PETALING JAYA: The country is seeing a staggering decrease in occupational accidents in the past two years due to the slowdown in economic activity during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Occupational Safety and Health Department recorded 6,719 cases between January and November 2022, a slight increase of 0.5% compared with 6,686 cases reported in the previous year. Of the 6,719 workplace accidents last year, 6,306 cases involved injuries without permanent disabilities, 227 suffered permanent disabilities, and 186 involved fatalities. However, the number of occupational accident for the past two years is strikingly low compared with 2017 (42,513 cases), 2018 (35,460) and 2019 (40,811). Alliance for Safe Community chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said, “Because of the series of movement control orders and lockdowns imposed to curb Covid-19 transmission, economic activities especially in the manufacturing, construction and transport sectors were directly affected. Therefore, comparisons should only be made when our economy has recovered.” “Still, going into the endemic phase of Covid19, I could see that employers giving more attention to the issue of workplace safety, particularly for accidents that are preventable,” he told theSun. Lee said the government has gazetted the Occupational Safety and Health Bill in March last year as the Occupational Safety and Health (Amendment) Act 2022, which will come into effect soon. “Section 29A (1) of the law requires employers to provide a safety coordinator when the minimum number of employees reaches five. Previously, a safety coordinator will only be appointed once there are 40 employees.” Section 29A (1) further states that “an employer whose place of work is not included in any class or description of place of work as published in the Gazette under subsection 29(1) shall appoint one of his employees to act as an occupational safety and health coordinator if he employs five or more employees at his place of work. “An employer who contravenes subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding RM50,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or to both.” Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) president Datuk Dr Syed Hussain Syed Husman said despite the significant reduction of occupational accidents in the past two years, employers still have to endure losing employees (due to end of employment and fatalities) and bear the extra costs due to workday, income and production losses as a result of occupational accidents. “In the event of a workplace accident, employers tend to look at the immediate cause and take actions to ensure that the area where the workplace accident occurred is managed, leaving work operations at other areas to continue. “However, employers must dive deeper into the root causes of workplace accidents, taking into account the costs of the accident, and all preventable costs due to industrial accidents,” he told theSun. Syed Hussain said the costs arising from ill-health, accidents and deaths at work cannot be totally recovered through the Social Security Organisation (Socso), adding that: “Safety and health practitioners estimate that the hidden costs can be as high as 10 times greater than what can be recovered through Socso. “Some of the hidden costs that are not recoverable are lost production time, loss of additional wages such as overtime pay and hiring temporary workers, loss of product, time invested for investigations, possible fines and penalties, loss of contracts and damage to reputation, and legal costs. “Another cost that employers need to bear is the cost of commuting accidents, an accident oEmployers paying more attention to minimising occupational accidents despite sharp drop in cases: Lam Thye █ BYARINA MUSTHAFA [email protected] TELLING IT AS IT IS ON WEDNESDAY MARCH 29, 2023 No. 8238 PP 2644/12/2012 (031195) www.thesundaily.my HOT ITEM ... A stall operator busy preparing ayam golek, a popular choice for buka puasa, at the Greenwood Ramadan bazaar in Gombak, Kuala Lumpur yesterday. – SYAZWAN KAMAL/THESUN which occurs en route from workers’ residence and place of work or work-related training location and vice versa.” Syed Hussain said improvements need to be made in the current safety standards in workplaces, especially in factories and construction sites. “Employers need to invest in industrial accident prevention and conduct regular safety and health training, making safety a company culture and prevent injuries and fatalities in the workplace.” No let-up on safety INSIDE Independent body to probe complaints against enforcement agencies 2 page RM48,515 raised for cancerstricken mum 3 page
2 theSUN ON WEDNESDAY | MARCH 29, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS PM wants independent panel to probe agencies KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has requested the Attorney-General (AG) to relook the proposal to set up an independent body to investigate and take action on all complaints, accusations and misconduct involving enforcement agencies. Anwar said this is to ensure that enforcement agencies do not conduct their own investigations into any cases or complaints received involving their officers or personnel. He said the enforcement agencies include the Royal Malaysian Police, Royal Malaysian Customs Department, Immigration Department and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). “I have asked the AG to relook the initial proposal so that there is a mechanism for all enforcement agencies. If there are special charges against MACC, immigration, police or customs officers, then there should be an independent body (to investigate), (maybe) in the form of a commission, I’m not sure yet. “There has already been an instruction to the AG to submit a proposal so that these enforcement oMove is to ensure transparency in investigations into any cases or complaints involving personnel of enforcement bodies agencies do not investigate on their own, but there should be another independent body to do so. “I don’t think this matter is complicated because there is already a preliminary proposal,” he said during the minister’s question time in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday. He was replying to a supplementary question from Gobind Singh Deo (PHDamansara), on the government’s measures to ensure that investigations against officers of enforcement bodies such as the MACC are carried out independently. Anwar said the proposed establishment of the independent body is appropriate because it is more comprehensive and the body can take action on all complaints involving enforcement agencies. “When there is an issue with the establishment of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission, the question raised is why only the police, the matter should involve all enforcement agencies.” In response to Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin’s (PN-Masjid Tanah) original question, Anwar said the existing law ensures MACC’s freedom in conducting investigations and is not subject to the prime minister’s instructions. “That’s why when I took over, I chose not to replace the MACC chief commissioner appointed by Pagoh (Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin) to avoid the perception that the prime minister will appoint a new MACC chief.” Earlier, Mas Ermieyati had asked Anwar to state the government’s readiness to implement Transparency International Malaysia’s (TI-M) recommendations for the MACC to be placed under Parliament and not under the Prime Minister’s Department to ensure a more transparent check and balance process. Anwar said he has no problem considering the TI-M’s recommendations but stressed that it requires a comprehensive study involving all parties, Bernama reported. “Any development on this recommendation should be presented to the Parliamentary Select Committee to be examined so that the MACC’s capabilities can be enhanced without any interventions that are feared to hamper anti-corruption efforts.” He said the MACC is being monitored by five independent bodies, namely the Special Committee on Corruption, AntiCorruption Advisory Board, Operations Evaluation Panel, Complaints Committee, and Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel. To a supplementary question from Sim Tze Tzin (PH-Bayan Baru), on whether the prime minister wants to proceed with the proposed law on political funding, Anwar said the matter is still at the ministerial level. ONE FOR THE ALBUM ... Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the Ihya’ Ramadan programme at the Putra Mosque in Putrajaya yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC Public prosecutor’s office, AGC power separation under study KUALA LUMPUR: The proposed separation of powers between the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) and the public prosecutor’s office is being studied, but its implementation is quite complicated and requires more time as it has financial implications, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. He said many have agreed in principle with the proposed separation of powers, but its implementation is still being refined as it may involve additional financial implications of almost RM300 million. “But I agree that (the financial implication issue) is not the main consideration because what’s important is to ensure a prosecution process that is transparent and independent,” he said in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday. He was replying to a supplementary question from Chiew Choon Man (Miri-PH), on whether the government is ready to separate the public prosecutor’s office from the AGC in the near future, to prevent selective political prosecution. Anwar said some political leaders from the government and opposition bloc are being probed by the authorities, but whether they would be charged in court would depend on the AGC. He was replying to a supplementary question from Datuk Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff (Rantau Panjang-PN), on whether there was any investigation into MPs and political funding received by political parties from the government side. Anwar said the existing law allows donations to be given to political parties, but previous prosecutions involving political party funds were related to awarding of contracts. “I have no problem (with any investigation into political funds received by government political parties), but we must understand that the (existing) laws allow donations to political parties. “If there is concern that there are elements of corruption in donations to PKR, that can be raised, I have no problem.” Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had previously challenged the Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission to also investigate the sources of political funds received by PKR and Umno. – Bernama New Rahmah cash aid applications KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 574,886 additional new applications have been received for the Rahmah Cash Aid to date, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. He said phase one of the aid payment worth RM1.67 billion involving 8.7 million recipients was implemented on Jan 17 while the disbursement of phase two would be made on April 5 and phase three in August or October at the latest. “As of March 15, a total of 123,243 heads of households categorised as hardcore poor have registered with the eKasih system, but I will increase the figure to 130,000 because my concern is that there will be new numbers that are not included this year. “Based on this development and the capabilities of the entire department, we will be able to address poverty,” he said in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday. Anwar was replying to a question from Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias (BNJelebu), on the latest approach by the unity government and its progress to eradicate poverty holistically and effectively. The eKasih system is a national poverty database under the Implementation Coordination Unit of the Prime Minister’s Department that was developed to register poor households in Malaysia based on Poverty Line Income. Anwar said in addition to the Rahmah Cash Aid programme, the government has also implemented the People’s Income Initiative to help 400,000 people from vulnerable groups as well as the Payung Rahmah initiative involving a total of RM64 billion in subsidies. Through the People’s Income Initiative, a total of RM750 million has been allocated to implement three initiatives, namely the Agro Farmer Entrepreneur Initiative, Food Entrepeneur Initiative and the Service Operator Initiative. “More than 22,000 have registered for these programmes within a month, and this is a positive development.” – Bernama Sabah records RM11.5b in investments KUALA LUMPUR: Sabah recorded investments worth RM11.5 billion in various sectors in 2022. International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz said the investments involved 89 projects which could generate 4,566 jobs. “Of the total amount, RM9.2 billion was foreign direct investment and RM2.3 billion was domestic direct investment. “The manufacturing sector was the biggest contributor with RM8.4 billion, or 72.9%, while the primary sector contributed RM1.6 billion and the services sector RM1.5 billion,” he told the Dewan Negara in response to queries from Senator Datuk Noraini Idris. Tengku Zafrul said high-profile projects worth over RM100 million mainly involved petroleum products, non-metal mineral products, and transport machinery. He said the ministry, through the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida) is committed to attracting FDI into Sabah, especially in targeted industries. – Bernama More firms opt for open toll system KUALA LUMPUR: Five more highway concessionaires have agreed to participate in implementing the open toll payment system that will begin in mid-September, Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said. He said they are the DamansaraPuchong Expressway, Sprint Highway, Shah Alam Expressway, SMART Tunnel and Kuala Lumpur-Putrajaya Expressway, Bernama reported. “As I have said before, the open payment system will be implemented in phases involving various companies. “Negotiation on this is an ongoing effort by the ministry and needs to be done to ensure successful implementation of the Multi Lane Fast Flow (MLFF) system,” he said in a post on his Facebook page yesterday. Nanta said the Sungai Besi Expressway would be the first to implement the MLFF Proof of Concept.
3 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON WEDNESDAY | MARCH 29, 2023 PETALING JAYA: The donation campaign for terminally ill Vijayaletchumy Subramaniam, 51, and her 13-year-old daughter, which ended on Monday, has raised a total of RM48,515. Of the amount, theSun had raised RM39,010 and the balance was collected by the Council of Datuk Dato’ Malaysia. Vijayaletchumy, who is a single parent and widow, suffers from stage four breast cancer that has spread to her lungs, neck and nerves, leaving her just months to live. She and her only child, Kalliswary Chandrasegaran, had sought public donations to pay for her medical treatment, as well as groceries, utility bills and school supplies. theSun broke the story of the family’s predicament on March 21, after which it received a deluge of phone calls and emails from individuals who wished to help. The donations will be handed to the Suriana Welfare Society (SWS), which has committed to looking after Vijayaletchumy’s medical needs and Kalliswary’s educational requirements until she reaches 18 years of age, or until she completes her university education. A trust fund will be set up for them. Established in 2011, SWS is an NGO managed by Dr James Nayagam as chairman. A well-known social activist, James previously served for two terms as the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) commissioner. He is also a former commissioner of the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission. “I have been assisting the public for more than 40 years. SWS was established about 12 years ago to pursue the development of preventive and rehabilitative programmes to address social issues involving disadvantaged children and their families. “We will provide Kalliswary with all her needs, such as accommodation and education once her mother is not around. “We will also provide her with long-term care and comfort as her mother is expected to succumb to stage four cancer within the next few months. This will be tragic for a 13-yearold and we have the experience to help her overcome her grief,” he said. James said in the interim, SWS will monitor Vijayaletchumy’s health and look after the family’s groceries and other needs so that she does not suffer undue stress or worry, which will worsen her condition. “We will also provide Vijayaletchumy with a surgical bed, and supply her with adult diapers and all her other medical requirements. “My team visited the family’s home at Kampung Fajar, Ampang, and found it poorly maintained. We are arranging for volunteers to clean the house to ensure proper hygiene and safety for the mother and daughter.” James said Vijayaletchumy’s situation is not new as SWS has dealt with numerous similar cases. “In one case, a girl had some issue with her eyes. She was said to require surgery. Her parents contacted me and I sought a second opinion from an acquaintance who is an eye specialist. “She checked the girl’s eyes and informed me that she just needed some minor correction and not full-fledged surgery,” he said. In another case, a family was living on the streets and SWS relocated them to a house with proper utilities, added James. “There are many other cases that we’ve dealt with, and I always believe communities can be transformed only through education.” Those who are keen to continue helping Vijayaletchumy and Kalliswary can make contributions via the Suriana Welfare Society Maybank account number 512361505370. The NGO can also be contacted at 1300-88- 2200. The public may also contact SWS’s legal representative MC Wan & Associates and speak to Doreen Wan Mei Chi at 016-2122 551 regarding any legal questions on how the funds would be used. Anti-Sexual Harassment Act to be enforced in phases PUTRAJAYA: The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry would be enforcing the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act 2022 (Act 840) in phases starting yesterday. It involves Section 1 – short title and commencement; Section 2 – interpretation; Section 24 – administrator; Section 25 – functions and powers of administrator; and Section 26 – power to make regulations. In a statement yesterday, the ministry said the enforcement of Act 840 involves the definition of sexual harassment, elements of awareness and prevention of sexual harassment in the community. “It takes into account the importance of educating the people and increasing their understanding and awareness of the seriousness of issues involving sexual harassment before this Act is fully enforced,” it said. The ministry said Act 840 reflected the government’s concern and serious commitment to addressing and eliminating gender-based discrimination, especially sexual harassment. “When the understanding and awareness of sexual harassment and its effects on the victims can be enhanced in the community, it directly helps towards providing a safe environment. “This is to empower people in the economic, social and political spheres, in addition to ensuring that they are not marginalised in the country’s development to achieve the Malaysia Madani aspirations,” the statement read. Act 840 was passed in the Dewan Rakyat on July 20 last year and subsequently in the Dewan Negara on Aug 11. It was gazetted as a new law on Oct 18 last year after receiving royal assent from Yang diPertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah. – Bernama oThose keen to contribute can contact us as we are committed to providing long-term care for mother and daughter, says welfare society chairman Organise more Ramadan programmes, PM tells ministries PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim wants every ministry and government agency to organise religious knowledge programmes at their respective workplace to enliven the spirit of Ramadan. Speaking at the Ihya’ Ramadan programme at the Putra Mosque here yesterday, Anwar said he had also instructed all secretaries-general and heads of departments to organise religious knowledge programmes such as a tazkirah (lecture) session before Zohor prayer. “All Muslim ministers and deputy ministers have also been asked to participate in these programmes organised by their respective ministries and agencies. “My proposal to all the government machinery is to give more meaning to Ramadan through efforts to enliven the spirit of the holy month such as by organising religious knowledge programmes,” said the prime minister. Anwar is scheduled to attend such a programme at the Finance Ministry today. Anwar said he had also asked the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar to list speakers or preachers under the Malaysian Islamic Development Department to participate in the programmes at the ministry and government department levels. “However, let’s not be any deviation (of the programme) as the spirit of Ramadan is not to insult or to spread party sentiments, but to enliven its spirit of unity.” He said each ministry and government agency is free to determine the forms and speakers for the programme to be held at their premises. Earlier, Anwar joined more than 1,000 congregants to perform Zohor prayers at the Putra Mosque and listened to a tazkirah by the Federal Territories Mufti Datuk Dr Luqman Abdullah. Also present was Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali. – Bernama 36,000 Rahmah baskets distributed KUALA LUMPUR: Almost 36,000 or 75% of the 48,000 Rahmah baskets have been distributed to the needy nationwide. Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub said the responsibility to distribute the Rahmah baskets has been entrusted to the respective MP or the person in charge of the MP’s service centre, to ensure that the initiative would benefit only the hardcore poor. “The Rahmah basket initiative is unlike other initiative as it targets only the hardcore poor,” he said after a convoy carrying 1,500 Rahmah baskets to Tambun, Perak was flagged off by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the Parliament building yesterday. Salahuddin hoped that more industry players, non-governmental organisations, corporate leaders, donors and members of the public would be involved to make the initative a success. He said the ministry also welcomes donations from all quarters as part of their corporate social responsibility to help the needy, especially victims of disasters such as floods and landslide. The Rahmah basket initiative, under the Payung Rahmah programme, was introduced early this year to help the B10 group by reducing their cost of living. – Bernama █ BY VEISHNAWI NEHRU [email protected] From left: James, Wan, Suriana Welfare Society executive director Rachel Ho and theSun managing editor Eddie Hoo. – ADIB RAWI YAHYA/THESUN Trust fund to be set up for cancer-stricken mum, teen
4 theSUN ON WEDNESDAY | MARCH 29, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS @thesundaily FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM SCAN ME Govt steps up fight as dengue cases surge over 400% KUALA LUMPUR: The Cabinet Committee to Combat Dengue has been reactivated after dengue cases surged more than 400% this year, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. He said as at March 25, a total of 26,222 dengue cases had been reported, compared with 8,124 for the same period last year, with deaths due to dengue fever complications also rising to 17 from just four previously. “Therefore, to resolve this issue we will get NGOs and volunteer doctors to make scheduled visits to districts or specific locations known for mosquito infestations and dengue. “For this, we will not be seeking additional allocations but will adopt corporate social responsibility approaches like mobilising assets of the National Disaster Management Agency outside the flood season to ferry equipment for anti-dengue operations,” he said at a press conference following a meeting of the Cabinet Committee to Combat Dengue in Parliament yesterday. Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa was also present at the press conference. Ahmad Zahid said among the prevention methods which would be intensified was the use of BioGel to trap and kill Aedes mosquitoes. “Another method involving Wolbachia mosquitoes would also be used. This is a new and generally cheaper method.” He said the annual allocation for fighting dengue was RM240 million, but the government generally only used one-eighth of the allocation. He said the committee had agreed to establish a state-level committee, which would streamline operations at dengue hotspots in districts, housing estates and villages. Ahmad Zahid is confident the unity government could achieve its zero dengue target by the end of its term as it was committed to the fight against the disease. – Bernama London showcase for local heritage crafts KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 14 local heritage craft products from various ethnicities will be featured at the London Craft Week from May 6 to 14. Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, who leads the exhibition, said the products were Telepuk Terengganu (a textile-decorating technique) and Songket Terengganu; weaving products by the Semelai people from Pahang, Anyaman Tikar and Anyaman Ribu-Ribu from Sabah. Sarawak weaving crafts will also be highlighted, including Anyaman Bergerang, Ikat Iban Sarawak, Anyaman Penan and embroidery (Keringkam Sarawak), in addition to the Mah Meri weaving heritage and ancestral sculptures from Selangor. “Last year we participated in the London Craft Week by promoting heritage textiles and the Pahang Royal Weave. It was quite successful and attracted 3,000 visitors. “This time, we decided to feature local heritage crafts as most of these products are made by the older generation and the craft will disappear if not passed on,” she said, adding that seven entrepreneurs, including Shirley Vilin, Helena David and Samri Abdul Rahman, will be at the exhibition to demonstrate their skills. – Bernama Malaysia eyes UN-Habitat executive board membership PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia intends to be an executive board member of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) to represent the Asia-Pacific region at the elections to be held in Nairobi, Kenya this June. Local Government Development Minister Nga Kor Ming said this is to strengthen Malaysia’s role towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals agenda, especially Goal 11 that concerns Sustainable Cities and Communities. “It will place the country at the forefront of the sustainable and universal urbanisation agenda on the global stage.” On March 20, Nga held an engagement session with representatives of foreign embassies in Malaysia from the Asia-Pacific region as well as representatives from various government agencies, including Wisma Putra, as a way to realise Malaysia’s hopes of obtaining UN-Habitat executive board membership. The UN-Habitat has been mandated to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities, with the aim of providing shelter for everyone. – Bernama Acar maker does brisk business during Ramadan GUA MUSANG: Each time the month of Ramadan arrives, a salted fish acar (pickle) maker here will have her hands full meeting the orders for the dish that is usually enjoyed as an appetiser or a side dish when breaking fast and during sahur. Tengku Hayati Akmal Tengku Hitam, 65, said her salted fish acar features a mix of sour, sweet, salty, and spicy flavours that comes from the crisp pickled onions in it, which make so many dishes taste better. “Salted cencaru fish, vinegar, chillies, ginger, and shallots are the main ingredients in this dish,” she told reporters when met at her residence in Taman Wangi here. The government retiree, affectionately known as Mokku Yati, said Thai shallots are the key ingredient in her salted fish acar. “Yet over the past three years, it has gotten harder to find Thai shallots. “I only use Thai shallots to make my salted fish acar. I once had to cancel and turn down orders at the last minute following a shortage of this type of onion,” said Mokku Yati, who has been selling the acar for six years. Mokku Yati said she has receives orders for the acar not only from residents living nearby but also from people in Terengganu, Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Malacca and even Singapore. “I have a loyal customer from Singapore, who will order the acar in large quantities and is willing to pay for delivery.” She added that her sales was dependent on the number of orders she received, adding that it would normally rise throughout the holiday season and the month of Ramadan. “I sell the acar at RM12 per 200g pack. The amount of money I make each month is uncertain because the supply of shallots determines my acar production. “This acar can also be offered in hampers, as door gifts or served as a side dish.” – Bernama The PLOT offers unique agro-tourism experience SERDANG: The PLOT, located at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang with more than 500 types of plants, is offering a unique agrotourism experience as well as classes for visitors to learn more about the science of farming. Apadana Agro Sdn Bhd CEO Dr Abas Mazni Othman said The PLOT, which occupies two acres of land, is a one-stop centre offering visitors activities to learn about the types of plants cultivated there through its agro-tourism programmes. “We developed The PLOT to benefit individuals who are interested in getting to know plant species that may now be difficult to find anywhere, including those who wish to learn how to cultivate plants. Abas Mazni said The PLOT has cultivated rare and unique trees and plants, including lemon myrtle, acerola cherry, miracle berry, Surinam cherry and black turmeric. – BERNAMAPIC oOne-stop centre gives visitors chance to learn more about science of farming “I would like to change the perception that agriculture is not fun, hot and smelly because if done right, it is not only fun but can help generate income.” He said The PLOT was divided into 10 sections, namely zeolite (volcanic rock) and zeolite-based products, a water catchment area, innovative planting media, main crops, an outdoor garden, an indoor garden, an animal farm, retail outlets and a centre for recreation, training, events and consultancy. Abas Mazni, a former Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute scientist, said the animal farm on The PLOT was filled with chickens, ducks, goats, fish, pigeons and quails. He said The PLOT has cultivated many rare and unique trees and plants, including lemon myrtle, acerola cherry, miracle berry, Surinam cherry, black turmeric and fragrant flowers, including kesidang (bread flower), Magnolia champaca, orange jasmine and Tonkin jasmine. He said the lemon myrtle plant was imported from Australia, adding that only an agropreneur in Selangor and The PLOT are cultivating the plant for commercial purposes, Bernama reported. “This miracle berry tree, originally from Mexico, is true to its name ... it can make sour foods taste sweet.” He said the crops at The PLOT are cared for using environmentally friendly methods that minimise the use of chemical fertilisers to maintain environmental sustainability, including using used tires to replace flower pots. “We have a section called the Tyre Garden@The PLOT, (which is focused on) the concept of the sustainable use of waste materials where old tyres are set out according to the needs of each plant type by prioritising maintenance efficiencies such as watering, fertilising, weeding and cleaning,” he said, adding that the tyres also function as barriers to mark the edges of the garden. Abas Mazni said the lemon myrtle plant was also processed for tea and aromatherapy oils and the roselle plant is used to make pickles, jam and juice, which are being sold at the retail section of The PLOT. The PLOT, located at the Mechanisation and Automation Technology Site, is open daily from 9am to 7pm.
5 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON WEDNESDAY | MARCH 29, 2023 Actor’s attacker further remanded for psychiatric evaluation SINGAPORE: A man who allegedly assaulted Malaysian actor Kamal Adli will be remanded for another week to complete a medical examination at the republic’s Institute of Mental Health (IMH). According to District Judge Terence Tay, there was an application from IMH for the remand to be extended. “I’m allowing the application for you to be remanded for one further week at IMH,” he said, adding that the next mention of the case will be on April 4. On March 14, the court ruled the man to be remanded for two weeks to undergo a psychiatric evaluation at the institute. The 33-year-old man replied “ya” when asked whether he heard the decision. Earlier, when asked what language he likes to speak in, he replied “English”. The man appeared via a video link believed to be from IMH. He was charged at State Courts on March 14 for voluntarily causing hurt with dangerous weapon under Section 324 of the Penal Code. The offence carries an imprisonment term, which may extend to “seven years, a fine, caning, or any combination of such punishments”. On March 12 at 9.19pm, Singapore police force was alerted to a case at 1 Expo Drive where the suspect had allegedly assaulted a 36-year-old man with a baton. Police had seized the baton as a case exhibit and “investigations are ongoing.” The injured Kamal had to undergo surgery at a hospital. He and his wife Uqasha Senrose were in Singapore for the three-day Hari Raya Mega Sale 2023 event starting March 10, at Hall 5A of the Singapore Expo. According to Uqasha, the incident happened at the end of the event. Also present at the court was Kamal’s counsel Jason Wee of Malaysia-based AVW Legal Law Firm. – Bernama Cops seize 31kg of ganja, restaurant helper arrested KUANTAN: Police seized 32 compressed blocks of suspected ganja, weighing 31kg and worth RM78,207.50, as well as arrested a restaurant assistant last week in what is said to be the biggest drugs haul in Pahang so far this year. State police chief Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf said the drugs were discovered in a shed in Kampung Chendering, following the arrest of the suspect on March 32 at 5.30pm in Jaya Gading. The suspect was believed to have been waiting for a customer. “The shed was located near the suspect’s family house and an inspection there found the compressed blocks of ganja stored in sacks and plastic containers. “The suspect is believed to have started his drug-dealing activities two years ago and operated on his own with his supplies coming from Kelantan,” Ramli said. He added that the preliminary screening test found the suspect positive for drugs and he had eight criminal records related to drug offences. According to Ramli, the remand order had expired yesterday but police will seek an extension so that the suspect can help in the investigation. – Bernama Govt to return RM2.1m allegedly linked to 1MDB PUTRAJAYA: The government will return a sum of RM2.1 million, which was allegedly linked to 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) and forfeited from two political parties and the family of the late former Paya Besar MP Datuk Seri Abdul Manan Ismail. The political parties are Pahang MCA liaison committee and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS). oThis comes after appellants made representation to AGC not to contest their appeals Two nabbed over assault on lorry driver SHAH ALAM: Police have detained two local men suspected of assaulting a lorry driver that was involved in an accident that killed a schoolgirl near Port Klang recently. South Klang district police chief ACP Cha Hoong Fong said the arrest of the duo, both aged 39, was made following a report lodged by the lorry driver last Thursday. “We are in the midst of completing the probe and the investigation paper will be handed over to DPP soon,” he said. Police had also recorded statements from six witnesses to facilitate investigations and also tracking down Muhammad Putra Abdullah, 31, who was believed to be involved in the case. “Those with information on the suspect’s whereabouts are urged to contact the South Klang district police headquarters at 03-3376 2222 or the nearest police station,” Cha said, adding that the case was being investigated under Section 147 and Section 427 of the Penal Code. It was reported that the lorry driver was injured after he was beaten up by a group of people following the fatal accident involving a schoolgirl in Kampung Teluk Gong. The girl was riding pillion with her brother on a motorcycle ridden by their babysitter. – Bernama IPT staff loses RM500,000 in love scam KUALA TERENGGANU: An employee of a higher education institution (IPT) was left penniless after losing RM500,000 in a love scam recently. District police chief ACP Abdul Rahim Md Din said the victim had made contact with a “foreign” man through a dating website in July 2020. He said since then, the victim claimed that the suspect had often asked her to send him money. “The woman made 22 transactions into different bank accounts provided by the suspect between 2020 and this year. “The victim was also asked by the suspect to dispose of all the evidence, including the money transfer receipt, and out of trust and infatuation, the woman obeyed,” he said. Abdul Rahim said the victim only realised she was being scammed after her colleague told her that the man was using a fake identity online and a police report was lodged last Sunday. – Bernama ROOFLESS ... Hasmah Awang Kechik, 62, cleaning the kitchen area of her house in Kampung Ingin Maju, Kuala Krai, Kelantan after a storm blew off the roof yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC This was after DPP Kamal Baharin Omar informed the Court of Appeal yesterday that the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) had received representations from the three appellants – Pahang MCA liaison committee, PBRS and Abdul Manan’s family – and agreed not to contest their appeals. He said the monies and interest accrued would be released to the appellants within two months from yesterday. Lawyer Datuk Ben Chan representing Pahang MCA liaison committee, told the court that his client’s representation was for the AGC to consider to allow its appeal. Following this, a three-member bench of the Court of Appeal led by Judge Datuk Seri Kamaludin Md Said allowed the appeals and set aside the rulings of the High Court. The other members of the bench were Judges Datuk Abu BakarJais and Datuk Supang Lian. In 2020, three separate High Courts had allowed the prosecution’s applications to forfeit money totalling RM2.1 million. Of the amount, RM1 million was from PBRS, RM835,258.19 from the Pahang MCA liaison committee, and RM265,146.16 from Rohizah Ahmad and six others. On Jan 30, the prosecution withdrew its appeals in the Court of Appeal to forfeit money totalling RM21.7 million allegedly linked to 1MDB belonging to 11 entities and individuals, including Pekan Umno and Johor Umno liaison committee, Bernama reported. The others were from Jakel Trading Sdn Bhd, Jakel Trading, Johor Bahru Barisan Nasional division, Mediaedge CIA Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Sarawak United People’s Party, director for Strategic Engagement Media Sdn Bhd Sim Sai Hoon, AGA Touch Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Yayasan Persatuan Bekas Anggota Kemas Malaysia and former land and cooperative development minister Tan Sri Kasitah Gaddam. The cases yesterday are the last of the 41 entities from which the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission sought to recover assets said to have been paid using 1MDB funds. In yesterday’s proceedings, lawyer Avinash Kamalanathan represented PBRS, Chan and Sangeetha Vasanth Kumar for Pahang MCA liaison committee and Nur Jehan Abu Bakar for the family of Abdul Manan. Appearing for the prosecution were DPP Samihah Rhazali and Nik Haslinie Hashim.
6 theSUN ON WEDNESDAY | MARCH 29, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS North Korea unveils new nuclear warheads oLeader vows to ramp up production of powerful tactical weapons to boost country’s arsenal SEOUL/BUSAN: North Korea unveiled new, smaller nuclear warheads and vowed to produce more weapons-grade nuclear material to expand the country’s arsenal, state media KCNA said yesterday, as a US aircraft carrier arrived in South Korea for military drills. KCNA released photos of the warheads, dubbed Hwasan-31s, as leader Kim Jong Un visited the Nuclear Weapons Institute, where he inspected new tactical nuclear weapons and China-Taiwan battle lines run through Latin America India’s Congress lawmakers wear black in protest NEW DELHI: Lawmakers from India’s main opposition Congress party wore black outfits, held placards that said “Save Democracy” and threw paper in parliament on Monday in protest against the disqualification of their leader Rahul Gandhi from the chambers. Gandhi, 52, lost his parliament seat last Friday, a day after a court in the western state of Gujarat convicted him and sentenced him to two years in jail for a defamatory comment he made during an election campaign rally in 2019. Gandhi is out on bail and his lawyers are expected to challenge the verdict in a higher court this week. “The decision to disqualify Gandhi marks a black day in our country’s democracy,” Congress party president Mallikarjun Kharge, dressed in a black outfit and a black turban, told reporters outside parliament. Gandhi told reporters on Saturday that he was disqualified for questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi about his relationship with Gautam Adani, founder of the Adani group business conglomerate. “We will continue to question Modi and his government for manipulating state-run assets to favour one company,” Kharge said. Gandhi and other opposition leaders say the prime minister’s longstanding ties with Gautam Adani helped the business group secure investments from state-run firms and win big ticket contracts, such as the management of six airports. Both the government and the Adani group have denied the accusations. Opposition lawmakers have been vocal about their demand for a joint parliamentary committee inquiry into Adani’s finances, forcing the speaker to repeatedly adjourn proceedings of parliament. A senior federal minister said Congress lawmakers were insulting parliament by not allowing it to function. “They are determined to humiliate parliament, which is the temple of democracy,” trade minister Piyush Goyal said on Monday. – Reuters B R I E F S UN: ‘REVEAL FATE OF ABDUCTEES’ SEOUL: The United Nations Human Rights office in Seoul called on North Korea yesterday to confirm the fate and whereabouts of people who have disappeared under its regime, accusing Pyongyang of violating the rights of the victims and their loved ones for decades. In a report on enforced disappearance and abductions by North Korea, the UN rights office said North Korea should acknowledge that it has engaged in a state policy of enforced disappearances since 1950, and take immediate steps to end such violations. The report, based on interviews with defectors, former abductees and relatives of victims, details accounts of disappearances, including arbitrary detentions and abduction of nationals from South Korea, Japan and other countries. “Enforced disappearance is a profound violation of many rights at once, and responsibility lies with the state,” UN Human Rights chief Volker Turk said. Pyongyang has repeatedly rejected the accusations and criticised the investigations as a US-backed scheme to interfere with its internal affairs. – Reuters ‘WE ARE ALL CHINESE’, SAYS EX-TAIWAN PRESIDENT NANJING: People on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are ethnically Chinese and share the same ancestor, former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou said yesterday at the start of a historic visit to China that Taiwan’s ruling party has criticised. Ma, in office from 2008-2016, is the first former or current Taiwanese president to visit China since the defeated Republic of China government fled to Taiwan in 1949 at the end of a civil war with the Communists. He is visiting amid heightened tension as Beijing uses political and military means to try and pressure democratically governed Taiwan into accepting Chinese sovereignty. Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party has questioned why he is visiting just after China took away another Taiwanese diplomatic ally, Honduras, on Sunday, leaving the island with official diplomatic ties with only 13 countries. – Reuters Activists and supporters protesting against the conviction of Gandhi in New Delhi yesterday. – AFPPIC technology for mounting warheads on ballistic missiles, as well as nuclear counterattack operation plans. Experts say the images could indicate progress in miniaturising warheads that are powerful yet small enough to mount on intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of striking the US. “It has something more powerful in a smaller space. That is worrisome,” said professor emeritus of nuclear engineering at Seoul National University Kune Y. Suh, comparing the new warheads with the 2016 version. Former South Korean naval officer who teaches at Kyungnam University Kim Dong-yup said the warheads were most likely designed for use with at least eight different delivery platforms listed in posters on the wall, including missiles and submarines. “Those are not limited to tactical missiles but appear to be a miniaturised, lightweight and standardised warhead that can be mounted on various vehicles,” he said. “Now that the delivery vehicles are nearly ready, they would churn out warheads to secure second strike capabilities – perhaps hundreds, not dozens – while running centrifuges even harder to get weapons-grade nuclear material,” he added. KCNA said the leader ordered the production of weapons-grade materials in a “far-sighted way” to boost its nuclear arsenal “exponentially” and produce powerful weapons. It said the enemy of the country’s nuclear forces is not a specific state or group but “war and nuclear disaster themselves”, and the policy of expanding is solely aimed at defending the country, and regional peace and stability. – Reuters TEGUCIGALPA: A battle in the intense diplomatic war between China and Taiwan is being fought in Latin America, where Honduras has become the latest country to ditch Taipei and align itself with Beijing. Paraguay will be the next front as it holds a presidential election in April, with opposition candidate Efrain Alegre having vowed to reevaluate relations with Taipei if he wins. After Honduras severed ties with Taiwan on Sunday, only Paraguay and 12 other countries now maintain diplomatic relations with the self-ruled democratic island: Guatemala, Belize, Haiti, the Holy See, Eswatini and seven small Caribbean and Pacific island nations. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen is set to visit Guatemala and Belize this week seeking to boost ties after Honduras and others recently shifted their allegiance to China: Nicaragua in 2021, El Salvador in 2018, Panama in 2017 and Costa Rica in 2007. She will also have stopovers in New York and Los Angeles. “We are facing a geopolitical recomposition of the world,” Honduras analyst Zoyla Madrid, recently retired from the National University, told AFP – with China one of the “imperial poles” vying for Latin American support. Madrid said the decision by Honduras was a blow to Washington. “The US has always counted on Honduras geopolitically and militarily, in fact Honduras has seven US military bases,” she said. According to the State Department, the US has no diplomatic ties with Taiwan, but “a robust unofficial relationship”. It is Taiwan’s most significant ally and largest weapons supplier, despite having switched recognition to Beijing in 1979. – AFP Japan birth drive sparks online debate TOKYO: Japan’s government has made tackling its falling birth rate a top priority, but with few women involved in official debate on the issue, some are making themselves heard on social media. Japan recorded fewer than 800,000 births last year, the lowest in the country of 125 million since records began. The prime minister has warned the trend threatens “whether we can continue to function as a society”, and fresh focus on the issue has sparked countless articles. But one in particular, noting Japan has the highest ratio in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development of women aged 50 who have never had children, triggered an outpouring of responses with the hashtag “life-long childlessness”. Tomoko Okada had long felt “ashamed” about not having children and hesitated to click on the trending topic on Twitter initially, fearing the usual barrage of criticism. Instead, she found mostly sympathetic and nuanced discussions, with women explaining why they had been unable to start a family or, in some cases, why they had chosen not to. “I used to strongly believe that giving birth was the ‘normal’ thing to do,” the 47-year-old freelance writer told AFP. She tried matchmaking services hoping to find a partner, with no luck, and was left feeling guilty when her dad asked for a grandchild for Father’s Day. But posting her experiences and reading those of others helped her feel “my way of life is also OK”. – AFP
7 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON WEDNESDAY | MARCH 29, 2023 Fresh protests in France over pension Bill amid warnings of more violence PARIS: France faced a new nationwide day of strikes and protests yesterday after some of the country’s worst street violence in years marred rallies over the past week. Protests against President Emmanuel Macron’s plans to delay retirement age by two years to 64 had been largely peaceful so far. But anger has mounted since the government pushed the Bill through parliament without a vote mid-March, with polls showing that last Thursday, “Black Bloc” anarchists smashed shop windows, demolished bus stops and ransacked a McDonald’s restaurant in Paris, with similar violence in other cities. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin warned on Monday that there was “a very serious risk” of further violence in the capital and beyond. Some 13,000 police have been assigned to the rallies. Violent far-left groups, some of them coming from abroad, want to “set France on fire”, he told reporters. Police have advised shop owners on the path of the Paris protest rally to close for the day. Rights groups and international organisations have denounced an excessive use of force by police in recent protests. As with previous days of industrial action since mid-January, trains and flights will be disrupted and some schools shut, while rolling strikes continue to hit the energy sector. On Monday, at least six out of seven refineries in France were shut or functioning at reduced capacity and liquefied natural gas terminals were blocked. The government says the pension Bill is vital to ensure the system does not go bust. Unions and protesters say there are other ways to do that. Unions have asked Macron to withdraw or pause the Bill – which has been adopted but not yet published, pending a review by the Constitutional Council – to calm things down. – Reuters Former student kills six in US school shooting NASHVILLE: A heavily armed former student killed three young children and three staff in what appeared to be a carefully planned attack at a private elementary school in Nashville on Monday, before being shot dead by police. Chief of Police John Drake named the suspect as Audrey Hale, 28, who the officer identified as transgender. Hale left behind a manifesto, had maps of the school detailing surveillance and entry-exit points, and was “prepared for a confrontation with law enforcement,” the A an image from a surveillance video showing the suspect entering the school carrying weapons in Nashville, Tennessee, US yesterday. – REUTERSPIC oPresident calls for ban of assault weapons and stricter rules on gun sales B R I E F SISRAEL TO DELAY JUDICIAL OVERHAUL JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday paused a judicial overhaul that triggered a general strike, political division and mass protests in the country’s most severe domestic crisis in years. The proposed reforms would curtail the authority of the Supreme Court and give politicians greater powers over the selection of judges. After nearly three months of increasing tensions, the legislation will now be considered further in the next session of parliament, which begins in the second half of April. “Out of a sense of national responsibility, out of a will to prevent a rupture among our people, I have decided to pause the second and third readings of the Bill” to allow time for dialogue, Netanyahu said in a broadcast. His comments came a day after he sacked his defence minister, Yoav Gallant, who had cited national security concerns in calling for a halt to the legislative process. HEAD OF AFGHAN GIRLS’ SCHOOL PROJECT HELD KABUL: The founder of a project that campaigned for girls’ education in Afghanistan has been detained by Taliban authorities in Kabul, his brother and the UN said yesterday. The Taliban government last year barred girls from attending secondary school and later university, making Afghanistan the only country in the world to issue such restrictions on education. The head of PenPath Matiullah Wesa was stopped outside a mosque after prayers on Monday evening, his brother Samiullah Wesa told AFP. “When Matiullah asked for their identity cards, they beat him and forcefully took him away,” he said. “He has been arrested for his activities in the education sector. He never worked with anybody else, neither with the previous government. He only worked for PenPath.” The UN mission in Afghanistan confirmed in a tweet that Matiullah had been arrested. – AFP Plaintiff says actress’ changed his ‘essence’ LOS ANGELES: The man suing Gwyneth Paltrow over what he claims was a hit-and-run ski accident on a posh US slope said on Monday the accident had changed his “essence”. Terry Sanderson, a 76-year-old retired optometrist, said the 2016 collision in Utah had left him with four broken ribs and lasting psychological damage. “I’m like living another life now,” he told a court in Park City. “My interaction with my family has been more difficult. I’m desperate to be close to my family and my girls. “But something’s wrong with my essence and what I bring to the table with them. Communication is not as smooth.” Sanderson is suing the Shakespeare in Love actress over the collision, which his lawyers say caused him damage to the tune of US$3.3 million (RM14.5 million). He filed the suit in 2019. Paltrow has in turn counter-sued for a symbolic US$1, plus legal expenses. The actress told the trial last week that Sanderson had ploughed into her but has Sanderson insisted that it was he who was the victim. “I got hit in my back so hard at my shoulder blades,” he told the jury. Asked about an email he sent to his daughters about the crash with a Hollywood celebrity, with the subject line “I’m famous,” Sanderson said: “My head was scrambled.” “I didn’t pick my words well and it backfired.” – AFP Ukraine accuses Russia of ‘radiation blackmail’ KYIV: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russian troops were holding the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant “hostage” and its safety could not be guaranteed until they left it, while his forces shut off the frontline town of Avdiivka as they planned their next move. Russian troops have occupied the nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest, since the early weeks of the invasion of Ukraine and have shown no inclination to relinquish control. “Holding a nuclear power station hostage for more than a year – this is surely the worst thing that has ever happened in the history of European or world-wide nuclear power,” he said in his nightly video address. He decried the Russian presence as “radiation blackmail”. His comments followed a meeting with director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi at the Dnipro hydroelectric power station, northeast of the Zaporizhzhia plant. Initiatives on restoring safety and security are “doomed to failure” without a withdrawal of Russian troops from the plant, Zelenskiy said in comments posted on the presidential website. Russia and Ukraine routinely accuse each other of shelling the Zaporizhzhia plant. Fighting around it and worries of a water shortage and that cooling systems could lose power have raised fears of a nuclear disaster. A team of IAEA experts has since September been stationed at the plant, which Kyiv has accused Moscow of using as a shield for troops and military hardware. Grossi has repeatedly called for a safety zone around it and is due to visit it again this week. He has tried to negotiate with both sides but said in January that brokering a deal was getting harder. Zaporizhzhia is one of four regions Russia claimed to annex in September after referendums criticised globally as shams. Russia views the plant as its territory, which Ukraine denies. Zelenskiy visited the Zaporizhzhia region on Monday, the latest tour of frontline regions since a top general said Ukraine’s counterattack could come soon. – Reuters police chief told reporters following the latest outburst of gun violence in the US. In an interview with NBC News, he said the suspect was likely plotting a broader attack, as the manifesto “indicates that there was going to be shootings at multiple locations, and the school was one of them”. According to police, Hale was armed with at least two assault rifles and a handgun, and entered The Covenant School, a Christian academy, from a side entrance, allegedly shooting through a door, firing multiple shots while advancing through the building. Police identified the six victims, saying one of the three children was eight years old and two were aged nine, while the adults killed were aged 60 to 61. One of the victims, Katherine Koonce, is listed as head of the school on the academy’s website. Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden called on Congress on Monday to pass an assault weapons ban following the shooting, the White House said. “We have to do more to stop gun violence. It is ripping our communities apart,” Biden said at the White House. “I call on Congress again to pass my assault weapons ban.” Biden, a Democrat, has repeatedly called for a renewed assault weapons ban and stricter rules on gun sales, measures that need to pass Congress. The House of Representatives is controlled by Republicans, and key lawmakers say any new gun safety legislation is unlikely this year. “How many more children have to be murdered before Republicans in Congress will step up and act, to close loopholes in our background check system or to require the safe storage of guns?” White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters. – AFP/Reuters
8 theSUN ON WEDNESDAY | MARCH 29, 2023 SPEAK UP How to deal with financial stress FINANCIAL stress is an ever-present problem for many M a l a y s i a n s . According to a survey by iMoney in 2021, nearly 60% of Malaysians reported feeling financially stressed, with 46% stating that they have difficulty meeting their financial obligations. This is a concerning issue that affects people of all ages and backgrounds, causing negative effects on their physical and mental health, relationships, and overall quality of life. Let’s explore some effective strategies to help deal with financial stress and regain control of your finances. To address financial stress, it’s important to understand what it is and what causes it. Financial stress occurs when an individual is unable to meet his financial obligations, such as paying bills, debts or other expenses. The main causes of financial stress in Malaysia include low income, high cost of living, debt, lack of savings and unexpected expenses. It is crucial to identify the signs of financial stress early on to prevent it from escalating. Some common signs of financial stress include constantly worrying about money, difficulty sleeping or concentrating, feeling anxious or depressed, arguing with family members or friends about money, ignoring bills or other financial obligations and using credit cards to pay for basic necessities. One of the most effective ways to cope with financial stress is to create a budget and stick to it. A budget will help you track your expenses, identify areas where you can cut costs and plan for future expenses. You can use a budgeting app or spreadsheet to help you keep track of your spending. Reducing your expenses is another effective way to cope with financial stress. Look for ways to cut costs such as eating out less, reducing your utility bills or shopping for cheaper alternatives. You can also negotiate with your service providers to lower your bills. Increasing your income can help you ease your financial stress. Consider taking on a part-time job, freelancing or starting a side hustle to earn extra money. You can also explore opportunities for career advancement or ask for a raise at work. Having an emergency fund can help you deal with unexpected expenses and reduce your financial stress. Aim to save at least three to six months’ worth of living expenses in an emergency fund. You can start small and gradually build up your savings over time. A financial plan is a crucial aspect of managing financial stress. It involves setting financial goals and developing a roadmap to achieve them. A financial plan can help you prioritise your spending, track your progress and keep you motivated. Here are some steps to help you develop a financial plan. The first step in developing a financial plan is to identify your financial goals. This can include paying off debts, saving for retirement, buying a house or starting a business. Be specific about your goals and write them down. Once you have identified your financial goals, assess your current financial situation. This includes calculating your net worth, reviewing your income and expenses and analysing your debts and assets. Create a budget that aligns with your financial goals. Allocate your income towards your expenses, debts and savings. Use a budgeting app or spreadsheet to help you track your spending. Implement your financial plan by taking action towards your goals. This may involve reducing your expenses, increasing your income or seeking professional help. Stay committed to your plan, review your progress regularly and make adjustments as necessary. If you have a debt, make a plan to pay it off as soon as possible. Prioritise your debts with the highest interest rates and focus on paying those off first. Consider consolidating your debts or negotiating with your creditors to reduce your interest rates. Saving for the future is crucial for achieving your financial goals. Consider opening a retirement account or investing in stocks, bonds, or mutual funds. Start small and gradually increase your contributions over time. Financial stress is a common problem that affects many Malaysians. However, with the right strategies it is possible to cope with financial stress and take control of your finances. Create a budget, reduce your expenses, increase your income, build an emergency fund, seek professional help and develop a financial plan to achieve your goals. Remember that managing your finances is a journey and it takes time and effort to make significant progress. Be patient, stay committed and celebrate your successes along the way. Dr Praveena Rajendra is a certified mental health and awareness practitioner specialising in narcissistic abuse recovery. Comments: [email protected] “Remember that managing your finances is a journey and it takes time and effort to make significant progress. Be patient, stay committed and celebrate your successes along the way. 18 million tourist arrivals likely this year IN my letter “Tourist arrivals likely to reach 10 million”, which was published last year, I predicted that tourist arrivals could exceed 10 million in 2022 if the monthly average were to be 1.5 million during the last quarter. Based on this monthly average, I had also projected that tourist arrivals for 2023 to be 18 million, if there was no new outbreak of coronavirus, and more if not impacted by wars or other conflicts. But later, I was bewildered by a December 2022 report in which a research house projected tourist arrivals in the country to jump fourfold to 9.6 million in 2023 from an estimated 2.5 million a year ago on the back of the reopening of international borders. Last Tuesday, Deputy Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan said in the Dewan Rakyat that Malaysia managed to attract 10 million foreign tourists and generated RM28.2 billion in tourism income in 2022. On the same day, Tourism Malaysia released official figures on its website. It was 10,070,964, with the monthly average at 1,504,894 during the last quarter. Singaporeans again accounted for more than half of all tourist arrivals to Malaysia, such as in the years from 2012 to 2015. If foreign excursionists were to be added, including Singaporeans that came only for shopping and dining, the total number of foreign visitors in 2022 would hit 14,267,416. In 2019, we had 26,100,784 foreign tourists and 8,944,841 excursionists, a total of 35 million foreign visitors. Tourism Malaysia ought to be lauded for comparing November and December 2022 figures with that of 2019, which should be the benchmark for us to return to normalcy, as tourist arrivals in 2020 were only 4,332,722, and dropped to rock bottom in 2021 with 134,728. My letter “2020 was bad for tourism, 2021 could be worse” was published on January 9, 2021, and I projected tourist arrivals for 2020 at 4,332,731. At the end of February, figures released by Tourism Malaysia put the number at 4,332,722, only nine fewer than my prediction. In April 2021, I was interviewed by a reporter who wrote “Down to a trickle” and quoted my projection of 132,000 tourist arrivals for the year, a drop of more than 96% compared with the year before. The number that came was 12,728 more, at 134,728, but offered no consolation. I have been closely following tourist arrival figures and could easily spot any error. In July 2018, then tourism, arts and culture minister Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi said the 33.1 million tourists target for the year will be maintained, higher than the 2017 target of 31.8 million. But these targets were missed by a mile as arrivals for 2017 and 2018 were only 25.95 million and 25.83 million respectively. In July 2019, the same minister expressed confidence in achieving 30 million tourist arrivals in 2020 and contributing about RM100 billion in revenue. He would have been right, had it not been for the outbreak of Covid19. Globally, tourism grew steadily in the years between the outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) in 2002 and Covid-19 in 2020. But our tourist arrivals plateaued between 2010 and 2019, averaging 25.8 million per year. Should we have the same opportunity in the coming years, we must do our utmost to take full advantage and could possibly hit a purple patch if everything is in sync. We should target nothing less than 18 million tourist arrivals this year and achieve 24 million in 2024, 30 million in Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) 2025, 36 million in 2026 and 42 million in 2027. Some pundits may dismiss these figures as just a pipe dream. But these numbers are low compared with Thailand, which is targeting 80 million foreign tourists by 2027. In any case, VMY 2025 should not be geared towards attracting more tourists only for that year. VMY campaign and promotions should also increase tourist arrivals substantially in 2024, 2026 and beyond. Comments: [email protected] COMMENT by YS Chan MIND THE MIND BY DR PRAVEENA RAJENDRA P8: NEW COLUMN: Green Inspiration LOGO with photo, By Pishu Murli Hassaram + QUOTE HEADLINE:
9 SPEAK UP theSUN ON WEDNESDAY | MARCH 29, 2023 theSun ONWEDNESDAY | NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSun ON WEDNESDAY | NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS THE OBJECTIVES TO achieve greater unity among Malaysians TO maintain a democratic way of life TO create a just society in which the wealth of the nation shall be equitably shared TO ensure a liberal approach to her rich and diverse cultural traditions TO build a progressive society which shall be oriented to modern science and technology RUKUN NEGARA: THE PRINCIPLES BELIEF IN GOD LOYALTY TO KING AND COUNTRY THE SUPREMACY OF THE CONSTITUTION THE RULE OF LAW COURTESY AND MORALITY THE OBJECTIVES TO achieve greater unity among Malaysians TO maintain a democratic way of life TO create a just society in which the wealth of the nation shall be equitably shared TO ensure a liberal approach to her rich and diverse cultural traditions TO build a progressive society which shall be oriented to modern science and technology RUKUN NEGARA: THE PRINCIPLES BELIEF IN GOD LOYALTY TO KING AND COUNTRY THE SUPREMACY OF THE CONSTITUTION THE RULE OF LAW COURTESY AND MORALITY 5G rollout, topsy-turvy innovation ONE fundamental question which Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) never addressed credibly, based on data manifesting global mobile experience, science and economics, is why no nation in the whole world is following the Single Wholesale Network (SWN) model, also known as Wholesale Open Access Network, implemented nationwide, for their 5G rollout if it is so beneficial? According to “5G Market Snapshot” by Global mobile Suppliers Association, as of February, 156 countries and territories are investing in 5G, including trials, acquisition of licences, planning, network deployment and launches. And Malaysia is literally (still) going solo in its nationwide SWN approach for 5G, except for Brunei with a population of less than 500,000, where infrastructure-based competition is indeed impractical. There must be a global wisdom out there that we could have borrowed like the rest of our more proactive global and regional counterparts. But speaking of known-to-the-world SWN experiments, it is essential to delineate the terms to avoid mixing apples and oranges. The SWN model in focus is Multi Operator Core Network (MOCN), where MNOs (mobile network operators) share all the infrastructure except their core networks – the exact model deployed by DNB. The infrastructure-based competition, which is crucial in driving innovation and, therefore, network service quality and affordability does not exist in MOCN. Under the MOCN, MNOs can compete only based on service-provisioning characteristics (such as price plans, usage quota etc) – the main reason other nations intelligently shy away from the MOCN. However, it is also important to note that a single wholesale-only network limited to fibre, such as those launched in Bahrain or New Zealand for instance, is something rather beneficial for a nation and can play a key role in closing the urban-rural digital divide. Unfortunately, however, DNB does not do this and ignores the problem of our national fibre backhaul completely while focusing only on the last-mile service delivery. Also, SWN models limited to rural areas are a promising avenue in the presence of adequate nationwide dark fibre coverage. However, again, DNB is not doing this either. Instead of having a nationwide SWN, some countries opted for a Dual Wholesale Network (DWN), which only very marginally solves the lack of infrastructure-based competition. However, the presence of DWN is also why Kazakhstan or Mexico did not do as bad in terms of the resulting quality and affordability of mobile internet services compared with their counterparts who pursued SWN. The above important distinctions deem the comparison more meaningful with Belarus, Brunei, Kenya and Rwanda. Even among countries that dared the nationwide SWN model, there was never a notion of a “supply-driven” approach on top of the already problematic SWN model. For example, the CEO of Brunei’s Unified National Networks – the case so often cited by DNB out of context – specifically emphasised their demand-driven focus on well-established older generation technology (4G and below) to recover investments while organically preparing the platform for the future (5G). Furthermore, Brunei, with less than 500,000 population, stands in its own space as a unique case. Belarus, until now, remains at the lowest of the global mobile network coverage, quality and affordability charts. In Kenya, the negotiations were too complicated and prolonged, holding major stakeholders back, which sounds familiar. It was not until Safaricom, Kenya’s largest telecommunications provider, pulled out of the deal, resulting in the project dying before it took off. Rwanda, however, is an interesting compareand-contrast case study. Before its joint 4G/LTE SWN experiment with Korean Telecom (KT) in 2007, the Rwandan government initiated a project with the same company (KT) to build a national backbone network to connect the Rwandan capital with other major cities. Hence, the Rwandan government ended up having an extensive backhaul capacity to various populated areas – a critical asset the Malaysian government does not have to date and still places little importance on. This is why DNB is “leasing fibre” (most likely bandwidth through fibre) from Telekom Malaysia. In 2013, the Rwandan government established a joint venture with KT again (49% share by the Rwandan government and 51% by KT), selected without open tender, eventually becoming known as KT Rwanda Networks (KtRN). Noteworthy, unlike Malaysia, the Rwandan government did not put at risk people’s money (DNB’s government-backed sukuk) but contributed in the form of national assets (valued at US$130 million or RM572 million) – fibre optic, national data centre, spectrum and a 25-year exclusive license for KT to make the spectrum available under a non-discriminatory wholesale basis to MNOs, which covered not only LTE technologies but all future technologies. KT contributed by constructing a 4G LTE network and other investments (US$140 million). The key expectations from this venture were speed of rollout, increased competition and reduced prices to end customers. Interestingly, the main narrative was similar – the Rwandan MNOs would not be willing to roll out 4G fast enough to “sweat out” their investments in the previous generation of technology. This looks like a “copy-paste” work by those involved in DNB creation. Only chatGPT could probably do a better job due to its ability to interpret things in the bigger context and global trends. The venture achieved the target output (95% population coverage by end-2017) despite a slight delay. However, the outcomes were opposite to expectations: 0 This network had no positive competitive impact as there were, reportedly, no new Mobile Virtual Network Operators entries. In fact, according to Inclusive Internet Index tracking, Rwandan wireless market concentration even increased (reduced competition) over recent years. 0 4G adoption has been extremely low to date attributed to a few reasons: 1) high 4G prices caused by wholesale arrangements, 2) lack of affordable smartphones and 3) lack of knowledge by the broader population of how to utilise technology. KT accumulated significant losses over the years, close to US$100 million between 2014 and 2018, according to figures from the US Securities and Exchanges Commission. But, at least in Rwanda’s case, these losses were not backed by the rakyat’s money (through sukuk) or forcefully pushed in an “innovative” “supply-driven” fashion to national MNOs. After all, national MNOs contribute immensely to the home economy in multiple ways – very directly through the universal service provision fund, taxes and dividends to government-linked investment companies, which – in total with an indirect contribution through the industry effect - far outweigh laughable DNB’s cash flow projections. Expectedly, Rwandan MNOs were blamed for charging high prices for their 4G offerings. However, MNOs responded that they earn almost nothing from some packages, largely reflecting the wholesale price they had to pay KtRN. The situation did not improve significantly even after KtRN reduced the wholesale price by 30% in 2016. As EMIR Research already discussed, DNB’s inability to provide lower cost due to many hidden costs either not stated outright or not considered, we shall not expect the eventual 5G pricing situation to be different from Rwanda’s experience. More so, we shall not expect this for yet another reason. DNB’s price of RM0.13 per gigabyte (GB) in its latest advertorials (reduced from the initially quoted RM0.20 per GB, obviously for even better advertorial optics) says nothing about the eventual price to consumers. The official 5G cost model published by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission in the Reference Access Offer (RAO) uses bandwidth-based pricing – RM30,000 per gigabit per second (Gbps) per month to access the 5G network. With this information, we can arrive at about RM 0.09 per GB cost to an MNO given the full utilisation of the network. However, with 50% network utilisation, this cost will double. With 10% utilisation, it would already be about RM0.93 per GB. Moreover, this wholesale price includes only radio access network and excludes other network elements and services where MNOs incur costs. Do remember that unlike even in Rwanda’s experience, DNB is focusing only on the last mile. Hence, what MNOs can charge to endconsumers, even if to at least cover their costs, depends primarily on network utilisation. The above brings us back to reflection on how KT has accumulated losses in Rwanda as demand has not kept up with supply. Do note that all those factors stated as the main contributors to low 4G penetration in Rwanda are totally translatable to the expected scenario for 5G in Malaysia for an indefinite number of years down the road, greatly contingent upon how quickly the current administration can turn around all other “antitrend” legacy policies related to Fourth Industrial Revolution, including the education system ignored for decades. At least, Rwanda seems to be done with its SWN experiment and finally took a swift intelligent U-turn in the right direction by reinstating spectrum technology neutrality to return infrastructure-based competition and therefore innovation edge to their telecom industry. The focus should be not on coverage but on innovation. “The National Broadband Policy and Strategy” by the Rwandan Ministry of ICT and Innovation, adopted in October 2022, encapsulates their experience with SWN well. Malaysian policymakers must study this policy document. Rwanda has learned a painful lesson about how innovation and, therefore, network service quality and affordability do not live in the SWN model, which arrests the infrastructure-based competition. And even the dynamic radio resource partitioning used by DNB (for which DNBEricsson reportedly received an award) would not solve this fundamental problem. Let’s not forget at one time, the Rwandan SWN experiment also won an innovation award. Given the number of “negative innovations” that we observe in DNB’s rollout model on top of the already problematic SWN approach, we probably should be given a Nobel Prize straight, but only in some kind of upside-down reality like in mystical series on Netflix, Stranger Things. How long should developing countries suffer from being the lab for “innovation” experiments by colonialists (national and supranational)? We should politely urge them to apply their “innovations” in their lands, while in our lands, we must do what is right for our people, always driven by data, science, and economics. DrRais Hussin is the president and chief executive officer of EMIR Research, a think tank focused on strategic policy recommendations based on rigorous research. Comments: [email protected] Mental training key to Olympic gold THE Road-to-Gold initiative by the Youth and Sports Ministry led by its Minister Hannah Yeoh is our quest to win the first Olympic gold medal since our participation in the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games. As our Malaysian athletes gear up for the Paris 2024 Olympics, they need to bolster their mental strength to withstand the pressures and anxieties of the Olympics. For many elite athletes besides their physical training, mental training is equally important to conditioning and technical training in order to be at their best peak. The scientific approach to mental training is gaining momentum, especially for our athletes who are preparing for the SEA Games in Cambodia in May and the Asian Games in China in September. Mental trainers train our athletes to focus on smaller, more meaningful goals. Players and athletes from various sports are told to be creative with their training sessions to find and sustain the skills that they have acquired. Some athletes engage and motivate themselves with music and motivational tapes. So far, Malaysia has won eight silver and five bronze medals at the Olympics but has yet to claim gold. Yeoh should be credited for studying and analysing the issues and barriers that have prevented past contingents from winning their first gold. She decided to form a task force that includes world-class athletes who were in their primes such as eight-time World Squash Women’s Champion Datuk Nicol David and three-time Olympic silver medallist Datuk Lee Chong Wei among others, who are no strangers to competition due to their wealth of experience and sports knowledge, which would help the task force immensely in providing our athletes with the edge to overcome the mental barriers that lie in their path. Our selected elite athletes must have the mental fortitude and realise that they must focus on their Olympic dreams in making our country proud. This involves strengthening their mental resolve so that they can give their best. It is just like our Malaysian actress Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh who won an Oscar for best actress, creating history for Malaysia. We look forward to striking our first gold provided our athletes equip themselves with mental training and skills, and use them as a competitive weapon in creating history for Malaysia. C. Sathasivam Sitheravellu Seremban LETTERS [email protected] COMMENT by Dr Rais Hussin
10 theSUN ON WEDNESDAY | MARCH 29, 2023 MEDIA & MARKETING McDonald’s Malaysia receives sustainability award IT was yet another milestone for McDonald’s Malaysia, as the company was recently honoured with the ‘Brand of the Year - Malaysia’s Best in Sustainability Leadership Award’ during the recent Top Asia Corporate Ball Event 2022/2023 organised by Top 10 of Malaysia and Top 10 of Asia Initiative, a Kuala Lumpur-based research and media organisation. This marks the first time McDonald’s Malaysia has received this prestigious award, which is an acknowledgement of its efforts towards implementing sustainable practices and promoting community engagement through various initiatives nationwide. “We are honoured to receive this award, which is a testament to McDonald’s Malaysia’s dedication to sustainability and our efforts in making a positive impact on society,” said Dato’ Azmir Jaafar, Managing Director and Local Operating Partner, at McDonald’s Malaysia. “With this recognition, we hope to serve as a role model for other organisations in the industry.” The Top Asia Corporate Ball Event honours the ‘best of the best’, and celebrates the achievements of top personalities, corporations and even countries in Asia. Build an exceptional career HEINEKEN Malaysia Berhad (HEINEKEN Malaysia) is excited to announce that its 2023 HEINEKEN Graduate Programme is now open for applications from now to April 19, 2023. The brewer is calling for talented and highlymotivated Malaysian graduates looking to kick-start their careers in a supportive and dynamic environment. The programme is an excellent opportunity for graduates to cultivate their skills while advancing their career growth. The HEINEKEN Graduate Program is a regional initiative designed to empower graduates with invaluable experience, providing them with exposure to grow their careers, as well as enhance their capabilities to succeed in the industry. The 18-month programme provides successful applicants with a comprehensive induction and exposure to multi-functional roles and region-led development programmes. Participants will have the opportunity to learn on the job, working alongside experienced mentors locally and in the Asia Pacific region. The programme’s rotation concept will equip them with the essential skills, knowledge, and experience from diverse areas of the business, fostering a wellrounded skill set. Victoria Ang, HEINEKEN Malaysia’s People Director said: “As part of the world’s most international brewer, HEINEKEN Malaysia is opening our doors for Malaysia’s best graduates to kick-start an exciting career filled with opportunities to develop. Graduates can expect to hone their skills and learn from a pool of leading experts across the various functions in our organisation. This programme represents our commitment to investing in our people and nurture talents in Malaysia.” Successful applicants of the HEINEKEN Graduate Programme will embark on a journey of growth and discovery through four main assignments, with the first three in HEINEKEN Malaysia for four months each. Upon completion, graduates will then move on to a final six-month cross-functional assignment in one of the HEINEKEN Companies in Asia Pacific. These assignments will set them up for success in one of the seven business tracks, including Commerce, Supply Chain, Finance, Human Resources, Corporate Affairs, Legal, Digital & Transformation. The HEINEKEN Graduate Programme provides an excellent foundation for graduates to accelerate career growth and build a fulfilling and rewarding career in the industry. To identify the best oGrow your career with the 2023 HEINEKEN Graduate Programme candidates, the registration process includes a series of assessments designed to evaluate their problemsolving skills, learning agility, communication skills, and leadership skills among others. Pirasintha Puspanathan, HEINEKEN Malaysia’s People Analytics and Insights Lead, and alumni of the programme shared: “I’m grateful for the opportunities given to me through the program. It has allowed me to gain exposure to diverse countries and d e p a r t m e n t s , broadening my perspective and enriching my experience. Additionally, I’ve developed friendships with colleagues from across the globe through this programme too!” Calwyn Chin, HEINEKEN Malaysia’s Finance Asia Pacific Graduate added: “The development plans of the graduate program are curated to help you build an exceptional career ahead. Through the programme, you will also be working closely with top-class managers and mentors in the industry, as well as connecting with like-minded talents across the world who will support you on your journey!” Think you have what it takes? Apply now. Scan the QR code for more information
KLCI 1,409.09 12.49 STI 3,255.54 16.51 HANG SENG 19,784.65 216.96 SCI 3,245.38 25.72 NIKKEI 27,518.25 6.02 TSEC 15,701.48 41.38 KOSPI 2,434.94 S&P/ASX200 7,034.10 72.10 WEDNESDAY MARCH 29, 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 28, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (sen) +/– (sen) CFM 201,676,000 18.5 -4.5 VINVEST 120,596,200 24.5 +2.0 SAPNRG 111,744,300 4.0 UNCH VIZIONE 60,394,000 6.0 +0.5 FITTERS 59,053,600 8.0 UNCH EXCHANGERATES MARCH 28, 2023 Foreign currency Bank sell Bank buy Bank buy TT/OD TT OD 1 US DOLLAR 4.4815 4.3455 4.3355 1 AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR 3.0030 2.8820 2.8660 1 BRUNEI DOLLAR 3.3670 3.2690 3.2610 1 CANADIAN DOLLAR 3.2780 3.1890 3.1770 1 EURO 4.8500 4.6910 4.6710 1 NEW ZEALAND DOLLAR 2.7930 2.6880 2.6720 1 SINGAPORE DOLLAR 3.3670 3.2690 3.2610 1 STERLING POUND 5.5200 5.3440 5.3240 1 SWISS FRANC 4.8840 4.7690 4.7540 100 UAE DIRHAM 123.4500 116.9900 116.7900 100 BANGLADESH TAKA 4.3370 4.0660 3.8660 100 CHINESE RENMINBI 65.2000 62.7000 N/A 100 HONGKONG DOLLAR 57.6900 54.8000 54.6000 100 INDIAN RUPEE 5.5400 5.2000 5.0000 100 INDONESIAN RUPIAH 0.0306 0.0277 0.0227 100 JAPANESE YEN 3.4270 3.3170 3.3070 100 NEW TAIWAN DOLLAR 15.8000 N/A N/A 100 PAKISTAN RUPEE 1.6100 1.5100 1.3100 100 QATAR RIYAL 123.4400 117.1800 116.9800 100 SAUDI RIYAL 120.6100 114.5000 114.3000 100 SOUTH AFRICA RAND 25.4000 22.9400 22.7400 100 THAI BAHT 13.6100 12.0700 11.6700 Source: Malayan Banking Berhad/Bernama KL MARKET SUMMARY March 28, 2023 INDICES CHANGE FBMEMAS 10,301.90 +67.89 FBMKLCI 1,409.09 +12.49 CONSUMER PRODUCTS 567.82 +3.11 INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS 168.00 +2.04 CONSTRUCTION 159.10 -0.92 FINANCIAL SERVICES 15,560.30 +137.80 ENERGY 813.43 +20.48 TELECOMMUNICATIONS 590.45 +5.89 HEALTH CARE 1,754.67 -15.00 TRANSPORTATION 893.95 -5.03 PROPERTY 684.15 -1.29 PLANTATION 6,714.74 +58.02 FBMSHA 10,619.20 +51.81 FBMACE 5,205.51 -11.40 TECHNOLOGY 61.16 -0.09 TURNOVER VALUE 2.832 BIL RM1.505 BIL 5 TOP GAINERS March 28, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (RM) +/– RM NESTLE 14,000 135.60 +0.90 AJI 184,500 15.56 +0.88 CARLSBG 188,400 21.40 +0.40 AEONCR 99,600 11.52 +0.36 MYETFID 500 1.50 +0.32 5 TOP LOSERS March 28, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (RM) +/– RM MPI 35,100 28.40 -0.40 KESM 3,100 7.08 -0.32 CHINTEK 100 8.21 -0.27 VIS 27,707,600 0.655 -0.255 HEXTECH 6,600 24.28 -0.22 128.83 Mihas 2023 to capitalise on global halal economy KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia International Halal Showcase 2023 (Mihas 2023) is poised to capitalise on the US$5 trillion (RM22 trillion) global halal industry, according to International Trade And Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz. The minister said that according to Frost & Sullivan (September 2022), the halal economy in the post-pandemic era is forecast to touch US$5 trillion by 2030. “In addition, the world’s global Muslim population currently exceeds 1.9 billion people and is growing, providing growth prospects and opportunities for the country’s players to capture,” he said during the soft launch of Mihas 2023 yesterday. Tengku Zafrul said Malaysia is poised to cement its position as the global leader in the halal industry, supported by the significant investments that has been made by the government in enhancing the halal ecosystem. “The government has invested heavily in enhancing the Halal ecosystem, including promoting halal R&D and nurturing the enabling infrastructure to support halal production and distribution. “This is as Jakim remains the prominent agency for halal certification, not only oUS$5 trillion industry, together with the growing Muslim population, will provide huge opportunities for Malaysia’s businesses to capture: Minister █ BY HAYATUN RAZAK [email protected] NanoMalaysia, GIIB Rubber develop graphene-infused precured tread liner KUALA LUMPUR: NanoMalaysia Bhd (NMB), the country’s leading agency in nanotechnology and advanced solutions commercialisation platform under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, and GIIB Rubber Compound Sdn Bhd, a rubber compound producer and a wholly owned subsidiary of GIIB Holdings Bhd, have collaborated to develop an improved and optimised rubber compound formulation using Graphene-M15 to improve the mechanical properties of precured tread liner. Graphene M-15 is a type of graphene nanoplatelet incorporated into precured tread liners rubber compound, more commonly known as tyre flowers, to enhance rubber compounds’ mechanical properties in abrasion resistance, tensile strength, hardness, and tear strength, among others. This is the first graphene infused precured tread liner developed in Malaysia. The new rubber compound formulation has been demonstrated to have better mechanical properties and higher durability to tackle problems such as abrasion loss and high rolling resistance, inadequate abrasion resistance and reduced uses of high amounts of carbon black, which are not environmentally friendly. The improved high-performance rubber compound is used in various industries, including automotive, construction, energy and oil. NanoMalaysia Bhd CEO Dr Rezal Khairi Ahmad said: “Graphene in precured tread liners has been shown during project execution to reduce rolling resistance for improved energy efficiency, extend the life span of tires and be used in diverse climates or extreme road conditions. Energy efficiency improvements will reduce carbon emissions in line with one of Malaysia’s National Energy Policy 2022-2040 key targets. In other words, there is a vast opportunity to increase the production capacity of our tyre industry to facilitate export to other countries to meet global demands and become a market leader in producing energy-efficient, safe and longlasting tyres. The deployment of such advanced tyres will be made through our Venture Builder return of investment model”. The Apac industrial rubber market was valued at US$36.1 billion (RM16 billion) in 2017 and is expected to reach US$55.4 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 5.5% during 2017-2025. Meanwhile, the Malaysian industrial rubber market, valued at RM1.18 billion in 2017, is expected to grow to RM1.7 billion in 2025. This suggests an increasing demand for industrial rubber products due to rising worldwide motor vehicle production and sales. Significant growth is expected in emerging economies such as Malaysia, India, Thailand, and Brazil, resulting in increased demand for rubber products. domestically, but also internationally. The Halal Development Corporation on the other hand, spearheads the development of Malaysia’s integrated and comprehensive halal ecosystem. These agencies, together with Matrade, are Miti’s strategic partners for the progress and development of Malaysia’s halal industry,” he said. Malaysia is known to be a leading supplier of a wide range of halal-certified products and services namely food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, finance and tourism. To promote the growth of Malaysia’s halal economy, the government recently launched the Halal Industry Master Plan 2030 (HIMP 2030). “HIMP 2030 will help cement Malaysia’s position as the undisputed global leader in the halal industry. Through HIMP 2030, the government is projecting that Malaysia’s halal industry will expand to US$113.2 billion by 2030, with a GDP contribution of 8.1% by 2025,” he said. He added that Mihas, as a B2B platform that has grown from strength-to-strength, has also established itself as one of our key drivers to build on the halal momentum by exploring new frontiers and untapped opportunities in this industry. “In short, we have all the right ingredients and ecosystem to grow the halal network, trade and investments in Malaysia,” he said. He added that the Islamic core values of Halal also support the concept of ‘Malaysia Madani’ which revolves around the core values of sustainability, prosperity, innovation, respect, trust and compassion, “All these help to position Malaysia as a country that values ethical and responsible business practices, which complement Malaysia’s halal branding worldwide.” Malaysian halal exports rose by an impressive 63.8% to RM59.46 billion in 2022. The minister said that this means that the halal industry is becoming increasingly important for businesses – including MSME – to generate revenue and jobs, which are key to economic development, while creating a positive spillover to the rakyat’s livelihood in general. “I am confident that with the HIMP 2030, complemented by Miti’s vision in developing this industry, and B2B platforms like Mihas – Malaysia can maintain its leadership position in Halal products and services that meet the highest quality standards,” he said. Participation 45.8 31.3 22.9 100.0 Institutions Retail Foreign Bought RM m 682.9 478.0 344.8 1505.7 Sold RM m 696.7 465.2 343.8 1505.7 Net RM m -13.8 12.8 1.0 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) 28/03/2023
12 theSUN ON WEDNESDAY | MARCH 29, 2023 SUNBIZ Green rubber goods needed to stay ahead in the game KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia must capitalise on its global leadership in glove production by manufacturing environmentally-friendly tyres and green rubber products to stay ahead in the game for the long run. Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB) director-general Datuk Dr Zairossani Mohd Nor said the board and relevant agencies should support the industry to ensure that Malaysia maintains its leading position as the manufacturer of rubber gloves as well as latex and engineering rubber products. With this strength, Malaysia can maintain its key position in not only producing higher value-added rubber products but also sustainable products, thus ensuring the sustainability of the industry, he said during Bernama TV’s “The Brief” programme aired recently. However, Zairossani said the fallout from the Russia-Ukraine geopolitical tensions, pressure on energy costs, rising interest rates, tightening financial conditions in most regions and supply chain disruptions presented significant challenges, making 2023 a tough year for the industry. The rubber sector benefited from the Covid-19 pandemic which skyrocketed demand for Malaysia’s rubber gloves in 2021, chalking up an industry export value of RM81b, the highest in the history of the industry. – BERNAMAPIX oMRB and relevant agencies need to ensure that Malaysia maintains its leading position as in glove production, latex and engineering poducts Nevertheless, he said the rubber sector benefited from the Covid-19 pandemic which skyrocketed demand for Malaysia’s rubber gloves in 2021, chalking up an industry export value of RM81 billion – the highest in the history of the industry. After 2021’s strong performance, the industry had to adjust to supply and demand conditions where there was a sharp drop in the glove export value, from RM54.8 billion in 2021 to RM19 billion in 2022, due to the influx of supply in the market. Still, rubber gloves, used in the medical, industrial, cleanroom and food service sectors, were the main contributor at around 40% to the industry’s export earnings, he said. Aside from gloves, latex products exports include foam products, catheters and condoms while exports of rubber products comprised tyres, general rubber goods, automotive components, precured tread rubber for tyres, structural bearings and sporting goods. Despite the challenges, Zairossani is optimistic that the industry will perform better compared with the pre-pandemic period and chart better growth this year compared with 2022. Total rubber demand, which contracted marginally last year, is estimated to rebound modestly to 2.6% in 2023, mainly driven by China’s reopening, given that it is the biggest export market for Malaysia. Looking ahead, he said Malaysia should emphasise capturing new markets in newly-emerging economies, noting that steps are being taken to capitalise on the demand for rubber products, with smallholders adapting to changing market conditions to improve yields and profitability. “Malaysia has always been a producer of high-quality rubber products so we must try to capitalise on our strengths as the promotion and commercialisation of rubber products is imperative,” he said. However, he lamented that for the past three years, rubber smallholders have been affected not only by the pandemic but also by the recent price volatility, with low prices impacting their income. One of the key policy initiatives to address this issue was to have a certain mechanism or incentive to ensure smallholders would continue tapping rubber trees to supply the downstream sector. Zairossani noted that Malaysia is currently experiencing a shortage of raw materials, which is why a key initiative is to ensure that the upstream sector remains active and produces rubber based on the demand from the downstream sector. To this end, the government introduced a few incentives to support smallholders including the latex production incentive and the rubber production incentive to support prices so that smallholders continue tapping and producing rubber and increasing their income. “We are also continuing to ensure the transfer of the best technology to our industry, promote the use of high-yielding rubber clones and effective tapping systems using latex stimulants technology to increase the productivity of smallholders,” he said. – Bernama Malaysia’s export prices down 1% in February from previous month: Statistics Department PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia’s export prices in February showed a decline of 1% from 142.7 points in the preceding month to 141.2 points. Meanwhile, import unit value index showed a positive trend with a growth of 0.6% from 128 points to 128.7 points. Malaysia’s terms of trade remained negative with a growth of 1.6% month-on-month to 109.7 points in February as reported yesterday in External Trade Indices (2010 = 100), February 2023. This publication presents the unit value and volume index by sections for both exports and imports. According to Chief Statistician Malaysia Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin, “The export unit value index decreased by 1% in February as compared to the previous month, attributed from the decline in the index of mineral fuels (-3.6%), animal & vegetable oils & fats (-2.7%) and machinery & transport equipment (-0.4%).” Besides that, he added, export volume index increased by 0.7% in the same month, in line with the increase in the index of manufactured goods (+16.4%), food (+14.8%) and chemicals (+6.9%). “The seasonally adjusted export volume index rose 11.7% from 149.8 points to 167.4 points. On annual comparison, export unit value index grew 4.4% while volume index increased 5.2%,” he said. The import unit value index increased 0.6% in February, supported by the increase in the index of machinery & transport equipment (+1.4%), mineral fuels (+1.1%) and miscellaneous manufactured articles (+0.3%). The import volume index fell 2.5% in February compared with the previous month, attributed to the decline in the index of miscellaneous manufactured articles (-16.2%), manufactured goods (- 11.4%) and machinery & transport equipment (-9.7%). The seasonally adjusted import volume index grew by 10.9% from 165.6 points to 183.6 points. On a year-on-year basis, import unit value index rose 4.6% while volume index expanded 7.7%. The Department of Statistics Malaysia also reported that Malaysia’s terms of trade remained a negative growth of 1.6% monthon-month to 109.7 points in February 2023, in accordance with the decrease in the index of mineral fuels (-4.6%), animal & vegetable oils & fats (-4%) and machinery & transport equipment (-1.8%). Malaysia’s terms of trade fell by 0.2% year-on-year from 109.9 points in February of previous year. Investment funds have enough buffers to resist redemption pressures, says SC PETALING JAYA: According to the Securities Commission Malaysia’s (SC) inaugural Capital Market Stability Review 2022, stress test results showed that all investment funds have sufficient liquidity buffers in the form of cash and cash equivalents to withstand considerable redemption pressures. “Fund managers have in place adequate liquidity risk management processes to ensure sufficient liquidity in the funds to manage redemptions in an orderly manner,” it stated. Based on the stress test results, it was found that investment funds would have to liquidate in aggregate 56.13% of their assets to satisfy redemption pressures based on the extreme scenario. Each of the top three asset classes (cash and cash equivalents, government securities and equities, in terms of liquidity order) experienced liquidations in excess of 60%. Collective investment schemes saw 32.64% liquidation, followed by corporate bonds/sukuk at 26.54%, primarily due to the extreme redemption scenario imposed. Utilisation of liquidity buffers remained unlikely across all scenarios. Under the extreme scenario, the macro stress test showed adequate holdings of cash and cash equivalents, and equities asset classes prior to any potential use of buffers, indicating ample liquidity in the portfolio structure. In the fixed income asset class, investment funds held approximately 5% of the total outstanding domestic corporate and government bonds/sukuk. Nonetheless, the utilisation of this asset class to meet redemption was noted to be minimal particularly for corporate bonds/sukuk, which remained lower in the liquidity order. Therefore, it is less likely to pose a severe risk transmission. The most vulnerable funds have been identified as equity and mixed assets funds due to their high exposure in equities (around 90%) and lower level of liquid assets (below 3%). This high exposure in equities coupled with the low levels of liquid assets in these funds could exacerbate the risk of fire sales in the extreme liquidation scenario. Enra inks bareboat charter deal worth RM41 million KUALA LUMPUR: Enra Group Bhd’s unit Hexagon Energy Logistics Sdn Bhd has entered into a bareboat charter contract with 7Seas Maritime Transportation – FZCO for the charter of chemical/oil tanker Ratu Enra. In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, the group said the contract is worth at least US$9.32 million (RM41 million) over a five-year period with a mutual option to extend further for another five years. “The charter period will begin immediately after the end of Ratu Enra’s current charter contract in Yetagun on June 5, 2023,” it said. The group said the bareboat charter contract is expected to contribute positively to its earnings per share and net assets per share for the financial year ending March 31, 2024. – Bernama Icon secures OSV services contracts from Hibiscus KUALA LUMPUR: Icon Offshore Bhd (Icon) yesterday announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Icon Offshore Group Sdn Bhd secured two offshore support vessel (OSV) services contracts from Hibiscus Oil & Gas Malaysia Ltd (Hibiscus). The contracts involve the provision of platform supply vessels with crew and equipment for 24 hour support services to the offshore construction and integrated well services scope. Icon received the first work order award on Jan 18 followed by the second work order award on Feb 17. Both contracts commenced on March 1 and will utilise approximately 422 combined vessel days in total. Icon managing director Datuk Seri Hadian Hashim said, “The award of these contracts is testimony to Icon’s commitment to operational excellence, our competence and ability to deliver on client’s demands and requirements. These contracts will positively contribute to our earnings and strengthen our lead in the OSV segment.” In thanking Hibiscus for the trust placed in their abilities, Hadian added that they look forward to executing this contract and all the other contracts in their orderbook that currently stands well above RM600 million.
13 * SUNBIZ theSUN ON WEDNESDAY | MARCH 29, 2023 /thesuntelegram FOLLOW ON TELEGRAM SCAN ME Ramsay, Sime Darby may revive sale of joint venture SINGAPORE: Australia’s largest private hospital operator Ramsay Health Care and Malaysian conglomerate Sime Darby Bhd plan to revive the sale of their Asia-focused healthcare joint venture in a deal that could value the business at some RM6 billion, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The companies are in talks with financial advisers to explore a sale of Ramsay Sime Darby Health Care to strategic investors, three sources said. Deliberations were ongoing and no decisions have yet been made on the sale, said the sources, declining to be named as the matter is private. Ramsay declined to comment. “Sime Darby Berhad continues to review strategic growth options for our healthcare segment,” a company spokesperson told Reuters in an emailed statement. “Any decisions will be made with a view on creating value for the group.” Ramsay Sime Darby did not immediately respond to comment. The possible revival of the sale comes as healthcare assets gain favour, with investors betting on the sector’s ability to weather the current challenging economic environment. The Australian and Malaysian companies’ earlier discussions to sell the joint venture to Malaysia’s IHH Healthcare fell through six months ago. IHH, one of Asia’s biggest private hospital operators, had submitted an indicative proposal in March 2022 to buy Ramsay Sime Darby Healthcare. Two of the sources said the Australian and Malaysian companies were also weighing an IPO for the joint venture on the Kuala Lumpur stock exchange. Discussions for the joint venture’s sale were called off in early September, weeks after a group led by private equity firm KKR & Co Inc withdrew a near US$15 billion all-cash buyout offer for Australia-listed Ramsay Healthare. Ramsay Sime Darby was established in 2013 via an equal joint venture of Ramsay and Sime Darby to expand their healthcare business in Southeast Asia. Its portfolio consists of 1,567 licensed beds across seven hospitals in Malaysia and Indonesia, and a day surgery facility in Hong Kong, according to Sime Darby’s 2021 annual report. – Reuters Ejen2u reaches milestone with RM473m sales through platform KUALA LUMPUR: Ejen2u International Sdn Bhd announced that its EjenGo platform has effectively amplified the sales and revenues of SMEs and startups in Malaysia. The company has shown impressive growth since its launch in 2019, with over 400 companies and more than 270,000 agents registering RM473 million in transactions. The EjenGo platform has proven to be an effective tool for businesses, with some of their customers recording a 500% increase in revenue. Through a resilient system that facilitates the empowerment of resellers and entrepreneurs, Ejen2u has catalysed economic activities and engendered employment opportunities. Founder and CEO of Ejen2u International, Sheikh Ezaiddin, said, “We take pride in enabling entrepreneurial endeavours through our platform. The exponential growth of our reseller community stands testament to our commitment to empowering resellers. This milestone highlights the impact of our platform and more importantly, the strong entrepreneurial spirit of our users.” Ejen2u has demonstrated a remarkable influence on entrepreneurs, exemplified by DnS Beauty’s significant growth in the beauty industry, which has increased revenue by RM7.6 million compared to the previous year. According to a report by Statista, the Malaysian beauty and personal care industry’s estimated worth amounts to US$2.88 billion in 2023, and it is anticipated to register a CAGR of 3.10% between 2023 and 2027. Ejen2u’s impact on marginalised communities, specifically women and seniors, is noteworthy. The platform has facilitated the development of 589 women leaders, generating a collective revenue of RM345 million. Notably, the platform has also engaged more than 18,000 users aged 50 and above, generating a combined revenue of RM26.8 million. These figures indicate that age and gender should not impede success in the reseller industry. To add value to customers Ejen2u and Affin Bank have signed a memorandum of understanding. The collaboration between both organisations aims to enhance the financial inclusivity of SMEs in Malaysia. The partnership will leverage Ejen2u’s vast network of agents and Affin Bank’s expertise in banking and finance to provide SMEs with easy access to financial products and services that meet their specific needs. This will enable them to expand their operations, increase their productivity, and create more jobs, thus contributing to the overall growth of the Malaysian economy. LSH Capital shareholders ‘yes’ to acquisitions, diversification PETALING JAYA: Shareholders of Lim Seong Hai Capital Bhd (LSH Capital) yesterday unanimously approved a series of corporate proposals, including the acquisitions of Astana Setia Sdn Bhd (ASSB) and Lim Seong Hai Ventures Sdn Bhd, and for the group to diversify its business operations into property development. Upon the completion of the corporate proposals, the LSH Group will be in line to expand its construction capabilities by fully integrating digital technologies to optimise its operations, enhance its range of services and solutions. Through the acquisition of LSH BEST Builders Sdn Bhd in October 2021 which led to the diversification into construction and construction related services and solutions business under its BEST Framework, the group is utilising innovative digital tools, such as Digital Industrialised Building Systems, Building Information Modelling, drones and cloud platforms. With the implementtion of the corporate proposals, LSH Capital said it will be able to leverage on the construction expertise of ASSB to create synergy with increased oGroup to enhance construction capabilities by integrating digital technologies into operations efficiency, improved innovation, enhanced solutions, and larger order book, resulting in a stronger and more effective entity that will propel the growth and profitability of the group. Speaking after its second annual general meeting and an extraordinary general meeting to approve the corporate exercises, non-executive chairman Tan Sri Lim Keng Cheng (pic) said: “We will continue to implement our growth strategy and to pursue other future opportunities to further enhance the RM775 million outstanding construction work order book that we have, in addition to the provision of construction-related services and solutions under the BEST Collaboration Framework which the group will be entitled to fees based on their client’s construction and property projects value of RM2.8 billion.” The corporate proposals, he added, have given them the opportunity to undertake projects with gross development value of RM1.6 billion which will also benefit other divisions under the group. Jaguar I-PACE makes debut in Malaysian EV market PETALING JAYA: Jaguar Land Rover Malaysia has officially launched the Jaguar I-PACE, Jaguar’s first premium all-electric performance sports utility vehicle (SUV) in the Malaysian EV market, yesterday. Sime Darby Motors, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong & Macau managing director Jeffrey Gan said that the company continues to support Malaysia’s progress towards low carbon mobility by expanding its portfolio of electric vehicles. “The Jaguar I-PACE is a true innovation and we are confident that this world-class premium SUV will be well-received by the market as Malaysians continue to move towards EV adoption,” he said in a statement. Meanwhile, Jaguar Land Rover Malaysia managing director Syed Ahmad Muzri Syed Faiz (pic) said that the car model redefines the EV SUV segment and caters to Malaysia’s growing appetite for EV. Equipped with a 90kWh battery, the IPACE has a certified Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure range of up to 470km. It has the ability to accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds and a 400m sprint in 12.4 seconds as well as a wading depth rating of 500mm. In 2014, Sime Darby Motors entered into a joint venture with Sisma Auto Sdn Bhd, the official distributor of Jaguar and obtained sole distributorship rights for both Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles in Malaysia.
14 theSUN ON WEDNESDAY | MARCH 29, 2023 SUNBIZ /theSunMedia FOLLOW ON YOUTUBE SCAN ME China spends US$240b on ‘Belt and Road’ bailouts oDeveloping countries struggling to repay loans taken to build infrastructure under the initiative JOHANNESBURG/BEIJING: China spent US$240 billion (RM1.056 trillion) bailing out 22 developing countries between 2008 and 2021, with the amount soaring in recent years as more have struggled to repay loans spent building “Belt and Road” infrastructure, a study published yesterday showed. Almost 80% of the lending was made between 2016 and 2021, mainly to middleincome countries including Argentina, Mongolia and Pakistan, according to the report by researchers from the World Bank, Harvard Kennedy School, AidData and the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. The bailouts allow the countries to extend their loans and remain solvent, the report said. China says more than 150 countries have signed up to Belt and Road, a trillion-dollar global infrastructure push unveiled by President Xi Jinping a decade ago. Beijing says the Alibaba to split into six units in major restructuring Brookfield, partner shrug off headwinds in US$10b Origin deal SYDNEY: Canada’s Brookfield and its partner EIG decided to go ahead with a US$10.2 billion (RM44.9 billion) plan to buy Australia’s Origin Energy Ltd despite escalating regulatory and government policy headwinds, senior management at the group said yesterday. Origin, Australia’s top energy retailer, on Monday agreed to the long-running takeover offer from the consortium, nearing the conclusion of one of the country’s biggest private equity-backed buyouts. The group trimmed its offer by 1% last month after a government move to cap gas prices hit valuations in the sector. “It’s concerning any time you have governments intervening in markets. The history of that has not been great,” EIG chief executive Blair Thomas told Reuters in an interview. “Those were headwinds we had to deal with,” he added. Once the deal is completed, EIG’s MidOcean Energy will take control of Origin’s integrated gas business. With a 25% stake in Australia Pacific LNG and the Australian LNG stakes that MidOcean acquired last year from Tokyo Gas, the company will have around 3.25 million tonnes of LNG. The deal will need to be approved by Origin’s shareholders as well as Australia’s Foreign Investment Review Board and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Origin’s shares closed unchanged yesterday, holding below the implied offer price of A$8.91 (RM26.18) a share as the deal is not expected to be finalised until early 2024 and there is currency risk, with payment in a mix of Australian and US dollars. – Reuters B R I E F S INDONESIA’S PERTAMINA HULU ENERGI KICKS OFF ROADSHOW AHEAD OF IPO SINGAPORE:-The upstream arm of Indonesia’s state energy company Pertamina, Pertamina Hulu Energi, kicked off an investor education roadshow yesterday for Southeast Asia’s potentially biggest initial public offering (IPO) so far this year, according to a term sheet seen by Reuters. Pertamina Hulu declined to comment. The company last month delayed its IPO plan over an administrative issue, Indonesia’s financial regulator had said. The company had been expected to sell a 10%-15% stake in the offering and raise, according to sources with knowledge of the matter, up to US$2 billion (RM8.8 billion) from it. – Reuters FRENCH AUTHORITIES SEARCH OFFICES OF FIVE BANKS AS PART OF PROBE PARIS: French authorities yesterday searched the Paris offices of five banks, including Societe Generale, BNP Paribas and HSBC, on suspicion of fiscal fraud, part of a broad European probe into the dodging of dividend tax payments. Societe Generale confirmed the searches, declining further comment. The other banks concerned did not immediately reply to requests for comment. The PNF financial prosecution office said in a statement the probe was linked to so-called “cum-ex” dividend stripping, a trading scheme whereby banks and investors swiftly trade shares of companies around their dividend payout day. The practice aims to blur stock ownership and allow multiple parties to illegally claim tax rebates on dividends. – Reuters initiative aims to deepen friendly trade relations with other nations, particularly in the developing world. China has lent hundreds of billions of dollars to build infrastructure in developing countries, but lending has tailed off since 2016 as many projects have failed to pay the expected financial dividends. “Beijing is ultimately trying to rescue its own banks. That’s why it has gotten into the risky business of international bailout lending,” said Carmen Reinhart, a former World Bank chief economist and one of the study’s authors. Chinese loans to countries in debt distress soared from less than 5% of its overseas lending portfolio in 2010 to 60% in 2022, the study found. Argentina received the most, with US$111.8 billion, followed by Pakistan with US$48.5 billion and Egypt with US$15.6 billion. Nine countries received less than US$1 billion. The People’s Bank of China’s (PBOC) swap lines accounted for US$170 billion of the financing, including in Suriname, Sri Lanka and Egypt. Bridge loans or balance of payments support by Chinese state-owned banks and companies was US$70 billion. Rollovers of both kinds of loans were US$140 billion. The study was critical of some central banks potentially using the PBOC swap lines to artifically pump up their foreign exchange reserve figures. China’s rescue lending is “opaque and uncoordinated,” said Brad Parks, one of the report’s authors, and director of AidData, a research lab at The College of William & Mary in the United States. China’s government hit back at the criticism, saying its overseas investments operated on “the principle of openness and transparency”. “China acts in accordance with market laws and international rules, respects the will of relevant countries, has never forced any party to borrow money, has never forced any country to pay, will not attach any political conditions to loan agreements, and does not seek any political self-interest,” foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a news conference yesterday. The bailout loans are mainly concentrated in the middle-income countries that make up four-fifths of its lending, due to the risk they pose to Chinese banks’ balance sheets, whereas low-income countries are offered grace periods and maturity extensions, the report said. China is negotiating debt restructurings with countries including Zambia, Ghana and Sri Lanka and has been criticised for holding up the processes. In response, it has called on the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to also offer debt relief. – Reuters, AFP SHANGHAI: Alibaba Group plans to split into six units and explore fundraisings or listings for most of them, it said yesterday, in a major revamp as Beijing vows to ease a sweeping regulatory crackdown and support its private enterprises. Alibaba’s US-listed shares rose as much as 8% after the news. The Alibaba stock is down around 70% since the regulatory crackdown started in late 2020. The Chinese e-commerce conglomerate said that the biggest restructuring in its 24 year history would see it split into six units – Cloud Intelligence Group, Taobao Tmall Commerce Group, Local Services Group, Cainiao Smart Logistics Group, Global Digital Commerce Group and Digital Media and Entertainment Group The revamp of the conglomerate comes a day after its founder Jack Ma returned home after a year-long stay abroad and as Beijing looks to spur private sector growth after a twoyear-long regulatory crackdown on its showpiece private enterprises. “The original intention and fundamental purpose of this reform is to make our organisation more agile, shorten decision making links and respond faster,” Zhang said in a letter to staff seen by Reuters. Each business group, he said, had to actively tackle the rapid changes in the market and each Alibaba employee had to “return to the mindset of an entrepreneur”. Daniel Zhang will continue to serve as chairman and CEO of Alibaba Group, which will follow a holding company management model, and concurrently serve as CEO of Cloud Intelligence Group. Each of the six business groups will be managed by its own CEO and board of directors and will retain the flexibility to raise outside capital and seek an initial public offering, it said. The exception would be Taobao Tmall Commerce Group that handles its China commerce businesses and will remain an Alibaba Group wholly owned unit. Zhang also said that the company would “lighten and thin” its middle and back office functions, but did not detail job cuts. Investors said the announcement stems concerns Alibaba had lost growth potential and signals regulatory worries clearing. “It releases additional value,” said Kenny Ng, a strategist at China Everbright Securities in Hong Kong. “With this expectation, investors will be more positive on Alibaba. “It may reflect a new round of development for the business and reduce worries of regulatory issues.” – Reuters EU reaches pact on retaliation against economic coercion BRUSSELS: The European Union (EU) has agreed to allow retaliation against countries that put undue economic pressure on EU members to change their policies, such as the trade restrictions the bloc says China has imposed on Lithuania. Representatives of the European Parliament and the Council, the grouping of EU countries, reached a provisional deal on the anti-coercion instrument (ACI) early yesterday. The proposal is designed to counter a spillover of geopolitical tensions into trade. EU members have accused the administration of former US president Donald Trump and China of using trade as a political tool. Under the ACI, EU governments would vote on whether a third country’s economic measure amounted to coercion. If dialogue failed, the bloc could impose restrictions, such as higher import tariffs or limited access to EU public tenders. The entire process would take up to one year, although the threat of retaliation is designed to serve as a deterrent. The legislation should take effect in the second half of 2023 and is envisaged to apply to new instances of economic coercion, rather than existing cases such as that involving Lithuania. – Reuters
2 9 M A R C H 2 0 2 3 W E D N E S D A Y ZHAN Art | Space is delighted to celebrate with Haris Rashid, his first decade as a contemporary artist with the latest exhibition – fluid. fluid is a compilation exhibition curated by fellow artist/curator Mona KV and showcases a decade’s worth of eccentric artworks reflecting the growth and evolution of Haris’ visual language, notably his signature motifs of local tropical plants and Malaysian wildlife animals. The exhibition consists of 45 unique artworks curated throughout the last decade with a recurring theme of water, a symbolic metaphor chosen to represent the ups and downs of Haris’ journey as an artist and a human being. The exhibition aims to transfix the audiences’ attention with a visual spectacle of works starting with Dedicated to his art oContemporary artist Haris Rashid celebrates a decade of artistic expression Empowering women via mental health advocacy FOR Women’s History Month, kate spade new york welcomed actress and entertainer, Sofia Wylie, and Founding Principal of Showa Women’s University Career College, Mika Kumahira, to its Social Impact Council, a collective of women’s empowerment and mental health leaders from around the globe. The two global changemakers join the leadership council to work with kate spade new york in further destigmatising the conversation around mental health, providing access to resources and bringing more attention to the vital importance of mental health in empowering women and girls globally. In 2022, kate spade new york created the Social Impact Council and set a goal of providing 100,000 women with direct access to mental health and empowerment tools by 2025. Wylie and Kumahira join kate spade new york and founding social impact members, including: Taraji P. Henson (USA); Catherine Tinsley (USA); Latham Thomas (USA); Elisha London (UK); Norette Turimuci (Rwanda) and Jazz Thornton (NZ), bringing their unique perspectives to this cohort of female leaders who have set out to champion the integration of mental health into the empowerment agenda of women and girls globally. Since embarking toward this goal, the brand has made significant strides – having reached 66,000 women and girls with mental health and empowerment resources and services to date. “Social impact efforts to champion women’s empowerment and prioritise the mental health of women and girls has been, and continues to be, at the heart of the kate spade new york brand,” shared Liz Fraser, kate spade new york chief executive officer and brand president. “As the council enters its second year, we’re proud to have Sofia and Mika join us in our mission, and continue our momentum in making a meaningful impact for women and girls around the world.” 0 “My biggest dream is to be a part of making an impact by joining a force that is set out to make a positive difference in lives,” shared Wylie, actress and mental health advocate. “Being in the entertainment industry, there are soaring highs and deep lows. While living in a world where people care more about individual success than the state of their mental health, I am honoured to join the kate spade Social Impact Council to advocate for putting mental health and emotional well-being at the forefront of our priorities, because what does success mean without happiness?” 0 “Born and raised in a traditional Japanese society, I am committed to helping women fulfil their aspirations in their personal and professional life. In 2013, we founded the Showa Women’s University Career College to empower professional women leaders and strengthen their leadership skills to create a better future for a diverse and compassionate society,” shared Mika Kumahira, Japanese management consultant, social sector leader and educator. “Today is a pivotal moment for the women’s empowerment movement in Japan. I’m excited to join kate spade new york’s Social Impact Council and contribute to change for women to meet their full potential in our society.” Throughout the year, kate spade new york and it’s Social Impact Council will continue the crucial work of supporting efforts in integrating mental health as a key component of women’s empowerment work around the world through participation in in-person and digital activations to engage the brand’s community – and beyond. Visit katespade.com/socialimpact. ZHAN Art | Space celebrates Haris Rashid’s first decade as a contemporary artist. Actress Sofia Wylie. archive pieces that reflect a more experimental phase. Haris’ mixed heritage identity was first explored in the early days but soon shifted his creative works towards his love for nature. Flora and fauna quickly became synonymous with Haris’ work and as he grew as an artist; his works take on a more mature approach, connecting his life experiences and emotions into subtle depictions. “The fluid exhibition was curated with artworks and sculptures that represent his most inexplicable and intimate emotions. The selections of artworks aim to offer a glimpse of his apologetic feelings, a peek through his inner world, roots as well as culture” shares Mona KV. Desmond Tong, founder and curator of ZHAN Art | Space, added: “fluid is a celebration exhibition. It is not often that an artist presents themselves with a decade-long career in the art scene and continues to showcase amazing works. Haris is undoubtedly a multitalented artist who not only intrigues the viewers with his canvases, sculptures, and digital works but he is also an impressive mural artist. Most recently, Haris also completed a mural for the F&N Fun Flavours brand-new packaging campaign. We are extremely proud and supportive of Haris, and hope that the audience connects well and sees his growth as an artist with this exhibition.” fluid is scheduled from now to April 7, 2023, and viewers can look forward to seeing paintings and sculptures that are available for purchase, with prices starting from RM270. Mika Kumahira.
16 ENTERTAINMENT theSun LYFE ON WEDNESDAY | MARCH 29, 2023 Ready to check in THERE have been rumours that The White Lotus’ upcoming season will take place in Asia. An exclusive report from Variety claimed that “multiple sources” have confirmed that the third season of the hit HBO show will take place in Thailand. HBO denied Variety’s request for a comment, although showrunner Mike White’s statements during the season 2 finale seem consistent with the ultimate result. “The first season kind of highlighted money, and then the second season is sex,“ White said in a clip that aired after the season 2 finale. He added: “I think the third season would be maybe a satirical and funny look at death and Eastern religion and spirituality. It feels like it could be a rich tapestry to do another round at White Lotus.” The White Lotus showcases the splendour of the many fictional White Lotus resorts, although the first two seasons were really filmed on the grounds of Four Seasons hotels in Hawaii and Sicily. Collidge (centre) won several awards for her role in The White Lotus. – HBO oRumours indicate the The White Lotus will head to Thailand for season three If the show follows a similar pattern of filming, possible shooting locations in Thailand would include cities where Four Seasons has a presence, which includes Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Koh Samui, and the Golden Triangle. Despite the rife speculation, neither a location, nor cast members have been decided for the third season. However, considering how the second season ended, it is possible that the next season will feature a completely fresh ensemble cast. The White Lotus became a huge hit for HBO when the first season aired in 2021, and won several accolades. It took home 10 Emmys, including Best Limited or Anthology series, writing and directing for White, and acting awards for stars Jennifer Coolidge and Murray Bartlett. At this year’s Golden Globe awards, the second season of the show won for best limited or anthology series and best supporting actress for Coolidge. The White Lotus also took home two SAG Awards, with Coolidge winning best actress in a drama series and the show won best TV drama ensemble. Season 1 and Season 2 of The White Lotus is currently streaming on HBO Max. – by Thashine Selvakumaran Keanu Reeves’ John Wick is a man of few words JOHN WICK is a man of few words, and it is by design. A report from The Wall Street Journal reveals that Keanu Reeves’ eponymous assassin says only 380 words across 103 lines of dialogue during the 169 minutes of John Wick: Chapter 4. In fact, nearly a third of Reeves’ dialogue in the sequel consists of just one single word – “Yeah”. The film’s director Chad Stahelski and Reeves apparently stripped out roughly half the dialogue written for the latter’s character in the initial draft of the script. One pivotal scene in the film, which sees John Wick and the villainous Marquis de Reeves’ cut out most of Wick’s dialogue in the script. – LIONSGATE Bella Ramsey told she didn’t have ‘Hollywood look’ DESPITE being one of the most talked-about young actresses today, with a lead role in a hit TV series, Bella Ramsey’s path to stardom was not easy. A clip has been making the rounds showing the 19-year-old giving an interview last year to entertainment reporter and podcaster Kevin McCarthy. In the clip, Ramsey and director Lena Dunham were promoting the film Catherine Called Birdie, and McCarthy asked the two whether there was anything they would change about the early part of their careers. Ramsey, who is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, then told a story about how a director criticised their physical appearance during one of their very first auditions almost a decade prior. “The director really liked me, but I didn’t get the part because I didn’t have the ‘Hollywood look,’” Ramsey said in the brief snippet, using air quotes to emphasise the end of the statement. “And that’s something I’ve always found very interesting.” Many netizens appeared stunned by the comment, with most saying that it was such a hurtful thing to say to a young child. Fortunately, it was clear the criticism did nothing to stall Ramsey’s rise in Hollywood. They first came to attention for portraying the courageous childwarrior Lady Mormont in Game of Thrones, and has a prominent role as the vulnerable but brave Ellie in The Last of Us alongside co-star Pedro Pascal. – by Anansa Jacob Ramsey as Ellie in The Last of Us. – HBO Harry Styles and Emily Ratajkowski dating? POPSTAR Harry Styles was spotted having a romantic night out with Emily Ratajkowski during a recent trip to Tokyo. The former One Direction star, 29 and the American model and actress, 31 sparked dating rumours after they were spotted sharing several kisses with each other. The musician is currently performing in Japan as part of his Love on Tour, which will resume in Denmark in May after an extended break. According to PEOPLE magazine, reps for the two celebs did not respond immediately to their request for comment. The rumoured romance between Styles and Ratajkowski comes after the his relationship with Olivia Wilde came to a halt late last year. Multiple sources confirmed in November last year that the 39-year-old director and actress and the As It Was singer were “taking a break” from their nearly two-year relationship, citing the “very amicable decision” as a result of Styles’ ongoing touring schedule and Wilde’s focus on her children and work in Los Angeles. The two first appeared as a couple when they were photographed at a wedding together in January 2021. The two met while working on the set of the movie Don’t Worry Darling. Meanwhile, Ratajkowski has been linked to Pete Davidson and Eric Andre following her divorce from film producer Sebastian BearMcClard in 2022. – by Hazique Zairill Styles (left) and Ratajkowski were spotted kissing in Tokyo. – PEOPLE Gramont (played by Bill Skarsgaard) hash out the rules of their climactic duel, was originally scripted with Wick having 50% of the dialogue in the scene. However, Reeves later “cut out chunks of dialogue”, so that John Wick only has a few one-word responses in the scene, including “pistol” and “no quarter.” “It’s a shock when you work with him on how dedicated he is to not speaking,” the film’s co-screenwriter Michael Finch told The Wall Street Journal. Wick’s longest run of dialogue in the movie is this sentence: “You and I left a good life behind a long time ago, my friend”, which he says during a largely one-sided conversation with Hiroyuki Sanada, who plays Shimazu Koji, the leader of the Osaka Continental Hotel. But what the character lacks in dialogue, he more than makes up for in grueling action scenes that put Reeves’ body through the wringer, with the actor saying the film is the hardest action movie he’s ever made. The dedication and attention the actor and the crew put into the film has paid off, with the film racking US$73.5 million (RM324.9 million) in its American opening weekend and US$64 million (RM282.9 million) from the 71 markets internationally for a total of US$137.5 million (roughly RM604.5 million). – by Mark Mathen Victor
17 ENTERTAINMENT theSun LYFE ON WEDNESDAY | MARCH 29, 2023 wonder hundreds of thousands of fans follow her every move online and 5 million monthly listeners flock to her Spotify page. Zeph also prides herself on having full creative control of her music, writing and producing tracks entirely on her own as an indep endent artist. Set on expanding her horizons, Zeph has grown a s i g n i f i c a n t fanbase across Asia which include Jakarta #1, New Delhi #3, Kuala Lumpur #4, Bangkok #7, Quezon City #9 in her top 10 streaming cities worldwide. Now, backed by MDDN and H o p e l e s s Records, Zeph is propelling h e r r e c o r d i n g career to new heights, and the sky’s the limit. /thesundaily FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK SCAN ME Journey to Wonderland AFTER capping off an incredible 2022 with the release of their highlypraised EP Anywhere From Here before returning last month to deliver their captivating new single and video, See, I’m Sorry, acclaimed British music duo Seafret now return to announce the details behind their eagerly-awaited third studio album Wonderland due for release on April 14 via Nettwerk. Alongside the announcement is the shimmering new single, Remind Me To Forget You. Marking their first full-length release since their 2020 sophomore LP Most Of Us Are Strangers, their newest collection looks to build upon the revived acclaim the pair received throughout last year – 2015’s breakthrough effort Atlantis which re-emerged with a surprise viral run of the sped up version on TikTok, racking up 1.7 billion views across videos using the track and is now at 426 million streams on Spotify alone. The feat led to their first UK Official Charts Top 40 single and 13 million Spotify monthly listeners in the process. With the new release Remind Me To Forget You, Seafret finds themselves in their most highprofile guise to date as they deliver one of their more euphoric and captivating releases so far. Speaking of the new album, they share: “We are delighted to finally announce our third album, Wonderland. It has been an absolute joy to create. Some of the songs were inspired by being in a dark place and then finding the light again and things falling into place. We hope the positivity shines through. We think It’s the best album we’ve made so far and we hope you feel the same when it’s released on April 14.” Preceded by the new lead single Remind Me To Forget You, the duo’s latest endeavour sees them pursue a beautifully rich and alluring oBritish duo Seafret announce the release date of their third studio album Zeph unveils poignant new single First Look at Disney+ Hotstar’s Family: The Unbreakable Bond AFTER years of leading a secret double life as both a family man and a highly accomplished agent for South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS), things go south quickly for Kwon Dohoon in Family: The Unbreakable Bond, a new Korean spy comedy series. For years NIS agent Kwon Dohoon has managed to keep his occupation secret from everyone, including his beloved wife. Having convinced his friends and family that he is nothing more than an employee at a local trading company, Dohoon works tirelessly to keep up the charade and give his wife the perfect family she has always dreamed of, but little does Dohoon know his wife has an explosive secret of her own. Starring Jang Hyuk (Money Flower, Deep Rooted Tree) as NIS agent Kwon Dohoon; Chang Nara (The Last Empress, VIP) as Kang Yura, a housewife with a secret; and Chae Jungan (Coffee Prince, Yong-pal) as Oh Chunryun, an NIS operative and Dohoon’s boss, Family: The Unbreakable Bond is directed by Jang Jeongdo (Alchemy of Souls, What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim) and Lee Junkmuk (Our Blues) and is written by Jung Yousun (Evergreen). Produced by Studio Dragon, one of entertainment powerhouse CJ ENM’s production studios, Family: The Unbreakable Bond starts streaming from April 17, on Disney+ Hotstar with new episodes released every Monday and Tuesday. Seafret is a British music duo consisting of singer Jack Sedman and guitarist Harry Draper. KOREAN-BORN, LA-based altpop star Zeph (full name Zephani Jong) has signed to Hopeless Records and is ready to take the music world by storm with a brand new single. The songstress unveiled an allnew track, like everyone else and it’s a particularly special one for her. Not only is she the sole writer and producer of the single, but it marks the start of a brand new era for Zeph. Written about taking hold of what you want, Zeph is proving she’s in a class all her own with the new single. “like everyone else is about wanting to be extra special to someone not necessarily in a romantic way. This is the first ‘cute’ song I’ve made in a while! The ‘scared of everything’ EP was a lot about doubts and fears, but this song and upcoming album have a lot of ‘I want’ themes,” Zeph shares. Charismatic internet superstar and singer on the rise Zeph has become a leading voice in a generation of new alt-pop artistes. Unafraid to “overshare” online, the 23-year-old uses songwriting to transform personal experiences into meaningful music that has captured the heart of fans globally. Whether it’s through her songwriting or her viral Twitter page, Zeph knows how to spin a story like no one else. It’s no aesthetic. Capturing another heady dose of sweet and tender textures, alongside Jack Sedman’s remarkable vocals, this marks one of the more heartfelt moments on their forthcoming full-length. “We are super excited to release our latest single Remind Me To Forget You. The song was inspired by the in limbo feeling you get at the end of a relationship – you know it’s over but something stops you from moving on.” Hope requires courage. Wonderland, the astonishing album from acclaimed duo Seafret, has both these qualities in spades. The culmination of two years of graft by band members and longtime friends Jack Sedman and Harry Draper, this record is a sublime body of work that guides the listener through the band’s story, from heartbreak and loss to the joys of love and new life. “It’s the project we’re most proud of,” says Sedman. “The one we’re most invested in and emotionally connected to.” Formed in 2011 after meeting at an open mic night near their hometown of Bridlington, Yorkshire, Seafret rose to swift acclaim upon the release of their debut project, Give Me Something. The EP opens with the title track, a beautifully wrought composition of tender guitar picking, ghostly cries and Sedman’s own affecting tenor. A year later, in 2015, they released their astounding Oceans EP. Accompanied by a video starring Game of Thrones actor Maisie Williams as a bullied teen, the lead single Oceans’ remains a fan favourite, with over 170 million Spotify streams. Steadily building their fanbase in Asia, Indonesia #1, Malaysia #4 and the Philippines are Seafret’s top 15 streaming markets worldwide. Scan the QR CODE to listen to their new single Scan the QR CODE to listen to her new single Wonderland is set for release on April 14.
18 TECH theSun LYFE ON WEDNESDAY | MARCH 29, 2023 GORDON MOORE, a pioneer in the microprocessor industry and a cofounder of Intel, which at one time was the world’s largest semiconductor maker, died on Friday at the age of 94, Intel said. Moore was a giant in the technological transformation of the modern age, helping companies bring evermore powerful chips to smaller and smaller computers. An engineer by training, he cofounded Intel in July 1968, eventually serving as president, chief executive and chairman of the board. Intel, based in Santa Clara, California, said Moore died “surrounded by family at his home in Hawaii.” In its early days, Intel was known for continuous innovation, growing to become one of the biggest, most important companies in technology. In an article in 1965, Moore first coined a theory that later became known as “Moore’s Law.” It stated that integrated circuits would essentially double in power every year. He later revised the law to say the doubling would occur every two years. The axiom held true for decades and became synonymous with the rapid rate of technological change in the modern world. “All I was trying to do was get that message across, that by putting more and more stuff on a chip we were going to make all electronics cheaper,” Moore said in a 2008 interview. After earning his PhD from CalTech, Moore and a colleague in 1957 joined Fairchild Semiconductor Laboratory, one of the earliest firms to manufacture commercially viable transistors and integrated circuits. As the company grew, the seeds were planted for the transformation of the peninsula of land south of San Francisco into what became known as Silicon Valley. Moore and longtime colleague Robert Noyce struck out on their own in 1968, bringing along a third, Andy Grove, who would become a future Intel CEO. Moore retired from Intel in 2006. Over his lifetime, he donated more than US$5.1 billion (RM22.44 billion) to charitable causes through the foundation he set up with his wife of 72 years, Betty. “Though he never aspired to be a household name, Gordon’s vision and his life’s work enabled the phenomenal innovation and technological developments that shape our everyday lives,“ said Harvey Fineberg, president of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Leaders of Intel heaped tribute on Moore. “He was instrumental in revealing the power of transistors, and inspired technologists and entrepreneurs across the decades,” said Intel chief executive Pat Gelsinger. “He leaves behind a legacy that changed the lives of every person on the planet. His memory will live on,“ Gelsinger added on Twitter. – AFP Gordon Moore, titan of Silicon Valley, dies at 94 Moore was the visionary cofounder of Intel. ARTISTS outraged by artificial intelligence that copies in seconds the styles they have sacrificed years to develop are waging battle online and in court. Fury erupted in the art community last year with the release of generative artificial intelligence (AI) programs that can convincingly carry out commands such as drawing a dog like cartoonist Sarah Andersen would, or a nymph the way illustrator Karla Ortiz might do. Such style-swiping AI works are cranked out without the original artist’s consent, credit or compensation – the three C’s at the heart of a fight to change all that. In January, artists including Andersen and Ortiz filed a class-action lawsuit against DreamUp, Midjourney and Stable Diffusion, three image-generating AI models programmed with art found online. Andersen told AFP she felt “violated” when first she saw an AI drawing that copied the style of her Fangs comic book work. She fired off an indignant reaction on Twitter; it went viral, and other incensed artists reached out to her with stories of their own. Backers of the suit hope to establish legal precedent governing generative AI models that copy artists’ styles. Artists want AI creators to be required to secure permission for works used in training software, with an option to remove it. They also want suitable compensation. “There is room for a conversation about what that would look like,” said Ortiz. Compensation could take the form of a licensing model, she mused, and would need to be appropriate. It would be wrong for artists to “get a couple of cents while the company gets millions” of dollars, added Ortiz, whose resume includes working for Marvel Studios. Cheap and easy On social networks, artists are sharing tales of Artists fight back oOutraged creators are doing battle with AI programs that copy their style Illustrator and content artist Karla Ortiz poses in her studio in San Francisco, California. – AFP Ortiz shows her website, where some of her designs and illustrations are displayed. – AFP Midjourney is one of the apps in Ortiz’s class action lawsuit. – 123RF The controversial AI-generated painting displayed in the Mauritshuis Museum in the Netherlands. – INSTAGRAM jobs being lost to generative AI. The suit notes that a video-game designer named Jason Allen last year won a Colorado State Fair competition with art created using Midjourney. “Art is dead, dude. It’s over. AI won. Humans lost,” Allen was quoted as telling The New York Times. The Mauritshuis Museum in the Netherlands sparked controversy by displaying an AI-generated image inspired by Vermeer’s Girl With a Pearl Earring. The San Francisco Ballet, meanwhile, caused a stir by using Midjourney to generate illustrations used in promotional material for Nutcracker performances in December. “It’s sort of a natural consequence of something being easy and cheap and accessible,” Andersen said. “Of course they are going to use that option, even if it is unethical,” she added. AI companies named in the lawsuit did not respond to requests for comment. Stability AI founder and chief executive Emad Mostaque has portrayed generative software as a “tool” that can tend to “mundane image output” and provide new ways “of ideating for artists.” Mostaque contends that it will allow more people to become artists. Critics disagree. When a person prompts software to draw in the style of a master, they say, it does not make that person an artist. Mostaque has said that if people choose to use generative AI unethically or to break the law, “that’s their problem.” Death of creativity? Companies defending themselves from artists’ copyright claims are likely to claim “fair use”, an exception sometimes allowed when a new spin is put on a creation or when it is only briefly excerpted. “The magic word used in the US court system is ‘transformative’,” said lawyer and developer Matthew Butterick. “Is this a new use of the copyrighted work, or does it replace the original in the marketplace?” Artists are turning not just to the courts but to technology to defend themselves against generative AI. Prompted by artists, a team at the University of Chicago last week launched their “Glaze” software to help protect original works. The program adds a layer of data over images that, while invisible to the human eye, “acts as a decoy” for AI, said Shawn Shan, the doctoral student in charge of the project. That still leaves the onus on artists to adopt Glaze. Butterick predicts a “cat-andmouse game” as AI makers figure out ways around such defenses. Butterick also worries about the effect of AI on the human spirit. “When science fiction imagines the AI apocalypse, it’s something like robots coming over the hill with laser guns,” he said. “I think the way AI defeats humanity is more where people just give up and don’t want to create new things, and (it) sucks the life out of humanity.” – AFP
19 FEATURE theSun LYFE ON WEDNESDAY | MARCH 29, 2023 Large asteroid flew between Earth and Moon A LARGE asteroid zoomed between Earth and the Moon on Saturday, a once-in-a-decade event that was used as a training exercise for planetary defence efforts, according to the European Space Agency. The asteroid, named 2023 DZ2, is estimated to be 40 to 70 metres wide, roughly the size of the Parthenon, and big enough to wipe out a large city if it hit our planet. At 19:49 GMT on Saturday it came within a third of the distance from the Earth to the Moon, said Richard Moissl, the head of the ESA’s planetary defence office. Though that is “very close”, there is nothing to worry about, he told AFP. Small asteroids fly past every day, but one of this size coming so close to Earth only happens around once every 10 years, he added. The asteroid will pass 175,000 kilometres from Earth at a speed of 28,000 kilometres per hour. The moon is roughly 385,000 kilometres away. An observatory in La Palma, one of Spain’s Canary Islands, first spotted the asteroid on Feb 27. Last week, the UN-endorsed International Asteroid Warning Network decided it would take advantage of the close look, carrying out a “rapid characterisation” of 2023 DZ2, Moissl said. That means astronomers around the world will analyse the asteroid with a range of instruments such as spectrometers and radars. The goal is to find out just how much we can learn about such an asteroid in only a week, Moissl said. It will also serve as training for how the network “would react to a threat” possibly heading our way in the future, he added. ‘Scientifically interesting’ Moissl said preliminary data suggests 2023 DZ2 is “a scientifically interesting object”, indicating it could be a somewhat unusual type of asteroid. But he added that more data was needed to determine the asteroid’s composition. The asteroid will again swing past Earth in 2026, but poses no threat of impact for at least the next 100 years – which is how far out its trajectory has been calculated. Earlier this month a similarly sized asteroid, 2023 DW, was briefly given a one-in-432 chance of hitting Earth on Valentine’s Day 2046. Earth experienced a close call over the weekend from the 2023 DZ2 asteroid. – AFP But further calculations ruled out any chance of an impact, which is what normally happens with newly discovered asteroids. Moissl said 2023 DW was now expected to miss Earth by some 4.3 million kilometres. Even if such an asteroid was determined to be heading our way, Earth is no longer defenceless. Last year, NASA’s DART spacecraft deliberately slammed into the pyramid-sized asteroid Dimorphos, significantly knocking it off course in the first such test of our planetary defences. – AFP Shooting for the stars WHEN Laurent Marfisi was 11 years old, he stood in his back garden in the south of France and looked up at the night sky through a telescope. Together with a friend, he marvelled at the shadows of the craters on the Moon, and tried to focus in on a fuzzy planet or two. But without any deep knowledge of astronomy, the pair struggled to find any other celestial wonders. It sparked an idea that two decades later would materialise in the form of one of the world’s first commercially available smart telescopes. “We kept that memory and years later we grew the idea of making it as simple as possible for people,” Marfisi tells The Independent. “This was the telescope of our dreams, and the dream of anyone who wants to see the sky.” The guiding idea of their startup Unistellar is to make astronomy as accessible as possible, regardless of a person’s experience level or location. Even a complete beginner in the middle of a city can succeed in seeing a distant galaxy or the rings of Saturn. Unistellar claims that its latest addition, the eQuinox 2, offers a “revolutionary space viewing experience” that uses AI algorithms to digitally eliminate the negative effects of light pollution from cities. This means anyone, pretty much anywhere, can observe and capture images of the solar system and deep space – from the craters on our own moon, to the spectacular colours of the Orion Nebula. When it comes to operating a telescope, I am as beginner as they come. I’ve never before operated The Unistellar eQuinox 2 features software to eliminate light pollution, allowing people in towns and cities to view galaxies and planets. – THE INDEPENDENT oA new French-based smart telescope startup wants to ‘revolutionise’ astronomy The Orion Nebula, captured on a 10 minute exposure with the Unistellar eQuinox 2. – THE INDEPENDENT A 12 minute exposure of the Cigar Galaxy, captured with the Unistellar eQuinox 2. – THE INDEPENDENT A live view of the Moon captured using a Unistellar eQuinox 2 smart telescope. – THE INDEPENDENT anything more powerful than a £100 (RM541.90) backyard telescope, so trying the £2,199 (RM11,916) eQuinox 2 was a major step up. Yet despite being more than 20 times more expensive, it was also 20 times easier to use. After downloading the Unistellar app and connecting my phone wirelessly to the eQuinox 2, the telescope was able to use GPS tracking and star mapping to figure out exactly where it was and what it was looking at. One of the company’s taglines is “you’re two minutes away from the universe”, with the hope being that people spend more time exploring and less time calibrating. Once set up, I was able to begin browsing through a database of more than 5,000 objects that the eQuinox would then point to with one press. The automated tracking meant night sky objects are kept in view during longer exposures that reveal more detail and colour. The only real barrier to Unistellar’s goal of making astronomy more accessible is the cost, with customers having to pay nearly double that of the eQuinox 2 for the eVscope 2, which comes with an electronic eyepiece. There are three reasons for using a telescope: taking pictures of the night sky; making astronomical observations of the night sky; and simply observing. For the first two, this telescope is well suited. For the third, you may want to pay the extra and get the version with the viewfinder. There’s something not quite the same as looking at a planet or galaxy on the screen of your phone – a feeling that you probably could’ve just Googled it. The French startup has sold more than 10,000 telescopes to people around the world since launching on a crowd-funding platform in 2017, with each customer having access to citizen science projects listed in the telescope’s companion app. Marfisi says roughly 10% of users opt to take part in these projects. Dozens of Unistellar users were recently credited in the leading scientific journal Nature for making a “major scientific breakthrough” after collectively observing the aftermath of Nasa’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) – a planetary defence mission aimed at understanding how to save Earth from asteroids. It was the eighth time Unistellar users have been named as co-authors in a peer-reviewed journal for their findings, with the smart telescopes also holding the world record for the longest Earth-based observation of an exoplanet: 27 hours. “One of the main strengths of Unistellar is we have a worldwide network of many telescopes that allows continuous observations of the night’s sky, because it’s always night somewhere in our network,” Marfisi said. He hopes that his company will be part of a new era “where the general public becomes a decisive player in the conquest of space, holding the key to more discoveries and wider dissemination of scientific knowledge”. – The Independent
20 HEALTH theSun LYFE ON WEDNESDAY | MARCH 29, 2023 Kidney health and you YOUR kidneys like any other organs are essential to ensure that your body is functioning at its optimal. In fact, your kidneys are performing a lifesustaining job of removing waste products and excess fluid from the body. Every 24 hours, your kidneys are filtering and returning to the bloodstream about 200 quarts of fluid (approximately 189 litres), a process necessary to maintain a stable balance of body chemicals. It is projected that the number of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients on dialysis in Malaysia will hit 106,000 in 2040, hence it is important that kidney health is advocated for all. Yet, the prevalence of chronic kidney disease among Malaysians has increased from 9.07% in 2011 to 15.48% in 2018, a 70% increase in just a span of seven years. As the cost of dialysis is extremely expensive, this will further burden the healthcare and the economy of the country where there were already 50,150 dialysis patients in 2020. Dialysis versus Kidney Transplant Kidney transplant provides a far superior outcome compared to dialysis. In fact, a kidney transplant before the initiation of dialysis (preemptive kidney transplant) provides the best outcome and avoids complications arising from chronic dialysis. Hence, all patients with newly diagnosed ESKD should consider and explore the option of a kidney transplant before opting for long-term dialysis. “The most obvious advantage of kidney transplantation to the patient and their families is that they no longer need to plan their lives around the patient’s dialysis schedule. For those on haemodialysis, this would involve having to spend around four hours at a haemodialysis centre three times a week while those on peritoneal dialysis will need to spend around half an hour, 4 times a day to Your kidneys filter around 180 litres of blood every day. oThe kidney plays a major role in the regulation of your blood pressure, and the make-up of the blood. If your kidneys stop working completely, you will need to undergo dialysis or kidney transplant. Dr Wong Hin Seng, Consultant Nephrologist at Sunway Medical Centre, Sunway City. do exchanges. Kidney transplant removes the need for this huge time commitment,” shared Dr Wong Hin Seng, Consultant Nephrologist at Sunway Medical Centre, Sunway City. “For those who have received a donated kidney, other than leading a healthy lifestyle, they only need to be committed to taking lifelong immunosuppressant medications to ensure that their body does not reject the donated kidney. They would also be able to resume their career, continue with their usual social life and even start a family if they wish, which would be very difficult while on dialysis,” he added. It is important that both patients and donors are aware that the transplanted kidney may not last forever. Kidneys from a living donor, on average last between 15 and 20 years and the 5-year survival rate for those who undergo a kidney transplant is 90%. This is far better than dialysis where only about half are still alive after 5 years on dialysis. Living and Deceased Donor Dr Wong believes that it is better for the patient to receive an organ from a living donor who has been evaluated for suitability and the transplant surgery performed in a planned manner. Living donors can donate their kidneys to their spouse and their first- or second-degree relatives. A first-degree relative is one’s parent, child or full sibling, while a second-degree relative is one’s g r a n d p a r e n t , g r a n d c h i l d , aunt, uncle, nephew, niece or half-sibling. It is also possible for a living donor to donate to a more distant relative, or even a nonfamily member but approval must be obtained from the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) Unrelated Transplant Approval Committee (UTAC). Due to the lack of deceased donors in this country, the average waiting time for dialysis patients to receive a kidney from a deceased donor is more than 10 years. The majority of these dialysis patients succumb to their disease while waiting for the organ. Furthermore, deceased donors are likely to develop acute kidney injury prior to organ procurement. Hence, kidneys from deceased donors generally do not last as long as kidneys from living donors. Despite these odds, chronic dialysis patients who received kidneys from deceased donors still have a better chance of living longer and better, compared to those who remained on chronic dialysis. Reducing The Risk The most common cause of ESKD is diabetes mellitus, accounting for 53% of all new ESKD patients in 2021; followed by hypertension which accounted for another 33.9%. “As these two diseases are the most common causes of ESKD, it is important that one must lead a healthy lifestyle to reduce the risk of developing diabetes and hypertension,” advised Dr Wong. “And, if individuals have diabetes mellitus and/or hypertension, they must ensure that their disease is optimally controlled. They should also monitor their kidney health regularly with blood and urine tests, and avoid medications, drugs or supplements that are known or suspected to be potentially toxic to the kidneys,” he added. To further prevent the risk of ESKD, go for regular health screenings, maintain a healthy diet that is low in salt with more fruits and vegetables, stay active and quit smoking. These steps not only keep your whole body healthy, but also your kidneys. Eating live microbes is good for overall health CONSUMING probiotics as part of one’s diet has become a popular practice in recent years with many experts touting its benefits for having a balanced digestive system. And recent research has confirmed that ingesting live microbes is indeed good for human health, measured in various ways. Yogurt, kimchi, pickles, kombucha ... Rich in probiotics (live microorganisms consisting of various bacteria), fermented foods are hugely popular at the moment. According to research published in 2022, American adults’ consumption of foods with live microbes has gradually increased over the last 18 years. And rightly so, since these foods are good for our health, especially for the balance of the intestinal flora. A recent study published in The Journal of Nutrition, conducted by American and Irish researchers, confirms this. “Our results suggest that foods with higher microbial concentrations are associated with modest health improvements across a range of outcomes,” they note. It’s one of the first times that research outlines the many health benefits of eating live microbes. For example, an additional 100 grams of food containing probiotics is associated with lower systolic blood pressure, a lower body mass index and a reduction in inflammatory markers. “Besides fermented dairy, epidemiologic evidence has shown that consumption of fermented soy or fermented vegetables is linked with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, blood pressure, and atopic dermatitis,” the authors write. Because they do not require the addition of chemical compounds or additives, probiotics are also popular for their ecological aspect, since fermentation is based on a natural process centred around living organisms and is not harmful to the planet. Choosing probiotics can also help contribute to reducing food waste and the production of waste. In France, fermented foods are currently the subject of a vast research project. Called Ferments of the Future, it is led by the National Institute of Agronomic Research (INRAE) and the National Association of Food Industries (ANIA) and aims to, among other things, develop new fermented foods, including cereals, legumes, fruits and vegetables. The aim is to help boost plantbased foods and make diets more sustainable. – ETX Studio The consumption of probiotic-rich food has been on the rise in recent years. – GETTY
21 * SPORTS theSUN ON WEDNESDAY | MARCH 29, 2023 IN THE HIGH COURT OF MALAYA AT PULAU PINANG IN THE STATE OF PENANG, MALAYSIA (COMMERCIAL DIVISION) COMPANIES (WINDING-UP) NO.: PA-28NCC-15-02/2023 In the Matter of Section 465 (1)(e) and Section 466 (1) (a) of the Companies Act, 2016 And In the Matter of CF Jaya Construction Sdn Bhd (Company No.1076744-D) And In the Matter of Companies (Winding-Up) Rules 1972 BETWEEN R.E ELECTRICAL AND CONSTRUCTION WORKS (Registration No.: IP0127725-V) … PETITIONER AND CF JAYA CONSTRUCTION SDN BHD [(Company No.: 201401000674(10767440-D)] … RESPONDENT ADVERTISEMENT OF PETITION NOTICE is hereby given that a Petition for the winding-up of the abovenamed Company by the High Court at Pulau Pinang was, on the 27th February 2023 presented to the said Court by R.E Electrical and Construction Works of No. 3, I-Park Menglembu, Jalan Menglembu Impiana 33, Kawasan Perindustrian 31450, Ipoh, Perak. And that the said Petition is directed to be heard before the Court sitting at the High Court, Pulau Pinang at 9.00 o’clock in the forenoon on the 27th April 2023; and any creditor or contributory of the said Company desiring to support or oppose the making of an Order on the said Petition may appear at the time of hearing by himself for his Counsel for that purpose; and a copy of the Petition will be furnished to any creditor or contributory of the said Company requiring the same by the undersigned on payment of the regulated charge for the same. The Petitioner’s address is at No. 3, I-Park Menglembu, Jalan Menglembu Impiana 33, Kawasan Perindustrian 31450, Ipoh, Perak. The Petitioner’s Solicitors is Messrs Liaw & Partners of E-07-01, Block E, Plaza Mont Kiara, No. 2, Jalan Kiara, Jalan Kiara, Mont Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur. Dated this 14th March 2023. t.t. …………………………….. Messrs Liaw & Partners, Solicitors for the Petitioner abovenamed NOTE: Any person who intends to appear on the hearing of the said Petition must serve on or send by post to the abovenamed Messrs Liaw & Partners of E-07-01, Block E, Plaza Mont Kiara, No. 2, Jalan Kiara, Mont Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, a Notice in writing of his intention so to do. The Notice must state the name and address of the person, or if a firm, the name and address of the firm, and must be signed by the person or firm or his or their Solicitors (if any) and must be served, or if posted, must be sent by post in sufficient time to reach the abovenamed not later than twelve o’clock noon on 26th April 2023. [REF: LP/HT/LIT/KL/24(22)] IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF IMPIAN TELADAN SDN BHD (199401004498 (290177-X)) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding-up) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT pursuant to Section 439(2) of the Companies Act, 2016, the Special Resolutions as set out below were duly passed by the members of IMPIAN TELADAN SDN. BHD. (199401004498 (290177-X)) on 20 March 2023:- 1. THAT the Company be wound up voluntarily pursuant to Section 439(1)(b) of the Companies Act, 2016 and that Ms. Chong Ai Ling of SOHO Suites @ KLCC, Block A2, Level 32-3A, No. 20, Jalan Perak, 50450 Kuala Lumpur be and is hereby appointed as the liquidator of the Company for the purpose of such winding up. 2. THAT Ms. Chong Ai Ling, the Company’s Liquidator, be and is hereby authorised to distribute either in cash, specie or in kind any surplus assets of the Company as she shall think fit to the contributory of the Company in accordance with their respective rights and interests therein. Azman Hanafi Bin Abdullah Director Dated this 29 March 2023 IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF IMPIAN TELADAN SDN BHD (199401004498 (290177-X)) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding-up) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT the Creditors of the abovementioned Company, which is being wound up voluntarily, are required, to send in their names and addresses on or before 30 April 2023, with particulars of their debts or claims and the names and addresses of their solicitors (if any) to:- The Liquidator IMPIAN TELADAN SDN BHD (199401004498 (290177-X)) SOHO Suites @ KLCC Block A2, Level 32-3A No. 20, Jalan Perak 50450 Kuala Lumpur and, if so required by notice in writing from the said Liquidator, or by their solicitors or personally, to come in and prove their debts or claims at such time and place as shall be specified in such notice, or in default thereof, they will be excluded from the benefits of any distribution made before such debts and claims are proved. Chong Ai Ling Liquidator Dated this 29 March 2023 IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF RENTAK JITU PROJECT MANAGEMENT SDN BHD (199701009739 (425235-H)) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding-up) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT pursuant to Section 439(2) of the Companies Act, 2016, the Special Resolutions as set out below were duly passed by the members of RENTAK JITU PROJECT MANAGEMENT SDN. BHD. (199701009739 (425235- H)) on 20 March 2023:- 1. THAT the Company be wound up voluntarily pursuant to Section 439(1)(b) of the Companies Act, 2016 and that Ms. Chong Ai Ling of SOHO Suites @ KLCC, Block A2, Level 32-3A, No. 20, Jalan Perak, 50450 Kuala Lumpur be and is hereby appointed as the liquidator of the Company for the purpose of such winding up. 2. THAT Ms. Chong Ai Ling, the Company’s Liquidator, be and is hereby authorised to distribute either in cash, specie or in kind any surplus assets of the Company as she shall think fit to the contributory of the Company in accordance with their respective rights and interests therein. Syed Mahfiz Bin Syed Ismail Director Dated this 29 March 2023 IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF RENTAK JITU PROJECT MANAGEMENT SDN BHD (199701009739 (425235-H)) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding-up) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT the Creditors of the abovementioned Company, which is being wound up voluntarily, are required, to send in their names and addresses on or before 30 April 2023, with particulars of their debts or claims and the names and addresses of their solicitors (if any) to:- The Liquidator RENTAK JITU PROJECT MANAGEMENT SDN BHD (199701009739 (425235-H)) SOHO Suites @ KLCC Block A2, Level 32-3A No. 20, Jalan Perak 50450 Kuala Lumpur and, if so required by notice in writing from the said Liquidator, or by their solicitors or personally, to come in and prove their debts or claims at such time and place as shall be specified in such notice, or in default thereof, they will be excluded from the benefits of any distribution made before such debts and claims are proved. Chong Ai Ling Liquidator Dated this 29 March 2023 DALAM MAHKAMAH MAJISTRET DI KUALA KUBU BHARU DALAM NEGERI SELANGOR DARUL EHSAN, MALAYSIA GUAMAN SIVIL NO: BF-A72NCvC-276-12/2022 Antara MAJLIS PERBANDARAN HULU SELANGOR (dahulunya dikenali sebagai MAJLIS DAERAH HULU SELANGOR) ...PLAINTIF Dan TANG YANG HING (NO. K/P: 410307-10-5045) …DEFENDAN NOTIS PENYAMPAIAN SECARA PENGIKLANAN Kepada, TANG YANG HING NO. K/P: 410307-10-5045 No. 14 Jalan 14/47 46100 Petaling Jaya Selangor TANG YANG HING NO. K/P: 410307-10-5045 Lot 272 & 273, Jalan KL-Ipoh Batu 30 44300 Batang Kali, Selangor AMBIL PERHATIAN bahawa suatu tindakan telah dimulakan terhadap kamu di Mahkamah Majistret Kuala Kubu Bharu dalam Guaman Sivil No. BF-A72NCvC-276-12/2022 oleh MAJLIS PERBANDARAN HULU SELANGOR (dahulunya dikenali sebagai MAJLIS DAERAH HULU SELANGOR) yang beralamat di Jalan Bukit Kerajaan, 44000 Kuala Kubu Bharu, Selangor Darul Ehsan dan Mahkamah ini telah memberi perintah bahawa Writ Saman bertarikh 29.12.2022 hendaklah dilaksanakan secara penyampaian ganti kepada Defendan dengan menampalkan satu salinan perintah ini pada papan kenyataan di Mahkamah Majistret, Kuala Kubu Bharu, menampalkan satu salinan perintah ini pada alamat terakhir Defendan yang diketahui dan juga secara menyiarkan sesalinan Notis Periklanan untuk sekali sahaja di suratkhabar tempatan dan bahawa penyampaian sedemikian hendaklah menjadi satu penyampaian yang sempurna dan cukup dalam tempoh empat belas (14) hari dari tarikh akhir penampalan dokumen tersebut dan pengiklanan notis tersebut mengikut yang mana lebih lewat. Jika kamu berhasrat untuk membela dalam tindakan tersebut kamu mestilah dalam masa empat belas (14) hari dari penampalan dan penyiaran pengiklanan ini, memfailkan Memorandum Kehadiran. Kegagalan kamu untuk berbuat demikian boleh menyebabkan Penghakiman Ingkar boleh diberikan terhadap kamu. Bertarikh pada 29 haribulan Mac 2023. t.t. ……………………… Peguamcara bagi pihak Plaintif Law Practice of K.A. Ramu Notis Penyampaian Secara Pengiklanan ini telah dikeluarkan oleh Law Practice of K. A. Ramu , Peguambela & Peguamcara, peguamcara bagi Plaintif yang dinamakan diatas dan yang mempunyai alamat penyampaiannya di 15-1-A Jalan MH3, Taman Muzaffar Heights, 75450 Ayer Keroh, Melaka Tel: 03-76665625 Ruj:KARV/LIT/MDHS(TYH)/1478/2020 Email :[email protected] DALAM MAHKAMAH MAJISTRET DI SHAH ALAM DALAM NEGERI SELANGOR DARUL EHSAN, MALAYSIA WRIT NO.: BA-A72NCVC-1589-12/2022 ANTARA TENAGA NASIONAL BERHAD [No. Syarikat : 199001009294 (200866-W)] …PLAINTIF DAN CHIA JEE LEK [NO.K. P.: 520831-10-5831 (4420015)] ...DEFENDAN NOTIS PENYAMPAIAN GANTI-BENTUK IKLAN Kepada, CHIA JEE LEK [NO.K. P.: 520831-10-5831 (4420015)] No. 24 Tingkat 1, Jalan Jimat 25/87, Taman Sri Muda, 40400 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan. Dan/atau CHIA JEE LEK [NO.K. P.: 520831-10-5831 (4420015)] Lot No.46920, Jalan 4, Taman Perindustrian Selayang, 68100 Batu Caves, Selangor Darul Ehsan. Dalam perkara Writ yang dikeluarkan pada 5 haribulan Disember 2022. AMBIL PERHATIAN bahawa suatu tindakan Writ telah dikeluarkan terhadap Defendan dalam Mahkamah Majistret di Shah Alam dalam Guaman No. BA-A72NCVC-1589-12/2022 oleh Tenaga Nasional Berhad [No. Syarikat: 199001009294](200866-W)] di mana tuntutan Plaintif ialah untuk jumlah RM13,216.97, faedah ke atas jumlah RM13,216.97 pada kadar 5% setahun dari tarikh pemfailan saman sehingga tarikh penghakiman, faedah ke atas jumlah RM13,216.97 pada kadar 5% setahun dari tarikh penghakiman sehingga tarikh penyelesaian penuh dan kos dan adalah diperintahkan bahawa sesalinan Writ bertarikh 5/12/2022 dan Penyata Tuntutan bertarikh 5/12/2022 disampaikan kepada kamu melalui Penyampaian Ganti iaitu dengan menampalkan sesalinan Writ dan Penyata Tuntutan tersebut di Papan Notis Mahkamah Shah Alam, ditinggalkan di alamat pertama Defendan di No. 24, Tingkat 1, Jalan Jimat 25/87, Taman Sri Muda, 40400 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan (selepas ini “alamat pertama Defendan”) dan di Lot No. 46920, Jalan 4, Taman Perindustrian Selayang, 68100 Batu Caves, Selangor Darul Ehsan (selepas ini “alamat kedua Defendan”) dan mengiklankannya sekali (1) dalam surat khabar ‘The Sun’ dan saya percaya bahawa penyampaian itu menjadi penyampaian yang sempurna dan cukup ke atas Defendan empatbelas (14) hari selepas tarikh pengiklanan atau penampalan tersebut. Sekiranya kamu berhajat untuk membuat pembelaan terhadap tindakan tersebut, kamu mestilah diwakili oleh Peguambela kamu di hadapan Mahkamah Majistret Shah Alam pada 19/4/2023 (secara E-Review), jam 9.00 pagi. Sekiranya kamu gagal berbuat demikian maka Penghakiman Ingkar boleh diberikan terhadap kamu. Bertarikh pada 29 haribulan Mac 2023 …..….………tt…….…….. Tetuan Sandosh Anandan Peguamcara bagi Plaintif Notis Penyampaian Ganti Bentuk Iklan ini dikeluarkan oleh Tetuan Sandosh Anandan, Peguamcara bagi pihak Plaintif yang beralamat di Unit A502, Blok A, Kelana Square, No. 17, Jalan SS7/26, Kelana Jaya, 47301, Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan. Tel: 03-78065819 / 03-7804607 Fax: 03-78807409 (Ruj: SA/L/TNB/CHIA JEE LEK/1848/2022/SA) DALAM MAHKAMAH MAJISTRET JITRA DALAM NEGERI KEDAH DARUL AMAN GUAMAN NO: KCA72NCvC-25-11/2022 ANTARA NUR ADILAH BINTI KAMAL (NO. K/P: 930322-14-5642) … PLAINTIF DAN SYAZWANI BINTI SUBOH (NO. K/P:880628-09-5024) … DEFENDAN NOTIS PENYAMPAIAN GANTI (IKLAN) 1. SYAZWANI BINTI SUBOH (NO. K/P: 880628-09-5024) 574, Jalan Desa Bayanmas 9, Desa Bayanmas, 06050 Bukit Kayu Hitam, Kedah. 2. SYAZWANI BINTI SUBOH (NO. K/P: 880628-09-5024) Batu 6, Jalan Kuala Perlis, 02000 Kuala Perlis, Perlis. AMBIL PERHATIAN bahawa satu tindakan telah dimulakan terhadap Defendan di Mahkamah Majistret di Jitra dalam Guaman No. KCA72NCvC-25-11/2022 oleh Plaintif diatas yang mana tuntutan Plaintif adalah untuk jumlah terhutang sebanyak RM6,730.00 berserta faedah pada kadar 5% setahun ke atas jumlah RM6,730.00 dari tarikh 30.11.2022 sehingga tarikh penyelesaian penuh dan kos tindakan ini sebanyak RM 835.00. Dan telah diperintahkan pada 20.02.2023 bahawa penyampaian Writ Saman dan Pernyataan Tuntutan bertarikh 30.11.2022 dan Perintah Penyampaian ganti disampaikan kepada Defendan secara penampalan sesalinan Writ Saman, Pernyataan Tuntutan dan Perintah Penyampaian ganti pada alamat terakhir dan alamat menurut kad pengenalan Defendan dan di papan Kenyataan Mahkamah Majistret Jitra dan Pengiklanan Notis Penyampaian Ganti sekali dalam surat khabar The Sun. Penampalan dan Pengiklanan secara gantian ini dianggap serahan yang sempurna dan cukup keatas Defendan dalam masa 14 hari selepas tarikh akhir penampalan dan pengiklanan. Jika kamu tidak memasukkan kehadiran dalam tempoh 14 hari dari tarikh penyampaian Writ Saman dan Pernyataan Tuntutan ini maka Penghakiman seperti yang dipohon akan dimasuk terhadap kamu. t.t ………………………… Tetuan Amar Syiimir Izzat & Sham Peguamcara Plaintif NOTIS PENYAMPAIAN GANTI ini difailkan oleh Tetuan Amar Syiimir Izzat & Sham, peguamcara bagi pihak Plaintif yang mempunyai alamat penyampaian di No. C-09-06, Plaza Mont Kiara, No. 2, Jalan Kiara, Mont Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur. No. Tel: 6011-10066724 No. Faks: 60376101874 E-mel: [email protected] No. Ruj.: ASIS/2022-82 DALAM MAHKAMAH MAJISTRET DI KUALA LUMPUR DALAM WILAYAH PERSEKUTUAN KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA GUAMAN SIVIL NO: WA-A72M-783-01/2023 ANTARA YAYASAN IHSAN RAKYAT (No Syarikat.: 201201017719 [1003231-A]) … PLAINTIF DAN JASNIF BINTI JAAFAR (No. K/P: 811007-06-5122) … DEFENDAN NOTIS (IKLAN PENYAMPAIAN GANTI) Kepada: - 1) JASNIF BINTI JAAFAR SILA AMBIL PERHATIAN bahawa suatu tindakan telah dimulakan terhadap kamu di Mahkamah Majistret Kuala Lumpur , dalam Guaman WA-A72M-783-01/2023 oleh Yayasan Ihsan Rakyat (“Plaintif”) yang beralamat di di Tingkat 20, Menara Teo Chew, No. 1, Jalan Lumut, 50400 Kuala Lumpur di mana Plaintif menuntut terhadap kamu antara lain untuk membayar semula pinjaman, faedah dan kos. DAN TELAH DIPERINTAHKAN bahawa Writ Saman dan Pernyataan Tuntutan bertarikh 18.01.2023 dilaksanakan secara penyampaian ganti terhadap kamu dengan menghantar melalui serahan melalui menampalkan pada alamat terakhir kamu, menampalkan pada Papan Notis Mahkamah Majistret Kuala Lumpur dan mengiklankan sekali di suatu penerbitan akhbar ‘The Sun’ dan penyampaian Writ Saman dan Pernyataan Tuntutan sedemikian akan disifatkan sebagai penyerahan lengkap dan sempurna terhadap kamu dalam masa tujuh (7) hari selepas tarikh penampalan atau pengiklanan yang terakhir tersebut. Jika kamu berhasrat untuk membela tindakan tersebut, kamu mestilah memasukkan kehadiran sama ada secara sendiri atau melalui peguamcara kamu. Jika kamu ingkar hadir sedemikian, penghakiman boleh diberikan terhadap kamu. Bertarikh pada 29 haribulan Mac, 2023 …………t.t………… TETUAN GM TAN & COMPANY Peguamcara Plaintif NOTIS (IKLAN PENYAMPAIAN GANTI) ini telah difailkan oleh Tetuan GM Tan & Company,peguamcara pihak Plaintif yang beralamat di C-10-28, Block C, Lobby 2, Centum Oasis Corporate Park, No. 2, Jalan PJU 1A/2, Ara Damansara, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan. Tel No. : +603 2714 5456 E-mel :[email protected] Faks No.: +603 2714 5457 Ruj Kami:GMT/ YYP(RCE)/00797/2023 322 Notices 322 Notices 322 Notices 322 Notices IN THE HIGH COURT OF MALAYA AT JOHOR BAHRU IN THE STATE OF JOHOR DARUL TAKZIM, MALAYSIA COMPANIES (WINDING-UP) NO. JA – 28NCC – 44 – 03 / 2023 In the matter of Section 464(1)(b) of the Companies Act 2016. And In the matter of Section 465(1)(e) read together with Section 466(1)(a) of the Companies Act 2016. And In the Matter of COSTA HARDWARE SDN. BHD. [Company No: 201701003937 (1218102-W)] BETWEEN TSK HARDWARE SDN. BHD. (Company No: 230962-M) … PETITIONER AND COSTA HARDWARE SDN. BHD. [Company No: 201701003937 (1218102-W)] … RESPONDENT ADVERTISEMENT OF PETITION NOTICE is hereby given that a Petition for the winding-up of the abovenamed Respondent company by the High Court was, on the 13th day of March, 2023 presented by TSK HARDWARE SDN. BHD. (Company No: 230962-M) of PLO 208, Jalan Angkasa Mas 6, Kawasan Perindustrian Tebrau II, 81100 Johor Bahru, Johor. AND that the said Petition is directed to be heard before the Court sitting at the High Court of Malaya at Johor Bahru at 9.00 a.m. on Thursday the 18th day of May, 2023; and any creditor or contributory of the said Company desiring to support or oppose the making of an Order on the said Petition may appear at the time of hearing by himself or his Counsel for that purpose; and a copy of the Petition will be furnished to any creditor or contributory of the said Company requiring the same by the undersigned on payment of the regulated charge for the same. The Petitioner’s address is PLO 208, Jalan Angkasa Mas 6, Kawasan Perindustrian Tebrau II, 81100 Johor Bahru, Johor. The Petitioner’s Solicitors are Messrs Tan Vincent & Co., Advocates & Solicitors of No. 181A, Jalan NB 2 2/2, Taman Nusa Bestari 2, 79150 Iskandar Puteri, Johor. - Signed - ................................. Messrs Tan Vincent & Co. Solicitors for the Petitioner Advocates & Solicitors No. 181A, Jalan NB 2 2/2 Taman Nusa Bestari 2 79150 Iskandar Puteri, Johor NOTE: Any person who intends to appear on the hearing of the Petition must serve on or send by post to the abovenamed Messrs Tan Vincent & Co., notice in writing of his intention to do so. The notice must state the name and address of the person, or, if a firm, the name and address of the firm, and must be signed by the person or firm, or his or their Solicitors (if any) and must be served, or if posted, must be sent by post in sufficient time to reach the abovenamed not later than 12 noon of the 17th day of May, 2023 (the day before the day appointed for the hearing of the Petition). (Ref: TVA/V/LIT/22/121/THSB/WU/h) 322 Notices JANEZ SANGGAYAN PARILA Please be informed that you are required to attend the Seremban Sessions Court on 12/05/2023 at 9.00 a.m. for the hearing of NA58-5-02/2023 pertaining to the case of SAI SAMANTHA. Please be informed that the Court may grant any order it may deem fit in the event you fail to attend. NOTICE IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF PENTAS JASA SDN BHD [Company Registration No: 201601006247 (1177174-H)] (In Members’ Voluntary Winding Up) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Company held at Level 3A (Annexe), Menara Milenium, 8 Jalan Damanlela, Damansara Heights, 50490 Kuala Lumpur on the 27th day of March 2023, the following resolutions was duly passed. “THAT the Company be wound up voluntarily pursuant to Section 439(1)(b) of the Companies Act, 2016 and that Mr. Wong Heng Boon of Wisma Laxton, 9-3 Jalan Desa, Taman Desa, 58100 Kuala Lumpur be and is hereby appointed as Liquidator for the purpose of such winding up with all powers given by the Section 456 of the Companies Act, 2016 and that the remuneration of the said Liquidator is to be agreed upon between the Liquidator and the Directors of the Company. AND THAT the appointed Liquidator be and is hereby authorised to distribute in cash and/or in specie the surplus assets of the Company to the contributories of the Company.” Dated this 29th March 2023 Chua Cheng Suan Director Kuala Lumpur NOTICE IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF PENTAS JASA SDN BHD [Company Registration No: 201601006247 (1177174-H)] (In Members’ Voluntary Winding Up) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT the creditors of Pentas Jasa Sdn. Bhd. which is under members’ voluntary winding up, are required on or before 29th April 2023 to send their names and addresses with particulars of their debts and claims and the names and addresses of the solicitors (if any) to the undersigned Liquidator at Wisma Laxton, 9-3 Jalan Desa, Taman Desa, 58100 Kuala Lumpur, and if so required by notice in writing from the Liquidator, or by their solicitors or personally required to come in and prove their said debts and claims at such time and place as shall be specified in such notice, or in default thereof they will be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made before such debts and claims are proved. Dated this 29th March 2023 Wong Heng Boon Liquidator Kuala Lumpur 322 Notices 322 Notices IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF CABANG LESTARI SDN BHD (201301027703 (1057533-A)) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding-up) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT pursuant to Section 439(2) of the Companies Act, 2016, the Special Resolutions as set out below were duly passed by the members of CABANG LESTARI SDN. BHD. (201301027703 (1057533-A)) on 20 March 2023:- 1. THAT the Company be wound up voluntarily pursuant to Section 439(1)(b) of the Companies Act, 2016 and that Ms. Chong Ai Ling of SOHO Suites @ KLCC, Block A2, Level 32-3A, No. 20, Jalan Perak, 50450 Kuala Lumpur be and is hereby appointed as the liquidator of the Company for the purpose of such winding up. 2. THAT Ms. Chong Ai Ling, the Company’s Liquidator, be and is hereby authorised to distribute either in cash, specie or in kind any surplus assets of the Company as she shall think fit to the contributory of the Company in accordance with their respective rights and interests therein. Hashim Bin Ismail Director Dated this 29 March 2023 IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF CABANG LESTARI SDN BHD (201301027703 (1057533-A)) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding-up) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT the Creditors of the abovementioned Company, which is being wound up voluntarily, are required, to send in their names and addresses on or before 30 April 2023, with particulars of their debts or claims and the names and addresses of their solicitors (if any) to:- The Liquidator CABANG LESTARI SDN BHD (201301027703 (1057533-A)) SOHO Suites @ KLCC Block A2, Level 32-3A No. 20, Jalan Perak 50450 Kuala Lumpur and, if so required by notice in writing from the said Liquidator, or by their solicitors or personally, to come in and prove their debts or claims at such time and place as shall be specified in such notice, or in default thereof, they will be excluded from the benefits of any distribution made before such debts and claims are proved. Chong Ai Ling Liquidator Dated this 29 March 2023 IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF MELATI PERTIWI SDN BHD (201601015568 (1186499-P)) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding-up) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT pursuant to Section 439(2) of the Companies Act, 2016, the Special Resolutions as set out below were duly passed by the members of MELATI PERTIWI SDN. BHD. (201601015568 (1186499-P)) on 20 March 2023:- 1. THAT the Company be wound up voluntarily pursuant to Section 439(1)(b) of the Companies Act, 2016 and that Ms. Chong Ai Ling of SOHO Suites @ KLCC, Block A2, Level 32-3A, No. 20, Jalan Perak, 50450 Kuala Lumpur be and is hereby appointed as the liquidator of the Company for the purpose of such winding up. 2. THAT Ms. Chong Ai Ling, the Company’s Liquidator, be and is hereby authorised to distribute either in cash, specie or in kind any surplus assets of the Company as she shall think fit to the contributory of the Company in accordance with their respective rights and interests therein. Zahari Bin Mohamad Director Dated this 29 March 2023 IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF MELATI PERTIWI SDN BHD (201601015568 (1186499-P)) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding-up) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT the Creditors of the abovementioned Company, which is being wound up voluntarily, are required, to send in their names and addresses on or before 30 April 2023, with particulars of their debts or claims and the names and addresses of their solicitors (if any) to:- The Liquidator MELATI PERTIWI SDN BHD (201601015568 (1186499-P)) SOHO Suites @ KLCC Block A2, Level 32-3A No. 20, Jalan Perak 50450 Kuala Lumpur and, if so required by notice in writing from the said Liquidator, or by their solicitors or personally, to come in and prove their debts or claims at such time and place as shall be specified in such notice, or in default thereof, they will be excluded from the benefits of any distribution made before such debts and claims are proved. Chong Ai Ling Liquidator Dated this 29 March 2023 IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF MERDU POSITIF SDN BHD (200601018611 (738364-M)) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding-up) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT pursuant to Section 439(2) of the Companies Act, 2016, the Special Resolutions as set out below were duly passed by the members of MERDU POSITIF SDN. BHD. (200601018611 (738364-M)) on 20 March 2023:- 1. THAT the Company be wound up voluntarily pursuant to Section 439(1)(b) of the Companies Act, 2016 and that Ms. Chong Ai Ling of SOHO Suites @ KLCC, Block A2, Level 32-3A, No. 20, Jalan Perak, 50450 Kuala Lumpur be and is hereby appointed as the liquidator of the Company for the purpose of such winding up. 2. THAT Ms. Chong Ai Ling, the Company’s Liquidator, be and is hereby authorised to distribute either in cash, specie or in kind any surplus assets of the Company as she shall think fit to the contributory of the Company in accordance with their respective rights and interests therein. Azman Hanafi Bin Abdullah Director Dated this 29 March 2023 IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF MERDU POSITIF SDN BHD (200601018611 (738364-M)) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding-up) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT the Creditors of the abovementioned Company, which is being wound up voluntarily, are required, to send in their names and addresses on or before 30 April 2023, with particulars of their debts or claims and the names and addresses of their solicitors (if any) to:- The Liquidator MERDU POSITIF SDN BHD (200601018611 (738364-M)) SOHO Suites @ KLCC Block A2, Level 32-3A No. 20, Jalan Perak 50450 Kuala Lumpur and, if so required by notice in writing from the said Liquidator, or by their solicitors or personally, to come in and prove their debts or claims at such time and place as shall be specified in such notice, or in default thereof, they will be excluded from the benefits of any distribution made before such debts and claims are proved. Chong Ai Ling Liquidator Dated this 29 March 2023 322 Notices 322 Notices 322 Notices Advertise with us & connect to our urban readers. KLANG VALLEY PENANG | KEDAH PERAK | PERLIS PAHANG | KELANTAN TERENGGANU MS. Shoba TEL: 03-7784 8888 FAX: 03-7784 4424 MALACCA MR. Rajah TEL: 012-628 2844 FAX: 06-764 2051 JOHOR BAHRU MS. Anne Lim TEL: 013-770 6699 FAX: 07-355 5549 IN THE HIGH COURT OF MALAYA AT PULAU PINANG IN THE STATE OF PENANG, MALAYSIA (COMMERCIAL DIVISION) COMPANIES (WINDING-UP) NO.: PA-28NCC-15-02/2023 In the Matter of Section 465 (1)(e) and Section 466 (1) (a) of the Companies Act, 2016 And In the Matter of CF Jaya Construction Sdn Bhd (Company No.1076744-D) And In the Matter of Companies (Winding-Up) Rules 1972 BETWEEN R.E ELECTRICAL AND CONSTRUCTION WORKS (Registration No.: IP0127725-V) … PETITIONER AND CF JAYA CONSTRUCTION SDN BHD [(Company No.: 201401000674(10767440-D)] … RESPONDENT ADVERTISEMENT OF PETITION NOTICE is hereby given that a Petition for the winding-up of the abovenamed Company by the High Court at Pulau Pinang was, on the 27th February 2023 presented to the said Court by R.E Electrical and Construction Works of No. 3, I-Park Menglembu, Jalan Menglembu Impiana 33, Kawasan Perindustrian 31450, Ipoh, Perak. And that the said Petition is directed to be heard before the Court sitting at the High Court, Pulau Pinang at 9.00 o’clock in the forenoon on the 27th April 2023; and any creditor or contributory of the said Company desiring to support or oppose the making of an Order on the said Petition may appear at the time of hearing by himself for his Counsel for that purpose; and a copy of the Petition will be furnished to any creditor or contributory of the said Company requiring the same by the undersigned on payment of the regulated charge for the same. The Petitioner’s address is at No. 3, I-Park Menglembu, Jalan Menglembu Impiana 33, Kawasan Perindustrian 31450, Ipoh, Perak. The Petitioner’s Solicitors is Messrs Liaw & Partners of E-07-01, Block E, Plaza Mont Kiara, No. 2, Jalan Kiara, Jalan Kiara, Mont Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur. Dated this 14th March 2023. t.t. …………………………….. Messrs Liaw & Partners, Solicitors for the Petitioner abovenamed NOTE: Any person who intends to appear on the hearing of the said Petition must serve on or send by post to the abovenamed Messrs Liaw & Partners of E-07-01, Block E, Plaza Mont Kiara, No. 2, Jalan Kiara, Mont Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, a Notice in writing of his intention so to do. The Notice must state the name and address of the person, or if a firm, the name and address of the firm, and must be signed by the person or firm or his or their Solicitors (if any) and must be served, or if posted, must be sent by post in sufficient time to reach the abovenamed not later than twelve o’clock noon on 26th April 2023. [REF: LP/HT/LIT/KL/24(22)] IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF IMPIAN TELADAN SDN BHD (199401004498 (290177-X)) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding-up) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT pursuant to Section 439(2) of the Companies Act, 2016, the Special Resolutions as set out below were duly passed by the members of IMPIAN TELADAN SDN. BHD. (199401004498 (290177-X)) on 20 March 2023:- 1. THAT the Company be wound up voluntarily pursuant to Section 439(1)(b) of the Companies Act, 2016 and that Ms. Chong Ai Ling of SOHO Suites @ KLCC, Block A2, Level 32-3A, No. 20, Jalan Perak, 50450 Kuala Lumpur be and is hereby appointed as the liquidator of the Company for the purpose of such winding up. 2. THAT Ms. Chong Ai Ling, the Company’s Liquidator, be and is hereby authorised to distribute either in cash, specie or in kind any surplus assets of the Company as she shall think fit to the contributory of the Company in accordance with their respective rights and interests therein. Azman Hanafi Bin Abdullah Director Dated this 29 March 2023 IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF IMPIAN TELADAN SDN BHD (199401004498 (290177-X)) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding-up) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT the Creditors of the abovementioned Company, which is being wound up voluntarily, are required, to send in their names and addresses on or before 30 April 2023, with particulars of their debts or claims and the names and addresses of their solicitors (if any) to:- The Liquidator IMPIAN TELADAN SDN BHD (199401004498 (290177-X)) SOHO Suites @ KLCC Block A2, Level 32-3A No. 20, Jalan Perak 50450 Kuala Lumpur and, if so required by notice in writing from the said Liquidator, or by their solicitors or personally, to come in and prove their debts or claims at such time and place as shall be specified in such notice, or in default thereof, they will be excluded from the benefits of any distribution made before such debts and claims are proved. Chong Ai Ling Liquidator Dated this 29 March 2023 IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF RENTAK JITU PROJECT MANAGEMENT SDN BHD (199701009739 (425235-H)) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding-up) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT pursuant to Section 439(2) of the Companies Act, 2016, the Special Resolutions as set out below were duly passed by the members of RENTAK JITU PROJECT MANAGEMENT SDN. BHD. (199701009739 (425235- H)) on 20 March 2023:- 1. THAT the Company be wound up voluntarily pursuant to Section 439(1)(b) of the Companies Act, 2016 and that Ms. Chong Ai Ling of SOHO Suites @ KLCC, Block A2, Level 32-3A, No. 20, Jalan Perak, 50450 Kuala Lumpur be and is hereby appointed as the liquidator of the Company for the purpose of such winding up. 2. THAT Ms. Chong Ai Ling, the Company’s Liquidator, be and is hereby authorised to distribute either in cash, specie or in kind any surplus assets of the Company as she shall think fit to the contributory of the Company in accordance with their respective rights and interests therein. Syed Mahfiz Bin Syed Ismail Director Dated this 29 March 2023 IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF RENTAK JITU PROJECT MANAGEMENT SDN BHD (199701009739 (425235-H)) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding-up) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT the Creditors of the abovementioned Company, which is being wound up voluntarily, are required, to send in their names and addresses on or before 30 April 2023, with particulars of their debts or claims and the names and addresses of their solicitors (if any) to:- The Liquidator RENTAK JITU PROJECT MANAGEMENT SDN BHD (199701009739 (425235-H)) SOHO Suites @ KLCC Block A2, Level 32-3A No. 20, Jalan Perak 50450 Kuala Lumpur and, if so required by notice in writing from the said Liquidator, or by their solicitors or personally, to come in and prove their debts or claims at such time and place as shall be specified in such notice, or in default thereof, they will be excluded from the benefits of any distribution made before such debts and claims are proved. Chong Ai Ling Liquidator Dated this 29 March 2023 DALAM MAHKAMAH MAJISTRET DI KUALA KUBU BHARU DALAM NEGERI SELANGOR DARUL EHSAN, MALAYSIA GUAMAN SIVIL NO: BF-A72NCvC-276-12/2022 Antara MAJLIS PERBANDARAN HULU SELANGOR (dahulunya dikenali sebagai MAJLIS DAERAH HULU SELANGOR) ...PLAINTIF Dan TANG YANG HING (NO. K/P: 410307-10-5045) …DEFENDAN NOTIS PENYAMPAIAN SECARA PENGIKLANAN Kepada, TANG YANG HING NO. K/P: 410307-10-5045 No. 14 Jalan 14/47 46100 Petaling Jaya Selangor TANG YANG HING NO. K/P: 410307-10-5045 Lot 272 & 273, Jalan KL-Ipoh Batu 30 44300 Batang Kali, Selangor AMBIL PERHATIAN bahawa suatu tindakan telah dimulakan terhadap kamu di Mahkamah Majistret Kuala Kubu Bharu dalam Guaman Sivil No. BF-A72NCvC-276-12/2022 oleh MAJLIS PERBANDARAN HULU SELANGOR (dahulunya dikenali sebagai MAJLIS DAERAH HULU SELANGOR) yang beralamat di Jalan Bukit Kerajaan, 44000 Kuala Kubu Bharu, Selangor Darul Ehsan dan Mahkamah ini telah memberi perintah bahawa Writ Saman bertarikh 29.12.2022 hendaklah dilaksanakan secara penyampaian ganti kepada Defendan dengan menampalkan satu salinan perintah ini pada papan kenyataan di Mahkamah Majistret, Kuala Kubu Bharu, menampalkan satu salinan perintah ini pada alamat terakhir Defendan yang diketahui dan juga secara menyiarkan sesalinan Notis Periklanan untuk sekali sahaja di suratkhabar tempatan dan bahawa penyampaian sedemikian hendaklah menjadi satu penyampaian yang sempurna dan cukup dalam tempoh empat belas (14) hari dari tarikh akhir penampalan dokumen tersebut dan pengiklanan notis tersebut mengikut yang mana lebih lewat. Jika kamu berhasrat untuk membela dalam tindakan tersebut kamu mestilah dalam masa empat belas (14) hari dari penampalan dan penyiaran pengiklanan ini, memfailkan Memorandum Kehadiran. Kegagalan kamu untuk berbuat demikian boleh menyebabkan Penghakiman Ingkar boleh diberikan terhadap kamu. Bertarikh pada 29 haribulan Mac 2023. t.t. ……………………… Peguamcara bagi pihak Plaintif Law Practice of K.A. Ramu Notis Penyampaian Secara Pengiklanan ini telah dikeluarkan oleh Law Practice of K. A. Ramu , Peguambela & Peguamcara, peguamcara bagi Plaintif yang dinamakan diatas dan yang mempunyai alamat penyampaiannya di 15-1-A Jalan MH3, Taman Muzaffar Heights, 75450 Ayer Keroh, Melaka Tel: 03-76665625 Ruj:KARV/LIT/MDHS(TYH)/1478/2020 Email :[email protected] DALAM MAHKAMAH MAJISTRET DI SHAH ALAM DALAM NEGERI SELANGOR DARUL EHSAN, MALAYSIA WRIT NO.: BA-A72NCVC-1589-12/2022 ANTARA TENAGA NASIONAL BERHAD [No. Syarikat : 199001009294 (200866-W)] …PLAINTIF DAN CHIA JEE LEK [NO.K. P.: 520831-10-5831 (4420015)] ...DEFENDAN NOTIS PENYAMPAIAN GANTI-BENTUK IKLAN Kepada, CHIA JEE LEK [NO.K. P.: 520831-10-5831 (4420015)] No. 24 Tingkat 1, Jalan Jimat 25/87, Taman Sri Muda, 40400 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan. Dan/atau CHIA JEE LEK [NO.K. P.: 520831-10-5831 (4420015)] Lot No.46920, Jalan 4, Taman Perindustrian Selayang, 68100 Batu Caves, Selangor Darul Ehsan. Dalam perkara Writ yang dikeluarkan pada 5 haribulan Disember 2022. AMBIL PERHATIAN bahawa suatu tindakan Writ telah dikeluarkan terhadap Defendan dalam Mahkamah Majistret di Shah Alam dalam Guaman No. BA-A72NCVC-1589-12/2022 oleh Tenaga Nasional Berhad [No. Syarikat: 199001009294](200866-W)] di mana tuntutan Plaintif ialah untuk jumlah RM13,216.97, faedah ke atas jumlah RM13,216.97 pada kadar 5% setahun dari tarikh pemfailan saman sehingga tarikh penghakiman, faedah ke atas jumlah RM13,216.97 pada kadar 5% setahun dari tarikh penghakiman sehingga tarikh penyelesaian penuh dan kos dan adalah diperintahkan bahawa sesalinan Writ bertarikh 5/12/2022 dan Penyata Tuntutan bertarikh 5/12/2022 disampaikan kepada kamu melalui Penyampaian Ganti iaitu dengan menampalkan sesalinan Writ dan Penyata Tuntutan tersebut di Papan Notis Mahkamah Shah Alam, ditinggalkan di alamat pertama Defendan di No. 24, Tingkat 1, Jalan Jimat 25/87, Taman Sri Muda, 40400 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan (selepas ini “alamat pertama Defendan”) dan di Lot No. 46920, Jalan 4, Taman Perindustrian Selayang, 68100 Batu Caves, Selangor Darul Ehsan (selepas ini “alamat kedua Defendan”) dan mengiklankannya sekali (1) dalam surat khabar ‘The Sun’ dan saya percaya bahawa penyampaian itu menjadi penyampaian yang sempurna dan cukup ke atas Defendan empatbelas (14) hari selepas tarikh pengiklanan atau penampalan tersebut. Sekiranya kamu berhajat untuk membuat pembelaan terhadap tindakan tersebut, kamu mestilah diwakili oleh Peguambela kamu di hadapan Mahkamah Majistret Shah Alam pada 19/4/2023 (secara E-Review), jam 9.00 pagi. Sekiranya kamu gagal berbuat demikian maka Penghakiman Ingkar boleh diberikan terhadap kamu. Bertarikh pada 29 haribulan Mac 2023 …..….………tt…….…….. Tetuan Sandosh Anandan Peguamcara bagi Plaintif Notis Penyampaian Ganti Bentuk Iklan ini dikeluarkan oleh Tetuan Sandosh Anandan, Peguamcara bagi pihak Plaintif yang beralamat di Unit A502, Blok A, Kelana Square, No. 17, Jalan SS7/26, Kelana Jaya, 47301, Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan. Tel: 03-78065819 / 03-7804607 Fax: 03-78807409 (Ruj: SA/L/TNB/CHIA JEE LEK/1848/2022/SA) DALAM MAHKAMAH MAJISTRET JITRA DALAM NEGERI KEDAH DARUL AMAN GUAMAN NO: KCA72NCvC-25-11/2022 ANTARA NUR ADILAH BINTI KAMAL (NO. K/P: 930322-14-5642) … PLAINTIF DAN SYAZWANI BINTI SUBOH (NO. K/P:880628-09-5024) … DEFENDAN NOTIS PENYAMPAIAN GANTI (IKLAN) 1. SYAZWANI BINTI SUBOH (NO. K/P: 880628-09-5024) 574, Jalan Desa Bayanmas 9, Desa Bayanmas, 06050 Bukit Kayu Hitam, Kedah. 2. SYAZWANI BINTI SUBOH (NO. K/P: 880628-09-5024) Batu 6, Jalan Kuala Perlis, 02000 Kuala Perlis, Perlis. AMBIL PERHATIAN bahawa satu tindakan telah dimulakan terhadap Defendan di Mahkamah Majistret di Jitra dalam Guaman No. KCA72NCvC-25-11/2022 oleh Plaintif diatas yang mana tuntutan Plaintif adalah untuk jumlah terhutang sebanyak RM6,730.00 berserta faedah pada kadar 5% setahun ke atas jumlah RM6,730.00 dari tarikh 30.11.2022 sehingga tarikh penyelesaian penuh dan kos tindakan ini sebanyak RM 835.00. Dan telah diperintahkan pada 20.02.2023 bahawa penyampaian Writ Saman dan Pernyataan Tuntutan bertarikh 30.11.2022 dan Perintah Penyampaian ganti disampaikan kepada Defendan secara penampalan sesalinan Writ Saman, Pernyataan Tuntutan dan Perintah Penyampaian ganti pada alamat terakhir dan alamat menurut kad pengenalan Defendan dan di papan Kenyataan Mahkamah Majistret Jitra dan Pengiklanan Notis Penyampaian Ganti sekali dalam surat khabar The Sun. Penampalan dan Pengiklanan secara gantian ini dianggap serahan yang sempurna dan cukup keatas Defendan dalam masa 14 hari selepas tarikh akhir penampalan dan pengiklanan. Jika kamu tidak memasukkan kehadiran dalam tempoh 14 hari dari tarikh penyampaian Writ Saman dan Pernyataan Tuntutan ini maka Penghakiman seperti yang dipohon akan dimasuk terhadap kamu. t.t ………………………… Tetuan Amar Syiimir Izzat & Sham Peguamcara Plaintif NOTIS PENYAMPAIAN GANTI ini difailkan oleh Tetuan Amar Syiimir Izzat & Sham, peguamcara bagi pihak Plaintif yang mempunyai alamat penyampaian di No. C-09-06, Plaza Mont Kiara, No. 2, Jalan Kiara, Mont Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur. No. Tel: 6011-10066724 No. Faks: 60376101874 E-mel: [email protected] No. Ruj.: ASIS/2022-82 DALAM MAHKAMAH MAJISTRET DI KUALA LUMPUR DALAM WILAYAH PERSEKUTUAN KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA GUAMAN SIVIL NO: WA-A72M-783-01/2023 ANTARA YAYASAN IHSAN RAKYAT (No Syarikat.: 201201017719 [1003231-A]) … PLAINTIF DAN JASNIF BINTI JAAFAR (No. K/P: 811007-06-5122) … DEFENDAN NOTIS (IKLAN PENYAMPAIAN GANTI) Kepada: - 1) JASNIF BINTI JAAFAR SILA AMBIL PERHATIAN bahawa suatu tindakan telah dimulakan terhadap kamu di Mahkamah Majistret Kuala Lumpur , dalam Guaman WA-A72M-783-01/2023 oleh Yayasan Ihsan Rakyat (“Plaintif”) yang beralamat di di Tingkat 20, Menara Teo Chew, No. 1, Jalan Lumut, 50400 Kuala Lumpur di mana Plaintif menuntut terhadap kamu antara lain untuk membayar semula pinjaman, faedah dan kos. DAN TELAH DIPERINTAHKAN bahawa Writ Saman dan Pernyataan Tuntutan bertarikh 18.01.2023 dilaksanakan secara penyampaian ganti terhadap kamu dengan menghantar melalui serahan melalui menampalkan pada alamat terakhir kamu, menampalkan pada Papan Notis Mahkamah Majistret Kuala Lumpur dan mengiklankan sekali di suatu penerbitan akhbar ‘The Sun’ dan penyampaian Writ Saman dan Pernyataan Tuntutan sedemikian akan disifatkan sebagai penyerahan lengkap dan sempurna terhadap kamu dalam masa tujuh (7) hari selepas tarikh penampalan atau pengiklanan yang terakhir tersebut. Jika kamu berhasrat untuk membela tindakan tersebut, kamu mestilah memasukkan kehadiran sama ada secara sendiri atau melalui peguamcara kamu. Jika kamu ingkar hadir sedemikian, penghakiman boleh diberikan terhadap kamu. Bertarikh pada 29 haribulan Mac, 2023 …………t.t………… TETUAN GM TAN & COMPANY Peguamcara Plaintif NOTIS (IKLAN PENYAMPAIAN GANTI) ini telah difailkan oleh Tetuan GM Tan & Company,peguamcara pihak Plaintif yang beralamat di C-10-28, Block C, Lobby 2, Centum Oasis Corporate Park, No. 2, Jalan PJU 1A/2, Ara Damansara, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan. Tel No. : +603 2714 5456 E-mel :[email protected] Faks No.: +603 2714 5457 Ruj Kami:GMT/ YYP(RCE)/00797/2023 322 Notices 322 Notices 322 Notices 322 Notices IN THE HIGH COURT OF MALAYA AT JOHOR BAHRU IN THE STATE OF JOHOR DARUL TAKZIM, MALAYSIA COMPANIES (WINDING-UP) NO. JA – 28NCC – 44 – 03 / 2023 In the matter of Section 464(1)(b) of the Companies Act 2016. And In the matter of Section 465(1)(e) read together with Section 466(1)(a) of the Companies Act 2016. And In the Matter of COSTA HARDWARE SDN. BHD. [Company No: 201701003937 (1218102-W)] BETWEEN TSK HARDWARE SDN. BHD. (Company No: 230962-M) … PETITIONER AND COSTA HARDWARE SDN. BHD. [Company No: 201701003937 (1218102-W)] … RESPONDENT ADVERTISEMENT OF PETITION NOTICE is hereby given that a Petition for the winding-up of the abovenamed Respondent company by the High Court was, on the 13th day of March, 2023 presented by TSK HARDWARE SDN. BHD. (Company No: 230962-M) of PLO 208, Jalan Angkasa Mas 6, Kawasan Perindustrian Tebrau II, 81100 Johor Bahru, Johor. AND that the said Petition is directed to be heard before the Court sitting at the High Court of Malaya at Johor Bahru at 9.00 a.m. on Thursday the 18th day of May, 2023; and any creditor or contributory of the said Company desiring to support or oppose the making of an Order on the said Petition may appear at the time of hearing by himself or his Counsel for that purpose; and a copy of the Petition will be furnished to any creditor or contributory of the said Company requiring the same by the undersigned on payment of the regulated charge for the same. The Petitioner’s address is PLO 208, Jalan Angkasa Mas 6, Kawasan Perindustrian Tebrau II, 81100 Johor Bahru, Johor. The Petitioner’s Solicitors are Messrs Tan Vincent & Co., Advocates & Solicitors of No. 181A, Jalan NB 2 2/2, Taman Nusa Bestari 2, 79150 Iskandar Puteri, Johor. - Signed - ................................. Messrs Tan Vincent & Co. Solicitors for the Petitioner Advocates & Solicitors No. 181A, Jalan NB 2 2/2 Taman Nusa Bestari 2 79150 Iskandar Puteri, Johor NOTE: Any person who intends to appear on the hearing of the Petition must serve on or send by post to the abovenamed Messrs Tan Vincent & Co., notice in writing of his intention to do so. The notice must state the name and address of the person, or, if a firm, the name and address of the firm, and must be signed by the person or firm, or his or their Solicitors (if any) and must be served, or if posted, must be sent by post in sufficient time to reach the abovenamed not later than 12 noon of the 17th day of May, 2023 (the day before the day appointed for the hearing of the Petition). (Ref: TVA/V/LIT/22/121/THSB/WU/h) 322 Notices JANEZ SANGGAYAN PARILA Please be informed that you are required to attend the Seremban Sessions Court on 12/05/2023 at 9.00 a.m. for the hearing of NA58-5-02/2023 pertaining to the case of SAI SAMANTHA. Please be informed that the Court may grant any order it may deem fit in the event you fail to attend. NOTICE IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF PENTAS JASA SDN BHD [Company Registration No: 201601006247 (1177174-H)] (In Members’ Voluntary Winding Up) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Company held at Level 3A (Annexe), Menara Milenium, 8 Jalan Damanlela, Damansara Heights, 50490 Kuala Lumpur on the 27th day of March 2023, the following resolutions was duly passed. “THAT the Company be wound up voluntarily pursuant to Section 439(1)(b) of the Companies Act, 2016 and that Mr. Wong Heng Boon of Wisma Laxton, 9-3 Jalan Desa, Taman Desa, 58100 Kuala Lumpur be and is hereby appointed as Liquidator for the purpose of such winding up with all powers given by the Section 456 of the Companies Act, 2016 and that the remuneration of the said Liquidator is to be agreed upon between the Liquidator and the Directors of the Company. AND THAT the appointed Liquidator be and is hereby authorised to distribute in cash and/or in specie the surplus assets of the Company to the contributories of the Company.” Dated this 29th March 2023 Chua Cheng Suan Director Kuala Lumpur NOTICE IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF PENTAS JASA SDN BHD [Company Registration No: 201601006247 (1177174-H)] (In Members’ Voluntary Winding Up) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT the creditors of Pentas Jasa Sdn. Bhd. which is under members’ voluntary winding up, are required on or before 29th April 2023 to send their names and addresses with particulars of their debts and claims and the names and addresses of the solicitors (if any) to the undersigned Liquidator at Wisma Laxton, 9-3 Jalan Desa, Taman Desa, 58100 Kuala Lumpur, and if so required by notice in writing from the Liquidator, or by their solicitors or personally required to come in and prove their said debts and claims at such time and place as shall be specified in such notice, or in default thereof they will be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made before such debts and claims are proved. Dated this 29th March 2023 Wong Heng Boon Liquidator Kuala Lumpur 322 Notices 322 Notices IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF CABANG LESTARI SDN BHD (201301027703 (1057533-A)) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding-up) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT pursuant to Section 439(2) of the Companies Act, 2016, the Special Resolutions as set out below were duly passed by the members of CABANG LESTARI SDN. BHD. (201301027703 (1057533-A)) on 20 March 2023:- 1. THAT the Company be wound up voluntarily pursuant to Section 439(1)(b) of the Companies Act, 2016 and that Ms. Chong Ai Ling of SOHO Suites @ KLCC, Block A2, Level 32-3A, No. 20, Jalan Perak, 50450 Kuala Lumpur be and is hereby appointed as the liquidator of the Company for the purpose of such winding up. 2. THAT Ms. Chong Ai Ling, the Company’s Liquidator, be and is hereby authorised to distribute either in cash, specie or in kind any surplus assets of the Company as she shall think fit to the contributory of the Company in accordance with their respective rights and interests therein. Hashim Bin Ismail Director Dated this 29 March 2023 IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF CABANG LESTARI SDN BHD (201301027703 (1057533-A)) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding-up) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT the Creditors of the abovementioned Company, which is being wound up voluntarily, are required, to send in their names and addresses on or before 30 April 2023, with particulars of their debts or claims and the names and addresses of their solicitors (if any) to:- The Liquidator CABANG LESTARI SDN BHD (201301027703 (1057533-A)) SOHO Suites @ KLCC Block A2, Level 32-3A No. 20, Jalan Perak 50450 Kuala Lumpur and, if so required by notice in writing from the said Liquidator, or by their solicitors or personally, to come in and prove their debts or claims at such time and place as shall be specified in such notice, or in default thereof, they will be excluded from the benefits of any distribution made before such debts and claims are proved. Chong Ai Ling Liquidator Dated this 29 March 2023 IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF MELATI PERTIWI SDN BHD (201601015568 (1186499-P)) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding-up) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT pursuant to Section 439(2) of the Companies Act, 2016, the Special Resolutions as set out below were duly passed by the members of MELATI PERTIWI SDN. BHD. (201601015568 (1186499-P)) on 20 March 2023:- 1. THAT the Company be wound up voluntarily pursuant to Section 439(1)(b) of the Companies Act, 2016 and that Ms. Chong Ai Ling of SOHO Suites @ KLCC, Block A2, Level 32-3A, No. 20, Jalan Perak, 50450 Kuala Lumpur be and is hereby appointed as the liquidator of the Company for the purpose of such winding up. 2. THAT Ms. Chong Ai Ling, the Company’s Liquidator, be and is hereby authorised to distribute either in cash, specie or in kind any surplus assets of the Company as she shall think fit to the contributory of the Company in accordance with their respective rights and interests therein. Zahari Bin Mohamad Director Dated this 29 March 2023 IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF MELATI PERTIWI SDN BHD (201601015568 (1186499-P)) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding-up) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT the Creditors of the abovementioned Company, which is being wound up voluntarily, are required, to send in their names and addresses on or before 30 April 2023, with particulars of their debts or claims and the names and addresses of their solicitors (if any) to:- The Liquidator MELATI PERTIWI SDN BHD (201601015568 (1186499-P)) SOHO Suites @ KLCC Block A2, Level 32-3A No. 20, Jalan Perak 50450 Kuala Lumpur and, if so required by notice in writing from the said Liquidator, or by their solicitors or personally, to come in and prove their debts or claims at such time and place as shall be specified in such notice, or in default thereof, they will be excluded from the benefits of any distribution made before such debts and claims are proved. Chong Ai Ling Liquidator Dated this 29 March 2023 IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF MERDU POSITIF SDN BHD (200601018611 (738364-M)) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding-up) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT pursuant to Section 439(2) of the Companies Act, 2016, the Special Resolutions as set out below were duly passed by the members of MERDU POSITIF SDN. BHD. (200601018611 (738364-M)) on 20 March 2023:- 1. THAT the Company be wound up voluntarily pursuant to Section 439(1)(b) of the Companies Act, 2016 and that Ms. Chong Ai Ling of SOHO Suites @ KLCC, Block A2, Level 32-3A, No. 20, Jalan Perak, 50450 Kuala Lumpur be and is hereby appointed as the liquidator of the Company for the purpose of such winding up. 2. THAT Ms. Chong Ai Ling, the Company’s Liquidator, be and is hereby authorised to distribute either in cash, specie or in kind any surplus assets of the Company as she shall think fit to the contributory of the Company in accordance with their respective rights and interests therein. Azman Hanafi Bin Abdullah Director Dated this 29 March 2023 IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF MERDU POSITIF SDN BHD (200601018611 (738364-M)) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding-up) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT the Creditors of the abovementioned Company, which is being wound up voluntarily, are required, to send in their names and addresses on or before 30 April 2023, with particulars of their debts or claims and the names and addresses of their solicitors (if any) to:- The Liquidator MERDU POSITIF SDN BHD (200601018611 (738364-M)) SOHO Suites @ KLCC Block A2, Level 32-3A No. 20, Jalan Perak 50450 Kuala Lumpur and, if so required by notice in writing from the said Liquidator, or by their solicitors or personally, to come in and prove their debts or claims at such time and place as shall be specified in such notice, or in default thereof, they will be excluded from the benefits of any distribution made before such debts and claims are proved. Chong Ai Ling Liquidator Dated this 29 March 2023 322 Notices 322 Notices 322 Notices Advertise with us & connect to our urban readers. KLANG VALLEY PENANG | KEDAH PERAK | PERLIS PAHANG | KELANTAN TERENGGANU MS. Shoba TEL: 03-7784 8888 FAX: 03-7784 4424 MALACCA MR. Rajah TEL: 012-628 2844 FAX: 06-764 2051 JOHOR BAHRU MS. Anne Lim TEL: 013-770 6699 FAX: 07-355 5549 Consolation win for Pakistan STAND-IN skipper Shadab Khan (pix) gave an allround performance to guide Pakistan to a consolation 66-run win in the third and final Twenty20 international in Sharjah yesterday but Afghanistan take the series 2-1. Having lost the first two match by six and seven wickets respectively, Pakistan’s new-look side posted a strong 182-7 in 20 overs before restricting Afghanistan to 116 in 18.4 overs. Opener Saim Ayub led an improved batting show as Pakistan scored 182-7 after their below-par 92-9 and 130-6 in the first two matches. Shadab then became the first Pakistani and seventh bowler overall to complete 100 T20I wickets in his 87th match, claiming 3-13. IPL must wait for Proteas SOUTH AFRICA yesterday named a full-strength squad for two mustwin one-day internationals against the Netherlands on Friday and Sunday. The matches in Benoni and Johannesburg are South Africa’s last games in the World Cup Super League – and they must win both if they are to stay in contention to qualify automatically for the Cricket World Cup in India in October and November. “We have named our strongest possible squad given the importance of these matches in the context of qualifying for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup,” said coach Rob Walter. “We have a job to do and I am confident that with this group of players we can get the job done.” NZ vs Sri Lanka ODI washed out HEAVY RAIN and gusting winds forced the second one-day international between New Zealand and Sri Lanka to be abandoned yesterday without a ball bowled. Steady rain kept the covers on at Hagley Oval in Christchurch and organisers called the match off with more showers forecast. The third and final ODI will be played in Hamilton on Friday, with New Zealand leading the series 1-0 after romping to a 198-run win at Auckland’s Eden Park on Saturday. Sri Lanka have lost all three tour games played so far in New Zealand, including a 2-0 whitewash in the Test series. INSIDE EDGE
22 theSUN ON WEDNESDAY | MARCH 29, 2023 SPORTS I RRITATED Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman said he was shocked by his team’s performance in his first week back in charge of the national side and drastic improvement is needed. It was not the return Koeman was looking for at the start of his second stint after replacing Louis van Gaal as the Dutch got off to lukewarm start in the Euro 2024 qualifiers. “We have to improve, I’m quite shocked by what I have seen,” he said. A virus saw five players drop out last week before they went to Paris and were handed a sobering 4-0 thumping by France. Hopes of a spirited response in yesterday’s match against minnows Gibraltar did not materialise. Although the Dutch won 3-0 at the Feyenoord Stadium, with two goals from defender Nathan Ake, Koeman made no effort to hide his dissatisfaction. “It was not good, I’m quite disappointed. It really must be better. We also need to get fitter. This was really too little,” Koeman told reporters. He had hoped for better. “It was a bad week, a lot of players got sick at first. Then we lost heavily to France and even against Gibraltar it was not enough. It will have to get better soon. “I’ve never had such a week in my previous national coaching stint and I hope that it doesn’t happen again either.” The Dutch had their changes against the team ranked 200 with 72% possession and 49 attempts on goal but were stymied by stout defence, although Koeman did not want to use that as an excuse. “It is difficult but, of course we did score enough goals. I found we were imprecise from the start, sloppy at times. With a little more sharpness, more goals would have been scored. It was much less than I had hoped for.” Dutch skipper Virgil van Dijk added: “We were sloppy in possession. It was a very difficult evening. “We’d hoped to try to destroy them but scored three goals when we actually should have scored a lot more. That is something we have to improve for the next period.” The Dutch will need to make a major step up because they are next in action in the Nations League in June, which they host. They play Croatia in Rotterdam on June 14 and will go into either the final or thirdplace playoff against Italy or Spain four days later. “These are major opponents and I think it will be important that we have a full squad.” The Dutch played without key midfielder Frenkie de Jong against France and Gibraltar. “And Cody Gakpo and Matthijs De Ligt couldn’t play a whole match, and Memphis Depay got injured,” said Koeman. “But our level will have to go up. Too many players did not play well enough.” – Reuters/AFP READ OUR HERE /thesundaily SCAN ME DALAM MAHKAMAH MAJISTRET DI KUALA KUBU BHARU DALAM NEGERI SELANGOR DARUL EHSAN, MALAYSIA GUAMAN SIVIL NO: BF-A72NCvC-320-12/2022 Antara MAJLIS PERBANDARAN HULU SELANGOR (dahulunya dikenali sebagai MAJLIS DAERAH HULU SELANGOR) ...PLAINTIF Dan PHANG SOON FOOK @ FANG KOK LEONG (No. K/P: 480421-08-5619) …DEFENDAN NOTIS PENYAMPAIAN SECARA PENGIKLANAN Kepada, PHANG SOON FOOK @ FANG KOK LEONG No. K/P: 480421-08-5619 32 Jalan Hujan Bubuk Taman Overseas Union 58200 Kuala Lumpur Wilayah Persekutuan PHANG SOON FOOK @ FANG KOK LEONG No. K/P: 480421-08-5619 No. 44 (PT 2623), Jalan Orkid 2 Lot Banglo, Kelab Golf Bukit Beruntung Bukit Beruntung 48300 Rawang, Selangor AMBIL PERHATIAN bahawa suatu tindakan telah dimulakan terhadap kamu di Mahkamah Majistret Kuala Kubu Bharu dalam Guaman Sivil No. BF-A72NCvC-320-12/2022 oleh MAJLIS PERBANDARAN HULU SELANGOR (dahulunya dikenali sebagai MAJLIS DAERAH HULU SELANGOR) yang beralamat di Jalan Bukit Kerajaan, 44000 Kuala Kubu Bharu, Selangor Darul Ehsan dan Mahkamah ini telah memberi perintah bahawa Writ Saman bertarikh 29.12.2022 hendaklah dilaksanakan secara penyampaian ganti kepada Defendan dengan menampalkan satu salinan perintah ini pada papan kenyataan di Mahkamah Majistret, Kuala Kubu Bharu, menampalkan satu salinan perintah ini pada alamat terakhir Defendan yang diketahui dan juga secara menyiarkan sesalinan Notis Periklanan untuk sekali sahaja di suratkhabar tempatan dan bahawa penyampaian sedemikian hendaklah menjadi satu penyampaian yang sempurna dan cukup dalam tempoh empat belas (14) hari dari tarikh akhir penampalan dokumen tersebut dan pengiklanan notis tersebut mengikut yang mana lebih lewat. Jika kamu berhasrat untuk membela dalam tindakan tersebut kamu mestilah dalam masa empat belas (14) hari dari penampalan dan penyiaran pengiklanan ini, memfailkan Memorandum Kehadiran. Kegagalan kamu untuk berbuat demikian boleh menyebabkan Penghakiman Ingkar boleh diberikan terhadap kamu. Bertarikh pada 29 haribulan Mac 2023. t.t. …………………… Peguamcara bagi pihak Plaintif Law Practice of K.A. Ramu Notis Penyampaian Secara Pengiklanan ini telah dikeluarkan oleh Law Practice of K. A. Ramu , Peguambela & Peguamcara, peguamcara bagi Plaintif yang dinamakan diatas dan yang mempunyai alamat penyampaiannya di 15-1-A Jalan MH3, Taman Muzaffar Heights, 75450 Ayer Keroh, Melaka Tel: 03-76665625 Ruj:KARV/LIT/MDHS(FKL)/1520/2020 Email :[email protected] 322 Notices 2 The SunMegazine Wednesday, 29 March, 2023 Tasteless Oranje Shocked Koeman says Dutch need drastic improvement after horror week Tsitsipas wins after long wait as seeds fall WORLD NO. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas finally got his Miami Open campaign under way yesterday with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 win over Cristian Garin while Argentine Francisco Cerendulo upset fifth-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime. There were no shortage of upsets at Hard Rock Stadium with 12th seeded American Francis Tiafoe beaten by 59th ranked Italian Lorenzo Sonego in straight sets. France’s Adrian Mannarino beat seventh-seeded Pole Hubert Hurkacz and American qualifier Christopher Eubanks defeated Gregoire Barrere in straight sets. Tsitsipas arrived in Miami a week ago, had a first round bye and then had a walkover win in the second round when Richard Gasquet pulled out with injury. “It has almost felt like a vacation this past week, staying in Miami. I glad I got started. It was a difficult match against an opponent who has played good tennis against good opponents in the past,” said the Greek. Miami is a happy hunting ground for Cerundolo, who made a surprise run to the semifinals last year, and he relished the vocal support from his fans in the crowd. “That was another important win for me, I think I played really good from beginning to end,” he said. “It is super nice to play here, a lot of Argentinians, a lot of people, so I really enjoyed it. Last year was amazing, so I’m really excited to be in the round of 16 again and to try to keep winning,” he added. Exciting American Tiafoe was tipped by many observers to go deep in the tournament but he fell 6-3, 6-4 to Sonego in a game disrupted by a second set rain delay of over an hour. Mannarino beat Hurkacz 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-0) but will face a tricky test against the 26-year-old Eubanks who will break into the top 100 for the first time in his career thanks to his victory over 65th ranked Barrere. Eubanks trailed 6-2 in a second-set tie-break before a rain delay of more than an hour and he won seven of the next eight points for an emotional 6-3, 7-6 (9-7) victory. – AFP ELENA RYBAKINA extended her winning streak to 11 matches as she booked her place in the Miami Open quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Belgium’s Elise Mertens yesterday while world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka powered past Barbora Krejcikova in straight sets. But there was agony for Canadian former US Open winner Bianca Andreescu, who had to be wheelchaired off court after suffering a left ankle injury and retiring against Ekaterina Alexandrova. Rybakina is looking to complete the “Sunshine Double” after her triumph in Indian Wells, but she was far from euphoric after her victory. “Physically I’m not the freshest, but I’m happy that I’m managing and finding my way. To be in a quarterfinal is great and hopefully I’m going to play better,” she said. The Wimbledon champion will now face Italian Martina Trevisan in the quarters after Trevisan beat former French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko 6-3, 6-3. Sabalenka looked in ominous form as she blasted her way to victory over Krejcikova, the 2021 French Open winner, 6-3, 6-2. Krejcikova had ended Sabalenka’s 13- match win streak in February in Dubai but Sabalenka defeated the Czech two weeks ago at Indian Wells. This time Sabalenka took just 65 minutes to take care of business, going unbroken in the match and facing just one break point. Andreescu’s return to form was cut brutally short when she suffered a left ankle injury in her match against Ekaterina Alexandrova. While attempting a return, Andreescu injured the ankle, collapsing to the court as she yelled in pain. After receiving medical attention on court she was lifted into a wheelchair and taken off court in tears. American Jessica Pegula looked comfortable and in command of her game as she beat Poland’s Magda Linette 6-1, 7-5. Pegula had lamented her slow starts at Indian Wells but said her rapid-fire opening to matches in Miami had not been part of any strategy. “It wasn’t something I was really thinking about. I think it just has been happening that way, which is nice,” she said. – AFP FIFA gets backing to expand Club World Cup FIFA’S plans for an expanded Club World Cup now have the backing of Europe’s clubs. FIFA president Gianni Infantino first unveiled proposals for the new 32-team event prior to the World Cup final in Qatar last December. He said the new event would feature 12 European teams and be played every four years from 2025. The game’s global governing body has been criticised by a domestic leagues group over a lack of consultation over the new Club World Cup, but the European Club Association (ECA) has now endorsed it, along with FIFA’s plans to introduce an annual match between the Champions League winners and the team which wins an intercontinental playoff tournament. FIFA president Gianni Infantino said: “This is a significant day for the future of football and its long-term stability. “FIFA and ECA will also now establish closer working practices on a future revamped Club World Cup, including the sporting and commercial aspects for the 2025 edition, and working together on future editions including on potential structures for managing the commercial rights going forward.” Rosberg hints at Hamilton’s weakness NICO ROSBERG believes Lewis Hamilton can get mentally low when faced with a competitive teammate after finishing behind George Russell at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix last week. Russell finished fourth in Jeddah, with Hamilton coming home fifth as Mercedes look likely to fall short of a title challenge once again this year with Red Bull way out in front so far. Russell scored 35 more points last season than Hamilton, finishing fourth in the Driver Standings compared to Hamilton’s sixth. And Rosberg, who beat Hamilton to the World Championship in 2016, insists 25- year-old Russell is a “future world champion” and elaborated on how Hamilton fares when faced with a battle in the same garage. “George is the ultimate test, he is a future world champion,” Rosberg told Sky F1. “George had an awesome season last year and that is continuing. Let’s not forget, Lewis is the best of all time, so if someone can beat George it is him. “It is a little bit of a weakness that Lewis has that he will mentally go into this down a little bit and lose a little bit of the flow. “But he comes back with a bang every single time so, dear George, don’t get too confident there.” SHORTS Rybakina, Sabalenka march on in Miami Aryna Sabalenka returns a serve to Marie Bouzkova (not in picture) during the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium. – AFPPIX Koeman. – AFPPIX
23 * SPORTS theSUN ON WEDNESDAY | MARCH 29, 2023 GARETH SOUTHGATE has ruled out resting players for England’s summer games by saying it could lead to a “shambles” and a host of withdrawals. England face Malta and North Macedonia in June with six points already in their Euro 2024 qualifying group after beating Italy and Ukraine. But while his players will be at the end of a season that included a World Cup and when the Manchester clubs could both end up playing over 60 games, Southgate is adamant it sends the wrong message to leave anyone out. He said: “I think we should always pick our strongest possible squad. We’re representing England. “Caps have to be earned. Harry Kane won’t want to miss England matches in the summer; I’ll tell you that now.” England only had nine substitutes against Ukraine after injuries to Phil Foden, Reece James, Mason Mount and Marcus Rashford, while Luke Shaw was suspended. And Southgate thinks they could end up short of players if he omits some and then others opt out. He explained: “I think if we don’t select certain players it sends the wrong message to the group. “Then what’s to stop others pulling out and you could end up with a shambles pretty quickly. “That’s always a fine balance because as you saw this week if you lose one or two players in the week then very quickly you are short. “This time we would have had the opportunity with the U-21s to bring them in if needed but if that it’s the summer and everyone has been on holiday for three weeks then.” – The Independent @thesundaily FOLLOW ON TWITTER SCAN ME Stellini’s to do list Interim manager has work cut out to save Tottenham’s season TOTTENHAM appointed Cristian Stellini (pix) as acting head coach until the end of the season after parting company with Antonio Conte. Here’s a look at what will be in the in-tray of Stellini. LIFT squad morale Squad morale will understandably be low after Conte’s tirade against “selfish players” that “play for themselves” last weekend. It was not the first time the Italian had turned on the group and while some of the passionate monologue hit the nail on the head, it made his position untenable. The majority of Spurs’ players departed for international duty immediately after their collapse at St. Mary’s and new surroundings may have helped them forget the explosive scenes on the south coast, but it has ensured all eyes remain on a squad that has underachieved this season. A flurry of summer activity was expected to translate into more consistency. Instead, the opposite happened and even though a change of manager has occurred, bruised egos remain. ATTACK the day! Tottenham were free-scoring during the final months of the 2021- 22 season and it was Conte’s 3- 4-3 system in full flow. When his trusted formation of wingbacks and three attackers does click, it can be a joy to behold but those days have been few and far between in this campaign. Spurs supporters have instead repeatedly witnessed dull first halves where a pragmatic team sit back and invite pressure. Inevitably, it has led to goals aplenty being conceded with 40 shipped in 28 Premier League fixtures. But fans would accept a leaky defence if it was full throttle in attack. Yet a third of the goals scored under Conte in the top flight have been from set-pieces such has been their toothless nature up front. A simple way to get the fanbase back on side would be to ditch the negative counterattacking tactics of the last three managers. FIX misfiring forwards While Harry Kane has been a model of consistency this season with 23 goals, his fellow forwards have struggled. Son Heung-min, the jointPremier League Golden Boot winner last May, has scored in only six of his 37 appearances this campaign and been a shadow of himself with his confidence seemingly being drained with every passing week. Meanwhile, £60 million (RM324m) summer addition Richarlison has failed to score in the League and only has two goals to his name during an injury-hit season. The fourth big hitter, Dejan Kulusevski, has also only found the net twice with Conte’s reliance on individual magic backfiring. If Spurs are to achieve anything during the final 10 matches, Kane finally requires some much-needed support. GET top-four charge back on track Conte’s departure may look odd on paper given Spurs are fourth in the table, but they have Newcastle breathing down their neck whilst Liverpool and Brighton will no doubt be firmly in the Champions League qualification race. Tottenham are already guaranteed a 15th consecutive season without silverware and to many fans another top-four finish will not be enough, but anything less will make it a disastrous campaign. Crucially, getting back into Europe’s elite competition could be a way of convincing Kane to stick around and the financial windfall for the club will surely translate into a portion of the summer spending for the new boss. Whilst a crunch seven-day period in April sees fixtures against Newcastle, Manchester United and Liverpool, six of Spurs’ other matches are against bottom-half teams. Fourth place is there for the taking. The Independent Southgate has a ‘shambolic’ selection problem AARON RAMSEY (pix) hopes his old Arsenal pal Mikel Arteta can lead his former club to Premier League glory this season. Ramsey played alongside Arteta for five years in the Arsenal midfield and the Spaniard was the Welshman’s captain for two of those. The bond between FA Cup winners Ramsey and Arteta runs even deeper as the Gunners boss studied for his coaching badges in Wales, something the two men often spoke about during their time together at the Emirates Stadium. Arteta has since gone on to work at Manchester City and Arsenal, and his current club hold an eight-point Premier League lead over his old one with City having a game in hand. “It would be absolutely great (if Arsenal win the League),” said Wales captain Ramsey, who made nearly 370 appearances for the club before leaving north London for Juventus in 2019. “It is still a massive part of me. I spent 10, 11 years there and for them to go on and win the league, I’m as much a fan as anybody. “I still know so many players and members of staff there. The fans deserve it.” Ramsey said he always knew Arteta would step into management after his playing days. He said: “You could see his leadership qualities and the way that he handled himself was second to none. “What he is doing now, definitely, you could see he was always going to be a manager one day, the way he thought and saw the game and how intense he was as well. “It is absolutely unbelievable what he has done there, what they are doing at the moment. “We used to talk about it (the FAW) and he would tell me how impressed he was with the Welsh set-up, their methods and the way that they go about things. “They have done a fantastic job in producing some top managers and a lot of people are coming through that programme at the moment.” – The Independent Ramsey hoping Arteta leads Gunners to EPL title █ GEORGE SESSIONS █ RICHARD JOLLY █ PHIL BLANCHE RESULTS EURO 2024 QUALIFIERS Group B: Republic of Ireland 0 France 1 (Pavard 50), Netherlands 3 (Depay 24, Ake 50, 82) Gibraltar 0. Group E: Moldova 0 Czech Republic 0, Poland 1 (Swiderski 41) Albania 0. Group F: Austria 2 (Kainz 68, Gregoritsch 88) Estonia 1 (Sappinen 25), Sweden 5 (Forsberg 38, Mustafazade 65-og, Gyokeres 79, Karlsson 88, Elanga 89) Azerbaijan 0. Group G: Montenegro 0 Serbia 2 (Vlahovic 78, 90+6), Hungary 3 (Vecsei 7, Szoboszlai 26, Adam 39) Bulgaria 0. Swiderski secures win for Poland POLAND striker Karol Swiderski’s goal before the break secured a 1-0 win over Albania to earn their first Group E points of the Euro 2024 qualifiers yesterday. Poland sealed the victory in the 41st minute through Swiderski who curled a low shot into the net on the rebound after Jakub Kaminski hit the post following a freekick. Robert Lewandowski, well marked by the Albania defence, had a chance to double the lead in the 63rd when he broke free and fired from close range but his shot was cleared off the line. The Poland striker had another opportunity in the 84th but his strike flew narrowly over the bar from distance. “In our minds there is only qualifying, so this victory today was our task to complete and luckily we did it because we took a step forward,” Swiderski told Polish broadcaster TVP Sport. “In the first half we played some nice football (and) in the second half there were also nice moments. It’s a pity that towards the end it got nervous, but fortunately we won.” Czechs draw against Moldova THE Czech Republic laboured to a 0-0 draw against Moldova yesterday as their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign hit a bump just three days after they beat Poland in their opening Group E match. The Czechs controlled possession but could not break down a well organised Moldovan defence that allowed the visitors few clear chances at goal. West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek missed a chance to break the deadlock in the dying seconds of the first half, while Tomas Cvancara, on target in the 3-1 win against Poland, forced the Moldovan keeper into a save in the second half. Despite the draw, the Czechs lead the group with four points. Five-star Swedes SUBSTITUTE Jesper Karlsson scored a brilliant late freekick and Anthony Elanga added a superb solo goal as Sweden hammered Azerbaijan 5-0 in their Group F European Championship qualifier yesterday. After a terrible team performance against Belgium, in which Romelu Lukaku scored a hattrick in their first group game, the Swedes came out with all guns blazing and Alexander Isak had a goal ruled out for offside before Emil Forsberg scored in the 38th minute. Deployed on the left wing, Forsberg went on a driving run through the heart of the Azerbaijan defence before clipping a shot past the unsighted goalkeeper. Sweden doubled their advantage in the 65th minute as Bahlul Mustafazada steered an Isak cross into his own net, and 14 minutes later Viktor Gyokeres made it 3-0 with a tap-in. The two best goals of the game came from substitutes as Karlsson buried a perfectly-placed freekick in the 88th minute, and Elanga added the final goal with a superb run, rounding the keeper before slotting home. United, Wrexham to battle in San Diego MANCHESTER UNITED will play Wrexham in San Diego this summer as part of a week-long pre-season training camp in the United States. Erik ten Hag’s United will use a youth-focused team from their travelling tour squad, including academy prospects, for the July 25 encounter at the Snapdragon Stadium. For Wrexham – brought to prominence Stateside by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s takeover in November 2020 – it will be the first trip to the US in the Welsh club’s history. Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson said: “We’re looking forward to being able to play in the United States for the first time in the club’s history. The tour will be an excellent opportunity for us to prepare for the 2023/24 season and the match against Manchester United will be a competitive fixture and a good test for us as we look ahead to the new campaign.” SIDENETTING
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] FRANCE boss Didier Deschamps hailed goalkeeper Mike Maignan after seeing his late heroics deny the Republic of Ireland a first point for their Euro 2024 qualification account. Maignan clawed away a 90th-minute Nathan Collins header seconds after keeping out teammate Jules Kounde’s attempted clearance to ensure Benjamin Pavard’s goal was enough to secure a 1-0 Group B win in Dublin. The AC Milan keeper has taken over from World Cup-winning captain Hugo Lloris in the national side and fully justified his status as No. 1 at the Aviva Stadium on a night when he had little to do until the end. Deschamps said: “It was an incredible save and we know what Mike is capable of. Hugo was captain for a long time and he also made great saves. “Mike has great qualities, his stature and his mentality. He saved a penalty last Friday, but this was more significant. I never had any doubts about him. He is a great leader and a great player.” Pavard’s 50th-minute strike ultimately settled a game which France dominated for long periods without causing Ireland too many genuine problems. However, it took Maignan’s stunning intervention to keep out Collins’ effort, which would have fully justified Stephen Kenny’s game-plan and the way in which his players implemented it. Republic boss Kenny said: “We have watched France’s last 20 games and we’ve never seen Kylian Mbappe, who I voted for as the best player in the world, have such a quiet night. I’ve never seen it, never seen it. “We didn’t concede any chances up to the goal and that was disappointing. The substitutes made an impact and we finished strongly in the last 15 minutes. “Our goalkeeper made an excellent save, but the save from Nathan Collins was out of this world, one of those incredible saves, so we’re disappointed not to get at least a point.” Ireland will resume their campaign in Greece in June before welcoming Gibraltar to the Aviva Stadium, and those fixtures are likely to have a much greater say in their destiny than what they do against the French home and away. Asked if they can still spring a surprise in the group, Kenny said: “It is a very important campaign for us and we’re disappointed we didn’t get a point. “But for sure there’s a lot of points to play for and we want to make sure that we put ourselves really in contention coming into the last couple of games.” Deschamps and his players headed for home with a maximum six points from their first two fixtures following Friday night’s 4-0 demolition of the Netherlands. Asked what he would take from the double-header, the manager said: “A lot of positives: six points, five goals scored and none conceded. “It was a tough schedule coming here after Friday and against a fresh opponent. We didn’t play as well – Ireland played well, they defended well. “We didn’t create as many chances and we needed an amazing save at the end, which was as important as a goal. I am very content and very proud of the character of the group. “Kylian (Mbappe) and Theo (Hernandez) have a great relationship. Tonight, I think the opposition did a good job at defending them. “They are such a strong combination on the wing, but each game is different so you can’t take too much for it. “As for Olivier (Giroud), Ireland marked him really tightly. They played three centrebacks and he didn’t have as much space as he would like. It depends on the game as a whole, but he didn’t haven much space.” – The Independent/Agencies It would be absolutely great (if Arsenal win the League). It is still a massive part of me. I spent 10, 11 years there and for them to go on and win the league, I’m as much a fan as anybody. I still know so many players and members of staff there. The fans deserve it.” Wales captain Aaron Ramsey QUOTE OF THE DAY WEDNESDAY • MARCH 29, 2023 █ DAMIAN SPELLMAN Grazie & arrivederci Conte thanks those who shared his ‘passion’ following Tottenham exit ANTONIO CONTE has thanked Tottenham fans and those who shared his “passion” after his exit. The Italian left Spurs by mutual consent on Sunday after 16 months in charge. His departure came after he labelled his players “selfish” after they lost a 3-1 lead to draw 3-3 at Southampton earlier this month. “Football is a passion. I would like to deeply thank everyone at Spurs who appreciated and shared my passion and my intense way of living football as a coach,” Conte wrote on Instagram. “A special thought to the fans who always showed me support and appreciation, it’s been unforgettable to hear them singing my name. Our journey together has ended, I wish you all the best for the future.” Acting head coach Cristian Stellini was promoted from assistant following the departure of long-term confidant Conte. Stellini had worked as Conte’s No. 2 at Juventus and Inter Milan but has remained at the north London club and will be supported by Ryan Mason. Conte’s brother Gianluca, who was a technical and analytics coach at Spurs, has departed alongside his sibling. Meanwhile, Emerson Royal has added to Tottenham’s growing injury list, with the defender set for surgery on his knee. The fullback suffered the issue during the closing stages of Brazil’s 2- 1 defeat to Morocco on Saturday and is expected to be sidelined for six weeks, the PA news agency understands. Emerson will have surgery today and faces a race against time to feature again for Spurs this season, with the Premier League due to finish on May 28. It is the latest blow for Tottenham with Stellini faced with a lengthy list of absentees ahead of next week’s trip to Everton. Both Ben Davies and Richarlison suffered muscle problems in the dramatic draw at Southampton on March 18 and the Wales defender has been ruled out until May with a hamstring issue. Richarlison’s injury is not as severe but he will miss out on an emotional Goodison Park return and target being back in action later in April. Inconsistency has blighted Tottenham’s progress this season and recent FA Cup and Champions League exits contributed towards Conte’s departure. Commenting on Conte’s departure on Sky Sports, Jamie Redknapp, who spent three years at Spurs as a player, said the manager’s position had been “untenable” ever since he unleashed his now infamous rant towards his players after they threw away a two-goal lead against Southampton. “I said after the game against Southampton that Conte’s position had became untenable. “Not so much among the players because a lot of what he said, he has said before to the players. “I think it was more when he spoke about the culture at the club and speaking about the last 15 years. “He can’t be speaking about the players because those players haven’t really been there that long – you can’t really blame them. “But when he said what he said I think his position became untenable with the owners.” Redknapp added: I’m not surprised it hasn’t worked for Conte – Spurs is a very difficult club to manage and it always has been. “If you look at the managers they’ve gone through in the last few years, they almost bang their heads against a brick wall and find it very difficult to ever get any control of that club. “It’s very much controlled by Daniel Levy – he wants to make all the decisions and I think that’s always been a major problem with Tottenham. The culture, I believe, is always set from the top. “I spent 11 years at Liverpool – we didn’t win enough in my time there – but you always felt they were always trying to get in the right players and signed big names to make sure they were in the mix to win trophies. “I never quite get that feeling with Tottenham.” – The Independent/ Agencies █ GEORGE SESSIONS Deschamps hails keeper’s late h s late heroics to deny Ireland France’s Benjamin Pavard (front) celebrates with team captain Kylian Mbappe after scoring the opening goal of the Euro 2024 Group B qualification match against the Republic of Ireland yesterday. – AFPPIX