Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association (Mita) president Uzaidi Udanis said many other countries also impose a luxury tax on high-end goods. But they also have a rebate mechanism such as the Value Added Tax (VAT) in the UK, which allows tourists to reclaim the tax. He said at the moment, the mechanism of how the luxury goods tax would be implemented remains unclear, as the Finance Ministry has yet to provide details. “There are many duty-free centres in the country and getting tourists to spend their money there is very important. The government should encourage the setting up of more duty-free centres in the country. “At present, we are facing stiff competition from Singapore when it comes selling luxury items. More tourists, for example those from Indonesia, India and China, prefer to shop for luxury items in Singapore due to its wide range of items.” Uzaidi added that it was important for the government to inform everyone about the luxury goods tax mechanism as Mita also has to inform its foreign agents about the imposition of such tax. He said the government has to be clear on the products that will be taxed, adding that leaving the public in the dark for too long was not good for business. It is estimated that 33.6% of tourist receipts were from shopping. Foreign tourist receipts (expenditures) were RM86.14 billion in 2019. Tourism Malaysia said shopping receipts had expanded to a 33.6% share in 2019 from 33.4% in 2018 when Malaysia recorded RM7.1 billion in tourist shopping expenditure. In 2021, the total value of tourism receipts in Malaysia was approximately RM240 million, a sharp decrease from the previous year. This was due to disruptions to the global tourism industry caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. In Budget 2023, Anwar proposed introducing the luxury goods tax from this year, with a certain value limited to the type of goods, including watches and fashion items. He said the tax would increase national revenue. Anwar stressed that a more progressive approach to taxation should be taken as a PETALING JAYA: While the luxury goods tax proposed by Prime Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in Budget 2023 has yet to be implemented, an economist said it would not have a major impact on tourism spending. Universiti Tun Abdul Razak economist Dr Barjoyai Bardai said the tax is “a symbolic gesture to redistribute revenue to the low-income group”. He said the luxury goods tax is mostly targeted at locals who buy high-end products. “I don’t believe such a tax would have a major impact on tourism spending as only those in the high-income bracket would be affected by it. “Furthermore, I don’t foresee the government collecting huge sums of revenue from the luxury goods tax. For one, it has not been introduced yet, so the percentage of the tax is unknown. “As the tax has yet to be introduced, no one knows how much the government would be able to collect.” Malaysia Retailers Association representative Dr Kasuma Satria said the quantum of tax for luxury and high-end goods needs to be reasonable. He said consumers who can afford such items would buy them regardless of the cost, so the retail price after adding on the luxury goods tax would make little difference to those in the high-income bracket. “The people who purchase luxury goods are highly mobile. So, if the tax is too high, they may decide to buy the items they want when travelling abroad.” Kasuma said Malaysia is a “shopping haven” for tourists, and many of them come here to buy luxury items. But if these items are taxed too heavily, they too would go elsewhere. oProposed luxury goods tax would not impact tourism spending, says economist █ BYRAJVINDER SINGH [email protected] Small effect TELLING IT AS IT IS ON THURSDAY MARCH 2, 2023 No. 8219 PP 2644/12/2012 (031195) www.thesundaily.my RED-CARPET TREATMENT ... Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail being welcomed by Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr and his wife Louise Araneta-Marcos on arrival at the Malacanang Palace in Manila at the start of an official two-day visit yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC new step to broaden the tax base to cover those who have the means to pay. He said the government would hold an engagement session with relevant parties to examine the details of his proposal. INSIDE Govt taking firm steps to address rising cost of living 2 page Pharmaceutical sector gets wake-up call 3 page See story on — page 2
2 theSUN ON THURSDAY | MARCH 2, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS Govt taking firm steps to address rising cost of living KUALA LUMPUR: Although various parties have criticised Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s maiden budget, particularly over the expected rise in the nation’s debt, some experts see the unity government’s move as necessary to protect the people’s welfare. Budget 2023 is the biggest national budget in the nation’s history with an allocation of RM388.1 billion. The previous government had unveiled an RM372.3 billion budget for 2023 on Oct 7 last year, but three days later, Parliament was dissolved to pave way for the 15th general election. Experts are of the view that the revised expansionary budget, themed Developing Malaysia Madani, will ensure that the target groups benefit fully from the government assistance. Universiti Malaysia Perlis faculty of business and communications senior lecturer Assoc Prof Dr Mohd Zukime Mat Junoh said although it is a deficit budget, the unity government led by Anwar is optimistic that Budget 2023 can effectively deal with the cost of living issue. oRevised expansionary Budget 2023 ensures target groups benefit fully from initiatives provided, say experts “I view Budget 2023 as an aggressive step by the government to improve the well-being of the people, especially in terms of helping them to cope with the cost of living. “For this year, the government has allocated a substantial sum of RM64 billion for subsidies, aid and various other incentives to minimise the impact of rising costs.” He added that although the budget is not a complete solution to the cost of living issue, he believes the government is committed to addressing it through a slew of measures aimed at relieving the burden of the people, especially vulnerable groups. Mohd Zukime said the proposed measures include food subsidies, a hike in energy subsidies and financial aid for students from lowincome households apart from existing cash handouts. “It is hard to say that this budget is capable of completely alleviating the burden of the people because the cost of living issue is a complex problem as many factors are responsible for its escalation. “As such, although the government can provide various aid (schemes) through the budget, the cost of living issue may still remain a problem over the long term. “Hence, the government and the agencies involved must come up with an effective mechanism to control the food supply chain and stabilise prices of goods.” He said leakages in the award of subsidies must also be plugged to ensure that only targeted groups benefit from them. Mohd Zukime said Budget 2023 has also taken into consideration the plight of the M40 or medium-income group, Bernama reported. “The cut in personal income tax, for example, can hopefully benefit this group in terms of their financial management. Any form of aid from the government will help in their economic and social survival.” When tabling the revised Budget 2023 in Parliament on Friday, Anwar, who is also finance minister, announced a 2% cut in individual tax for the RM35,000 to RM100,000 taxable income band. Universiti Utara Malaysia economics lecturer Dr Nur Hafizah Ismail said Budget 2023 constitutes the main thrust of developing an inclusive and sustainable economy through the provision of various initiatives for the people. She said besides catering to all the communities in Malaysia, various agencies will be involved in ensuring the success of every initiative announced by the government. “To realise this, governmentlinked companies and governmentlinked investment companies that stimulate economic development to make a success of its people development agenda must work together,” she added. IMPRESSIVE ... Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof with Malaysian International Furniture Fair (MIFF) founder and chairman Datuk Dr Tan Chin Huat at MIFF 2023 in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC Aid for disaster victims to continue KUALA LUMPUR: The government will continue to provide assistance to eligible disaster victims, including Bantuan Wang Ihsan of RM1,000 to each household head, as well as RM10,000 to the next of kin of victims killed in a disaster. Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Functions Deputy Minister Datuk Wilson Ugak Kumbong said in addition the government provides Basic Necessity Assistance worth RM2,500 to each household head and Home Repair Assistance with a maximum value of up to RM5,000 each. “If the assessment of damage to a house exceeds RM5,000, repair work will be carried out by the Rural and Regional Development Ministry and the Local Government Development Ministry using existing allocations in their respective ministries,” he said during the question and answer session in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday. He was replying to a question from Datuk Anyi Ngau (GPS-Baram), about the type and value of aid channelled to victims of natural disasters such as floods and house fires. Wilson said for disasters that occur outside the northeast monsoon period, the government will continue to provide Bantuan Wang Ihsan to every eligible household head. He added that in the case of those forced to evacuate to relief centres, the heads of Malaysian families can submit their applications for assistance at the respective flood relief centres, while those who did not go to the centres can submit their applications to their respective community leaders. Wilson said approval of applications is subject to confirmation by the district officer as the chairman of the district disaster committee. – Bernama No negative impact from CPTPP: Minister KUALA LUMPUR: The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which came into force on Nov 29, will not have a negative impact on the agriculture sector, said International Trade and Industry Deputy Minister Liew Chin Tong. He said the CPTPP will protect the interest of local farmers as it is one of the few free trade pacts which recognise the issue of food security. “It is clear that it will not have a negative impact on the agriculture sector,” Liew told the Dewan Rakyat yesterday. He added that it would also not jeopardise subsidies meant for agriculture exports. “The claim that the CPTPP will not allow the government to implement bans on basic food exports such as chicken is not true.” He said it would not result in the sudden eradication of import duties on agricultural products. Liew said Malaysia depends on food imports and 50% of food items such as mutton and beef are imported. “For 2020, the average duty on imports of agricultural products is about 13.8% and it further declined to 7.9% in 2021.” He said at the same time, Malaysia has been given a longer staging period, ie 16 years for the purpose of reducing and eradicating import duties, including agricultural products. “Additionally, Malaysia does not need to eradicate fully its import duties for chickens and eggs under the CPTPP, and can maintain the tariff rate quota system.” – Bernama Obscene content sharing bulk of cases probed by MCMC KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 58% or 1,631 of the 2,825 cases of misuse of communications services investigated by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) from 2009 to February this year were for the offence of sharing obscene content, the Dewan Rakyat was told yesterday. Deputy Communications and Digital Minister Teo Nie Ching said there were also cases of disseminating offensive content totalling 546 cases, inappropriate content (seven), false content (574) as well as threatening and lewd content (74). “A total of 108 cases are still under investigation, 115 cases have been prosecuted, 40 cases have been compounded with fines totalling RM138,250 and warnings were given to 84 cases. “All the cases were investigated under Section 233(1) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (Act 588),” she said when replying to a question by Syahredzan Johan (PH-Bangi). Teo said out of the total number of complaints received, 2,478 cases were classified as No Further Action and/or No Offence Disclosed because there was no solid evidence linking suspects to offences investigated under this section. – Bernama Anwar arrives in Philippines for official visit MANILA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim arrived here yesterday for a two-day official visit to the Philippines. Anwar was accompanied by his wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail for his fifth official visit to Asean countries since being appointed as prime minister last year. The special aircraft carrying Anwar and his wife landed at Villamor Air Base at 12.50pm. Upon arrival at the air base, he was greeted by Philippines Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rexlon Gatchalian, who is the minister-inattendance. Also present were Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir and Foreign Ministry secretarygeneral Datuk Seri Amran Mohamed Zin. Anwar was accorded an official welcome at Malacanang Palace, before making a courtesy call on Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. A bilateral meeting between delegations from the two countries and a joint media briefing by the two leaders are part of the schedule. – Bernama
3 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON THURSDAY | MARCH 2, 2023 KUALA LUMPUR: The inclusion of Pharmaniaga Berhad in Bursa Malaysia’s Practice Note 17 classification of financially distressed companies represents a wake-up call for the pharmaceutical sector. It highlights the need for reforms to be introduced, particularly in the public sector’s practices on procurement of medicines. “The situation affecting Pharmaniaga is very worrying and has potentially severe implications across the entire Malaysian pharmaceutical landscape, especially the public health sector,” said Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy CEO Azrul Mohd Khalib. “If the company deteriorates further, there could be a massive disruption to the supply of medicines and drugs to the public healthcare system.” He said the situation affecting Pharmaniaga exposes vulnerabilities in the public healthcare sector’s pharmaceutical procurement processes and highlights the need to undertake urgent reforms. Azrul added that there was a need to emphasise the importance of competition and diversity of suppliers, removal of tender agents as middlemen and reduce government interference (in the acquisition of medicines). “Pharmaniaga previously enjoyed an exclusive concession for more than a quarter of a century to purchase, store, supply and distribute at least 700 pharmaceutical products under the Approved Products Purchase List. This represents more than a third of the government’s branded and generic drug and medicine supply. Pharmaniaga also has the logistics and distribution contract for these medicines. “The government’s practice of (awarding) exclusive concessions that grant individual companies, such as Pharmaniaga and other GLCs major influence and dominance over large portions of our healthcare system, including hospital services, creates an unhealthy dependence. “These companies will be considered indispensable and become ‘too big to fail’. Our public healthcare system will be at risk of massive disruption should these GLCs run into difficulties.” He said in 2019, the government committed to moving away from concession agreements and adopting open tenders. However, this was disrupted by the Covid-19 crisis, causing Pharmaniaga to be given multiple extensions. Hence, reducing the reliance on such arrangements was not achieved. “Reforms should also include removing dependence on tender agents who act as middlemen in the procurement process. They charge a commission for their services and increase the cost of medicines. “Allowing suppliers to negotiate and bid directly with the government could potentially save millions of ringgit in public funds, lower prices, increase cost-effectiveness and allow newer therapies to be made available for patients. It will introduce improved diversity of suppliers and reduce vulnerability.” However, Azrul does not think that Pharmaniaga’s PN17 classification would cause any disruption of public healthcare sector services. But the situation could change rapidly if its financial situation does not improve within the next year, he added. “It is unlikely that Pharmaniaga will be able to offload the majority of its Sinovac Covid-19 vaccines worth RM552.3 million, which reportedly expire in June 2024. A better understanding of the performance of the vaccines and the disease has resulted in significantly decreased demand (for this vaccine) from countries in the region. “Pharmaniaga’s stock must also compete with the new generation of bivalent Covid-19 vaccines, which are starting to become available, promising improved coverage of new variants of the coronavirus. “The government, if it chooses to intervene, has several options. It could provide a significant cash infusion, guarantee or bailout for the GLC, which will likely be in the range of RM700 million to RM900 million. “It could also provide a government guarantee, which Pharmaniaga could rely on to facilitate financial arrangements or obtain credit from banks or other financial institutions,” he said. Applications open for Rahmah Cash Aid PUTRAJAYA: Individuals eligible for Rahmah Cash Aid can submit their applications and update their information online from now until March 31, said the Finance Ministry. “This is to provide the opportunity to those who are eligible or are still not in the government database to submit their applications,” it said in a statement. During the tabling of Budget 2023 last Friday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also finance minister, said the aid, involving an allocation of almost RM8 billion, would help reduce the cost of living burden of nearly nine million beneficiaries. On Jan 16, Anwar announced that the first phase of the aid, involving RM1.67 billion, would be credited into the accounts of 8.7 million registered recipients in the B40 group in stages from Jan 17. The payment was made according to categories, with four million households receiving RM300 each, while 1.2 million senior citizens without spouses and 3.5 million single individuals received RM100 each. Applicants may refer to the Frequently Asked Questions on the official portal at https://bantuantunnai.hasil.gov.my for more information. The ministry said the data of phase one recipients will be automatically included in the government database to reduce exclusion errors, while data from several government agencies will be cross-checked for eligibility according to the set conditions. – Bernama Pharmaceutical sector gets wake-up call oPharmaniaga’s inclusion in list of financially distressed firms exposes vulnerabilities in procurement processes, says expert M’sia keen on tech-related cooperation with Spain BARCELONA: Malaysia is ready to welcome investments from technology-related industry players participating in the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2023, especially in the field of science, technology and innovation (STI). Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang said Malaysia is an investment destination seeking to expand its market share in the digital economy, which in turn will translate to an increase in trade and business opportunities. In this regard, the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry is scheduled to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Spanish government in the field of STI today. The MoU is expected to enhance cooperation between the two countries and their science and technology ministries, particularly in the STI industry. “With the signing of the MoU, both countries will explore further cooperation in STI, including biotechnology, space sciences, emerging technology and energy efficiency, among others,” he said on the sidelines of MWC 2023. Chang highlighted that the ministry’s participation in MWC 2023 has opened up opportunities for further exploration of artificial intelligence (AI) regulations and ways to impose AI ethics, which refers to a broad collection of considerations combining safety, security, human concerns and environmental issues. Chang added that the ministry has launched the Malaysia National AI Roadmap 2021-2025, aimed to create a self-sustaining AI innovation ecosystem guided by seven responsible AI principles. He also said the ministry is continuously finding ways to ensure that the regulatory ecosystem as a whole is effective and coherent in the face of new challenges. “Malaysia is ahead of the curve at this point, thanks to expert advice and collaborations with local agencies and tech companies. “Huawei Technologies is one of the companies at the forefront of this effort in delivering the vision that will help us create a digitalised Malaysia,” he said. – Bernama Singapore to declassify, release Albatross File SINGAPORE: The government here has agreed to declassify and release documents in the “Albatross File”, which Dr Goh Keng Swee, who served as deputy prime minister between 1973 and 1985, kept in the run-up to Singapore’s separation from Malaysia, said Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information Dr Janil Puthucheary. Goh is widely recognised as one of the founding fathers of the island state. “The process of declassification took some time given the complexity of the material, and a subset of the material was part of a public exhibition. “A larger set of declassified Albatross documents will be released in a book on separation, to be published later this year. “This will include Cabinet papers and Goh’s notes of his conversations with Malaysian leaders,” said Puthucheary. The minister also informed Parliament that since 2016, government agencies have reviewed more than 7,000 government records that were yet to be declassified. – Bernama █ BYJOSHUA PURUSHOTMAN [email protected] Energy efficiency Bill still at study stage PUTRAJAYA: The draft of the Bill on energy efficiency and conservation is still at the study stage of the Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Ministry. Its minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said many countries have adopted laws on energy efficiency and conservation, such as the UK, where all electrical appliances in the country are energy efficient. This saw the energy demand in the country decrease consistently for 20 years. “When there is energy-efficient electrical equipment, the government does not need to build power plants that require huge costs,” he said after launching the Malaysia Energy Literacy Programme yesterday. It was reported earlier that the government was enacting a Bill for more comprehensive coordination and effective regulation by the Energy Commission. – Bernama COOL RIDE ... Nine-year-old Mohd Idlan Adnan braces against strong winds as he pedals his bicycle in Kampung Chempaka in Kuantan, Pahang. – BERNAMAPIC
4 theSUN ON THURSDAY | MARCH 2, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS Orang Asli teachers on mission to uplift community GUA MUSANG: A desire to change the lives of Orang Asli children has prompted two individuals from the Temiar group to take up jobs as teachers at kindergartens run by the Community Development Department in their respective areas. Robiah Rami, 42, a teacher at a kindergarten in Pos Hendrop for the past 17 years, said she is determined to devote herself to raising the living standards of the people of her community, who are said to be lagging behind in education. Robiah, fondly called Kak Bie, said nothing would make her feel prouder than seeing her students master the three fundamentals of education – reading, writing and counting – as early as the age of four. “The joy and satisfaction cannot be expressed in words. I am very proud of their achievements. I’m able to see their progress, with some of them able to continue their studies in higher learning institutions or universities,” she said at an appreciation day event in Taman Etnobotani, Kelantan on Tuesday. The other kindergarten teacher, Sarudin Johari, 30, teaches at Tabika Kemas Kampung Menrod in Pos Brooke. He is the only male teacher at the kindergarten and sees it as an opportunity to change the stigma that in the Orang Asli settlement, men should be working in the forest. “I am a kindergarten teacher because I am determined to provide early education to the Orang Asli children here.” Now in his eighth year of service, Sarudin said the method he uses is fun learning. “The purpose (of this method) is to make learning fun for the children and this attracts them to come to class,” he said, adding that enrolment had increased tremendously from his early years at the kindergarten. – Bernama M’sian field hospital becomes main facility ADIYAMAN (TURKIYE): The Malaysian field hospital operating in the Celikhan district of the Adiyaman province in Turkiye has become the primary care centre for residents and earthquake victims seeking medical attention. Op Starlight 2 commander Brig-Jen Datuk Dr Amran Amir Hamzah said the army-established hospital was the only centre providing medical services after the hospital there was severely damaged. “The population here is about 16,000 and their 25-bed hospital is now unable to operate to provide necessary medical care to the residents.” Amran said although there is a clinic near the field hospital, it does not have specialist doctors or complete equipment to treat patients. He also said the field hospital, which has 110 personnel and provides specialist facilities such as orthopaedics, surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics and ophthalmology has treated 888 patients since it opened on Feb 14. “The hospital also has 12 medical officers who are supported by paramedics, nurses and technicians.” Amran said most of the personnel have extensive experience and have been involved in humanitarian aid missions around the world such as in Tacloban in the Philippines and Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh. He added that apart from the cold weather, the personnel on duty had to deal with communication issues and difficulties in obtaining food supplies that had to be bought in stores about an hour and a half away because many shops were closed. – Bernama Project with Indonesia highlights good ties JAKARTA: Malaysia’s participation in a hydroelectric power station project in North Kalimantan is a sign of good cooperation between the two countries, said Indonesian President Joko Widodo. The president, better known as Jokowi, also expressed satisfaction with the development and believes that the project, worth US$2.6 billion (RM11.65 billion), could contribute to the well-being of his people. “Today, I am very happy because the Mentarang hydroelectric power station project has started,” he said at the groundbreaking ceremony in Malinau, which was also attended by Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Abang Openg. “I am even happier that this was done by an Indonesian-Malaysian consortium, showing that we as allied partners can work together well.” The Mentarang hydroelectric project will generate 1,375 megawatts of electricity for the North Kalimantan industrial zone. Construction is expected to start in the first quarter of 2024, and be completed by the end of 2029. – Bernama Condolences to family of Bernama staff KUALA LUMPUR: Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil has conveyed condolences to the family and friends of National News Agency (Bernama) English sub-editor Muharyani Othman, who died of cancer yesterday. In a Facebook post, Fahmi said he prays that Allah SWT will forgive her sins. Muharyani died at about 2am at the National Cancer Institute in Putrajaya after being admitted on Sunday. She joined Bernama as a sub-editor on March 1, 2007, on a contract basis. Bernama CEO Roslan Ariffin expressed sadness over Muharyani’s death and described it as a great loss. “Muharyani was dedicated. Although she was undergoing cancer treatments, she chose to continue to work responsibly.” – Bernama Home ownership ‘dream come true’success story KUALA LUMPUR: Three young Malaysians were delighted when their dream of owning homes became a reality with the assistance of Yayasan My First Home (YMFH). Aged 23 to 29, they registered with the Selangor Housing and Land Authority to be included in the affordable housing scheme and were offered houses in the Bukit Rahman Putra project in Sungai Buloh, which cost RM42,000 in 2020. However, all three failed to obtain housing loans from financial institutions and had to turn down the offer despite numerous appeals to the banks. “It was at the end of 2022 when the Selangor Housing and Land Authority contacted us and asked if YMFH would be interested to assist the buyers,” said YMFH general manager Nambee Ashvin Nambiar. “We immediately acted on their applications by writing to the Housing and Land Authority and indicating that we will support the buyers by financing the house purchase. We then contacted the developer to find a solution for them.” Nambee said they were fortunate that the developer, Sabna Development Sdn Bhd, shared the same values as YMFH in wanting to assist Malaysians in the B40 group to own homes. “If all the stakeholders in the ecosystem, such as the banks, developers and state public housing authorities, can come together to assist aspiring homebuyers who failed to get a housing loan, I believe we can make progress in addressing the affordable home ownership issue in Malaysia. “Everyone needs a safe space called home. As young people, the three applicants would want to start a family soon and would need to have their own house. This is why the YMFH board went in to support them.” The success was the second of its kind for YMFH. Last year, it assisted six squatter families who similarly failed to get housing loans. YMFH hopes to reach out to more developers and housing authorities to work with them in assisting Malaysians in vulnerable groups to own their first home. “We aim to assist as many as 150 Malaysians this year. “And if anyone out there have issues getting a housing loan under the low-cost housing category or those in the squatters’ category, please reach out to us Nambee (right) with Abdul Rahman, who was among the housing scheme applicants. oYayasan My First Home GM speaks on efforts to assist M’sians in B40 group who were not successful in getting loans █ BYAZLAN RAMLI [email protected] for assistance.” YMFH was founded by Berjaya Corporation Berhad chairman Tan Sri Vincent Tan and was launched in 2022. It aims to promote and facilitate the development of affordable housing and home ownership by the B40 group, including squatters and the indigenous community.
5 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON THURSDAY | MARCH 2, 2023 Interior decorator charged with insulting King on Instagram KUALA LUMPUR: An interior decorator was charged in the Ampang Sessions Court yesterday with uttering seditious words and making offensive remarks against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on his Instagram social media page last year. William Khor Wai Loon, 36, pleaded not guilty after the charges were read before Judge Wan Mohd Norisham Wan Yaakob. He was alleged to have committed the offences in a house at Taman Bukit Teratai in Ampang at 3.31am on Nov 20, 2022. The charge was framed under Section 4(1)(a) of the Sedition Act 1948, which provides a fine of up to RM5,000 or imprisonment for three years or both. He also faced an alternative charge of making and initiating the transmission of offensive communications with the intent to offend others, through the Instagram application using the profile name “williamkhor87”, Bernama reported. The charge was framed under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, which provides a maximum fine of RM50,000 or imprisonment of one year or both and may be further fined RM1,000 for each day the offence continues after conviction. The court allowed the defendant’s bail of RM6,000 with one surety for both charges and also ordered him to report himself at a police station once a month and to not make any posting regarding the case. DPP Aiza Ali Raman prosecuted, while Khor was represented by lawyer Rajsurian Pillai. Missing Fisheries staff found safe in Indonesian waters ISKANDAR PUTERI: Four staff of the Johor Fisheries Department who were reported missing on Tuesday were found safe on their boat about one nautical mile off Pulau Kepalajerai near Batam in Indonesia yesterday afternoon. Johor State Maritime Director First Admiral Nurul Hizam Zakaria said all of them were in good health when discovered by the Indonesian National Military at 1.45pm. He said the staff were the Tanjung Sedili Base fisheries assistant Fatimah Razak, 36, marine assistants Zaharin Baharudin, 33, Abd Halim Sanip, 52, and Mohd Marzuki Jusoh, 53. “The boat they were on was believed to have suffered battery damage before drifting into Indonesian waters about 13 nautical miles from their last known location. “We are in the process of bringing the boat home, which is currently being repaired by the Indonesian military. The staff will be accompanied by the Indonesian military during the handover process in Johor Barat waters,” he said. Johor fisheries director Zainudin Abd Wahab was also present. Nurul Hizam at the same time expressed his appreciation to all the Four employees of the Johor State Fisheries Department being interviewed after their rescue in Indonesian waters yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC Floods worsen in Johor JOHOR BARU: The flood situation in Johor has worsened with the number of evacuees rising to 5,878 as of noon yesterday compared with 1,591 recorded in the morning. The State Disaster Management Committee said a total of 1,575 families have been placed in 54 temporary evacuation centres. “Kluang is the worst-affected district with 1,952 evacuees placed in 10 centres, followed by Segamat with 1,431 evacuees moved to 16 centres. “Also affected by the disaster are Kota Tinggi involving 1,156 evacuees, Johor Bahru 1,004, Kulai 320 and Pontian 15,” said the committee. In Segamat, several rivers have breached the danger-level namely Sungai Segamat Kecil, which recorded a reading of 38.32m, Sungai Bandar Segamat at 9.2m, Sungai Labis at 41.31m and Sungai Lenik, Ladang Chaah at 8.11m. o5,878 evacuees from 1,575 families placed in 54 centres, with Kluang being the worst-affected district Key road to Felda Selancar, Perwira Jaya closed KUANTAN: The main road to Felda Selancar and Perwira Jaya in Rompin was closed in both directions after a section of the road collapsed due to overflowing water following heavy rain on Tuesday. Rompin district police chief DSP Mohd Azahari Mukhtar said the police were informed about the condition of the road at 4am yesterday. Apart from this stretch, two other roads in Rompin were also closed to all types of vehicles yesterday morning due to flooding, namely Jalan Lam Trading-Ladang Blok 16, Felda Redong and Segamat stretch in Felda Selancar 3. Meanwhile, Rompin Public Works Department in a statement posted on social media said the closure of the main roads were for the safety of road users and the public can make inquiries at 09- 4145040. The Malaysian Meteorological Department has forecast continuous torrential rain in Rompin throughout the week. The website https://publicinfo banjir.water.gov.my/ reported that Sungai Pukin in Rompin exceeded the danger level of 46.59m yesterday. – Bernama Man fined RM8,000 for sending porn via Telegram KUALA TERENGGANU: An unemployed man was fined RM8,000 in default four months in jail by the Sessions Court yesterday for improper use of the network facilities by sending obscene communications through the Telegram application two years ago. Judge Nazlyza Mohamad Nazri meted out the fine on Ahmad Fais Ibrahim, 34, after he pleaded guilty to the charge. He was charged with making and initiating the transmission of pornographic communications with the intention of annoying others using the Telegram application. The link was viewed on Feb 23, 2021 at 3.54pm at Kampung Baru Seberang Takir in Kuala Nerus. Ahmad Fais was charged under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (Act 588), which provides a fine of RM50,000 or imprisonment for one year or both and may be further fined RM1,000 for each day the offence continues after conviction. The prosecution was conducted by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission prosecuting officer Nur Nazhzilah Mohammad Hashim, while Ahmad Fais was represented by lawyer Abdul Hayyi Salim. – Bernama Danger-level rain warning issued for four states KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Meteorological Department has issued a danger-level continuous rain warning for Pahang, Negeri Sembilan, Malacca and Johor until today. In a statement yesterday, it said the districts involved in Pahang are Bera, Pekan and Rompin, while severe-level continuous heavy rain is expected to hit Jerantut, Bentong, Temerloh, Maran and Kuantan until today. The department also issued an alert-level continuous rain warning for Terengganu, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya as well as Perak involving Manjung, Kinta, Perak Tengah, Kampar, Bagan Datuk, Hilir Perak, Batang Padang and Muallim during the same period. Similar weather is also expected to occur in Pahang involving Cameron Highlands, Lipis and Raub as well as in Sarawak covering Kuching, Serian, Samarahan, Sri Aman, Betong, Sarikei, Sibu, Mukah and Bintulu (Tatau and Bintulu). – Bernama Also breaching the danger-level are Sungai Kahang, Kampung Contoh in Kluang at 16.95m, Sungai Siku, Kampung Murni Jaya in Kulai at 21.51m, Sungai Skudai, Kampung Separa in Kulai at 18.66m, Sungai Siam, Kampung Sungai Siam at 21.51m and Sungai Pontian Besar, Kampung Melayu Bukit Batu at 12.86m. The water level of Sungai Pulai, Kampung Ulu Pulai in Pontian has also exceeded the danger-level of 2.81m, while water level of Sungai Skudai, Kampung Laut in Johor Bahru is at 5.79m. In Sabah, a total of 464 evacuees have been evacuated to two centres due to the floods in the Kota Marudu and Tongod districts. Sabah Disaster Management Committee Secretariat in a statement said 377 evacuees were evacuated to the centre at the Kota Marudu community hall. According to the secretariat, a total of 87 evacuees were housed at the centre at Dewan Mini Kampung Simpang Entilibon in Tongod. “Both evacuation centres were opened late last night,” read the statement. Continuous heavy rain since Tuesday is believed to have caused some areas in Tongod and Kota Marudun to be flooded. The weather was reported to be fine in most areas of Sabah yesterday morning. Meanwhile, at Sarikei in Sarawak, two men went through a terrifying moment when the car they were travelling in was swept by a strong current at Jalan Skim B, Meradong in Bintangor yesterday. Bintangor fire and rescue station chief Nicholas Belulin said the station received an emergency call about the incident at 2.52am. “The car was swept away by flood waters about 50m off the road but the victims, aged 28 and 32, managed to get out of their vehicle without any injuries,” he said. The firemen used a rope to pull the victims to safety. He said the victims were travelling towards Bintangor town. – Bernama agencies involved, including the Indonesian military, the Indonesian Consulate General and the Singapore Consulate General, who also helped in the search and rescue operation, Bernama reported. He said operation Op Carilamat also officially ended at 2pm yesterday afternoon. On Tuesday the boat that left Tanjung Pengelih in Pengerang at 12.45pm and scheduled to reach Pangkalan Tampoi in Johor Bahru at 6.30pm, loss contact a few hours into the journey.
6 theSUN ON THURSDAY | MARCH 2, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS /thesundaily FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK SCAN ME Trains collide in Greece, 36 killed oCountry’s deadliest rail crash in decades throws entire carriages off tracks ATHENS: A passenger train and a cargo train collided head-on in Greece on Tuesday night, killing at least 36 people and injuring 85. A fire brigade official said the death toll was expected to rise. Sixty-six of those injured were hospitalised, six of whom were in intensive care, said the official. The crash, the country’s deadliest rail incident in decades, occurred as the passenger train emerged from a tunnel near the city of Larissa and threw entire carriages off the tracks. Pregnant US woman to remain in jail even if foetus innocent, says court Daily walk prevents one in 10 early deaths: Study PARIS: One in 10 early deaths could be prevented if everyone engaged in a small amount of daily exercise such as a brisk 11-minute walk, a study stated yesterday. Physical activity is known to reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer and other leading causes of death, but exactly how much is needed to have an impact has been unclear. So, an international team of researchers pooled together the results of 196 previous studies, which included more than 30 million people, to create one of the largest reviews conducted on the subject. They calculated that around one in six early deaths would have been prevented if everyone in the studies had at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity physical activity. But even half that amount – 75 minutes a week, or less than 11 minutes a day – could prevent one in 10 of those deaths, according to the meta-analysis published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. That included a 17% reduction of heart disease and a 7% fall in cancer. For a person who engages in little to no physical activity, 11 minutes a day led to a 23% lower risk of early death. Soren Brage, an expert on the epidemiology of physical activity at Britain’s Cambridge University and a co-author of the study, told AFP that it was “exceptionally good news”. “All you need to do is find a little bit more than 10 minutes every day. “And you don’t have to go to the gym to do these types of activities, it’s part of daily life.” He suggested people try getting off at an earlier bus stop on the way to work or cycling home. “It’s very flexible.” Because it takes years to assess how exercise affects the risk of such diseases, many of the studies were carried out more than a decade ago, Brage said. This means that the activity reported by the study participants was likely less accurate than what can be achieved by newer technologies such as fitness trackers, Brage said, acknowledging this was a limitation of the study. Cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke killed 17.9 million people globally in 2019, while cancer accounted for nearly 10 million deaths the following year, according to the World Health Organisation. – AFP B R I E F STOP AL-QAEDA FIGURE KILLED IN YEMEN SANAA: A senior Al-Qaeda figure was killed in a suspected US air strike in Yemen, security and local government sources said yesterday. Hamad bin Hamoud al-Tamimi, a top leader of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which Washington regards as among the global network’s most dangerous branches, died in the strike along with a bodyguard, a security official said, requesting anonymity. The air strike, targeting a house in the northern province of Marib that Hamad had recently rented, was “apparently American”, the official said. Hamad, a Saudi also known as Abdel Aziz Adnani, headed AQAP’s leadership council and acted as the militant group’s “judge”, the sources said. – AFP MEXICAN TROOPS PROBED OVER KILLING OF CIVILIANS MEXICO CITY: Mexican authorities said on Tuesday the attorney-general’s office has opened an investigation into the killing of five men, including an American citizen, allegedly by soldiers near the US border. According to a complaint from the National Human Rights Commission, the young men were traveling in a van after leaving a nightclub in the border city of Nuevo Laredo when they were shot by soldiers. Videos posted on social media showed an exchange of fire purportedly between soldiers, relatives of the young people and local residents. The footage also showed what appeared to be a soldier being trampled on the ground by several people and another being punched in the face. – AFP Rescue crews searching the crash site near Larissa yesterday. – REUTERSPIC Derailed carriages, badly damaged with broken windows and thick plumes of smoke, could be seen on the site. One passenger carriage lay on its side at almost 90 degrees from the rest of the wrecked train, with other derailed carriages tilting precariously. “There was panic ... the fire was immediate, as we were turning over, we were being burned, fire was right and left,” said Stergios Minenis, a 28-year-old passenger who jumped to safety from the wreckage. “Windows were being smashed and people were screaming,” a passenger who escaped from the fifth carriage told Skai TV. “One of the windows caved in from the impact of the other train.” The train carried around 350 passengers. Many were evacuated to Thessaloniki, where one woman ran to embrace her daughter as she disembarked from a bus with other survivors. “Mum, don’t. I’m hurt,” the daughter said. Another woman, who was waiting there, said her child was not picking up the phone. Larissa Hospital emergency unit chief Apostolos Komnos said most of the dead were people in their 20s. Many of the passengers would have been returning home after a long holiday weekend marking the beginning of Greek Orthodox lent. Thessaloniki has a large student population. The government declared three days of national mourning, from yesterday to tomorrow, with flags flying at half-mast in a tribute to the victims of the crash. One of the questions investigators need to answer is why the two trains were, according to Thessaly regional governor Konstantinos Agorastos, running on the same track when they crashed into each other. Police temporarily detained the station master in Larissa and at least three witnesses have been questioned, including a representative for Hellenic Train, a police official said. Greece’s ageing railway system is in need of modernising, with many trains travelling on single tracks and signalling and automatic control systems still to be installed in many areas. – Reuters WASHINGTON: A Florida court has denied the petition of a pregnant murder suspect who sought release from prison on the grounds her unborn child was innocent of the charges and therefore being held unlawfully. In a ruling obtained by AFP on Tuesday, Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal dismissed without prejudice the petition filed on behalf of Natalia Harrell’s foetus, saying there were still questions that needed to be addressed in a lower court but issuing no ruling on whether the case had legal merit. The court said it was impossible to “properly resolve whether the unborn child has the standing to file the petition before us given the inadequate record in this matter”. Harrell, 24, has been in jail for some seven months and faces a murder charge after fatally shooting another woman while they were taking an Uber in Miami last July. Harrell was about six weeks pregnant at the time of her arrest. She pleaded not guilty, arguing she acted in self-defence. The foetus “has not committed any crime” yet remains incarcerated in “deplorable conditions” and unless granted relief will be “likely brought into this world on the concrete floor of the prison cell”, the petition said. Judge Monica Gordo agreed with the court’s decision to dismiss the petition, but argued in a dissenting opinion that the case itself had no legal basis. “The argument is nothing more than an attempt for the mother to leverage her unborn child as a basis to be released from lawful detention,” Gordo wrote. – AFP Peru police find mummy in former delivery man’s bag LIMA: Police in Peru have seized a mummified human from a former food delivery man who claimed to have had it at his home for three decades. The mummy, between 600 and 800 years old, was in the isothermal bag the man had once used to deliver food to people’s homes. Julio Cesar Bermejo, 26, will remain in detention while investigators look into the case, a government official said on Tuesday. Bermejo told local media the mummy, who he called “Juanita”, was “like my spiritual girlfriend”. “At home, she’s in my room, she sleeps with me. I take care of her,” he said in a video that went viral on social media. Bermejo said his father brought the mummy home almost 30 years ago. According to the Ministry of Culture, the pre-Hispanic relic was a “mummified adult male individual, presumably from the eastern area of Puno”, a region in the Peruvian Andes some 1,300km southeast of Lima. “It’s not a Juanita, it’s a Juan,” a specialist at the ministry said, adding the mummy was of a man at least 45 years old. The body was wrapped in bandages. Police found the remains in Bermejo’s bag on Saturday while patrolling a park in the city of Puno, where he had been hanging out with friends. Bermejo denied he was trying to sell the mummy and said he was carrying it around because “my friends wanted to see it.” The ministry said it had taken possession of the remains “with the aim of protecting and preserving this heritage”. – AFP
7 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON THURSDAY | MARCH 2, 2023 Thai opposition names tycoon as adviser BANGKOK: Thailand’s biggest opposition party yesterday named a well-known property tycoon as its new adviser ahead of an upcoming election, adding fuel to speculation he was being lined up as another prime ministerial candidate. The Pheu Thai party, which together with its previous incarnations has won every Thai election since 2001, announced that Sansiri Pcl chief executive officer Srettha Thavisin had been brought in as a senior adviser. “It’s time to do more political work, but let’s take the future step-by-step,” Srettha, 60, said when asked by reporters about him being a possible candidate for premier, following months of rumours. Paetongtarn Shinawatra, 36, whose father Thaksin and aunt Yingluck led governments overthrown in military coups in 2006 and 2014, has topped opinion polls since last year and was confirmed at the weekend as one of Pheu Thai’s prime ministerial candidates. Under election rules, a party can name up to three candidates for premier. Srettha said he would be stepping up his presence on the campaign trail for the election, which is due in May. “Paetongtarn has done well, but being seven months pregnant, there are limits,” Srettha said. They will face off against Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, a general who led the coup against the last Pheu Thai government in 2014. Underlining the bitter rivalry between Thailand’s warring political camps, Prayuth yesterday dismissed questions about Srettha’s prospects and asked reporters what was special about him being a real estate mogul. “The nation is not a business,” Prayuth said, before walking to a waiting car. “Remember my words, the country’s economy is not a family business, do you understand?”– Reuters Sri Lanka workers defy strike ban to protest rescue plan COLOMBO: Sri Lankan workers went on strike yesterday in defiance of a government ban to protest a rescue plan for the bankrupt island nation, forcing the closure of hospitals, banks and ports. President Ranil Wickremesinghe is facing public backlash over steep tax hikes and spending cuts imposed to secure an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout. Around 40 trade unions, including government hospital staff and bank employees, called work stoppages. Doctors at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka in Colombo said only emergency cases were being treated, while appointments were cancelled at private clinics and hospitals. Electricity workers and bank tellers were also on strike while dock workers staged lunchtime protests at the capital’s port. Wickremesinghe used his executive powers on Tuesday to effectively outlaw strikes by compelling “essential services” to remain at work, and government workers defying the order risk losing their jobs. Union leaders said they were told by Wickremesinghe on Saturday that he cannot reduce income taxes as it was a condition of the IMF to release a bailout package. Haritha Aluthge of the Government Medical Officers’ Association told reporters in Colombo that his union planned to continue its industrial action. “A token one-day protest is not going to sway the authorities. “We will have to take stronger action.” Sri Lanka sought IMF help after defaulting on its US$46 billion (RM206 billion) foreign government debt last April but is waiting for financial assurances from China, its largest single bilateral creditor, that it is willing to take a cut on loans to the South Asian nation. Sri Lanka’s unprecedented economic crisis since late 2021 has caused severe shortages of food, fuel and medicines and led to months of protests that toppled then president Gotabaya Rajapaksa in July. Wickremesinghe, who was elected by parliament to replace Rajapaksa, said the economy contracted by 11% last year and the island will remain bankrupt until at least 2026. He has also announced that the country did not have money to finance a local government election which was scheduled for March 9, prompting accusations that he was using the economic crisis to stifle democracy. – AFP B R I E F SVO NOMINATED AS NEW VIETNAM PRESIDENT HANOI: Vietnam’s Communist Party has nominated Vo Van Thuong as the new president, two sources said yesterday, following the sudden forced resignation in January of his predecessor as part of a sweeping anti-corruption campaign. Vo, 52, is the youngest member of the party’s Politburo, the country’s top decision-making body, and is widely regarded as being close to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Vietnam’s most powerful figure. The selection of Vo by the party’s Central Committee upholds an earlier decision by the Politburo. His nomination will need approval by the rubber-stamp National Assembly, which is due to hold an extraordinary session today. – Reuters EU PARLIAMENT BANS TIKTOK ON WORK DEVICES BRUSSELS: The European Parliament has told staff to purge TikTok from devices used for work because of data protection concerns, after similar moves by EU’s main governing bodies last week. Parliament president Roberta Metsola and secretary-general, Alessandro Chiocchetti decided TikTok must not be used or installed on staff devices such as mobile phones, tablets or laptops from March 20, according to a note issued on Tuesday. “As of this date, web access to TikTok through our corporate network will also be blocked,” the European Parliament’s directorate-general for innovation and technological support said in the note to 8,000 of the institution’s employees. – AFP US panel on China warns of ‘existential’ threat WASHINGTON: A panel of US lawmakers tasked with scrutinising Beijing held a debut hearing on Tuesday overshadowed by protests from the public gallery as it focused on the “existential” threat of the ruling Chinese Communist Party. Republicans and Democrats hope the “House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)” will be a bulwark against what they see as the malign influence of the Asian giant. But an activist with a sign reading “China is not our enemy” began decrying the work of the panel as the witnesses gave statements. oProtesters say lawmakers saber rattling, hearing not about peace As she was removed, a second protester stood up and yelled “this committee is about saber rattling, it’s not about peace” and continued to rant as he too was escorted out amid a chorus of boos from the gallery. H.R. McMaster, one of Republican former president Donald Trump’s national security advisers, appeared to blame the outburst on a department of the CCP’s Central Committee that carries out influence operations abroad. “I think these interruptions are indicative of the effect that the United Front Work Department has had. “They reinforced, I think, the idea that America is the problem in the world, and only if America disengages or in this case becomes more passive, that things will get better. He described the outbursts as an extreme example of American “complacency” faced with growing competition from China. The panel has been put in charge of investigating a range of economic, technological and military threats posed by China. Committee chairman Mike Gallagher gave a sweeping introduction outlining “The Chinese Communist Party’s Threat to America” – the title of the hearing – aided by a multimedia presentation. “This is not a polite tennis match. “This is an existential struggle over what life will look like in the 21st century.” Lawmakers also heard from China expert Matthew Pottinger, who said President Xi Jinping refers to Beijing’s propaganda activities as a “magic weapon”. “You could say that the Chinese Communist Party is the Harry Houdini of Marxist Leninist regimes, the David Copperfield of communism, the Criss Angel of autocracy,” he mused. “But the magic is fading.” The Foreign Affairs Committee earlier heard from administration officials on the “generational challenge” of the CCP as it debated legislation holding China responsible for the recent balloon incursion. – AFP No human-to-human bird flu transmission found in Cambodia PHNOM PENH: Cambodian health authorities said there was no human-to-human transmission of bird flu in the case of a father and daughter who caught the virus. The 11-year-old girl died last Wednesday and her father tested positive two days later, prompting the World Health Organisation (WHO) to voice concern about possible transmission between humans. One of the worst global oubreaks of avian influenza has been raging since late 2021, with tens of thousands of poultry culled, wild birds dying in large numbers and infections among some mammals rising. Cambodia’s Communicable Disease Control Department said on Tuesday that the 49-year-old father, who had no symptoms, had recovered and been discharged from hospital. “An investigation shows that both of them contracted the virus from birds in the village. “No transmission between father and daughter has been found.” Humans rarely contract bird flu, but when they do, it is usually from direct contact with infected birds. Over the past two decades, there have been nearly 900 confirmed H5N1 cases in humans and more than 450 deaths, according to WHO. – AFP CELEBRATING FEMALE CHILDREN ... A man preparing ornamental dolls at Kakuoji Temple for the Big Hinamatsuri festival in the Japanese city of Katsuura. Families pray for the health and happiness of their girls during Hinamatsuri, which is observed on March 3. – AFPPIC
8 theSUN ON THURSDAY | MARCH 2, 2023 SPEAK UP Budget 2023: A change done right CHANGE is not always good. Yet, if done right, the positive outcomes will have a lasting impact that will transcend generations. In our opinion, Malaysia’s Budget 2023 is a change done right. From a budget tabled in October 2022, which fell short of responsible fiscal reforms, the new budget has several measured improvements. For instance, a commitment to achieve sustainable fiscal deficit and the tabling of the Fiscal Responsibility Bill, a pledge for transparency in procurement through the government Procurement Act and Whistleblower Protection Act, and also a promise to consolidate government agencies with overlapping functions. Poverty alleviation We applaud the government for exploring a new paradigm in hardcore poverty alleviation, one that is focused on long-term empowerment, instead of only stop-gap measures which provide temporary relief. For instance, the People’s Income Initiative, with a RM750 million allocation, seeks to empower the hardcore poor to increase their earning potential through the purchase of equipment or employment subsidies. This new programme promotes income generation as a means to break out of the poverty trap. It is certainly a more sustainable model of encouraging self-sufficiency instead of fostering a culture of dependency, which is a key message in our book Assessing and addressing urban poverty in Malaysia – Social mobility through entrepreneurship. One important point to note is the need to incorporate a clear graduation mechanism for the People’s Income Initiative programme. By implementing this, we can ensure that households that have developed the necessary resilience to lift themselves out of hardcore poverty will no longer be dependent on the programme’s benefits. While we acknowledge the government’s noble goal to put an end to hardcore poverty, it is important that the measurement is done right. In the past, flaws in the measurement of poverty through the unrealistically low Poverty Line Income (PLI) resulted in a vast undercounting of poverty rates. This has masked the dire need for a reform of intervention strategies. Thus, if the PLI is not revised to reflect the current needs of optimal food intake and quality nonfood basic requirements, we may fall into the delusion of thinking we have virtually eradicated hardcore poverty. Human capital development Next, we cannot hide under the shadows of continuous skills development. It is a lifelong learning journey. As the national budget is formulated to drive economic development and recovery, casting a wider net of sustainability and inclusivity is needed for a competing workforce in the rapid change of the future job landscape, especially technological advancement. The budget places high emphasis on TVET (technical and vocational education and training) skills development, acknowledging the existence of underemployment with mismatched salary and qualification. As global mega trends shift, the development of human capital changes too – disruptive technologies, digitalisation, urbanisation and ageing population, among others. This will also shape the structure of future jobs and demands in the education system. A few initiatives in the budget focus on encouraging the private sector to employ with a higher value, covering skills training fees for gig workers in micro-credentials programmes, offering grants for female workers to continue working after childbirth and encouraging employers to provide childcare centres in the office. Such a call must place emphasis on the appropriate tools to support and facilitate work transition as well as the ability to identify training that best suits workers’ needs and preferences. Accompanied by career guidance and advice to plan for a sustainable career path is equally crucial. The fundamental reason behind gig workers, for instance, is to live for another day. To some, it is to obtain secondary income to live a reasonable living. How then can they manage their budget for better survival? Are the proposed training programmes relevant to the current needs of each individual and structural changes in the labour market, coupled with decent informed knowledge? Food security To address the rise of food prices, supply-side strategies to enhance food security is the right way forward. The government aims to drive productivity by encouraging private investments in agro-based industries through the provision of incentives, land, funding and technological grants. Besides that, tax exemptions on capital expenditure, in addition to training programmes to boost technological adaptation, will go a long way in propelling local food production through automation and digitisation. Supply-side strategies are more effective than price controls, which distort the market and result in reduced supply. In the fourth quarter of 2022, Malaysians saw how the price controls on chickens and eggs created a strong disincentive for producers, which led to a supply-demand mismatch. However, the budget is also a missed opportunity to pursue a holistic approach to food security, striking a balance between food self-sufficiency and the international trade of food. For agro-food produce, where we lack a comparative advantage, we should seek to diversify sources of food imports, which is more economical, instead of pushing for local production. For example, the abolishment of approved permits requirements should be expanded to cover more food items, beyond just the four specific agro-food commodities announced in May 2022. Moreover, import duties and tariffs on consumable items and intermediate inputs used in agro-food production should be reduced to lower input costs. All in all, there were measured improvements and some missed opportunities, yet a positive change overall. The impact will depend on the effectiveness and efficiency of the implementation process. In the end, the best initiatives are only good as the implementation – not only for us, but our future generations. Benedict Weerasena is the Research Director and Abel Benjamin Lim is the Head of Economics & Public Policy of Bait Al Amanah. Comments: [email protected] Stay fit and healthy with midday exercise IT has been reported that approximately 3.2 million people die each year from “physical stillness”. You do not need to enlist a gym to perform a quality workout. You just have to slip out the door for a brisk walk with a pair of supportive, well-fitting shoes. Walking is an exercise, which reinforced with a low-calorie diet, can help you lose weight. Many loathe to walk and come up with various reasons, although some may be valid, for not being physically on the go. Some say age has caught up and they feel they must rest. But the truth is that the feeling to rest is there because they are not physically active, and not due to age. The more you do to stay active as you age, the lower your chances of having heart attacks and stroke. You can do physical activities in short spurts of 10 minutes each time instead of a lengthy 30-minute stretch. Science has established that the elderly with serious health ailments, like heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, arthritis etc. can lead a better quality of life by getting up and moving. Recent research by scientists who analysed physical activity and death data of 92,139 people in the UK published findings in the journal Nature Communications, stating that people who exercised between 11am and 5pm “maximised” the benefits of daily physical activity. The report concluded that “people whose activity level was elevated between 11am and 5pm lowered their risk of death from any cause more than people who exercised in the morning or evening”. The benefits of midday exercise remained despite differences in people’s socioeconomic status, lifestyle, preexisting conditions, sleep habits or the amount of moderate to vigorous activities engaged in. The benefits of midday activity were even more pronounced among older people, less active individuals, and those diagnosed with heart disease. Midday exercise particularly can help prevent early death caused by heart disease. The researchers found that this could be because “cardiovascular events such as heart attacks are least likely to occur during the middle part of the day”. The experts also added that “those just starting out should begin slowly with low-intensity exercises. Drink plenty of water, listen to your body, warm up before your workout and cool down after that”. Your age, period of inactivity or how unfit you may be are irrelevant for the need to exercise as “exercise can provide lots of help for lots of things”. And midday exercise is the best for the most optimum results. Comments: [email protected] Midday exercise particularly can help prevent early death caused by heart disease. – REUTERSPIC COMMENT by Benedict Weerasena and Abel Benjamin Lim COMMENT by Dr A. Soorian
9 SPEAK UP theSUN ON THURSDAY | MARCH 2, 2023 Earthquake zones need to prepare I N California, seismologists are warning that both Los Angeles and San Francisco are due for massive earthquakes. In India, there are grave questions about how tens of millions would fare should the unthinkable happen. In the Philippines, residents are discussing “doomsday” scenarios in which an earthquake would hit the sprawling capital. In the Balkans, Middle East, earthquake-prone island nations of east Asia, and all along the heavily populated Pacific coast of the Americas, which rests along some of the most dangerous cracks on Earth, the same question resounded in the wake of the Feb 6 disaster that befell southern Turkiye and northern Syria: “Are we ready for the big one?” “Estamos preparados?”, demanded the headline on a Feb 19 editorial in the El Diario in Colombia, where an earthquake in 1999 killed more than 1,000 people. The conclusion of various experts is that many earthquake hotspots are woefully unprepared, and could suffer another disaster like the one that has already killed at least 50,000 in Turkiye and Syria. And if there is a single silver lining to the disaster earlier this month, it is that it could serve as a wake-up call, both for Turkiye and for other seismically active areas. “It is important that we take advantage of this circumstance, which had such an impact on public opinion, to answer the general question that emerges from all previous ones: Are we prepared?” wrote Duarte Caldeira, a chair of the board of directors at Portugal’s Centre for Studies and Intervention in Civil Protection, for the news outlet AbrilAbril. As aftershocks and tremors continue to rattle southern Turkiye more than two weeks after the initial quakes, civic leaders, politicians and ordinary citizens living in seismic danger zones are asking themselves whether their buildings are safe, their evacuation procedures sound, and whether they will know what to do if disaster strikes. “There is normally a golden window of opportunity after an event like this for there to be some kind of advancement in policy,” says Ziggy Lubkowski, a civil engineer specialising in earthquakes at Arup, a London-based architecture and design firm. Earthquakes cannot be prevented. They are a reality of a geologically active planet with a fiery core and constantly shifting topography. But engineering resilience and civilprotection measures can mitigate the impact of natural disasters. In 1985, a massive earthquake wrought havoc on Mexico’s Michoacan province, killing more than 10,000 people, including in the country’s nearby capital. Hastily constructed buildings collapsed, and the famously corrupt government of the time botched its rescue efforts, at first refusing offers of foreign aid. But last year, when another large quake struck in almost the same location, only two people were killed, a difference some experts attribute to sturdier construction standards and better disaster-management preparations, but due mostly to a modified understanding of how earthquakes affect soil. Construction codes after 1985 took into account soil and ground composition, which can amplify or blunt the impact of an earthquake. The world now understands the dangers of building on soft soil in an earthquake zone, but continues to do it anyway. The damage caused by the earthquake in Turkiye was exacerbated by poor adherence to construction regulations Property developers cut costs by using substandard materials and inappropriate designs, and then paid the government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan for exemptions as part of successive amnesty programmes. More than 6,000 buildings collapsed. Among them were luxury highrises built in recent years. “This is totally unacceptable,” says professor emeritus of civil and environmental engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Eduardo Kausel. “This is a failure of policy.” Experts say that Turkiye should have known better and learnt from past disasters. After the infamous 1960 earthquake struck Chile, a 9.5 magnitude calamity that remains the most powerful seismic event ever recorded, the country upgraded its building codes and then enforced them. When another powerful earthquake struck in 2010, it caused far fewer fatalities and less damage. “Chile doesn’t have amnesties,” says Kausel. “It has very strict building codes, and they are enforced.” Turkiye’s rapid growth and urbanisation over the last quartercentury was seen in many parts of the developing world as a model for growth. Ankara has spread its influence by investing in its armed forces and expanding its military footprint in the Middle East and Africa. Following the earthquake, Turkiye is now being seen as a cautionary tale of wasted resources and lessons not learnt. Around the world, voices are calling on governments not to repeat the same mistakes. “It is imperative that developing economies governments, instead of investing in new weapons, build up rescue infrastructures on priority basis,” columnist Naqi Akbar wrote in Pakistan Today. “National security imperatives need to be debated and balanced with health infrastructures, whose utility is greater to reach out to people in distress in the aftermath of natural disasters.” Many other regions of the world are now noticing shortcomings and failures similar to those in Turkiye. In Lisbon, planners are aware that around two-thirds of the city’s 450,000 buildings were built before 1990. In Israel, the press are reporting that only US$2 million (RM8.95 million) of US$1.5 billion allocated in 2019 to strengthen older buildings has been spent. In California, public safety advocates have warned that the same brittle concrete that crumbled in southern Turkiye is used in many buildings in Los Angeles. “California’s cities – of older buildings remain at risk, with significant economic and social disruption, and prolonged recovery times,” said a statement issued on Feb 23 by the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute and the Structural Engineers Association of California. “Future large earthquakes will occur in California. How we prepare now will impact how we respond and recover later.” Engineers say that building a new structure with advanced earthquake features is relatively straightforward. But upgrading an older building is more costly and complicated, and, unlike rebuilding a facade or planting a garden, doing so may not increase its market value. “Earthquakes are very unforgiving,” says Kit Miyamoto, CEO of Miyamoto International, a structural engineering firm specialising in disaster risk reduction. “If you do only 90% right, the 10% will kill you.” Devastating earthquakes, such as those that struck Turkiye and Syria have a wider effect around the world, draining already badly taxed global humanitarian resources and funding. Earthquake experts warn that a number of major cities along active fault lines are due for large-scale earthquakes. They include Istanbul, Tehran, Manila, Jakarta and Wellington in New Zealand, as well as major cities along the Pacific coasts of the Americas. Even an earthquake directly beneath a city in Japan, the world’s most seismically active nation and one that prides itself on its disaster preparedness and engineering prowess, would collapse older buildings and wreak havoc. “There are hotspots everywhere,” says Miyamoto, speaking from Ukraine, where he has been assessing buildings for damage caused by Russian missiles. “The seismic hazard has not changed. It is all the same. But if you compare it to 50 years ago, cities today are much bigger, taller and denser, but without proper engineering or planning.” Experts say that public pressure now can help lower the impact of a disaster later. Across the world, many are already calling for action. It is urgent that governments act now, before inertia sets in. “Lawmakers should immediately get started on updating the building code,” said an editorial in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, one of the country’s top news outlets. “The government must ensure that its rules and regulations are strictly enforced, otherwise efforts to mitigate disaster would be useless.” – The Independent At least 50,000 people were killed in the earthquake in Turkiye and Syria. – REUTERSPIC Revolutionary reading system for children OUR education system needs a revolution to put us on par with our global competitors. Our weakest link is language mastery, especially in English, since it is the language of international communication. If we can teach our children to read newspapers by age six, we can be well ahead of our competitors. Many of our local university graduates have difficulty even reading an English newspaper like theSun. The common myth is that only child geniuses can read newspapers by age six. I recently met Grace Chow, who has accomplished this with her students in her kindergarten. She did extensive research to come out with her trademarked system called “Activbot”, by combining the best of AI (Artificial Intelligence), internet of Things, Phonics, Multiple-Intelligence, Multisensory learning and Brain Science. The three essential languages to master in Malaysia are English, Mandarin and Bahasa Melayu. This is what the Activbot system teaches. Even babies as young as one year old can learn from Activbot. In fact, studies have found that babies’ brains are the best learning machines ever created, and that infants’ learning is timesensitive. Their brains will never be better at learning a second language up until three years of age,” said co-author Patricia Kuhl, co-director of I-LABS and a University of Washington professor of speech and hearing sciences. There is no need to force your child. The Activbot system comes together with an AI pen, a playful little robot and online learning – your child will naturally want to learn in a fun and exciting way. Activbot is probably the best language learning system for your child because: 0 It is fun, child-friendly and self-paced; 0 It learning through play; 0 It follows the World Health Organisation guidelines on digital learning; 0 Uses the Jolly Phonics system, learning sounds instead of words; 0 Introduces the use of high frequency words; 0 Uses a microphone to read aloud to build confidence. Children love this. 0 Adopts a multi-sensory and multiintelligence approach; 0 Enhances learning speed and effectiveness through digital technology. Grace has been invited to participate in the “Kind 2023 Malaysia” exhibition, themed “Kindness unites humanity”, being held today and tomorrow. Visitors will be able to meet six yearold Aiden Lim reading newspapers after a six month stint with Activbot. Another of Grace’s students, Jaseindran, was transformed from being a reserved boy to a student studying medicine at a local university. Grace recommends books that will teach a child to ask questions – a prerequisite for HIT (Higher Intelligence Thinking) that promotes STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education, in line with our Education Ministry’s objective. She is passionate about helping the B40 children. She has also trained teachers to use the Activbot system for charities like the Salvation Army and the Ti-Ratana Welfare Society. She is open to helping other children welfare organisations too, and appeals to corporations for sponsorships for this endeavour. Dr Yew Kam Keong Chief Mind Unzipper Mindbloom Consulting █ BYBORZOU DARAGAHI LETTERS [email protected] “The conclusion of various experts is that many earthquake hotspots are woefully unprepared and could suffer another disaster like the one that has already killed at least 50,000 in Turkiye and Syria. And if there is a single silver lining to the disaster earlier this month, it is that it could serve as a wake-up call, both for Turkiye and for other seismically active areas.
10 theSUN ON THURSDAY | MARCH 2, 2023 PETALING JATA: Paramount Corporation Bhd’s property division’s strong performance in 2022 coupled with the improvement in the financial performance of its other businesses showed the ability of the group’s businesses to thrive in the year of recovery, said its group CEO Jeffrey Chew. “The full reopening of the economy in the second quarter of 2022 had led to a surge in sales and we are happy to say that the momentum has been sustained. By the first nine months, we had already exceeded the financial results of the full year 2021,” he added. He said the property division achieved 23% improvement in revenue at RM823.4 million for FY2022 (FY2021: RM672.1 million – including RM90 million in land sale) and a 33% growth in profit before tax (PBT) at RM104.7 million (FY2021: RM78.6 million). The top three revenue contributors in FY2022 were Sejati Lakeside development in Selangor, Utropolis Batu Kawan development in Penang and Bukit Banyan development in Kedah. Chew said, “The group achieved two new milestones in FY2022. Firstly, it achieved its highest ever sales of RM1.1 billion, surpassing its record in 2018.” “Secondly, it launched RM1.2 billion properties, of which RM0.9 billion was launched in the final quarter of 2022, including Phase 1 of Sejati Lakeside 2 in Cyberjaya (nonstrata double storey semi-detached homes), The Atera in Petaling Jaya (a transit-oriented development) and Greenwoods Seraya in Sepang (townhouses).” He also said these three projects were expected to contribute positively to the group’s sales performance in 2023, given the good response they had received. “Riding on this momentum, Chew said Paramount would be launching seven projects (including new phases of existing projects) in 2023 with an estimated gross development value of RM1.5 billion. “We believe Paramount Property as The People’s Developer will continue to enjoy the trust and confidence of buyers,” he said, adding that these include Savana, Utropolis Batu Kawan in Penang (freehold serviced apartments), Phase 2 of Sejati Lakeside 2 in Cyberjaya (non-strata double storey semidetached homes) and Paramount Palmera in Bukit Minyak, Penang (strategically located light industrial properties). Chew said he was confident with its property division’s ability to achieve a sales target of RM1.2 billion given that demand for residential properties has always been resilient on the growth of the Malaysian economy. The Malaysian GDP is expected to grow by 4-5% in 2023. Unbilled sales stood at RM1.4 billion as at Dec 31, 2022, which would provide some visibility of cashflow in the near term, contingent on construction progress. The group’s land bank stood at 565.5 acres, including the land that it has development rights where The Atera is being built, and the 64.3 acres in Sepang added at the end of the year. Paramount Corporation Bhd (Paramount) announced on Monday that it was proposing a final dividend of 3.5 sen for FY2022, on top of the 12 sen special dividend to be paid on March 29, 2023 as reward to shareholders. Paramount recorded a revenue of RM847.5 million and a PBT of RM105.1 million for FY2022, which were 24% and 50% respectively higher than in the previous year. The FY2022 PBT included a RM15 million net gain from two asset monetisation exercises in FY2022. Profit attributable to shareholders was RM60.2 million for FY2022, a 111% jump from RM28.5 million in FY2021. Digitalisation seen as key to spurring growth, innovation KUALA LUMPUR: Country Heights Holdings Bhd (CHHB) and L1 Bank founder and adviser Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew believes that digitalisation is key to further spurring the growth and innovation in the property industry. Lee who was a speaker at The 2023 Malaysian Housing and Property Summit titled “Reimagining Development in the Post Pandemic Era” at Berjaya Times Square Hotel Kuala Lumpur who reminisced that 2023 is the 50th anniversary of his arrival in Kuala Lumpur with just RM100 recalled starting in the property industry with singlestorey shoplots, and eventually founded Country Heights and transformed the largest open cast tin mine into a fully integrated resort city, in a meaningful yet turmoil journey. Besides that, CHHB has also developed various other renowned sites locally and internationally including MSC Cyberjaya, Palace of Golden Horses, the 1.5 million sq ft Mines International Exhibition and Convention Centre, shopping centres, Excel London, as well as development projects in South Africa. Lee stressed that throughout his journey as a developer, the housing industry works very closely and has influenced hundreds of other industries, from concrete to piling, and has spurred the innovation of all these related industries, with a notable example of being the self-healing concrete, one of the most significant inventions in the 20th century. He emphasised that the property industry accounts for a significant portion of the national GDP and growth, and that all developers have worked very closely with the government to provide not just homes, but also the utilities and infrastructure such as electrical substations and roads. As younger generations nowadays have an increasing awareness of their lifestyles, Lee said the Malaysian property industry can have a strong advantage in this area, especially when tied together with the current demand for high living standards with lower costs. He suggested the removal of the entry barrier for foreign buyers to enter the Malaysian property market so that the local property industry can achieve further growth with the capital influx not only from the US, China and the EU countries, but also from neighbouring countries such as Singapore and Indonesia. He also mentioned the need for the adoption of technology and digitalisation in the property industry and took the opportunity to introduce his idea of digitalising the industry in the Web3 era with technologies such as blockchain and Security Tokens Offering. With the new digital era approaching and with technologies like Siri and ChatGPT, Lee said a change is inevitable and the property industry must also adapt and transform itself. oCountry Heights founder tells how he transformed the largest open cast tin mine into a fully integrated resort city Stamp duty exemptions boon for first-time housebuyers KUALA LUMPUR: PropertyGuru Malaysia commended the government’s decision to introduce several rakyat-focused initiatives in the recent Budget 2023 announcement, in line with the Malaysia Madani framework to build towards an inclusive and prosperous nation for all. With this, it welcomed the continued initiative of stamp duty exemptions for firsttime homeowners with a full exemption given for properties worth RM500,000 and below and 75% discounts given for properties between RM500,000 and RM1 million. Its country manager Sheldon Fernandez said they look forward to seeing how the local real estate market would be boosted by such initiatives, which in turn, would inspire prospective homebuyers by easing heavy financial commitments that some may not be able to meet. “To further address affordability issues in the property market, we have seen through our study – PropertyGuru Malaysia Consumer Sentiment Study H2 2022, that 69% of Malaysian respondents would resume their property purchasing plans should the Home Ownership Campaign (HOC) return or a similar initiative be introduced,” he added. He also commended the government for the initiative to build more People’s Housing Projects (PPR) with the allocation of RM367 million to support Malaysians seeking homes that are suitable for their needs at affordable costs. In addition, he said the government’s Syarikat Jaminan Kredit Perumahan (SJKP) financial scheme to assist borrowers with unstable incomes worth up to RM5 billion in 2023 will be a crucial step to fulfilling the needs of the rakyat and providing housing to those with non-standard incomes. Moreover, he added the RM358 million allotment for the Rumah Mesra Rakyat programme to construct 4,250 affordable homes would further support Malaysians on their homeownership journey. “On a broader scale, we also further welcome the allocation of RM30 million to improve and revitalise key city centre areas and make public housing in Kuala Lumpur more liveable. These are important initiatives that will help improve residents’ quality of life,” said Fernandez. Sime Darby Property secures 100% take-up for Tower One of Serasi Residences PETALING JAYA: Sime Darby Property Bhd has secured a 100% take-up of Serasi Residences where all 507 units of Tower One were snapped up within minutes upon the official launch through the in-house Online Booking System on Feb 25 that provides customers with a complete end-to-end homebuying ecosystem. Its chief marketing and sales officer Datuk Lai Shu Wei said that the homebuyers’ response to the residence proves the group’s ability to understand the market as well as provide the right products at the right locations and price points. “This achievement is a reflection of Sime Darby Property’s goal to create destinations that elevate living and mobility. It is also a great way to kickstart our series of TOD to be part of the well-established Subang Jaya, with more of such master-planned developments to be included in our townships across the country in the near future. “These homes are targeted towards firsttime homebuyers within the middle-income household category. Our focus is not just on the pricing, but we also put great emphasis in ensuring that the homes we built were designed to overcome the typical shortcomings of conventional affordable homes,” he said in a statement. Serasi Residences is a new landmark of the property developer’s Putra Heights township and is a range of freehold service apartments located within Putra Heights Sentral (PHS), the group’s latest Transit Oriented Development (TOD). It combines the rapid evolution of townships and public transportation systems in the Klang Valley and meets the massive demand for properties in close proximity to major public transportation hubs. The residence comprises 1,428 units, of which 749 are open market service apartments priced from RM356,000 while the remaining 679 units are Servis Apartmen Mampu Milik, sold at a controlled fixed price of RM250,000 by Lembaga Perumahan dan Hartanah Selangor. Additionally, it is the first of four phases to be launched within PHS, which covers a 25- acre area in the Putra Heights township comprising residential and commercial components. It offers modern facilities including an Olympic-length swimming pool as well as a multipurpose hall with two badminton courts. It is connected to various major highways such as the North–South Expressway Central Link, Damansara-Puchong Expressway, Shah Alam Expressway and New Klang Valley Expressway. The Putra Heights Linear Park is home to an eight-acre park with a walking trail along Bukit Cermin, as well as a 15km cycling path throughout the Putra Heights township. This will be further complemented by the upcoming Putra Heights Community Park set to be completed by the end of 2023. Paramount’s property division achieves 23% improvement for FY22 Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew giving his talk at the 2023 Malaysian Housing and Property Summit.
KLCI 1,450.20 70.97 STI 3,255.08 HANG SENG 20,619.71 833.77 SCI 3,312.35 32.74 NIKKEI 27,516.53 7.55 TSEC 15,598.49 94.70 KOSPI CLOSED S&P/ASX200 7,251.60 THURSDAY MARCH 2, 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 March 1, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (sen) +/– (sen) ICON 284,712,600 9.0 -3.0 VELESTO 129,001,800 19.5 +0.5 MYEG 97,587,900 73.5 +1.5 HSI-HKO 96,991,200 23.0 -17.0 HSI-CLN 84,101,800 36.5 +13.5 EXCHANGERATES MARCH 1, 2023 Foreign currency Bank sell Bank buy Bank buy TT/OD TT OD 1 US DOLLAR 4.5560 4.4220 4.4120 1 AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR 3.0730 2.9510 2.9350 1 BRUNEI DOLLAR 3.3760 3.2770 3.2690 1 CANADIAN DOLLAR 3.3330 3.2440 3.2320 1 EURO 4.8220 4.6660 4.6460 1 NEW ZEALAND DOLLAR 2.8260 2.7230 2.7070 1 SINGAPORE DOLLAR 3.3760 3.2770 3.2690 1 STERLING POUND 5.4860 5.3130 5.2930 1 SWISS FRANC 4.8210 4.7090 4.6940 100 UAE DIRHAM 125.5100 119.0100 118.8100 100 BANGLADESH TAKA 4.4350 4.1600 3.9600 100 CHINESE RENMINBI 65.6000 63.1000 N/A 100 HONGKONG DOLLAR 58.6700 55.7600 55.5600 100 INDIAN RUPEE 5.6000 5.2600 5.0600 100 INDONESIAN RUPIAH 0.0309 0.0280 0.0230 100 JAPANESE YEN 3.3470 3.2420 3.2320 100 NEW TAIWAN DOLLAR 15.9000 N/A N/A 100 PAKISTAN RUPEE 1.7700 1.6600 1.4600 100 PHILIPPINE PESO N/A N/A N/A 100 QATAR RIYAL 126.1600 119.7600 119.5600 100 SAUDI RIYAL 122.7700 116.5500 116.3500 100 THAI BAHT 13.5000 11.9700 11.5700 Source: Malayan Banking Berhad/Bernama KL MARKET SUMMARY March 1, 2023 INDICES CHANGE FBMEMAS 10,557.30 -21.70 FBMKLCI 1,450.20 -3.99 CONSUMER PRODUCTS 582.21 -2.27 INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS 176.82 -0.61 CONSTRUCTION 162.41 +0.67 FINANCIAL SERVICES 16,183.10 -11.70 ENERGY 848.32 +4.75 TELECOMMUNICATIONS 590.80 -0.35 HEALTH CARE 1,587.16 -16.40 TRANSPORTATION 933.65 -16.40 PROPERTY 682.01 +2.09 PLANTATION 6,762.42 -4.22 FBMSHA 10,756.00 -41.60 FBMACE 5,396.43 +38.16 TECHNOLOGY 64.19 +0.25 TURNOVER VALUE 3.212 BIL RM2.039 BIL 5 TOP GAINERS March 1, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (RM) +/– RM BLDPLNT 700 10.90 +0.99 HSI-CLS 3,000 2.12 +0.33 HSI-CLJ 678,900 0.975 +0.275 HSI-CLZ 661,000 0.915 +0.235 HSI-CLQ 267,100 0.725 +0.205 5 TOP LOSERS March 1, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (RM) +/– RM HEXTECH 54,100 25.94 -1.06 BAT 767,400 11.34 -0.44 AEONCR 350,100 11.60 -0.40 CARLSBG 153,800 22.58 -0.38 PETDAG 386,000 20.640 -0.38 3.99 6.80 Govt aims to boost FDI realisation rate of RM200b KUALA LUMPUR: The government targets to increase the realisation rate of foreign direct investments (FDI) of RM200 billion registered in the past three years which stood at 30%, to boost upskilling programmes and resolve talent shortage to spur job employment, said Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli (pix). “In the past few years, the real issue in the economy is not so much of not getting investments. It is about bridging the gap of what the investments need in terms of workforce and talent with what we can provide. “In the economy now, there is a mismatch. People talk about not having jobs and having to do low-paying jobs, but when you look at the list of jobs advertised, and you talk to the industry, they will talk about talent shortage. “We now have RM200 billion in the last three years that had been approved. We want to realise a lot more than just 30%. But for that, the government has to work with the industry and the investors to bridge this skills mismatch,” he told reporters during a press conference after witnessing the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signing between Malaysian Petroleum Resources Corp (MPRC) and IFP Energies Nouvelles (IFPEN) at Hilton Hotel Kuala Lumpur yesterday. He said that the country is stuck in the “middle income trap” and is unable to elevate into high-value income activities driven by its heavy reliance on the manufacturing sector, which utilises substantial manual labour. “Through these kind of programmes, and MoU we hope to be able to bridge that gap in terms of skill mismatch, so that those █ BY GLORIA HARRY BEATTY [email protected] BCorp announces changes in boardroom KUALA LUMPUR: Effective March 1, Berjaya Corporation Bhd (BCorp) has made several changes in its boardroom to bring the group to greater heights. The group’s founder Tan Sri Vincent Tan Chee Yioun, who turned 71 in February 2023, has relinquished his position as nonindependent non-executive chairman of BCorp and assumed the role of adviser to provide guidance to the board and support the continued growth of the group. The new line-up reflects an all-female BCorp boardroom comprising: 0 Tunku Tun Aminah Sultan Ibrahim Ismail – non-independent nonexecutive chairman 0 Vivienne Cheng Chi Fan – joint group CEO/executive director 0 Nerine Tan Sheik Ping – joint group CEO/executive director 0 Norlela Baharudin – executive director 0 Chryseis Tan Sheik Ling – executive o Vincent Tan steps down as chairman, will assume role as adviser director 0 Dr Jayanti Naidu G. Danasamy – independent non-executive director 0 Penelope Gan Paik Ling – independent non-executive director 0 Datuk Leong Kwei Chun (Datuk Anne Eu) – independent non-executive director Commenting on the new board line-up, Tan said, “The latest changes in the BCorp boardroom reflect the group’s commitment to promote women’s empowerment in the workplace. I have every confidence in the leadership abilities of all the women on the board to effectively lead the group to greater heights.” “In my adviser’s role, I will still be very much involved with the group and its business activities, but now I shall be able to devote more of my time to promote my charitable foundation Yayasan MyFirst Home, which is almost one year old now. I am particularly passionate about finding solutions to assist the B40 group to be able to buy and own an affordable home which is the reason I founded Yayasan MyFirst Home with a personal donation of RM5 million to fund its initial start-up and operating costs. I truly believe Yayasan MyFirst Home will be able to make a difference in its endeavours to help the B40 group to own their own homes. I strongly urge all Malaysians, especially the rich and powerful among us, to help the lower income B40s to buy their own affordable homes so that when they eventually retire and are no longer gainfully employed, they will have a roof over their head,” he added. Meanwhile, Datuk Sri Robin Tan Yeong Ching has been appointed as Berjaya Land Bhd (BLand) non-independent nonexecutive deputy chairman and Tan Peng Lam as BLand independent non-executive director effective March 1. In addition, Syed Ali Shahul Hameed has been redesignated as BLand group CEO and Datuk Abdul Rahim Md Zin as BLand group executive director, while Datuk Robert Yong Kuen Loke will continue to serve as BLand Senior independent non-executive director. who were not trained with specific expertise in green technology in high value skills can be very quickly upgraded, so that they can pivot and take up these jobs,” he added. Moving forward, he said the government will “definitely” increase collaborations and MoUs to address talent upskilling. The other sectors that the government will be looking into are green technology and digital economy. “Green technology, the low hanging fruits certainly revolves around solar. If we take domestic usage of solar, there’s a huge opportunity for us to train the vocational graduates to handle solar installments and to manage pushing solar adoption at the domestic level. “The other one big area that we will be focusing on as well is the digital economy because the oil and gas sector perhaps takes slightly longer in terms of training but the need for more software engineers, data scientists, product managers, digital marketers, the time taken to upskill them is actually shorter, and we have a huge gap. A huge mismatch between what the industry needs and what the market can provide. So one area that I hope we’ll be focusing in the next six months is certainly the digital area as well,” he remarked. Commenting on MP Titiwangsa Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani’s call for targeted subsidies recently, Rafizi said that the call for “retargeting subsidies” has generally been accepted. However, he noted that for gasoline fuel subsidies particularly, the government has to ensure that “when it is rolled out, we balance between some competing concerns.” He said the first concern is to make sure that it is inclusive and don’t exclude some groups that are really in need of assistance or fuel subsidy. He added that the second concern is to make sure that “we don’t unwittingly push the inflation to go up” because as you remove subsidy, consequently retailers and the businesses will have to factor the higher costs of fuel into their pricing. Rafizi said that to balance all these, they need a good infrastructure, such as the national database infrastructure. Meanwhile, MPRC president/CEO Mohd Yazid Ja’afar said that through this MoU, both parties will seek opportunities to work together to support the implementation of the oil & gas services and equipment (OGSE) blueprint as well as contribute to the achievement of national sustainability goals. “This will cover areas including the energy transition and the decarbonisation journey, as well as human capital development in these areas, in line with the government’s policies on economic development and commitments to the low-carbon future and to the country’s national determined contributions to the Paris Agreement. “With this agreement with institute of research and training in energy IFPEN, we expect to elevate outcomes of the OGSE blueprint by uncovering new opportunities for Malaysian OGSE companies to harness and enhance their long-term growth potential. This will strengthen OGSE companies’ resilience to tackle business imperatives even beyond the OGSE blueprint’s 2030 finish line and safeguard their sustainability for the longterm,” he added. Participation 45.0 27.1 27.9 100.0 Institutions Retail Foreign Bought RM m 938.4 574.5 526.9 2039.8 Sold RM m 896.6 532.1 611.1 2039.8 Net RM m 41.8 42.4 -84.2 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 S E C U R I T I E S S D N. B H D. 197201001092 (12738-U) 1/03/2023
12 theSUN ON THURSDAY | MARCH 2, 2023 SUNBIZ Sime Darby Property to tread cautiously in FY23 PETALING JAYA: Sime Darby Property Bhd (SDP) plans to cautiously tread financial year 2023 (FY23) with more practical ambitions in view of the ongoing industry challenges of labour issues and rising raw material prices as well as another overnight policy rate hike anticipated this year. SDP group managing director Datuk Azmir Merican said it will continue to undertake landbank management and monetisation activities with the proposed acquisition of up to 948 acres of land in Klang and disposal of non-core lands. Group will continue to undertake landbank management and monetisation activities as well as disposal of non-core lands to maintain growth. – SIME DARBY WEBSITE oOngoing labour issues, rising raw material prices as well as OPR hike continue to bring headwinds for the group █ BYHAYATUN RAZAK [email protected] “It is wise of us to have a lower target. But we will be agile, so if the markets are good, we can take advantage of the condition,” he said during its virtual full-year financial briefing. In the financial year 2022 (FY22), SDP recorded its highest sales achievement since its 2017 demerger of RM3.7 billion, supported by RM2.6 billion gross development value worth of new launches. The group recorded over two-fold increase in net profit to RM315.84 million from RM146.89 million during the year, underpinned by higher revenue from all three business segments especially for the property development segment. FY22’s revenue increased 23.7% to RM2.74 billion from RM2.22 billion in the same period of the financial year 2021 (FY21). All three business segments – property development, investment and asset management, and leisure – recorded improved performance, especially the property development segment as backed by sales of industrial and residential products throughout the year and increased onsite development activities towards the end of the year. The investment and asset management as well as the leisure segment’s performance have also turned around due to the overall improved economic environment. “The result was complemented by our wide range of products. We were indeed in the eye of the storm, particularly with labour-related challenges and escalating material prices. “Although our full-year revenue did not expand as much as we would like to, it was still very respectable. More importantly, we maintain a solid margin for the full year at 30%,” said Azmir. For the fourth quarter of the year (Q4’22), its net profit grew 64.3% to RM103.15 million from RM62.77 million a year earlier on the back of higher revenue. Revenue for Q4’22 grew 29.6% to RM956.9 million from RM738.44 million last year, with the property development segment doubling its performance as compared to the same quarter last year. “The improved operational performance was attributable to strong property sales of industrial and residential products and increased onsite development activities towards the end of the current quarter,” said Azmir. Sime Darby Property is Malaysia’s biggest property developer in terms of land bank, with approximately 15,000 acres available land bank with a total estimated GDV of RM100 billion. MAG’s Q2 net profit jumps 28% on-year, revenue surges to RM43.3m KUALA LUMPUR: MAG Holdings Bhd has maintained its growth momentum as net profit jumped by 28.1% to RM8.6 million in its second quarter ended Dec 31, 2022 (2QFY2023) as compared to RM6.7 million in the corresponding quarter a year ago. Meanwhile, the group’s revenue more than doubled to RM43.3 million in 2QFY2023 from RM14.6 million in 2QFY2022. The higher net profit recorded was mainly due to the higher revenue during the quarter. This was mainly due to the increased sales from the aquaculture business. MAG Holdings Bhd executive chairman Ng Min Lin said, “We are excited to continue with our expansion in the aquaculture business that has helped us to maintain our earnings growth since FY2021. Despite the macroeconomic challenges such as the geopolitical tension, global inflationary pressure, logistic and transportation costs as well as the shortages of labour, we have MAG’s Wakuba farm in Tawau. Moody’s maintains stable outlook on 13 Apac banking systems KUALA LUMPUR: Moody’s Investors Service has maintained a stable outlook on 13 Asia-Pacific (Apac) banking systems, including Malaysia. In a statement yesterday, the credit rating agency said Malaysia’s banking system outlook remained stable underpinned by strong economic growth and robust credit metrics across the system. “While weakening exports will weigh on Malaysia’s economic growth, strong domestic demand will support it as the country’s labour conditions improve and inflation will remain lower than regional peers. “Banks’ ample loan-loss buffers and the ongoing forbearance measures will mitigate asset risks from weak borrowers,” it said. Moody’s said stable net interest margins and loan-loss provisions would help keep banks’ pre-tax profitability broadly steady while the absence of a one-off prosperity tax would boost their bottom-line profitability in 2023. It said banks’ capitalisation and liquidity would remain strong as credit growth slowed moderately given the expectation of further policy rate hikes this year. – Bernama TH to announce 2022 profit distribution early second quarter KUALA LUMPUR: Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) will announce its profit distribution for year 2022 early in the second quarter of this year after its financial position has been audited and approved. Previously, TH’s profit distribution was declared in the first quarter of the year based on its initial financial position. This decision takes into account the recommendations for improvement as well as the initial feedback of the Royal Commission of Inquiry, in line with Tabung Haji’s efforts to strengthen the operation, its management and governance of the national Hajj institution. TH continues to remain committed in providing a sustainable and stable profit distribution which is in line with the mandate of its establishment to manage the savings of Malaysian Muslims for the purpose of completing the fifth pillar of Islam. Lembaga Tabung Haji is an Islamic institution that continuously strives to provide various facilities which are comprehensive and systematic for the welfare of Malaysian Hajj Pilgrims. EPMB back to profitability in FY22, revenue crosses RM500m KUALA LUMPUR: Main Market-listed EP Manufacturing Bhd (EPMB) posted its first annual net profit in seven years in the financial year ended Dec 31, 2022 (FY2022), driven by stronger sales of automotive parts as carmakers continued to clear their elevated backlog orders. This elevated EPMB’s revenue to cross the RM500 million-mark for the first time since 2015. In FY2022, the group recorded a net profit of RM0.4 million as compared to a net loss of RM8.19 million in the previous year. The bottomline improvement was achieved on the back of higher production output, which in turn resulted in improved economies of scale for the group. Meanwhile, EPMB’s revenue increased by 49.6% year-on-year (y-o-y) to RM516.33 million. EPMB acting CEO Lim Sim Yee said: “The positive financial performance in FY2022 is a prelude to EPMB’s improved results expected this year. We are optimistic that our business strategies implemented in recent years will keep us on a positive growth trajectory. While the domestic automotive industry is expected to see slower sales in 2023, the introduction of new car models by leading manufacturers, including electric vehicles, would help entice and sustain buying interest among consumers. EPMB will focus on new market opportunities that can contribute positively to the group’s results for FY2023.” In the fourth quarter ended Dec 31, 2022 (4QFY2022), EPMB reported a revenue of RM186.7 million, which represented a 50.7% increase from the turnover of RM123.87 million registered in the immediate preceding quarter. The group returned to the black with a net profit of RM2.3 million as compared to a net loss of RM0.56 million in 3QFY2022. The higher revenue recorded was attributed to the reimbursement of tooling cost by customers and increased sales volume as carmakers stepped up deliveries of vehicles booked during the sales tax exemption period. managed to navigate through these challenges and emerged stronger.” For the first half of its financial year ended Dec 31, 2022 (1HFY2023), MAG also reported an improved financial performance as net profit increased by 24.8% yearon-year (yoy) to RM15.6 million. Meanwhile, MAG’s revenue increased by more than double to RM73.6 million in 1HFY2023 as compared to RM32.7 million in 1HFY2022. Going forward, Ng remains excited over MAG’s aspiration to be among the top three players in Malaysia’s aquaculture industry. “We continue to focus on prawn aquaculture as our main business driver. In fact, we are consistently looking for opportunities to strengthen our position as a leading prawn aquaculture in the industry.” Ng is confident that their expanded business at Wakuba Farm in Tawau will put them in a stronger position in the aquaculture industry and will contribute positively to the financial performance of the group moving forward.
13 * SUNBIZ theSUN ON THURSDAY | MARCH 2, 2023 KUALA LUMPUR: Central Global Bhd (CGB) posted RM203.90 million in revenue, a growth of RM96.85 million or 90%, for its cumulative 12-month financial period ended Dec 31, 2022. It said this yesterday when announcing interim results for the fourth quarter (Q4) and consolidated results for the financial year ended Dec 31 2022. CGB posted profit after tax (PAT) of RM12.79 million, an increase of RM19.88 million, for the year, from a loss after tax of RM7.09 million in the preceding year. Meanwhile, the group’s Q4’22 saw revenue and PAT of RM57.95 million and RM1.98 million, respectively. CGB’s construction segment continued to be the group’s major revenue contributor with RM146.05 million, comprising approximately 72% of the group’s total revenue. The growth of RM96.85 million in the group’s total revenue for the cumulative 12-month period ended Dec 31, 2022 continued to be driven by the infrastructure construction project namely the Lahad Datu Phase 1 Water Supply System, and its residential construction projects, specifically the Montage and Beacon projects. CGB’s group managing director Chew Hian Tat (pic) said, “Our strong FYE2022 results were underpinned by the stellar performance of our construction segment. At the moment, our outstanding order book stands at RM383.51 million as a result of our active residential and infrastructure construction projects. To ensure a healthy replenishment of projects, we continue to source for opportunities in both the domestic and regional markets.” Despite the local construction industry’s anticipated subdued outlook in 2023, the Group is hopeful that faster-than-expected rollout of Mass Rapid Transit 3 and a potential bump-up in development expenditure (DE) allocation in 2024 and 2025 by the government to meet the RM400 billion planned DE under the 12th Malaysia Plan will be the catalysts for the industry’s growth. “Our manufacturing segment faced moderate headwinds as a result of the on-going price war amongst other masking tapes industry players which impacted our revenue to a certain degree. Nevertheless, we remain optimistic of a better performance in the upcoming quarters, especially with our new mixers installed and commissioned which will lead to increased productivity and efficiency,” he added. Central Global registers higher revenue, profit after tax Budget 2023 benefits first-time homebuyers: Juwai IQI KUALA LUMPUR: Budget 2023’s focus on home ownership will benefit first-time homebuyers and support the development of affordable housing, said Juwai IQI. In a statement yesterday, co-founder and group CEO Kashif Ansari said the revised budget includes several initiatives that, combined, will involve more than RM2.2 billion to be spent on improving existing housing stock quality – either through renovation and repairs or new construction. “We support the government’s plans to improve housing stock,” said Khasif, adding that the measures will result in the construction of more than 35,000 new houses for lower-income Malaysians and 7,000 for the armed forces. The various initiatives include refurbishing houses in rural areas, fixing lifts in low-cost strata housing, and building and refurbishing housing for members of the armed forces. There are also new funds for the People’s Housing Programme (PPR), the Rumah Mesra Rakyat Programme, and Malaysian Public Housing Projects. Khasif also said that exempting buyers from stamp duty eliminates one of the difficulties of home ownership. “The stamp duty exemption is important because these taxes reduce buyers purchasing power and discourages people from upgrading or downsizing,” he said. The government has decided that the economy will benefit more from an extension of full stamp duty exemption for houses up to RM500,000 until the end of 2025. Meanwhile, the stamp duty exemption rate will be increased by half to 75% for houses valued up to RM1 million. On housing credit guarantee for gig workers, he said an allocation to help them obtain mortgages has been raised to 20,000 borrowers and RM5 billion. He said this is vital. Without this help, this would prevent home ownership, which is “the safest and most proven strategy of building wealth and security”. The number of gig workers locked out of the housing market will rise, he said. “There are more than four million gig workers in Malaysia, and these individuals usually have no fixed income. That makes it hard for them to obtain a traditional mortgage from a bank to buy a house,” said Khasif. – Bernama Novartis Malaysia is top employer for fourth year in a row KUALA LUMPUR: Novartis Malaysia has won the Top Employer – Certified Excellence in Employee Conditions award for the fourth year running in 2023, making it one of the best employers in the world. Novartis Malaysia was among 15 companies to receive recognition in Malaysia as well as at the Asia-Pacific level. This award validates Novartis Malaysia’s commitment to championing an Inspired, Curious, and Unbossed working culture at the company enabling associates to perform at their optimum levels consistently every day. The company’s philosophy of empowering human connection and collaboration has proven to be a key ingredient in its continued success as a leading multinational company in the country. Novartis Malaysia country manager Mohamed Elwakil said, “It is an amazing honour, to be recognised as a top employer in Malaysia and Asia-Pacific not once, but four years in a row. This validates our presence as a leading innovative medicines company helping to extend and improve the lives of over 32 million Malaysians.” “Winning this award reinforces our commitment to ensure conducive policies are in place to maintain an inclusive working environment,” he added. Novartis Malaysia’s People and Organisation country head Anne Heng said “This award is a recognition of our tireless efforts to create an ecosystem and culture that is centered on nurturing and optimising talents. Being acknowledged for four years running is a huge honour and credit to our Human resources policies that have always promoted clear communication and cooperation between more than 800 associates in Malaysia to create an optimal working environment for all.” B R I E F SARB MAINTAINS GROWTH MOMENTUM IN Q2 KUALA LUMPUR: ARB Bhd maintained its growth momentum in the second quarter of its financial year ending June 30, 2023 (Q2’23), supported by revenue generated from its CRM and Smart Internet of Things (IoT) segments. ARB’s profit after tax jumped by 22% to RM4.1 million from RM3.4 million in the previous quarter. Revenue in Q2’23 was up by 29.2% to RM87.6 million compared with RM67.8 million in Q1’23. Group earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation improved by 52.8% to RM16.1 million in Q2’23 compared with RM10.6 million in Q1’23. CHINA’S MANUFACTURING GROWTH LIFTS M’SIAN RUBBER KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian rubber market ended higher yesterday as market sentiment was lifted by stronger-thanexpected growth in China’s manufacturing activity, said a dealer. “Oil prices were also up as stronger-than-expected Chinese economic data drummed up hopes for a demand rebound in the country,” she told Bernama. The Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB) price for SMR 20 was up 15.5 sen to 623.5 sen a kg, while latex-in-bulk rose 1.5 sen to 540 sen a kg. At 5pm, the MRB closing price for SMR 20 stood at 626 sen a kg, while latex-inbulk was at 543 sen a kg. – Bernama MIFF 2023 to generate sales of up to RM4.88b KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian International Furniture Fair (MIFF) 2023 is expected to generate sales of up to RM4.88 billion during its four-day show which kicked off yesterday. Deputy Prime Minister and Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said the Malaysian furniture industry has demonstrated a reputation for its quality and strength, enabling it to become a global exporter to more than 160 countries worldwide. “This industry is highly export driven, recording export value of RM11.5 billion in 2022. “While many industries have been negatively affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, Malaysian furniture exporters managed to do fairly well with exports of RM10.64 billion in 2020 and RM10.42 billion in 2021,” he said in his speech at the opening ceremony of MIFF 2023 here yesterday. Citing the Global Industry Insight Inc. report in September 2021, Fadillah said the global wooden furniture market was expected to reach US$550 billion (RM2.4 trillion) by 2027. He said this means that there is a tremendous opportunity for Malaysian manufacturers to get a bigger slice of the market and move up the value chain by developing their products and brands. “However, with the lingering impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and a projected slowdown in the global economy in 2023, businesses need to re-look at their strategies, particularly with regard to sourcing and Visitors viewing some furniture on display at MIFF 2023, which kicked off yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC oDPM: Tremendous opportunity for Malaysian furniture makers to capture a bigger slice of the global market procurement of supplies. “Exporters also should consider broadening their market and explore any promising opportunities closer to home, including the emerging markets of Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East and Africa,” he added. Meanwhile, Fadillah said the export value of timber and timber products is expected to hit RM28 billion by 2025 and RM32.8 billion by 2030. He said timber is one of the eight commodities identified under the National Agricommodity Policy 2030 to be transformed into a more sustainable, competitive and market-oriented manner to ensure the products remain a strong driver for Malaysia’s economic growth. “In order to achieve this, I believe there should be a continuous synergy between the furniture industry and the ministry as well as its agencies such as the Malaysian Timber Industry Board, Malaysian Timber Council and the Malaysian Timber Certification Council. “As a major producer and exporter of tropical timber products, Malaysia has made tremendous efforts to ensure our timber products are sourced from sustainably managed forests,” he said. As of January 2023, 37 forest management units covering a total area of 5.81 million hectares were awarded under the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme, while 362 timber companies were awarded the Chain of Custody certificate. Fadillah also urged the furniture industry players to be vigilant of the different trends catering for different markets, and to remain cognisant of the fact that the industry runs the gamut from the most basic to the most luxurious. “(And that) we as producers of furniture should examine the opportunities across the different market segments to find untapped opportunities including high value, niche premium segments unexplored by some mass furniture producers,” he added. – Bernama
14 theSUN ON THURSDAY | MARCH 2, 2023 SUNBIZ /thesuntelegram FOLLOW ON TELEGRAM SCAN ME China’s factories storm ahead as rest of Asia stalls oChinese manufacturing in February expands at quickest pace in more than 10 years, Japan’s shrinks most in 2� years TOKYO: China’s factory sector grew in February at the fastest pace in more than a decade, a standout in Asia where manufacturing growth stalled elsewhere, weighed down by slowing global demand, high inflation and interest rates, surveys showed yesterday. Stronger signs that Chinese factories are rebounding after the removal of Covid-19 curbs late last year could temper an expected downturn in the global economy this year, as the US Federal Reserve stays on its higher for longer interest rate path. China’s official manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) climbed to 52.6 last month against 50.1 in January while a private sector Citigroup completes Vietnam consumer banking sale to UOB SINGAPORE: Citigroup said yesterday that it had completed the sale of its Vietnam retail banking and consumer credit card businesses to Singapore’s United Overseas Bank in a transaction expected to result in a “modest regulatory capital benefit”. United Overseas Bank, commonly known as UOB, said in a separate statement that it planned to complete the acquisition of Citigroup’s Indonesian consumer banking business by the end of 2023. The lender announced in November the completion of its purchase of Citigroup’s Malaysia and Thailand retail banking businesses. UOB’s purchase of Citigroup’s consumer businesses in the four Southeast Asian markets for about S$5 billion (RM16.6 billion) marks its biggest acquisition in two decades. The deal will boost UOB’s existing retail customer base in the four markets, where it already has a substantial presence and competes with larger rivals, including DBS Group and OCBC. “Once completed, the acquisitions are expected to double UOB’s existing retail customer base in the four markets and add 5,000 people to its team strength,” UOB said in a statement yesterday. In another development, Indian private lender Axis Bank Ltd said it completed a deal to buy Citigroup Inc’s local consumer and nonbanking finance businesses, marking the US lender’s exit from its credit card and retail businesses in the country. The deal value of 116.03 billion rupees (RM6.3 billion) is based on the closing position of assets, assets under management and liabilities of Citi’s portfolio as of Jan 31, Axis Bank said in Mumbai. The consideration was subject to changes in the business’ position since then, said Axis Bank. The deal, when announced in March 2022, was worth 123.25 billion rupees and is Axis Bank’s biggest-ever acquisition. “Citi India consumer banking customers are now served by Axis Bank,” Citibank said on its website. – Reuters B R I E F SINDONESIA PRESIDENT LAUNCHES BUILDING OF US$2.6B HYDRO PLANT JAKARTA: Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo yesterday launched the construction of a US$2.6 billion (RM11.6 billion) hydropower plant that would be linked to a planned industrial park in North Kalimantan. The power plant, called Mentarang Induk, is being developed by PT Kayan Hydropower Nusantara, a joint venture between Indonesian companies PT Adaro Energy Indonesia and PT Kayan Patria Pratama Group, and Malaysia’s Sarawak Energy Bhd. The 1.375- gigawatt plant will be linked to an industrial area the President said will house electric vehicle and battery plants as well as aluminium and petrochemical facilities. – Reuters EURONEXT DROPS €5.5B INDICATIVE OFFER FOR ALLFUNDS PARIS: Euronext has withdrawn its €5.5 billion (RM26.2 billion) indicative offer to buy fund distribution firm Allfunds, boosting the exchange operator’s shares while sending Allfunds’ lower. Euronext, home to the Paris, Amsterdam and Milan stock exchanges, did not say why it had dropped the cash-and-shares bid, but a source close to the matter said insufficient synergies, a drop in Euronext shares since the offer was made and uncertainties over timing and financing were all factors. “The Allfunds board considered that the terms of the proposal were inadequate. Allfunds subsequently entered into discussions on terms with Euronext but no agreement was reached and discussions have been terminated,“ Allfunds said yesterday, after Euronext withdrew its offer.Allfunds’ shares slumped around 13% to 7.21 euros in early trading, while Euronext shares rose around 5%. – Reuters INDIA’S GROWTH EASES FURTHER IN DECEMBER QUARTER NEW DELHI: India’s economic growth slowed further in the December quarter as pent up demand eased and weakness in the manufacturing sector continued. Asia’s third largest economy recorded year-on-year growth of 4.4% in OctoberDecember, down from 6.3% in July-September, data released by the government on Tuesday showed. The sharp fall in the yearon-year growth rate is also partly due to a fading of pandemicinduced base effects and revision to last year’s growth, economists said. The government, however, retained its growth forecast of 7% for 2022/23. – Reuters Employees working on a production line manufacturing mechanical parts in a factory of SMC Corporation in Beijing. China’s official manufacturing purchasing managers’ index climbed to 52.6 last month against 50.1 in January. – REUTERSPIC survey also showed activity rising for the first time in seven months. India and Australia saw economic growth slow in the quarter to December, and South Korea’s exports fell in February for a fifth straight month, highlighting the pain slowing global demand was inflicting on the region’s manufacturers. The region’s weaker data underscores the challenge Asian policymakers face in reining in inflation with higher interest rates, without choking off their economic recoveries already facing pressure from the global economic slowdown, analysts say. “Overseas economies are showing stronger signs of slowdown” as the effect of fastpitched interest rate hikes begin to appear in many countries, Bank of Japan (BOJ) board member Junko Nakagawa said yesterday. China’s recovering economy, the world’s second largest, may not be enough to offset headwinds from weak chip demand and supply constraints for export-reliant economies such as Japan. Japan’s final au Jibun Bank PMI fell to 47.7 in February from January’s 48.9, dropping at the fastest pace in more than two years, a survey showed yesterday. The weak outcome followed data showing a big drop in Japan’s factory output in January on slumping production of cars and semiconductor equipment, casting doubt on the BOJ’s view the economy was on course for a steady recovery. Factory activity continued to shrink in Taiwan and Malaysia in February, and expanded at a slower pace than in January in the Philippines, surveys showed. India’s manufacturing activity expanded at the slowest pace in four months in February but remained relatively strong amid buoyant domestic demand, a private PMI survey showed. Separate data showed South Korea’s exports fell 7.5% in February from a year earlier, marking the fifth straight month of declines, partly due to a plunge in semiconductor exports. – Reuters Australian economy slows in Q4 as inflation bites SYDNEY: Australia’s economy grew at its weakest pace in a year last quarter as strength in trade was offset by rising interest rates and high inflation, and all the signs are a further slowdown lies ahead. Indeed, without the sizeable contribution from trade, the economy would actually have contracted in the December quarter as rising prices eroded consumer purchasing power and led them to save less. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) yesterday showed real gross domestic product (GDP) rose 0.5% in the December quarter, compared with 0.7% in the previous quarter and under forecasts of 0.8%. Annual growth was still solid at 2.7%, and the report contained plenty of evidence of cost and price pressures that underline the case for yet further increases in interest rates in the struggle against inflation. Domestic prices rose at the strongest annual pace since early 1990, with services inflation stoked by a shortage of skilled workers and rising labour costs. Separate data from the ABS showed its monthly indicator of consumer prices rose a smaller-thanexpected 7.4% in the year to January, but that was still the second-highest reading on record. Price pressures have led the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to raise its cash rate by 325 basis points since last May, taking it to a decade-high of 3.35% and flagging more to come. Markets are wagering rates will keep climbing to peak around 4.35% in the middle of the year. Mortgage payments surged 23% in the quarter as rates jumped, while household savings as a share of income shrank to a five-year low of 4.5%, from 7.1% in the September quarter. The pullback in savings means consumers have less of a buffer to maintain spending in the year ahead. “Interest rates are biting. Higher inflation has been biting,” Treasurer Jim Chalmers said in a media briefing. “I’m confident the worst of inflation is behind us rather than ahead of us.” Yet there are also signs high borrowing costs are working to restrain demand. Household consumption rose only a meagre 0.3% in the December quarter, with a drop in spending on clothing, recreation and furniture and electronics. Economic output excluding international trade actually fell 0.5% in the quarter, the first contraction since pandemic lockdowns shuttered much of the economy. – Reuters ‘Adani says it has secured US$3b credit from sovereign wealth fund’ HONG KONG: India’s Adani Group has told creditors it has secured US$3 billion (RM13.4 billion) loan from a sovereign wealth fund, two sources with knowledge of the matter said, as the embattled conglomerate seeks to ease concerns about its credit profile after a short-seller attack. The credit line from the sovereign wealth fund could be upsized to US$5 billion, said the two sources, citing a memo that was circulated to participants as highlights of a three-day investor roadshow that ended yesterday. The identity of the sovereign wealth fund was not disclosed in the memo. The sources declined to be identified as they were not authorised to speak with media. A spokesperson for Adani did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The news of a fresh fundraising plan comes a day after Adani management told bondholders that it expected to prepay or repay sharebacked loans worth US$690 million to US$790 million by the end of March. Seven listed Adani Group companies have lost more than US$140 billion in market value since a Jan 24 report by Hindenburg Research alleged stock manipulation and improper use of tax havens, and flagged concerns over debt levels. Adani has rejected the allegations and denied any wrongdoing. – Reuters
2 M A R C H 2 0 2 3 T H U R S D A Y WE might not be able to witness One Direction performing live in KL any time soon, but local events organiser Pop Edge KL managed to make Directioners’ dreams come true with its One Direction Tribute Night listening party! The Tribute Night, which was referred to as a fan concert, took place on Feb 11 at RUANG, Petaling Jaya, and drew in approximately 300 local fans of One Direction, giving them the opportunity to enjoy their favourite 1D tunes in an intimate setting. The listening party, organised by Pop Edge KL together with their official media partner Fly FM, sought to replicate the concert-going experience, allowing fans to sing and dance all night to songs by their favourite English-Irish boy band, which consisted of Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomplinson, Liam Payne, and Zayn Malik. The group first rose to fame after its five members met as individual contestants on the reality competition programme The X Factor in 2010. After releasing five successful albums, the band split up in 2016, and many of their local fans have given up on the idea of seeing them perform live. But with their unique listening party concept, Pop Edge KL has succeeded in making local Malaysian Directioners’ dreams come true. One of the founding members of Pop Edge KL, Mohammad Amirul, told theSun that the inspiration for this type of event was derived from their personal experiences as festival and concert goers. Amirul explained: “As festival and concert goers [ourselves], we [realised we] have to pay a lot for the tickets and – let’s be real – sometimes we can’t afford them. “On top of that, some of the international artistes we’d like to see performing do not make a stop in our country, so we’re denied the fanartiste experience. “As a result, we aimed to create an experience that would be equal to attending such a performance, with a █ BYHAZIQUE ZAIRILL Each attendee received a tote bag, tickets, polaroids, and photobooth images. The One Direction Tribute Night provided fans with a concert-like experience. In the right Direction oPop Edge KL made local Directioners’ dreams come true with its One Direction Tribute Night in KL Cheesecake’s passion for One Direction and personal talents really engaged the crowd. – ALL PIX BY @POPEDGEKL place at The Ark, Hartamas. The popular success of their past events indicated that many people appreciate the concepts, which was certainly reflected by the support their accomplishments have received. This encouraged them to kick off 2023 with the One Direction Tribute Night. Amirul was eager to share what he and his team believe could have a positive effect on today’s youth. “When we saw the big smiles and happiness radiating from the fans, dancing and singing with so much excitement and enthusiasm (even without their favourite artistes being present), we knew we wanted to continue giving people this opportunity, this space and time to enjoy music whilst being themselves with no judgements whatsoever. “Essentially [it is] a safe space for everyone to fangirl and go crazy, because where else can you do this, other than your own bedroom? To be in a room full of people who feel the exact same way as you is incredibly comforting.” The audience at the One Direction Tribute Night were spotted having a good time singing and dancing to their favourite songs, which included Night Changes, Steal My Girl, Drag Me Down, and the iconic What Makes You Beautiful, among others. Pop Edge KL also made the event more ‘interactive’ by inviting local band Cheesecake to perform covers of One Direction songs, making the entire experience even more memorable for attendees. Amirul said: “For the One Direction Tribute Night, we felt that ... rather than just playing a video and projecting it on the big screen, [we] wanted to give Directioners a more enhanced experience.” He added: “We picked Cheesecake, and during the rehearsals, they left us with the greatest first impressions, completely blowing our expectations out of the water. “They were professional in telling us why they picked the selected One Direction songs [to perform] and we were so happy with the outcome. “It also helped that they are Directioners as well! Lead singers Tim and Kai were so great at fan interaction and we know from all the big smiles we saw in the videos [taken at the event] how much fun the Directioners had, especially during the last encore song, Best Song Ever.” Pop Edge has confirmed that they have more events planned for 2023, the first of which is Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, a listening party honouring International Women’s Day, on March 11 at RUANG PJ from 8pm to 11pm, featuring the greatest hits ever performed by female artistes. For more info, visit their Instagram account @popedgekl or linktr.ee/popedgekl. much more [affordable price], as well as to ensure that the international concert experience is accessible to everyone who seeks it.” Prior to the One Direction event, Pop Edge KL had already organised multiple events since July last year, with the first being a listening party with local ARMYs for K-pop supergroup BTS, followed by a celebration of Taylor Swift’s recently released album, Midnights, and BLACKPINK Listening Party for local Blinks. On the same day as the BLACKPINK Listening Party took place, Pop Edge also hosted an event for fans to reminisce about their childhood with a small event for High School Musical lovers, which took
16 ENTERTAINMENT theSun LYFE ON THURSDAY | MARCH 2, 2023 DESPITE the news of Warner Bros. securing the film rights to some of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings books, Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke appears unfazed by the thought of any upcoming projects that will compete with Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Salke, who has held the top content job at Amazon since 2018, walked a Monday red carpet for the premiere of Creed III where she spoke to Variety about the latest news. “We’ll see,” Salke replied when asked @thesundaily FOLLOW ON TWITTER SCAN ME Enough fan love oAmazon Studios head is staying optimistic despite possible LOTR film competition Loki Season 2 release date updated to wait a little longer for Loki to return with new episodes on Disney+, Marvel Studios recently teased Season 2’s plot in the postcredits scene of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which featured Tom Hiddleston’s Loki and Owen Wilson’s Mobius M. Mobius locating another Kang variant named Victor Timely in the early 20th century. It is currently unknown how the scene will factor into the overall plot of the second season, although Jonathan Majors’ Kang is rumoured to play a major role in the new episodes. The revised release dates for both Secret Invasion and Loki follow reports that Marvel Studios is reducing its output to give its shows more time for preproduction and post-production. The change has already affected the respective spinoffs for Hawkeye and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Echo and Ironheart, which have reportedly been delayed and are no longer scheduled to debut in 2023. Loki Season 1 is currently streaming on Disney+, with Season 2 slated to premiere in mid-2023. – by Hazique Zairill The new season of Loki will arrive in summer this year. – MARVEL STUDIOS Stray Kids sell out Japan concerts EVER since their formation in 2017, K-pop boyband Stray Kids have gone from strength to strength. The group has released two Korean studio albums, and launched a third studio album titled THE SOUND on Feb 22 exclusively for the Japanese market. Over the weekend, the eightmember group recently completed a series of sold-out performances across Japan as part of their second MANIAC world tour, the final one taking place at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka. A press statement by their agency JYP Entertainment revealed how the group stepped out in front of a “hall filled with spectators”, and that their set list included their hit tracks such as MANIAC, God’s Menu, and Thunderous. They also performed the title song from THE SOUND. The statement added that “the members shed emotional tears [during a] surprise video event prepared by the fans. I.N. stated ‘I hope to be able to stand on stage forever,‘ as Han stated ‘it’s fascinating that I’m standing on a stage I’ve dreamed of since I was young.’” The Kyocera Dome Osaka performances came just two weeks after the group performed four encore shows at the Saitama Super Arena. Stray Kids will next be heading to North America to hold additional encore performances at the Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, California on March 31 and April 2. – by Anansa Jacob Stray Kids were a hit in Japan. – TWITTER Jeremy Renner shares recovery update ACTOR Jeremy Renner, 52, has shared updates on his mental and physical health while promoting his upcoming Rennervations Disney+ series. On Feb 27, almost two months after his near-fatal snowplough accident, he showed a few of his recovery routines on his Instagram Stories, including him pedalling a stationary bike. “Whatever it takes,“ Renner captioned the video as he pedalled while concentrating on his left leg using his hand to help him with the action. He revealed to his audience that he has been looking after his mental health too, sharing a picture which appeared to show a book he is currently reading, titled The Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo. In an earlier Instagram post from Feb 15, he had teased that further details about his new series Rennervations will be released shortly, while sharing a b e h i n d - t h e - s c e n e s photo from the set. The four-part nonfiction series will follow Renner as he travels all over the world to help people by building unusual, purposebuilt vehicles to meet social needs. He also joked that he is currently “in the shop, working on me.” Renner was rushed to the hospital after suffering “blunt chest trauma and orthopaedic injuries” in a snow ploughing accident on New Year’s Day this year. In the days after the accident, his loyal fans flooded his account with words of support in the comments section while he was in recovery. Renner was eventually discharged after spending 16 days in the hospital. – by T h a s h i n e Selvakumaran Amazon Studios chief Salke. – IMDB.COM THE new premiere date for the second season of Loki, starring Tom Hiddleston as the titular God of Mischief, has been announced. According to a report from the Star Wars news website The Bespin Bulletin, Ahsoka will not premiere on Disney+ until after two upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe series, Secret Invasion and Loki Season 2, with the former arriving in May and the latter arriving “much later in the Summer.” Loki’s first season debuted on Disney+ in June 2021. Although MCU fans will have how much LOTR would be too much for the market. “We love our original series. We’re extremely proud of it, and invested long term. So, we definitely think there’s enough fan love to sustain ours for a long time.” One of Salke’s defining moves at Amazon was to secure television rights to the same literary works, which she achieved at great expense. The first season of Amazon’s The Rings of Power, a prequel to Tolkien’s books that leads to the creation of Sauron’s ring, premiered in 2022 with a big global marketing push and received critical acclaim. The budget for the first batch of episodes was reported to be over US$450 million (RM2.02 billion). Previously, Warner Bros. released two massively successful film franchises with Peter Jackson beginning in 2001. Those films grossed over US$5 billion (RM22.43 billion) at the worldwide box office. The executive pedigree behind the new projects at Warner Bros. is also noteworthy. Last March, Amazon acquired MGM in a deal valued at US$8.5 billion (RM38.13 billion). MGM’s film operation was headed at the time by veteran producers Mike De Luca and Pamela Abdy. Both executives left MGM shortly after the transaction closed to take a job running Warner Bros. Pictures. The LOTR news, announced by Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, will be De Luca and Abdy’s first major franchise effort at their new studio home. Though there is no release date for the second season of The Rings of Power, the continuation is expected to debut either late this year or early next year. – by Mark Mathen Victor The first season of The Rings of Power received largely positive praise. – AMAZON STUDIOS Renner is working on improving his physical and mental strength. – REUTERS
17 ENTERTAINMENT theSun LYFE ON THURSDAY | MARCH 2, 2023 /theSunMedia FOLLOW ON YOUTUBE SCAN ME An unbelievably grizzly tale THE wild thriller Cocaine Bear, from Universal Pictures, is based on a true story from 1985 involving a drug runner’s plane crash, a bag of missing cocaine, and a black bear that ingested the illegal substance and went on a coke-fueled rampage seeking more blow and blood. The film follows a group of cops, criminals, tourists, and teenagers who accidentally meet in the Georgia forest, and who have no other choices but to deal with the 500 pound (227kg) apex predator following its unintentional consumption of cocaine. Directed and co-produced by Elizabeth Banks (who famously directed Charlie’s Angels and Pitch Perfect 2) and written by Jimmy Warden, the film stars Keri Russell, Margo Martindale, Ray Liotta, Alden Ehrenreich, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Kristofer Hivju, and newcomer Scott Seiss. This is also one of Liotta’s final acting roles, and the first to be released following his death in May 2022 at the age of 67. While the murderous rampage was not part of oWhat could be more terrifying than being chased by a cocaine-addicted apex predator? █ BY HAZIQUE ZAIRILL Cocaine Bear, a new comedy horror film from Universal Pictures, is based on the true story of a black bear running amok whilst on cocaine. – UNIVERSAL PICTURES the true story that Cocaine Bear is based on, the actual chain of events took place in somewhere around September 1985 when a convicted drug smuggler named Andrew Thornton offloaded a duffel bag of cocaine over northern Georgia with an aircraft (Cessna 404). A black bear then ingested the cocaine and subsequently overdosed, and was discovered three months later dead next to about 40 plastic containers of cocaine. Thornton also died during an attempt to abandon the overloaded plane when his parachute was rendered faulty. Today, the bear is on display at the Kentucky for Kentucky Fun Mall in Lexington, Kentucky, which in 2015 gave the animal the nickname “Cocaine Bear.” So far, only Thornton (played by Matthew Rhys) has made it into the movie adaptation of Cocaine Bear’s life. Banks’ film includes a more violent act in which a gigantic black bear consumes a large amount of cocaine (orally but also nasally, railing lines off of disembodied limbs) and then embarks on a gory rampage to keep its high. Given the gore in the movie and other elements, there is no doubt that the film is rated 18 and above. In order to ensure an entertaining watching experience, the film takes some liberties with facts. For example, consumption of cocaine by Bank’s titular bear seems to enhance all of its natural abilities and endurance, allowing the bear to jump, run and even climb a tree at a faster pace. It also makes the film’s bear more aggressive, which black bears are typically not. The bear can detect cocaine from a great distance and will go after anyone or anything even lightly dusted with powder, making the movie’s plot somewhat bizarre. It’s possible that Cocaine Bear’s violence is intended to be a commentary of the consequence of abusing chmicals, since the thing about cocaine is that once a person (or bear) starts doing it, they generally become addicted, and this is quite relevant. Together with Banks, Cocaine Bear was also produced with the help of Oscar winners Phil Lord and Chris Miller (Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, The Mitchells vs. The Machines) and Aditya Sood (The Martian). The film is currently showing in cinemas. Directors who wrecked the most cars onscreen THERE’S no shortage of action scenes in the movies, from explosions and car chases to fights of all kinds. And some directors are especially reckless when it comes to cars. A study has looked at the big-screen’s dangerous moviemakers to find out which ones caused the most onscreen damage. Some directors are wellknown for their action movies. Michael Bay stands out in particular as the director who has wrecked the most cars onscreen in his movies, according to a study conducted by the UK-based Scrap Car Comparison. The study counted the number of cars that were damaged, either by bullet holes in the bodywork or by broken windows, as well as those that were totally destroyed by explosions for the purposes of a movie. The study focused only on scenes that were used in a movie’s final cut, and not during other takes filmed during production. By selecting the most popular action movie directors according to IMDB in February 2023, the study identified the “most dangerous” filmmakers in terms of the number of cars they have wrecked onscreen. The director of the Transformers movies, Michael Bay, comes out on top with 354 cars wrecked, 279 of which were totally destroyed and 75 damaged. In second place comes Justin Lin, the director of the Fast and Furious franchise, who has 135 destroyed and damaged cars to his name. John Landis, the director of Beverly Hills Cop 3, comes third with 120 vehicles wrecked. Looking solely at damaged cars, Christopher Nolan and John Woo come second and third in the ranking, with 44 and 38 cars respectively. Micheal Bay (left) and Lana Wachowski are among the biggest onscreen car crash culprits. – AFP Fasha Sandha returns with Serpihan Sayang FANS of Fasha Sandha who enjoyed her role as the seductive revengeseeking Datin Safieya in Rampas Cintaku, can now catch her in the new highly anticipated psychological thriller drama Serpihan Sayang on iQIYI. Serpihan Sayang premiered on Malaysian screens last week on TV3 in the Samarinda slot at 10pm. Don’t worry if you missed the episodes at night on TV, you can also catch this gripping series every Monday to Thursday via www.iQ.com/local or the app. VIP pass holders will have express access to the latest episode 1 hour after it airs on TV3, whereas free-towatch viewers can watch the episodes 48 hours after airing. The 15-episode drama series brought to you by Media Prima tells the story of Nadia (played by Fasha Sandah), a woman diagnosed with Postpartum Psychosis after a miscarriage. On the road to recovery, she meets her husband’s brother and a series of events take place that begins to trigger her psychosis. Will Nadia be able to recover, who exactly is Imran, and what does he want with Nadia and her family? Directed by Amor Rizan, Serpihan Sayang also boasts a cast of big names Aeril Zafrel, Shahz Jaszle, Elisya Sandha, Zarina Zainoordin, Ameerul Asyraf, Amirul Asyhwad, Tallisya, Nick Syaf, Syed Irfan and many more. Surprisingly, despite the impressive action scenes in the Marvel movies, the Russo brothers only rank fifth overall with 80 destroyed and damaged cars. The same goes for Chad Stahelski, director of the John Wick movies, taking 11th place in the top 15 with 30 cars wrecked. Top 15 directors having wrecked the most cars in their movies – including damaged and destroyed vehicles (rank, director, number of damaged or destroyed cars): 1) Michael Bay - 354 2) Justin Lin - 135 3) John Landis - 120 4) Christopher Nolan - 83 5) The Russo brothers - 80 6) John Woo - 77 7) Richard Donner - 61 8) Steven Spielberg - 60 9) Paul Greengrass - 51 10) Lana et Lily Wachowski - 45 11) Chad Stahelski - 30 12) Edgar Wright - 25 13) James Cameron - 25 14) John McTiernan - 21 15) George Miller - 18 – ETX Studio Nolan has crashed all sorts of modes of transportation. – AFP
18 FEATURE theSun LYFE ON THURSDAY | MARCH 2, 2023 IN the dead of night on a bridge in southern China, around two dozen livestreamers sat crooning and chatting into microphones, their identical ring lights spaced a few metres apart in glowing rows. The broadcasters gather in spots like this in the city of Guilin most nights with the hopes of catching the attention of online “passers-by” scrolling through livestreams on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, where viewers can donate to their favourite streamers. “There are too many indoor livestreamers,” said 27-year-old Qiao Ya, who works from 9pm to 3am every night. “For indoor livestreaming you need to look pretty to be able to attract viewers, but I’m too average for that.” Outdoor broadcasting took off about a year ago, and conditions can be harsh. When AFP visited this week, the temperature had dropped to almost 0°C, with streamers bundled in thick blankets and some bringing small heaters. “Viewers might feel if we’re outdoors or just by ourselves late at night that it’s very tough, so they might be nicer to us,” said Qiao, whose only income comes from donations through her stream. Livestreaming on apps like Douyin, which said it had 600 million users in 2020, is a popular way to make money in China. Some – like “Lipstick King” Li Jiaqi – have become celebrities, making millions of dollars in endorsements and advertising fees through the platform. But for those on the bridge, the earnings are much slimmer. On a good day, Qiao makes up to 600 yuan (RM385) over eight hours of streaming. On a bad day, her takings can be as low as 10 yuan (RM6.40). Like most Douyin performers, Qiao is signed with a livestreamer talent agency, which takes a 10% cut of her revenue in exchange for equipment rental and management of her social media presence. Douyin takes another 50%, leaving streamers like Qiao with just 40% of what they make. Douyin’s parent company ByteDance, which also owns TikTok, reported US$18.3 billion (RM81.97 billion) in revenue in the first quarter of 2022. Side job Most of the streamers on the bridge were young women, with one of the few men wearing a furry frog suit. For eyebrow tattooist Zhang Xiaoxiao, the broadcasts are an extra source of income. She said the Covid pandemic had hit her profession hard, with beauty salons crippled by health restrictions. “Pressure was very high and business was bleak ... If not for this, I don’t think I would be livestreaming,” explained Zhang, 36, as she set up to work until 3am. “I really enjoy singing and dancing, so I thought I would make it a side job, to do something I liked.” Last October, Douyin issued a warning against public disturbances caused by outdoor livestreaming, though that has largely gone unheeded after an initial crackdown. Zhang said sometimes people walking past react angrily to her. “Some look at us with some discrimination. They ask ‘Why don’t you find a normal job?’” she said. “So we choose a place far away from the residents, to try to not disturb people, and where it’s very safe.” The streamers’ agencies send men who act as assistants and bodyguards – with some telling AFP they occasionally had to move drunk people on or block inappropriate online viewers. Despite the risks, big donations keep livestreamers like Qiao coming back. “One guy scrolled past my roadside livestream one night at 2.20am and felt very touched,” Qiao said. The anonymous man gave her a 3,000 yuan (RM1,928) donation. “I was so happy that I went home early that night,” Qiao said. “Livestreaming is actually very simple, it’s like making friends.” – ETX Studio Chinese livestreamers go outdoors for late-night tips Outdoor livestreamers singing and chatting with the audiences on an overpass bridge at night in Guilin. – AFP ‘mother hen’. The mother hen is usually a player who is older or larger in size, and he or she will protect the other participants (chicks) from being hunted by the opponent (fox). Players would have to form a line and follow the mother hen’s instructions by holding onto each other’s t-shirts. The person playing the mother hen would have to aggressively wave their arms and hands to keep the hungry fox from stealing the chicks. Eraser battle The eraser battle is a popular school activity, particularly among boys who enjoy challenging their peers to games. Whenever the teacher was absent, you could almost always find at least two kids squabbling over erasers in the classroom. It’s as simple as counting “one, two, three” to start the eraser war. Players flip their erasers on top of one other on the table or any flat surface. The winner is the first one to succeed. This game can be played for as many rounds as possible, and up to ten people can join a game at the same time. Pepsi Cola “Pepsi Cola, who wants to be number one?” This well-known chant was part of the Pepsi Cola game. It’s a group elimination game that was popular in schools and among younger family members, back when group gaming without electronics was still popular. The element of surprise in the game ensures that everyone in the group has a great time. Players form a circle and begin singing the “Pepsi Cola” song before taking three steps backwards to make room for everyone. The first player begins the game by jumping and attempting to kick or tread on the next player’s foot, which must be avoided in order to remain in the game. Players remain in the same position until one person knocks out all the others and wins. One two jus We all remember playing One, Two, Jus to see who gets to start first in a game or other task. It’s Malaysia’s version of Rock Paper Scissors. One, Two, Jus is a fast game that can be played on its own, or before beginning another game to determine each player’s turn. Tossing their hands out in various forms, players imitate scissors (the peace sign), a stone (a fist), or paper (a flat hand). The player who displays the ‘stronger sign’ to their opponent wins. It’s worth noting that in another Malaysian variation of this game, the paper is usually replaced by water, and the scissors by a bird. Card games Before the appearance of computer-based games, card games were extremely popular among children, since they were inexpensive and the rules could be learned in less than five minutes. Donkey, Old Maid, Happy Family, and Snap were popular card games in the 1990s. The games might be played by purchasing cards from local mini-marts or convenience stores. Each deck of cards would usually cost no more than RM5, and often came with its own set of rules. In general, the player loses when he or she has the last card in each deck, or is unable to complete the game. These card games are among those that rely entirely on chance, as it requires very little strategy to win. REMEMBER a time before smartphones and internet access? In the 1990s, it was all about making our own games and having fun with them. From skipping with ‘tali getah’, to tossing Batu Seremban, to Pepsi Cola and many others, we have done it all. Here’s a list of those, and other games that will take you down memory lane. Lat tali lat Remember the song “Lat tali lat tali tamplom”? Standing in a circle with three or more participants, and waving your hand from left to right. This was a sort of elimination game that was used to select a person from a group, or to divide people into teams. The children wave their hands in time with the rhyme they sing the tune. At the end of the song, players extend their hand, with palms either upwards or downwards. Depending upon the outcome, the last player left may be declared the winner or loser. Batu Seremban Batu Seremban, often known as “five stones”, is one of the most popular childhood games among millennials. It is a traditional game – typically played by girls – either solo or in small groups. This game was especially popular during the 90s, and it can be played using materials found in or around the home, such as seeds, stones, pebbles, or any little round object. The game features varied levels of difficulty, making it an enjoyable hobby for children who did not grow up with technology. To play this game, toss a stone into the air and catch the remaining stones on the ground one by one until all of the stones are in your palm. Fox and chicks Everyone laughs when you mention fox and chicks, or fox hunting chicks – that’s how much fun this game was. This defence game is played in small groups, with participants needing to strategies and safeguard individuals from the ‘villain’. One player takes on the role of a fox attempting to hunt chicks under the care of a oA throwback to the childhood games we used to play back when we were young (above, left) Donkey, Old Maid, Happy Family and Snap; and (above, right) erasers that you could use in battle. – 123RF/ PINTEREST Evergreen childhood games █ BY SHOBANA MANOKARAN (right) Batu Seremban can be played solo. – 123RF
19 FOOD theSun LYFE ON THURSDAY | MARCH 2, 2023 A place of his own CONSIDERING the rapid turnover of several eateries and pubs in Malaysia’s capital, the fact that a select few have managed to survive in the ever-changing environment does indicate that they might be doing something right. RIN is a laid-back and welcoming restaurant, bar, and lounge located at SS2 that provides Korean fusion cuisine, snacks, and all alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. theSun recently chatted with co-owner Moganraj Rengasamy about his experience forming RIN and how he was able to turn around a restaurant that was set to go out of business. The former software engineer has enjoyed bar hopping ever since his student days. However, he wants to dispel the notion that bar hopping involves “getting wasted in establishments with loud music and dim lighting”. Raj, 30, has always enjoyed more relaxed and peaceful locations where people can gather and have a great time without being concerned about wasting too much money. “I would describe myself as an opportunist,” he said. “When I had the chance to enter this company sector, I took it instantly.” He stepped right into it without giving it much thought, because it was right after the Covid limits had been lifted. RIN was everything Raj had ever wished for: a pet-friendly neighbourhood pub with a 90s feel, welcoming people of all ages. “It’s a [small] place, but it’s cosy. Customers can even be seen going in with their laptops to work.” Additionally, RIN was the only bar in the SS2 area with a soju and shisha lounge concept in addition to a variety of other foods. “We take great pride in offering affordable prices and excellent hospitality.” However, things didn’t turn the way he had hoped. RIN suffered a significant financial loss in its first year. Raj took responsibility for that himself. “Even though I’m happy with what I’ve accomplished, I had no expertise in this field and simply went with my instinct. If only I had done better [research], all sorts of financial losses might have been averted.” RIN is a friendly neighbourhood bar based in Petaling Jaya. – ALL PIX BY SHOBANA MANOKARAN/THESUN oRIN is a hangout space that serves up fusion Korean snacks, while letting visitors chill in a hip, modern setting █ BY THASHINE SELVAKUMARAN The bar is located on the first floor in SS2. it by founding RIN, making it a popular destination for many. Raj intends to open a larger location with the same concept. Ideally, he and his partner hope to be able to franchise RIN, despite the challenges the present cut-throat industry. “This isn’t your typical restaurant and bar, come join our family,” Raj stated as he concluded the interview. Compared to other restaurants and bars I’ve visited recently, RIN is definitely incredibly unique. You immediately feel at ease in the space due to its relaxed atmosphere. To avoid being let down, it is advisable to make a reservation before going. With its cosy setting, seats at RIN are limited. Therefore, if you plan to have a private event or an intimate night out, be certain to reserve your seats. Remember that RIN isn’t your standard bar, so there won’t be any loud music playing during your visit. However, you are welcome to dance and enjoy your own little party, as long as it doesn’t disrupt the other customers. Personally, I had a great time here and wouldn’t mind returning to hang out with my friends. All the best to you, Raj and team! Take note: Proceed upstairs to find RIN, which is located on the first floor, and enjoy their buy 1 free 1 Somaek Tower. RIN Address: 187-1A, Jalan SS 2/24, SS 2, 47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Operating hours: 6pm-2pm RIN’s coowners Moganraj Rengasamy and Tomoya. The delicious food served in RIN. Customers are able to enjoy their food and drinks at the outdoor seating. Raj took the step of listing RIN for sale, and it was at this point that he met his eventual business partner, Tomoya, who would agree to help him rebuild RIN. Raj made the decision to start anew, but this time with a loyal and brilliant partner by his side, together with his regular customers. “The venture was the reassurance RIN needed to continue being in business,” Raj remarked. Interestingly, despite the Korean concept, Raj admitted he isn’t a fan of Korean dramas or K-pop. “I don’t drink beer, but I love soju. It isn’t as complicated as other beverages, though.” According to Raj, fried chicken and soju go well together, so serving Korean fusion cuisine was a great balance. RIN offers both regular and soju cocktails on its menu. I tried the Yoghurt Soju, a Korean yoghurt concoction made with soju and a plain Asian yoghurt drink. I hardly tasted the soju in it; instead, it tasted like a typical Yakult, which is another reason I liked it so much. (Warning: It’s easy to overindulge!) Raj was generous enough to let me to try each of the four main types of chicken served at RIN. I began with Nyangyeom-chikin (spicy Korean fried chicken). It is an unique Korean sweet-and-spicy sauce-coated double-fried chicken. Most definitely my favourite of the day. Their Ganjang-chikin (Soy Sauce Chicken) was pretty appealing too. It has a very strong aromatic taste and an appetising colour. Their Honey Sauce chicken and Chijeu Paudeo Chikin (popularly known as chicken with cheese powder) were both fairly good too. These are also apparently the most requested chicken flavours in RIN. I won’t lie: eating some of this flavourful chicken while sipping soju was sheer happiness. I also tried their home-made cheese sauce with tempura nuggets and potato wedges as a side snack. Although a tad tart, it matched the sides well. In addition to all of these, RIN provides pizza and sharing platters for groups to enjoy together. You should also definitely try their shisha. Every customer had a shisha device on their table, as far as we could tell. Raj claims that all of their shisha products are premium quality, meaning they are stronger and smoother, which essentially sums up why they are well-liked by customers. I could feel the genuine love Raj had for RIN, and see the enthusiasm in his eyes as we spoke. Raj worked hard for his goal and accomplished
20 FASHION & BEAUTY theSun LYFE ON THURSDAY | MARCH 2, 2023 READ OUR HERE /thesundaily SCAN ME Riding the K-wave oFashion courts K-Pop and its fans at Milan catwalk shows MILAN’S catwalks may be the epicentre of global fashion this week, but it’s Seoul and K-Pop fans who are front and centre in the battle for new luxury customers. Outside Prada’s fashion show last week, the biggest squeals of excitement came from fans of Jeon Somi, South Korea’s blonde singer with 16.6 million Instagram followers. The hordes of pushing, screaming fans straining for a view of their favourite K-pop or Korean film and television stars are expected to come out in force for the duration of Milan Fashion Week – underscoring the strategic importance of the South Korean market to Italian fashion. “I’ve been here since 11 o’clock in the morning to see Somi,” 20-year-old Italian fan Serena Danimarco told AFP. “I love her, her music, her look.” She held up a sign reading “Somi I’m so Dumb Dumb for you”, a reference to the singer’s 2021 single. Such enthusiasm also greeted the arrival of Korean actress Song Hye-kyo at the Fendi show Wednesday, which kicked off fashion week. Fan Giulia, 20, was crushed behind a barrier outside the show, holding up her handmade sign with photos of her idol and an “I love you” written underneath. “I knew she was coming through the networks of Neverland, one of the Korean Idol fan groups. I am also a Blink, a BLACKPINK fan!” she said, referring to the chart-dominating girl group named by Time Magazine as 2022’s “Entertainer of the year”. Ambassadors of luxury Luxury brands, whether based in Milan, Paris, London or New York, have been snapping up South Korean stars as brand ambassadors, including Bulgari, Chanel, Celine and Giorgio Armani. Jimin, a member of the best-selling K-pop Papaya is the new beauty booster AFTER conquering our taste buds, our skin is now poised to enjoy the countless benefits of papaya. Originally from southern Mexico, before being introduced to Africa and India, this fruit is rich in vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, and fruit acids, and contains papain, an enzyme with powerful cosmetic properties that has been used for thousands of years in South America. So many good reasons to pick papaya, and embrace this sun-drenched fruit into an essential beauty ally. Removing dead skin cells Papain, an enzyme known for its skin and health benefits, is extracted from the latex of the papaya, and collected when the fruit is still green. Its antiinflammatory properties allow it to soothe pain and certain wounds, but not only. Papain also gently removes dead skin cells from the surface of the skin, while preserving healthy cells, in the manner of enzyme-based exfoliators that have recently become popular in the cosmetics industry. As a result, the cell renewal process is optimized, and the skin is radiant and bright. A burst of antioxidants Rich in vitamins and trace elements, papaya is a food that is full of antioxidants, molecules that are well known in the beauty industry for their action on free radicals. By neutralizing them, they help fight against certain kinds of inflammation and disease, but also against premature ageing of the skin. Not content with helping the skin to heal, papaya is also effective in fighting the signs of ageing. This action is bolstered by the presence of other substances called flavonoids, which stimulate the production of collagen to make skin firm and plump. And if you still need convincing, papaya can be a great ingredient for facial cleansers and anti-blemish products thanks to its purifying properties. Benefits that make it the perfect ally for oily or acne-prone skin. FASHION is embracing childhood throwbacks with a newfound taste for vintage cartoons, sometimes dating back to the 1960s. This colourful trend is giving rise to a new, fun and retro-tinged wardrobe, going against the grain of certain trends that have gone viral in recent months. So while some are focusing on ‘recession core,‘ or minimalist dressing, more optimistic fashion fans will no doubt appreciate the playful side of cartoonified clothes channelling a certain carefree vibe. It might even be enough to help us forget – if only for a moment – the various crises affecting people around the world. Astro Boy, fashion’s new icon The art collective MSCHF made headlines by marketing oversized red boots, or Big Red Boots, evoking those worn by the character “Astro Boy”. This Japanese animated series which screened in the 1960s evidently revived many memories, as people rushed out to try to find these eccentrically designed shoes. As a result, they sold out in just a few minutes, despite costing US$350 (RM1,565). It didn’t take much more than that for celebrities to start stepping out with the little robot’s boots on their feet, surfing on – and propagating – the hype. Lil Wayne, Rich the Kid and Sarah Snyder are among the celebrities who have already adopted these quirky shoes. But the MSCHF boots are also proving a hit on social networks, with no less than 16 million views for the #astroboyboots hashtag, despite the boots going on sale just on Feb 16. This speaks volumes about the unexpected craze for these nevertheless improbable and not especially stylish creations. In any case, the American collective scored a hit, raising its profile significantly following the release of its flagship product. According to the global fashion search engine Stylight, search interest for the label increased by 1,021% on Google over the past week. Minnie, Sailor Moon, Barbapapa Other, more mainstream brands are now having a field day bringing cartoonified fashion to our wardrobes. Back in 2022, the Patou brand paid tribute to the Barbapapa family through a collection of clothes and accessories. Since then, collaborations seem to have been landing at high speed. Loewe, for example, made a pair of pumps celebrating Minnie Mouse’s signature style (+1,000% clicks on Loewe’s cartoon core shoes on Stylight), and Balenciaga followed suit with some surprisingly designed shoes for its latest collaboration with Crocs (+90% clicks). Meanwhile, Jimmy Choo presented a whole footwear collection in the colours of Sailor Moon, and Moschino brightened up the last Korean and Canadian singer, rapper and dancer Jeon Somi arrives to attend the presentation of Prada’s FallWinter 2023- 2024 Women’s collection on February 23, 2023 during the Fashion Week in Milan. – AFP Astro Boy, like many cartoon characters, is a source of inspiration for fashion designers. – AFP Increasingly present in cosmetics, papaya has antioxidant and exfoliating properties that can benefit the skin. – GETTY fashion week with a collection themed on pool parties and cartoons – a veritable ode to childhood, but above all, a breath of fresh air, fun and optimism that can only be a good thing. The trend is still in its infancy, but it will no doubt soon capture the hearts of other designers as well as consumers. A look at recent red carpet fashion suggests that cartoon core could be poised to spread like wildfire. On Feb 11, Sam Smith embraced the trend at the Brit Awards by walking the red carpet in a cartoonish inflatable suit that did not go unnoticed. – ETX Studio Milan Fashion Week opens with celebrity stardust, industry growth boy band BTS, became Dior’s latest global brand ambassador in January, while Valentino announced its collaboration with Suga – another member of the band that is on a temporary hiatus – who plans a solo tour this spring. Gucci, meanwhile, has seized on Hanni, the lead singer of NewJeans, another breakout South Korean girl group who released their debut single last summer. Eighteen-year-old Hanni sat in the front row of Gucci’s show last Friday. Like Dior, which held its first runway show in Seoul last year, Gucci also plans to hit the South Korean capital for its upcoming cruise collection in May. A show planned for last November – which would have been the South Korean debut for Gucci’s former creative director Alessandro Michele – was cancelled following the Halloween stampede in the city centre that killed more than 150 people. Sales of Italian fashion to South Korea rose 31% in 2022, according to Italy’s fashion chamber (CNMI). Seven out of the top 10 Italian exports to South Korea relate to fashion, the Italian Trade Agency said. The biggest chunk comes from leather goods, comprising 21% of total Italian exports to South Korea, up 5.8% over 2021, followed by footwear. – ETX Studio
21 * SPORTS theSUN ON THURSDAY | MARCH 2, 2023 322 Notices DALAM MAHKAMAH TINGGI MALAYA DI KUALA LUMPUR DALAM NEGERI WILAYAH PERSEKUTUAN, MALAYSIA (BAHAGIAN DAGANG) DALAM PERKARA KEBANKRAPAN NO: WA-29NCC-1493-11/2022 BERKENAAN: PHANG SIEW BEE (NO. K/P: 721019-07-5708) … PENGHUTANG PENGHAKIMAN EX-PARTE: KINDA HARDWARE TRADING (KL) SDN BHD (NO. SYARIKAT: 733690-K) … PEMIUTANG PENGHAKIMAN NOTIS IKLAN Kepada:- PHANG SIEW BEE (NO. K/P: 721019-07-5708) No. 344, Jalan 13,Kepong Ulu, 52100 Kuala Lumpur AMBIL PERHATIAN bahawa suatu Notis Kebankrapan telah dikeluarkan terhadap kamu di Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur oleh KINDA HARDWARE TRADING (KL) SDN BHD yang berpejabat di No. 10 & 12, Jalan 1/33B, MWE Commercial Park, Batu 6 ½ Jalan Kepong, Kepong, Kuala Lumpur dan Mahkamah telah memerintahkan bahawa Notis Kebankrapan diserahkan kepada kamu secara penyampaian ganti dengan menampalkan sesalinan Perintah bertarikh 30 Januari 2023 dan Notis Kebankrapan bertarikh 21 November 2022 ini di Papan Notis Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur dan di alamat terakhir kamu yang diketahui iaitu di No. 344, Jalan 13, Kepong Ulu, 52100 Kuala Lumpur dan dengan mengiklankan sekali satu Notis mengenai Notis Kebankrapan tersebut di dalam satu akhbar tempatan iaitu “The Sun” DAN AKHIRNYA ADALAH DIPERINTAHKAN bahawa penyampaian tersebut hendaklah menjadi satu penyampaian yang sempurna dan cukup ke atas kamu empat belas (14) hari selepas tarikh akhir penampalan-penampalan dan pengiklanan tersebut. Notis Kebankrapan ini boleh diperiksa oleh kamu atas permohonan kamu di Mahkamah ini. Bertarikh 30 Januari 2023 t.t …….……………… NOTIS IKLAN ini telah difailkan oleh Tetuan WK Wong & Co, Peguamcara dan Peguambela bagi pihak Pemiutang Penghakiman yang beralamat penyampaian di K-3A-8, No. 2, Jalan Solaris, Solaris Mont Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur. [Tel No: 03-23893465, Faks: 03-27268983; Email: [email protected]] [RW/HS/21/10051(A)/LIT/KHTSTMW] 322 Notices DALAM MAHKAMAH TINGGI MALAYA DI PULAU PINANG PENGGULUNGAN SYARIKAT NO. PA - 28NCC - 12 -02 / 2023 Dalam perkara mengenai Seksyen 465(1)(e) & (h) dan 466(1)(a), (b) & (c) Akta Syarikat 2016 Dan Dalam perkara mengenai Nova Mulia Development Sdn Bhd (No. Syarikat: 200501002019 (679065-U)) ANTARA 1. PARAVEEN A/L THIRULOGA S. SINGHAM (NO. K/P: 780610-07-5625) 2. LIM CHEW HIANG (NO. K/P: 830213-07-5392) ...PEMPETISYEN-PEMPETISYEN DAN NOVA MULIA DEVELOPMENT SDN BHD (NO. SYARIKAT: 200501002019 (679065-U)) ...RESPONDEN IKLAN PETISYEN NOTIS ADALAH DENGAN INI DIBERI bahawa suatu Petisyen untuk menggulungkan Syarikat tersebut di atas oleh Mahkamah Tinggi Pulau Pinang telah, pada 15 Februari 2023, dikemukakan oleh Paraveen A/L Thiruloga S. Singham dan Lim Chew Hiang. Dan Petisyen tersebut diarahkan supaya didengar di hadapan Mahkamah yang bersidang di Pulau Pinang pada 12 April 2023 pada pukul 9.00 pagi; dan mana-mana pemiutang atau penyumbang Syarikat tersebut yang ingin menyokong atau menentang sesuatu Perintah mengikut Petisyen tersebut boleh hadir pada waktu pendengaran secara peribadi atau melalui Peguamnya untuk tujuan tersebut; dan sesalinan Petisyen tersebut akan dibekalkan oleh pihak yang bertandatangan dibawah ini kepada mana-mana pemiutang atau penyumbang Syarikat tersebut yang memintanya dengan membuat bayaran yang ditetapkan. Alamat Pempetisyen-pempetisyen adalah di No. 5 Lorong Impian 2, Taman Impian Alma, 14000 Bukit Mertajam, Penang. Peguamcara Pempetisyen ialah Tetuan SC Tan yang beralamat di 105-9-7 Hexagon Tech Park, Jalan Gurdwara, 10300 Penang. t.t ...................................... Tetuan SC Tan Peguamcara bagi pihak Pempetisyen-pempetisyen Nota: Sesiapa yang ingin hadir pada hari pendengaran Petisyen tersebut hendaklah menyampaikan atau menghantar dengan pos, kepada Tetuan SC Tan, suatu notis bertulis tentang niatnya sebegitu. 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) dan hendaklah disampaikan, ataupun jika dihantar dengan pos, hendaklah dihantar dalam jangka masa yang mencukupi supaya sampai kepada pihak yang dinamakan di atas tidak lewat dari pukul 12.00 tengah hari pada 11 April 2023 (sehari sebelum tarikh yang ditetapkan untuk pendengaran Petisyen tersebut). Iklan Petisyen ini difailkan oleh Tetuan SC Tan, Peguamcara pihak Pempetisyen-pempetisyen yang beralamat di 105-9-7 Hexagon Tech Park, Jalan Gurdwara, 10300 Penang. [No. Tel. 04-293 6382] [No. Fax 04-293 6381] [Ruj: L/TSC/20-6/10334] 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 Advertise with us & connect to our urban readers. KLANG VALLEY PENANG | KEDAH PERAK | PERLIS PAHANG | KELANTAN TERENGGANU MS. Shoba TEL: 03-7784 8888 FAX: 03-7784 4424 MALACCA MR. Rajah TEL: 012-628 2844 FAX: 06-764 2051 JOHOR BAHRU MS. Anne Lim TEL: 013-770 6699 FAX: 07-355 5549 322 Notices DALAM MAHKAMAH TINGGI MALAYA DI KUALA LUMPUR DALAM NEGERI WILAYAH PERSEKUTUAN, MALAYSIA (BAHAGIAN DAGANG) DALAM PERKARA KEBANKRAPAN NO: WA-29NCC-1493-11/2022 BERKENAAN: PHANG SIEW BEE (NO. K/P: 721019-07-5708) … PENGHUTANG PENGHAKIMAN EX-PARTE: KINDA HARDWARE TRADING (KL) SDN BHD (NO. SYARIKAT: 733690-K) … PEMIUTANG PENGHAKIMAN NOTIS IKLAN Kepada:- PHANG SIEW BEE (NO. K/P: 721019-07-5708) No. 344, Jalan 13,Kepong Ulu, 52100 Kuala Lumpur AMBIL PERHATIAN bahawa suatu Notis Kebankrapan telah dikeluarkan terhadap kamu di Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur oleh KINDA HARDWARE TRADING (KL) SDN BHD yang berpejabat di No. 10 & 12, Jalan 1/33B, MWE Commercial Park, Batu 6 ½ Jalan Kepong, Kepong, Kuala Lumpur dan Mahkamah telah memerintahkan bahawa Notis Kebankrapan diserahkan kepada kamu secara penyampaian ganti dengan menampalkan sesalinan Perintah bertarikh 30 Januari 2023 dan Notis Kebankrapan bertarikh 21 November 2022 ini di Papan Notis Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur dan di alamat terakhir kamu yang diketahui iaitu di No. 344, Jalan 13, Kepong Ulu, 52100 Kuala Lumpur dan dengan mengiklankan sekali satu Notis mengenai Notis Kebankrapan tersebut di dalam satu akhbar tempatan iaitu “The Sun” DAN AKHIRNYA ADALAH DIPERINTAHKAN bahawa penyampaian tersebut hendaklah menjadi satu penyampaian yang sempurna dan cukup ke atas kamu empat belas (14) hari selepas tarikh akhir penampalan-penampalan dan pengiklanan tersebut. Notis Kebankrapan ini boleh diperiksa oleh kamu atas permohonan kamu di Mahkamah ini. Bertarikh 30 Januari 2023 t.t …….……………… NOTIS IKLAN ini telah difailkan oleh Tetuan WK Wong & Co, Peguamcara dan Peguambela bagi pihak Pemiutang Penghakiman yang beralamat penyampaian di K-3A-8, No. 2, Jalan Solaris, Solaris Mont Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur. [Tel No: 03-23893465, Faks: 03-27268983; Email: [email protected]] [RW/HS/21/10051(A)/LIT/KHTSTMW] 322 Notices DALAM MAHKAMAH TINGGI MALAYA DI PULAU PINANG PENGGULUNGAN SYARIKAT NO. PA - 28NCC - 12 -02 / 2023 Dalam perkara mengenai Seksyen 465(1)(e) & (h) dan 466(1)(a), (b) & (c) Akta Syarikat 2016 Dan Dalam perkara mengenai Nova Mulia Development Sdn Bhd (No. Syarikat: 200501002019 (679065-U)) ANTARA 1. PARAVEEN A/L THIRULOGA S. SINGHAM (NO. K/P: 780610-07-5625) 2. LIM CHEW HIANG (NO. K/P: 830213-07-5392) ...PEMPETISYEN-PEMPETISYEN DAN NOVA MULIA DEVELOPMENT SDN BHD (NO. SYARIKAT: 200501002019 (679065-U)) ...RESPONDEN IKLAN PETISYEN NOTIS ADALAH DENGAN INI DIBERI bahawa suatu Petisyen untuk menggulungkan Syarikat tersebut di atas oleh Mahkamah Tinggi Pulau Pinang telah, pada 15 Februari 2023, dikemukakan oleh Paraveen A/L Thiruloga S. Singham dan Lim Chew Hiang. Dan Petisyen tersebut diarahkan supaya didengar di hadapan Mahkamah yang bersidang di Pulau Pinang pada 12 April 2023 pada pukul 9.00 pagi; dan mana-mana pemiutang atau penyumbang Syarikat tersebut yang ingin menyokong atau menentang sesuatu Perintah mengikut Petisyen tersebut boleh hadir pada waktu pendengaran secara peribadi atau melalui Peguamnya untuk tujuan tersebut; dan sesalinan Petisyen tersebut akan dibekalkan oleh pihak yang bertandatangan dibawah ini kepada mana-mana pemiutang atau penyumbang Syarikat tersebut yang memintanya dengan membuat bayaran yang ditetapkan. Alamat Pempetisyen-pempetisyen adalah di No. 5 Lorong Impian 2, Taman Impian Alma, 14000 Bukit Mertajam, Penang. Peguamcara Pempetisyen ialah Tetuan SC Tan yang beralamat di 105-9-7 Hexagon Tech Park, Jalan Gurdwara, 10300 Penang. t.t ...................................... Tetuan SC Tan Peguamcara bagi pihak Pempetisyen-pempetisyen Nota: Sesiapa yang ingin hadir pada hari pendengaran Petisyen tersebut hendaklah menyampaikan atau menghantar dengan pos, kepada Tetuan SC Tan, suatu notis bertulis tentang niatnya sebegitu. 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) dan hendaklah disampaikan, ataupun jika dihantar dengan pos, hendaklah dihantar dalam jangka masa yang mencukupi supaya sampai kepada pihak yang dinamakan di atas tidak lewat dari pukul 12.00 tengah hari pada 11 April 2023 (sehari sebelum tarikh yang ditetapkan untuk pendengaran Petisyen tersebut). Iklan Petisyen ini difailkan oleh Tetuan SC Tan, Peguamcara pihak Pempetisyen-pempetisyen yang beralamat di 105-9-7 Hexagon Tech Park, Jalan Gurdwara, 10300 Penang. [No. Tel. 04-293 6382] [No. Fax 04-293 6381] [Ruj: L/TSC/20-6/10334] 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 Advertise with us & connect to our urban readers. KLANG VALLEY PENANG | KEDAH PERAK | PERLIS PAHANG | KELANTAN TERENGGANU MS. Shoba TEL: 03-7784 8888 FAX: 03-7784 4424 MALACCA MR. Rajah TEL: 012-628 2844 FAX: 06-764 2051 JOHOR BAHRU MS. Anne Lim TEL: 013-770 6699 FAX: 07-355 5549 The right stuff Fearless Alcaraz can show next-gen how to topple Djokovic, say experts AS the all-conquering Novak Djokovic continues to cast a shadow on the next generation, teenager Carlos Alcaraz’s fearless approach marks him out as a player with the potential to dethrone him, sports psychology experts have told Reuters. Djokovic will turn 36 in May but has barely slowed down and outclassed Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets in the Australian Open final last month to capture a record-extending 10th crown at Melbourne Park. The Serbian mowed down significantly younger rivals en route to his 22nd Grand Slam title, all the while managing a hamstring tear, prompting his coach Goran Ivanisevic to say he could rule the sport for a few more years. Djokovic is now into his 378th week as the world No. 1, surpassing Steffi Graf’s record for the most weeks at the top of the sport, a feat that prompted some of his young rivals to express adoration and back him to break more records. Florida-based Patrick Cohn, who teaches mental skills and sports psychology techniques to professional athletes, said he was not surprised Djokovic was still dominating the next generation. “The tennis greats can be intimidating to younger players who idolised them growing up,” said Cohn. Cohn believes young players must rely on better preparation, tactics and develop a stronger mental game to topple Djokovic. “They have to believe he’s not a god and they can win,” Cohn added. “They have to be mindful of putting him on a pedestal a n d t h i n k i n g he can’t be beat. “ W h e n playing a top player, the only thing t h a t ’ s important is t a c t i c s and mindset, not the fact that he’s won several Grand Slams. I suggest to younger players that they view opponents as nameless and rankless.” Cohn said the current crop of young challengers could not be written off and he believes that the 19-year-old Alcaraz, who became the youngest No. 1 after his US Open triumph last year, could be the player who ultimately dethrones Djokovic. “Alcaraz is fearless and not intimidated by players with much greater experience,” Cohn said. “He plays his game no matter the opponent and doesn’t implode mentally.” Former tennis player Jeff Greenwald, now a sports psychology consultant, said the Spanish world No. 2 possessed rare qualities required to excel at the elite level. “Alcaraz is the one who demonstrates versatility that some of the others players don’t have, including being able to play incredible offence under pressure and play fearless tennis,” Greenwald said. “He doesn’t seem to have the emotional ups and downs that some of the others can have at times because tennis is a rough sport and they’re only human. “He seems to have a uniquely helpful temperament for highlevel tennis and the style to match. He will be a contender and likely one of the players who begins to take a bite out of Djokovic.” – Reuters Andretti facing RM2.6b fee to join F1 IF Andretti Autosport is serious about entering Formula 1, the American team may have to fork over a major fee. The 10 existing F1 teams want to triple the “anti-dilution” fee to enter F1 up to at least US$600 million (RM2.6b), Motorsport.com reported this week. Last year team owner Michael Andretti filed an application to enter an Andretti Global team into F1 in 2024. Andretti partnered with General Motors last month and formally announced their intent to compete under the Cadillac brand, reportedly eyeing an entry as early as 2025. The F1 field consists of 10 teams and 20 cars in each grand prix. The current antidilution fee would pay US$20 million (RM86m) to each existing team to offset potential losses of allowing more competition into the prestigious circuit. If F1 raises the fee and Andretti balks, the group could resume efforts to purchase an existing team instead. Sauber and others had turned Andretti down when approached. There is currently no American team in F1, though the sport has boomed in popularity in the US in recent years and grand prix have been added in Las Vegas and Miami, joining the existing one in Austin, Texas. Andretti said in last month’s announcement that it would endeavor to sign at least one American driver if it succeeds in entering F1. – Field Level Media NOVAK DJOKOVIC said his return to the top of the world rankings felt like a big achievement after a year of turmoil where he had to skip several tournaments including two Grand Slams, but the Serbian expects a seesawing battle for the position in 2023. Djokovic missed the 2022 Australian Open and was deported from the country due to being unvaccinated against Covid-19 before returning this year to clinch a recordextending 10th title at Melbourne Park and 22nd major to reclaim the number one spot. He was forced out of big tournaments in the United States last year, including the U.S. Open, as he was unable to enter the country due to his refusal to take his shots. The 35-year-old also received no points for winning the Wimbledon title due to the grasscourt Grand Slam being penalised for its decision to ban players from Russia and Belarus over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. “I think this is the least points I’ve had as No. 1. It happens,” Djokovic told reporters following his win over Tomas Machac in Dubai yesterday. “It’s not only due to my circumstances of not playing a couple of Grand Slams and everything that happened last year, but also other players, some players missing some slams for injuries, some not having the biggest consistency. “I guess that makes the achievement bigger, at least in my team’s and my eyes. I’m overwhelmed with pride. I work as hard as anybody else. I’m really committed to the sport. And I try.” But Djokovic, who is now into his 378th week as the world No. 1, said younger players like Carlos Alcaraz and Stefanos Tsitsipas will eventually catch up with him. “These guys are playing at a high level constantly. They’re playing a lot of tournaments. I’m not playing as much and don’t plan to play as many weeks as they do,” Djokovic said. “Eventually they’ll take the No. 1, then I’ll bring it back again, then they’ll take it again. We’ll go in circles.” – Reuters Joker relishing return to top spot Alcaraz. – REUTERSPIX Djokovic.
22 theSUN ON THURSDAY | MARCH 2, 2023 SPORTS 5603/2023 01/03/2023 (WED) 2955 3089 5516 7368 2974 9381 8651 3050 8691 9266 7318 5649 3378 7664 5893 5466 5485 0728 2684 5119 7461 9354 4290 12,872,541.50 2955 2955 2955 5516 5516 3089 5516 5516 3089 3089 2955 3089 646,960.30 2955 3089 5516 ROOSTER 52859 20055 0055 055 89224 5 5 8 3 145483 45483 5483 483 14548 1454 145 1 4 4,028,787.44 2,367,362.44 151 45 47 55 57 395,858.36 145 15 32 36 52 3 21 23 31 45 46 11,251,968.03 34 249 779 +MONKEY 883 379 + TIGER 076 503 + GOAT Draw Date: 01/03/23 (Wed) Draw No: 5550/23 Venue: PERAK TURF CLUB 9779 3379 6503 0616 + 1588 1077 + 6410 2425 + 6811 7474 + 7633 5320 + 6111 7569 + 1584 9547 + 1878 0495 + 0259 1780 + 0888 1160 + 4742 RM7,259,280.30 9779 + 3379 3379 + 9779 9779 + 6503 6503 + 9779 3379 + 6503 6503 + 3379 RM110,442.90 RM2,236,002.90 RM1,111,666.60 RM2,295,972.10 020 616 041 588 751 077 016 410 152 425 526 811 667 474 917 633 315 320 256 111 757 569 061 584 589 547 731 878 610 495 970 259 041 780 960 888 361 160 734 742 779 379 503 RM974,451.30 779 + 379 + 503 379 + 503 + 779 779 + 503 + 379 503 + 779 + 379 379 + 779 + 503 503 + 379 + 779 HSSB 1+3D JP1 RM369,546 & 1+3D J2 RM115,112 won on 26/2/23! Major challenge for Rahm Spaniard motivated by No. 1 battle with McIlroy, Scheffler RORY MCILROY issued a one-word response when asked earlier this month if he felt like the best player in the world. “Yes.” That was before the Waste Management Phoenix Open, when the Northern Irishman indeed occupied the top spot in the Official World Golf Ranking. McIlroy, who regained the No. 1 ranking in October, would remain on that perch for only a few more days before Scottie Scheffler snatched it by successfully defending at TPC Scottsdale. Scheffler’s reign lasted exactly one week, with Jon Rahm reclaiming the No. 1 ranking with his victory at The Genesis Invitational. The Spaniard holds the spot entering this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational. Asked yesterday if there’s anyone who could beat him when “firing on all cylinders,“ Rahm issued his own one-word response. “No.” He was quick to add that he hopes a lot of players would feel the same way. It’s hard to argue with the confidence Rahm has in the state of his game. He arrived at Bay Hill coming off his fifth win in his past nine worldwide starts, and Rahm is the first player since Johnny Miller in 1975 to win three events in a year before the calendar reached March. “There’s a lot of satisfaction that comes to it when you get to be No. 1 when the other players have been playing great golf as well,” Rahm said. “Scottie had a great year last year, Rory had a great year last year, and then towards the end of the year I kind of picked up. “And even with Scottie winning at Phoenix, I was able to get to No. 1 right after.” How long Rahm stays there remains to be seen – McIlroy or Scheffler could leapfrog him again depending upon how things go at Bay Hill. Rahm acknowledged the power struggle over No. 1 between three players competing at such an elite level is exciting for the game. “I mean, it’s been great,” he said. “What is it, the most amount of No. 1 changes in this short period of time? “I saw some of those stats because it’s just really interesting, which speaks to the greatness of the game of golf right now, how good everybody’s been playing.” Rahm said he recently received some advice from Tiger Woods on how to maintain to keep his game at its peak level for as long as possible. “I asked him, ‘Out of the 82 wins on the PGA Tour’ – I didn’t get into the other ones – ‘how many times do you think you played your best all four days?’ And he said, ‘Three at most.’ Right? A lot of those Sundays he played his best, but the whole week, very few. “The thing is, you don’t need to be firing on all cylinders to win.” Perhaps the ongoing threat from the likes of McIlroy and Scheffler at the top of the world rankings will continue to push Rahm to maintain his current level. – Field Level Media Juve fight back as Jose sees red PAUL POGBA made his first appearance of the season as Juventus twice came from behind to win the Turin derby 4-2 yesterday. Earlier in the evening, Cremonese, who had not won all season, upset Roma 2-1 as Jose Mourinho received a red card, and the visitors missed a chance to finish the 24th round inside the Serie A top three. Pogba played for the first time since returning to Juventus last summer when he came on as a 68th-minute substitute against Torino. Another Frenchman, Yann Karamoh, gave visiting Torino the lead after a firstminute corner. Juan Cuadrado levelled with the help of a deflection after 16 minutes. Antonio Sanabria restored the Torino lead after 41 minutes when he met a cross with a sharp firsttime shot that surprised Wojciech Szczesny at the near post. Danilo levelled in added time, his powerful header from a corner bouncing across the line off the post. Pogba replaced Enzo Barrenechea with 22 minutes left. Three minutes later, Bremer gave Juventus the lead for the first time with another header from a set piece. French midfielder Adrien Rabiot completed the scoring with 10 minutes left. Juventus, who have been penalised 15 points, climbed a place to seventh, still 10 points behind fourth-place Lazio who occupy the last Champions League spot. Earlier, Cremonese’s first league victory of the season lifted them off the bottom, one point above Sampdoria, but still eight points below Spezia, just above the relegation zone. Roma started the weekend in third and could have returned there with a win, but instead end the round in fifth, pushed out of the Champions League places by neighbours Lazio. It looked as if the game would end in a draw when Leonardo Spinazzola cancelled out Frank Tsadjout’s opener. But Cremonese won it late on when Daniel Ciofani scored the winner from the penalty spot in the 83rd minute. “The last thing I said to the players before today was to imagine it was the last game of the season: if we lose or draw we qualify for Europa League, if we win we qualify for Champions League. We didn’t win,” Mourinho said after the final whistle. “I’m going to think game by game. I can’t think about Champions League. I can’t even think about Juventus on Sunday. There’s plenty of frustration tonight, which will force us to analyze this performance.” Referring to his dismissal, the former Manchester United and Chelsea boss said: “The referee? I’m emotional, but not a madman. Something happened which explains my reaction.” – AFP/Agencies Juventus’ Adrien Rabiot (left) celebrates a goal with teammates during yesterday’s Serie A match against Torino. – AFPPIX Rahm Mourinho
23 * SPORTS @thesundaily theSUN ON THURSDAY | MARCH 2, 2023 FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM SCAN ME Long and winding road Hardest part of Newcastle’s journey to become true contenders yet to come I T WAS, to paraphrase Prince, a scoreline like it was 1999. It was Manchester United 2 Newcastle United 0 in a Wembley cup final, just as it had been when Sir Alex Ferguson got the second of his historic treble. Then, Newcastle’s wait for major silverware was a mere 30 years; now it is 54 and still more, 68, since they won anything at Wembley. Newcastle have had regime change, a transformation in the mood on Tyneside, their League form and expectations, but some things stay resolutely the same. “We are desperate to get back here and win a trophy,” said Eddie Howe, the fifth Newcastle manager to lose a final since Joe Harvey prevailed in 1969. Two footballing realities collide, the sense that money always leads to success battling the notion Newcastle never win anything. It shouldn’t be another 24 years before a superrich, ultra-ambitious Newcastle are in another final but Howe argued: “Nothing is guaranteed.” Certainly not for some of his team. “There will be some players that might not get back to Wembley,” he said. The sobering element for Newcastle is that defeat is because, dramatic as the progress under Howe has been, despite the numbers showing they had more possession and more shots at Wembley, this underlined that there is still a sizeable gap that separates them from the best. They lost to a goal by the serial Champions League winner Casemiro and one initially credited to Marcus Rashford, perhaps the form player in Europe. That can be the difference. “We were really good between both boxes but in the boxes, games are won and lost,” said Howe. His rhetoric tends to be realistic. He touched on broader issues. Newcastle were outstanding in their own penalty area for months but they are starting to concede. They have only scored three goals in their last seven League games. Newcastle have defended wonderfully this season but their goals against column felt artificially, unsustainably good. Take away the clean sheets and the need to score two goals a game has increased. They have only done so three times in 16 outings. The second-most damaging 2- 0 defeat of their weekend was suffered by Chelsea, giving Tottenham a four-point cushion in fourth. With Newcastle visiting Manchester City on Saturday (8.30pm Malaysian time), it could soon be seven. After a mere two defeats all season, Newcastle have two in as many games. It could be three in three. Having taken up residence in the top four for months, they may instead have to ponder potential opponents in next season’s Europa or Conference Leagues. Overachievers are getting dragged back. Newcastle have spent some £250 million (RM1.35b) but still only have perhaps the seventh-best squad. Their wider problem is that, even though Manchester United were coming off a wretched 2021-22, Newcastle were still starting from a far lower base. They were the last team to win a game last season. They were doing a half-lap of honour at Wembley this year. “We were fighting relegation and in a battle to stay in the division,” Howe said. “This season was an unknown for us: would we step up and continue our momentum or would it be another season of struggle? “The players have done incredibly well to elevate us to an incredible position but we are not the finished article.” – The Independent Stunning goals leave Silva undecided MARCO SILVA insisted it is “for the fans to decide” which goal was better after two moments of individual brilliance proved the difference in Fulham’s 2-0 win over Leeds which saw them reach the FA Cup quarterfinals. Manor Solomon continued his excellent run of form since recovering from a knee injury, finding the net for a fourth time in as many matches with a clever curled effort from the left wing. But it was Joao Palhinha’s stunning strike which broke the deadlock. He won the ball in midfield, drove forward and then unleashed a superb shot from outside the box. “It’s not easy to decide (which is better),” Silva said after the game. “Two different moments but two great finishes. “The first one was a very good recovery from Joao, the way he won the ball and a great finish. “The other one was different. The way Manor linked with our striker and a great finish from a spot (on the pitch) that (he) is very strong (from). It’s for our fans to decide what’s the best, but they were two great moments.” Leeds manager Javi Gracia admitted his disappointed as his side were unable to capitalise on their chances, especially in the first half. The visitors also had a goal ruled out when Georginio Rutter tapped home after Marek Rodak palmed the ball into his path, but referee Chris Kavanagh saw a soft foul in the area and VAR did not intervene. “In this moment I am really disappointed because in my opinion we were a little bit unlucky because we created many chances,” Gracia said. “It’s true we were not clinical, we did not finish with composure, but after we scored a goal that was disallowed, in my opinion very, very soft. “We were close to changing the dynamic of the game, but we didn’t score after, we didn’t have any chance.” – The Independent Teen Ferguson a unique talent, says Brighton boss De Zerbi BRIGHTON boss Roberto De Zerbi described Evan Ferguson as “unique” after the teenage forward’s latest goal secured his side a place in the FA Cup quarterfinals. The Seagulls’ 1-0 win at Stoke yesterday saw Ferguson finish from close range on the half-hour mark at the end of a fine move. It was a fifth goal of the season for the 18-year-old Republic of Ireland international and fourth in his last nine appearances. And De Zerbi said of Ferguson: “He is unique for us in terms of quality, in terms of characteristic. He knows very well the way to score. “I think he can and he has to improve, in the quality of play, in ball possession, to keep the ball better. “But he is 18, he is (born in) 2004, and he will improve for sure, because I know the guy, I know his passion, his attitude, and I have no doubt.” Ferguson’s goal was set up by a pass from Kaoru Mitoma following an excellent through-ball by Lewis Dunk, the Brighton skipper making his 400th appearance for the club. De Zerbi labelled Dunk “an incredible player, incredible guy”, and also had praise for first-time starter Facundo Buonanotte, another 18-year-old, saying of the Argentinian midfielder signed in January. “I think he played a good game. I’m sure he can become a great player for us for the future.” Winning the FA Cup would bring a first major trophy in the history of Brighton, who, at eighth, are currently higher in the Premier League than they have finished in any previous season. “I can promise nothing but I can promise every day we work hard to make them (the supporters) happy and proud of their team, their club – only this,” said the Italian. “I understand they want to win the trophy, and we also want to win, but to win, we need to work, to improve and to believe. “But for the moment we have to think only of West Ham (who Brighton host in the League on Saturday), because we have the possibility to arrive in Europe.” – The Independent █ RICHARD JOLLY █ SONIA TWIGG ENGLISH FA CUP (5th round): Stoke 0 Brighton 1, Leicester 1 Blackburn 2, Fulham 2 Leeds 0, Bristol City 0 Manchester City 3. CHAMPIONSHIP: Luton 2 Millwall 2, Preston 0 Coventry 0. TOP 5 P W D L F A PTS Burnley 34 22 10 2 68 28 76 Sheff Utd 33 19 7 7 55 30 64 Mid’boro 34 17 6 11 56 40 57 Blackburn 34 17 4 13 38 38 55 Millwall 34 15 9 10 43 35 54 SERIE A: Cremonese 2 (Tsadjout 17, Ciofani 83-pen) Roma 1 (Spinazzola 71), Juventus 4 (Cuadrado 16, Danilo 45+1, Bremer 71, Rabiot 81) Torino 2 (Karamoh 2, Sanabria 43). TOP 5 P W D L F A PTS Napoli 24 21 2 1 58 15 65 Inter Milan 24 15 2 7 44 28 47 AC Milan 24 14 5 5 41 30 47 Lazio 24 13 6 5 40 19 45 Roma 24 13 5 6 31 21 44 FRENCH CUP (Quarterfinals): Lyon 2 Grenoble 1. RESULTS & STANDINGS Fulham’s Joao Palhinha (right) in action with Leeds United’s Georginio Rutter during the English FA Cup5th round match at Craven Cottage yesterday. – REUTERSPIX
theSun is published and printed by Sun Media Corporation Sdn Bhd (221220-K) of Lot 6, Jalan 51/217, 46050 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Tel: 03-7784 6688 Fax: 03-7783 7435 • Tel (Editorial): 03-7784 6688 Fax: 03-7785 2624/5 Email: [email protected] • Tel (Advertising): 03-7784 8888 Fax: 03-7784 4424 Email: [email protected] PEP GUARDIOLA praised Phil Foden’s work ethic after the England forward’s double strike helped Manchester City reach the quarterfinals of the FA Cup. Foden scored twice – once in each half – to put the visitors in command against Championship side Bristol City before the fit-again Kevin De Bruyne’s superb late strike sealed a 3-0 victory at Ashton Gate. Foden has now scored a dozen times during a campaign in which he has not always been in Guardiola’s starting XI. “I said last week that we don’t have any doubts about Phil,” said Guardiola. “The impact of Phil since he has arrived has been flabbergasting. He has been awesome, getting better and better. “He has struggled a little bit with the ankle, but he doesn’t complain. He wants to train, he wants to play, play with problems. “But it’s not about the goal he scored in the last game (at Bournemouth), or the two goals he scored today. It’s about how aggressive he is and how he does things. “He has done it again, his work ethic, the way he trained. Every single action is 100% and at the end it will pay off.” Foden said he feels fully fit after a difficult spell. “(It has) been one of the worst parts of my career but everyone goes through them and it is how you react,” the 22-year-old said. “Discomfort in my feet and not playing as much. I love to play football and when I don’t I am a bit frustrated. “We haven’t won the FA Cup for a while so it is something we have been speaking about and we want to go far and try and win it. “The last two games have been brilliant and we look like we are making a step forward now. Hopefully we keep up this form and finish the season strong.” The Premier League champions were made to work hard for their victory even after Foden dispatched Riyad Mahrez’s seventh-minute cross before a capacity 25,713 crowd. Bristol City, who had gone 12 games unbeaten, went close through Alex Scott and Sam Bell and might have had a penalty when Mark Sykes appeared to be bundled over by Rico Lewis. But referee Andre Marriner was unmoved and VAR was not in operation for the incident to be reviewed. Guardiola said: “We are delighted, we started really well. We felt how dangerous they are in the transitions and Scott is a really good player, the wingers as well. “The second half was much better from minute one. At 1-0 everything is open, but we scored the second and third and I’m happy because this competition is so nice. “We won one and reached three semifinals when we d i d n ’ t perform well. “ M a i n l y because it was three days after away games in the Champions League and we were exhausted, hopefully this season we can go through in better condition and reach another final of the FA Cup.” On the first-half penalty incident, when Bristol City trailed 1-0, Robins boss Nigel Pearson said: “I joked with the fourth official and the assistant referee that they, Premier League players, are a protected species. “But I’m being facetious. It was an event in the game that didn’t go our way and I’m disappointed with the scoreline because I thought the game was tighter than that. “The most important thing for us we were true to ourselves and tried to play our own way. “We held our own for long periods of the game, but the quality shone through at the end. “But we gave them a good game and they knew they were in a game. It shows how far we’ve come and we do have an identity now that is clear.” – The Independent/Agencies This season was an unknown for us: would we step up and continue our momentum or would it be another season of struggle? The players have done incredibly well to elevate us to an incredible position but we are not the finished article.” Newcastle manager Eddie Howe QUOTE OF THE DAY Beaten Rodgers holds hands up after Leicester crash to Blackburn BOSS Brendan Rodgers took the blame after Leicester crashed out of the FA Cup. Tyrhys Dolan and Sammie Szmodics capitalised on awful defending to earn Blackburn a 2-1 win yesterday as they reached a first FA Cup quarterfinal for eight years. Kelechi Iheanacho grabbed a second-half consolation but the error-prone Foxes got what they deserved against the Championship side. Rodgers, who guided Leicester to a first FA Cup triumph in 2021, made six changes and insisted he should be the one in the firing line. “If there’s anyone to blame it’s me. I made the changes and sadly it didn’t work,” he said. “We brought four players into the starting line up who won the FA Cup a couple of seasons ago so the team should be strong enough and good enough. “The FA Cup was a chance to get to a quarterfinal, we were playing against a Championship team at home but they were better than us and we have to worry about that. “They were the better team. We presented a couple of goals, giving the ball away cheaply. Then you are chasing it and 2-0 is an easy scoreline to go freely. We showed spirit and we showed drive then but you have to show that when it’s 0-0. “It’s just consistency, it’s mentality, ambition and drive to succeed. That’s been too up and down for us. It doesn’t help when you continually present chances. We just didn’t perform well, it’s as simple as that.” Tete and Dennis Praet went close early but Leicester quickly regressed and their shocking passing, especially in defence, gifted Blackburn chances. Szmodics and Dolan both went close – with Daniel Iversen’s fine save denying Dolan – after errors from Daniel Amartey before Blackburn went ahead after 33 minutes. Again it was Amartey who presented the ball to Dolan and the former Manchester City youngster seized on the chance, darting towards the area and finishing past Iversen from 20 yards. It got worse for the Foxes seven minutes after the break when Szmodics bundled his way past Amartey and Ricardo Pereira for his low finish to roll past Iversen. The goal came after Sam Gallagher robbed Luke Thomas and Leicester had already been given a warning after Ryan Hedges shot wide – following Boubakary Soumare losing possession on the edge of the box. Iversen denied Szmodics as Blackburn went for the kill but Iheanacho grabbed a goal back with 23 minutes left when he converted Harvey Barnes’ cross. Ahead of the game, Rodgers said the FA Cup was more important this season because of his team’s position in the Premier League. The competition was City’s only hope of glory this term, with European qualification out of the question. “We tried to relay that,” Rodgers said. “The game for us should have been simple in terms of the idea. “We’ve smelled it before and we know what it means. But sadly we didn’t have the quality and that grit when defending to win the game. We thoroughly deserved to lose the game.” Blackburn boss Jon Dahl Tomasson said: “It was an unbelievable night for the club. The performance and result was well deserved. I asked the players to be brave on the ball. “They followed the game plan perfectly. We were extremely brave, we were creating chances and out of possession we were extremely intense. “We should have been out of sight before it got a bit nervous but the lads showed a lot of spirit, fighting when it was needed. The players have written another chapter in our great history. “We are under construction. We have been inconsistent but in 2023 we have been consistent. The lads have done an excellent job. “Now we are in the last eight in the greatest cup in the world. This cup is one of the only ones where it really is alive. We take the cup very seriously.” – The Independent/Agencies THURSDAY • MARCH 2, 2023 ‘Flabbergasting’ Foden Guardiola hails forward after FA Cup double against Bristol Bristol City’s Nahki Wells (right) in action with Manchester City’s Phil Foden during the English FA Cup 5th round match at Ashton Gate Stadium yesterday. – REUTERSPIX