2003 to 2007. The flawless beauty arrived at about 5pm with her fans cheering and screaming for her attention. One fan held a note saying, “I waited for 17 years to see you”. Some fans flew in from Sarawak and queued up since early morning just to see her in person, who looks like a Barbie doll. The fans did not miss the chance to ask the selfie queen to take a selfie with their phones, and Hilton did not let them down. She humbly obliged their request and took so many selfies. The Stars are Blind singer, wearing a light blue dress that appeared like b r o d e r i e anglaise, had a little chat with her fans before signing posters and album covers as she walked on the red carpet and was led to the stage. “I am so excited just to have so many beautiful fragrances; Ruby is something really important to me,” revealed Hilton. “I wanted to make a beautiful perfume perfect for date night. I wanted them to wake up, feel empowered, and be their best selves.” “When I was going through the notes, I wanted red cherry, vanilla, sandalwood, and hibiscus flowers, the national flower of Malaysia, and everybody is loving it so much”, she said. As crowds kept cheering, Hilton told them to “keep sliving”. She coined the word sliving, a combination of the words slaying and living the best life. The stars had been juggling several things. When the host asked how she could do it, Hilton said, “I do all this for all of you guys. I love my fans so much. I have the best fans in the world, and you guys mean the world to me.” “I feel so lucky and blessed that I get to do so many things that I love, from designing perfume to doing movies, reality shows, singing on albums, DJ-ing around the world, advocacy work in Washington DC, and being a mom, and I do it all. That’s what sliving is all about”, said Hilton. “I do it all. It’s a lot to balance, but that’s what sliving means,”she said. Speaking about becoming a new mother, she said, “I have never been happier. My life feels so complete. My little boy, Phoenix, is a beautiful angel. I love cuddling him so much. My life feels so perfect right now.” Hilton also promised to return to Malaysia for a concert. Never once did she complain; she had a beautiful smile and was graceful throughout the two-hour event. During the launching ceremony, Hilton launched her 30th edition of Ruby Rush, a floral fruity fragrance, posed with 20 lucky people and signed the bottle cover and pink accessory perfume bags. The stunning star was even obliged to sign on the baby bump. She had the crowd cheering for her and waved goodbye to Hilton until she left the building. If you are wondering why she picked Sogo KL, it was chosen because the shopping centre had registered the highest number of sales of her fragrances like Rose Rush, Gold Rush, and others. In conjunction with Hilton’s arrival and launch, fans got to purchase her fragrances at a better price than what was offered in any other shopping complex in Malaysia. █ BYS. TAMARAI CHELVI Hilton posing with Ruby Rush. - PICS BY AMIRUL SYAFIQ/THESUN Immersing into the scent of her fragrance, Ruby Rush. Taking a selfie with her adoring fans. Paris Hilton‘sliving’ in Malaysia oSocialite launches her new fragrance Above: Surrounded by security and the funny part was a woman was holding a fan for her. Perhaps, the climate was ‘too hot’ for the hot star.
20 LIFESTYLE theSun LYFE ON MONDAY | SEPTEMBER 25, 2023 /thesundaily FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK SCAN ME Coffee bonanza oMalaysia’s MADly delicious coffee experience comes to 7-Eleven CALLING all coffee connoisseurs and Java junkies. Get ready to dive into a caffeine carnival that is out of this world! From Sept 14 to Oct 13, 7-Eleven is brewing up a storm in Peninsular Malaysia that will have you dancing with delight as you #GetMAD with MAD Foods’ dairy-free Ready-toDrink (RTD) cold brew coffee. But that’s not all - you could also be the lucky winner of a daily cash prize worth RM500. Hailing from the Lion City, MAD Foods has taken Singapore by storm with its debut line of 100% plant-based and dairy-free RTD cold brew coffee. Now, they’re crossing borders to offer Malaysians a healthier alternative to the regular canned coffees that rely on cow’s milk and often pack a sugary punch — perfect for those with lactose intolerance. What’s the MAD twist? This creamy and flavour-packed coffee is powered by oat milk, and it comes in three delightful 240ml variants — double shot, single shot, and decaf. Each variant embodies its own unique personality, introducing you to Max, Miles, and Maya. To make this launch even more exciting, MAD and 7-Eleven are cooking up the #GetMAD contest with a whopping total of RM15,000 up for grabs. To get in on the action, all you have to do is grab a can of MAD from any 7-Eleven store in Malaysia, snap a picture, share it on your Instagram and/or TikTok, and do not forget to tag @iammad.co. In your captions, make sure to use the hashtag #IAMMAD and tag three friends you would love to see #GetMAD too. With one lucky winner selected every day for 30 days, there are a total of 30 winners, each walking away with RM500 in cold, hard cash. But what is the story behind MAD Foods? Founded in 2019 by the dynamic duo of Angelique Teo, a Singaporean media and radio personality, and Bobby Randhawa, a seasoned expert with over 20 years of experience in the fast moving consumer goods and beverage industry, MAD Foods is on a mission to craft beverages that offer convenience, healthiness, and sustainability. They are not just selling drinks; they are building a community. MAD is all about giving you choices that are kind to your body and the planet. Their oat milk-based, dairy-free cold brew coffee is not just delicious; it’s also free from added sugar and GMOs. And when it comes to the environment, MAD is leading the way with slim BPA-free aluminium cans that are 100% plasticfree. So, what is next for MAD Foods? They are racing ahead to expand their product range, bringing you options that let you consume better and live stronger, all while protecting our beautiful planet. So why wait? Start your MAD journey today and experience coffee like never before, with MAD Foods leading the way. █ BY THASHINE SELVAKUMARAN Starbucks adds to the Disney magic LAST Saturday, an exciting collaboration was unveiled in Kuala Lumpur that will delight fans of both Starbucks and The Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia. This unique partnership is set to craft an unforgettable Starbucks experience, complete with a fresh selection of Disney-inspired merchandise and chic lifestyle accessories that are bound to evoke cherished memories for people of all ages. This enchanting collection, known as the “Starbucks Relive the Magic Together” series, stars beloved Disney characters like Mickey and Friends, Chip and Dale, Dumbo, Stitch, and Angel. It features an exclusive array of merchandise adorned with charming character art and vintage flair. Launched last Sunday for a limited time, this nostalgic ensemble will be available across Malaysia, seamlessly blending Disney’s timeless tales with Starbucks’ iconic ambience to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. This heartwarming assortment extends beyond mere screen magic. Comprising 15 distinct drinkware designs and six lifestyle accessories, it includes mugs, reusable cups, and tumblers, ideal for savouring your preferred Starbucks beverage whether you are at the office or home. Every item in this collection boasts playful Disney-themed artwork cleverly infused with the familiar Starbucks essence. In addition to the captivating merchandise, there will also be delightful gift-with-purchase premiums such as ornaments, pin badges, and embroidered patches. Detailed information on how shoppers can acquire these charming additions will be revealed soon. Starbucks’ “Relive the Magic Together” collection is accessible at all Starbucks® outlets throughout Malaysia, while supplies last. This collaboration between Starbucks and The Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia promises an enchanting journey down memory lane, allowing fans to rekindle the magic. Take your chance to be part of this heartwarming experience and bring a touch of Disney wonder to your daily life. █ BYYASMIN ZULRAEZ MAD comes in three 240ml variants. The official poster of the merchandise line-up. –PICS BY STARBUCKS Bundle Package B. The Cold Cup line-up. The Canvas Tote Bag. Complimentary surprise gift.
21 * SPORTS theSUN ON MONDAY | SEPTEMBER 25, 2023 THE national men’s hockey team sent out an early warning of their gold-medal pursuit in the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games by hammering Thailand 9-0 in their opening Group B match at the Gongshu Canal Sports Park Stadium yesterday. Arul Selvaraj was full of praise for his players for rising to the occasion. “I cannot ask for more because this is their first match. After all, we already expected this result. “Apart from the two cards shown to my players, which I believe were not their fault, I am satisfied and enjoyed this match. “We will take it one match at a time,” he said after the game. The Speedy Tigers, who won silver in the 2018 JakartaPalembang Games, will face Oman in the second match at the same venue tomorrow Meanwhile in shooting, veteran shooter Nur Suryani Mohamed Taibi’s wish to bag a medal as her birthday present was unfulfilled when she missed the chance to advance to the final of the women’s individual 10m air rifle event. However she still has a chance to get her birthday present in the 10m air rifle mixed team event tomorrow and the 50m rifle 3 positions on Wednesday, which is also the focus event of the national squad. In wushu, national exponent Wong Weng Son, who was predicted to contribute the first medal for the national contingent finished second to last in the men’s changquan final yesterday. – Bernama PERISYTIHARAN JUALAN DALAM MAHKAMAH TINGGI MALAYA DI SUNGAI PETANI PERMOHONAN UNTUK PERLAKSANAAN NO: KB-38-78-01/2023 Dalam perkara mengenai Seksyen 256 dan 257 Kanun Tanah Negara, 1965 Dan Dalam perkara mengenai Gadaian Perserahan No: 2193/2014( bertarikh 09/02/2014) ke atas semua bahagian tanah yang dipegang di bawah Geran No. Hakmilik 93702, Lot 4003, Mukim Bandar Lunas, Daerah Kulim, Kedah Dan Dalam perkara mengenai Aturan 83 Kaedah- Kaedah Mahkamah, 2012 ANTARA OCBC BANK (MALAYSIA) BERHAD (No. Syarikat : 295400-W) ...PLAINTIF DAN RAVINDRAN A/L MUNIANDY (No. Kad Pengenalan : 810101025237) ...DEFENDAN Menurut Perintah Mahkamah Tinggi Malaya di SUNGAI PETANI mengenai Perintah Jualan dan Perintah bertarikh 18 Mei 2021 dan 14 Jun 2023, adalah dengan ini diisytiharkan bahawa Timbalan Pendaftar/Penolong Kanan Pendaftar Pusat Operasi e- Lelong di Kuantan AKAN MENJUAL SECARA LELONG AWAM Pada Hari Selasa, 3 Oktober 2023, Pada Jam 9:00 pagi, SECARA ELEKTRONIK DI LAMAN WEB e-LELONG, PUSAT OPERASI e-LELONG, KOMPLEKS MAHKAMAH KUANTAN, PAHANG DARUL MAKMUR NOTA: Bakal pembeli adalah dinasihatkan agar membuat carian Hakmilik secara rasmi di Peiabat Tanah dan memeriksa semua tanggungan, bebanan serta mengenal pasti dengan tepat hartanah tersebut sebelum jualan lelongan dijalankan. Sila layari https://eIelong.kehakiman.gov.my/bidderweb BUTIR-BUTIR HAKMILIK: No. Hakmilik : Geran No. Hakmilik 93702 No. Lot : Lot 4003 Mukim/Daerah/Negeri : Bandar Lunas / Kulim / Kedah Pegangan : Hakmilik Kekal No. Petak/No. Tingkat/No. : Bangunan : Keluasan Tanah : 1399.0000000000 kaki persegi : 130.0000000000 meter persegi Pemilik Berdaftar : RAVINDRAN A/L MUNIANDY Syarat Nyata : Tanah yang terkandung dalam hakmilik ini hendaklah digunakan sebagai tapak untuk satu bangunan kediaman sahaja Sekatan Kepentingan : Tiada Bebanan / Lain-Lain : Tiada Kawasan Rizab : Kaveat : LOKASI DAN PERIHAL HARTANAH : Hartanah tersebut adalah Tapak Rumah Berderet (Kos Rendah) yang beralamat pos di 258, Lorong Makmur 6/3, Taman Makmur, 09600, Lunas, Kedah. HARGA RIZAB : Hartanah tersebut akan dijual atas “sepertimana sedia ada” tertakluk kepada satu harga rizab sebanyak RM 250,000.00 (RINGGIT MALAYSIA: DUA RATUS LIMA PULUH RIBU SAHAJA) dan kepada syarat-syarat jualan yang dilampirkan. Pembida yang berminat hendaklah mendepositkan 10% daripada harga rizab dalam bentuk Bank Draf di atas nama OCBC BANK (MALAYSIA) BERHAD 1 HARI BEKERJA sebelum tarikh lelong awam. Baki harga belian hendaklah dibayar oleh pembida yang berjaya kepada OCBC BANK (MALAYSIA) BERHAD dalam tempoh seratus dua puluh (120) hari dari tarikh jualan. Untuk butir-butir selanjutnya, sila berhubung dengan:- Firma Guaman : GHAZI & LIM Alamat : 19TH FLOOR, PLAZA MWE NO 8, LEBUH FARQUHAR, 10200, PG, MY No. Telefon : 04-2633688 No. Fax : 04-2633188/2627433 No. Rujukan : 090/20/JB/NII/zI IN THE MATTER OF COMPANIES ACT 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF SEDIMAS SENDIRIAN BERHAD (In Member’s Voluntary Winding Up) [Registration No.: 198701001439 (160107-T)] (Incorporated in Malaysia) NOTICE OF FINAL MEETING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to Section 459(2) of the Companies Act 2016, that a Final Meeting of the member of the abovenamed Company will be held at the office of 17.01, Menara Boustead Penang, 39, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, 10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang on 26 October 2023 at 9.30 a.m. for the following purposes:- 1) To receive an account from the Liquidator showing the manner in which the winding-up has been conducted and the company’s property (if any) was disposed of, and to receive any explanation thereon. 2) To resolve under Section 518(3)(b) of the Companies Act 2016, that the books and papers of the Company and of the Liquidator that are relevant to the affairs of the Company at or subsequent to the commencement of the winding up of the Company shall be destroyed after the expiration of three months from the date of the final meeting. Signed CHRISTOPHER CHONG LYE SUN LIQUIDATOR 17.01, Menara Boustead Penang 39, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah 10050 George Town Pulau Pinang Date: 25 September 2023 DALAM PERKARA AKTA SYARIKAT 2016 DAN DALAM PERKARA SEDIMAS SENDIRIAN BERHAD (Dalam Penggulungan Sukarela Anggota) [Nombor Pendaftaran: 198701001439 (160107-T)] (Diperbadankan di Malaysia) NOTIS MESYUARAT TERAKHIR DENGAN INI DIMAKLUMKAN bahawa menurut Seksyen 459(2) Akta Syarikat 2016, Mesyuarat Terakhir Ahli Syarikat akan diadakan di 17.01, Menara Boustead Penang, 39, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, 10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang pada 26 Oktober 2023 pada 9.30 a.m. bagi tujuan berikut:- 1) Untuk menerima dan mempertimbangkan penyata terakhir akaun pelikuidasi yang menunjukkan cara dimana penggulungan telah dijalankan dan hartanah syarikat (jika ada) telah dilupuskan, dan menerima apa-apa penjelasan yang berkaitan dengannya. 2) Untuk memutuskan dibawah Seksyen 518(3)(b) Akta Syarikat 2016, bahawa buku dan kertas Syarikat dan pelikuidasi yang berkaitan dengan hal ehwal Syarikat pada atau selepas permulaan penggulungan Syarikat akan dimusnahkan selepas tamat tempoh tiga bulan dari tarikh Mesyuarat Akhir. Tandatangan CHRISTOPHER CHONG LYE SUN PELIKUIDASI 17.01, Menara Boustead Penang 39, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah 10050 George Town Pulau Pinang Bertarikh 25 September 2023 322 Notices 322 Notices 322 Notices DALAM MAHKAMAH SESYEN DI PETALING JAYA DALAM NEGERI SELANGOR DARUL EHSAN, MALAYSIA GUAMAN NO. BB-A52NCvC-160-07/2023 ANTARA PRAGASAM A/L PRASATHURAI (NO. K/P.: 740309-07-5697) … PLAINTIF DAN 1. VINODKUMAR A/L ELANGOVAN (No. K/P: 920311-01-6029) 2. VSM GREEN ENTERPRISE (No Syarikat.:201503341534 (SA0362935-T)) …DEFENDAN-DEFENDAN IKLAN NOTIS ADALAH DENGAN INI DIBERI bahawa Suatu Writ Saman termeterai bertarikh 31 Julai 2023, Pernyataan Tuntutan bertarikh 31 Julai 2023 dan Perintah termeterai bertarikh 12 September 2023 untuk menyempurnakan penyampian kertas-kertas kausa tersebut kepada Defendan-Defendan, VINODKUMAR A/L ELANGOVAN (No. K/P: 920311-01- 6029) dan VSM GREEN ENTERPRISE (No Syarikat.: 201503341534 (SA0362935-T)), oleh Mahkamah Sesyen Petaling Jaya mengikut Perintah Mahkamah pada 12 September 2023 yang difailkan oleh PRAGASAM A/L PRASATHURAI (NO. K/P.: 740309-07-5697), Plaintif. DAN bahawa Pengurusan Kes ditetapkan secara e-Review di Mahkamah Sesyen Sivil 5 Petaling Jaya, Tingkat 2, Kompleks Mahkamah Petaling Jaya, Lorong Sultan, 46505 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia pada 3 Oktober 2023, pukul 9.00 pagi. DAN mana-mana pihak yang ingin menentang Writ Saman termeterai bertarikh 31 Julai 2023 dan Pernyataan Tuntutan bertarikh 31 Julai 2023 tersebut dikehendaki hadir dengan tujuan itu secara peribadi atau melalui peguamcaranya pada masa Pengurusan Kes. Sesalinan Writ Saman termeterai bertarikh 31 Julai 2023 dan Pernyataan Tuntutan bertarikh 31 Julai 2023 tersebut akan dibekalkan oleh pihak yang bertandatangan di bawah ini kepada mana-mana pihak yang memintanya dengan membuat bayaran yang ditetapkan. Peguamcara untuk Plaintif ialah Tetuan Revathi & Partners yang beralamat di No.1-11, Jalan Cenuk 2, Prima Avenue 3, Batu 10, Jalan Puchong, 47100 Puchong, Selangor. Ditandatangani Tetuan Revathi & Partners Peguamcara bagi pihak Plaintif PERHATIAN: - Sesiapa yang ingin hadir pada tarikh Pengurusan Kes Writ dan Pernyataan Tuntutan tersebut hendaklah memasukkan kehadiran dalam tempoh empat belas (14) hari dari tarikh pengiklanan ini dengan menyampaikan atau menghantar dengan pos kepada Peguamcara Plaintif iaitu Revathi & Partners suatu notis bertulis tentang niatnya sebegitu. Notis tersebut hendaklah menyatakan nama dan alamat orang tersebut, atau sekiranya ia adalah sebuah firma, nama dan alamat firma dan mestilah ditandatangani oleh orang atau firma yang berkenaan atau peguamcaranya jika ada dan notis hendaklah dihantar dalam jangka masa yang mencukupi supaya sampai kepada pihak yang dinamakan di atas sebelum pukul 12.00 tengahari pada 2 Oktober 2023, satu (1) hari sebelum tarikh yang ditetapkan untuk Pengurusan kes Writ dan Pernyataan Tuntutan tersebut pada 3 Oktober 2023. IKLAN ini disediakan oleh Tetuan Revathi & Partners, Peguamcara bagi Plaintif dimana alamat penyampaiannya ialah di No.1-11, Jalan Cenuk 2, Prima Avenue 3, Batu 10, Jalan Puchong, 47100 Puchong, Selangor. [No Ruj. : RP/RK/Lit/1121/23] [No.Tel/Faks:03-8082 2789/03-8082 3207] [Email: [email protected]] DALAM MAHKAMAH SESYEN DI RAUB DALAM NEGERI PAHANG DARUL MAKMUR, MALAYSIA (BAHAGIAN SIVIL) NO. GUAMAN: CC-A52-1-05/2023 ANTARA MOK KAH XIN (NO. K/P: 960306-06-5404) … PLAINTIF DAN LEONG CHEE WENG (NO. K/P: 950226-06-5325) … DEFENDAN NOTIS PENYAMPAIAN GANTI BENTUK IKLAN Dalam perkara Writ bertarikh 23.05.2023 dan melalui Perintah Penyampaian Ganti bertarikh 30.08.2023. Kepada: LEONG CHEE WENG (NO. K/P: 950226-06-5325) No. 40, Kampung Kemansur, 28700 Bentong, Pahang. LEONG CHEE WENG (NO. K/P: 950226-06-5325) KT 204-205, Ketari, 28700 Bentong, Pahang. LEONG CHEE WENG (NO. K/P: 950226-06-5325) No. 103, Kampung Chamang, 28700 Bentong, Pahang. AMBIL PERHATIAN bahawa satu Writ telah dikeluarkan terhadap kamu dalam Mahkamah ini oleh MOK KAH XIN (NO. K/P: 960306-06-5404) dan Mahkamah ini telah memerintahkan bahawa – (a) Penyampaian bagi Writ termeterai bertarikh 23.05.2023 (Lampiran 1) dan Pernyataan Tuntutan bertarikh 19.05.2023 (secara kolektif, “Kertas-Kertas Kausa”) hendaklah dilaksanakan ke atas kamu sebagai Defendan secara penyampaian ganti dengan (“Penyampaian Ganti”) – (i) menampalkan sesalinan KertasKertas Kausa tersebut dan sesalinan Perintah Penyampaian Ganti di atas papan notis Mahkmah Sesyen di Raub (“Penampalan tersebut”); dan (ii) mengiklankan satu kali sahaja suatu notis mengenai Kertas-Kertas Kausa tersebut dalam manamana satu keluaran surat akhbar tempatan di Malaysia (“Pengiklanan tersebut”); dan (b) Penyampaian Ganti tersebut hendaklah menjadi penyampaian yang sempurna dan mencukupi ke atas kamu sebagai Defendan selepas tamatnya tujuh (7) hari dari tarikh akhir Penampalan dan Pengiklanan tersebut atau manamana tindakan Penyampaian Ganti yang terakhir. Bertarikh pada 21 September 2023. t.t. ……….…………… Penolong Pendaftar Mahkamah Rendah Raub, Pahang NOTIS PENYAMPAIAN GANTI BENTUK IKLAN ini difailkan oleh TETUAN MARCUS NG, Suite 19-10, Level 19, Menara K1 (Commerce One), Lorong 3/137C, Off Jalan Klang Lama, 58200 Kuala Lumpur, peguam cara bagi pihak Plaintif yang dinamakan di atas. (No. Tel: 03-7773 3182 / 010-926 8681 No. Faks: 03-7773 3183 E-mel: ncy@ marcusng.com.my) (Rujukan kami: MNSP.MKX.2020) 322 Notices 322 Notices DALAM MAHKAMAH TINGGI MALAYA DI JOHOR BAHRU DALAM NEGERI JOHOR DARUL TAKZIM GUAMAN SIVIL NO: JA-22NCvC-54-05/2023 ANTARA 1. ZHEJIANG JINCHENLONG IMPORT & EXPORT TRADE CO LTD (No. Pendaftaran Syarikat Republik Rakyat China: 91330212MA283G8M9Q) 2. YE DONG LIANG (Pasport Republik Rakyat China No. E49027276) … PLAINTIF-PLAINTIF DAN 1. ANG BOON LEONG (No. K/P: 770410-06-6215) 2. BAY HUI TING (No. K/P: 950319-01-6792) 3. MOHD NAZIR BIN NAYAN (No. K/P: 800912-05-5385) 4. ANG JOYCE (No. K/P: 750412-10-5654) … DEFENDAN-DEFENDAN NOTIS PENYAMPAIAN GANTI Kepada:- ANG BOON LEONG PS10-19, Jalan Wangsa 2/62, Prima Saujana, Taman Wangsa Permai Kepong, 52200 Kepong, Kuala Lumpur AMBIL PERHATIAN bahawa Notis Permohonan Ex Parte (Permohonan Plaintif-Plaintif untuk Injunksi Interim) dimeterai bertarikh 9.5.2023, Afidavit Sokongan (Permohonan Plaintif-Plaintif untuk Injunksi Interim) yang diikrarkan oleh Ye Dong Liang pada 3.5.2023 (secara kolektif dirujuk sebagai “KertasKertas Kausa”) telah difailkan terhadap anda di Mahkamah Tinggi Malaya di Johor Bahru di bawah Guaman No. JA-22NCvC-54-05/2023 oleh Zhejiang Jinchenlong Import & Export Trade Co Ltd (No. Pendaftaran Syarikat Republik Rakyat China: 91330212MA283G8M9Q) dan Ye Dong Liang (Pasport Republik Rakyat China No. E49027276) dan MAHKAMAH TELAH MEMUTUSKAN BAHAWA Kertas-Kertas Kausa disampaikan kepada anda secara: 1. Penampalan sesalinan Kertas-Kertas Kausa di papan kenyataan / papan notis Mahkamah Tinggi di Johor Bahru; dan 2. Mengiklankan Notis Penyampaian Ganti ini dalam surat khabar harian tempatan Bahasa Inggeris dan Bahasa Cina sebanyak satu (1) kali sahaja; di mana tampalan dan/atau iklan tersebut dianggap sebagai penyampaian yang baik dan wajar bagi Kertas-Kertas Kausa selepas 14 hari dari hari terakhir tarikh tampalan atau pengiklanan. Sila ambil perhatian bahawa anda dikehendaki memasukkan kehadiran dalam tempoh 14 hari selepas penyampaian (termasuk hari penyampaian), jika gagal, penghakiman keingkaran kehadiran boleh dimasukkan terhadap anda. Sila ambil perhatian selanjutnya bahawa Kertas-Kertas Kausa boleh diperiksa pada waktu pejabat dari 9.00 pagi hingga 6.00 petang di pejabat peguamcara Plaintif-Plaintif di Aras 10-1, Menara B, Menara Prima, Jalan PJU 1/39, Dataran Prima, 47301 Petaling Jaya , Selangor. Bertarikh pada 26 haribulan Jun 2023 MWKA ……………………… Peguamcara untuk Plaintif-Plaintif MahWengKwai & Associates NOTIS PENYAMPAIAN GANTI ini difailkan oleh MahWengKwai & Associates, peguamcara bagi Plaintif-plaintif yang dinamakan di atas dengan alamat penyampaiannya di Level 10-1, Tower B, Menara Prima, Jalan PJU 1/39, Dataran Prima, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. [Tel: 03-7887 2702 / Faks: 03-7887 2703] [Ruj: M9492/RM/GCC/DRL/LCW(TK)] Item Reg No Make Model Price 1 VES 525 2020 PROTON SAGA 1.3 (A) PREMIUM TBA 2 W2592F 2013 PROTON PREVE 15000 3 PQK5553 2022 HINO XZU600R 90000 4 VFY3742 2021 HONDA RS150R/RS150R 6500 Scan QR to download Pickles Auctions App Bank Repossessed bikes and cars for sale by auction. All auctions are conducted via eBidding on Wednesday, 27 September at 9.30am (bikes) and 11.00am (cars). All are invited to join our PUBLIC AUCTION. Viewing and inspection on every Tuesday from 9.30am - 5.30pm. Download Pickles Auctions app to view all auction listings or visit www.pickles.my For more information call 016-6999170, WhatsApp 012-5553727 or email [email protected] PICKLES ASIA SDN BHD [1231292-D] Lot 19391, Batu 8 1⁄2, Jalan Klang Lama, Taman Desaria, 46000 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. 322 Notices DALAM MAHKAMAH TINGGI MALAYA DI JOHOR BAHRU DALAM NEGERI JOHOR DARUL TAKZIM GUAMAN SIVIL NO: JA-22NCvC-54-05/2023 ANTARA 1. ZHEJIANG JINCHENLONG IMPORT & EXPORT TRADE CO LTD (No. Pendaftaran Syarikat Republik Rakyat China: 91330212MA283G8M9Q) 2. YE DONG LIANG (Pasport Republik Rakyat China No. E49027276) … PLAINTIF-PLAINTIF DAN 1. ANG BOON LEONG (No. K/P: 770410-06-6215) 2. BAY HUI TING (No. K/P: 950319-01-6792) 3. MOHD NAZIR BIN NAYAN (No. K/P: 800912-05-5385) 4. ANG JOYCE (No. K/P: 750412-10-5654) … DEFENDAN-DEFENDAN NOTIS PENYAMPAIAN GANTI Kepada:- ANG BOON LEONG PS10-19, Jalan Wangsa 2/62, Prima Saujana, Taman Wangsa Permai Kepong, 52200 Kepong, Kuala Lumpur Dan BAY HUI TING No. 25, Jalan Anggerik 48, Taman Johor Jaya, 81100 Johor Bahru, Johor. Dan MOHD NAZIR BIN NAYAN Kampung Gual Ipoh, 17500 Tanah Merah, Kelantan. Dan ANG JOYCE 38, Lorong Batu Nilam 28F, Bandar Bukit Tinggi 2, 41200 Klang, Selangor. AMBIL PERHATIAN bahawa Writ Saman dimeterai bertarikh 9.5.2023 dan Pernyataan Tuntutan bertarikh 9.5.2023 (secara kolektif dirujuk sebagai “KertasKertas Kausa”) telah difailkan terhadap anda di Mahkamah Tinggi Malaya di Johor Bahru di bawah Guaman No. JA-22NCvC-54-05/2023 oleh Zhejiang Jinchenlong Import & Export Trade Co Ltd (No. Pendaftaran Syarikat Republik Rakyat China: 91330212MA283G8M9Q) dan Ye Dong Liang (Pasport Republik Rakyat China No. E49027276) dan MAHKAMAH TELAH MEMUTUSKAN BAHAWA Kertas-Kertas Kausa disampaikan kepada anda secara: 1. Penampalan sesalinan Kertas-Kertas Kausa di papan kenyataan / papan notis Mahkamah Tinggi di Johor Bahru; dan 2. Mengiklankan Notis Penyampaian Ganti ini dalam surat khabar harian tempatan Bahasa Inggeris dan Bahasa Cina sebanyak satu (1) kali sahaja; di mana tampalan dan/atau iklan tersebut dianggap sebagai penyampaian yang baik dan wajar bagi Kertas-Kertas Kausa selepas 14 hari dari hari terakhir tarikh tampalan atau pengiklanan. Sila ambil perhatian bahawa anda dikehendaki memasukkan kehadiran dalam tempoh 14 hari selepas Penyampaian (termasuk hari Penyampaian), jika gagal, penghakiman keingkaran kehadiran boleh dimasukkan terhadap anda. Sila ambil perhatian selanjutnya bahawa Kertas-Kertas Kausa boleh diperiksa pada waktu pejabat dari 9.00 pagi hingga 6.00 petang di pejabat peguamcara Plaintif-Plaintif di Aras 10-1, Menara B, Menara Prima, Jalan PJU 1/39, Dataran Prima, 47301 Petaling Jaya , Selangor. Bertarikh pada 26 haribulan Jun 2023 MWKA ………………………… Peguamcara untuk Plaintif-Plaintif MahWengKwai & Associates NOTIS PENYAMPAIAN GANTI ini difailkan oleh MahWengKwai & Associates, peguamcara bagi Plaintif-plaintif yang dinamakan di atas dengan alamat penyampaiannya di Level 10-1, Tower B, Menara Prima, Jalan PJU 1/39, Dataran Prima, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. [Tel: 03-7887 2702 / Faks: 03-7887 2703] [Ruj: M9492/RM/GCC/DRL/LCW(TK)] Pawnbrokers’ forfeited pledges under Section 23 of the Pawnbrokers’ Act 1972 Pawnbrokers’ (Control and Licensing) Regulations 2004 The above will be sold by public auction during the first week of October 2023 at no. 71, Bishop Street, Penang for articles pawned in December 2022 and earlier commencing from the date and time stated below:- Date Time 04.10.2023 9:00 A.M (Wednesday) Note: Interested bidders are to register with the licensed auctioneer 7 working days before the auction date. *Term and conditions apply. A.Dennys & Co Sdn Bhd Licensed Auctioneers 71, Lebuh Bishop 10200 Penang Tel No’s: 04-2611551/2 322 Notices 322 Notices IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF LANDPRISE SDN. BHD. (327534-T) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding Up) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to Section 459(1) of the Companies Act, 2016, that the Final Meeting of the members of the abovenamed Company will be held at 22, Jalan Pelangi Off Jalan Batu Tiga Lama, 41300 Klang, Selangor on 30 October 2023 at 10.30am for the following purposes:- 1. To receive an account from the Liquidator showing how the winding up has been conducted and of any explanations of the account that may be given by the Liquidator. 2. To determine by ordinary resolution in the manner in which the books, accounts and documents of the Company and the Liquidator thereof shall be disposed of after three (3) months from the date of final meeting. Kamarul Azman Bin Abdul Rahman (Liquidator) Kuala Lumpur Dated this: 25 September 2023 IN THE HIGH COURT IN MALAYA AT SHAH ALAM IN THE STATE OF SELANGOR DARUL EHSAN, MALAYSIA Companies (Winding-Up) No.: BA-28NCC-373-07/2023 In the matter of Section 465(1)(e) and Section 466 of the Companies Act 2016 And In the matter of Century Supplies Sdn Bhd (Company No.: 200901020567 (863664-U)) BETWEEN MULTI DISCOVERY SDN BHD (Company No.: 199401001183 (286861-K) ...PETITIONER AND CENTURY SUPPLIES SDN BHD (Company No.: 200901020567(863664-U)) ...RESPONDENT ADVERTISEMENT OF PETITION NOTICE is hereby given that a Petition for the winding-up of the abovenamed company by the High Court was on 24th July 2023 presented by Multi Discovery Sdn Bhd (Company No.: 199401001183(286861-K). And that the said Petition is directed to be heard before the court sitting at Shah Alam High Court at 9.00 a.m. on Wednesday, 25th October 2023; and any creditor or contributory of the said company desiring to support or oppose the making of an order on the said Petition may appear at the time of hearing by himself or his counsel for that purpose; and a copy of the Petition will be furnished to any creditor or contributory of the said company requiring the same by the undersigned on payment of the regulated charges for the same. The Petitioner’s address is Lot 2778, Tingkat 5, Jalan Damansara, Sungai Penchala, 60000 Kuala Lumpur. The Petitioner’s Solicitors are Messrs Salleh Shah & Co at No. 33-2, Jalan Elektron U16/E, Seksyen U16, Denai Alam, 40160 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan. Tel: 03 7832 5338 Fax: 03 7838 5738 SGD …………………… Messrs Salleh Shah & Co Solicitors for the Petitioner Note: Any person who intends to appear on the hearing of the said Petition must serve on or send by post to the abovenamed Solicitors, Messrs Salleh Shah & Co, notice in writing of his intention so to do. The notice must state the name and the address of the person, or, if a firm, the name and address of the firm, and must be signed by the firm, or his or their Solicitors (if any) and must be served, or, if posted, must be sent by post in sufficient time to reach the abovenamed not later than twelve noon of 24th October 2023. [Ref: SSCO/22/3936] 322 Notices Advertise with us & connect to our urban readers. KLANG VALLEY PENANG | KEDAH PERAK | PERLIS PAHANG | KELANTAN TERENGGANU MS. Shoba TEL: 03-7784 8888 FAX: 03-7784 4424 MALACCA MR. Rajah TEL: 012-628 2844 FAX: 06-764 2051 JOHOR BAHRU MS. Anne Lim TEL: 013-770 6699 FAX: 07-355 5549 PERISYTIHARAN JUALAN DALAM MAHKAMAH TINGGI MALAYA DI SUNGAI PETANI PERMOHONAN UNTUK PERLAKSANAAN NO: KB-38-78-01/2023 Dalam perkara mengenai Seksyen 256 dan 257 Kanun Tanah Negara, 1965 Dan Dalam perkara mengenai Gadaian Perserahan No: 2193/2014( bertarikh 09/02/2014) ke atas semua bahagian tanah yang dipegang di bawah Geran No. Hakmilik 93702, Lot 4003, Mukim Bandar Lunas, Daerah Kulim, Kedah Dan Dalam perkara mengenai Aturan 83 Kaedah- Kaedah Mahkamah, 2012 ANTARA OCBC BANK (MALAYSIA) BERHAD (No. Syarikat : 295400-W) ...PLAINTIF DAN RAVINDRAN A/L MUNIANDY (No. Kad Pengenalan : 810101025237) ...DEFENDAN Menurut Perintah Mahkamah Tinggi Malaya di SUNGAI PETANI mengenai Perintah Jualan dan Perintah bertarikh 18 Mei 2021 dan 14 Jun 2023, adalah dengan ini diisytiharkan bahawa Timbalan Pendaftar/Penolong Kanan Pendaftar Pusat Operasi e- Lelong di Kuantan AKAN MENJUAL SECARA LELONG AWAM Pada Hari Selasa, 3 Oktober 2023, Pada Jam 9:00 pagi, SECARA ELEKTRONIK DI LAMAN WEB e-LELONG, PUSAT OPERASI e-LELONG, KOMPLEKS MAHKAMAH KUANTAN, PAHANG DARUL MAKMUR NOTA: Bakal pembeli adalah dinasihatkan agar membuat carian Hakmilik secara rasmi di Peiabat Tanah dan memeriksa semua tanggungan, bebanan serta mengenal pasti dengan tepat hartanah tersebut sebelum jualan lelongan dijalankan. Sila layari https://eIelong.kehakiman.gov.my/bidderweb BUTIR-BUTIR HAKMILIK: No. Hakmilik : Geran No. Hakmilik 93702 No. Lot : Lot 4003 Mukim/Daerah/Negeri : Bandar Lunas / Kulim / Kedah Pegangan : Hakmilik Kekal No. Petak/No. Tingkat/No. : Bangunan : Keluasan Tanah : 1399.0000000000 kaki persegi : 130.0000000000 meter persegi Pemilik Berdaftar : RAVINDRAN A/L MUNIANDY Syarat Nyata : Tanah yang terkandung dalam hakmilik ini hendaklah digunakan sebagai tapak untuk satu bangunan kediaman sahaja Sekatan Kepentingan : Tiada Bebanan / Lain-Lain : Tiada Kawasan Rizab : Kaveat : LOKASI DAN PERIHAL HARTANAH : Hartanah tersebut adalah Tapak Rumah Berderet (Kos Rendah) yang beralamat pos di 258, Lorong Makmur 6/3, Taman Makmur, 09600, Lunas, Kedah. HARGA RIZAB : Hartanah tersebut akan dijual atas “sepertimana sedia ada” tertakluk kepada satu harga rizab sebanyak RM 250,000.00 (RINGGIT MALAYSIA: DUA RATUS LIMA PULUH RIBU SAHAJA) dan kepada syarat-syarat jualan yang dilampirkan. Pembida yang berminat hendaklah mendepositkan 10% daripada harga rizab dalam bentuk Bank Draf di atas nama OCBC BANK (MALAYSIA) BERHAD 1 HARI BEKERJA sebelum tarikh lelong awam. Baki harga belian hendaklah dibayar oleh pembida yang berjaya kepada OCBC BANK (MALAYSIA) BERHAD dalam tempoh seratus dua puluh (120) hari dari tarikh jualan. Untuk butir-butir selanjutnya, sila berhubung dengan:- Firma Guaman : GHAZI & LIM Alamat : 19TH FLOOR, PLAZA MWE NO 8, LEBUH FARQUHAR, 10200, PG, MY No. Telefon : 04-2633688 No. Fax : 04-2633188/2627433 No. Rujukan : 090/20/JB/NII/zI IN THE MATTER OF COMPANIES ACT 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF SEDIMAS SENDIRIAN BERHAD (In Member’s Voluntary Winding Up) [Registration No.: 198701001439 (160107-T)] (Incorporated in Malaysia) NOTICE OF FINAL MEETING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to Section 459(2) of the Companies Act 2016, that a Final Meeting of the member of the abovenamed Company will be held at the office of 17.01, Menara Boustead Penang, 39, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, 10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang on 26 October 2023 at 9.30 a.m. for the following purposes:- 1) To receive an account from the Liquidator showing the manner in which the winding-up has been conducted and the company’s property (if any) was disposed of, and to receive any explanation thereon. 2) To resolve under Section 518(3)(b) of the Companies Act 2016, that the books and papers of the Company and of the Liquidator that are relevant to the affairs of the Company at or subsequent to the commencement of the winding up of the Company shall be destroyed after the expiration of three months from the date of the final meeting. Signed CHRISTOPHER CHONG LYE SUN LIQUIDATOR 17.01, Menara Boustead Penang 39, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah 10050 George Town Pulau Pinang Date: 25 September 2023 DALAM PERKARA AKTA SYARIKAT 2016 DAN DALAM PERKARA SEDIMAS SENDIRIAN BERHAD (Dalam Penggulungan Sukarela Anggota) [Nombor Pendaftaran: 198701001439 (160107-T)] (Diperbadankan di Malaysia) NOTIS MESYUARAT TERAKHIR DENGAN INI DIMAKLUMKAN bahawa menurut Seksyen 459(2) Akta Syarikat 2016, Mesyuarat Terakhir Ahli Syarikat akan diadakan di 17.01, Menara Boustead Penang, 39, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, 10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang pada 26 Oktober 2023 pada 9.30 a.m. bagi tujuan berikut:- 1) Untuk menerima dan mempertimbangkan penyata terakhir akaun pelikuidasi yang menunjukkan cara dimana penggulungan telah dijalankan dan hartanah syarikat (jika ada) telah dilupuskan, dan menerima apa-apa penjelasan yang berkaitan dengannya. 2) Untuk memutuskan dibawah Seksyen 518(3)(b) Akta Syarikat 2016, bahawa buku dan kertas Syarikat dan pelikuidasi yang berkaitan dengan hal ehwal Syarikat pada atau selepas permulaan penggulungan Syarikat akan dimusnahkan selepas tamat tempoh tiga bulan dari tarikh Mesyuarat Akhir. Tandatangan CHRISTOPHER CHONG LYE SUN PELIKUIDASI 17.01, Menara Boustead Penang 39, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah 10050 George Town Pulau Pinang Bertarikh 25 September 2023 322 Notices 322 Notices 322 Notices DALAM MAHKAMAH SESYEN DI PETALING JAYA DALAM NEGERI SELANGOR DARUL EHSAN, MALAYSIA GUAMAN NO. BB-A52NCvC-160-07/2023 ANTARA PRAGASAM A/L PRASATHURAI (NO. K/P.: 740309-07-5697) … PLAINTIF DAN 1. VINODKUMAR A/L ELANGOVAN (No. K/P: 920311-01-6029) 2. VSM GREEN ENTERPRISE (No Syarikat.:201503341534 (SA0362935-T)) …DEFENDAN-DEFENDAN IKLAN NOTIS ADALAH DENGAN INI DIBERI bahawa Suatu Writ Saman termeterai bertarikh 31 Julai 2023, Pernyataan Tuntutan bertarikh 31 Julai 2023 dan Perintah termeterai bertarikh 12 September 2023 untuk menyempurnakan penyampian kertas-kertas kausa tersebut kepada Defendan-Defendan, VINODKUMAR A/L ELANGOVAN (No. K/P: 920311-01- 6029) dan VSM GREEN ENTERPRISE (No Syarikat.: 201503341534 (SA0362935-T)), oleh Mahkamah Sesyen Petaling Jaya mengikut Perintah Mahkamah pada 12 September 2023 yang difailkan oleh PRAGASAM A/L PRASATHURAI (NO. K/P.: 740309-07-5697), Plaintif. DAN bahawa Pengurusan Kes ditetapkan secara e-Review di Mahkamah Sesyen Sivil 5 Petaling Jaya, Tingkat 2, Kompleks Mahkamah Petaling Jaya, Lorong Sultan, 46505 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia pada 3 Oktober 2023, pukul 9.00 pagi. DAN mana-mana pihak yang ingin menentang Writ Saman termeterai bertarikh 31 Julai 2023 dan Pernyataan Tuntutan bertarikh 31 Julai 2023 tersebut dikehendaki hadir dengan tujuan itu secara peribadi atau melalui peguamcaranya pada masa Pengurusan Kes. Sesalinan Writ Saman termeterai bertarikh 31 Julai 2023 dan Pernyataan Tuntutan bertarikh 31 Julai 2023 tersebut akan dibekalkan oleh pihak yang bertandatangan di bawah ini kepada mana-mana pihak yang memintanya dengan membuat bayaran yang ditetapkan. Peguamcara untuk Plaintif ialah Tetuan Revathi & Partners yang beralamat di No.1-11, Jalan Cenuk 2, Prima Avenue 3, Batu 10, Jalan Puchong, 47100 Puchong, Selangor. Ditandatangani Tetuan Revathi & Partners Peguamcara bagi pihak Plaintif PERHATIAN: - Sesiapa yang ingin hadir pada tarikh Pengurusan Kes Writ dan Pernyataan Tuntutan tersebut hendaklah memasukkan kehadiran dalam tempoh empat belas (14) hari dari tarikh pengiklanan ini dengan menyampaikan atau menghantar dengan pos kepada Peguamcara Plaintif iaitu Revathi & Partners suatu notis bertulis tentang niatnya sebegitu. Notis tersebut hendaklah menyatakan nama dan alamat orang tersebut, atau sekiranya ia adalah sebuah firma, nama dan alamat firma dan mestilah ditandatangani oleh orang atau firma yang berkenaan atau peguamcaranya jika ada dan notis hendaklah dihantar dalam jangka masa yang mencukupi supaya sampai kepada pihak yang dinamakan di atas sebelum pukul 12.00 tengahari pada 2 Oktober 2023, satu (1) hari sebelum tarikh yang ditetapkan untuk Pengurusan kes Writ dan Pernyataan Tuntutan tersebut pada 3 Oktober 2023. IKLAN ini disediakan oleh Tetuan Revathi & Partners, Peguamcara bagi Plaintif dimana alamat penyampaiannya ialah di No.1-11, Jalan Cenuk 2, Prima Avenue 3, Batu 10, Jalan Puchong, 47100 Puchong, Selangor. [No Ruj. : RP/RK/Lit/1121/23] [No.Tel/Faks:03-8082 2789/03-8082 3207] [Email: [email protected]] DALAM MAHKAMAH SESYEN DI RAUB DALAM NEGERI PAHANG DARUL MAKMUR, MALAYSIA (BAHAGIAN SIVIL) NO. GUAMAN: CC-A52-1-05/2023 ANTARA MOK KAH XIN (NO. K/P: 960306-06-5404) … PLAINTIF DAN LEONG CHEE WENG (NO. K/P: 950226-06-5325) … DEFENDAN NOTIS PENYAMPAIAN GANTI BENTUK IKLAN Dalam perkara Writ bertarikh 23.05.2023 dan melalui Perintah Penyampaian Ganti bertarikh 30.08.2023. Kepada: LEONG CHEE WENG (NO. K/P: 950226-06-5325) No. 40, Kampung Kemansur, 28700 Bentong, Pahang. LEONG CHEE WENG (NO. K/P: 950226-06-5325) KT 204-205, Ketari, 28700 Bentong, Pahang. LEONG CHEE WENG (NO. K/P: 950226-06-5325) No. 103, Kampung Chamang, 28700 Bentong, Pahang. AMBIL PERHATIAN bahawa satu Writ telah dikeluarkan terhadap kamu dalam Mahkamah ini oleh MOK KAH XIN (NO. K/P: 960306-06-5404) dan Mahkamah ini telah memerintahkan bahawa – (a) Penyampaian bagi Writ termeterai bertarikh 23.05.2023 (Lampiran 1) dan Pernyataan Tuntutan bertarikh 19.05.2023 (secara kolektif, “Kertas-Kertas Kausa”) hendaklah dilaksanakan ke atas kamu sebagai Defendan secara penyampaian ganti dengan (“Penyampaian Ganti”) – (i) menampalkan sesalinan KertasKertas Kausa tersebut dan sesalinan Perintah Penyampaian Ganti di atas papan notis Mahkmah Sesyen di Raub (“Penampalan tersebut”); dan (ii) mengiklankan satu kali sahaja suatu notis mengenai Kertas-Kertas Kausa tersebut dalam manamana satu keluaran surat akhbar tempatan di Malaysia (“Pengiklanan tersebut”); dan (b) Penyampaian Ganti tersebut hendaklah menjadi penyampaian yang sempurna dan mencukupi ke atas kamu sebagai Defendan selepas tamatnya tujuh (7) hari dari tarikh akhir Penampalan dan Pengiklanan tersebut atau manamana tindakan Penyampaian Ganti yang terakhir. Bertarikh pada 21 September 2023. t.t. ……….…………… Penolong Pendaftar Mahkamah Rendah Raub, Pahang NOTIS PENYAMPAIAN GANTI BENTUK IKLAN ini difailkan oleh TETUAN MARCUS NG, Suite 19-10, Level 19, Menara K1 (Commerce One), Lorong 3/137C, Off Jalan Klang Lama, 58200 Kuala Lumpur, peguam cara bagi pihak Plaintif yang dinamakan di atas. (No. Tel: 03-7773 3182 / 010-926 8681 No. Faks: 03-7773 3183 E-mel: ncy@ marcusng.com.my) (Rujukan kami: MNSP.MKX.2020) 322 Notices 322 Notices DALAM MAHKAMAH TINGGI MALAYA DI JOHOR BAHRU DALAM NEGERI JOHOR DARUL TAKZIM GUAMAN SIVIL NO: JA-22NCvC-54-05/2023 ANTARA 1. ZHEJIANG JINCHENLONG IMPORT & EXPORT TRADE CO LTD (No. Pendaftaran Syarikat Republik Rakyat China: 91330212MA283G8M9Q) 2. YE DONG LIANG (Pasport Republik Rakyat China No. E49027276) … PLAINTIF-PLAINTIF DAN 1. ANG BOON LEONG (No. K/P: 770410-06-6215) 2. BAY HUI TING (No. K/P: 950319-01-6792) 3. MOHD NAZIR BIN NAYAN (No. K/P: 800912-05-5385) 4. ANG JOYCE (No. K/P: 750412-10-5654) … DEFENDAN-DEFENDAN NOTIS PENYAMPAIAN GANTI Kepada:- ANG BOON LEONG PS10-19, Jalan Wangsa 2/62, Prima Saujana, Taman Wangsa Permai Kepong, 52200 Kepong, Kuala Lumpur AMBIL PERHATIAN bahawa Notis Permohonan Ex Parte (Permohonan Plaintif-Plaintif untuk Injunksi Interim) dimeterai bertarikh 9.5.2023, Afidavit Sokongan (Permohonan Plaintif-Plaintif untuk Injunksi Interim) yang diikrarkan oleh Ye Dong Liang pada 3.5.2023 (secara kolektif dirujuk sebagai “KertasKertas Kausa”) telah difailkan terhadap anda di Mahkamah Tinggi Malaya di Johor Bahru di bawah Guaman No. JA-22NCvC-54-05/2023 oleh Zhejiang Jinchenlong Import & Export Trade Co Ltd (No. Pendaftaran Syarikat Republik Rakyat China: 91330212MA283G8M9Q) dan Ye Dong Liang (Pasport Republik Rakyat China No. E49027276) dan MAHKAMAH TELAH MEMUTUSKAN BAHAWA Kertas-Kertas Kausa disampaikan kepada anda secara: 1. Penampalan sesalinan Kertas-Kertas Kausa di papan kenyataan / papan notis Mahkamah Tinggi di Johor Bahru; dan 2. Mengiklankan Notis Penyampaian Ganti ini dalam surat khabar harian tempatan Bahasa Inggeris dan Bahasa Cina sebanyak satu (1) kali sahaja; di mana tampalan dan/atau iklan tersebut dianggap sebagai penyampaian yang baik dan wajar bagi Kertas-Kertas Kausa selepas 14 hari dari hari terakhir tarikh tampalan atau pengiklanan. Sila ambil perhatian bahawa anda dikehendaki memasukkan kehadiran dalam tempoh 14 hari selepas penyampaian (termasuk hari penyampaian), jika gagal, penghakiman keingkaran kehadiran boleh dimasukkan terhadap anda. Sila ambil perhatian selanjutnya bahawa Kertas-Kertas Kausa boleh diperiksa pada waktu pejabat dari 9.00 pagi hingga 6.00 petang di pejabat peguamcara Plaintif-Plaintif di Aras 10-1, Menara B, Menara Prima, Jalan PJU 1/39, Dataran Prima, 47301 Petaling Jaya , Selangor. Bertarikh pada 26 haribulan Jun 2023 MWKA ……………………… Peguamcara untuk Plaintif-Plaintif MahWengKwai & Associates NOTIS PENYAMPAIAN GANTI ini difailkan oleh MahWengKwai & Associates, peguamcara bagi Plaintif-plaintif yang dinamakan di atas dengan alamat penyampaiannya di Level 10-1, Tower B, Menara Prima, Jalan PJU 1/39, Dataran Prima, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. [Tel: 03-7887 2702 / Faks: 03-7887 2703] [Ruj: M9492/RM/GCC/DRL/LCW(TK)] Item Reg No Make Model Price 1 VES 525 2020 PROTON SAGA 1.3 (A) PREMIUM TBA 2 W2592F 2013 PROTON PREVE 15000 3 PQK5553 2022 HINO XZU600R 90000 4 VFY3742 2021 HONDA RS150R/RS150R 6500 Scan QR to download Pickles Auctions App Bank Repossessed bikes and cars for sale by auction. All auctions are conducted via eBidding on Wednesday, 27 September at 9.30am (bikes) and 11.00am (cars). All are invited to join our PUBLIC AUCTION. Viewing and inspection on every Tuesday from 9.30am - 5.30pm. Download Pickles Auctions app to view all auction listings or visit www.pickles.my For more information call 016-6999170, WhatsApp 012-5553727 or email [email protected] PICKLES ASIA SDN BHD [1231292-D] Lot 19391, Batu 8 1⁄2, Jalan Klang Lama, Taman Desaria, 46000 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. 322 Notices DALAM MAHKAMAH TINGGI MALAYA DI JOHOR BAHRU DALAM NEGERI JOHOR DARUL TAKZIM GUAMAN SIVIL NO: JA-22NCvC-54-05/2023 ANTARA 1. ZHEJIANG JINCHENLONG IMPORT & EXPORT TRADE CO LTD (No. Pendaftaran Syarikat Republik Rakyat China: 91330212MA283G8M9Q) 2. YE DONG LIANG (Pasport Republik Rakyat China No. E49027276) … PLAINTIF-PLAINTIF DAN 1. ANG BOON LEONG (No. K/P: 770410-06-6215) 2. BAY HUI TING (No. K/P: 950319-01-6792) 3. MOHD NAZIR BIN NAYAN (No. K/P: 800912-05-5385) 4. ANG JOYCE (No. K/P: 750412-10-5654) … DEFENDAN-DEFENDAN NOTIS PENYAMPAIAN GANTI Kepada:- ANG BOON LEONG PS10-19, Jalan Wangsa 2/62, Prima Saujana, Taman Wangsa Permai Kepong, 52200 Kepong, Kuala Lumpur Dan BAY HUI TING No. 25, Jalan Anggerik 48, Taman Johor Jaya, 81100 Johor Bahru, Johor. Dan MOHD NAZIR BIN NAYAN Kampung Gual Ipoh, 17500 Tanah Merah, Kelantan. Dan ANG JOYCE 38, Lorong Batu Nilam 28F, Bandar Bukit Tinggi 2, 41200 Klang, Selangor. AMBIL PERHATIAN bahawa Writ Saman dimeterai bertarikh 9.5.2023 dan Pernyataan Tuntutan bertarikh 9.5.2023 (secara kolektif dirujuk sebagai “KertasKertas Kausa”) telah difailkan terhadap anda di Mahkamah Tinggi Malaya di Johor Bahru di bawah Guaman No. JA-22NCvC-54-05/2023 oleh Zhejiang Jinchenlong Import & Export Trade Co Ltd (No. Pendaftaran Syarikat Republik Rakyat China: 91330212MA283G8M9Q) dan Ye Dong Liang (Pasport Republik Rakyat China No. E49027276) dan MAHKAMAH TELAH MEMUTUSKAN BAHAWA Kertas-Kertas Kausa disampaikan kepada anda secara: 1. Penampalan sesalinan Kertas-Kertas Kausa di papan kenyataan / papan notis Mahkamah Tinggi di Johor Bahru; dan 2. Mengiklankan Notis Penyampaian Ganti ini dalam surat khabar harian tempatan Bahasa Inggeris dan Bahasa Cina sebanyak satu (1) kali sahaja; di mana tampalan dan/atau iklan tersebut dianggap sebagai penyampaian yang baik dan wajar bagi Kertas-Kertas Kausa selepas 14 hari dari hari terakhir tarikh tampalan atau pengiklanan. Sila ambil perhatian bahawa anda dikehendaki memasukkan kehadiran dalam tempoh 14 hari selepas Penyampaian (termasuk hari Penyampaian), jika gagal, penghakiman keingkaran kehadiran boleh dimasukkan terhadap anda. Sila ambil perhatian selanjutnya bahawa Kertas-Kertas Kausa boleh diperiksa pada waktu pejabat dari 9.00 pagi hingga 6.00 petang di pejabat peguamcara Plaintif-Plaintif di Aras 10-1, Menara B, Menara Prima, Jalan PJU 1/39, Dataran Prima, 47301 Petaling Jaya , Selangor. Bertarikh pada 26 haribulan Jun 2023 MWKA ………………………… Peguamcara untuk Plaintif-Plaintif MahWengKwai & Associates NOTIS PENYAMPAIAN GANTI ini difailkan oleh MahWengKwai & Associates, peguamcara bagi Plaintif-plaintif yang dinamakan di atas dengan alamat penyampaiannya di Level 10-1, Tower B, Menara Prima, Jalan PJU 1/39, Dataran Prima, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. [Tel: 03-7887 2702 / Faks: 03-7887 2703] [Ruj: M9492/RM/GCC/DRL/LCW(TK)] Pawnbrokers’ forfeited pledges under Section 23 of the Pawnbrokers’ Act 1972 Pawnbrokers’ (Control and Licensing) Regulations 2004 The above will be sold by public auction during the first week of October 2023 at no. 71, Bishop Street, Penang for articles pawned in December 2022 and earlier commencing from the date and time stated below:- Date Time 04.10.2023 9:00 A.M (Wednesday) Note: Interested bidders are to register with the licensed auctioneer 7 working days before the auction date. *Term and conditions apply. A.Dennys & Co Sdn Bhd Licensed Auctioneers 71, Lebuh Bishop 10200 Penang Tel No’s: 04-2611551/2 322 Notices 322 Notices IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF LANDPRISE SDN. BHD. (327534-T) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding Up) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to Section 459(1) of the Companies Act, 2016, that the Final Meeting of the members of the abovenamed Company will be held at 22, Jalan Pelangi Off Jalan Batu Tiga Lama, 41300 Klang, Selangor on 30 October 2023 at 10.30am for the following purposes:- 1. To receive an account from the Liquidator showing how the winding up has been conducted and of any explanations of the account that may be given by the Liquidator. 2. To determine by ordinary resolution in the manner in which the books, accounts and documents of the Company and the Liquidator thereof shall be disposed of after three (3) months from the date of final meeting. Kamarul Azman Bin Abdul Rahman (Liquidator) Kuala Lumpur Dated this: 25 September 2023 IN THE HIGH COURT IN MALAYA AT SHAH ALAM IN THE STATE OF SELANGOR DARUL EHSAN, MALAYSIA Companies (Winding-Up) No.: BA-28NCC-373-07/2023 In the matter of Section 465(1)(e) and Section 466 of the Companies Act 2016 And In the matter of Century Supplies Sdn Bhd (Company No.: 200901020567 (863664-U)) BETWEEN MULTI DISCOVERY SDN BHD (Company No.: 199401001183 (286861-K) ...PETITIONER AND CENTURY SUPPLIES SDN BHD (Company No.: 200901020567(863664-U)) ...RESPONDENT ADVERTISEMENT OF PETITION NOTICE is hereby given that a Petition for the winding-up of the abovenamed company by the High Court was on 24th July 2023 presented by Multi Discovery Sdn Bhd (Company No.: 199401001183(286861-K). And that the said Petition is directed to be heard before the court sitting at Shah Alam High Court at 9.00 a.m. on Wednesday, 25th October 2023; and any creditor or contributory of the said company desiring to support or oppose the making of an order on the said Petition may appear at the time of hearing by himself or his counsel for that purpose; and a copy of the Petition will be furnished to any creditor or contributory of the said company requiring the same by the undersigned on payment of the regulated charges for the same. The Petitioner’s address is Lot 2778, Tingkat 5, Jalan Damansara, Sungai Penchala, 60000 Kuala Lumpur. The Petitioner’s Solicitors are Messrs Salleh Shah & Co at No. 33-2, Jalan Elektron U16/E, Seksyen U16, Denai Alam, 40160 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan. Tel: 03 7832 5338 Fax: 03 7838 5738 SGD …………………… Messrs Salleh Shah & Co Solicitors for the Petitioner Note: Any person who intends to appear on the hearing of the said Petition must serve on or send by post to the abovenamed Solicitors, Messrs Salleh Shah & Co, notice in writing of his intention so to do. The notice must state the name and the address of the person, or, if a firm, the name and address of the firm, and must be signed by the firm, or his or their Solicitors (if any) and must be served, or, if posted, must be sent by post in sufficient time to reach the abovenamed not later than twelve noon of 24th October 2023. [Ref: SSCO/22/3936] 322 Notices Advertise with us & connect to our urban readers. KLANG VALLEY PENANG | KEDAH PERAK | PERLIS PAHANG | KELANTAN TERENGGANU MS. Shoba TEL: 03-7784 8888 FAX: 03-7784 4424 MALACCA MR. Rajah TEL: 012-628 2844 FAX: 06-764 2051 JOHOR BAHRU MS. Anne Lim TEL: 013-770 6699 FAX: 07-355 5549 Ireland coach calls for improvement IRELAND may have won the battle but coach Andy Farrell knows the war rages on at the Rugby World Cup and has called for his side to keep improving in the wake of their magnificent 13- 8 victory over South Africa in Paris on Saturday. It was a match that pitted the top two sides in the world against each another in a bonecrunching contest that has underlined Ireland’s status as the team to beat. But Farrell knows this is not the time to get carried away, with his side yet to have sealed their place in the quarterfinals let alone think about lifting the trophy. “It’s wonderful to win, but there was not much in it between the two sides,” he told reporters. What Ireland cannot do is rest on their laurels, and flyhalf Johnny Sexton said they have to step up again when they face Scotland on Oct 7. – Reuters National hockey team thrash Thailand
22 theSUN ON MONDAY | SEPTEMBER 25, 2023 SPORTS /theSunMedia FOLLOW ON YOUTUBE SCAN ME 5696/2023 24/09/2023 (SUN) 8124 5775 3690 9523 8700 3652 9234 2094 3172 1031 6473 9782 7933 1787 8880 0890 1167 9552 3085 3852 7664 6756 4746 4,181,534.42 8124 8124 8124 3690 3690 5775 3690 3690 5775 5775 8124 5775 378,104.87 8124 5775 3690 SNAKE 75937 04308 4308 308 04454 0 8 1 1 300811 00811 0811 811 30081 3008 300 3 0 10,033,741.55 5,616,199.78 12 26 34 40 44 55 100,000.00 85 14 28 33 42 9 11 22 28 32 39 12 30,350,329.64 RM150,000 Toto 5D won on 23/09/2023 ! 279 455 + DOG 288 970 + DOG 324 613 + HORSE Draw Date: 24/09/23 (Sun) Draw No: 5643/23 Venue: PERAK TURF CLUB 9455 8970 4613 1336 + 2579 4329 + 9130 6350 + 2041 0472 + 6835 6779 + 7300 6054 + 2294 3245 + 5520 2181 + 6993 5278 + 5928 2974 + 5060 RM13,898,547.40 9455 + 8970 8970 + 9455 9455 + 4613 4613 + 9455 8970 + 4613 4613 + 8970 RM349,093.00 RM2,030,327.50 RM1,766,817.00 RM2,608,691.30 631 336 032 579 964 329 889 130 846 350 552 041 950 472 726 835 386 779 257 300 336 054 712 294 973 245 845 520 622 181 656 993 095 278 825 928 012 974 665 060 455 970 613 RM801,754.80 455 + 970 + 613 970 + 613 + 455 455 + 613 + 970 613 + 455 + 970 970 + 455 + 613 613 + 970 + 455 Self signup on dmcGO app now! Suzuka stroll for Verstappen … as Red Bull take constructors’ title for second year in a row FORMULA ONE leader Max Verstappen ran away with the Japanese Grand Prix from pole position yesterday as his dominant Red Bull team secured the constructors’ title for the second year in a row. The victory at Suzuka was the Dutch driver’s 13th in 16 races this season and left him on the brink of a third world championship after Mexican teammate Sergio Perez, his closest rival, failed to finish. McLaren’s Lando Norris and Australian rookie Oscar Piastri, on a grand prix podium for the first time, finished second and third. Verstappen, who also took the fastest lap and now leads Perez by a massive 177 points, can seal his third drivers’ title in a row with five rounds to spare at next month’s Qatar Grand Prix. The constructors’ title was Red Bull’s sixth since they entered the sport in 2005 and they did it at a circuit owned by engine partner Honda. “Max, that was absolutely fantastic,” said team boss Christian Horner over the radio in congratulating Verstappen on a 48th career win and Red Bull’s 15th of the season. “Thank you very much, you were totally awesome and dominant this weekend.” Verstappen thanked the team in reply for the “unbelievable season” they are having. “You can all be very proud here at the track and back at the factory. “You have built a rocket ship of a car,” he added, after taking the chequered flag 19.387 seconds ahead of Norris. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished fourth with seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton fifth for Mercedes and Carlos Sainz, winner of the previous race in Singapore, sixth in his Ferrari. Hamilton crossed the line almost 50 seconds back from Verstappen, highlighting the work that Mercedes still have to do over the winter if they’re to close up to Red Bull. Speaking to Sky Sports F1 about the development race, Hamilton said: “There are things that I’ve asked for that we’ve gone in part of the direction for next year. “I think all the points that George and I give have been fully listened to. I have no idea where the car is going to be next year but we are a long, long way away. “The next six months have got to be the best six months of development we’ve ever had to close that gap. To be really banging on the door.” Addressing the difficulty of his race, Hamilton continued: “I’m exhausted, for one. Fighting with absolutely everything I have to get as high up as possible and get ahead of Ferrari… It was a hell of a fight.” George Russell took seventh for Mercedes ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and the Alpine pair of Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly. – Reuters/Express Newspapers Leao fires Milan level with Inter RAFAEL LEAO ended a difficult week with the only goal in yesterday’s 1-0 win over Verona which drew AC Milan level with Serie A leaders Inter Milan, while Juventus fell to their first defeat of the season, 4-2 at Sassuolo. Portugal winger Leao netted his third goal in as many league matches in the eighth minute at a sodden San Siro to move Milan up to second on 12 points from five games. Leao’s winner was one of the few highlights of a largely uninspiring performance from a much-changed Milan side missing injured captain Davide Calabria and France pair Mike Maignan and Theo Hernandez. But it was a welcome three points after being destroyed by local rivals Inter the previous weekend and failing to capitalise on their dominance in Wednesday’s Champions League stalemate with Newcastle United. Milan’s star man Leao, wearing the skipper’s armband in Calabria’s absence, answered some of his critics following poor displays in both of those matches, even becoming a figure of fun for falling over his own feet while trying to backheel in a goal against Newcastle. “He just needs to keep going and realise that when you become a great player you need to overcome or at least deal with a lot of pressure,” said Milan coach Stefano Pioli. Juventus are two points behind the Milan clubs in fourth after falling to an awful, error-strewn defeat at Sassuolo. “We had our heads in the clouds… we started OK but we had some good opportunities that we didn’t take advantage of,” said coach Massimiliano Allegri to DAZN. “They scored with their first attempt on goal and then we lost our heads.” – AFP Hitman Kane stars again for Bayern HARRY KANE yesterday bettered a record first set by legendary German striker Gerd Muller when he hit a hattrick in Bayern Munich’s 7-0 rout of Bochum which took the champions back to the top of the Bundesliga. Kane fired in Bayern’s second just 13 minutes in, before scoring a penalty in the second half. He added a third with two minutes remaining when he tapped in a low cross from Leroy Sane. With six goals in five games, the England captain now has more goals in his first five league matches than any other player in Bayern’s history, beating the mark of Muller (1965), Miroslav Klose (2007) and Mario Mandzukic (2012) who all scored five times in their first five games for the club. “I’m happy to play my part and I hope there will be many more to come. So far so good,” said Kane. Kane said he would toast the win with a first-ever visit to Munich’s Oktoberfest beer festival. “When I came here I said I wanted to get to know the culture and the city – what better place than that?” Bayern have now beaten Bochum 7-0 in three of their past five fixtures. Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel praised his side’s “very deserved win” saying it was “a fantastic day at the office.” Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Matthijs de Ligt, Leroy Sane and Mathys Tel – again from the bench – also got on the scoresheet. Bayern, who conceded two goals late in Wednesday’s 4-3 home win over Manchester United in the Champions League, kept a clean sheet for just the second time this season from seven matches. – AFP Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen (centre), Sergio Perez (right), team principal Christian Horner (left) and team members celebrate winning the Formula One constructors’ championship after the Japanese Grand Prix. – AFPPIX
23 * SPORTS theSUN ON MONDAY | SEPTEMBER 25, 2023 DOMINIC CALVERT-LEWIN took a swipe at the Everton boo boys after marking his return from injury with a goal in the 3-1 win at Brentford. The England striker was jeered by some fans after he went off with a fractured cheekbone during the 4-0 defeat at Aston Villa at the start of the season. But he showed the Toffees what they have been missing by climbing off the bench to wrap up their first win of the season. “You can see the emotion at the end with the lads and the fans. It’s been a tough start to the season. It’s been frustrating personally to not be involved as much as I would have liked,” Calvert-Lewin told Sky Sports. “Football is a funny old game. When I came off against Aston Villa my own fans booed me. Today they cheered me. I’ll relish this and take the rest with a pinch of salt.” James Tarkowski had headed the Toffees back into the lead against his old club after Mathias Jensen cancelled out Abdoulaye Doucoure’s opener before half-time. Then Calvert-Lewin grabbed only his second goal since last October when he collected James Garner’s throughball and slotted home. Toffees’ Boss Sean Dyche insisted a vastly improved display had been on the cards for a while despite picking up just one point from their first five matches. He said: “I don’t think it came from anywhere. The signs have been there but you have to change the storyline, you have to take your chances. “To come in at 1-1 was a bit of a headscratcher, so to come out in the second half and be so calm again was very pleasing. “I’m very pleased with the whole performance. My job is to look at the performances, win or lose. We’ve deserved more but you’ve got to force it and today we did. “We had a good chat in the week with the players and said it’s us who have to change the story. All jackpot amounts stated above are for this Draw. Subject to T&Cs of the Scheme. Please visit to www.magnum4d.my for more info. THE BIGGER PLAY IS TO PLAY RESPONSIBLY 932/23 24/09/2023 3218 8778 1810 3897 5088 6467 0749 1974 4158 8276 7271 6403 3130 4224 5255 1004 9206 3718 6986 3187 3115 7138 4865 RM19,388,301.61 RM213,939.06 3218 + 8778 8778 + 3218 1810 + 3218 3218 + 1810 8778 + 1810 1810 + 8778 1 7 8 12 18 21 29 32 10 24 RM2,895,264.84 RM141,949.29 1 8 7 8 1 0 1 8 7 8 1 8 7 8 1 0 1 8 7 8 7 8 1 0 1 8 7 8 1 0 1 8 1 0 7 8 0 2 ‘I’ll relish this’ Striker Calvert-Lewin on target as Toffees break duck “It’s tough playing well and not getting results. That’s where you should grow and have on-pitch maturity and play under pressure and that’s what we did today.” The Bees, by contrast, were distinctly off-colour and are still without a win at home this season. “It was a very bad day. Everton deserved to win, we performed badly,” manager Thomas Frank said. “We performed very well in our first first five games, but today was a bad one. “It was very unlike this group of fantastic players, but we are good at bouncing back from a bad performance and I expect us to bounce back.” Brentford captain Christian Norgaard added: “We’ve been quite happy with our performances this season. This is by far our worst. It’s hard to explain. We struggled to get to grips with the basics.” – The Independent/Agencies Luton boss rues missed chance ROB EDWARDS was frustrated Luton did not get the result he felt their performance deserved in a 1-1 draw against 10-man Wolves at Kenilworth Road. Luton claimed their first point since earning promotion to the Premier League after Carlton Morris’ penalty cancelled out Pedro Neto’s opener. But Edwards believes the Hatters should have converted more of their 20 shots after they failed to take full advantage of Jean-Ricner Bellegarde’s first-half sending off. “I’m pleased but I think it should have been all three points,” Edwards said. “I’m really proud of the players, the performance was excellent, it’s a great day for the club, the supporters were great and the players did everything we asked for to engage the fans. “We started the game so well, it was probably the best we’ve played since I’ve been at the club. I think the level of the game, the fact Wolves couldn’t get out of their half we completely dominated the game. “Overall I’m really happy and proud but we should’ve won. We were really aggressive on the front foot and tried to provoke them and that’s what Kenilworth Road can do. “When they get a man sent off you really want to try and find a way to win but they’ve got quality and Neto’s a top player and we lost the ball cheaply. We gave away a goal but to get something from the game after it’s a positive. “The lads are flat and deflated because we feel that there was a win there for us today.” Gary O’Neil was disappointed with Wolves’ first-half performance which saw them on the back foot. “I’m extremely disappointed with the first 25 minutes,” he said. “We knew today would be a test of mentality and Luton were aggressive and we lost every duel, they were faster in midfield. “We had to change the shape and get a foothold which I thought we then did.” – The Independent Hodgson sorry for referees, questions new directives CRYSTAL PALACE boss Roy Hodgson admitted he “feels sorry” for referees challenged with incorporating a host of new Premier League rules and regulations implemented before the start of this season. The 76-year-old returned to the dugout at Selhurst Park after illness caused him to miss the previous weekend’s trip to Villa Park, and disagreed with Fulham boss Marco Silva that the Cottagers were the superior side in Saturday’s goalless draw. Among the changes this season is a crackdown on having more than one coach inside the technical area, a decision Hodgson will still need some convincing to embrace. The former England coach said: “I feel so sorry for the referees. All these new directives, which to most of us who have been in football for a long time can’t really make an awful lot of sense, but they feel obliged to follow it through. “Little things annoy you. Why can’t somebody from the bench, one of the coaches, come and stand by me for 30 seconds to shout instructions with you before being told immediately you’ve got to go back to the bench? “It’s our job to do that, our job is to coach the players, work with the plan. I can understand if people are crowding in the bench in that area and making a nuisance of it. “But if you’re talking about someone who comes out from time to time to say a couple of words, where is the problem? How does football benefit from that?” Hodgson said: “I’ve seen many games like today lost by just one goal. We didn’t do that, so the positive is we can be better, we will be better and we got one more point in our bid to move up the table.” Fulham boss Silva, however, felt his side did enough to deserve more. He said: “I think overall we were the best team on the pitch and deserved three points, even if the game was balanced, of course, but the team that created more was ourselves.”– Agencies ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: Brentford 1 (Jensen 28) Everton 3 (Doucoure 6, Tarkowski 67, Calvert-Lewin 71), Crystal Palace 0 Fulham 0, Luton 1 (Morris 65-pen) Wolves 1 (Neto 50), Manchester City 2 (Foden 7, Haaland 14) Nottingham Forest 0, Burnley 0 Manchester United 1 (Fernandes 45). P W D L F A Pts Man City 6 6 0 0 16 3 18 Tottenham 5 4 1 0 13 5 13 Liverpool 5 4 1 0 12 4 13 Arsenal 5 4 1 0 9 4 13 Brighton 5 4 0 1 15 7 12 West Ham 5 3 1 1 10 7 10 Aston Villa 5 3 0 2 11 10 9 Man Utd 6 3 0 3 7 10 9 Crystal Palace 6 2 2 2 6 7 8 Fulham 6 2 2 2 5 10 8 Nottm Forest 6 2 1 3 7 9 7 Newcastle 5 2 0 3 8 7 6 Brentford 6 1 3 2 9 9 6 Chelsea 5 1 2 2 5 5 5 Everton 6 1 1 4 5 10 4 Wolves 6 1 1 4 6 12 4 Bournemouth 5 0 3 2 4 8 3 Sheff Utd 5 0 1 4 5 9 1 Luton 5 0 1 4 3 11 1 Burnley 5 0 1 4 4 13 1 CHAMPIONSHIP: Ipswich 4 Blackburn 3, Leeds 3 Watford 0, Leicester 1 Bristol City 0, Middlesbrough 2 Southampton 1, Plymouth 6 Norwich 2, Rotherham 1 Preston 1, Swansea 3 Sheffield Wednesday 0, West Brom 0 Millwall 0. Top 5 P W D L F A Pts Leicester 8 7 0 1 14 5 21 Ipswich 8 7 0 1 17 10 21 Preston 8 6 2 0 13 6 20 Sunderland 7 4 1 2 15 7 13 Leeds 8 3 4 1 13 7 13 LA LIGA: Girona 5 (Lopez 26, Dovbyk 33-pen, Martin 37, Herrera 45, Savio 57) Real Mallorca 3 (Muriqi 4-pen, Prats 89, 90+5), Osasuna 0 Sevilla 0, Barcelona 3 (Lewandowski 81, 85, Cancelo 89) Celta Vigo 2 (Strand Larsen 19, Douvikas 76), Almeria 2 (Arribas 59, 69) Valencia 2 (Lopez 14, Guerra 64). Top 5 P W D L F A Pts Barcelona 6 5 1 0 16 6 16 Girona 6 5 1 0 16 7 16 Real Madrid 5 5 0 0 10 3 15 Athletic Bilbao 6 4 1 1 11 4 13 Valencia 6 3 1 2 9 6 10 SERIE A: Lazio 1 (Immobile 13-pen) Monza 1 (Gagliardini), AC Milan 1 (Leao 8) Verona 0, Sassuolo 4 (Lauriente 12, Berardi 41, Pinamonti 82, Gatti 90+5-og) Juventus 2 (Vina 21-og, Chiesa 78). Top 5 P W D L F A Pts Inter Milan 4 4 0 0 13 1 12 AC Milan 5 4 0 1 10 7 12 Lecce 5 3 2 0 8 4 11 Juventus 5 3 1 1 11 6 10 Frosinone 5 2 2 1 8 7 8 BUNDESLIGA: Werder Bremen 2 Cologne 1, Bayern Munich 7 Bochum 0, Borussia Dortmund 1 Wolfsburg 0, Union Berlin 0 Hoffenheim 2, Borussia Monchengladbach 0 RB Leipzig 1, Augsburg 2 Mainz 05 1. Top 5 P W D L F A Pts Bayern Munich 5 4 1 0 18 4 13 Stuttgart 5 4 0 1 17 7 12 RB Leipzig 5 4 0 1 14 4 12 Hoffenheim 5 4 0 1 12 6 12 Dortmund 5 3 2 0 9 5 11 FRENCH LIGUE 1: Nantes 5 Lorient 3, Brest 1 Lyon 0. Top 5 P W D L F A Pts Brest 6 4 1 1 8 6 13 Nice 6 3 3 0 8 4 12 Monaco 6 3 2 1 15 8 11 Marseille 5 2 3 0 7 4 9 Paris SG 5 2 2 1 10 6 8 RESULTS & STANDINGS Luton Town’s Elijah Adebayo (left) in action with Wolves’ Jose Sa. – 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] THERE are times when Manchester United have seemed weighed down by their past, unable to escape the burden of their history. And yet when Erik ten Hag’s team had made the club’s worst start to a season for 37 years, since Ron Atkinson entered a spiral that prompted them to turn to a certain Scottish manager, a throwback to Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign turned unlikely saviour. It is 16 years since Jonny Evans’ United debut, 14 since he first lined up for them at Turf Moor. It was eight-and-a-half since his previous United start. His return had seemed a move so nostalgic that even Ole Gunnar Solskjaer might not have contemplated it. His selection seemed a case of desperation, not inspiration. Instead, a glorious goal from Bruno Fernandes, halting United’s losing streak at three, was rendered possible by Evans’ wonderful pass. United’s first clean sheet since the opening weekend – after they had conceded at least two goals in five successive matches for the first time since 2001 and at least three in three in a row for the first since 1978 – came with a defence anchored by Evans, probably their sixth-choice centreback. Evans re-signed for the club earlier this month following his release by Leicester, and boss Ten Hag said: “We have problems and in this moment a lot is against us: injuries, decisions and we have all seen the examples. “We are very happy to have a player like Jonny (Evans) in the squad. He comes in and he is calm, composed, he has character and a good skill-set. “Even when you have things against you, you can bounce back and then you have the character in the team to do that. “In the summer, I heard he was in to train with the U-23s, I said ‘Fletch (technical director Darren Fletcher), come bring him in with the first team. Maybe he can help us’. “I already saw in pre-season with the schedule, the problems with the numbers in the squad. “We decided to sign him because I think he can really contribute to the squad and today you have seen how massively important he can be.” Fernandes’ first-time volley from Evans’ ball over the top was a moment of real quality in a game where Ten Hag knew United could not afford another slip-up after three losses in a row. “This was a must-win and we knew that,” said the Dutchman, who had no complaints about Evans’ disallowed goal with Rasmus Hojland deemed to be offside and interfering in front of goalkeeper James Trafford. “The team responded on the pitch. You could see the togetherness in the dressing room. It was a squad performance.” Burnley are still looking for their first win following promotion back to the Premier League and have picked up only one point from their first five games. But manager Vincent Kompany was pleased with the performance of his side, who hit the post in the first half through Zeki Amdouni and had several other good opportunities. “We had two or three massive chances, really big,” said the Clarets’ boss. “The one from Jay Rod (Rodriguez) where he is controlling the ball in front of the keeper and then slices it, the one from (Jacob) Bruun Larsen, one-on-one with the keeper, just takes his touch a little bit too far. “Then obviously the one from Zeki Amdouni that hits the post and rolls out. I don’t think you get many more big chances against a team like United. We have to take the positives from it and learn from the things we could do better. “I am a rational mind, I thought 14 new players, and you see City, United, Chelsea, Newcastle, Aston Villa, Tottenham all within the first 10 games and you know this might be a difficult start but, if I look at the performance today, our moment will come.” – The Independent Pep unhappy at Rodri for red card in Man City win over Forest PEP GUARDIOLA admitted he was angry with Rodri after the influential midfielder was sent off in Manchester City’s 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest. The Spain international was dismissed early in the second half of Saturday’s Premier League clash at the Etihad Stadium after raising his hands to the neck of Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White. Rodri protested at the time, and there was a delay before referee Anthony Taylor’s decision was upheld by VAR, but Guardiola claimed there could be no excuses for his conduct. The City manager said: “Hopefully Rodri will learn. The game was perfect with 35 minutes gone and after it became chaos. “That’s not our responsibility, that’s for sure, but Rodri has to control himself and his emotions. I can get a yellow card but Rodri can’t. I don’t play. The guys inside (the pitch) have to be careful. “I said at halftime, ‘Be careful guys, relax, control your emotions’. Unfortunately, Rodri could not do it. Now we have to accept the decisions.” Guardiola said Rodri had apologised to his teammates, which will also see him miss League games at Wolves on Sept 30 and at home to Brighton on Oct 21, and compared the incident to Kyle Walker’s dismissal in the Champions League against RB Leipzig in the 2021-22 season “Kyle has done this in the past – they know they shouldn’t do it – but it is emotions.” Despite being critical of Rodri, Guardiola was not happy with the way the game was controlled by Taylor. As well as Rodri’s red card, there were 11 bookings during the game, including one for Guardiola himself. Guardiola said: “The referee changed the game. For the first 35 minutes, it was absolutely not (a bad game). What changed? “What happened after 2-0, it’s not down to us. You have to ask the other ones but I don’t know if they will hang up the phone.” City had put themselves into a comfortable lead with goals inside the first 14 minutes from Phil Foden and Erling Haaland. After Rodri’s departure, the hosts needed to change approach and Guardiola was pleased with the outcome. He said: “Our game in the first 35 minutes was beyond good, how we find our men free, it was really, really good. “It was a lot of minutes we had to defend, and we conceded one chance in the 94th minute. “We didn’t concede anything else, against a team who won at Stamford Bridge and created problems at Arsenal and Old Trafford. I’m really satisfied and pleased for all of us.” Forest had not even strung a pass together when they fell behind to Foden’s goal, and they did not see much of the ball during the rest of the first half either. They were handed an unlikely lifeline by Rodri’s red card but, even with an extra man, found it difficult to put City under meaningful pressure. It was only in the closing minutes when they really threw men forward, and even then their best efforts were still from outside the box. Forest manager Steve Cooper had conflicting thoughts about his side’s performance. He said: “We had a really poor start in terms of goals conceded. We knew the level of the challenge we faced here – it doesn’t get any tougher – and the two City goals were of great quality, typical City goals. “But we’d planned for that. It was a repeat tactic and to let it happen as easily as they did – if they were going to score I wanted it to be with real difficulty. “The game changes with the red card. That we had a second half played in City’s half I have mixed feelings about. “You rarely get an opportunity to have that territory here. Even more experienced teams don’t get anywhere near that but we need to make more of these opportunities. We have got to be more productive.” – The Independent/Agencies MONDAY • SEPTEMBER 25, 2023 or download app from the App Store or Google PlayTM . Read iPaper at www.thesundaily.my Free access to iPaper PDF Download SCAN ME Evans almighty Ten Hag hails 35-year-old defender as United end slump with 1-0 win at Burnley █ RICHARD JOLLY & SIMON PEACH Manchester United defender Jonny Evans (No. 35) scoring his team’s opening goal, which was disallowed by VAR, during yesterday’s English Premier League match against Burnley at Turf Moor . – AFPPIX