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PETALING JAYA: Urban poor children who were hit hard during the Covid-19 lockdowns, especially with malnutrition and lack of physical activity, may face health problems in the future, said World Vision Malaysia (WVM) programmes and grants manager Lydia Lee. She said among the reasons for this is children from the B40 group could not go to school during the Covid-19 pandemic and had no access to school-provided meals. “The financially hard-pressed parents bought food that could fill their children’s stomachs but was not necessarily nutritious. To help the children and parents understand the importance of nutrition, WVM started the ‘Eat Right, Play Right’ programme. “We signed up 55 children aged between seven and 12 from a low-cost flat in Subang. Under the programme, the children will have access to physical activity such as playing badminton while incorporating a teaching portion about eating nutritious food. “It is easier for children to learn in a fun environment,” she said, adding that the threeyear programme targets 10 low-cost flats in Selangor. Lee said in the process of executing the programme, WVM discovered that 20% of the children were underweight while 29.1% were obese. A lack of nutrition could cause children to become stunted or too short for their age. Malaysia’s childhood stunting rates are among the highest in the region, affecting one in five children aged five and below and around one in 12 adolescents. The Malaysian Paediatric Association said stunting is associated with reduced immunity, cognitive impairment, chronic diseases and reduced socioeconomic opportunities in adulthood. As part of the programme, WVM holds regular sessions with the children, combining fun activities with teaching to make it more exciting for them to learn. “Play is important for children’s physical, social and emotional development. It helps them build important skills, improves coordination and enhances creativity and problem-solving skills. “Group play also provides a space for children to socialise, build relationships and develop important life skills such as teamwork and communication. “Nutrition, on the other hand, is critical for growth and development. A nutritious and balanced diet provides them with the vitamins and minerals needed to build healthy bodies and minds.” Lee said during nutrition lessons, the children would be taught the importance of taking vitamins, drinking enough water and having proper eating habits. She said parents have their children sign up for the programme because they want to keep them occupied and not roaming around aimlessly. “WVM also holds community kitchen programmes for parents to learn how to cook nutritious meals for the family on a limited budget. We first studied what they could afford to buy before incorporating a meal programme. “Most of the parents work two jobs to make ends meet and do not have time to cook a proper meal. WVM showed them how to make a nutritious meal in a single pot, which helped them save cooking time too.” Instead of just buying food to fill up their stomachs, she said with guidance from WVM, the B40 families could eat better and more nutritious food. “These families can only afford meat or fish once in while and they prefer to buy food which can be stored for longer periods,” she added. oNGO launches Eat Right, Play Right programme for B40 children to overcome malnutrition, encourage physical activity █ BYRAJVINDER SINGH [email protected] TELLING IT AS IT IS ON THURSDAY FEBRUARY 23, 2023 No. 8214 PP 2644/12/2012 (031195) www.thesundaily.my FLUTTERING FRIENDS ... A child is mesmerised during a visit to the Kuala Lumpur Butterfly Park yesterday. Parents are taking advantage of the current school holidays to take their children to the many attractions near the Lake Gardens for a fun time and to enjoy nature. – SYAZWAN KAMAL/THESUN “Obesity is an issue with B40 families because of the lack of physical activity. A lot of these children tend to eat junk food, which is easily available and leads to obesity. “If their parents are working and have no time to cook for them, they will be given limited funds to buy food, causing them to pick junk food, which is low priced.” Health at stake INSIDE Tioman Island villages enjoy high-speed internet 2 page Govt studying vape tax move 3 page

2 theSUN ON THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 23, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS Tioman Island villages enjoy high-speed internet KUANTAN: The implementation of the underwater fibre-optic network to Tioman Island in Rompin, Pahang under the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) universal service provision programme has allowed villages on the island to enjoy high-speed internet. Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the project involving fibre-optic cables stretching from Kuala Rompin to Kampung Tekek on Tioman Island covering a distance of 75.2km was fully completed in September 2018 at a cost of RM37.1 million, Bernama reported. In addition, the 8.5km Kampung Mukut fibre-optic network connection from Japamala to Kampung Mukut via Kampung Nipah and Kampung Sarang Burung involving an investment of oCompletion of underwater fibre-optic network can promote digital economy among islanders, says minister ROYAL DISCOURSE ... Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah having a chat with the Regent of Pahang Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah Al-Sultan Abdullah during the 261st Meeting of the Conference of Rulers at Istana Negara in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC RM2.2 million was implemented by Telekom Malaysia. “The project began in September 2022 and with its completion last December, all villages on Tioman Island are now provided with fibre-optic internet. “With increasing awareness and demand, the usage rate is currently at 61% of the population involving an estimated 466 premises on Tioman Island,” he said in a statement yesterday. Fahmi added that the project in Kampung Mukut was important as it completes efforts to connect all the villages on Tioman Island. “(This) not only bridges the digital gap in the community but will also be able to promote the digital economy among the community as well as development of tourism in Tioman Island,” he said. Fahmi added that the Yang diPertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah was briefed on the latest developments on the Tioman Island undersea fibre-optic network implementation, which is part of the National Digital Network (Jendela) initiative by MCMC chief operating officer Datuk Mohd Ali Hanafiah Mohd Yunus last Sunday. In addition, Fahmi said nine cellular towers were also upgraded through network sharing involving four mobile network providers namely Celcom, Digi, Maxis and U Mobile, which have been operational in all villages on the island, with the exception of Kampung Sarang Burung where work is expected to be completed next month. With the implementation, Fahmi said Tioman Island is the first island to have 100% 4G coverage for users across all major networks by the end of the first quarter in 2023. “My hope is that with all the infrastructure facilities available, residents would be encouraged to get subscription packages that suit their needs to enjoy high-quality and high-speed internet access.” M’sia, Saudi Arabia to finalise coordination council PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia and Saudi Arabia agreed to conclude negotiations immediately to institute the Saudi Arabia-Malaysia Coordination Council, which will be the main platform for bilateral cooperation in the future, said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir. Zambry, who is on an official visit to Saudi Arabia until today, said the issue was a major topic of discussion held with his Saudi Arabian counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan on the second day of his first trip to the nation. Both sides agreed to increase bilateral trade, which has recently seen a sharp increase. “We also agreed to further enhance the exchange of postpandemic visits between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia to strengthen bilateral cooperation from various aspects. “These include finding space and opportunities through Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which is indeed a very good development agenda to be explored together,” he said in a statement. Zambry expressed his appreciation to Saudi Arabia for the assistance extended during Covid19 and also for the priority and special treatment given by the kingdom to Malaysia for the haj and umrah. “The haj quota for Malaysia will not be cut and will most likely be increased,” he said. Zambry added that the meeting with Prince Faisal had opened a new chapter for the relationship between the two countries while insisting that Saudi Arabia remains Malaysia’s close friend, with the unity government committed to continue exploring every opportunity to take this special relationship to a higher level. He also said that the Saudi administration is looking forward to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s upcoming official visit to the kingdom. – Bernama ‘Padi scheme can achieve national self-sufficiency’ KUALA LUMPUR: The implementation of the Large-Scale Smart Padi Field programme will be able to help the country achieve its self-sufficient level (SSL) target for padi production in the next few years, said Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu. He added that to date, 27 organisations comprising governmentlinked companies, padi farmer cooperatives and private companies are working in collaboration to cultivate padi on more than 11,000ha of land nationwide with the involvement of about 5,000 project participants. “With the increasing and encouraging response from farmers and the padi yield increasing by up to 180%, it clearly shows that the programme is on the right track and will be able to achieve all the targets that have been outlined. “We need to keep changing the types of fertilisers, especially organic fertilisers, that are now being introduced and used to improve crop yields that are happening now,” he said in response to a question from Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (PN-Kubang Kerian) in Parliament, who questioned the status of the programme. Mohamad said the programme was introduced by the government in February 2021 to develop padi cultivation, with a target of 150,000ha per season to produce an average yield of seven tonnes per hectare. The programme is aimed at helping to achieve the national rice SSL target set at 75% by 2025 and 80% by 2030. – Bernama Major factors contributing to stronger ringgit KUALA LUMPUR: Improving global sentiment and investor confidence in Malaysia, as well as a moderation in the US dollar, are among the major factors supporting the ringgit, said Deputy Finance Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong. According to him, the ringgit had strengthened 3.2% between Nov 4, 2022 and Feb 17. This was also due to domestic political stability resulting in improved investor confidence apart from the expectation of a slower interest rate hike in the US. Sim was responding to queries from Lim Guan Eng (DAP-Bagan) in Parliament with regard to the impact on the ringgit, inflation and the economy since the unity government was set up. He added that China’s reopening of its borders on Jan 8 also helped to support the ringgit. The deputy finance minister also pointed out that the country’s economy had expanded 7% in the fourth quarter and 8.7% overall last year despite major external headwinds. “At the same time, the country’s inflation rate moderated to 3.8% in December 2022, compared with 4% in November of 2022.” – Bernama Government plans to set up information commission, says deputy minister BANGI: The government plans to set up an information commission to regulate and ensure compliance with the proposed Freedom of Information Act, said Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Ramkarpal Singh. He added that the commission would be established after the Freedom of Information Act had been passed by Parliament and enforced. “The government is studying a proposal to set up the Information Commission as an independent body responsible for regulating the Freedom of Information Act, hearing appeals and ensuring compliance with the act,” he said when opening an engagement programme on the freedom of information initiative with enforcement, security and defence agencies here yesterday. Ramkarpal said the Freedom of Information Bill, which will allow more open and transparent access to authentic government information, is expected to be tabled in Parliament in October. He said the Legal Affairs Division was in the final stages of concluding its policy research on the formulation of the Act. – Bernama

3 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 23, 2023 KUALA LUMPUR: The Works Ministry plans to upgrade the North-South Expressway in stages to six lanes from the current four, involving the section from North Yong Peng to North Senai in Johor. Its minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said the project was necessary to reduce traffic congestion along the stretch, especially on weekends and during festive seasons. He said the proposed project, which is estimated to cost RM525 million, has been included in the Third Rolling Plan of the 12th Malaysia Plan. However, Nanta said the implementation of the project was subject to allocations under Budget 2023, which will be tabled tomorrow. “If the project is implemented using government funds, there will be no increase in toll rates for highway users,” he said in reply to a question from Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong (BNAyer Hitam) on the status of the project during the question and answer session at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday. Nanta said the 195km highway expansion project from Ayer Keroh in Malacca to Johor Bahu is estimated to cost RM7.5 billion. – Bernama KUALA LUMPUR: Tax on vape products may be implemented after the Health Ministry has examined the legal issues related to vaping substances, said Deputy Finance Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong. “The ministry is looking into the legal framework for taxation and there may be an announcement (in Budget 2023). “If the legislation is approved, I invite support from the other side (opposition). Vaping products could be taxed,” he said during the question and answer session at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday. He was replying to a supplementary question from Datuk Wan Saifulruddin Wan Jan (PN-Tasek Gelugor), who wanted to know whether the government plans to impose tax on vapes to increase national revenue. To a question from Wan Saifulruddin on the estimated loss of tax revenue due to smuggling of tobacco products and alcoholic drinks, Sim said based on calculations, losses were estimated at RM353 million in 2021 and RM364 million in 2022. “However, according to industry estimates and through the reports that have been submitted to the government, the amount is much higher and likely to reach RM5 billion a year.” He said the government would continue to increase efforts to curb illicit cigarette and liquor smuggling to prevent loss of revenues, Bernama reported. Sim added that various control and enforcement methods have been implemented to deal with the issue, including limiting cigarette trans-shipment activities only to certain ports, allowing only ISO-standard containers for transport and banning the use of small and barter trade boats. Bersatu information chief quits KUALA LUMPUR: Tasek Gelugor MP Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan has announced his intention to relinquish his position as Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) information chief, after he was charged with corruption on Tuesday. Wan Saiful said that he had conveyed his intention to Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin, adding that it was up to the party leadership to make a decision on it. “My decision is in line with the principles of integrity and fighting spirit that I have been upholding all this while. “The position of information chief is an executive position in the party. So, I intend to resign from this position because this is what I have believed in all this time... until I can clear my name through the legal process,” he told a press conference at the Parliament lobby yesterday. However, he said he would maintain his position as a member of the Bersatu supreme council. Wan Saiful also said he would not hesitate to take legal action against anyone who attempts to defame him by equating him with other individuals facing court charges. On Tuesday, he had pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court to two charges of corruption involving RM6.9 million in relation to the Jana Wibawa project. Jana Wibawa was an initiative by the Finance Ministry to help bumiputera contractors at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, under the administration of former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. – Bernama Govt studying vape tax legislation oLegal framework being examined, with potential announcement to be made during tabling of Budget 2023 Damage near LRT station caused by soil shift: Minister KUALA LUMPUR: Damage to structures near the Bandaraya LRT station, which resulted in the suspension of rail services, was found to have been caused by soil movement that is believed to be due to works at an adjacent construction site, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke. He said construction work at the site was conducted without consultation with the Land Public Transport Agency (LPTA) as required under the Railways (Railway Protection Zone) Regulations 1998, adding that the ministry would look at the possibility of taking legal action against the developer. “All construction projects that are close to the railway protection zone require permission from (LPTA). The disruption was not caused by damage of our system, but due to structural damage caused by construction work near the station,” he told a press conference at the Parliament building yesterday. Loke suggested local authorities refer to LPTA before approving any construction work in railway protection zones. He also said LRT operator Prasarana Malaysia Berhad was in the process of appointing a contractor to carry out repair works, which is expected to begin next month and would take seven months to complete. “This includes two months for temporary repair works to strengthen the structure and five months for comprehensive repairs. The work will take time because the investigation shows that the damage to the affected structure poses a very serious safety risk,” he said, adding that Prasarana would take measures to reduce service disruptions. – Bernama Party president accepts resignation KUALA LUMPUR: Bersatu has accepted Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan’s resignation as information chief effective yesterday, said party president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. Muhyiddin said Wan Saiful made a verbal application to relinquish his postion yesterday morning, and said he would submit his resignation letter later. “After our discussion, he agreed to give up the post. “This does not mean we are saying he is guilty or not guilty, but (this is) just to set a standard as he is facing charges. This would avoid any misconceptions towards Bersatu,” said the Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman at the launch of the PN MPs’ Turkiye-Syria Earthquake Mission and Aid Fund at the Parliament building yesterday. Muhyiddin added that Bersatu appreciated the Tasek Gelugor MP’s gesture to give up the party post. “This way, we can face the rakyat on a policy of integrity. This is not to punish him, as he is resigning on his own accord. It’s very honourable.” Muhyiddin also said Bersatu would soon appoint a supreme council member as the new information chief, adding that the position comes with a heavy responsibility, especially in the run-up to the elections in six states. – Bernama Stretch of highway in Johor to be upgraded SURREAL APPEAL ... A group of children experiencing an underwater perspective of fish in their element during a visit yesterday to the National Science Centre in Bukit Kiara, Kuala Lumpur. – WAN MIRZA ISKANDAR/THESUN Perlis mulls state-run public complaints portal KANGAR: The Perlis government is considering setting up its own public complaints portal to make it easier for the people to lodge complaints. State executive council (exco) member in charge of coordination of integrated enforcement and public complaints, Izizam Ibrahim, said the move would also improve the response efficiency of agencies and departments in the state. “The matter is still in the proposal stage as various aspects have to be looked into, especially on the state government’s financial capabilities,” he said. Izizam, who is Titi Tinggi assemblyman, added that the portal would also serve as a channel for the public to submit their opinions and views, as well as express appreciation to the state government. – Bernama

4 theSUN ON THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 23, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS @thesundaily FOLLOW ON TWITTER SCAN ME Many living obliviously with osteoporosis KUALA LUMPUR: As we age, our bones naturally become less dense, increasing the risk of musculoskeletal conditions and osteoporosis, a condition characterised by weak and brittle bones that are more prone to fractures. Consultant orthopaedic, arthritis and sports surgeon at ALTY Orthopaedic Hospital Dr Ruslan Nazaruddin Simanjuntak said even o77% of M’sian women with postmenopausal condition undiagnosed, says orthopaedic doctor though osteoporosis is a medical condition that is more common in older people, it can also affect those in younger age groups. However, he found it concerning that osteoporosis is still underdiagnosed and undertreated in Malaysia, where 77% of women with postmenopausal osteoporosis go undiagnosed. In addition, the prevalence of osteoporosis in Malaysia is estimated to be between 15% and 20%, making it a major health issue in the country, Bernama reported. “Osteoporosis is dangerous because many don’t realise they have it until they suffer a fracture and go for treatment,” said Ruslan, adding that the 2023 Hip Replacement Market report prediction of six million hip fractures across Asia by 2050 should serve as a wake-up call to Malaysians. “In light of such statistics, the government should begin to take steps towards educating the public about osteoporosis. The public should also be encouraged to have their bone health checked to detect signs of not only osteoporosis but other conditions such as arthritis.” ALTY has invested RM15 million of a total of RM200 million to equip the facility with cutting-edge technology to ensure patients receive timely and effective treatment. “Its specialised services are supported by an experienced team of orthopaedic surgeons who are proficient in a variety of surgical and non-surgical treatments for orthopaedic and musculoskeletal conditions,” Ruslan said, adding that the hospital recently acquired the EOS Advanced Imaging System, which can speed up and enhance the process of diagnosing orthopaedic conditions and improve treatment outcomes. “The system costs about RM4 million and can take a 3D image of the whole body to help doctors make a more accurate diagnosis and keep a close eye on how the treatment is going. “It is also less harmful and invasive for children suffering from spinal deformities like scoliosis, that require frequent imaging.” The EOS system exposes patients to between 50% and 85% less radiation than traditional X-ray systems and up to 95% less than basic computed tomography scans. ALTY executive director Anwar Anis said with such state-of-the-art technology, the hospital has the potential to attract patients from beyond Malaysia. “It helps that the country is well-positioned as a healthcare hub for many in the region, especially in the areas of cardiology, orthopaedics and minimally invasive surgery. “Our advanced treatment methods can help improve outcomes, reduce post-surgical hospitalisation and improve recovery times, which will certainly attract more patients,” he said, adding that the hospital has served patients from Indonesia, Australia and Singapore. SAR team recounts rescue in Turkiye GAZIANTEP (TURKIYE): “Don’t let it collapse, don’t let it collapse”, was the prayer of two Malaysian search and rescue (SAR) team members as they dug tunnels and broke up concrete to pull out a family of five trapped in the earthquake rubble on Feb 11. The jittery feelings of E. Saravanan and Shahidi Mat Saad were well-founded because the previous day, several small tremors were felt in Nurdagi. Despite being hampered by the fear that things could turn bad, the rescuers from Perak never looked back and continued digging the tunnel for more than two metres using hydraulic iron cutters and concrete breakers. Saravanan said after digging and reinforcing the tunnel, a stretcher was then lowered to move the victims with the help of a local SAR team and handed to paramedics. However, the rescue was unfinished as one of the victims recalled hearing the faint cries of a baby while he was trapped in the rubble of the seven-storey building, which was 1.3km from the Malaysian SAR team base of operations in Nurdagi. A third member of the team, Mohamad Hafiz Abdul Razak, immediately plunged back into the tunnel to try and locate the infant. Mohamad Hafiz said he had to end his efforts to trace the cries with a heavy heart, as too many of the SAR team were at risk in the ruins and further collapse was imminent. Saravanan, Shahidi and Mohamad Hafiz were part of the 24-member MAS-01 Smart team led by Insp Muhamad Zul Khairi Idris, who managed to rescue the five survivors that Saturday. – Bernama Penang halfway to housing target GEORGE TOWN: Penang is more than halfway through its target of providing 250,000 units of affordable houses by 2030, with 142,647 units, or 57.06%, already done. State Housing, Local Government, Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo said the demand for affordable housing continues to be encouraging. “We will be consistent in assisting the people of Penang in need of affordable housing,” he told reporters after a visit to the Ideal Residency project site in Jalan Lembah yesterday. He said the housing project, built on a 3,267ha site in Bandar Gelugor and developed by the Ideal Property Group, will comprise of a 49-storey building with 1,218 residential units. He said in addition, the project would provide general facilities for residents such as a swimming pool, recreation park, gymnasium, community hall as well as badminton and basketball courts. – Bernama Pahang religious council aiming to collect RM3 million KUANTAN: The Pahang Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council has targeted a total of RM3 million in the state’s waqf (endowment) collection this year, said its CEO Datuk Ahmad Hairi Hussain. He said various programmes have been planned for implementation throughout the Syaaban month (the month preceding the holy month of Ramadan) to raise public awareness and encourage them to pay zakat (tithes) and make waqf such as street dakwah (preachings), seminars on waqf, roundtable discussions, briefings and setting up counters at government departments as well as schools. “This initiative aims to expand community involvement in the implementation of waqf, among other things, because of the many benefits we can gain by giving these endowments. Waqf can come in many forms, not just those that involve land but cash as well as other valuables.” The waqf fund collection in Pahang last year amounted to RM2.24 million, which was almost double the RM1.34 million collected in 2021. – Bernama Applications open for Taiwan scholarships PETALING JAYA: The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office Education Division in Malaysia is inviting applications for the 2023 Taiwan Scholarship programme. The number of scholarships is unlimited and anyone keen is encouraged to apply. The Taiwan government is offering three scholarship programmes, which are the Education Ministry Taiwan Scholarship, Education Ministry Huayu Enrichment Scholarship (HES) and the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF). The Education Ministry scholarship offers each recipient tuition and miscellaneous expenses of T$40,000 (RM5,800) each semester. Recipients, who are accepted into undergraduate studies, will be given a █ BY MUHAMMAD YUSRY [email protected] monthly living allowance of T$15,000, while those undertaking postgraduate studies will receive T$20,000 a month. The HES is offered to Mandarin learners, including beginners, to study at any accredited university-affiliated Mandarin Language Centre in Taiwan. Recipients will get T$25,000 a month. The duration of the scholarships is between three and six months. Applications will close on March 31. Potential scholars can apply for admission directly to the university or college, and submit their scholarship application documents to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia by the end of March. The ICDF scholarship is offered to Malaysian students who pursue specified Master’s or Doctoral degree programmes at 20 of its partner universities. There are a total of 25 study programmes available for this scholarship. The ICDF scholarship provides each successful applicant with a full scholarship, including return airfare, housing, tuition and credit fees, insurance, textbook costs and a monthly allowance. Applicants have to apply via an ICDF online application system and submit a signed and printed copy, along with all other application documents, to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia before March 15. For more details regarding scholarship guidelines and related application forms, applicants are advised to visit the Education Division website at edutwmy.com/scholarships-information. More information can be obtained by contacting the Education Division at 03-21623228 or email [email protected]. BARGAIN PRICES ... Residents queueing to purchase basic necessities and fresh produce at the state-sponsored Jualan Ehsan Rakyat event at Kampung Sungai Kayu Ara in Selangor yesterday. – SYAZWAN KAMAL/THESUN

5 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 23, 2023 Company director claims trial to soliciting, receiving bribes JOHOR BAHRU: A director of a furniture company Datuk Teo Wee Cheng pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court yesterday to nine charges of soliciting and accepting bribes amounting to RM12.87 million in connection with the Jana Wibawa project. On two of the charges, Teo, 65, of SSH Furniture Sdn Bhd, was alleged to have solicited RM11.37 million, which is 10% of the tender price for an upgrading project of a bypass from Jalan Sawah Baru to Tenang Stesyen in Segamat, worth RM39.75 million and a road construction project from Kampung Belukar Durian to Persimpangan Felda Waha at Sedili in Kota Tinggi, worth RM74 million. The money was alleged to be a reward for helping Muar Usaha Bakti Sdn Bhd to secure the project and an inducement to the appointment of TS Dynamic Construction Sdn Bhd as a sub-contractor. He was charged with committing the offences at the office of Trimetro Development Sdn Bhd at Jalan Majidi in Muar between July 2021 and June last year. For the remaining seven charges, Teo was alleged to have received bribes from two individuals amounting to RM1.5 million as a reward for helping Muar Usaha Bakti obtain the project and as an inducement to agree to the appointment of TS Dynamic Construction as a sub-contractor. The offences were allegedly committed at the office of SSH Furniture at Pagoh Industrial Area in Muar between Aug 20, 2021 to Nov 15 last year. The charges were framed under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, which is punishable under Section 24(1) of the law and provides imprisonment for 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the value of the bribe or a fine of RM10,000, whichever is higher. Justice Datuk Ahmad Kamal Arifin Ismail allowed Teo bail of RM500,000 and order him surrender his passport to the court. The court set May 17 for mention. – Bernama Additional charges for businessman mired in RM4m graft case SHAH ALAM: Businessman Adam Radlan Adam Muhammad, who was charged with two counts of corruption on Tuesday, was slapped with another two charges of receiving bribes amounting to RM4.1 million in connection with the Jana Wibawa project at the Sessions Court yesterday. Adam Radlan, 42, who is Segambut Bersatu deputy division leader, pleaded not guilty to both charges before Justice Rozilah Salleh. On both charges, he was alleged to have received bribes amounting to RM4.1 million from Lian Tan Chuan and Mat Jusoh Mamat through a CIMB Bank Bhd account belonging to Bayu Bumiraya Sdn Bhd of which he is a director. The money was given as gratification to Adam for helping Nepturis Sdn Bhd and MIE Infrastructure & Energy Sdn Bhd to obtain two projects, namely the Klang Utara district head office, worth RM141 million and the construction of Jalan Sungai Adam to Kampung Banat in Perlis, worth RM47.8 million from the Malaysian government. Rozilah set bail at RM300,000 with two sureties for each charge and also ordered Adam Radlan to report himself at the MACC office in Putrajaya once a month. She also set April 14 for mention. At the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court on Tuesday, Adam Radlan was charged with soliciting 3.5% to 7% of the value of the project from Mat Jusoh, who is MIE Infrastructure & Energy Sdn Bhd managing director. The money was an inducement for him to help the company to obtain the letter of acceptance (LoA) for a project under the programme from the government. He was also charged with receiving a bribe of RM500,000, which was transferred into his CIMB Bank Bhd account by Mat Jusoh as gratification for helping the company obtained the LoA. – Bernama ‘No animosity towards Najib in FB post by CJ’s husband’ PUTRAJAYA: The Federal Court was told yesterday that a Facebook posting of Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat’s husband in 2018 does not show the latter had any personal animosity towards Datuk Seri Najib Razak but rather was a general comment of the rakyat on social media. Ad hoc prosecutor Datuk V. Sithambaram said the posting was a mere personal commentary on the political scenario that led up to the 14th general election (GE14) results. “There was no nexus between the posting, which was published on May 11, 2018 and Najib’s appeal before the Federal Court on Aug 23. It is incredible that the applicant (Najib) only found out about the posting on Aug 22, which is on the eve of the continued appeal hearing oStatement was personal commentary on GE14 political scenario, says ad hoc prosecutor Govt thwarts diesel smuggling activities IPOH: The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry Perak branch cracked down on subsidised diesel smuggling activities in a raid on a premises at a sand mining area in Chenderiang on Tuesday. Its director Datuk Kamalludin Ismail said checks found nine 1,800- litre drum barrels containing petrol suspected to be diesel valued at RM4,820 and a 40-year-old woman suspected to be the premises owner has given her statement. “The raid was conducted after a week-long surveillance by Perak ministry enforcement members on illegal siphoning of controlled goods, namely subsidised diesel at petrol stations around Chenderiang at Tapah and Kampar,” he said. He said further investigations found the diesel oil in 200-litre drums were used as fuel to run the machines for sand mining activities in the areas involved. Kamalludin added that it is believed that the subsidised diesel were purchased from nearby petrol stations using lorries before they were transferred into 200-litre drums for sale to sand mining operators. The case would be investigated under the Control of Supplies Act 1961 and Control of Supplies Regulations 1974, he also said. – Bernama Rumah Bonda founder denies abuse claims KUALA LUMPUR: Rumah Bonda founder Siti Bainun Ahd Razali told the Sessions Court yesterday that a Down Syndrome teenage girl, known as Bella, was never asked to eat chilli and faeces, bound and splashed with hot water and tortured with a hot pan. Questioned by her lawyer Mohammad Farhan Maaruf she said the incident never happened to Bella as claimed by fifth prosecution witness Yasmin Nahar Mahmood, who is a former resident of the welfare home, in her testimony. Siti Bainun was making her defence on charges of neglecting and abusing the 13-year-old girl. PRISIONERS’ PERSPECTIVE ... Law and Institutional Reform Deputy Minister Ramkarpal Singh (third from right) having a dialogue with death row inmates on – Bernama the abolition of the death penalty at Kajang Prison in Selangor yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC on Aug 23. “The filing of a recusal (of the CJ) application was a desperate lastminute attempt to scuttle the appeal. What a phenomenal coincidence that the applicant found out from a public FB posting hours before the conclusion of the appeal hearing. “My Lord, the truth is they knew of the posting but had found it to be unworthy of a recusal application earlier. The eleventh-hour application was pure desperation to adjourn the appeal,” he said. On the appointment of Messrs Zaid Ibrahim Suflan TH Liew, Sithambaram said the sole purpose of the firm taking over the SRC International case was to ask for an adjournment. Sithambaram said the firm should not take over the case from Messrs Shafee & Co if they were not prepared to proceed with the appeal on the date fixed for hearing in August 2022, Bernama reported. “While Najib had a right to appoint a solicitor of his choice, this must be done in good time so as not to scuttle the hearing date fixed four months earlier by consent of all parties,” he said, adding that the conduct of the applicant’s solicitors cannot be condoned for otherwise it means that an adjournment can always be sought of new solicitors taking over an already fixed hearing case. Explaining the action taken by Najib’s ex-counsel Datuk Hisyam Teh Poh Teik to discharge himself from representing the former prime minister, the DPP stressed that the apex court had the discretion whether to allow counsel to discharge himself, especially in the midst of a hearing. Sithambaram said the counsel who could not get an adjournment of the appeal cannot be allowed by the backdoor method to postpone the appeal by a tactical strategy of discharging himself.

6 theSUN ON THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 23, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS Talks on South China Sea code to intensify oOfficial says Beijing and Asean to jointly safeguard peace, stability JAKARTA: Negotiations on a code of conduct (COC) for the South China Sea will be intensified this year, Indonesian and Chinese officials said yesterday, as the region frets over Beijing’s assertiveness in the strategic waterway. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi met Chinese counterpart Qin Gang in Jakarta, ahead of a round of negotiations on the code starting next month. “Indonesia and Asean would like to produce an effective, substantive and actionable (code of conduct),” Retno said, referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations that Indonesia chairs this year. Qin said China and Asean will jointly safeguard peace and stability in the strategic trade corridor, through which about US$3.4 trillion of goods pass each year. China would work with Asean countries to accelerate consultations on the code, he said. Beijing claims much of the South China Sea and has built islands from which it is capable of deploying advanced weaponry. The Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar landmine casualties surge YANGON: Landmines and unexploded munitions injured or killed more than one person every day in Myanmar last year, the United Nations said, pointing to a 40% spike in casualties compared with 2021. The military’s toppling of Aung San Suu Kyi’s government in 2021 sparked renewed fighting with ethnic rebel groups and the formation of dozens of “People’s Defence Forces” in areas previously untouched by decades of conflict in Myanmar. The nation is not a signatory to the UN convention that prohibits the use, stockpiling or development of anti-personnel mines. The UN Children’s Fund (Unicef) on Tuesday reported 390 people had been wounded or killed by landmines or unexploded ordnances last year. Around two-thirds of the incidents were reported in border areas where ethnic rebels have battled the army and each other for decades over autonomy and control of resources like timber, jade and the drugs trade. Almost one-fifth of the casualties were reported in the northern Sagaing region, an area that was largely peaceful before the coup but has since emerged as a hotspot of resistance to military rule. In 2020, the year before the coup, there were 254 victims, said Unicef. Myanmar’s military has been repeatedly accused of atrocities and war crimes during decades of internal conflict. Last year, Amnesty International said junta troops were laying landmines on a “massive scale” as they battled anti-coup fighters, including around churches and on paths to rice fields. – AFP Japan proposes raising age of consent TOKYO: Japan is planning to increase the age of consent from 13 to 16 in an overhaul of its sex crime legislation following outrage over multiple rape acquittals in recent years. The country has the lowest age of consent among the Group of Seven (G7) nations, something that has remained unchanged since its enactment in 1907. The age of consent in Germany and China is 14, while it is 15 in France and 16 in South Korea and the UK. The proposal to increase the age of consent, submitted by a Justice Ministry panel last week, is expected to be enacted during the ongoing session of Parliament. The proposed changes will deem sexual intercourse with any person under the age of 16 statutory rape, regardless of consent. It also aims to expand the definition of rape to include acts of drugging and intoxication and criminalise the grooming of minors. The statute of limitations for reporting rape and indecent assault will be raised by five years. The proposal has sought to criminalise secretly photographing and filming someone’s genitals or underwear and sharing them. The present age of consent in Japan forces teen survivors of sexual assault to undergo the same length of prosecuting the perpetrators as adults do. Rape survivors need to prove that violence and intimidation during the crime was “impossible to resist”. However, the panel did not change the wording but added other factors such as drugging, catching victims off guard and psychologically controlling them. Regional ordinances in parts of the country ban “lewd” acts with minors, which includes sex with those below the age of 18. A 62-year-old man was arrested earlier this month for allegedly paying a 15-year-old to “commit lewd acts with him”. Such crimes hold lesser penalty than rape charges and deem sex with children merely “unethical” conduct, “completely discounting its forced nature”, said Kazuna Kanajiri, an activist fighting pornography and sexual exploitation. This leaves room for perpetrators to “shift blame to the victims, and argue that sex was initiated or enjoyed by the children”, the activist said. – The Independent B R I E F SPYONGYANG SLAMS UN CHIEF’S CONDEMNATION SEOUL: North Korea rejected yesterday condemnation by the UN chief of its recent ballistic missile launches, saying it was “unfair and unbalanced” and ignored Pyongyang’s right to self-defence. UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres responded to Saturday’s ICBM launch with a statement calling for Pyongyang to “immediately desist from taking any further provocative actions”. North Korea’s Vice-Foreign Minister Kim Son-gyong expressed “strong discontent and protest against the extremely unfair and imbalanced attitude” of Guterres, according to a statement carried by KCNA news agency. Kim said Guterres’ assessment ignored “dangerous” joint military drills by Washington and Seoul. – AFP SEOUL TO SCRAP COVID TEST FOR CHINA VISITORS SEOUL: South Korea will not require travellers from China to test for Covid-19 upon arrivals from next month although they will still need to take pre-departure tests, a South Korean official said yesterday, its latest easing of rules to stop the virus. South Korea imposed several restrictions on passengers from China after it lifted its zero-Covid policy late last year, but it has been easing them, citing an improved Covid situation in China. “Additional easing of quarantine measures appears possible as the positive rate among arrivals from China has dropped from 18.4% in the first week of January to 0.6% in the third week of February,“ said Interior and Safety Ministry official Kim Sung-ho. – Reuters HOLY DAY ... Filipino Catholics praying inside a chapel after receiving ash on the observance of Ash Wednesday at a church in Paranaque City yesterday. – AFPPIC Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei also have some overlapping claims. China and Asean agreed in 2002 to work towards creating a code of conduct and it was 15 years before moves were underway to create a framework for negotiations. Some experts have accused China of intentionally holding up a process to create a binding set of rules, noting its use of grey-zone tactics and strategic ambiguity to press its territorial claims. China said it is committed to seeing the process through. The code would advance a 2002 commitment by all parties to ensure freedom of navigation and overflight and “(refrain) from action of inhabiting on the presently uninhabited islands, reefs, shoals, cays and other features”. The latest talks would take place against a backdrop of increased diplomatic protests against China from the Philippines, which has increased overtures to Western powers like the United States and Australia to counter what it calls China’s “aggressiveness”. Qin said Southeast Asian nations “should not be forced to take sides”. “New Cold War and competitiveness of great powers shouldn’t appear in the Asia-Pacific region. “We believe Indonesia and Asean will make their judgment and choice independently and autonomously in the fundamental interest of the stability, development and prosperity of the region.” They also discussed the crisis in military-ruled Myanmar, where Asean has struggled to get the generals to implement an agreed “five-point consensus” for peace after the 2021 coup. “As Asean chair, Indonesia will embark on engagements with all stakeholders in Myanmar, with the one goal of opening up a possibility of an inclusive national dialogue,” Retno said, adding Indonesia appreciates China’s support for the process. – Reuters South Korea fertility rate drops to record low SEOUL: South Korea’s fertility rate dropped last year to a record low, data showed yesterday, in yet another grim milestone for the country with the world’s lowest number of expected children for each woman. The average number of expected babies per South Korean woman over her reproductive life fell to 0.78 in 2022, down from 0.81 a year earlier, the official annual reading from the Statistics Korea showed. That is the lowest among countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), which had an average rate of 1.59 in 2020, and far below 1.64 in the United States and 1.33 in Japan the same year. The government has failed to reverse the falling birth rate despite spending billions of dollars each year on childcare subsidies. As of 2020, South Korea was the only country among OECD members to have a rate below 1, giving it a shrinking population. Being married is seen as a prerequisite to having children in South Korea, but marriages are also plunging amid sky-high costs of housing and education. The nation’s capital Seoul logged the lowest birth rate of 0.59. – Reuters

7 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 23, 2023 Architect of Mexico’s drug war convicted in America WASHINGTON: A once-powerful Mexican government minister was convicted by a US jury on Tuesday of aiding the very drug smuggling he was tasked with cracking down on. Genaro Garcia Luna, public security minister under Felipe Calderon’s presidency from 2006 to 2012, was found guilty on all five counts following a high-profile trial in New York. The month-long proceedings shone a spotlight on the corruption of the highest ranking Mexican government figure ever to face trial in the US. It also opened a window on the vast resources of the Sinaloa Cartel under Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, who is now serving a life sentence in a US penitentiary. Garcia Luna was convicted of receiving vast sums of money to allow the cartel to smuggle tonnes of cocaine. He sat impassively in Brooklyn federal court as the guilty verdicts were read out, his wife and two children looking on. He is due to be sentenced on June 27 and faces a mandatory minimum term of 20 years imprisonment and a maximum of life behind bars. “Garcia Luna, who once stood at the pinnacle of law enforcement in Mexico, will now live the rest of his days having been revealed as a traitor to his country and to the honest members of law enforcement who risked their lives to dismantle drug cartels,” said US prosecutor Breon Peace, welcoming the verdict. A spokesman for the current Mexican government, which has accused Garcia Luna of stealing more than US$200 million of public funds and has demanded his extradition, said in a tweet that “justice has arrived”. Prosecutors argued that Garcia Luna, who held high-ranking security positions in Mexico from 2001 to 2012, was the cartel’s “partner in crime”. That included during his time as the architect of then-president Calderon’s crackdown on Mexico’s drug gangs between 2006 and 2012. Instead of stopping the smuggling, Garcia Luna took millions of dollars in bribes from the Sinaloa cartel to allow safe passage of narcotics shipments. US government lawyers said he tipped off traffickers about law enforcement operations, targeted rival cartel members for arrest and placed other corrupt officials in positions of power. The five charges ranged from cocaine trafficking conspiracy to making false statements. – AFP 9/11 victims cannot seize Afghan central bank funds: US judge WASHINGTON: The families of victims of the Sept 11, 2001 terror attacks cannot seize US$3.5 billion (RM16 billion) in funds belonging to Afghanistan’s central bank, a New York federal judge ruled on Tuesday. The assets, held in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, were frozen on Aug 15, 2021 – the day the Taliban entered Kabul and toppled the US-backed Afghan government. US President Joe Biden later said the money could be made available to the families of 9/11 victims. A group of families – who years earlier sued the Taliban for their losses and won – has since moved to seize the funds to pay off the judgment debt. But Judge George Daniels of the Southern District of New York said on Tuesday that the federal courts lack the jurisdiction to seize the funds from Afghanistan’s central bank. “The judgment creditors are entitled to collect on their default judgments and be made whole for the worst terrorist attack in our nation’s history, but they cannot do so with the funds of the central bank of Afghanistan,” Daniels explained in a 30-page opinion. “The Taliban, not the former Islamic Republic of Afghanistan or the Afghan people, must pay for Taliban’s liability in the 9/11 attacks.” Daniels also said he was “constitutionally restrained” from awarding the assets to the families because it would effectively mean recognising the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. “The fundamental conclusion is that neither the Taliban nor the judgment creditors are entitled to raid the coffers of the state of Afghanistan to pay the Taliban’s debts.” – AFP B R I E F SU.S. RETURNS 77 STOLEN ANTIQUITIES TO YEMEN WASHINGTON: The United States has returned 77 looted antiquities to Yemen, US authorities said on Tuesday, adding the objects would be housed “temporarily” in a museum in Washington in line with an agreement with the war-torn country’s government. The pieces include “64 relief carved stone heads, 11 Quran manuscript pages and a bronze inscribed bowl”, said the district attorney for the Eastern District of New York in a statement. New York state’s justice department has been carrying out a vast campaign for several years to restore antiquities looted around the world and which have ended up in museums and galleries in the metropolis. – AFP FRANTIC SEARCH FOR DOZENS MISSING IN BRAZIL BRASILIA: Rescuers in southeastern Brazil scrambled on Tuesday to find survivors among dozens of people still missing after record rainfalls caused flooding and mudslides that killed at least 46 people over the weekend. Some 680mm of rain – more than double the expected monthly amount – fell in 24 hours around the city of Sao Sebastiao. The downpour was a record for the area and the Inmet weather service said rains would continue falling in the region this week. “Search and rescue work continues uninterrupted” after raging rivers of mud, stones and trees razed precarious houses built on slopes, according to the office of Sao Paulo’s governor. – AFP EU asylum requests soar to seven-year high BRUSSELS: Asylum applications in the EU jumped last year after Covid travel curbs were lifted, surging 50% over 2021 to the highest level since a 2016 influx of refugees. The preliminary data, from the EU Agency for Asylum (EUAA), showed there were nearly one million asylum claims lodged in 2022 in the bloc’s 27 member states plus Switzerland and Norway. Syrians and Afghans were the two main nationalities seeking protection in Europe, together accounting for a quarter of the claims. Migrants from Turkey, Venezuela, Colombia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Georgia were the next biggest groups, though in smaller numbers. Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion mostly did not come under the asylum data as they benefit from a separate EU temporary protection regime introduced in March last year, which gives automatic protection after registration. According to the EU statistics agency Eurostat, four million Ukrainians took up protected status and only 2% applied for asylum. Still, that made for over 28,000 Ukrainians who applied for asylum in the EU last year – the most ever registered. Travel restrictions that European and many other countries brought in during the early stages of the Covid pandemic blocked movement by many migrants, including asylum-seekers. Those were largely lifted over the course of 2022 as EU countries rolled out mass Covid vaccination programmes. In all, according to the EUAA, there were 966,000 asylum applications last year. That compared with 1,251,815 claims in 2016. – AFP Putin suspends nuclear pact WARSAW: US President Joe Biden will meet leaders of Nato’s eastern flank early today in a show of support after Russia’s leader suspended a nuclear arms control treaty and accused America of turning the Ukraine war into a global conflict. In Poland on Tuesday, Biden proclaimed untiring support for Ukraine and Nato, which Russia regards as an existential threat. “When Russia invaded, it wasn’t just Ukraine being tested. The whole world faced a test for the ages,” Biden said in the Royal Castle of Warsaw, the day after he made a surprise visit to Kyiv. Challenged to respond to Russia’s invasion on Feb 24 last year, he said the US and its Nato allies replied: “Yes, we would stand up for sovereignty. And we did. Yes, we would stand up for the right of people to live free from aggression. And we did.” “And we would stand up for democracy. And we did. oBiden says support for Ukraine ‘will not waver’ “There should be no doubt: Our support for Ukraine will not waver, Nato will not be divided, and we will not tire.” Also speaking on Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a warning to the West over Ukraine by suspending its last major nuclear arms control treaty with the US. Putin told Russia’s military and political elite in Moscow that the US was turning the Ukraine “special military operation” into a global conflict and announced the suspension of Russia’s participation in the New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty). Russia’s Foreign Ministry later said it intended to continue abiding by the restrictions outlined in the treaty on the number of nuclear warheads it could have deployed. “The elites of the West do not hide their purpose. But they also cannot fail to realise that it is impossible to defeat Russia on the battlefield,” Putin said. “They intend to transform a local conflict into a phase of global confrontation. “This is exactly how we understand it all and we will react accordingly, because in this case we are talking about the existence of our country.” Biden rejected Russia’s assertion that Western allies were seeking to control or destroy Russia. However, he did accuse Russia of crimes against humanity such as targeting civilians and rape. Russia has denied accusations by Ukraine and its allies of war crimes and targeting civilians. The speaker of Russia’s lower house of parliament, Vyacheslav Volodin, said Washington had destroyed the architecture of international stability by ceasing to honour its commitments and rejecting Russia’s proposals on global security. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Putin’s suspension of the nuclear treaty was “deeply unfortunate and irresponsible”. Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said it made the world more dangerous and urged Putin to reconsider. China’s UN ambassador Zhang Jun told reporters that the New START treaty and other instruments were important for the global security architecture and “the parties concerned should continue to negotiate with each other in finding a good solution”. – Reuters PICKING UP PIECES ... Residents taking belongings out of their apartment, which was destroyed by the recent earthquake, in the Turkish city of Antakya. – REUTERSPIC

8 theSUN ON THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 23, 2023 SPEAK UP Visibility in politics makes lasting impact “ IN politics, nothing happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt In the world of politics, visibility is key. The power of constant intelligent visibility that engages the public should never be underestimated. Former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and former Umno information chief Sharil Hamdan will take their visibility to a new level with “Malaysia’s hottest political podcast”. The weekly podcast, called Keluar Sekejap, will be featured in mid-March. Branding politicians on popular podcasts can be a great way to get their message out to a wider audience and propel them to become bigger political influencers. The podcast will provide a fresh perspective on the issues that matter most to Malaysians. Last month, Khairy was sacked as an Umno member for alleged “breaches of party discipline, according to its constitution”. Meanwhile, Shahril was imposed a six-year suspension for also allegedly criticising the party leadership. “Given the party political spotlight and commitments, this was an opportune time to take those discussions to the public,” said Sharil. “On a personal note, while deciding what my next move is in terms of party politics, which should not be a rushed call, I want to continue to speak and engage. The podcast is just one of them, and I will share what my other plans are soon, as and when they materialise.” In recent years, social media production and consumption have increased dramatically in most parts of the world and have affected us in many ways. Social media has become a costless and extremely effective tool in reaching mass audiences for those with a political purpose. It has increased the potential for political information to reach even the most disinterested citizens. In Malaysia, during the 15th general election, TikTok was a powerful new platform for political campaigning and used by voters, especially the youth, to express their views, such as humorous memes, on issues they care about. TikTok users in Malaysia have increased by 14.4 million in the past two years, with Facebook still having the most users at 21 million. Analysts have reportedly said the wave of young voters getting and sharing their first-hand information on TikTok was one of the main factors for PAS’ 49-seat victory. Sharil said he and Khairy have had several discussions and debates about politics and policy in private. They felt these views can be channeled to the public through regular podcasts. “Being sacked and suspended takes away the usual platform, so we are going to have to find new ways of engaging the public. We will always remain passionate about our public service and political involvements,” said Sharil. Khairy has already been co-hosting Hot Fm’s radio breakfast show Bekpes on Monday mornings with radio announcers Mohammad Yazid Lim Mohamad Aziz (Johan) and Muhammad Azmir Selamat, providing hilarious entertainment. On his first segment last week, the former health minister managed to garner over 5.7 million engagements across the station’s social media platforms, with a 139% increase in unique page views. Even if Khairy’s intention is apolitical in taking on the job of a deejay, his first show has created airwaves, captivating listeners with his insights and stories. While his supporters and fan clubs will be cheering him on, there will be others who have been unkind to him, who will be haunted with a chilling reminder that Khairy will not disappear any time soon. He will always remain visible as a resilient politician who can take the punches, keep on fighting, and turn adversities into opportunities. Unfortunately, instead of the best ideas winning out in social media, fake news will drown out the real ones. The internet, of course, was never a so-called neutral technology. Furthermore, ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, has made great hype and waves by mimicking human communication. It has created neural networks in creating chatbots that are almost more human than human. At this point, the pendulum shift to live voices addressing the public through popular radio podcasts may bring a humane aspect of interaction. This branding of politicians, with authentic and a humane approach, may be a great way to influence a wider audience. Podcasts can be brainstimulating and addictive. There is a level of dedication that will come from podcast listeners if the content is witty, informative and engaging. Podcasts are not just a bubble but a boom, and that boom is only getting louder. For Khairy, as a radio host, he has had the chance to break barriers and connect with listeners as he reaches out to a larger audience by speaking about his own difficult experiences and captivating viewers with unscripted spontaneous wit. As a politician, he set his eyes on becoming a prime minister from the day he entered politics about two decades ago. “I still have political ambitions. I do not want people to forget me,” he added. With podcasts, eloquence, credibility and passion in speaking to influence a growing number of listeners will be the desired end-result. By any measure, when that happens, political visibility will make a lasting impact. Vasanthi Ramachandran is an author, brand strategist and runs Helping Hands. Comments: [email protected] Celebrating and supporting multilingualism “WE hear the voice of our mother’s mother, Speaking in tongues we can no longer decipher, The ghost of a language Haunting only in the cold dark hall Of museum archives.” If you have been learning in a language that is your mother tongue in school, you are privileged. You take it for granted as a birth right, yet, it may be a luxury or an impossible dream for others. In the recently published Routledge International Handbook of Language Education Policy in Asia (2022), Kirkpatrick and Liddicoat point out that many children in the region are taught in a language they do not understand because in Southeast Asia, ethnic minority languages are largely excluded from public education systems. As debates on the use of children’s mother tongues as a medium of instruction, and the inclusion of the languages of indigenous and minority communities in education continue, this year’s International Mother Language Day (celebrated annually on Feb 21) theme is “Multilingual education – a necessity to transform education”. This is very much in line with the fourth Sustainable Development Goal, Quality Education. What is the situation in Sarawak, where an estimated 30 ethnic groups live, with their own languages and dialects? Unfortunately, the loss of many of these languages is imminent. According to Ethnologue, two languages are already extinct in Malaysia, 15 are dying and 101 are in danger. Dying with them, is our rich and colourful heritage. In Malaysia, the teaching and learning of indigenous languages (except for Semai, Iban and Kadazandusun) are being left to NGOs and universities. We are fortunate to have groups that believe that our linguistic heritage is important for its cultural wealth, as is the case with Bidayuh. The Bidayuh are the second largest indigenous group after the Iban in Sarawak. In 2006, the Bidayuh Language Development Project, supported by a three-year grant from the United Nation, was a success, with learning materials including dictionaries, being produced in five of the major Bidayuh dialects as well as the development of the mother-tongue based multilingual education initiative for preschools. However, the project is still struggling to keep alive with the Dayak Bidayuh National Association as its sole source of funding. Without clear government policies on indigenous language education, there is little hope for public funding for such projects. Policies play a crucial role in recognising the importance of all languages spoken in a country, and in the promotion and preservation of mother tongues. An effective policy can facilitate language planning and development, promote multilingualism and engage communities in language preservation efforts. It can assist in ensuring the continued use and transmission of mother tongues for future generations. NGOs should not be the only ones involved in language revitalisation projects and programmes. Without support from the government, they can only accomplish so much. At the moment, the spotlight on English in education continues, while indigenous and minority languages struggle to enter the debate on mother tongue and multilingual education. It is not impossible to imagine that one day they will only be available in archives and as distant memories of languages once spoken. “We hear the words of our mother’s mother, Spoken voices of our little children, The spirit of a language We thought would only live in memories, Echoes in giant malls and small kopitiams.” Hazelynn Rimbar, PhD candidate at the Faculty of Language and Linguistics, Universiti Malaya. Comments: [email protected] COMMENT by Hazelynn Rimbar

9 SPEAK UP theSUN ON THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 23, 2023 Incorporate AI into education system THE future of work is rapidly changing, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is driving much of this change. As a rapidly developing country, Malaysia has a critical role to play in shaping the future of the Asean region. It is essential that Malaysia incorporates AI into its national education agenda to ensure that its citizens are equipped with the skills required to participate in the new economy. According to a report by Grand View Research, the global AI market is expected to reach US$190 billion (RM843 billion) by 2025. This figure presents a tremendous opportunity for Malaysia to diversify from oil and gas to drive growth. The Asean region only contributes a small percentage to the global AI market, but by incorporating AI into the national education curriculum, Malaysia can tap into the region’s vast potential and position itself as a leader in the region. The World Intellectual Property Organisation reported that Malaysia has a growing innovation ecosystem, but still lags behind its neighbouring countries, such as Singapore and South Korea. Recently, Malaysia suffered from a lacklustre mid position in the Programme for International Student Assessment ranking, which measures mathematics and science skills in several countries. However, we still have a vast potential for improvement due to our strong teaching workforce and good educational facilities. By providing its citizens with the skills and knowledge of AI, Malaysia can position itself as a science and technology leader in the region. Still, it is also important to recognise that AI has already caused many employees to lose their jobs. In order to stay relevant in the workforce, it is becoming increasingly necessary for individuals to learn the skill of creating AI and not simply remaining a user. By integrating AI into the national education curriculum, students will be equipped with the ability to create AI systems and related applications. A lifelong learning approach is necessary to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to learn AI and make a career shift later in life. The government can play a crucial role in supporting working adults to acquire AI skills by providing financial assistance, flexible learning options and other forms of support. This will not only increase their employability in the AI age but also support the country’s efforts to position itself as a leader in the Asean region. To effectively incorporate AI into the national education curriculum, a multifaceted approach should be taken. Firstly, AI should be integrated into subjects such as computer science, mathematics and statistics. This will give students a solid foundation in the technical skills required for AI. Secondly, interdisciplinary courses can be developed that cover the ethical and social implications of AI. This will equip students with a well-rounded understanding of AI and its impact on society. The generative AI technology that can create text, image, sound and video must be integrated as tools for effective teaching. This strategy is better than totally forbidding their usage in class, and the students will end up using them anyway while pretending their homework is their own effort. In conclusion, incorporating AI into the national education agenda is a matter of urgency. The rapid pace of technological change demands that we equip our citizens with the skills and knowledge required to participate in the new economy. By taking steps to integrate AI into the national education curriculum and supporting working adults to acquire AI skills, Malaysia can tap into the vast potential of the global AI market. It is our hope that the government will recognise the importance of this issue and invest in the education and employability of its citizens. EUR ING Dr Azam Che Idris (a Chartered IT Professional, a Chartered Engineer and a Chartered Manager). Currently a Visiting Academic at the Faculty of Integrated Technologies, Universiti Brunei Darussalam and the CEO of Herbalogi.ai, a startup which uses AI to create natural medicine. Comments: [email protected] “The government can play a crucial role in supporting working adults to acquire AI skills by providing financial assistance, flexible learning options and other forms of support. This will not only increase their employability in the AI age but also support the country’s efforts to position itself as a leader in the Asean region. Leverage on ChatGPT technology WE are living in exuberant times with the rapid advancement of technology as never before experienced, and at times on the verge of euphoria as online BOTs ask us to verify that we are not robots. According to online statistics portal Statista, Google Play Store alone releases an average of 99,000 applications (apps) per month and users on average use 10 apps per day in their daily activities. This rapid penetration of technology in our daily lives has impacted the education sector in many ways through the decades, and education and technology have had a symbiotic relationship and found ways to embrace each other’s strengths and weakness. As many know, various AI (artificial intelligence) generators have been available for educational purposes since the advent of Microsoft’s spell check in the 1990s. The recent news and hype surrounding ChatGPT (Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer) that was launched by OpenAI in November 2022 achieved one million users in just five days of its launch and reportedly has over 500 million users today, and is sending ripples through the academic realm, raising questions of authenticity, academic integrity, and plagiarism. In response, it has been reported that education institutions from the US across to Australia have reacted by taking drastic steps imposing bans on the usage of ChatGPT in the schools. Leveraging on AI Through these technological innovations, academia has swiftly adapted and leveraged on the developments, such as with the incorporation of the automated MCQ markers, Turnitin plagiarism detectors, Grammarly, Duolingo, AI exam proctoring, and the list is endless. With the current AI writing and content apps so freely available, educators are once again pivoting and redesigning their teaching and learning repertoire to leverage on these new developments. There are some benefits of utilising these AI tools, for instance utilising the data insights of their student’s performance available from these apps to modify the teaching for a more personalised teaching and learning approach. There are also avenues to improve the lives of academics by using these tools to aid and support administrative responsibilities like generating reports and preparing lesson plans. Strategic classroom changes The classroom challenges of these accessible AI tools cannot be denied as academia is once again playing catch up. However, with strategic changes and steps towards teaching and ensuring authenticity and originality of student’s course submissions can be safeguarded: 0 Teaching strategies need to shift more focus on the development of soft skills, whereby the classroom can evolve as an arena for problem solving, communication, developing group dynamics, analytical discussion and so on. 0 Assessment methods need to be re-evaluated in terms of formative and summative weightage, specific assessment criteria, and refined questioning techniques. 0 Re-evaluating policies related to code of conducts with the definition of plagiarism broadened to include BOT-generated work. There is no avoiding these technological developments, for there will be more refined and smarter tools with the impending IR5.0 (Industrial Revolution 5.0) knocking at our classroom doors sooner than we think. It is imperative that we equip themselves and evolve towards the futuristic approach to education. Prema Ponnudurai is the Head of the School of Media and Communication at Taylor’s University and the Deputy Director of the Education for All Impact Lab. Comments: [email protected] Allocate budget to support senior citizens THERE is an urgent need to address the plight of senior citizens in Budget 2023. It is hoped that it will be a people’s budget, and will reflect the political manifestos of the parties now in the government. It is a known fact that the B40 and the M40 groups are facing difficulties due to the spike in the cost of living and other factors brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, inflation and the unfavourable ringgit exchange rates. All these continue to weigh down on the vulnerable sections of society such as the poor, the senior citizens and the disabled. The senior citizens are the most affected as they do not receive any special allowances or assistance unlike the B40 group that gets some form of aid from the Rahmah Cash Contribution, or the disabled who receives help from the Social Welfare Department. Unlike civil servants, who get a monthly pension, and those from the private sector whose retirement benefits are large enough, most of the B40 and an increasing number of the M40 are in a pitiful state. Their low-salaried jobs do not allow for bigger contributions to the Employees Provident Fund or for savings. What little they have saved would have been spent on their children’s education and weddings, for medical expenses, paying loans, among other things. As such, they are almost bankrupt in their golden years unless their offspring are able to help them. With the increase in the cost of living presently, even their working children may not be able to provide much for their parents due to their own family needs. This is where the government needs to help as is being done in numerous countries that have a safety net for the vulnerable in society. Billions of ringgit go to waste through leakages and corruption every year, and these billions can be used to help the vulnerable. By prudently controlling the finances and plugging the leaks, the government can divert a lot of the revenue for more useful and beneficial purposes. It must be remembered that the nation owes a lifetime debt to senior citizens, who have contributed towards the development and progress of the country. Although Malaysia offers some token gestures, like nominal discounts for bus/train fares and dedicated lanes for senior citizens at government departments, this is not enough. The government needs to provide something substantial for its senior citizens. It can start by setting up a special wing in hospitals for the medical needs of senior citizens. Currently, a simple cataract operation takes months and there is a lot of unnecessary consultations causing delays in treatment. A medical fund for senior citizens should be set up to pay for treatment, surgery and other medical expenses of senior citizens. The MySalam Insurance scheme should be reviewed and replaced with a better one. It is difficult for the government to do more for the senior citizens due to the wastages and extravagant procurement costs, which are at inflated prices. Additionally, billions of ringgit have been given away as compensation to contractors to prevent legal action for abrogation of contracts. The national debt now stands at almost RM1.5 trillion. The large allocations for the public sector by way of salaries, bonuses, perks, pensions, increments also amount to around 40% of the budget. Many employees, including politicians, are receiving multiple pensions and this should be stopped. They should only be entitled to one pension. This will save the government a large amount of money. The government can introduce a social pension scheme for senior citizens, with a monthly allowance given to support them. As Malaysia is aspiring to become a high income nation, this would be a good start to lift the standards of living of its citizens. We need to reduce the economic inequality and narrow the gap between the rich and the poor, which is currently very wide. It all boils down to having a political will to help those in their twilight years. V. Thomas Selangor COMMENT By Prema Ponnudurai COMMENT By Dr Azam Che Idris The global AI market is expected to reach US$190 billion (RM843 billion) by 2025. – REUTERSPIC LETTERS [email protected]

10 theSUN ON THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 23, 2023 PETALING JAYA: Malaysian property prices continued to rise against the backdrop of lower demand from buyers, creating a widening gap between purchasers and sellers, according to PropertyGuru Malaysia. The property website operator said in its market report for the first quarter of 2023 that it registered an upward trend in the sale price index in fourth-quarter 2022 (Q4’22), with asking prices of listings increasing by 1.5% quarter-onquarter (q-o-q), likely due to Bank Negara Malaysia’s overnight policy rate rising to 2.75% last year, contributing towards the higher overall cost of property ownership. In contrast, it said, the sale demand index saw a significant drop of 14.8% q-o-q, reflecting how potential buyers may still be facing affordability issues or lack of confidence towards the current property prices on the market. Country manager for Malaysia Sheldon Fernandez (pic) said that while the property market has seen healthy activity throughout 2022, its recent reports have shown that Malaysians are now more careful when making big purchasing decisions. “Rising inflation and higher borrowing costs have tightened potential buyers’ budgets, simultaneously forcing sellers to raise their prices to cover the higher cost of property investments. This has created a phenomenon where the price gap between both parties has widened, further contributing to the housing affordability issue we’ve been tracking throughout the past year,” he said in a statement. Following rising property prices, potential homebuyers gravitated towards the rental market, its rental demand index increased 32.9% last year. The supply of rental listings on its PropertyGuru website went up by 19.6%, as landlords were jumping back into a rental market with positive demand, seeking alternative income sources to offset inflation. The report registered an ease in rental demand by 4.0% q-o-q in Q4’22 after consecutive increases in the previous quarters. The slight downturn in rental appetite may be due to the higher rates in the market, edging up to 2.8% q-o-q at the end of last year. Despite this, the rental market is expected to remain active as the government recently waived industry quotas to speed up the hiring of foreign workers, who will bring in fresh demand for rental properties in industrial areas of Malaysia. It said that following three consecutive quarters of continuous price increases, the asking prices of properties for sale in Malaysia continued its climb by 1.5% in q-o-q in Q4’22. For the whole of 2022, the asking prices listed on PropertyGuru.com.my went up by 5%, and the upward trend is expected to continue as existing homeowners increase housing prices to counter the higher overall cost in homeownership caused by the higher interest rate. “However, property players should still place consideration of the current housing affordability issue and expect sale demand to slow down in the first half of the year. At the same time, many Malaysians are waiting patiently for government assistance in the upcoming re-tabling of Budget 2023 and an improvement in inflation before making their big purchase,” it said. o Inflation, higher borrowing costs widen gap between buyers and sellers: PropertyGuru Research house bullish on Mah Sing, maintains ‘buy’ call PETALING JAYA: BIMB Securities Research has maintained a ‘buy’ call and a target price of RM0.81 on Mah Sing Group Bhd, due to the property developer’s focus on cost-effective housing solutions through its M Series projects, digital marketing initiative, healthy balance sheet and persistent distribution of dividends. In a report, the research house said it is “optimistic” about the group’s business outlook for financial years 2022 to 2024 (FY22-24), fuelled by resilient demand for affordable housing in urban and suburban regions. “Mah Sing also plans to acquire new land in Seremban, Melaka and Perak. Taking into account all new lands acquired to date, Mah Sing has a remaining landbank of 1,925 acres with a remaining gross development value (GDV) of RM21.8 billion. On this note, we project Mah Sing’s core net profit to grow at a three-year compound annual growth rate of 12.8% over 2021-2024F,” BIMB said in a statement on Tuesday. On dividend prospects, it said that the group will maintain its policy of paying out 40% of net profit as dividend. BIMB opined that the group will continue to prioritise the affordable housing market, offering 94% of its recently launched units at RM700,000 or lower and a significant portion, 60%, at RM500,000 or below. BIMB said the success in new property sales is mostly attributable to new launches and continuing projects in the M Series affordable developments. The strategic focus on the M Series in recent years, it added, has positioned the group well to capture the resilient first-home buyers’ market. Furthermore, BIMB said, constructing costeffective housing units will fulfil current market demand and provide Mah Sing with a reliable source of income and earnings, as well as steady cash flow generation. It added that the Klang Valley real estate industry is highly competitive, prompting Mah Sing to seek out alternative locations for growth opportunities. Notably, locations outside the Klang Valley typically have lower land prices, which may support higher earnings margins. The group intends to develop more affordable townships outside of the Klang Valley to meet growing demand within these up-and-coming property epicentres. “Other than Klang Valley, Greater KL, Penang and Johor for affordable high-rise in urban areas, and affordable landed homes in suburban areas, Mah Sing will also explore Seremban, Melaka and Perak for suitable lands to develop affordable landed homes. The midto long-term outlook remains positive supported by strong fundamental demand for properties due to the young demography,” it said. BIMB noted that the group aims to acquire land located in the Klang Valley and other areas of Malaysia, supported by a healthy balance sheet. It opined that securing additional strategic parcels enables the group to maintain its property development business, which generates most of its revenue and profitability. “Both internal funds and borrowings will fund the land acquisition. The acquisition and opening up of land for development also unlock ancillary advantages such as price appreciation of the properties around the site, draws additional infrastructural investments, and delivers the benefits of other socioeconomic multiplier effects to nearby populations. As of January 2023, Mah Sing has remaining land bank of 1,925 acres across Malaysia with a GDV and unbilled sales of approximately RM24.1 billion,” the research house said. PETALING JAYA: Sunway Property is bringing its signature product to Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur. The craftmanship of Sunway Flora Residences is based on the Sunway Design & Development Architecture and it will be the first GreenRE Platinum residential development in Bukit Jalil. The developer will host the opening of Sunway Flora’s sales gallery in Bukit Jalil on Feb 25 and 26, and visitors can view the show units and obtain exclusive prelaunch vouchers. The latest freehold residential development, which has a gross development value of RM723 million, is strategically located in the fast-growing vicinity of Bukit Jalil just 700 metres from the Muhibbah LRT station and 3km from Pavilion Bukit Jalil. “We are excited by the unveiling of Sunway Flora Residences as this is our first entry into the burgeoning township of Bukit Jalil. We had earmarked Bukit Jalil as a location suited for a top-notch integrated development, as it is one of the most highly sought after addresses with its 80-acre recreational park within the vicinity and its proximity to a world-class sports complex. Bukit Jalil is anticipating even more growth with the MRT Putrajaya line being completed,” said Sunway Property central region senior executive director Chong Sau Min. Rivertree enters industrial space with launch of Esteem Business Park in Klang PETALING JAYA: Boutique and award-winning property developer Rivertree Group recently launched its maiden industrial project called Esteem Business Park, which has a gross development value (GDV) of RM180 million, in Klang. Esteem Business Park has won multiple accolades, namely, “The Star Property Awards 2022” Excellence Award for Business Estate category, and the “International Property Award for the Year 2022-23” – Best in Asia Pacific in the Commercial and Manufacturing Development category. Rivertree Group is also the first Malaysian company to have won at the regionals since the International Property Awards London started 30 years ago. Rivertree Group managing director Datuk Simon David Leong said, “The launch of Esteem Business Park represents another milestone for the group as this is our maiden industrial project. Although Rivertree is quite new in the property development sector having started development only in 2015, we have a proven track record of commercial and residential property projects in Klang Valley with strong take-up rates and positive feedback. “We look forward to delivering yet another innovative business space for industrial players that will boost speed, integration, and efficiency for our clients.” Esteem Business Park is located in the heart of Taman Perindustrian Meru Selatan. The strategic location offers ready connectivity to major expressway, several transport links and multimodal distribution networks across land, air and sea. The project, a 10.03-acre medium industrial development, comprises 39 industrial units which will be built over two phases. All units have innovative super-sized factory space and come with a hoist for easy transfer of goods. “As we have seen over the last two years after the pandemic, industrial development is gaining more momentum as businesses adapt to the risks of supply chain disruptions and customers are in need of more warehousing space than ever. Esteem Business Park’s unique factory design and layout was born after much discussion and engagement with industrial operators and end users. “According to the local authorities, our design is the first of its kind in Klang and possibly Selangor. That is why we decided to give it a suitable unique name – Super-sized Jumbo Factory – for its sheer size in its class,” said Leong. The business park will be developed in two phases. The soft launch of its Phase 1 was held in June last year and is targeted to be completed by 2025, and Phase 2 is targeted to be completed in 2026. Sunway Flora Residences sales gallery to open this weekend Malaysian property prices rise even as demand falls Artist impression of Esteem Business Park

KLCI 1,464.00 STI 3,300.04 HANG SENG 20,423.84 SCI 3,291.15 NIKKEI 27,104.32 368.78 TSEC 15,418.77 KOSPI 2,417.68 S&P/ASX200 7,314.50 THURSDAY FEBRUARY 23, 2023 Editorial Tel: 03-7784 6688 Fax: 03-7785 2624/5 Email: [email protected] Advertising Tel: 03-7784 8888 Fax: 03-7784 4424 Email: [email protected] 5 MOST ACTIVES February 22, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (sen) +/– (sen) HONGSENG-WB 553,639,100 0.5 -0.5 SAPNRG 106,521,200 4.5 UNCH E&O-LR 104,684,500 3.5 +0.5 MYEG 91,935,300 65.0 -1.0 HONGSENG 81,991,600 18.5 -0.5 EXCHANGERATES FEBRUARY 22, 2023 Foreign currency Bank sell Bank buy Bank buy TT/OD TT OD 1 US DOLLAR 4.5090 4.3750 4.3650 1 AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR 3.1050 2.9810 2.9650 1 BRUNEI DOLLAR 3.3630 3.2660 3.2580 1 CANADIAN DOLLAR 3.3260 3.2370 3.2250 1 EURO 4.8100 4.6540 4.6340 1 NEW ZEALAND DOLLAR 2.8120 2.7100 2.6940 1 SINGAPORE DOLLAR 3.3630 3.2660 3.2580 1 STERLING POUND 5.4690 5.2960 5.2760 1 SWISS FRANC 4.8470 4.7370 4.7220 100 UAE DIRHAM 124.1900 117.7600 117.5600 100 BANGLADESH TAKA 4.3180 4.0510 3.8510 100 CHINESE RENMINBI 65.5000 62.9000 N/A 100 HONGKONG DOLLAR 58.0900 55.2000 55.0000 100 INDIAN RUPEE 5.5300 5.1900 4.9900 100 INDONESIAN RUPIAH 0.0307 0.0278 0.0228 100 JAPANESE YEN 3.3470 3.2420 3.2320 100 NEW TAIWAN DOLLAR 15.8000 N/A N/A 100 PAKISTAN RUPEE 1.7500 1.6300 1.4300 100 PHILIPPINE PESO N/A N/A N/A 100 QATAR RIYAL 124.9500 118.6200 118.4200 100 SAUDI RIYAL 121.5500 115.3900 115.1900 100 THAI BAHT 13.5900 12.0500 11.6500 Source: Malayan Banking Berhad/Bernama KL MARKET SUMMARY February 22, 2023 INDICES CHANGE FBMEMAS 10,639.20 -72.40 FBMKLCI 1,464.00 -10.01 CONSUMER PRODUCTS 589.46 -5.52 INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS 186.03 -2.73 CONSTRUCTION 161.16 +1.43 FINANCIAL SERVICES 15,995.40 -46.00 ENERGY 862.00 -11.40 TELECOMMUNICATIONS 598.96 -3.91 HEALTH CARE 1,674.40 -30.20 TRANSPORTATION 942.29 +4.46 PROPERTY 676.29 -3.90 PLANTATION 6,833.01 -20.30 FBMSHA 10,969.00 -88.90 FBMACE 5,480.59 -38.80 TECHNOLOGY 62.39 -0.97 TURNOVER VALUE 3.509 BIL RM2.068 BIL 5 TOP GAINERS February 22, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (RM) +/– RM HEXTECH 131,700 27.30 +2.20 AJI 125,800 15.30 +0.40 AAX 37,117,800 0.83 +0.15 UTDPLT 279,900 15.84 +0.14 DKSH 176,300 4.96 +0.12 5 TOP LOSERS February 22, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (RM) +/– RM PANAMY 17,200 24.66 -0.52 HEIM 525,500 28.00 -0.48 MPI 176,100 29.60 -0.32 AEONCR 51,200 12.56 -0.26 BAT 434,500 11.46 -0.26 China-Malaysia 2022 trade exceeds US$200b KOTA BHARU: Malaysia continues to be one of China’s main trading partners in Asean with the value of trade between the two countries exceeding US$200 billion (RM880 billion) last year, said Minister at the Chinese Embassy in Malaysia, Tang Rui. He said the close relationship between the two countries was an important factor that saw cooperation in the economic sector increase and boost the value of trade. “Last year total trade between both countries exceeded US$200 billion. That is very encouraging because Malaysia with a population of about 30 million can boast of a bigger trade volume with China than some larger countries,” he said at a press conference after officiating at the 10th Anniversary Celebration of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and a visit to the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project site in Kampung Peringat here yesterday. Commenting further, Tang Rui said Malaysia will continue to be an important trading partner for China in Asean. “China has been the largest trade partner with Malaysia over the last 14 years. “This year after China has opened its borders, I notice more and more Chinese companies and enterprises coming to Malaysia seeking more opportunities, thus you can see the trade volume as a gauge of the trend and booming trade between China and Malaysia. Tang Rui (second from right) being briefed on the ECRL during his visit to the project site in Kampung Peringat, Kelantan, yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC M’sia bombarded with 84m cyber attacks daily in Q4’22 KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia experienced an average of 84 million cyber attacks every day during the fourth quarter of 2022 (Q4’22), according to global cybersecurity solutions provider Fortinet. Fortinet Southeast Asia and Hong Kong vice-president Peerapong Jongvibool said the attacks included viruses, botnets, and exploits detected by its FortiGuard Labs cybersecurity solutions, making the country one of the most vulnerable locations in the region. According to FortiGuard Labs, the cyber threats in Malaysia registered a total of 61.1 million virus detections, 50.2 million botnet attacks, and 7.5 billion exploit detections throughout Q4’22. oCountry one of the most vulnerable locations in Southeast Asia: Fortinet Rafizi: We welcome investments in energy industry KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia actively welcomes investment and trade in the energy industry from both local and international companies to address the energy crisis and ensure energy security, said Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli. He said the country’s commitment to creating a business-friendly environment in energy will continue, as evidenced by the reforms in the gas market liberalisation and third-party access that enables multiple entities to access and utilise Malaysian gas facilities. “This morning, we (discussed) in detail plans to ramp up collaboration between Malaysia and the European Union (EU) in the field of energy. “I am encouraged by the EU’s interest to find points of collaboration in this rapidly growing region,” he said in his opening remarks at the EU-Indo-Pacific Regional Energy Conference here yesterday. Rafizi said both the EU leadership and the Malaysian administration see the global energy crisis as a silver lining and use the opportunity to expedite both parties’ energy transition. “The EU representatives will have a more detailed working-level meeting with Petronas on Friday. We hope to be able to develop a more robust partnership because Malaysia has a unique position in our leadership in liquified natural gas.” Rafizi noted that the government is formulating a new mechanism to accelerate the production of green and renewable energy in the country. – Bernama 10.01 6.82 105.65 15.38 144.23 41.28 21.80 “(By comparison), cyber threats on the global scale in Q4 2022 recorded around 200 billion attacks per day. “Fortinet was able to detect the threats and neutralise them with our artificial intelligence (AI) technology as well as machine learning capabilities,” he told Bernama in an exclusive interview recently. Jongvibool said that exploits have become the latest technique adopted by cyber attackers when they planted malware on their target’s devices while waiting for the right time to execute the attack. “The trend of cyber attacks is definitely going up every day as more people are adopting digitalisation in their daily business, making them more exposed. “In a nutshell, the attackers are now smarter (and) they are now more weaponised in their planning by using the AI because it is not for fun anymore but for serious business,” he said. Jongvibool said that notable challenges faced by the cybersecurity industry today include the complexity of the digital environment where applications are distributed, users working from anywhere, more devices attached to applications, and a cybersecurity skills shortage. He highlighted that Fortinet is now the provider of nearly half of the firewall deployments around the globe, a significant improvement over the past year. “Last year we only talked about onethird of the whole firewall deployments in the world belong to us, now we are almost hitting the 50% mark and we are able to detect more cyber attacks in the market.” Jongvibool said Fortinet’s plans extend beyond just technological innovation as it set targets to achieving a sustainable society and closing the cybersecurity skills gap in the market. He said the company aims to be carbon neutral by 2030, with the adoption of higher power efficiency application-specific integrated circuit chipsets in their designs that generally consume less power. “I hope we can improve the relationship between both countries and I believe the total volume of trade will increase,” he said. On the ECRL, Tang Rui said construction of the project in Kelantan has exceeded 40%. “Until today more than 40% of the project has already been finished. That is encouraging.,” he said. Tang Rui said the ECRL is a symbol of China’s BRI and is expected to be a success story. “I hope this project will benefit people in Kelantan, as a train journey to Kuala Lumpur will be reduced to just four hours, almost half the driving time.” – Bernama Participation 42.6 28.9 28.5 100.0 Institutions Retail Foreign Bought RM m 809.1 644.7 614.8 2068.6 Sold RM m 952.1 549.9 566.6 2068.6 Net RM m -143.0 94.8 48.2 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 SECUR ITIES S D N. B H D. 197201001092 (12738-U) 22/02/2023

12 theSUN ON THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 23, 2023 SUNBIZ /theSunMedia FOLLOW ON YOUTUBE SCAN ME Skilled digital workers major contributors to Malaysia’s GDP KUALA LUMPUR: Amazon Web Services (AWS), an Amazon.com company, yesterday released results of research that show workers in Malaysia who use advanced digital skills – including cloud architecture or software development – contribute an estimated US$105.7 billion (RM469 billion) to Malaysia’s annual gross domestic product (GDP). This is attributed to the 106% higher salaries that these workers earn compared to those with a similar education who do not use digital skills at work. The “Asia Pacific Digital Skills Study: The Economic Benefits of a Tech-Savvy Workforce,” commissioned by AWS and conducted by Gallup, examined how building a technology-enabled workforce has significant benefits for workers, organisations, and economies. A total of 1,405 working adults and 357 employers were surveyed in Malaysia across a variety of public and private sector organisations and industries. The study classifies basic digital skills as the ability to use email, word processors, other office productivity software, and social media. Intermediate digital skills include oTech-savvy employees contribute an estimated US$105.7 billion to annual gross domestic product, AWS study shows drag-and-drop website design, troubleshooting applications, and data analysis. Advanced digital skills include cloud architecture or maintenance, software or application development, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning. The study found that advanced digital workers in Malaysia are benefiting from more than just a boost in their income – 74% of workers who use advanced digital skills express higher job satisfaction, compared to 55% of workers with intermediate skills and 54% of workers with basic digital skills. Similarly, employers that rely heavily on advanced digitallyskilled workers, digital technology, and cloud technology reap higher business growth and innovation. The study found that 25% of Malaysian organisations that run most of their business on the cloud are more likely to experience a doubling of annual revenue or more, compared to 7% of those that use the cloud for some or none of their business. Cloud-based organisations are also about 27 percentage points more likely to have introduced a new or improved product within the last two years (91% to 64%). With many organisations now preparing for the challenges of a digital future, the Gallup study looked at 10 emerging technologies including AI, edge and quantum computing, blockchain, and cryptocurrency. 71% of employers in Malaysia say at least one of these technologies is likely to become a standard part of their future business operations, with 5G ranking the highest at 58%. “People in Malaysia are increasingly going digital, from the way they work to the way they live. This research shows that digital skills provide immense economic value to Malaysia at the individual, organisational, and macroeconomic levels,” said Gallup principal rconomist, Dr Jonathan Rothwell. “As more organisations move their IT to the cloud over the next decade and new technologies emerge, digitisation is going to fuel a vast number of new jobs. The opportunity for Malaysia to be competitive in the digital economy depends on having a robust and highly skilled workforce to support current and future innovations,” he added. “As the Gallup research shows, Malaysia has the opportunity to seize immense economic benefits from building a strong pipeline of cloud talent to support the country’s ongoing digital transformation. “AWS is working with organisations from Petronas to Unitar International University to Malaysia’s Ministry of Higher Education to help bridge the digital skills gap. AWS has trained more than 700,000 people with basic, intermediate, and advanced cloud skills across Asean since 2017, and our work doesn’t stop here,” said Emmanuel Pillai, head of training and certification for Asean, AWS. KUALA LUMPUR: Tune Protect Group Bhd ended its 2022 financial year (FY22) with a bang by registering a record topline growth and returning to the black in the fourth quarter after four consecutive quarterly losses. The group recorded its highest gross written premium (GWP) and net written premium (NWP) since its initial public offering in 2013. GWP and NWP rose 36% and 72.5% year-on-year (y-o-y) respectively in FY22. GWP increased from RM409. million in FY21 to RM556.1 million in FY22 while NWP soared from RM201.1 million (FY21) to RM347.0 million (FY22). The strong results were achieved despite the fact that the airlines business has yet to return to pre-Covid levels. The group’s financial turnaround was driven by growth in preferred segments, i.e., lifestyle, health and SME, which more than compensated for the gradual planned exit from the group’s legacy commercial business. “It was our first profitable quarter since Q3’21. Quarter-onquarter, the group’s Q4’22 net earned premium (NEP) was higher than NWP as we are seeing the flow through of earned premiums,” said Tune Protect Group CEO Rohit Nambiar (pic). He remarked that underwriting contribution almost doubled while underwriting loss narrowed by 60%. Investment portfolio rebounded in Q4’22 and ended the year breakeven while Tune Protect Thailand’s Covid-19 claims stabilised. The group’s capital adequacy ratio remains strong and is significantly above regulatory requirements. “The strong performance was a reflection of the group’s constant and concerted efforts to become a more efficient organisation on a ratio basis. Our improvements in Q4’22 were also contributed by an encouraging combined ratio as premiums started to flow through from NWP to NEP, in tandem with our topline growth which has outpaced expenses for three consecutive quarters. NWP growth of 72.5% y-o-y is a company record. “Retention ratio of 62% is on track of meeting our 70% target by end 2023, while FY22 NWP exceeded even pre-Covid levels,” said Rohit. The financial performance is evidence that one of the group’s main objectives of retention of upwards 70% in all lines of business is on track. All preferred segments’ retention ratios exceeded the target. “The lifestyle segment’s growth was mainly driven by the the personal accident segment which increased by RM 14.1 million, as well as the motor segment which increased by RM 9.0 million. However, overall travel was still down by RM5.9 million. “In 2023, our focus is to grow the profitable motor segment with regular monitoring of the portfolio. We will also increase the motorcycle segment’s mix, penetrate top travel agents in every city and grow our small & medium enterprise and health segments,” said Rohit. Oppstar aims to raise RM104.25m from IPO KUALA LUMPUR: Integrated circuit (IC) design provider Oppstar Bhd, en route to an ACE Market listing on March 15, 2023, targets RM104.25 million from its initial public offering (IPO) via the issuance of 165.48 million new ordinary shares. At an issue price of 63 sen per share and an enlarged share capital of 636.20 million shares, the company will have a market capitalisation of RM400.81 million upon listing. During the unveiling of the IPO prospectus, executive director/CEO Ng Meng Thai said Oppstar has earmarked 47.96% or RM50 million of the proceeds for the expansion of its workforce. “This will enable Oppstar and its subsidiaries to cater for the next phase of business expansion,” he From left: Oppstar Bhd executive director and COO Tan Chun Chiat, executive director and CTO Cheah Hun Wah, Ng Meng Wah, Ng Meng Thai, independent non-executive chairman Professor Datuk Dr Siti Hamisah Tapsir, and CFO Chin Fung Wei █ BY HAYATUN RAZAK [email protected] said in a press conference at the ceremony. Meanwhile, 23.98% or RM25 million is allocated for the establishment of new offices. “We plan to strengthen our regional presence by setting up offices in India, Singapore and Taiwan to provide efficient support for our regional customers,” he said. Another 11.51% will be for research and development expenditure along with 12.14% to be channelled towards working capital. The remaining proceeds will be for listing related expenses. Ng said the IPO will be instrumental in enabling it to expand existing capability in IC design services which will in turn allow it to compete for more orders tapping into the large pool of potential customers previously not accessible to them. He added that it expects double digit growth for this financial year as the demand for IC design has grown at an exponential rate over the years. “Based on the report from our Independent Market Researcher, the industry remains robust with the demand for technological advancements as well as the increasing uptake of IC design services by many semiconductor companies such as integrated device manufacturers, fabless companies, fablite companies and external design houses given its increased complexity and higher cost involved,” he said. In addition, the group intends to declare a yearly dividend of at least 25% of its profit after tax. The public issue portion of the IPO is available from yesterday to March 3. Affin Hwang Investment Bank officer-in-charge Ng Meng Wah commented: “Given its track record and expertise, we believe Oppstar’s move towards an IPO will also raise the group’s corporate profile as it embarks on the next phase of its business expansion plans” Affin Hwang Investment Bank is the principal adviser, sponsor, sole placement agent and sole underwriter for the IPO exercise. B R I E F SBNM: INTERNATIONAL RESERVES TOTALLED US$114.4B ON FEB 15 KUALA LUMPUR: Bank Negara Malaysia’s (BNM) international reserves amounted to US$114.4 billion (RM507.9 billion) as at Feb 15, 2023, and the reserves position is sufficient to finance five months of imports of goods and services, and is one time the total short-term external debt. In a statement yesterday, the central bank said the main components of the international reserves were foreign currency reserves (US$102.1 billion), International Monetary Fund reserves position (US$1.4 billion), Special Drawing Rights (US$5.7 billion), gold (US$2.3 billion) and other assets (US$2.9 billion). Meanwhile, total assets stood at RM617.37 billion. BNM added that capital and liabilities comprised paidup capital (RM100 million), reserves (RM160.48 billion), currency in circulation (RM161.94 billion), deposits by financial institutions (RM208.75 billion), federal government deposits (RM10.41 billion), other deposits (RM36.91 billion), Bank Negara papers (RM6.17 billion), allocation of SDRs (RM28.21 billion) and other liabilities (RM4.38 billion). – Bernama ALLIANCE INVESTMENT CLINCHES BEST SUKUK RESTRUCTURING AWARD KUALA LUMPUR: Alliance Investment Bank has clinched the Best Sukuk Restructuring Deal of The Year 2022 award under the Islamic Finance category at the Alpha Southeast Asia 16th Annual Best Deal and Solutions Awards 2022. The award was in recognition of Alliance Investment Bank’s role as the sole principal adviser/lead arranger and lead manager for MEX 1 Capital Bhd’s restructuring exercise, which involved the RM1.12 billion restructuring of Sukuk Musharakah via a Sukuk-for-Sukuk swap. MEX Capital is the concessionaire for MEX Highway. UOA DEVELOPMENT FY22 NET PROFIT FALLS TO RM219.94M KUALA LUMPUR: UOA Development Bhd’s net profit for the financial year ended Dec 31, 2022 (FY22) eased to RM219.94 million from RM224.45 million previously. Revenue decreased to RM451.65 million from RM547.48 million previously, the property developer said in a filing with Bursa Malaysia yesterday. Net profit for the fourth quarter ended Dec 31, 2022 weakened to RM53.06 million from RM98.86 million, while revenue eased to RM112.52 million from RM136.45 million previously. UOA has proposed a single-tier final dividend of 10 sen per ordinary share, subject to shareholders’ approval. – Bernama Tune Protect stages turnaround with profit in Q4

13 * SUNBIZ theSUN ON THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 23, 2023 /thesundaily FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK SCAN ME Bintang Capital invests in Involve Asia KUALA LUMPUR: Bintang Capital Partners Bhd has embarked on its second investment under its maiden fund BCP Asia Fund I LP into Involve Asia Technologies Sdn Bhd to support the company’s expansion across Southeast Asia and Australasia, and to develop a new product suite to cater to its customers’ increasing digital marketing needs. Involve Asia is a Malaysia-based marketing technology company that operates a performance-based marketing technology platform, providing a single platform to help brands market digitally through advertising attribution, partner workflow management, and creative distribution. Involve Asia partners with content creators, influencers, developers, and affiliate partners worldwide. The oMove is to support marketing tech company’s expansion of its footprint in Southeast Asia and the development of a new product suite platform tracks and manages returns on these digital marketing partnerships for global brands. The company operates in six countries, catering to over 500 brands and over 4,000 offers with more than 400,000 affiliate partners on its platform, driving over US$1.5 billion (RM6.6 billion) in transactions since its inception in 2014. The US$10 million investment round was led by Bintang, and supported by coinvestors Orbit Capital Malaysia, 500 Global, and Monumental Productions. Involve Asia also plans to put part of the proceeds to use in catalysing its in-house development of a new product suite. This intends to meet the demands and needs of clients with a solution to track and attribute their business in the global online commerce industry. Fundraising proceeds will be utilised to fuel the company’s recent expansion into Vietnam and the Philippines, as well as to continue cementing its footprint across Southeast Asia and Australasia. Bintang’s investment into growing the company’s burgeoning Southeast Asian presence underscores their belief that the long-term prospects in Southeast Asia continue to outweigh growing uncertainty and global headwinds. The investment in the company was driven by the extraordinary shift in Southeast Asian consumer behaviour towards digital consumption, with more than 80% of Southeast Asian consumers expected to have transacted online by the end of 2022. Bintang believes that the increasing internet and mobile penetration in Southeast Asia would also provide significant long-term opportunities for value creation on a regional scale. Bintang founder Johan RozaliWathooth said, “Bintang believes that Involve Asia is well-positioned within Southeast Asia’s fast-growing and rapidly transforming digital marketing and digital commerce space. It’s highly innovative business model also has great potential to catalyse positive social impact by providing opportunities for individuals and small-to-medium-sized marketing companies to harness their networks by partnering with global brands. Rehda survey shows developers facing end-financing issues PETALING JAYA: The Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association (Rehda) Malaysia found that 51% of property developers are not planning to launch new projects in the first half (1H) of 2023, given the unfavourable market conditions. Its president Datuk N.K. Tong said that based on current sentiment, 94% of developers in its survey attributed that having access to end financing for homebuyers is still the main challenge. “Looking at this environment, we think developers are waiting until the banks take a more positive view on financing terms. “Besides, depending on the location on their projects, developers feel that the market isn’t quite there yet, or hasn’t reached the sales price that will make sense for them to launch,” he said at a press conference after presenting Rehda’s Property Industry Survey 2H 2022 and Market Outlook for 2023 yesterday. Tong added that with the rising inflation situation, developers were having difficulty anticipating cost increases to be incurred, and how they would be able to keep within the affordability price range for home buyers. “About 68% of respondents expect building material costs will continue to trend higher for another 12 months at least until they stabilise. “To counter the price increase in building materials, developers have no choice but to increase property selling prices (double digit on average) or lower their profit margin,” said Tong. They could otherwise opt to use more cost effective materials, or building smaller units or changing the design to suit the cost increase, he added. “We hope the government can help to ensure that everything (along the supply chain) is running smoothly, such as construction material costs, the shortage of labour and remove any impediments that may cause the price to go up and encourage competition,” he added. Most states, he said, aim to launch more residential units priced between RM250,001 and RM500,000, except Johor (RM700,001- RM1 million). – Bernama Petronas, Maybank are Malaysia’s most valuable brands KUALA LUMPUR: Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) and Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank) are Malaysia’s most valuable brands in terms of sustainability perceptions, according to Brand Finance’s inaugural Sustainability Perceptions Index 2023 report. Petronas also ranked first among Asean brands that made the list including household names such as Viettel, DBS Bank, PTT, and Telkom Indonesia. Brand Finance’s research showed that Petronas posted strong scores in environmental, social and governance (ESG) pillars pertaining to commitments to protect the natural environment, as well as supporting communities and the wider society – reflected in the brand’s sustainability journey over the last two decades including its foray into cleaner and renewable energy. Meanwhile, Maybank’s focus on upholding good ESG practices such as the promotion of sustainable finance resulted in its impressive showing as a “professionally, ethically and responsibly managed” brand within the governance pillar. Brand Finance Asia Pacific managing director Alex Haigh said sustainability is a recent but flourishing trend for brands in Malaysia and the broader region. In light of this, it is vital that the largest and most emblematic brands in the country take a leading role in spurring industry-wide action and supportive attitudes. – Bernama B R I E F SMCDONALD’S MALAYSIA IS BEST EMPLOYER FOR 8TH TIME KUALA LUMPUR: McDonald’s Malaysia recently bagged two prestigious human resources awards, including the Best Employer Award 2022 and the Building Purposeful Talent Award 2022 by Kincentric. This marks the eighth time the quick service restaurant received Kincentric’s Best Employer Award, as a recognition of McDonald’s continuous commitment to human resources management and talent development. At the same time, it also marks the first time McDonald’s was given Special Recognition for its commitment to Building Purposeful Talent. CIMB ON CLOUD NINE AT IFN BEST BANK POLLS 2022 KUALA LUMPUR: CIMB Islamic Bank Bhd and CIMB Investment Bank Bhd, together with Unit Usaha Syariah PT Bank CIMB Niaga Tbk (CIMB Niaga Syariah) have been recognised with nine awards at the IFN Best Banks Poll 2022 and IFN Deals of the Year 2022. Notable achievements were CIMB Islamic’s seventh consecutive win as Best Islamic Bank in Malaysia and CIMB Niaga Syariah’s maiden win as Best Islamic Bank in Indonesia. The IFN Best Banks Poll recognises the best providers of Islamic financial services across a series of markets and sectors as voted by the readers of Islamic Finance News, while the IFN Deals of the Year is awarded to the industry’s most ground-breaking transactions each year. Tanco returns to the black in second quarter of FY23 KUALA LUMPUR: Main market-listed property developer Tanco Holdings Bhd staged a turnaround to post a net profit of RM11.8 million in the second quarter of its financial year ending June 30, 2023 (Q2’23) compared with a net loss of RM2.9 million the corresponding quarter a year ago. The earnings recovery was mainly due to the higher revenue generated from its property development and construction segment. For Q2’23, the group’s revenue jumped by more than 28 times to RM29.7 million from RM1 million in Q2’22. The turnaround represents a significant milestone for the group as it returned to a quarterly profit for the first time since June 2018. The earnings recovery was in line with the reopening of the economy in Malaysia. Tanco Holdings Bhd’s managing director Datuk Seri Andrew Tan Jun Suan, said: “While the Covid-19 pandemic presented an unprecedented challenge to the group, the defensive strategy adopted by the management has allowed Tanco to emerge relatively unscathed from the pandemic. This has put the group in a good position to resume its property development and construction works swiftly and benefit from the resurgence of the economy. “Going forward, we will leverage our unique positioning, project management capabilities and customer-centric approach to capitalise on the economy’s resurgence. As we move forward in the post-Covid era, we believe it is the right time for us to expand and grow more aggressively.” In line with the stronger financial performance during the quarter, Tanco also managed to return to black for the first half of ended Dec 31, 2022 (H1’23) with a net profit of RM10.5 million compared with a net loss of RM5.4 million during the same period a year ago. Revenue for the half jumped multifold to RM51 million from RM1.7 million in H1’22. Tanco is in the midst of completing its property development project for the Block 2 Service suites in Splash Park, a development project in Dickson Bay that has a gross development value of RM147 million. Group’s earnings recovery was mainly due to the higher revenue generated from its property development and construction segment.

14 theSUN ON THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 23, 2023 SUNBIZ @thesundaily FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM SCAN ME HK hands out cash, cuts duties despite larger deficit oEconomy expected to grow 3.5-5.5% this year, underlying inflation expected to hit 2.5%: Financial secretary HONG KONG: Hong Kong is set for back-to-back deficits but will give cash handouts and ease stamp duties for first-time property buyers, to support an economy buffeted by prolonged Covid-19 restrictions, the city announced in its budget yesterday. The global financial hub recorded a deficit of HK$140 billion (RM79 billion) in 2022/23, more than double the HK$56 billion it initially estimated, Financial Secretary Paul Chan said, when delivering the budget at the Legislative Council. He forecast another deficit for 2023/24 of HK$54.4 billion. Chan told legislators the city was at the beginning of an economic recovery, no longer shackled by stringent Covid measures that have isolated it from the rest of the world. “I believe that Hong Kong’s economy will visibly recover this year, and I remain positive,“ Chan said, noting he would take a “moderately liberal” fiscal stance this year to sustain Four-day working week ‘more productive’: UK study LONDON: A four-day working week is more productive for most staff and companies than the traditional five days, one of the biggest trials of its kind conducted in the UK reported on Tuesday. Over 60 firms in Britain took part in the six-month experiment allowing almost 3,000 employees to work one day less per week while retaining the same salary. Conducted between last June and December, it was organised by nonprofit group 4 Day Week Global alongside the think tank Autonomy, the University of Cambridge and Boston College in the US. It has been described as the world’s biggest trial of a four-day working week. The study found more than nine out of 10 firms will continue with the shortened working week or plan to do so, organisers said in a statement. Just 4% will not extend it. “Results are largely steady across workplaces of varying sizes, demonstrating this is an innovation which works for many types of organisations,“ said lead researcher and Boston College professor Juliet Schor. Productivity did not suffer from the lighter working weeks, with company revenue rising 1.4% on average over the trial. Revenue jumped 35% on average, when compared with similar periods from previous years. The study also found that hiring increased and absenteeism dropped – while the number of staff leaving fell sharply during the trial. In addition, researchers concluded that the overall health and well-being of employees had improved. “In terms of employees, their mental health improved, they got better sleep, they got less burnt out,“ Cambridge University’s Professor Brendan Burchell told AFP. “And we got lots of very happy people – people really enjoyed it; they found it such a reward to have three day weekends instead of two day weekends.” UK environmental consultancy Tyler Grange was among 18 firms to adopt permanently the four-day week after taking part. “My experience has only been really, really positive – you can see it in people day-to-day at work, that they’re more energized at work,“ Tyler Grange client director Nathan Jenkinson told AFP. Employees “come into work at the start of the week on a Monday, having had three days rest, and they’re feeling much more positive about work and got a lot more energy”. – AFP B R I E F SCITIGROUP SEES ‘LESS HARD’ LANDING FOR GLOBAL ECONOMY BENGALURU: Citigroup economists yesterday raised their global growth forecast slightly and see a “less hard” landing but still expect the world’s economy to grow at the slowest pace in 40 years. The Wall Street brokerage now sees global growth slowing this year to about 2.2%, 0.25% higher than their previous estimate due to improving macroeconomic trends, it said in a note by economists led by Nathan Sheets. Citigroup said its cautious pessimism is due to China’s stronger and clearer economic outlook than previously estimated, stagnation in the euro area as opposed to a contraction estimated earlier and resilience in the US. – Reuters AUSTRALIA TOP TARGET OF CHINA TRADE CURBS IN 2020-2022: THINK TANK CANBERRA: China issued threats and trade restrictions against 19 countries between 2020 and 2022, with Australia the top target of such “coercive diplomacy”, a report by an Australian security think tank said yesterday. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute report said China’s tactic had “mixed success” in changing the policies of target governments and was not successful against Australia. The institute’s report examined what it said were 73 “coercive PRC actions” recorded between 2020 and 2022, of which 21 were taken against Australia. 40% of these actions were trade restrictions. – Reuters TOYOTA ACCEPTS UNION DEMAND FOR BIGGEST WAGE HIKE IN 20 YEARS TOKYO: Toyota Motor Corp, the world’s biggest automaker, said yesterday it would accept a union demand for the biggest base salary increase in 20 years and a rise in bonus payments, as Japan steps up calls for businesses to hike pay. Toyota said a deal with the union was struck after the first round of negotiations yesterday, adding that the wage increase would also be applied to part-time workers and senior contract workers. The Asahi newspaper said the union had also sought one-off bonus payments worth 6.7 months of wages. – Reuters TIKTOK STIRS UP STARBUCKS WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS NEW YORK: Starbucks is embracing the buzz. The coffee chain filed a new patent for a machine to help customise complicated beverages, according to a Business Insider report this week. A TikTok craze for off-menu concoctions such as the Churro Frappuccino, which the company has indulged, is accelerating demand for such technical inventions, as perhaps are worker movements and the pressure to increase wages. Incoming CEO Laxman Narasimhan faces staffers increasingly eager to unionise just as US labour shortages hover at highs. It is therefore hardly surprising that US$123 billion (RM53 billion) Starbucks wants to streamline drinkmaking processes. – Reuters Study also found that overall health and wellbeing of employees improved after having had three days rest. – UNSPLASH PIX the impetus for economic recovery. “However, the economic recovery is still in its initial stage, and there is a need for our people and businesses to regain vigour.” The city’s economy is expected to grow 3.5-5.5% this year after contracting 3.5% in 2022, Chan said. Underlying inflation is expected to hit 2.5%. Hong Kong will issue vouchers worth HK$5,000 per person to all adults this year, half the amount issued in 2022. Chan flagged tax rebates in salaries and profits taxes, capped at HK$6,000, lower than the caps set for the previous budget. Amid weakness in local property prices that fell more than 15% last year, the government also announced it would adjust stamp duties for first time local home buyers, with a “view to easing the burden on ordinary families” and properties valued at HK$10 million and less will benefit. Chan, however, said other demand side residential measures introduced over the past decade to cool one of the world’s hottest property markets, would remain unchanged. The measure would benefit 37,000 buyers and cost the government HK$1.9 billion. The Hang Seng Properties subindex extended gains to as much as 1.3% in afternoon trade. Sun Hung Kai Properties , the largest developer in the financial hub by market cap, jumped as much as 3.4%, compared with a 0.2% fall in the main Hang Seng Index. – Reuters British supermarkets confront their German discounting demons LONDON: Britain’s big supermarkets say they have never been more competitive on price, yet their customers are still flocking to German-owned discount stores Aldi and Lidl. And the discounters’ supermarket sweep still has a long way to run, industry executives say, with Aldi UK CEO Giles Hurley pledging Britain’s lowest prices “no matter what”. That is forcing Britain’s major players – market leader Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons – to cut more costs so they can keep a lid on prices and cling on to shoppers who have been hit by a cost of living crisis. “Over the Christmas period alone shoppers switched £58 million (RM310 million) (of purchases) to Lidl from Tesco and Sainsbury’s,“ Lidl GB CEO Ryan McDonnell told Reuters. “That’s not just from customers visiting new stores.” The German duo have already grabbed more than 16% of the British market between them but analysts, academics and grocery executives expect that to double within a decade as they spend hundreds of millions of pounds to expand. Aldi is targeting 1,200 UK stores by 2025 from its current 990, and Lidl is aiming for 1,100, from more than 950. Britain’s incumbents are struggling to compete in part due to the scale of the two relative newcomers, which between them are present in more than 30 countries including the US, where Aldi in particular is thriving. Tesco and Sainsbury’s have already responded by stripping out in-store meat, fish and deli counters and replacing large numbers of check-out staff with various forms of automation. This reflects lessons learned during the 2008 financial crisis when Aldi and Lidl secured a foothold in Britain by doing a much better job of holding prices down on their range of 2,000 mostly own-brand products, versus 30,000-40,000 at the big supermarkets. Tesco and Sainsbury’s are now matching Aldi prices on hundreds of key items and using customer loyalty schemes, while they have accepted a profit hit to keep prices down. – Reuters

2 3 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 T H U R S D A Y and judgements, Just Capella will also implement new procedures. A number of qualifying rounds, including swimwear, evening gown, and interview competitions, will be held for Miss Universe Malaysia. The pageant’s winner will represent Malaysia at the Miss Universe competition, where she will face off against other hopefuls from across the globe for the coveted Miss Universe crown. As part of their official Asian trip, Miss Universe 2022 R’Bonney Gabriel, Andreína Martínez Founier of the Dominican Republic, and Curacao’s Gabriëla Dos Santos were welcomed as special guests. The first Miss Universe private jet, which will be used for the title winner’s official trips throughout the world, was unveiled in front of the The search for the next Miss Universe Malaysia THE Miss Universe Organization and Just Capella Sdn. Bhd., the new license holder for the Miss Universe Malaysia beauty pageant, jointly launched the Miss Universe Malaysia competition on Feb 17 at a formal event in the St. Regis Kuala Lumpur. This marked the official start of the hunt for the next Miss Universe Malaysia. The new licence holder, Datin Wira Poppy Capella, is an Indonesian singer and the head of the PT Capella Swastika Karya in Jakarta. Just Capella CEO Dato’ Westin Chew, a successful Malaysian businessman with years of experience, is also a part of her new team. Datin Wira Poppy Capella said: “We are thrilled to be appointed by JKN Global Group, the owner of Miss Universe Organization, to manage the Miss Universe pageant in Malaysia. The Miss Universe organisation is committed to empowering women and promoting diversity, and we share a vision to create an incredible impact through Miss Universe Malaysia 2023.” She remarked that the Miss Universe Malaysia competition is a stage that gives women the skills to make great changes in their personal, professional, and charity lives, enabling them to act as role models for their communities and followers. It also gives them the ability to stand and stand on their own. Dato’ Westin also stated that the newest pageant’s addition of new energy, originality, and creativity will raise the quality of the Miss Universe Malaysia brand to a higher scale with their five G’s – Give, Good, Generous, Gratitude and Go Green. To maintain the integrity, clarity, sincerity, and fairness in all actions Miss Universe Malaysia grand launch was held in St. Regis Kuala Lumpur on Feb 17. – JUST CAPELLA oThe goal of pageants is to empower women to have a positive effect on their community █ BYTHASHINE SELVAKUMARAN (from right) Andreina Martinez Founier, R’Bonney Gabriel and Gabriella Dos Santos. – ADIB RAWI YAHYA/THESUN R’Bonney Gabriel, Miss Universe 2022. – ADIB RAWI YAHYA/THESUN crowd by Anne Jakratutatip, owner of the Miss Universe Organization, allowing for safe travels The three gorgeous special guests emphasised how happy they were to be in Malaysia for the first time, how kind everyone was, and how they hoped to visit very soon. They also took the time to speak on stage about their own experiences, giving all the young girls the assurance that beauty is not just about appearance but also about confidence and how elegantly they handle themselves to have a positive influence on their own communities. When asked what advice she would give to young women who wish to compete in the pageant during the media Q&A, Miss Universe said: “It’s time to find your own mission in life.” She encouraged the young ladies to take a risk and action on their goals and dreams. She remarked, “If not now, then when?” Registration for the Miss Universe Malaysia contest is officially open. For additional information and to register, young ladies are encouraged to visit missuniverse.com.my, or email [email protected]. Miss Universe Organisation owner Anne Jakrajutatip. – ADIB RAWI YAHYA/THE SUN

16 ENTERTAINMENT theSun LYFE ON THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 23, 2023 IS it better, when asked to serve a tyrant, to enter the inner circles and try to moderate his whims, or to stand aside, revelling in your integrity as his rages consume the world? Seneca – On the Creation of Earthquakes seeks an answer to this question, both very contemporary and eternal, in the last night of the first-century Roman philosopher’s life, after he learns the Emperor Nero has ordered his death. “All these dilemmas, political, personal, philosophical would come to a head in one night and that would end with his death,“ director Robert Schwentke said of his film, which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival on Monday. The film, shot in Morocco on minimalist, theatrical sets, has little sympathy for its main character, played by John Malkovich as a man of a glibness so total that not even his impending death can stop the torrent of pat wisdom from his mouth. “He talks a lot,” said Malkovich. “And sometimes it was hard not to think, okay, but die and, you know, be quiet.” N e r o , played by T o m Xander, is c a l l o u s and childlike, willing to kill or humiliate anyone who would constrain him. He soon turns on Seneca, tiring of his minimally moderating influence. “There was a lot of opportunity to draw on current events and influence my performance,” said Xander. Seneca’s monstrousness is more understated. He asks his young wife, played by an ethereal Lilith Stangenberg, to die with him to lend theatrical weight to his death and his dictums. “He was more of a life coach. You know, he would have a TV show today,” said Schwentke, who studied philosophy in Germany before leaving to study film in the United States in 1989. Seneca’s bloodless pomposity makes his end hilarious, even enjoyable, to watch. But Geraldine Chaplin, who plays a Roman aristocrat, drew on her father Charlie Chaplin’s experiences to warn there were limits to what humour could accomplish. “My father made The Great Dictator, I guess, 70 years ago,” she said, referring to the 1940 anti-war satire that lampooned Hitler and Mussolini. “And he thought that would change the world. And it only made people laugh ... And this film is very funny.” – Reuters Malkovich as first-century life coach Seneca A scene from Seneca. – IMDB The film is Malkovich’s first leading role in over 10 years. – AFP NOVELIST Salman Rushdie led condemnations of Roald Dahl’s children’s books being re-edited for a modern audience, calling it “absurd censorship” by “bowdlerising sensitivity police”. Publishers Puffin have made hundreds of reported changes to characters and language in Dahl’s stories including making the diminutive Oompa-Loompas in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory gender neutral, and calling Augustus Gloop “enormous” rather than “fat”. Mrs Twit in The Twits is also no longer ugly, but beastly instead, while the Cloud-Men in James and the Giant Peach are now “CloudPeople”. The criticism comes amid a growing trend for publishers to employ so-called “sensitivity readers” who work alongside editors to identify references to gender, race, weight, violence or mental health that might offend readers. A spokesperson for the Netflix-owned Roald Dahl Story Company, which controls the rights to the books, said it was not unusual for publishers “to review the language used” for new print runs and that its guiding principle had been to try to maintain the “irreverence and sharp-edged spirit of the original text”. But the edits sparked a wave of criticism. Rushdie, who lived in hiding for years due to a fatwa calling for his death over his 1988 book The Satanic Verses, said Dahl had been a “self confessed anti-Semite, with pronounced racist leanings, and he joined in the attack on me back in 1989. “Roald Dahl was no angel but this is absurd censorship. Puffin Books and the Dahl estate should be ashamed,“ he wrote on Twitter. Dahl’s books have sold over 250 million copies worldwide. Some of his most popular stories have been turned into blockbuster films such as last year’s Matilda the Musical and The BFG (2016) which was directed by Steven Spielberg. – AFP Salman Rushdie attacks Dahl rewrites Dahl’s books have undergone a controversial rewrite. – GETTY ASKED how it feels to see the glowing reviews and ecstatic audiences for her new continentspanning love story, first-time filmmaker Celine Song leans forward, blushes a little and whispers: “awesome”. Song’s Past Lives, already a breakout hit at last month’s US film festival Sundance, is having its global launch at the Berlinale cinema showcase in the German capital. The reception for the semiautobiographical romantic drama set in South Korea, Toronto and New York City has been rapturous, with industry bible The Hollywood Reporter already promising it will be “one of the best films of the year”. The movie tells the story of Nora, who begins an innocent romance with her best friend Hae Sung when they are both 12, then loses touch with him when she and her family emigrate to Canada. They pick up their connection again via social media about 12 years later after Nora, played by Greta Lee of Netflix’s Russian Doll, moves to New York to pursue her dream of writing. There, she falls in love with Arthur (John Magaro of The Big Short), a Jewish American, at an authors’ retreat and eventually marries him. Grown-up love But Hae Sung (Teo Yoo of Park Chan-wook’s Decision to Leave) stuns Nora years later when he says he is flying from Seoul to New York to visit, having never quite gotten over the memory of her. The tenderly climactic final scene left the Berlinale audience weeping and cheering, an experience Song called “overwhelming”. The 34-year-old playwright-turneddirector told AFP that her debut feature was both specific to her life but also a “universal” story of grown-up love. “I was thinking about the way it actually feels to have connections that span decades”, even as we and those we care for change, she said. “It was about how it felt to be a person who is doing an always extraordinary thing which is to love someone.” Song said she had her cast watch Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy to pick up lessons about depicting romantic longing that evolves over years. Rather than building to an explosive confrontation between “man-children”, so common in US movies, Song said she wanted to show a mature kind of intimacy. “A lot of drama can happen if everybody decides they’re going to behave like children,” she said. “But I know so many people who are in my life who make a decision every day to be adults.” In the film, “we’re watching these three people who are very connected to their childhood” but still opt to “care for each other and to respect each other and be there for each other”. Korean boom Song said she was “proud” to join a boom in South Korean entertainment, even if her film had little to do with the bloody spectacles of Oscar winner Parasite or Netflix’s hit Squid Game. “The exciting part is that it’s possible for Past Lives be so different (from those ultraviolent stories) and for it to still have an audience who feels that it is global,” she said. Song “ended up being a kind of bridge to different kinds of filmmaking cultures,” she said of bringing her New York crew to Seoul, where her rejection of classic storyboarding and focus on rehearsal seemed foreign. Past Lives was leading critics’ polls among 19 contenders at the festival ahead of an awards ceremony last Saturday. Asked what it would mean to claim the Berlinale’s Golden Bear top prize from jury president Kristen Stewart, Song broke into a wide grin. “At the end of the day we’re a little movie that wants to be seen,” she said. The Golden Bear would “mean that more people will want to see it and that’s what I dream of”. – AFP Song (second from left) with the cast of her film Past Lives (from left) Teo, Lee and Magaro at the Berlinale. A scene from Past Lives. – A24 A star is born oFirst-time filmmaker Celine Song sparks sensation at Berlin film festival

17 ENTERTAINMENT theSun LYFE ON THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 23, 2023 NCT Dream to hold concert in Malaysia MALAYSIAN K-pop fans, get ready to see and be seen by your favourite K-pop idol NCT Dream! K-pop idol group NCT Dream has added new dates and cities for “THE DREAM SHOW 2” World Tour, and Malaysia is officially on the tour list! The group will be performing in Kuala Lumpur for one night on May 20. NCT DREAM kicked off their 2nd World Tour, THE DREAM SHOW 2, at the Seoul Olympic Stadium last fall and has already visited Nagoya, Yokohama and Fukuoka. Following their recent announcement to tour Osaka, Jakarta, Bangkok and Hong Kong, the group released more tour dates today to include London, Paris, Berlin, Newark, Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Seattle, Manila, Singapore, Macau and Kuala Lumpur, which made up to a total of 22 cities for their 2nd World Tour. SM revealed that more shows will be added for the second half of the year. NCT DREAM is made up of seven members including Mark, RENJUN, Jeno, HAECHAN, JAEMIN, CHENLE and JISUNG. The South Korean boy band was formed by SM Entertainment, a label that represents SUPER JUNIOR and EXO as well. NCT Dream garnered huge attention and is widely known for hits such as Hot Sauce, Beatbox, Hello Future, and more. More details about NCT DREAM: THE DREAM SHOW 2 – Kuala Lumpur 2023 will be released soon. Please stay tuned to www.starplanet.com.my for the latest updates. Marking 22 years of rock music legacy Justin says the band will be bringing their signature, but slightly older energy for the album anniversary performance. – ADELINE CHAN AT the turn of the millennium, then-newly formed rock band nakedbreed took the country’s rock scene by galvanising force. Released almost back-to-back, the band dropped Breeding Ground and nakedbreed. Both releases are still sought out by fans and collectors despite having long been sold out. Questioned on why the band, in its 20 years of existence, only released two albums, the band’s vocalist, Justin explained to theSun that it was due to several reasons, including financial constraints and line-up changes. He further added that the band continued releasing singles throughout the years independently. “It is probably why most people haven’t heard of us in awhile. Rest assured nakedbreed has been around and will always be as long as we are alive and well,” he said. In a 2021 interview, Justin had mentioned that the band was planning a future album. “Instead of an album, we’re going to do an EP with five songs first. Recording will begin at the end of this year,” Justin updated. On Feb 25, the band will be celebrating the 22nd anniversary of their self-titled album at Angguk Studios in Ara Damansara. It will be the first time nakedbreed plays live after the pandemic shut down the live music space. As the band was known for actively performing pre-Covid, the four-man band will be bringing some pent up energy to the show, which will also feature live performances by Jason Lo and Skies Are Red. “The setlist will be all nakedbreed songs. There was a time when we might have inserted a cover into the list, but this is our anniversary and we’re not going to celebrate another band’s music for this show,” Justin noted. He also explained that while tickets will be sold at the door, nakedbreed strongly encourages fans to buy the tickets online at nakedbreed.ubertickets.asia – by Mark Mathen Victor Out of the box ABEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK at JHope’s creative process, obstacles, and planning for his solo album, Jack in the Box, can be seen in the documentary j-hope IN THE BOX. J-Hope (real name Jung Hoseok) is a well-known member of the K-Pop supergroup BTS. He became the first member of the group to release a full-length solo project. The documentary, which was shot over 200 days, gives a unique insight into what JHope went through to produce the album, and shows the preparations for his August 2022 solo debut as the opening act for renowned music festival Lollapalooza, depicting his late-night studio practices, as well as his stage and dance rehearsals. The documentary offers the idol the chance to reveal his true identity and share his songs with the world. J-Hope takes his fans on a personal journey, as he steps outside of his comfort zone to create songs that reveals his more mature side. We also get to see video of the listening party where he presented his new album to friends and business acquaintances. He made the effort to see how the event was set up, how the audience was welcomed, how the door gifts were made, and even took part in the food tasting session. Also, the documentary shows his visit to his family home, where he introduces us to his family. He shows off a large scholar stone his parents bought that reads “Hope World”, a tribute to the first solo mix-tape he released in 2018, as he makes his way through the home and into the backyard. A display of the Jung family home is what makes this segment of the documentary extremely intriguing and endearing. His mother has a collection of vintage BTS merchandise and magazine covers dating all the way back to the group’s early days in a glass case, and the stairway of their house is lined with pictures of him and his sister. J-Hope visits the place where he was raised and reflects upon his life to date. He talks about how far he has come and how grateful he is for the love and support of his fans. J-Hope recently released a 10 track album titled Jack In The Box. – ALL PIX BY DISNEY+ oThis documentary focuses on J-Hope’s solo career and his dedication towards music █ BY THASHINE SELVAKUMARAN J-Hope practising with his dance crew for his debut stage. J-Hope hosted his own event at the Jack In The Box HYBE listening party. This documentary focused on showing how much music means to him and who he is as an idol. As a fan of BTS, watching the documentary certainly made me super emotional. Of course, the documentary is just like any other BTS documentary, but it is still impressive to see J-Hope build everything from scratch. As we already know, from the album to the festival, everything went off without a hitch. We get to watch J-Hope in action during the dance rehearsals, and I’m not going to lie, sometimes he truly is intimidating as he points out even the smallest mistake made by the dancers. We already know J-Hope is incredibly demanding when it comes to his work ethic as an artiste, and we get to witness that side of him here. Overall, I think ARMYs would enjoy jhope IN THE BOX because while it focuses on J-Hope’s solo album preparation, it also has a number of amusing moments, and an appearance by his BTS groupmate Jimin is another highlight. It’s revealed clearly that the main sources of support for BTS members are one another. Jimin is also seen accompanying J-Hope in Chicago as he prepares for his Lollapalooza performance. J-Hope made a point of expressing his gratitude to Jimin, saying that once Jimin came to support him throughout the festival, he no longer felt lonely. He claimed Jimin helped him unwind, despite being under pressure and anxious. I’m very glad J-Hope was able to show the fans this side of himself. He’s finally ‘out of the box’, and I couldn’t be happier for him. For all fans of BTS, this documentary is a must-see. j-hope IN THE BOX is now available on Disney+.

18 FOOD theSun LYFE ON THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 23, 2023 PANCAKE Day, or Shrove Tuesday, is a traditional feast day just before the start of Lent. In many Western cultures, particularly in the United Kingdom, Shrove Tuesday was the last opportunity to use up eggs and fats before embarking on the Lenten fast. Pancakes are the perfect way of utilising these ingredients, and whether or not you celebrate Lent, the occasion does offer up a number of delicious recipes, including these suggestions from The Independent. Buttermilk pancake traybake This combination of pancakes within a traybake makes for the perfect recipe – delicious, without the time and effort pancakes can take. Ingredients: 0 240g plain flour 0 75g caster sugar 0 ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda 0 132g buttermilk 0 1 egg 0 2 tsp vanilla extract 0 50g butter, melted 0 125g raspberries 0 250g strawberries, hulled, sliced 0 125g blueberries 0 Icing sugar, to serve 0 Whipped cream, to serve 0 Honey or syrup, to serve Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 200C. Grease and line a baking tray with baking paper. 2. Whisk flour, sugar, bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt together in a large bowl. 3. Make a well in the centre. Whisk buttermilk, egg and vanilla in a large jug. Add buttermilk mixture to well. Whisk until just combined. 4. Brush baking paper in a prepared tray with half the melted butter. Spread batter into prepared tray. Smooth top. Top with half the berries, gently pressing into batter. Dab all over with remaining butter. 5. Bake for 10 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. 6. Preheat the grill on high and grill the traybake for 1 to 2 minutes or until golden. Cool for 1 minute. 7. Dust pancake with icing sugar and dollop with cream. Top with remaining berries and drizzle with golden syrup. Classic pancakes The gorgeous, caramelised flavours of golden syrup make these pancakes irresistible. Ingredients: 0 110g (4oz) plain flour 0 275ml (10floz) full fat milk 0 1 large egg 0 1 large egg yolk 0 1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus butter for frying 0 Golden syrup, to serve 0 1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges, optional Method: 1. Sift the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the centre – then pour the vegetable oil, egg yolk, milk and egg into a jug and lightly beat together. Gradually add this to the well in the flour, until you have a smooth batter. Then pour the mixture back into the jug. 2. Cook the pancakes with a 18cm non-stick frying pan. Pop it on a medium-high heat. Melt a small amount of butter in the pan and pour in about 2 tablespoons of batter, swirl to make sure the batter evenly coats the pan. 3. Fry for about 20-30 seconds – until the batter is set, giving a golden-brown pancake. Flip the pancake and cook for a further 20 seconds. 4. Fold the pancakes onto a plate and drizzle with golden syrup – serve with lemon wedges for a citrus kick. Delicious pancake recipes 0 1 teaspoon salt 0 Cooked and peeled prawns Instructions 1. Pour oil in a pan over medium heat; cook and stir the onion till turns to brown. 2. Add garlic, turmeric, ginger, cumin, paprika and chilli powder to the onion and stir it well. 3. Add in the tomatoes, coconut milk and salt. Bring it to boil for 1 minutes, then lower the heat and simmer and stir it for 10 minutes. 4. Put the prawns in and stir it well until all get mixed in curry; simmer until prawns turns opaque. Then serve! NASI GORENG PRAWN A delicious Malay version of prawn fried rice which you should try. Ingredients 0 2 tablespoon oil 0 3 eggs (beaten) 0 2 tablespoon dark soy sauce 0 2 tablespoon ketchup 0 1 teaspoon sesame oil 0 1 teaspoon sweet chilli sauce 0 1 carrot (chopped) 0 8 green onions (sliced) 0 1 clove garlic (crushed) 0 2 cups cooked rice 0 Cooked prawns Instructions 1. Heat the oil in a pan in medium heat, pour the beaten egg into the pan so that it cot the surface. 2. After the egg cooked, roll up and sliced it into strips. 3. In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, ketchup,sesame oil and chilli sauce. 4. Add carrot, green onions into pan and stir fry it for 3 minutes. Then add the garlic, rice, prawns and sauce mixture and mix it well. 5. Remove fro the heat and serve, topped eith the egg strips. SPICY KOREAN GARLIC PRAWNS Ingredients 0 20 Prawns peeled 0 10 cloves Garlic 0 1.5 cups Corn Starch 0 1 tbsp Garlic Powder 0 0.5 tbsp Paprika (optional) 0 0.5 tbsp Red Chili Powder 0 0.25 tbsp of Oregano 0 0.25 tbsp of thyme 0 Salt & Pepper 0 Spicy Garlic Sauce 0 2.5 tbsp Butter 0 1 Lemon 0 1.5 tbsp of Gochujang (Korean Red Chili Paste) 0 Parmesan Cheese (for garnish) Instructions Add corn starch, garlic powder, paprika, thyme, oregano, and red chili powder, and season with salt and pepper in a large bowl. Coat the clean and de-vein prawns in the corn starch mixture and dust off any excess corn starch. Next, add 3 tablespoons of oil to a pan, and turn the heat to medium-high. Once the oil is hot, pan-fry the prawns on each side for 1-2 minutes. Remove and set aside. Using a paper towel, wipe off any excess oil, and In the same pan, add butter, Gochujang, and garlic. Turn the heat to medium and simmer for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add the prawns back in, squeeze in lemon juice and saute on high heat for 1 minute. Garnish with green onion and parmesan cheese. This dish goes amazingly well with plain white rice. Bon Appetite! THERE is so much versatility in the humble prawn, which is the star of many seafood-centric dishes. Here are some suggetions you can prepare for your family. CUCUR UDANG (PRAWN FRITTERS) A simple dish that can be completed in a matter of minutes. It’s delicious, especially with the chilli or Thai sauce. Malaysians commonly have it with their tea. Ingredients 0 10 prawns -peeled and chopped 0 1 onion (chopped) 0 1 potato (diced) 0 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour 0 1 cup water 0 1 egg 0 1 teaspoon salt 0 1 teaspoon baking powder 0 1 teaspoon baking soda 0 1/4 cup hot water 0 Oil for frying Instructions 1. Mix prawns, onion, potato, flour, 1 cup water, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl. Mix it in hot water until well combined. 2. Pour oil in wok over medium heat. Drop a spoonful of batter into the oil. 3. Cook fritters in batches, flipped until browned on both sides. Drain it on paper towel and it’s done. INDIAN PRAWN CURRY This super easy recipe can be quick to be prepared when you are in hurry. Curryful taste! Ingredients 0 20 prawns 0 2 tablespoons peanut oil 0 1/2 onion (minced) 0 2 cloves garlic (chopped) 0 1 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric 0 1 teaspoon ginger 0 1 teaspoon cumin 0 1 teaspoon paprika 0 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder 0 1 chopped tomatoes 0 1 cup coconut milk Prawn meals to die for oLocalised and easy prawn recipes that you should try out! Prawn fritters are the perfect snack for your tea break. A simple prawn fried rice dish. Spicy Korean garlic prawns. █ BYSHOBANA MANOKARAN Spices-infused prawn curry to served with rice.

19 FEATURE theSun LYFE ON THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 23, 2023 highest-paid athlete in the world. Euro business magazine declared him the first billionaire athlete in the world in 2005. Floyd Mayweather Total earnings: US$765 million (RM3.4 billion) Sport: Boxing His presence on this list comes as no surprise as Mayweather has made US$765 million (RM3.4 billion) in his career due to his undefeated record, endorsement deals, and matches against high-profile boxers such as Manny Pacquiao and also UFC superstar Connor McGregor. Mayweather’s u n d e f e a t e d boxing record makes him a superstar and possibly one of the greatest d e f e n s i v e boxers in history. His p a y - p e r - views have p ro d u c e d more than milestone in 2009. Tiger Woods has been able to earn US$1.1 billion (RM4.88 billion) despite the difficulties he has encountered in the later stages of his career, such as injuries and marriage problems, placing him in second place on our list. Woods’s bank account is still in good shape, owing to the $45 million (RM199.7 million) he’s earned from golf tournament victories and endorsement deals, appearances, course design fees, and other off-thecourse endeavors. Michael Schumacher Total earnings: $1 billion (RM4.44 billion) Sport: Formula One, racing The German-born Formula One driver was probably one of the most dominant athletes in the history of all sports. After winning seven F1 championships, including five in a row while driving for Ferrari, Michael Schumacher became a true legend and amassed US$1 billion (RM4.44 billion) over the course of his career. Schumacher won five consecutive World Championships with the Scuderia and was once the secondTop 10 highest-paid athletes all time TODAY’S athletes are more than just sportsmen. They are commercial treasures for the world’s largest brands and entrepreneurs, making significantly more money off the field than on it at the highest levels. Indeed, athletes have tons of chances to capitalise on their popularity, including high-paying contracts, endorsement deals, brand partnerships, and exclusive merchandise; nevertheless, not all players could maximise their careerearning potential. It does require hard work, natural athletic talent, a positive career, good management, and perhaps a little bit of luck to be at the top of the brand itself. However, some athletes are able to turn their brief careers into massive fortunes, allowing them to continue earning money after retiring. By some people’s estimates, the following athletes have earned the most money throughout the history of sports. Michael Jordan Total earnings: $1.7 billion (RM7.54 billion) Sport: NBA Whether you’re a basketball fan or not, you’ve probably got a pair of Nike Jordan sneakers, or you’ve at least noticed the hype around these highly-recognized pairs of sneakers. Jordan, probably the greatest NBA player of all time, only earned more than US$4 million (RM17.75 million) per year twice during his decade-long career. Being the best NBA player helped Jordan earn money on the court, but he has amassed US$1.7 billion (RM7.54 billion) through his Jordan Brand clothing and footwear, endorsements, and other brands contract. Tiger Woods Total earnings: US$1.1 billion (RM4.88 billion) Sport: Golf Tiger Woods was the first athlete to surpass US$1 billion (RM4.44) in actual earnings, accomplishing this Jordan’s primary source of income comes from his deal with NIKE, which has paid him over US$1 billion since. – AFP oEvery sports legend has their price █ BYHAZIQUE ZAIRILL Even though his prime is over and he has been involved in controversy since Tiger Woods’ legacy in golf is unquestionable. –INSTAGRAM/@TIGERWOODS Floyd Mayweather became boxing’s first US$1 billion fighter. – INSTAGRAM/@FLOYDMAYWEATHER Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi made history with their first Louis Vuitton x FIFA collaboration. – LOUIS VUITTON Schumacher, held nearly every Formula One record by the time he retired in 2012, including seven titles and 91 wins. – INSTAGRAM US$1.67 billion (RM7.41 billion) in income. Although he officially retired from the sport in 2017, he is still living up to his nickname of ‘Money Mayweather.’ Lionel Messi Total earnings: US$620 million (RM2.75 billion) Sport: Football Lionel Messi’s career came full circle after he brought Argentina to its first World Cup in 36 years in the recent Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup. His contract with Barcelona was leaked in early 2021, revealing that he could make up to US$165 million (RM732.2 million) annually in salary and bonuses. It is estimated that Messi has amassed approximately US$600 million (RM2.66 billion) in his career from contracts and endorsements. Messi’s earnings are expected to have increased by 20% after his World Cup win as per Forbes. Cristiano Ronaldo Total earnings: US$490 million (RM2.17 billion) Sport: Football Cristiano Ronaldo’s ugly exit from Manchester United doesn’t appear to be hurting his bank account. The Portuguese superstar reportedly joined the Saudi club Al-Nassr FC in late December 2022, a deal which could exceed US$200 million (RM887 million) annually. Ronaldo is also the third richest athlete behind his rival Lionel Messi. He also flaunts a massive 531 million Instagram followers.

20 MEDIA & MARKETING theSun LYFE ON THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 23, 2023 Imperial Cristal Caviar enters Malaysian market TOP Wealth Group, a premier caviar producer based in Hong Kong, has entered the Southeast Asian market by penetrating the Malaysian and Singaporean markets with the introduction of its flagship brand, Imperial Cristal Caviar. The Group has distributed its products to Malaysian high-end food merchants at Shucked Oyster and Seafood Bars as well as restaurants like My Humble House Yakiniku & Shabu Shabu at Subang Jaya, and will continue to expand their product line into high-end food merchants as well as 5-star hotels and fine dining restaurants in Malaysia and Singapore. Top Wealth Group ( I n t e r n a t i o n a l ) Limited Chief Executive Officer, Chong Yik Chung said: “Entering Malaysia and Singapore marks a pivotal moment for our company as this is our first step in e s t a b l i s h i n g ourselves in the Southeast Asia region. We are committed to providing the highest quality of our product to this new market. From sourcing to packaging, our products were monitored closely to ensure that every bite of our caviar is a luxurious experience for the consumers. Taylor’s new bite-size learning method BURGEONING work, burnout, and a decline in employee engagement in the workplace, (during and after Covid-19 pandemic) have resulted in the “Great Resignation”, whereby Gen Z professionals reject hustle culture and adopt the “Quiet Quitting” trend. In Malaysia, however, working adults realised that they need to upskill and reskill and get more training and development to stay relevant in the current times, but further studies meant having to strike a balance between a career, life, and study. Often, working adults who have enrolled themselves in a Masters programme find themselves lacking time to spend with family as they are required to allocate hours to watch online lecture videos. But now they have a new option. Taylor’s University offers a smart solution that saves and manages time effectively. On Feb 9, Taylor’s University launched Taylor’s 100% Online Postrgraduate Programmes which offer flexible, engaging and adaptive online programmes, at the Taylor’s VX Learning Threatre. The event was attended by local media, with online participation by media members from South East Asian countries like Vietnam and Indonesia. Taylor’s introduced the Nano Learning Method, an asynchronous learning experience that incorporates bite-sized content to help students upskill and reskill for the current job market. Students can pick up bite-size videos (two to five minute segments) coupled with clever design that are accessible from anywhere, in any country and at any time, without having to sacrifice a huge amount of time that could be better spent with family. Usually, online programmes provide students with long videos, and they have to spend hours listening to lectures and reading textbased information with 1,000 to 3,000 words. This is completely different with Nano Learning, according to Taylor’s University’s Deputy ViceTaylor’s Digital Pro-Vice Chancellor Pierre-Louis Romain Genier (far left) and Taylor’s University’s Deputy ViceChancellor and Chief Academic Officer, Professor Dr. Pradeep Nair during the press conference. oTaylor’s University’s new “100 % Online Postgraduate Programme” provides a different learning experience with the Nano Learning Method █ BYS. TAMARAI CHELVI Imperial Cristal Caviar is making its SEA debut. Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer, Professor Dr. Pradeep Nair. He explained: “The rapid industry changes and the resultant gaps at local and global scales require the workforce to be armed with new skills and multi-disciplinary knowledge to advance their careers. Working adults, however, face challenges in terms of time and flexibility to further their education.” “Taylor’s 100% online Postgraduate programmes address these dilemmas as they give everyone an opportunity to further their education through bite-sized, highly flexible content while maintaining a healthy social learning environment.” The University offers Postgraduate Certificate in Education, Master of Applied Computing, Master of Teaching and Learning, Master of Global Hospitality Management, and Master of Business Administration. Students can opt to join five different intakes in January, March, June, August, or October. Taylor’s Digital Pro-Vice Chancellor Pierre-Louis Romain Genier, who developed the study module, said it took a team of ten people and eight to nine months to create just one module content, which are interactive, comes with activities, assessments. Explaining further, he said, there is no particular timetable that restricts students and students have the freedom to select one or more videos to watch at their preferred time. In addition, the programme also offers a support system while academic advisors and facilitators would reply quickly. “Our focus is to ensure the online experience has the same value and quality as the campus-based experience,” said Pradeep during the press conference. The programme designed to cater to not just Gen Y (30s) and Z (20s) that are already in working force. “Secondly, we designed the programme to cater to the future market, and we believe bite-sized nano learning is the way to go,” he said. Members of the media were given a first-hand experience of the Nano Learning Method and its content with a facilitator at a computer lab. The costs and duration of the course is the same with the campusbased Masters programme, which is open to local and foreign students. Caviar, a luxury delicacy made from roe of sturgeon fish, has a rich history of being enjoyed by food connoisseurs worldwide. As a coveted delicacy, Top Wealth ensures to bring in the finest quality of caviar. In its commitment to delivering exceptional quality and taste to discerning customers, the Group has established strong ties with sturgeon farms in Mainland China to secure high-quality caviar on a long-term basis. According to Absolute Reports, the total caviar market size was US$305 million (RM1.3 billion) in 2020, and is expected to grow by a CAGR of 8.3% to US$530 million (RM2.35 billion) by 2027. While the American and European continent are the major markets for caviar, yet, the demand for caviar in the AsiaPacific region are growing as well. Tapping into this opportunity, Top Wealth is excited to introduce Malaysians and Singaporeans to the unique and elevated dining experience of caviar. “This is not just a business opportunity, but a chance to captivate a new audience with the rich taste and unparalleled quality of our caviar. We believe that our product will be well received by Malaysians and Singaporeans alike.” In an effort to penetrate the Malaysian market, the Group has arranged a Caviar tasting event on Feb 16, where the event offers guests the chance to sample Top Wealth’ Imperial Cristal Caviar. The event marked the beginning of Top Wealth’s expansion into the Southeast Asian market and its commitment to elevating dining experiences in the region. Top Wealth was established in Hong Kong in 2009 and diversified into the caviar business in 2021. Since then, the Group registered “Imperial Cristal Caviar” as a house brand and entered into the Hong Kong, Singapore, North America, Mainland China and Europe market with high-quality 12 years and 15 years caviar products.

21 * SPORTS theSUN ON THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 23, 2023 NEW ZEALAND will “throw some punches” when they face an attacking England in the second Test starting on Friday in Wellington, as the hosts bid to rescue the two-match series. Bowling greats James Anderson and Stuart Broad, combined with some aggressive batting, propelled England to a thumping 267-run first Test win in a daynight encounter in Mount Maunganui. It was England’s 10th win in 11 Tests under head coach Brendon McCullum and further evidence of the success of the New Zealander’s “Bazball” attacking cricket revolution. In contrast, New Zealand are struggling for form and confidence going into the clash at Wellington’s Basin Reserve, where rain could play a part on the first two days. The hosts are winless in their last seven Tests since beating South Africa a year ago in Christchurch, including suffering a 3-0 whitewash in England last June. “I don’t think it’s unfair to say we are lacking a bit of that confidence at the moment,” said head coach Gary Stead, whose side were dismissed for 126 in their second innings of the first Test to lose in a little over three days. “But I can assure you the faith is still with this group of guys. “We’re going to put everything behind them to make sure we go out there in Wellington and really throw some punches back at England.” New Zealand will be buoyed by the return of experienced seam bowler Matt Henry, who was unavailable for the opener because of the birth of his child. But they will again be missing fast bowler Kyle Jamieson, who is expected to be on the sidelines for several months because of back surgery. Daryl Mitchell, one of the few to offer resistance to England’s bowlers by making an unbeaten 57 during New Zealand’s second innings, is relishing another crack at the visitors. “We’re excited for the next opportunity in Wellington and looking forward to taking on England again on home turf with the red ball,” said Mitchell. Skipper Ben Stokes said that he felt “pretty blessed” to have bowlers of the ilk of veteran seamers Anderson and Broad, plus Ollie Robinson. England will wait to see how the trio fare in the nets before selecting their side with all suffering some soreness after the first Test. “I’ve also got a seriously skilled and very brave batting line-up to watch,” added Stokes, who already has one eye on the Ashes in this year’s English summer. “They’ve got to take a lot of credit for the sort of record I have as a captain.” After a cyclone disrupted the preparations of both teams for the first Test, the weather could play a part in Wellington with rain and showers forecast for Friday and Saturday. – AFP NOTIS DI DALAM PERKARA AKTA SYARIKAT, 2016 DAN DI DALAM PERKARA ALPHA RIM SDN. BHD. No. Pendaftaran 199401000993 (286671-D) (Dalam Penggulungan Sukarela oleh Pemegang Saham) NOTIS adalah dengan ini diberikan bahawa mengikut Seksyen 459(2) Akta Syarikat, 2016, Mesyuarat Akhir Syarikat di atas yang akan diadakan di 3-19 Medan Perniagaan Pauh Jaya, Jalan Baru, 13700 Perai, Pulau Pinang pada 23 Mac 2023 pada jam 11.30 pagi untuk tujuan berikut: i. Untuk mempertimbangkan dan sekiranya difikirkan wajar, meluluskan Akaun Terakhir Pelikuidasi yang menunjukkan bagaimana penggulungan telah dijalankan dan harta syarikat itu telah dilupuskan; ii. Untuk menyelesaikan di bawah Seksyen 459(5) Akta Syarikat, 2016 bahawa selepas tamat tempoh tiga bulan dari tarikh mesyuarat akhir, Syarikat akan dibubarkan; dan iii. Untuk menyelesaikan di bawah Seksyen 518(3)(b) Akta Syarikat 2016, bahawa buku-buku, akaun dan dokumen Syarikat dan Pelikuidasi dimusnahkan menerusi resolusi syarikat dalam tempoh tiga bulan daripada tarikh mesyuarat akhir. Penang Bertarikh 23 Februari 2023 LAM WAI MIN Pelikuidasi Nota : Seorang ahli yang berhak menghadiri dan mengundi di mesyuarat ini boleh melantik seorang proksi dan mengundi bagi pihaknya. Proksi dibenarkan tetapi tidak semestinya seorang ahli Syarikat. Suratcara perlantikan proksi hendaklah diserahkan di pejabat pelikuidasi, 3-19 Medan Perniagaan Pauh Jaya, Jalan Baru, 13700 Perai, Pulau Pinang tidak kurang daripada 48 jam sebelum mesyuarat. IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF PRECISION EARTHWORK SDN BHD (FORMERLY KNOWN AS BETTERMARK PRECISION SDN BHD) COMPANY NO. 326000-X (CREDITORS’ VOLUNTARY WINDING-UP) NOTICE OF FINAL MEETING OF MEMBERS OF THE COMPANY AND THE CREDITORS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to Section 459 of the Companies Act, 2016 that a Final Meeting of members of the Company and the creditors will be held at 221B, Jalan Mahkota, Taman Maluri, 55100 Kuala Lumpur on March 28, 2023 at 9.00am for the following purpose:- a. To receive an account from the Liquidator showing the manner in which the windingup has been conducted and the property of the Company disposed of and to hear any explanations that may be given by the Liquidator. b. To determine pursuant to Section 518 of the Companies Act, 2016, the manner in which the books, accounts and documents of the Company and of the Liquidator thereof, shall be disposed of. Wong Soon Fong Liquidator c/o SFW Insolvency Services 221B, Jalan Mahkota, Taman Maluri, Cheras, 55100 Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur this February 23, 2023 IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF CHIA PHENG HENG & SONS SDN BHD COMPANY NO. 180297-V (CREDITORS’ VOLUNTARY WINDING-UP) NOTICE OF FINAL MEETING OF MEMBERS OF THE COMPANY AND THE CREDITORS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to Section 459 of the Companies Act, 2016 that a Final Meeting of members of the Company and the creditors will be held at 221B, Jalan Mahkota, Taman Maluri, 55100 Kuala Lumpur on March 28, 2023 at 11.00am for the following purpose:- a. To receive an account from the Liquidator showing the manner in which the windingup has been conducted and the property of the Company disposed of and to hear any explanations that may be given by the Liqui dator. b. To determine pursuant to Section 518 of the Companies Act, 2016, the manner in which the books, accounts and documents of the Company and of the Liquidator thereof, shall be disposed of. Wong Soon Fong Liquidator c/o SFW Insolvency Services 221B, Jalan Mahkota, Taman Maluri, Cheras, 55100 Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur this February 23, 2023 DALAM PERKARA MAHKAMAH TINGGI MALAYA DI MELAKA PENGGULUNGAN SYARIKAT NO. MA - 28NCC – 3 - 01 / 2023 DALAM PERKARA SEKSYEN 465 (1) (e) AKTA SYARIKAT, 2016 DAN DALAM PERKARA MAHAJAYA PETROLEUM SDN. BHD. (NO. SYARIKAT 201001002613 [887193-P]) ANTARA PUBLIC BANK BERHAD (NO. SYARIKAT 196501000672 [6463-H]) … PEMPETISYEN DAN MAHAJAYA PETROLEUM SDN. BHD. (NO. SYARIKAT 201001002613 [887193-P]) … RESPONDEN IKLAN PETISYEN NOTIS ADALAH DENGAN INI DIBERI bahawa suatu Petisyen untuk penggulungan Syarikat yang dinamakan di atas oleh Mahkamah Tinggi telah, pada 10 Januari 2023, dikemukakan oleh PUBLIC BANK BERHAD. DAN bahawa Petisyen tersebut diarahkan supaya dibicarakan di hadapan Mahkamah yang bersidang di Melaka pada pukul 2.30 petang pada 7 April 2023 secara sidang video. DAN mana-mana pihak Pemiutang atau penyumbang Syarikat tersebut yang ingin menyokong atau menentang sesuatu Perintah mengikut Petisyen tersebut boleh hadir dengan tujuan itu secara peribadi atau melalui peguambelanya pada masa perbicaraan. Salinan Petisyen tersebut akan dibekalkan oleh pihak yang bertandatangan di bawah kepada manamana pemiutang atau penyumbang Syarikat tersebut yang memintanya dengan membuat bayaran yang ditetapkan. Alamat berdaftar Pempetisyen adalah di Tingkat 27, Menara Public Bank, 146, Jalan Ampang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur. Peguamcara Pempetisyen ialah Tetuan Taye & Co. yang beralamat di No. 23F, Taman Harta Pertama, Bukit Baru, 75150 Melaka. ....................t.t.................... TETUAN TAYE & COMPANY Peguamcara bagi Pempetisyen PERINGATAN : Sesiapa yang ingin hadir pada perbicaraan Pempetisyen tersebut hendaklah menyampaikan atau menghantar dengan pos kepada Peguamcara Pempetisyen tersebut di atas suatu notis bertulis tentang niatnya begitu. Notis tersebut mestilah menyatakan nama dan alamat pihak berkenaan, atau jika ia sebuah firma, nama dan alamat firma, dan mestilah ditandatangani oleh pihak atau firma berkenaan atau peguamcaranya, jika ada. Notis hendaklah disampaikan, atau jika dihantar dengan pos, hendaklah dihantar dalam jangkamasa mencukupi, supaya sampai kepada pihak yang dinamakan di atas sebelum pukul 12.00 tengahari pada 6 April 2023. (Ruj : ALT/MST/127/2020(1)) NOTICE IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF ALPHA RIM SDN. BHD. Registration No. 199401000993 (286671-D) (In Members’ Voluntary Liquidation) NOTICE is hereby given that pursuant to Section 459(2) of the Companies Act, 2016, the Final Meeting of the abovementioned Company will be held at 3-19 Medan Perniagaan Pauh Jaya, Jalan Baru, 13700 Perai, Pulau Pinang on March 23, 2023 at 11.30 a.m. for the following purposes: i. To consider and, if thought fit, adopt the Final Account of the Liquidator showing how the winding up has been conducted and the property of the company has been disposed of; ii. To resolve under Section 459(5) of the Companies Act, 2016 that after the expiration of three months from the date of the final meeting, the Company shall be dissolved; and iii. To resolve under Section 518(3)(b) of the Companies Act 2016, that the books, accounts and documents of the Company and of the Liquidator be destroyed as the company resolution directs after the expiration of three months from the date of the final meeting. Penang Dated this February 23, 2023 LAM WAI MIN Liquidator Note : A member who is entitled to attend and vote at the meeting may appoint a proxy and vote in his stead. The Proxy may but need not be a member of the Company. The instrument appointing a proxy must be deposited at the office of the liquidator, 3-19 Medan Perniagaan Pauh Jaya, Jalan Baru, 13700 Perai, Pulau Pinang not less than 48 hours before the meeting. ADVERTISING SALES & MARKETING HEAD, ADVERTISING AND MARKETING Job Description: • Manage and lead the Advertising & Marketing departments in maintaining good relationship with advertisers and agencies, negotiating projects, closing deals and achieve sales target. MANAGER, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Job Description: • Implement and manage strategy and business develop plans to achieve marketing goals. • Manage branding and marketing campaigns for the company via events, media partnership, CSR initiatives and other promotion channels. • Min a degree qualification in Business/Marketing/Sales /Management or any equivalent. • Min 10 years’ experience in media sales and advertising industry, with at least 7 years’ experience in managerial role. • Good communication, presentation, problem solving and organizational skills. • Possess own transport and willing to travel. • Able to start work immediately. • Oversee digital marketing campaigns for the company. • Work closely with Advertising & Marketing department to achieve sales target. • Develop and maintain strong relationships with business partners and stake holders. • Develop and implement sales & marketing strategy with the objective to achieve sales target. • Develop and implement branding and marketing campaigns using suitable channels and communication materials. • Build and maintain a productive working relationship with important stakeholders and business partners. Requirements: • Diploma/ Degree in business, marketing or related field. • Minimum 5 years of experience sales, marketing or related field. • Excellent understanding of digital marketing concepts and best practices. • Excellent organizational skills. • Able to start work immediately. Requirements: Office based in Petaling Jaya (5 days a week) Closing date - 3 March 2023 WE ARE HIRING Send in your CV with your photo via email to : [email protected] 302 Jobs IAAP (UK) A/c Diploma Fee = RM250 x 6 months Advanced Diploma + IPA (Aust.) Associate Fee = RM290 x 6 months Intake : 4.3.23 (Sat: 2-5 pm) facebook/jasaaccountancy T : 20726100 (Free lessons) NOTICE IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF DELIGHTFUL COLLECTION SDN. BHD. Registration No. 199401020760 (306439-T) (In Members’ Voluntary Liquidation) NOTICE is hereby given that pursuant to Section 459(2) of the Companies Act, 2016, the Final Meeting of the abovementioned Company will be held at 3-19 Medan Perniagaan Pauh Jaya, Jalan Baru, 13700 Perai, Pulau Pinang on March 23, 2023 at 11.00 a.m. for the following purposes: i. To consider and, if thought fit, adopt the Final Account of the Liquidator showing how the winding up has been conducted and the property of the company has been disposed of; ii. To resolve under Section 459(5) of the Companies Act, 2016 that after the expiration of three months from the date of the final meeting, the Company shall be dissolved; and iii. To resolve under Section 518(3)(b) of the Companies Act 2016, that the books, accounts and documents of the Company and of the Liquidator be destroyed as the company resolution directs after the expiration of three months from the date of the final meeting. Penang Dated this February 23, 2023 LAM WAI MIN Liquidator Note : A member who is entitled to attend and vote at the meeting may appoint a proxy and vote in his stead. The Proxy may but need not be a member of the Company. The instrument appointing a proxy must be deposited at the office of the liquidator, 3-19 Medan Perniagaan Pauh Jaya, Jalan Baru, 13700 Perai, Pulau Pinang not less than 48 hours before the meeting. NOTIS DI DALAM PERKARA AKTA SYARIKAT, 2016 DAN DI DALAM PERKARA DELIGHTFUL COLLECTION SDN. BHD. No. Pendaftaran 199401020760 (306439-T) (Dalam Penggulungan Sukarela oleh Pemegang Saham) NOTIS adalah dengan ini diberikan bahawa mengikut Seksyen 459(2) Akta Syarikat, 2016, Mesyuarat Akhir Syarikat di atas yang akan diadakan di 3-19 Medan Perniagaan Pauh Jaya, Jalan Baru, 13700 Perai, Pulau Pinang pada 23 Mac 2023 pada jam 11.00 pagi untuk tujuan berikut: i. Untuk mempertimbangkan dan sekiranya difikirkan wajar, meluluskan Akaun Terakhir Pelikuidasi yang menunjukkan bagaimana penggulungan telah dijalankan dan harta syarikat itu telah dilupuskan; ii. Untuk menyelesaikan di bawah Seksyen 459(5) Akta Syarikat, 2016 bahawa selepas tamat tempoh tiga bulan dari tarikh mesyuarat akhir, Syarikat akan dibubarkan; dan iii. Untuk menyelesaikan di bawah Seksyen 518(3)(b) Akta Syarikat 2016, bahawa buku-buku, akaun dan dokumen Syarikat dan Pelikuidasi dimusnahkan menerusi resolusi syarikat dalam tempoh tiga bulan daripada tarikh mesyuarat akhir. Penang Bertarikh 23 Februari 2023 LAM WAI MIN Pelikuidasi Nota : Seorang ahli yang berhak menghadiri dan mengundi di mesyuarat ini boleh melantik seorang proksi dan mengundi bagi pihaknya. Proksi dibenarkan tetapi tidak semestinya seorang ahli Syarikat. Suratcara perlantikan proksi hendaklah diserahkan di pejabat pelikuidasi, 3-19 Medan Perniagaan Pauh Jaya, Jalan Baru, 13700 Perai, Pulau Pinang tidak kurang daripada 48 jam sebelum mesyuarat. 020 Education 322 Notices 322 Notices CALL TO PLACE CLASSIFIED ADS MS. SHOBA T 03 7784 8888 F 03 7784 4424 Primed and ready Black Caps prepared to ‘throw some punches’ at England LIV Golf members allowed to play in The Open QUALIFYING LIV Golf members will be allowed to compete in the 151st edition of The Open this summer at Royal Liverpool, the R&A announced yesterday. Some of the more notable LIV golfers exempt into the July 20-23 tournament include past Open champions Phil Mickelson, Henrik Stenson of Sweden, Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa and reigning winner Cameron Smith of Australia. Also available to participate are Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau – who finished in the top at 10 at St. Andrews last year – as well as former major winners Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed, among others. “We have created an exciting schedule of events which takes in many regions around the world and provides the chance for golfers to earn a place in the Open at Royal Liverpool,” said Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, executive director of champions at the R&A. Yesterday’s news is on par with what R&A chief Martin Slumbers said in July. He said that banning LIV players was “not on our agenda.” He doubled down on that message in October. “We’ll go public in January/February with what we are going to do with regard to LIV golfers,” Slumbers told Golf Digest. “But if you want a guide, go back to what I said in July. We’re not banning anyone. We are not going to betray 150 years of history and have the Open not be open. The name says it all. And that’s important. What we will do is ensure that there are appropriate pathways and ways to qualify.” Grosjean’s car remains to be on display THE remains from Romain Grosjean’s car which caught fire at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix will be on display at the new F1 Exhibition in Madrid next month. The French driver collided with the barrier in November 2020 and his Haas car instantaneously split in half and was engulfed in flames, with Grosjean unable to pull himself from the wreckage for 28 seconds. However, miraculously, Grosjean escaped the cockpit and only suffered second-degree burns, with the halo device introduced in 2018 widely attributed with saving his life. Now the burnt-out chassis from the Haas VF-20 car will be on display at the F1 Exhibition at IFEMA MADRID, which opens on 24 March. Hosted in a purpose-built room titled ‘Survival’, there will also be previously unseen footage of the crash and Grosjean – now racing in IndyCar – shares his personal recollection of the harrowing incident. “From my point of view, it was a big accident but I didn’t realise the impact or how violent it was from the outside,” Grosjean recalls. “It was only the next day when I asked someone to show me what it looked like that I realised. My wife was actually watching that race with my dad and my kids. “They will remember that moment their entire life. They were just spectators waiting to hear something… waiting to see something from Bahrain.” Aston Martin reveal Stroll replacement FORMULA 2 champion Felipe Drugovich (pix) will replace Lance Stroll for Aston Martin during the first day of pre-season testing in Bahrain. Stroll, 24, has been ruled out of the threeday test window later this week after sustaining ‘minor injuries’ in a bicycle accident. And Brazilian-Italian driver Drugovich, who won last year’s F2 Championship and joined Aston as a reserve driver at the end of 2022, will take part in the morning session on Thursday, with Fernando Alonso driving in the afternoon. Aston’s plans for Friday and Saturday are yet to be announced. They could opt to give two full days of running to two-time world champion Alonso, who has joined from Alpine. While Aston Martin said Stroll, son of team owner Lawrence, will make a quick recovery, his participation for the first race of the season in Bahrain is unconfirmed. SHORTS

22 theSUN ON THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 23, 2023 SPORTS /thesuntelegram FOLLOW ON TELEGRAM SCAN ME 5600/2023 22/02/2023 (WED) 7613 0923 4720 5182 7185 7771 5206 2096 6447 1852 2409 2551 4096 5722 4153 2314 3762 3162 9379 6101 6211 9114 2745 9,447,679.45 7613 7613 7613 4720 4720 0923 4720 4720 0923 0923 7613 0923 192,630.46 7613 0923 4720 RAT 39336 52555 2555 555 36123 5 5 1 4 794914 94914 4914 914 79491 7949 794 7 9 3,844,589.85 2,243,860.60 9 14 15 28 39 48 364,982.89 13 29 35 48 53 54 2 11 38 42 46 48 3 10,454,046.61 RM185,159 RM10,891 won on 19/02/2023 ! Toto 4D Jackpot 2 (i-System) Toto 4D Jackpot 2 304 623 + HORSE 922 377 +DRAGON 047 236 +ROOSTER Draw Date: 22/02/23 (Wed) Draw No: 5547/23 Venue: PERAK TURF CLUB 4623 2377 7236 5327 + 8711 0333 + 3677 5487 + 0137 6267 + 5983 8005 + 4366 1635 + 3621 9487 + 3377 4557 + 9267 2365 + 6808 4818 + 5210 RM5,750,201.80 4623 + 2377 2377 + 4623 4623 + 7236 7236 + 4623 2377 + 7236 7236 + 2377 RM416,409.70 RM2,206,002.90 RM1,081,666.60 RM2,265,972.10 515 327 448 711 260 333 413 677 535 487 030 137 216 267 105 983 208 005 044 366 251 635 553 621 559 487 723 377 074 557 629 267 542 365 326 808 264 818 345 210 623 377 236 RM941,750.20 623 + 377 + 236 377 + 236 + 623 623 + 236 + 377 236 + 623 + 377 377 + 623 + 236 236 + 377 + 623 dmcGO: All you need is at your finger tips! Rashford to end Devil’s trophy drought Ten Hag’s men could end a six-year wait for any silverware on four fronts MANCHESTER UNITED are riding the crest of a wave thanks to the scintillating form of Marcus Rashford, which is keeping Erik ten Hag’s men in the hunt for trophies on four fronts. The Red Devils could end a six-year wait for any silverware on Sunday (Monday 12.30am Malaysian time) when they face Newcastle in the League Cup final. But first comes the chance to land the scalp of Barcelona in a heavyweight Europa League clash on Thursday (Friday 4am). After an enthralling first leg at the Nou Camp, the sides are level at 2-2 as Rashford carried his carve-up of Premier League defences onto the European stage. The England international turned a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead for United in a seven-minute spell in Catalonia as he smashed home at Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s near post then drilled in a cross that forced Jules Kounde to turn into his own net. Another two goals in a 3-0 win over Leicester on Sunday that pulled United into Premier League title contention took his tally for the season to an already career-best 24. But his explosion since the World Cup break is even more remarkable. No player in Europe’s top five leagues comes close to the 25-year-old’s 20 goal involvements, with 16 goals and four assists since returning from Qatar. “I don’t feel like slowing down,” said Rashford after leaving Leicester defenders trailing in his wake. “I’m always looking to push and improve.” There is also a sense of a player making up for lost time. After missing a penalty in England’s Euro 2020 final heartache against Italy, Rashford badly struggled for fitness and form last season. Ten Hag has transformed the mood around Old Trafford in his first season in charge – but Rashford’s return to form has been pivotal in a squad otherwise short on goals. It is also hard to ignore that his hot streak has coincided with Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure from the club during the World Cup. Rashford has stepped out from the shadow of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner to become the player United fans dreamed he could become after bursting onto the scene as a fresh-faced teenager in 2016. “I think as a manager, as a coaching staff we have to push them but finally it comes from the player,” said Ten Hag on Rashford taking personal responsibility to deliver on his potential. “When he loses focus then the scoring will stop. (That’s) clear. “He has so many skills, such high potential and I think there can be even more. When he works well, he will even score more goals because he can score with his left, right and his head.” The issue for United is what happens should Rashford fail to maintain his unparallelled scoring streak. He has been an ever-present in United’s 17 games in a brutal schedule since the World Cup. There were signs of fatigue in how the visitors ended up clinging on for a draw in the closing stages at Nou Camp last week. But Ten Hag is counting on the crowd at the “Theatre of Dreams” to will his side over the line for what would be United’s biggest European scalp since Rashford’s penalty dumped Paris Saint-Germain out of the Champions League in 2019. “Come Thursday, it is a big game, make sure you are there,” said Ten Hag in an address to the supporters on Sunday. “We will beat Barcelona together.” – AFP Second chance for Karius NEWCASTLE manager Eddie Howe has urged Loris Karius to “rewrite the story of his career” as the German goalkeeper prepares to make his first competitive appearance for two years in Sunday’s (Monday 12.30am Malaysian time) League Cup final against Manchester United. Karius is best remembered for two major blunders which gifted Real Madrid a 3-1 win over Liverpool in the 2018 Champions League final. That proved to be his final match for the Reds as he made loan moves to Besiktas and Union Berlin before his contract at Anfield expired at the end of last season. Karius then joined Newcastle in September but is yet to play for the Magpies as he appeared to be Howe’s fourth choice goalkeeper. However, Nick Pope’s red card in a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool last weekend means the England international is suspended. His deputy Martin Dubravka is cup-tied after playing for Manchester United during a loan spell with the Red Devils earlier this season and Karl Darlow left to join Hull on loan in the January transfer window. “It would be a magnificent chance for him to rewrite the story of his career,” said Howe of Karius’ chance for redemption. “As soon as it happened, it was almost that feeling that there’s another story in Karius’ career – another page or chapter to write and who knows what that chapter will look like? “That’s the beauty of football. We never know what is going to happen. This unpredictability is what makes it such an amazing thing to watch.” Howe said he had reached out to Karius once it became clear he could start at Wembley after Pope’s dismissal on Saturday. “With Loris, I had a chat with him on Saturday night, I felt the need to connect with him and speak with him,” added Howe. “He was great, very relaxed. That’s the kind of guy he is, a very cool customer.” Karius last played a competitive game when he lined up for Union Berlin on February 28, 2021. Newcastle are aiming to end a 54-year wait for silverware in their first full season under the ownership of the Saudi sovereign wealth fund. – AFP Javi Gracia named new Leeds manager LEEDS UNITED have appointed former Watford boss Javi Gracia as their new manager. Gracia replaces Jesse Marsch after a turbulent search that saw the Premier League club miss out on several of their top targets. Leeds are 19th in the Premier League table and without a win in 10 matches. Defeat in the weekend’s relegation sixpointer with Everton saw the club fall into the bottom three and Gracia will now be tasked with keeping the Elland Road club up over the final 15 games of the campaign. Leeds announced the news in a statement on their official website, saying: “Leeds United are delighted to announce the club have agreed terms with Javi Gracia to become men’s first team head coach, subject to obtaining a work permit. “The experienced 52-year-old has agreed a flexible contract at Elland Road.” The Spaniard was in charge of Watford between January 2018 and September 2019. During that time he led the Hornets to safety and reached the FA Cup final but was sacked following a poor start to the following season. The 52-year-old has since taken jobs at Valencia and Qatari club Al Sadd. Leeds, two points from safety, are winless in their previous 10 league matches. Their last top-flight victory was on Nov 5 and they will go bottom if they lose to Southampton. Leeds added: “The club hope Gracia’s first game in charge of the Whites will be Saturday’s Premier League clash against Southampton at Elland Road, subject to obtaining the necessary work permissions.” – The Independent

23 * SPORTS theSUN ON THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 23, 2023 NAPOLI’S Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen got on the scoresheet again as the Serie A leaders beat Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 in their Champions League last 16, first leg yesterday. Osimhen scored before the break as Giovanni Di Lorenzo doubled their lead after the interval before the second leg in southern Italy on March 15. Frankfurt were reduced to ten men early in the second half after a nasty challenge from striker Randal Kolo Muani found the shin of Napoli’s Frank Anguissa. The visitors doubled their lead soon afterwards when Khvicha Kvaratskhelia set up Giovanni Di Lorenzo with a superb back heel, putting Napoli on course for what would be their first ever Champions League quarter final appearance. Lozano told Sky Sport after the game that Napoli “did well against a strong side. It was tough at first, but we had a great game.” Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti told Sky “we did well from the start, especially against a team that tactically know what to do. “It was an end-to-end game, which we want and thrive in… There’s still the second leg – our biggest enemy is to think it’s done.” Buoyed on by a home crowd celebrating the club’s first v e n t u r e into the Champions League knockout rounds, Frankfurt started stronger, with in-form striker Randal Kolo Muani creating a goal chance out of nothing after four minutes. As the opening half wore on the visitors’ quality began to show, with the runaway Serie A leaders dominating possession and field position. Mexico winger Lozano unleashed a rocket which hit the post after 34 minutes, but Frankfurt defender Aurelio Buta swept Osimhen’s legs out from under him while trying to clear the ball inside the box. Kvaratskhelia stepped up to take the penalty but despite hitting the shot well, Frankfurt keeper Kevin Trapp leapt to his left to deflect the ball out for a corner. Frankfurt’s relief was short lived h o w e v e r , with Napoli READ OUR HERE /thesundaily SCAN ME 836/23 22/02/2023 6011 7268 2198 8190 8988 8615 7054 8061 6620 9975 3273 1697 3541 0325 0791 7451 2881 5677 6764 8815 8617 5627 8567 RM6,840,110.85 RM131,525.79 6011 + 7268 7268 + 6011 2198 + 6011 6011 + 2198 7268 + 2198 2198 + 7268 8 16 20 24 27 31 35 36 26 30 RM8,611,151.97 RM133,682.20 1 1 6 8 9 8 1 1 6 8 9 1 6 8 9 8 1 1 6 8 6 8 9 8 1 1 6 8 9 8 1 1 9 8 6 8 1 0 Cruise control Osimhen sends Napoli to victory in Champions League last 16 scoring the opener just three minutes later through Osimhen. After the game, Frankfurt manager Oliver Glasner lamented the “little mistakes we made that Napoli used” to take a lead into the second leg. “We made a mistake on the halfway line and Napoli had the speed and the quality to use it,” Glasner said. “Then we showed our inexperience and our nervousness – and after the red card, the 2-0 result is to be expected. “If you’ve only lost two games in the past eight months, you get a lot of self confidence and you know what you’re doing.” Frankfurt’s Mario Gotze said he still believed his side could pull off a remarkable comeback. “They scored two goals here at our home, why can’t we do that there? Everything is possible away from home and we’ll do everything so that we can make it.” – AFP Liverpool ‘outclassed’ as Real dish out reality check: Gerrard FORMER Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard said Jurgen Klopp’s side were “dominated and outclassed” as they lost 5-2 to Real Madrid in the Champions League. Klopp’s side raced into a two-goal lead through Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah, but were pegged back before half-time by Vinicius Junior’s double. Madrid seized the initiative after the restart and struck three more times through Eder Militao and a brace from Karim Benzema. The Spanish champions have all but booked their place in the quarterfinals as Liverpool would need to win by four clear goals in the return in Madrid. It is the first time Liverpool have conceded five goals at home in a Champions League tie and Gerrard said “there’s got to be an inquest”. Gerrard told BT Sport: “It’s a reality check. Liverpool got off to the perfect start, exactly what you need in a European night, fast, get yourself in front, build on it, 2-0 up. “But from that moment Real Madrid came back into it, scored quite quick, a fantastic goal, and from then Liverpool were dominated and outclassed for large periods. “At any club, if you concede five goals there’s got to be an inquest into why and how. I’m sure Jurgen will do that in the coming days. “Everybody will be raw after that. Liverpool don’t concede five goals at Anfield, it’s very rare and there will be some soul-searching. “Sometimes in football you’ve got to put your hands up and say the best team won, you were outclassed, you were dominated. They were better in most areas of the pitch. We’re witnessing absolute greatness in (Luka) Modric and Benzema.”– The Independent CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (Round of 16 – 1st leg): Liverpool 2 (Nunez 4, Salah 14) Real Madrid 5 (Junior 21, 36, Militao 47, Benzema 55, 67), Eintracht Frankfurt 0 Napoli 2 (Osimhen 40, Di Lorenzo 65). CHAMPIONSHIP: Blackburn Rovers 1 Blackpool 0, Millwall 1 Burnley 1, Norwich City 3 Birmingham City 1, Rotherham United 2 Sunderland 1, Swansea City 1 Stoke City 3. CHELSEA’S France midfielder N’Golo Kante, 31, is set to sign a new contract as he closes in on a return from injury. FORMER Tottenham and Paris StGermain manager Mauricio Pochettino has turned down an initial approach from Chelsea to replace Graham Potter. ASTON VILLA are prepared to listen to offers for 30-year-old goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who helped Argentina win the World Cup last year. MANCHESTER UNITED will not spend big in the summer transfer window even if the Qatari takeover bid is successful. SHEIKH Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani is confident his bid for United would not fall foul of multi-club ownership rules. LEICESTER CITY are trying to persuade playmaker James Maddison to sign a new deal, but will look to sell him in the summer if it does not look like he will stay. Manchester City, Newcastle United and Tottenham are interested in the 26-year-old England international. NAPOLI’S Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen, 24, has not ruled out leaving this summer and said “it is for the club to decide” his future amid interest from Chelsea and Manchester United. BRIGHTON manager Roberto de Zerbi, 43, is attracting admiring glances from some of the leading clubs in his native Italy and has also been linked with Tottenham. CRYSTAL PALACE winger Wilfried Zaha, 30, has turned down multiple offers to extend his contract and Al Nassr, who signed Cristiano Ronaldo in December, are one of three Saudi Arabian clubs to have sounded out the Ivory Coast international. AL NASSR nutritionist Jose Blesa says all the players are training harder and following stricter diets since Ronaldo’s arrival. MANCHESTER UNITED are not expected to turn 30-year-old Netherlands striker Wout Weghorst’s loan move from Burnley into a permanent switch in the summer. ARSENAL are preparing a bid for Atalanta’s 20-year-old Denmark forward Rasmus Hojlund. FORMER Fulham and Bournemouth manager Scott Parker is facing calls for him to be sacked at Club Brugge after one win in nine games. RESULTS TOUCHLINES Frankfurt’s Mario Gotze (right) and Napoli’s Amir Rrahmani vie for the ball during their Champions League round of 16 first leg match. – AFPPIX

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] It’s a reality check. Liverpool got off to the perfect start, exactly what you need in a European night… But from that moment Real Madrid came back into it, scored quite quick… and from then Liverpool were dominated and outclassed for large periods.” Former Liverpool player Steven Gerrard QUOTE OF THE DAY THURSDAY • FEBRUARY 23, 2023 REAL MADRID made their name as the kings of Europe who can never be written off, and they proved it once again at Anfield against a bewildered Liverpool yesterday. Despite falling two goals behind in the opening 14 minutes, Carlo Ancelotti’s side came back to thrash the hosts and record a spectacular 5-2 Champions League last 16 first leg victory. Madrid won a record 14th European Cup last season by beating Jurgen Klopp’s team 1-0 in the Paris final, but along the way they produced remarkable comebacks in topsy-turvy games against Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Manchester City. Their performance on Merseyside was in this vein, with a sloppy start in defence covered up by an attacking onslaught in a chaotic and unforgettable clash. Ancelotti’s side sometimes only seem to click into gear after falling behind and the coach said he was not worried, despite Liverpool moving ahead through Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah. “I thought about Manchester City and hoped the same thing would happen, and it did, and better still,” Ancelotti told Movistar, recalling last season’s semifinal first leg, where Madrid fell two goals behind against Pep Guardiola’s side. “We started scoring, creating danger and we improved in defence.” The second goal was particularly strange, with Thibaut Courtois miscontrolling the ball for Salah to fire home. A key driver for Madrid’s comeback was Vinicius Junior, who scored twice to pull the team back on level terms before halftime. The Brazilian winger has struggled to break free of various problems in Spain, including racist abuse from the stands, and overly aggressive defenders, but shone again against Liverpool. “Vinicius right now, in my opinion, is the most decisive player in world football,” added Ancelotti. The 22-year-old provoked a similar error to Courtois’ from Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker, charging him down and deflecting an attempted clearance into the net. Benzema also played a key role for Madrid with a second half brace too, despite recent injury concerns. Los Blancos’ captain missed the trip to face Osasuna at the weekend in order to be fully fit to face Liverpool, and Ancelotti’s gamble paid off as Madrid won both games. “After 15, 20 minutes, then we saw Real Madrid,” Benzema told Movistar, urging his team not to start as slowly in the future. However Madrid have made it a habit, and somehow a successful one, dominating the competition over the past decade. Under Ancelotti in 2014, Los Blancos won La Decima – the tenth – by coming from behind to beat rivals Atletico Madrid in the final. They have not looked back since. This victory over Liverpool will go down with the most memorable of them. Madrid midfielder Fede Valverde credited Ancelotti’s words at halftime with helping the team romp to victory. “It’s important what he told us at the break, he has few words and (yet he) says a lot to you,” Valverde told Movistar. “He supported us at the right moments and it boosted our morale to mount the comeback.” Eder Militao headed Madrid in front and then Benzema scored twice to seal an emphatic triumph. The Uruguayan said Ancelotti believed his side would complete another historic European turnaround – only Ajax in 1966 have put five past Liverpool in Europe. “He was calm at the break and told us that we could win, that we had the team to do it,” added Valverde. – AFP JURGEN KLOPP’S gut feeling is that Liverpool’s Champions League dreams are over after Real Madrid pulled off a staggering 5-2 comeback win in the first leg of their last-16 tie. A night that ended in the Reds’ worst ever European home defeat. Liverpool’s collapse leave Klopp’s side staring down the barrel of an early Champions League exit to the side that beat them in final nine months ago. Put to the Liverpool boss that Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti said he could not say the last-16 tie was over, he said: “I think Carlo thinks the tie is over – and I think it as well in the moment. “But in three weeks – that is how it is in these moments – the closer you get to the game, the bigger our chances become and the less likely that the tie is over. “But tonight with a 5-2 when you see the game, they are pretty good in counter-attacking… we have to score there three goals and take some risks. That could be a bit tricky. “But it’s really not in my mind so we go there, I can say that now already, and try and win the game. “If that’s possible or not right now I don’t know but that’s what we will try and from there we will see.” Liverpool head to Spain for the second leg on March 15 reeling from a humiliating loss, having become the first team in Champions League history to take a 2-0 lead and lose by a three-goal margin. It is a result that could dent confidence in an already challenging campaign, but Klopp wants his players to focus on the positives. “I can see that people think that, understandable, but that is actually not allowed,” the Liverpool boss said. “I told the boys directly after the game so this is a different thing that happened today. One result that was opposite of what we wanted. “We made mistakes around the goal, yes, as well and I said a couple of times a defeat is a defeat if you don’t learn from it. “If you don’t learn tonight that the start of the game was outstanding and the way we played was us in a nutshell, us like we want to be, and that’s what we have to keep doing. If we now allow this one game to be influential, we are really silly. “We have a few days where we’ll make sure that we take the right things out of this game. “Yes, we have to improve. Third goal, massively. First goal massively. But we have to take the good things as well. That would be horrible if we don’t do that. “It’s a different game obviously (on Saturday at Crystal Palace) but the intensity, the effort we showed, the football we played, pretty much everything was like we want to see ourselves. “So, we have to make sure that we keep that. I know 5-2 could be damaging but I hope I can make sure that that is not happening.” A turnaround looked unlikely given the start at Anfield but Ancelotti took heart from last year’s Champions League semifinal turnaround against Manchester City. “Obviously we didn’t expect to start like we did but at 2-0 down I thought about the City away leg last year in the hope that we could do the same – but it turned out even better,” the Madrid boss said. “They were doing us damage down our left but when we were better in our attacks, we moved (Federico) Valverde a little bit towards that danger and we then defended better.” – The Independent █ SIMON PEACH Comeback kings Madrid in their element amid European chaos at Anfield Real Madrid’s Rodrygo (centre) in action with Liverpool’s Alisson (left) and Andrew Robertson. – REUTERSPIX Klopp feels Real tie is over after Anfield hammering