KUALA LUMPUR: The AuditorGeneral’s Report for the Year 2021 Series 2 has found that although 78% of the projects under the Food Security Fund Programme of the Prihatin Rakyat Economic Stimulus Package (Prihatin) were completed, the programme did not achieve its set objectives. According to the report, the projects under the programme, with an allocation of RM190 million, could not be fully achieved as a portion of the 1,248 projects were still in the implementation phase or had not started as of the end of 2021, and this affected the revenue production targets. The report said procurement management as well as the use of less-than-satisfactory equipment also deprived the target group of fully benefiting from the programme. The audit involved four agencies under the Agriculture and Food Industry Ministry (Mafi), namely the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority, Farmers Organisation Authority, Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board and the Fisheries Development Authority, Bernama reported. The report found that all the agencies did not achieve the targets for the production and receipt of incentives set during the Covid-19 pandemic period. “In general, the achievement of the objectives of the Food Security Fund Programme under Prihatin, which is to ensure that food supply remains secure and sufficient during the pandemic period, is difficult to determine. “This is because the contribution of production under this programme is very small and insignificant to domestic production,” the report stated. It also recommended that Mafi monitor the implementation of the projects at all levels as well as ensure that the equipment supplied were used optimally. Mafi and its agencies were also advised to set indicators to evaluate the achievement of the programme’s objectives, including those implemented on an ad-hoc basis, to ensure its effectiveness. Meanwhile, the report also disclosed that vehicle import duty on duty-free islands totalling RM72.32 million was not collected by the Customs Department in 2021. The report stated that weaknesses in collection were due to the declaration forms not being supported by complete and correct documentation of residency status as well as calculation errors by the assessment officers. “To ensure full compliance, it is suggested that the Customs Department make improvements and take measures such as revising the terms and conditions of vehicle purchase on duty-free islands. “The Technical Services Department and heads of department must ensure that the issued guidelines are followed, especially in the assessment process, while the Customs division must conduct audits after the release of imported goods.” The report added that seven performance audits involving a total of RM66.862 billion were carried out on programmes, activities and projects undertaken by seven ministries. Of the total number of audits, five involved programme and activity categories while the other two were project categories. Overall, the report revealed the implementation of federal government activities, projects and programmes had been done according to the set objectives, although some weaknesses were found, such as output targets and set outcomes that were not fully achieved. The auditor-general has put forward 21 recommendations to be considered for implementation by the audited ministries, departments and agencies. The report stated the audit on the management of federal government companies focused on the achievement of each company’s establishment objectives by examining their activities, management, corporate governance and the financial position. “Five companies were found to have achieved the objectives of their establishment, two demonstrated good corporate governance practices and three had a stable financial position.” The National Audit Department has also carried out special audits on forest management and its impact on the environment involving nine states – Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Pahang, Perak, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor and Terengganu. oObjectives under stimulus programme not fully achieved, affecting revenue production targets TELLING IT AS IT IS ON FRIDAY FEBRUARY 17, 2023 No. 8210 PP 2644/12/2012 (031195) www.thesundaily.my JURASSIC ATTRACTIONS ... A visitor taking pictures of a mammoth and a T-Rex, two of some 150 replicas of prehistoric animals displayed at the Malacca Zoo. – ADIB RAWI YAHYA/THESUN Missing the mark INSIDE Detained kids to be moved out of immigration depots 2 page Grow your greens to save money: CAP 3 page The department has also conducted performance audits on activities involving two ministries in Sabah and Sarawak, 31 departments and eight state government agencies. “Compliance audits were also carried out on two ministries in Sarawak, 25 departments and 10 state government agencies.” A total of 214 recommendations were submitted by the auditor-general, 184 of which were for state ministries, departments and agencies to consider, and 30 were for the relevant state government-owned companies.
2 theSUN ON FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 17, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS Migrant children at detention depots to be relocated PUTRAJAYA: The Home Ministry will relocate children detained at Immigration Detention Depots soon and place them under the care of NGOs that specialise in children’s welfare. Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said he has already identified the profiles of the children, their numbers and where they are being detained. “Very soon I will bring them out. I have been dealing with NGOs that are involved in providing welfare services to children,” he said after a meeting the media on Wednesday. On a Bangladeshi child who was found in a container at West Port, Port Klang on Jan 17, Saifuddin said the child would be sent home next week. The eight-year-old from Chittagong had accidentally oHome Ministry has compiled profiles of detainees, their numbers and where they are being held wandered into a container and was locked inside it for six days before being spotted by Malaysian authorities. The child was given treatment at the Tuanku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital in Klang and is currently under the care of an NGO. “The ministry has managed to locate the child’s family and I have informed my counterpart in Bangladesh that the child will be sent back. All the documentation process at the embassy has also been done.” Asked about Malaysia’s ranking in Tier 3 of the Trafficking in Persons Report released by the US State Department (US Tip Report) 2021, apparently for not fully meeting the minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking and not making significant efforts to do so, Saifuddin said he had already contacted the US embassy to explain the steps and initiatives taken by Malaysia. He said the government has amended the Anti-Trafficking Law and Employment Act to include a more detailed definition of forced labour, Bernama reported. “There was an opportunity to engage with the US ambassador and I explained the initiatives that Malaysia has taken because it involves a number of elements that are very clear, such as detention, investigation and prosecution. “Therefore our efforts to overcome human trafficking is measured through the three components. We give serious attention because the position has disadvantages to the country, especially when products from our country are barred from entering the US.” Saifuddin added that recently Sime Darby Plantation, which was barred by the US from sending palm oil products over allegations that the company had used forced labour, has been cleared but two other companies are still facing US sanctions. DPM issues assurance on distribution of cash aid for flood evacuees KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has given an assurance that he will monitor the distribution of wang ihsan (cash aid) to ensure that it reaches flood evacuees in a timely manner. “Our promise is that they (flood evacuees at relief centres) should get it before returning home,” he said in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday. He was replying to a supplementary question from Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff (PN-Rantau Panjang), on the status of the installation of a pump to prevent floods in her constituency, and provision of wang ihsan to flood evacuees, which she claimed had been delayed. Ahmad Zahid, who is also Rural and Regional Development minister, said there is coordination between the ministry and the district disaster management committees on the distribution of the aid. “Maybe they have not received it (allocation) yet. We will monitor. We have issued an order on this because we have identified the families concerned and the flood-prone areas for the aid allocation.” Ahmad Zahid said the National Disaster Management Agency had extended aid of RM68 million each to Kelantan and Terengganu. On the installation of a highpowered pump for draining stagnant floodwaters in Kelantan, Ahmad Zahid said the allocation had been approved and the pump is in the process of being purchased by the Irrigation and Drainage Department. To the original question from Datuk Seri Sh Mohmed Puzi Sh Ali (BN-Pekan), on the coordination done by the government to ensure no flood victim was left out of the aid scheme, Ahmad Zahid said the government could no longer afford to work in silos. He said the government, through the National Disaster Management Agency, always ensured that aid would reach flood victims as quickly as possible regardless of the state administration they are under. Ahmad Zahid, who is also National Disaster Management Committee chairman, said the committee had identified schools in flood-prone areas for building permanent halls for use as relief centres. – Bernama Zahid discussing a point with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the Dewan yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC Allowances proposed for SMART team in Turkiye, Syria KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim proposed that members of the Malaysian Special Search And Rescue Force (SMART) involved in the search and rescue mission for earthquake victims in Turkiye and Syria be given a special allowance. He suggested that they also be given certificates of appreciation and special service medals for their sacrifice and commitment. “I will discuss with the Treasury (regarding the allowance rate) according to their period of service,” he told the Dewan Rakyat yesterday. On Monday, Anwar left for Turkiye to express moral support to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the people of the republic who were hit by an earthquake early last week, which claimed tens of thousands of lives. Regarding claims by certain parties that the government is “excessive” in providing assistance to Turkiye, Anwar said the government took into account the massive damage caused by the earthquake. “The effect of the earthquake is extraordinary. Based on media coverage and briefings that were held, the tremors exceeded those caused by the bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan (during World War II).” Anwar said the aid was also given on the basis of the special friendship, which is not only of a personal nature but also between Malaysia and Turkiye. “Thirdly, which many are not aware of, Turkiye has provided direct and indirect assistance to efforts by the government, including to government-owned companies in the country, which amounted to millions of ringgit. This rarely happens in our bilateral relations with other countries.” Anwar said he would propose additional humanitarian aid from the Malaysian government to Turkiye and Syria at the Cabinet meeting. He added that humanitarian aid collected for Turkiye and Syria to date amounted to RM50 million. – Bernama PM arrives home from Turkiye SEPANG: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim arrived home yesterday after a one-day visit to Turkiye to express Malaysia’s commitment to helping its people affected by the earthquake that hit the republic recently. The special aircraft carrying Anwar and the delegation landed at the Bunga Raya Complex, KL International Airport at about 9am. Anwar was accompanied by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Functions) Datuk Amrizan Mohd Ali. Anwar met with Turkiye president Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara to convey the condolences of the Malaysian people and inform him about the form of assistance provided by the government. He also visited the Malaysian search and rescue team in Nurdagi and expressed his pride in the team’s efficiency and level of professionalism. The team comprises members of the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team, Fire and Rescue Department, Civil Defence Force and Armed Forces Royal Medical Corps. – Bernama IGP asked to consider holding regular media conferences PUTRAJAYA: Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has asked the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani to consider the proposal to hold regular media conferences to allow reporters to get the latest updates from the police. He said he received feedback from media personnel on the absence of regular media conferences, making it difficult for them to get the latest developments on cases being investigated by the police. “I have discussed and received views from the police (regarding this matter) and find that media conferences should be reinstated. “I gave him (the IGP) the opportunity to consider the proposal and hope it can be implemented soon,” he said after an engagement session with the media on Wednesday. He expressed hope that regular media conferences could strengthen the relationship between the police and media practitioners as strategic partners of the police force. – Bernama ‘Only 28 of 136 ventilators could be used’ KUALA LUMPUR: Only 28 of the 136 ventilators obtained by the Health Ministry through an emergency procurement procedure could be used, according to the Auditor-General’s Report for the Year 2021 Series 2 released yesterday. The remaining 108 units, supplied by a company only referred to as 260790-T, could not be used because they were unsuitable and unsafe for patients. The ministry returned only 15 of them to the manufacturer while compensation amounting to RM13.07 million for the other 93 units could not be claimed because there was no procurement documentation between company 260790-T and the ministry. – Bernama
3 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 17, 2023 Schools can help promote the importance of green garden education. Total EPF assets as of September 2022 worth RM961bil KUALA LUMPUR: The Employees Provident Fund’s (EPF) total investment assets as of September 2022 is worth RM961.1 billion, said Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan. He said EPF money is currently invested in a number of instruments, such as fixed income instruments (48%), Malaysian listed equities (37%), private equity (4%), real assets (7%) and money market instruments (4%). “The EPF also invests in domestic investment, up to 64% and overseas investment at 36%,” he said during a question-and-answer session in Parliament yesterday. He answered additional questions from Datuk Mohd Shahar Abdullah (BN-Paya Besar) regarding the total amount of EPF assets, retirement savings fund investment instruments and the difference between past and present dividends. Commenting on the comparison of dividends, Ahmad said returns in the past were higher, between 7% and 8%, compared with now because there is a difference in dividends obtained from fixed income instruments and the percentage of the inflation rate. “The situation in the past and now is different. The dividend recorded by fixed income instruments in the past was high, between 7% and 8% and the inflation rate was also high, but inflation is now at 3.8% and the dividend of fixed income instruments is only between 3% and 3.5%, so this is the dividend we get,” he added. Meanwhile, in response to an additional question from Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal (PN-Bukit Gantang) regarding the dividend and limit for the voluntary contribution rate, Ahmad said there is a proposal to increase the contribution rate from RM60,000 to RM100,000, and this will be announced by the finance minister in Budget 2023. “Presently, the amount of voluntary contribution is limited to a maximum of RM60,000 and the dividend is based on the amount of contribution made. “However, if there is an increase in the amount of voluntary contribution, there will be an increase in the dividend. If the dividend announced by the EPF is large, then that is the dividend they will get,” he said. – Bernama Grow own greens to save marketing costs: Expert Johorians win RM23.1 million Sports Toto jackpots KUALA LUMPUR: As the Chinese New Year celebration came to an end, the Year of the Rabbit has kicked off a lucky start for winners from Johor, who won a total of RM23.1 million in Sports Toto jackpots. On Feb 8, a 49-year-old sales executive won the RM11.48 million Supreme Toto 6/58 Jackpot by betting on the birth dates and ages of his family members. “My set of winning numbers – 4, 6, 8, 11, 17 and 22 – is very special to me because it represents my family, and I would naturally bet on these numbers whenever I want to play the lotto game,” he said. The winner said he would normally spend around RM20 on System Play tickets when he wanted to buy numbers as the play method gives him more chances to win. The System 7 ticket won him a whopping RM11,477,541.95 and a System Play bonus of RM41,328. He said he plans to use the winnings to settle his debts and save the balance for a rainy day. On Feb 12, a group of five colleagues also won the RM11.66 million Toto 4D Jackpot 1. The winners, who work as factory operators, said they always take part in pool betting, with each spending RM20 on i-System tickets per draw. “What we do differently from others is that we will duplicate the i-System ticket three times so that the quantum of winning is higher. That is how we partially won the Toto 4D Jackpot 1 with the three i-System tickets and ended up winning over RM11 million,” said one of them. A Lucky Pick i-System 10 ticket, with the winning pair of 4D numbers 4336 and 2171, won them RM3,887,607.70 and a bonus of RM597.60. But since they duplicated the same pair of 4D numbers for another two tickets, they won RM11,662,823.10 and a total bonus of RM1,792.80. The winners said they would donate part of the winnings to charitable organisations and spend the rest wisely. Sports associations warned over power, funds abuse JOHOR BAHRU: The Johor government will not compromise with any sports associations found abusing their power or misappropriating funds, said State Youth, Sports, Entrepreneur Development, Cooperatives and Human Resources Committee chairman Mohd Hairi Mad Shah. He said strict action will be taken, including allowing the Sports Commissioner’s Office to investigate. “This is to ensure the integrity and transparency of the management of the association’s funds, especially those obtained from the state government,” he said this during the grading ceremony of sports associations in Johor, here on Wednesday night. Mohd Hairi also suggested that the sports associations conduct an audit this year and send the report to the State Sports Council. “Associations that receive annual grants from the ministry must also notify the board members or members of the matter to ensure transparency in governance involving the association’s funds,” he added. A total of 16 sports associations were given grants at the ceremony, with the Johor Football Association getting RM100,000 followed by five other associations, including the Hockey Association and the Badminton Association, each receiving RM70,000, while another 10 associations received RM50,000 each. – Bernama ‘Radical actions of few causing Islamophobia’ KUALA LUMPUR: The radical actions of a few Muslims, such as committing violence, which deviate from the true teachings of Islam, are among the contributing factors to Islamophobia sentiment around the world. The Islamic Welfare Association of Malaysia president Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said there are Muslims who have strayed from the true teachings of Islam to the point of bringing a bad image and perception towards the religion. He said it was caused by the nature of these individuals for doing something that is not based on the Quran. “There are those who strayed from religion, do things that are not condoned by the religion and commit violence. It is not our way, it is not the teachings of Islam,” said Mahathir. – Bernama PETALING JAYA: Malaysians are encouraged to grow vegetables at home to lower the cost of living as this can save a family an average of between RM100 and RM150 a month, said Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) education officer and natural farming trainer N.V. Subbarow. He said a person does not need a huge piece of land to grow vegetables, and that even those living in an apartment or a condominium can do so. Subbarow said the most important thing is to have a container, such as those made out of polystyrene, good soil and kitchen scraps as fertiliser to produce organic vegetables. “People should look at what is easy to grow in their homes, such as curry leaf, chilli, eggplant, lady’s finger and spinach. This will help a family cut down on their marketing costs. For example, the cost of curry leaf is now RM15 per kg. “Planting vegetables can be a big help to families, and students can be roped in to promote such ideas to their parents and family members,” he said, adding that families with extra produce can share with their neighbours or sell them. Subbarow said CAP had first introduced the idea of “green garden education” to students from a school in Batu Caves. He taught them how to create a vegetable patch from idle land. This then attracted the interest of a Tamil school in Carey Island. The school managed to bring together teachers from 30 Tamil schools in Kuala Langat to listen to his talk on the importance of “green garden education” for students. “Students can learn about farming, the life span of vegetables and the difficulties faced by farmers. This will instil respect for farmers. “Schools have a lot of idle land which can be turned into vegetable patches.” He said students’ interest in agriculture can be stoked by engaging them, and they can proudly display the crops they cultivate to their parents. Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations secretary-general Datuk Paul Selvaraj said growing vegetables at home can help reduce a family’s marketing expenditure, especially at a time when the cost of living keeps rising. He said he, too, grows curry leaf and vegetables at home, and his wife is happy that she does not need to go to the market as often as she used to. According to him, families should be encouraged to use whatever space they have, no matter how small, to start their vegetable gardens. “Even flower pots can be used to grow vegetables if they do not have the space. “The government should encourage the public to utilise idle land to grow vegetables, and the community in the area can get involved in the project. “People need to find ways to save money, and having a vegetable garden is helpful.” Selvaraj said at least 40% of the money earned by the B40 group goes to marketing. oConsumers encouraged to plant vegetables at home to help mitigate rising expenses and family expenditure █ BYRAJVINDER SINGH [email protected]
4 theSUN ON FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 17, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS /theSunMedia FOLLOW ON YOUTUBE SCAN ME Free train rides for students, PwD oEligible parties need to register for MyRailLife pass with KTMB, says minister KUALA LUMPUR: School students and persons with disabilities (PwD) can now get free train rides by using the MyRailLife pass offered by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB). Transport Minister Anthony Loke yesterday launched the free service, which benefits Standard One to Form Six students and the PwD community travelling on the KTM shuttle Timuran Gemas-Tumpat-Gemas sector, KTM Komuter Klang Valley sector and the KTM Komuter North sector. “Apart from benefiting school students and PwD, this pass can ease the financial burden of parents, in line with the government’s objective to control the cost of living,” Loke said MyRailLife allows unlimited travel by all students and PwD who are registered with the Social Welfare Department. The MyRailLife initiative, which costs RM4 million a year, began on Wednesday and 320 people registered for the service throughout the country on its first day, Bernama reported. He said a PwD in Alor Star travelling by commuter train to work in Butterworth could save RM7.20 a day, or RM180 a month in transport costs. Eligible commuters need to register with KTMB for a Passenger Name Record (PNR) in order to get the MyRailLife pass. “Registration can be made online via the KITS app or via the KTMB website,” said Loke, adding that registrations can also be done at KTMB counters. Applications for the PNR can be made by the passengers themselves or on their behalf by third parties with the submission of relevant documents. Loke said Standard One to Form Five students were required to submit a certified copy of their Mykad, Mykid or birth certificate while those in Form Six should submit the same documents and a form from the school that certifies their student status. “PwD should submit a certified copy of Mykad, Mykid or birth certificate together with a certified copy of the PwD registration card from the Social Welfare Department.” Senator Datuk Ras Adiba Radzi, who represented the PwD community, thanked Loke for the free service, which would make it easier for the community to travel to school and work. “I would like to urge my PwD friends to make use of this opportunity to show that we are just like other members of the community.” KTMB said the MyRailLife pass is expected to benefit 500,000 school students and PwD every year. Varsity sets up group to probe turtle deaths DUNGUN: Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) in collaboration with the Terengganu Fisheries Department and Fuze Ecoteer Outdoor Adventures, has established a turtle autopsy group to address the issue of sea turtle deaths in the state. UMT Institute of Oceanography and Environment, External Research Laboratory head Dr Mohd Uzair Rusli said the first-of-its-kind initiative in the country was taken to unravel the cause of turtle deaths, which have thus far only been determined based on assumptions without accurate and reliable scientific evidence. “We have about 30 workers in this group, consisting of researchers from UMT and the Rantau Abang Fisheries Research Institute, who will act as facilitators. “We will train and provide exposure to the conservationists, that consists of our non-governmental organisation partners in the field, to intensify efforts to identify the cause of turtle deaths and not merely to collect and report related data.” He said external examinations were insufficient to determine the cause of death. Instead, a scientific approach was needed to obtain more accurate results that could be used to improve conservation efforts. Mohd Uzair said this could also dispel the perception that fishing and tourist activities were the leading causes of turtle deaths in the state. “Pointing fingers at the fishing and tourism sectors without understanding the root of the problem will have an adverse impact on the people and the state because these industries are the primary drivers of Terengganu’s economy. “The establishment of this turtle autopsy group will not only look into issues of conservation and ecological balance but the socio-economic aspects as well.” Restaurant offers diners a serving of nostalgia GUA MUSANG: Stepping into the Dalam Taman D’Tasik restaurant will take visitors back in time to the 1960s, thanks to its decorations that feature various antiques from that era. The owner, Zakaria Daud, 66, said it reflects the passion he and his wife Nasitah Awang, 63, have for antique items. The restaurant interior was designed to create a calm ambience and take diners down memory lane. “Among the collectibles we currently have are 30 plates with “kangkung” (water spinach) flowers motifs and three old saw blades shaped like a crocodile’s tail for visitors to admire. “All the decorations inside and outside the restaurant are ours, which we arranged in our own style.” Zakaria said his previous experience working at the forestry office allowed him to mingle with the Orang Asli community, which enabled him to acquire flour milling machines of various sizes. “I go to great lengths to visit villages just to find antique and classic tools. I have also managed to purchase some old rubber processing tools and a padi processor from the 1960s.” He recounted his struggle to cope with the loss of a large part of his prized antique collection that was swept away in the 2014 floods. He said the setback did not deter him from continuing to collect antiques. “After the flood in 2014, I lost a lot of items, including 3,500 glass water bottles that were over 60 years old, which I had obtained from a coffee shop at Manik Urai in Kuala Krai. “The items not only evoke a sense of nostalgia but can also give the youth a picture of what it was like in the old days,” – Bernama Penang anticipating medical tourism boost GEORGE TOWN: Penang is eyeing a boost in the medical tourism sector through a strategic collaboration between the Penang Adventist Hospital and Firefly Airlines. The hospital’s president and CEO Ronald W.H. Koh said the collaboration between the hospital and the airline aims to fly in medical tourists from abroad to receive treatment in the state. “As part of this collaboration, Firefly will be launching direct flights from Penang to Medan in Indonesia and vice-versa from today. “These new direct flights will allow Indonesian medical tourists to travel to Penang, leading to an increase in contributions to state economic growth.” Koh said the hospital will be offering exclusive wellness screening packages at special rates to Firefly Airlines passengers flying the Penang-Medan and the Penang-Banda Aceh routes. – Bernama A researcher examining a sea turtle carcass to find clues on the cause of death at the Rantau Abang Fisheries Research Institute in Dungun, Terengganu. – BERNAMAPIC Council to review religious teaching guidelines IPOH: The Perak Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council will meet on March 2 to review guidelines pertaining to religious teaching credentials for state elected representatives. Council president Tan Sri Mohd Annuar Zaini said the outcome of the meeting would be presented to the Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Shah, following which an engagement session would be held with the parties involved. “We have to be consistent and we want to end the conflict between the parties involved and make amends after all that had happened during the 15th general election,” he said yesterday. – Bernama Mohd Uzair said DNA samples would be sent to the UMT laboratory and the Chemistry Department in Petaling Jaya, Selangor for analysis and further action. He said according to the Terengganu Fisheries Department, the number of sea turtle deaths in the state rose from 51 in 2021 to 71 last year. Fuze founder Daniel Quilter said the Sime Darby Foundation provided funding for the autopsy group through a Terengganu turtle conservation grant totalling RM700,000 for three years, that started last year. He said in addition to the establishment of the turtle autopsy group, Fuze also funded turtle tracking and conservation projects in collaboration with the UMT sea turtle research unit. “About 85% of turtle landings in the peninsula are in the state, so it is an appropriate choice to lead conservation efforts.” – Bernama
5 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 17, 2023 Decision on murder trial postponed IPOH: The High Court yesterday postponed to March 22, the decision on a case of five men charged with the murder of a man five years ago. Judicial Commissioner Su Tiang Joo set the date after lawyer Charan Singh, representing all the accused, informed the court that his clients would send representations to the Attorney-General’s Chambers for review of evidence submitted. “Since the charges against all the accused are very serious, the court allows a postponement,” he said. DPP Saifulakmal Mod Said did not object. The accused are C. Kartik Krishnan, 24, V. Sivabalan, 24, J. Jaya Ganesh, 25, A. Arjun, 26, and C. Sathis, 29. They were jointly charged with murdering Chung Thian Keong, 54, near a river at Kampung Baru Chenderong in Batu Gajah, between 7pm on May 17, 2018, and 7am the following day. They were charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which provides for a death sentence. – Bernama Laundrette operator charged with RM3.2m CBT MALACCA: A laundrette operator pleaded not guilty at the Ayer Keroh Sessions Court yesterday to two counts of criminal breach of trust (CBT) involving washing machines worth more than RM3.2 million four years ago. On the first count, Terrence Conrad Fernandez, 43, was charged with breaching a contract by not delivering washing machines, belonging to a company to a place in Penang as was entrusted to him. Instead, he had sent the washing machines to a premises rented by his own company at Kuantan in Pahang. The offence was allegedly committed at a factory in the Krubong Industrial Area in Malacca in January 2019. For the second charge, he was alleged to have breached a contract by not paying rental for premises in Penang, amounting to RM24,000 but had allegedly utilised the money for rental payment of his premises in Kuantan, where the washing machines were placed. The offence was allegedly committed at Block A, Kelana Centrepoint, Petaling Jaya in Selangor on Jan 31, 2019. Both charges were framed under Section 406 of the Penal Code, which provides 10 years in prison, whipping and a fine. The prosecution was conducted by DPP Aliff Asraf Abuar Sharuddin, while Terrence was represented by lawyer James S. Thanjong Tuan. Justice Darmafikri Abu Adam allowed Terrence bail of RM12,000 with one surety and ordered him to surrender his passport and to report himself at a police station once a month. The court set March 21 for mention. – Bernama Debate raised on dress code issue at govt premises takes centrestage KUALA LUMPUR: There have been numerous cases of women denied entry into government buildings for allegedly being dressed inappropriately. In a recent incident, a woman wearing a pair of shorts that did not cover her knees was not allowed to enter the police headquarters at Kajang in Selangor, when she came there to lodge a report on a road accident. Each time a case like this is reported, it triggers a debate on the over-policing of the dress code for the public when they go to government departments or agencies. The incident, which occurred on Jan 30, calls for the dress code to be reviewed. Criticisms were also hurled at the police for being “intolerant”. Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani said the police can relax the dress code but it would depend on the type of emergency faced by the complainant. Commenting on this, Universiti Sains Malaysia School of Humanities lecturer Assoc Prof Dr Mohd Nizam Sahad said the fifth Rukun Negara principle is closely related to the question of manners, ethics and morals in connection with Malaysia’s multiracial society. “Being courteous and respecting the rules are part of the meaning and scope of the fifth principle. This principle ought to be understood and practised by all Malaysians in order to safeguard the nation’s harmony,” he said. Lawyer Ahmad Ishrakh Saad said the dress code at government premises is only implicit and not enforceable by law. He also does not see a need to enforce the dress code by way of a written law, saying that the existing practice is sufficient. Ahmad Ishrakh added that enforcing the dress code can also trigger polemics on the right to freedom as provided for under Articles 5, 8 and 10 of the Federal Constitution. He said the government should look into improving the existing guidelines on dressing to ensure they are proportionate to the well being of the people. – Bernama Move to maintain conditions on Lynas plant lauded PETALING JAYA: The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) and Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) yesterday welcomed the government’s move not to bow to pressure by Lynas Malaysia Sdn Bhd to revoke the operating conditions imposed in 2020. They said this was especially important as it concerns moving out of Malaysia the “cracking and leaching” process, which involves radioactive material. Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Chang LihKang confirmed yesterday that earlier conditions compelling Lynas to stop importing and processing rare earth concentrate after July 1 will be maintained. CAP president Mohideen Abdul Kader said this means Lynas can only refine materials at the Gebeng plant. The “cracking and leaching” of lanthanide concentrate cannot be oConsumer, environmental NGOs back govt decision not to allow import and processing of radioactive rare earth concentrate after July 1 █ BYJOSHUA PURUSHOTMAN [email protected] Police want more voluntary patrol units MALACCA: Encouraged by the role of the voluntary patrol scheme (VPS) in checking crime, Malacca police have suggested that more units be activated in Rukun Tetangga areas. State police chief Datuk Zainol Samah said the activation of three VPSs in Malacca Tengah district, namely Taman Bukit Rambai, Pantai Peringgit flats and Bukit Nibong, had contributed to these residential areas registering a zero crime index last year. He said so far 190 VPSs had been engaged statewide, 77 of them in Malacca Tengah district, while 253 Rukun Tetangga areas had been established in the state, 114 of them in the same district. “VPS members play an important role in assisting agencies such as the police in curbing criminal activities and social problems in the local community.” Zainol said under Section 25 of the Rukun Tetangga Act 2012, VPS members were empowered to stop and check individuals and vehicles entering their areas. – Bernama Assistant cook claims trial to killing boss ALOR SETAR: An assistant cook pleaded not guilty in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday to a charge of causing the death of his employer. Azahari Hamid, 56, was charged with causing the death by negligence of Ishak Othman, 69, behind Restoran Cabai in Jalan Stadium at 5.15pm on Feb 4. The charge was framed under Section 304A of the Penal Code, which provides a two year prison sentence or a fine, or both. Magistrate Muhammad Zul Hilmi Latif allowed Azahari bail of RM4,000 with one surety and fixed March 21 for mention pending the autopsy report. The prosecution was conducted by DPP Nasruna Anhar Nordien, while lawyer Pyara Singh represented the accused. – Bernama done here. “The renewal of the three-year licence granted to Lynas in 2020 also subjects it to develop a Permanent Disposal Facility (PDF) for its radioactive waste, and there can be no more importing of materials carrying low level radioactive waste into Malaysia from July 2023,” he said. “In all these years of operations, Lynas has yet to put in place a PDF for the waste from the Water Leach Purification (WLP) process, which contains radioactive waste including thorium and uranium,” said SAM honorary secretary Mageswari Sangaralingam. “Only last year, the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report for the PDF in Gebeng was approved by the Department of Environment, which also highlighted the concerns made by the relevant group over the suitability of the site on safety and environmental grounds. “This is because it is located in a flood prone and peat swamp area. The EIA approval is now being challenged by concerned citizens. We believe that any site chosen for the PDF is a major problem as there are concerns over whether radioactive waste can be safely disposed of when it is present there for years. “The WLP waste contains thorium radionuclides, which are active for 14 billion years. So we cannot disregard the ill-effects of low-level radiation lightly. Exposure to low levels of radiation may not cause immediate health effects but are hazardous nevertheless, as they can contribute to overall cancer risks,” she said. Mageswari added that SAM is disappointed that the government has not decided to shift the remaining radioactive waste to Australia, where it can be kept in a semi-arid and remote area at the Mount Weld site, from where the raw materials for the Lynas plant are sourced. She said our government should liaise with the Australian government on the safe handling and return of these radioactive waste to Australia under relevant international conventions. “This must be done as the radioactive waste is not under the scope of the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal,” she said. TOTAL LOSS ... Firefighters dousing the embers after a blaze destroyed a two-storey wooden house at Jalan OKK Abdullah in Labuan yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC
6 theSUN ON FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 17, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS Strong earthquake rocks central Philippines MANILA: A 6.1 magnitude earthquake rocked the central Philippines yesterday, the US Geological Survey said, although there were no reports of casualties or significant damage. The strong and shallow quake struck just off the coast of Masbate province in the centre of the archipelago nation shortly after 2am. The epicentre was 11km from the coastal village of Miaga in Masbate’s Uson municipality. The Philippine seismological agency said it had recorded more than 80 aftershocks. “It was a bit strong,” said Masbate provincial police chief Rolly Albana. “I was sleeping when we were shaken and woken up.” The province has a population of nearly one million spread across three islands. Masbate provincial disaster officer Adonis Dilao told local media some buildings in the capital Masbate City had cracks in their walls, including the provincial hospital. Patients had been evacuated from the facility, he said. A section of the ceiling inside a sports and entertainment venue in the city also collapsed. “Electricity posts were moving, even parked cars were shaken,” said Dilao. Masbate City Mayor Socrates Tuason said classes and government work were suspended yesterday to allow for “monitoring and inspection of structural integrity” of buildings. Uson police chief Capt Reden Tolledo said some residents fled their homes. “Even I went outside because of possible aftershocks.” Dimasalang municipality disaster officer Gregorio Adigue said he felt a strong aftershock nearly an hour after the quake. But buildings and other structures in the area did not appear to be damaged, he said. On Ticao island, which is part of Masbate province, residents in one house reported a wall had crumbled, but they were unharmed, said San Fernando municipality disaster officer Consencino Reymundo. “We lost electricity but it was restored two hours later.” Quakes are frequent in the Philippines, which sits along the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, an arc of intense seismic as well as volcanic activity that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin. The last major quake was in October in the northern Philippines. – AFP Indonesian court jails soldiers over killings JAKARTA: An Indonesian military court in the restive Papua region this week handed down jail sentences to four soldiers over their roles in the brutal murder of four civilians, a court document showed. The victims had been trying to buy weapons from the soldiers last August, but when the deal went awry they were killed, with their mutilated bodies put into sacks and thrown into a river near the city of Timika, authorities said. Six soldiers had gone on trial, but one died before a verdict was reached. The court in Papua on Wednesday found four guilty of premeditated murder, with two receiving life terms and the other two a 15-year and a 20-year prison sentence, the court document showed. Human rights NGO Kontras said the ruling set “a good precedent, given the spiral of violence that keeps happening, especially against Papuan civilians involving military (and) police apparatus”. Last month, another soldier received a life sentence over his role in the killings. All the men were fired from the military. Reuters could not immediately determine how they had pleaded or contact their legal representatives. Indonesia maintains a heavy military presence in Papua, where small groups of separatist fighters have for decades waged a low-level, but increasingly deadly battle for independence. The military has faced accusations of human rights abuses in Papua, which it has denied, but investigations into such allegations are rare. Papua police said one of the victims was linked to the West Papua National Liberation Army separatist group. – Reuters B R I E F SSOUTH KOREA LABELS NORTH ‘ENEMY’ SEOUL: South Korea called the North its “enemy” in a defence document yesterday, the first time in six years it has used the term, signalling a further hardening of Seoul’s position toward Pyongyang. North Korea “defined us as an ‘undoubted enemy’” in December last year, said the new defence white paper, officially released yesterday. “Therefore, the North Korean regime and the North Korean military, which are the main agents of the activities, are our enemy.” Analysts said the move illustrated the state of inter-Korean relations, which are “filled with confrontations”. “It even gives the impression of a return to the Cold War era,” said Seoul-based University of North Korean Studies professor Yang Moo-jin. – AFP TWO AUSSIE ZINC MINERS FOUND DEAD CANBERRA: Australian mining services provider Perenti Ltd said yesterday that two missing mine workers had been found dead after falling down a hole at MMG Ltd’s zinc mine in Queensland state. China’s MMG on Wednesday halted operations at the underground mine after two people employed by contractor Barminco, owned by Perenti, fell down a hole that authorities said had happened because of a “ground collapse”. Rescuers confirmed Trevor Davis, 36, and Dylan Langridge, 33, were fatally injured after falling about 15m in a previously backfilled area, Perenti said in a statement yesterday. A third employee was rescued with minor injuries. – Reuters Australian police link deadly siege to ‘religious beliefs’ CANBERRA: Australian police yesterday blamed a family’s Christian fundamentalist beliefs for a “terrorist attack” that killed three people at a remote property in December. The family opened fire when four police officers arrived on Dec 12 for a routine missing persons investigation at their home in the small town of Wieambilla in Queensland. Three family members – Gareth Train, his wife Stacey Train, and his brother Nathaniel Train – killed two officers and one neighbour, before dying in a shootout with police. Counter-terrorism and intelligence police have since searched for a motive for the bloody event, trawling through diaries, books, phone messages, e-mails, witness statements and body-worn camera footage. The three family members “acted as an autonomous cell and executed a religiously motivated terrorist attack”, said Queensland deputy police commissioner Tracy Linford. The family subscribed to a fundamentalist belief known as “premillennialism”, which predicted Christ would return to Earth after a period of tribulation, widespread destruction and suffering, she told reporters. “An examination of Stacey’s diary in particular indicated that a range of things perpetuated their belief, such as Covid-19, climate change and global conflicts.” – AFP New Zealand accepts international help WELLINGTON: New Zealand redeployed gunships and helicopters to deliver water, food and fuel to cities cut off by Cyclone Gabrielle yesterday, as overwhelmed rescue teams embraced overseas offers of help. Five people have died and 10,500 more have been displaced, according to authorities, in a disaster that has crippled the country’s populous North Island. Four days of violent winds and lashing rains caused landslides and widespread flooding that lacerated the island’s road network, caused rolling power cuts and knocked out hundreds of mobile phone towers. Police said 3,500 people had been reported as “uncontactable”, as residents around the Napier residents looking at remains of Puketapu Bridge, that washed away during the cyclone. – AFPPIC oCyclone cripples North Island, death toll rises to five country tried desperately to reach loved ones. New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said the police held “grave concerns” for those still missing. “We do need to be prepared for the likelihood there will be more fatalities.” Hipkins said over 100,000 households were still without power on the North Island, home to more than three-quarters of the country’s five million residents. The east-coast city of Napier was briefly cut off yesterday after experts detected damage to the last useable bridge linking its 65,000 residents with the rest of the country. The national Transport Agency said the bridge had since reopened, but only for emergency services and critical workers. Isolated residents have been told not to leave their homes unless “absolutely essential” and to restrict water use. When residents do venture out, they wade through murky floodwaters to get supplies or huddle on the steps of a few buildings that still have wifi, trying to let loved ones know they are safe. Around the city, petrol stations have put up signs declaring there is “NO FUEL” for anyone other than emergency services. Hipkins warned New Zealanders of a long, gruelling recovery ahead, with power not expected to be restored to some areas for weeks and the clean-up likely to take much longer. The military has deployed two large naval vessels and a C-130 Hercules transport plane to deliver thousands of litres of water along with personnel and several mobile water treatment plants to hard-hit regions. Helicopters have brought in supplies and rescued people stranded on their rooftops. After offers of help from the United States and other countries were initially set aside, Hipkins said emergency response experts from Australia would arrive in the coming days. – AFP
7 * NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 17, 2023 Water near toxic spill safe to drink, Ohio residents told WASHINGTON: The governor of Ohio told residents living near the site of a toxic train derailment that it was “safe” to drink the water, as authorities investigate potential environmental fallout from the accident earlier this month. The cargo train derailment sparked a massive fire and triggered the release of toxic fumes, including from vinyl chloride, a colourless gas deemed carcinogenic by the US National Cancer Institute. Earlier on Wednesday, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine told CNN that while air quality in the town of East Palestine where the wreck occurred was “safe”, residents should not yet drink the water out of an abundance of caution. “We did get a test back late yesterday of the water in the village and the first well that we tested, the water was fine,” he told the broadcaster, urging people to nonetheless “use bottled water, don’t take a chance”. On Wednesday evening, he tweeted to say that new tests showed “no detection of contaminants in East Palestine’s municipal water system”. “With these test results, @OhioEPA is confident that the municipal water is safe to drink.” Earlier, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Michael Regan, who was set to travel to the affected area, told CNN that his agency would be able to give the public more information “as the conditions on the ground become safe”. He said that scientists and engineers would not be put “in harm’s way”. The Norfolk Southern train with 150 cars was shipping cargo from Madison, Illinois to Conway, Pennsylvania when it derailed on Feb 3. The accident site is along the border between Ohio and Pennsylvania. The accident resulted in the derailment of 38 cars, after which “a fire ensued which damaged an additional 12 cars”, said the National Transportation Safety Board in a statement. Of the derailed cars, 11 were carrying hazardous materials, including vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate and other chemicals, the board said. Several thousand residents were evacuated as authorities assessed the danger. To avert explosion, the railroad conducted a controlled release of the chemicals, which discharged toxic and potentially deadly fumes into the air, DeWine’s office said. Five days after the derailment, evacuated residents were allowed to “safely return home”, the governor’s office said, adding that there would be ongoing air monitoring in the area. But one week after the accident, EPA reported that the chemicals involved in the wreck were “known to have been and continue to be released to the air, surface soils, and surface waters”. Some 3,500 fish died along 12km of nearby streams, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources reported. – AFP oCargo train derailment sparked massive fire and release of chemicals Turkiye detains man trying to kidnap baby after quake ANKARA: Police have detained a man trying to steal a baby from a hospital in southern Turkiye, state media reported, following the catastrophic earthquake that hit the region. A 7.8-magnitude quake unleashed chaos in southeastern Turkiye and parts of Syria, killing nearly 40,000 people and displacing millions in both countries. A man walked into a hospital pretending to be a police chief in the Samandag district of the quake-affected province of Hatay, Anadolu state news agency said on Wednesday. The hospital staff realised his police identity card was fake and called the real police, it added. When officers detained the man, they found fake police and military identity cards, gold and money in Turkish lira, dollars and euros worth around US$6,500 (RM29,000), Anadolu said. The agency did not provide information about the baby. Some parents in the region have expressed alarm to AFP reporters over rumoured child kidnappings. Turkish Family Minister Derya Yanik on Monday said at least 1,362 children had been separated from their families by the quake. – AFP B R I E F SU.S. COURT JAILS RACIST SHOOTER FOR LIFE WASHINGTON: A white supremacist who murdered 10 black people during a supermarket rampage in New York state last year was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday. Payton Gendron, 19, had pleaded guilty to a charge of domestic terrorism motivated by hate. “There can be no mercy for you, no understanding, no second chances. The damage you have caused is too great,” Erie County Court judge Susan Eagan told him. Gendron had to be escorted out of the courtroom when an audience member rushed at him during emotional statements by relatives of victims. The unidentified man was restrained by security and the hearing resumed several minutes later. – AFP ‘CHINESE BALLOON WAS BLOWN OFF COURSE’ WASHINGTON: A Chinese balloon that was shot down after crossing the continental US originally had a trajectory that would have taken it over Guam and Hawaii but was blown off course by prevailing winds, an American official speaking on condition of anonymity said on Wednesday. During a briefing yesterday, China Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin did not answer a question about whether the balloon was intended to fly over Guam and Hawaii before it was blown off its trajectory, instead repeating the Chinese position that the US should not “overreact”. – Reuters Rescuers carrying a woman who was rescued from the rubble of a collapsed building in Hatay. – REUTERSPIC Ukraine says it shot down Russian balloons KYIV: Ukraine said on Wednesday its aerial defence units had detected half a dozen balloons, apparently launched by Russia, over the capital and shot most of them down. Kyiv authorities said the balloons could carry reconnaissance equipment and were launched to “detect and exhaust our air defence forces”. “Most of the probes have been shot down,” said the city administration in a statement, adding authorities would carefully examine the debris. The presence of the balloons in the sky prompted sirens to go off in the Ukrainian capital, which usually happens when missiles are approaching. Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ignat said Russia uses balloons to exhaust Ukrainian anti-aircraft missiles. “The Russians will use all available methods of warfare to achieve their goals. “It cannot be ruled out that these devices can conduct some kind of surveillance, so it is important to see what they are and understand them.” Since the start of the Russian invasion last February, Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly reported Russian balloons drifting in the country’s airspace. On Tuesday, neighbouring Moldova temporarily closed its airspace due to the presence of a flying object resembling a weather balloon amid tensions with Russia. – AFP Tech bosses subpoenaed by Republicans WASHINGTON: US lawmakers issued subpoenas to top Silicon Valley executives on Wednesday as Republicans seek to establish an unproven conspiracy theory that Big Tech and the government have colluded to suppress conservatives’ free speech. The Republican-led House Judiciary Committee wrote to the CEOs of Google, Amazon, Apple, Meta and Microsoft demanding numerous documents, including any White House communications related to the regulation of content, by March 23. “The House Judiciary Committee has repeatedly attempted to engage with the five companies since last December. “Unfortunately, the companies have not adequately complied with our requests,” the panel said in a statement. “Congress has an important role in protecting and advancing fundamental free speech principles, including by examining how private actors coordinate with the government to suppress First Amendment-protected speech.” The panel is part of a broader Republican effort – launched when the party took over the House in January – targeting President Joe Biden, Silicon Valley, the intelligence community and an alleged “woke” leftist takeover of federal agencies. It is led by Ohio congressman Jim Jordan, a favourite of the hard right who last year defied orders to testify to the Democratic-led panel probing the 2021 assault on the US Capitol. Last week, the House Oversight Committee grilled former Twitter executives about the company’s decision, reversed in 2021, to limit the dissemination of a New York Post article critical of the president’s son Hunter Biden. Hard right lawmakers had set out to establish censorship by social media companies cowed by Democrats. But the move backfired as they produced no evidence to back up their claims and the witnesses, testifying under oath, cast Republicans as the villains. The committee heard that Twitter had gone to extraordinary lengths to protect former president Donald Trump from sanctions, dropping a racist phrase he used from its catalogue of banned language so that it could avoid punishing him. Witnesses testified that while they had no knowledge of the Biden White House pushing for censorship, the Trump administration had pressured Twitter to delete an insulting tweet from model Chrissy Teigen. Microsoft and Meta issued statements to US media saying they had already been producing the requested documents and were cooperating with the committee. – AFP
8 theSUN ON FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 17, 2023 SPEAK UP @thesundaily FOLLOW ON TWITTER SCAN ME Turkiye, Syria tragedy also our responsibility PARALYSED with terror – gripped with grief and anguish – a small boy frantically rummages through shards of glass and pieces of rubble, and desperately calls for help. Powerless, his eyes irritated with thick clouds of dust, he can only hope that his cries will be heard. This was very much the story of many in Turkiye and Syria. The desecration of civilian homes, the demolition of cities and the disenfranchisement of our brothers and sisters in Turkiye and Syria caused by the recent earthquake require a swift call for action as their vulnerable voices are desperately calling out to the aether, pleading for help so as to receive crucial assistance. The sheer magnitude of this crisis is overwhelming, placing incredible pressure on rescue forces in Turkiye and Syria, and exhausting important resources needed to expedite recovery. This inadvertently could inhibit the degree to which the situation returns to normalcy as it has, to a dangerous extent, jeopardised the welfare of millions of people and has momentarily destabilised these countries. The earthquake has been described as the worst of its kind, the worst in a century. What is required is a task force, whose power, equally rivals the impact of the tragedy that struck Turkiye and Syria. We have an important role to play in alleviating the burdens of these countries. The debilitating consequences of Covid-19, the volatile international economic environment affecting global supply chains, the pre-existing issues that plagued both nations and the immense destruction of the earthquake threaten to violently push Turkiye and war-torn Syria to critical levels of national impairment. It is therefore imperative that the combined strength of countries is mustered so as to directly countenance this issue and mitigate further damage to the state of these countries. These countries must be provided with the support necessary to effectively solve the multiple issues that must be dealt with swiftly. Malaysia, having recognised its moral obligations to the Turks and Syrians, sanctioned immediate assistance via its “SMART” personnel so as to confer necessary aid. Various NGOs in Malaysia have similarly followed suit in spearheading humanitarian initiatives with the goal of helping these countries to restore stability to the ever-worsening situation. The Malaysian government’s efforts to have sent rescue teams and pledge moral support demonstrates the country’s moral character, a heart that actively desires the prosperity of others, and is uncompromising in its initiatives to empower the people of other nations. The country, in addition to its present approaches, could offer to activate certain policy measures and facilitate or broker a mission so as to coordinate an Asean-lead humanitarian effort exclusively so as to benefit Turkiye and Syria in the short and long term. This would have the benefit of establishing an international channel of assistance that centralises diverse efforts advanced by multiple parties within Southeast Asia to send aid. This also ensures that the ensuing conflict that may occur as a result of the displacement of millions of people is strategically contained and that victims of the earthquake may be accommodated in terms of medical, food and sheltering protections. Such an initiative could also streamline the deploying of rescue teams from Japan, Switzerland, Taiwan, Russia, Malaysia and many more in a way that increases the efficiency of these humanitarian missions, by ensuring that the combined resources of these countries are strategically compartmentalised, maximising greater distribution of aid among civilians. Subsequent importance to a masscoordinated, diplomatic and humanitarian project is that it could serve as assistance in the long term. The devastation that wreaked havoc in Turkiye and Syria is a geopolitical disaster and will likely require years before a comprehensive recovery may be facilitated and achieved. Postulating the establishment of a long-term active mission for Turkiye and Syria in Asean that could liaise with other important international unions such as the European Union and the various agencies of the United Nations ensures that the situation is continually monitored and allows for a smoother execution of the reception of aid from other parties in order that it may be given to Turkiye and Syria upon request. This proposed Asean post-mortem mission may be facilitated in Turkiye and Syria, ensuring that even after the situation has achieved a manageable degree of stability. Long-term efforts to slowly contribute towards the rebuilding and restructuring of Turkiye and Syria’s destroyed infrastructure may be implemented in a way that is both efficacious and sustainable. This is best achieved via a multilateral effort. The preservation of Turkiye and Syria is unequivocally important for the world as it is key to an ideal transition into a safer, secure and more sustainable world. The nature of such an international enterprise will require thorough review and careful analysis as it will be a difficult initiative to undertake. Malaysia’s already existing efforts to Turkiye and Syria, however, in spite of its own economic constraints and limited instruments of assistance received high praise as it was one of the few countries that immediately responded to the situation. Malaysia’s proactive approach is important as it contributes to international awareness of the moral urgency of this crisis. The international community must have the preservation of the welfare of the Turks and Syrians as one of its top priorities. A Southeast Asian effort could very well ignite this sense of moral urgency across the world. Malaysia’s call to sympathy and prayer for the people of Turkiye and Syria is a reminder to us all that our fallen brethren must not simply be left to suffer alone. We are called to partake in their sorrows for their tragedy is our tragedy too. Comments: [email protected] “The Malaysian government’s efforts to have sent rescue teams and pledge moral support demonstrates the country’s moral character, a heart that actively desires the prosperity of others, and is uncompromisin g in its initiatives to empower the people of other nations. The best way to develop tourism is through shopping IF you were to ask inbound tour operators why foreigners choose to visit Malaysia, their answers are likely to include culture, food, and ecotourism, as these are often incorporated into our tourism promotions. But if visitors were to request, “Show me your culture”, tour operators could be stumped as most would have no idea where to bring foreigners to see our culture. Are there places where culture is showcased? If shown an activity that represents one of our many communities such as a cultural dance, is it authentic or just a staged performance? In any case, watching a video would suffice and save much precious time. When it comes to experiencing local foods and cuisines, one man’s meat could be another man’s poison. Consumption of pork or beef is forbidden by certain religions, and vegans abstain from meat altogether. And people everywhere have their own preferences on how sweet, salty, sour, bitter or umami their foods should be and deliciousness is subjective based on personal taste that varies among individuals. While ordinary people find food and beverage with artificial colourings and flavourings appealing, those who are health conscious would avoid unhealthy foods, especially those that have colourings or preservatives. Some diners choose foods that are freshly cooked and served piping hot, while others are used to consuming foods that have been prepared hours earlier and have since cooled down to room temperature. Fruits and vegetables begin to oxidise as soon as they are cut open. Oxidation in apples is clearly visible after they are cut as enzymes in the fruit would turn it brown, which is known as enzymatic browning. It is common to find cut chillies and garlic placed in a common bowl at Chinese eateries for diners to take what they need and place them in their own mini plates and have soya sauce added for better taste. Red chillies that are freshly cut are hot but become much less so after a few hours. Those who love garlic could reek of garlic breath, more so after consuming raw garlic that has oxidised and turned stinky. Another good example is the king of fruits, which is heavenly to durian lovers but repulsive for those smelling the strong odour for the first time and may never acquire the taste due to psychological reasons. As for ecotourism, only a small number of foreign tourists would pay for a tour package to visit a forest reserve or explore a cave, although everyone marvels at our pristine jungles and natural environment. Whether they are foreigners or Malaysians, visitors could easily go by themselves to a natural site such as a beach or an island, enjoy a variety of foods and witness our culture, which is just a way of life. There is little need to go through a travel agent or buy a package from a tour operator as public transport by air, road and rail could easily be booked directly, and so are accommodations and e-hailing services. Clearly, the intermediary business of making travel arrangements is not big enough to support the 4,330 travel and tour companies that are currently registered with the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry. The Malaysia Tourism Transformation Plan (MTTP) was first announced in 2011 with the target of attracting 36 million foreign tourists and earning RM168 billion in tourism receipts annually by 2020. In the ensuing years, MTTP became the buzzword. Many people jumped on the tourism bandwagon by starting their own tour companies, falsely believing that the travel trade business equates to tourism. But it is only a relatively tiny portion in the grand scheme of things, as tourism is a gargantuan business when all sectors are combined, with the main ones being shopping, accommodation, food and beverage. Even with inbound, outbound and domestic tours combined, their total income constituted less than 2% of the RM240.2 billion tourism expenditure in 2019, as stated in the Tourism Satellite Account. For the same year, Tourism Malaysia found that the top four activities of foreign tourists were shopping (91.2%), sightseeing in cities (90.9%), visiting historical sites (31.9%), and visiting museums (27.8%). The top four expenditures by the 26.1 million foreign tourists spending RM89.4 billion in 2019 were shopping (33.6%), accommodation (24%), food and beverage (13.3%) and local transport (7.6%). Shopping would be higher if expenditures by visitors that did not stay overnight in Malaysia were to be included. In 2019, there were 8.9 million excursionists, mainly from Singapore, Brunei and Thailand. In addition, another RM92.6 billion was chalked up by domestic tourism in 2019. The top four main expenditures were shopping (42.1%), automotive fuel (16.7%), food and beverage (15.9%) and visited households (10.2%), as most visitors drove their own vehicles and stayed with relatives and friends. As shopping receives the largest expenditure by far, it is the best representative of tourism. Anyone who wishes to earn more money from tourism ought to be involved in shopping, either directly or indirectly. They could operate retail outlets in shops or convert part of their premises to receive customers. Tour operators could also provide transport for the public to shop at participating factories and warehouses. If fares for such shopping trips were charged at normal sightseeing rates, the response would be poor. Already, daily sightseeing bus tours are not operating in most cities in Malaysia because of low demand. Shopping excursions, when joined by family members, relatives and friends, would be great fun and a big boost to domestic tourism, raising it from mundane to something much more exciting and beneficial. Unlike foreign tourists that could feel trapped and forced to shop on zero-cost tours, domestic passengers could easily drop out of a shopping excursion by calling for transport or someone to pick them up. Hence, those who operate such shopping excursions would exercise the utmost care to safeguard their reputation and would select only the most suitable factories and warehouses to be included in the routes. YS Chan is the master trainer for Mesra Malaysia and Travel and Tours Enhancement Course and an Asean Tourism Master Trainer. He is also a tourism and transport business consultant. Comments: [email protected] COMMENT by YS Chan COMMENT by Pravin Periasamy
ON FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 17, 2023 From chocolates and puddings to ice cream: this edition is all about desserts to tantalize your taste buds!
Buzz theSun BUZZ ON FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 17, 2023 S2 He commented on how different it tasted from other chocolates he had tried previously, and stated he would always choose it when visiting Kedai Coklat. Kedai Coklat is typically thought of as a chocolate café where there are customers seated inside enjoying their own confections, pastries, and beverages. At the same time, they are also viewed by some as a retail establishment that offers chocolate truffles, single origin bean-to-bar Malaysian chocolates, and a variety of high-quality artisanal Malaysian chocolate goods. Additionally, they were careful to position Kedai Coklat as a little forum where like-minded chocolate enthusiasts may share opinions and discover more about the regional independent chocolate sector. The pair assured that further events aimed at educating the public about Malaysian chocolates and the handmade chocolate industry in general will take place in the upcoming months. “We plan to bring together all of Malaysia’s independent chocolate producers very soon so that everyone is aware of the people behind the brands.” Kedai Coklat Address: 16, Jalan SS 2/103, SS 2, 47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Opening Hours: Tuesdays to Thursdays (12am-8pm), Fridays to Sundays (11am-9.30pm) We finished with hot chocolate using Malaysian single-origin chocolate. Now, this beverage had a little sour flavour. Here’s the thing about this drink, you either like it or you don’t. Personally, I thought it was fantastic. The initial sour taste might cause first-time drinkers to think the chocolate was ‘spoiled’. In fact, true chocolate beans have a sour aftertaste. I was ready to take another bite so, we tried the tiramisu chocolate tart (RM16). This tart is delicious if you enjoy the flavour combination of rich dark chocolate and coffee. It’s creamy, airy, and just a little bit decadent. I offered the final tart, a milk chocolate tart (RM12), to my coworker because I had already had enough chocolate for the day. our bodies, so I put down the tarts and tried three of their top-selling beverages, starting off with matcha chocolate (RM15). The chocolate and matcha in the beverage blended well. And I can promise you that their h o n e y c o m b chocolate (RM15) is worth every single penny. The honeycomb had a delicious honey flavour and was crispy. GOOD chocolate, without a doubt, boosts happiness and love. The food product known as chocolate is a liquid, solid, or paste that can be consumed on its own or as a flavouring for other dishes. It is prepared from roasted and powdered cacao seed kernels. The BUZZ Team recently paid a visit to Kedai Coklat in Petaling Jaya, a full-service chocolate shop that serves pastries, beverages, truffles, and other chocolate-based treats. We spoke to Michael Woo and Lee See Pin, founders of Kedai Coklat to explore their vision behind this husband and wife team shop. In 2016, the pair started Cocoraw Chocolates, a company that specialises in chocolate treats. Their boxed chocolate truffles were available online and at bazaars. A year later, a shack-like kiosk was opened inside the Cziplee bookshop in Bangsar. It was the primary turning point for the company, according to Michael, because they had a more reliable operating location. At that point, Kedai Coklat’s basic concept began to take shape. Midway through 2021, when they chose to close their final mall outlet, Kedai Coklat was established. The couple had always wanted to open a whole chocolate business. With this larger location, they were able to provide a wider range of goods and are able to highlight the regional chocolate scene in one central location. “We have built great relationships with independent local chocolate makers over the past few years, and Kedai Coklat was the stage where their produce can take centre stage,” said Micheal. Since the epidemic, cafés and restaurants have had difficulty making a living.For the couple, launching Kedai Coklat was a big risk, but they were eager to take it. Micheal stated: “We made a calculated risk to open our first complete outlet because the startup costs are comparable, and we anticipated an improvement in the economy when Covid limitations were relaxed. We weren’t exactly naive however, and after testing our solutions throughout the epidemic, we were confident in their suitability.” When we initially entered their store, I was already quite thrilled since I am a huge fan of chocolate. They had a lovely environment that was serene and, most importantly, plenty of different kinds of chocolate. The design of the space was inspired by the number of cafes that was visited over the years. – ALL PIX BY SHOBANA MANOKARAN/ THESUN oKedai Coklat hopes to build a stronger brand recognition in the coming months █ BY THASHINE SELVAKUMARAN Kedai Coklat has a good selection of dark and sweet chocolates. There are variety of tarts and drinks to choose from in Kedai Coklat. We sampled some of their famous chocolate tarts and were given four of their topselling items. We began with the chocolate terrine (RM18). See Pin said that the single origin Kelantan chocolate was only offered warmly in this location. Others had suggested that it would taste better if served cold; nonetheless, I thought the warm, rich, chocolaty flavour was absolutely perfect. It was delicious with the sweet whipped chatinit cream and chocolate crumbs on top. We continued with a Hazelnut Chocolate Tart (RM16) after that. This almost gave the impression of eating a large sized Ferero Rocher. The nuts around the tart were the ideal sweetness. The smooth, creamy, rich chocolate hazelnut is perfect for all hazelnut fans. We could now feel the effects of the sugar rush taking over (left) Their best seller, Chocolate Terrine. Michael Woo and Lee See Pin, founders of Kedai Coklat.
Buzz theSun BUZZ ON FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 17, 2023 S3 I T is time that homemade pudding receives the recognition it deserves. Arguably, pudding is the most underrated dessert ever. It may not be as refined or hyped as a pot de crème, mousse, or crème brûlée, but it is still enjoyable, nostalgic and easy to eat. Nothing beats vanilla pudding as a quick dessert or snack that you can keep in the fridge or have after a meal. If you’ve only ever eaten pudding from the store, you’re missing out. Yes, making it requires a little bit more work than simply removing the foil from a plastic cup, but once you’ve tried it, there’s no turning back. So put away the instant pudding mix; making this creamy, delicious vanilla pudding from scratch is far easier and more delightful. Plus, you most likely already have the majority of these ingredients in your kitchen. Check out how simple it is. Ingredients 0 ⅓ cup sugar 0 2 tablespoons cornstarch 0 ⅛ teaspoon salt 0 2 cups milk 0 2 large egg yolks, slightly beaten 0 2 tablespoons butter (softened) 0 2 teaspoons vanilla Milk: The foundation of the pudding is whole milk. Feel free to swap up to ½ cup of milk for half-and-half for a richer pudding. Sugar: Regular granulated sugar is used to sweeten the pudding, and that’s the basic Thickener: Cornstarch and egg yolks help the pudding to become thicker. It will continue to thicken as it cools in the refrigerator and as it cooks on the stovetop. Vanilla extract: Vanilla extract is what gives the pudding its vanilla flavor. Hence, use the best extract you can find as the flavor will be apparent in every bite. Butter: Only a small amount of butter is whisked into the hot pudding. This adds a richness that elevates this Strain and pour the ingredients into their bowls and chill them in the fridge. – BETTY CROCKER oHomemade vanilla pudding is incredibly simple to make and the end result is delectable █ BY HAZIQUE ZAIRILL This homemade pudding can be made at any time and is quick and easy. – PINTEREST For a Butterscotch Pudding, just substitute dark brown sugar for the regular granulated sugar. – THE SPRUCE EATS pudding to new heights. It’s important, so don’t miss it! Steps First, in a medium saucepan, whisk sugar, cornstarch, salt, milk, and egg yolks all together. Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, whisking occasionally (every minute or two), for 7-8 minutes, or until it is thickened and bubbling all throughout. Once the mixture begins to bubble, cook it for an additional one to two minutes while whisking occasionally but not too vigorously (doing so could destroy the binding properties). The pudding should be thickened but still pourable at this point; it will thicken further as it cools. Then, take the pan off the heat and whisk or stir in the butter and vanilla extract. Optional lump removal: Place a fine mesh strainer over a large heatproof bowl. Pour the mixture through the strainer and into the bowl. Skip this step if you don’t notice any lumps in your pudding. And that’s it! You’ve made your own vanilla pudding. You can serve the pudding warm or let it chill before serving it. If you choose to refrigerate it, make sure to cover it with plastic wrap that touches the pudding’s surface to prevent the development of thin dry skin. Bonus tips 1. Having the kids help stir up this homemade vanilla pudding before dinner is a great way to get everyone involved in the preparation of dessert. By the time dinner is over, the pudding will be cool and luscious. You can also top the dessert with whipped cream or candy sprinkles. 2. In order to prevent losing any of its potent flavour and aroma, which can be weakened by direct heat, vanilla is added at the very end of this homemade vanilla pudding recipe. You can enhance the flavour of this Vanilla Pudding by putting a small amount of fresh vanilla bean paste. Nutrition 220 calories, 11g total fat, 5g protein, 26g total carbohydrate, 23g sugars. The Nutritional Information is based on estimated calculations and may vary based on the ingredients and portion sizes used. Last but not least One of the best things about homemade pudding is how versatile it is. It can be served on its own or with berries, whipped cream, cookies, sliced bananas, or whatever you want it to be. It’s delicious when piled in a trifle or topped with fruit sauce. This is a classic, cozy dessert that will have you coming back for more.
Buzz theSun BUZZ ON FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 17, 2023 S4 COLD delicacies are most frequently seen in the form of ice cream, which has evolved into a wide range of flavour combinations throughout the years. Ice cream comes in a variety of flavours, from vanilla and chocolate to exotic combinations like gelato. It is continuously changing, yet it is always enjoyable. As a result, ice cream is considered as a symbol of joy and happiness and can be consumed at any time of day or night. We’re fortunate with a wide array of ice cream stores all around us. Here are (in our opinion) the five best ice cream shops in Klang Valley that you should explore with your family, friends, and loved ones. Piccoli Lotti Piccoli Lotti, which translates as “small batches” in Italian, is a gelato shop based in Damansara Kim, which was their first branch before expanding to three more locations in Klang Valley: Subang, Puchong, and Bukit Jalil. This ice cream store specialises in handcrafted gelato handmade with only the freshest, most natural, and best-quality ingredients available – all in small batches to ensure the highest quality, flavour, and texture. There are numerous delectable flavours to taste, including Peruvian Dark Choc, Salted Butter Caramel, Niko Neko Houjicha, Hazelnut Stracciatella, and many more! So make sure to stop by and savour all of their delightful flavours! Address: 45, Jalan SS 20/11, Damansara Kim, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Instagram: @piccolilotti.my Softsrve One of the best ice cream shops and dessert bars in town. The name of the brand tells it all, as this ice cream store is famous for its soft-serve presentation. Each cup of ice cream would be given with a larger base cup concealing the dry ice that generates the foggy cloud, and what’s more interesting is that it’s absolutely Insta-worthy. Softsrve began operations in Damansara Uptown and has since You can eat your Piccoli Lotti ice cream in scoops, cups, or takeout tubs. – PICCOLILOTT I.MY oMalaysia can get quite hot at times, so how can we keep cool? By indulging in cool, refereshing, delicious ice cream! █ BY HAZIQUE ZAIRILL Fatbaby Ice Cream is for everyone who likes ice cream on pancakes – FATBABY ICE CREAM The Ice Cream Bar known for its artisanal ice cream and minimalistic interior. – THEICECREAMBAR.MY expanded to other locations including Sri Petaling and Sea Park. The restaurant also serves waffles, premium tea, specialty coffee, iced shaken tea, and iced soda in addition to ice cream. If you’re looking for something unique and Instagram-able, Softsrve is the place to go. Address: 42, Jalan SS 21/58, Damansara Utama, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Instagram: @softsrve IDC (Ice Dreams Cafe) Another ice cream gem can be found in the heart of Damansara Utama. With its top-notch ice cream flavours, IDC has attracted a large number of ice cream enthusiasts, and you will never be dissatisfied with its variety of flavours. Not only that, but they also have a variety of flavours ranging from vegan to keto-friendly. So, If you have, guests, family members, or friends that have different dietary constraints, this is the place to go because it is guaranteed to be something for everyone. Burnt Salted Caramel and Manuka Honey Yogurt are among the flavours available. Address: 30, Jalan SS 20/10, Damansara Kim, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Instagram: @idc_kl Fatbaby Fatbaby, known for its salted caramel flavours, is yet another ice cream parlor that serves up some interesting ice cream combinations with waffles. Their waffles are super crispy on the outside yet fluffy on the inside. Fatbaby has truly made a name for itself through this genius combination. Some of the recommended ice cream flavors include earl grey, salted caramel, honeycomb, and peanut butter brownies. You will undoubtedly leave Fatbaby Ice Cream totally satisfied. And guess what? They might be the next competitor for the best ice cream brand in Malaysia. Address: 47, Jalan SS 15/4b, SS 15, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor Instagram: @fatbaby_icecream The Ice Cream Bar The Ice Cream Bar, from the same creators who founded the successful start-up Inside Scoop, serves ice cream with a twist. The name is appropriate for what it offers, which is alcoholinfused ice cream. They have a variety of ice creams that are both alcohol-infused, such as Whisky Cream, XO Cranberry, Bailey’s, Whisky & Nuts, Smoked Cognac, and Beer, and non-alcoholic, such as Mint Stracciatella, Teh Tarik, Kopi Peng, Almond Butterscotch, and much more. Softsrve uses only Halal-certified ingredients. – SOFTSRVE
Buzz theSun BUZZ ON FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 17, 2023 S5 Desserts from around the world EVERYONE loves a good dessert. Have you ever wondered which sweet treat is the best in the world? We may not have a definitive answer for you, but here are some of the world’s most renowned and popular desserts: Potugal - Pasteis de nata (Portuguese custard tart) Pasteis de nata is a traditional Portuguese custard tart with a delightfully crispy and flaky pastry shell packed to the top with a sweet, creamy custard middle. It’s difficult to stop at just one of these, which are best served warm with a little sprinkle of cinnamon. These delectable bites were invented almost 300 years ago in Belem by the residents of the Jeronimos Monastery. After the monastery shut, the original recipe was sold to a small cafe across the corner, Pasteis de Belem, which still retains it a well guarded secret. Nearly every bakery in Lisbon has attempted to replicate it, but each recipe has its own uniqueness and twists. Thanks to all of the recipes available on the internet and in recipe books, you can now make your own tasty version at home. Italy - Tiramisu Tiramisu, I’m sure you’ve heard of it. It’s a traditional Italian delicacy consisting of coffee-soaked sponge fingers stacked between a coffee-flavoured mascarpone cheese mixed with eggs and sugar and topped with cocoa. Tiramisu, which means “pick me up” in Italian, is the best way to end an Italian meal and can be found on most menus around the country. Tiramisu is still a newer dessert, with most records claiming it was originated in the 1960s in the Veneto region of Italy. Despite its infancy, tiramisu has quickly become one of the world’s most favourite desserts, and mine as well! India - Gulab Jamun Gulab jamun is without a doubt one of the best desserts in the world. Consider a deepfried bite-sized ball of milk coated in a sweet syrup. Gulab jamun is made by combining dry milk powder, flour, and ghee with flavours before forming into a ball and deep frying. It is then soaked in an infused sugar syrup for hours before being served.It’s one of the best sweets from around the world, commonly offered in Southern Asia to celebrate festivals and gatherings or to welcome guests. If you visit India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, or Sri Lanka, there’s a good chance you’ll be greeted with gulab jamun. Spain - Churros Churros are deep-fried dough sticks that originated from Spain, and are now extremely famous in Latin America, particularly in Mexico, Colombia, and Guatemala. Within each of these countries, you’re likely to encounter them served by street sellers or in cafes. Churros are prepared with choux-like dough that is piped through a star-shaped nozzle into boiling oil and fried till golden brown before being topped with sugar. They are generally served at breakfast, dipped or drizzled with hot chocolate or dulce de leche, but they can also be seen on select cafe dessert lists. oEvery culture has their own unique after-dinner delight █ BY SHOBANA MANOKARAN Deep-fried dough sticks originated from Spain. A ball of sweetness. Don’t get drunk eating the rum cake. Japan - Matcha Matcha is a fine, earthy powder created from green tea leaves. While this may not sound like a typical flavouring for sweet baked goods, it adds a subtle flavour that is great in a variety of sweets, from green tea ice cream to matcha cakes and cookies. Anyone visiting Japan around the holidays will see matchaflavored goodies in cafes, restaurants, and street food vendors – it’s almost famous as chocolate! Caribean - Rum Cake Rum cake is among the best traditional cakes from throughout the world. Rum cake is a sponge prepared in a savarin mould, making it a slightly doughnut-like shape, and then soaked in rum. There are numerous topping options, such as icing or dried fruit and nuts. It is typically served during the holiday season, but many gift shops and supermarkets sell it by the bag load to tourists! When trying rum cake in the Caribbean, always sure to check the alcohol content. Some claim to have become drunk by it! Malva Pudding - South Africa Malva pudding is a gooey sponge dessert cooked with apricot jam that is eaten warm with a creamy sauce or custard. It’s frequently served in restaurants, so if you’re visiting South Africa, look for it on the menu board. Malva’s name may originate from the Afrikaans word for marshmallow, owing to its marshmallow-like texture. The origins of this delectable treat from around the world are unknown, but it is thought to have originated from a Cape Dutch dish. Traditional Italian delicacy soaked with coffee and everyone’s favourite. – ALL PIX BY PINTEREST The founders feel that alcoholic drinks, as well as the mixers that go with them, have rich flavours and nuances that would translate well to ice cream. They set out to create non-traditional alcoholic ice creams, constantly asking themselves how they might move the market “beyond rum and raisins.” As a result, the Ice Cream Bar was born. Address: 60, Jalan 27/70a, Desa Sri Hartamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur Instagram: @theicecreambar.my
ON FRIDAYFEBRUARY 17, 2023 ► Contributing Editor: KESHY DHILLON / [email protected] ► Tel (Editorial): 03-7784 6688 / +6012-580 3470 ► To advertise email: [email protected] Value for money WITH the launch of the new second generation Perodua Axia this week, the Malaysian carmaker has raised the benchmark for entry-level cars. In most countries, cars in the lowest price bracket are usually quite basic, with minimum safety features. That’s not the case for the new Axia which, in the top variants, has advanced features and technologies. There are four variants as before, with prices ranging from RM38,600 to RM49,500, to suit different budgets. Though the prices have increased a bit, Perodua’s president & CEO, Dato’ Sri Zainal Abidin Ahmad, said that the increases are not as much as the extra value of RM5,800 in better or extra features. Customers are thus getting better value for their money with the new model. At a glance, the new Axia may look like the old one but the frontal appearance is more aggressive and expressive with larger design elements. The bumper and wheelarches are more voluminous, for example, while the LED headlights have a more technical look. The Axia has grown in size, not unusual in the evolution of models, and the overall length of 3760mm is a significant 120mm more than the old model. Notably, the wheelbase is also extended by 70mm to 2525mm, which is 25mm longer than the bigger Myvi. That would certainly be beneficial to interior space. Following the Ativa and Alza, the new Axia is the third model to adopt DNGA (Daihatsu New Global Architecture), which provides a more rigid body and optimises the structure to keep weight down. However, the addition of extra features and equipment still sees an increase of 20-40kg but the overall weight remains below 900kg. Driving enthusiasts who were hoping that there will be a more powerful turbocharged engine will be disappointed as it is not offered. The same 1-litre 3- cylinder DOHC engine with DVVT is used and the output remains as 68bhp and 91Nm. What has changed in the drivetrain is the transmission; in place of the torque converter 4- speed automatic transmission, there is now a CVT or Continuously Variable Transmission. The one used for the Axia is a Dual-Mode CVT which has low mechanical losses as it uses gears as well as a belt drive. With the improved aerodynamic efficiency of the body and the greater efficiency of the D-CVT, Perodua says fuel economy has improved. Factory testing according to the Malaysian Driving Cycle has achieved 27.4km/litre, 7% better than before. Second generation Perodua Axia offers advance features at entry-level prices █ CHIPS YAP
7 FEBRUARY 17, 2023 This means it would cost less than RM28 for a journey from Kuala Lumpur to Penang. And a full tank of 36 litres would be good for almost 1,000km. Besides the increased rigidity provided by DNGA, the engineers also made improvements to the body frame and rear suspension for better ride comfort. More measures have also been taken to reduce noise with extra insulation. With lower noise levels, stress can be reduced, making long journeys more pleasant. One area which shows the importance of designing for local conditions is the body sealing. With flash floods becoming common, the engineers have given the Axia better sealing in many areas so that water cannot enter the cabin. Additionally, the air intake point has also been set higher. The longer and wider body has allowed the cabin a bit more space, with an extra 40mm to take away the feeling of close proximity between the front occupants. The rear seating position has also been improved while the hip point is slightly lower. The longer body allows the boot floor to be lengthened, which in turn increases the volume to 265 litres. The dimensions of the boot are enough for a baby’s stroller or, if the rear backrest is folded down, even a bicycle. The rear backrest (with two ISOFIX childseat points) is a single piece and has locks at each side. What we noticed was that it can be a bit inconvenient to release both locks unless you have long arms. Perhaps a release mechanism that unlocks both sides together would be a good idea. The dashboard design follows the current horizontal theme trend with a touchscreen display panel in the middle. The top AV variant has a 7-inch TFT instrument panel which can be configured differently while the other variants have a simpler layout. Models at this price level often have low-cost materials that reflect their low pricing. However, Perodua has done well to provide a sense of quality. This can be seen in the 3- dimensional texturing of many surfaces rather than leaving them as smooth plastic panels that look cheap. Visible metal surfaces are also almost non-existent. With the AV variant, the safety level has been raised substantially and Perodua is to be commended for providing advanced safety systems. In other countries, a model in this class would not have them. This includes the Perodua Smart Assist package which incorporates the camera-based Advanced Safety Assist suite as well as 6 airbags. A brief test-drive confirmed some of the improvements – like the more solid feel and stability which gives the car a more planted feel. But one thing was still evident – that “motorboat sound” which Axia owners would be familiar with. It’s characteristic of a 3-cylinder engine. Although the power output is modest, the low weight allows for nippy and brisk motoring with two persons on board. Add more people (and luggage) and the performance would obviously be different. The route didn’t have many sharp corners so there was not much chance to find out about the handling. Some weaving at high speed did indicate that the car is fairly stable and doesn’t roll as much as the old model which was also rather light. Definitely better than before, the new Axia is ideal for urban motoring but would also be just as good for those balik kampung trips. Try it for yourself and see if you agree with us. SPECIFICATIONS Powertrain: 1.0-litre 3-cylinder engine Power: 68bhp Torque: 91Nm Fuel consumption: 27.4 km/litre Price: RM38,600 – RM49,500 (w/out insurance) Higher quality and finish, better features. Rear backrest release, engine noise. 1 Same 1-litre 3-cylinder engine as before. 2 High quality materials used for the front and back seats. 3Convenient steering wheel-mounted switches. 4Digital controls for airconditioning. 5High-definition 9-inch central touchscreen. 6Transmission changed to CVT with 7 speeds. 7 Top AV variant has almost similar features as other bigger models. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 FEBRUARY 17, 2023 Fit for a King for a King New Range Rover finally makes debut LAUNCHED in England in October 2021, the new fifth generation Range Rover’s arrival was delayed due to the pandemic and also production. It is now available in Malaysia with a price starting from RM1,268,000 (duty-free) and RM2,488,000, inclusive of duties but without insurance. The first model to use the brand’s new Flexible Modular Longitudinal Architecture, the new Range Rover retains the many design elements that have characterised what was the first luxury SUV for decades. The clean long form, clamshell bonnet and split rear door are just a few of them. With the latest generation, there is a stronger sense of refinement with the reductive surfaces, polished appearance and precise detailing. The trademark profile tells you it’s a Range Rover but the modernist design philosophy adopted also makes it clear this is a new generation. The rear end is a departure from the past, though, and takes on a very modern look. The slim vertical rear lights remain dark until they light up, either being switched on or when the brakes are depressed. The rear door is still a 2-section design, something which has always been an important feature for the model. Owners sit on the lower horizontal section to watch cricket or just enjoy the sunset and it is considered a must-have, regardless of whatever engineering is needed. New for this generation is the Versatile Loadspace Floor with a floor panel that can be raised forward, across the width of the load area around its mid-point, forming a partition to contain smaller items. It can also pivot backwards along its leading edge to serve as a backrest when using the lower tailgate for seating. Under the skin, the MLA-Flex body structure has 50% greater stiffness, useful when travelling off-road but then again, few Range Rover owners do serious off-roading. Nevertheless, more stiffness is always better for handling and ride comfort – provided the chassis is also engineered well. With the Range Rover, there is more emphasis on refinement since this is a luxury model. While owners may drive one to their farm or to the beach, the reality is that most of the time, the SUV will be used on highways and around town. The centre of the dashboard is dominated by a large 13.1-inch curved floating glass touchscreen with Pivi Pro infotainment system. It’s a sophisticated system but also has a simplified user experience with highdefinition graphics. For the driver, there is a large 13.7-inch Interactive Driver Display which also has HD graphics and can be configured to personal preference. Besides an overhead view and 3D surround imagery, should the vehicle be taken off-road, the driver can also “see” through the bonnet. An advanced feature called ClearSight Ground View displays an image of the ground ahead so that obstacles or holes can be avoided. Jaguar Land Rover Malaysia (JLRM) is importing the Range Rover with a 530ps/750Nm 4.4-litre V8 engine and though this may seem “excessive” in the age of downsizing, many advanced technologies bring fuel consumption to A level far lower than the old V8. The proven 8-speed automatic transmission continues to be used along with the advanced 4×4 system. Using decades of experience in off-road mobility, Land Rover engineers developed Terrain Response 2 system which puts an electronic “co-driver” in the cockpit to assist when driving off-road. As the flagship of Land Rover’s range, the Range Rover has always been a pioneer with drivetrain technologies and chassis technologies. Next-generation Electronic Air Suspension is offered, along with intelligent aerodynamic features to enhance performance. The ride height can be lowered when cruising over 105kph, improving stability. The Range Rover also has all-wheel steering which reduces the turning circle to less than 11m, something an owner would appreciate given the vehicle’s size. Getting to grips with the Ranger THE pick-up truck was once just for work and regulations (in Malaysia) before the late 1990s did not permit registration for private use. When the regulations changed, Ford was the first to show people the fun side of owning a pick-up truck with its Ranger. Built tough for workhorse duties, the Ranger was also a very capable truck able to travel over difficult terrain. Today’s Ranger is even more capable but many people don’t realise just how capable, or they do not have an opportunity to take it to its limits. Sime Darby Auto ConneXion-Ford (SDAC-Ford), the sole distributor for Ford in Malaysia, can help Ranger owners discover the capabilities of their Ranger at a course specially designed for beginners. To be held this weekend, the Ford Ranger Getaways M4TREC Beginner 4WD Course offers any Ranger owner the chance to master his or her vehicle. Participants will also gain in-depth familiarity with their vehicle and might even discover some features which they did not realise their Ranger had. The beginner-level off-road driving course is conducted by M4TREC’s team of HRDF-certified professional instructors who are also expert off-roaders. It is an ideal way to learn and experience the basic techniques of off-road driving in a safe and controlled environment. M4TREC is Malaysia’s 4WD off-road training and experience centre that operates the country’s first permanent, purpose-built and publicly accessible 4WD training facility. The 6-acre site is located in Semenyih, Selangor. “After the vehicle purchase, getting training is one of the best investments customers can make to unlock the true potential of their Rangers for work, family and play,” said Turse Zuhair, Managing Director of Sime Darby Auto ConneXion-Ford. “We strongly encourage all Ranger owners, especially our next-gen customers, to take this opportunity to acquire more in-depth knowledge about their vehicle and elevate their driving skills, safely and effectively.” During the training session, participants will learn and put to practice the basic techniques for tackling obstacle courses. At the end of the session, a certificate of completion will be presented to each participant. Besides this course, there are also other activities in the Ford Ranger Getaways programme which is specially tailored for Ranger owners. An industry first, the programme has been crafted based on customer feedback, which underlined their desire for wanting to network with like-minded individuals, expanding their lifestyle activities to enhance work-life balance, and spending more quality time with family and friends. ALTHOUGH it seemed like Volkswagen would introduce an electric vehicle in Malaysia soon, it is Audi (also in the Volkswagen Group) that is doing so first. Audi distributor PHSAM (PHS Automotive Malaysia) has announced that it will offer two fully electric models (in multiple variants) to go on sale from mid-2023. The range will consist of the Q8 etron in SUV and Sportback versions and e-tron GT quattro/RS e-tron GT. Malaysia will be among the first markets in the region to introduce the Q8 e-tron. As the shipments have not arrived yet, PHSAM can only offer estimated prices at this time. Pricing for the Q8 e-tron is estimated to range from RM369,000 – RM476,000, while the e-tron GT quattro will have a price range between RM550,000 – RM643,000 for the two versions to be offered. The RS e-tron GT is will be priced in the range from RM749,000 – RM769,000. The prices don’t include insurance and will also be duty-free until the end of 2023. Accompanying the announcement of Audi Malaysia’s intention to offer BEV models was a preview of the RS etron GT, winner of the World Performance Car award in 2022. The sleek 4-door coupe, which is a technical twin of the Porsche Taycan, made its debut in early 2021 as the fourth electrified model in Audi’s BEV range. The shape of the RS e-tron GT is based on the Prologue design study of 2014. Sleek and sculpted, the form is extremely aerodynamic, with a drag coefficient of just 0.24 Cd and a frontal area of 2.35 square metres. This slipperiness is vital for cars, and more so for BEVs that can’t afford to waste electric energy on overcoming wind resistance. The electric motors have two levels of power output – 476ps and 598ps – and being the top e-tron GT version, PHSAM will import the one with the higher output that also comes with 830Nm of torque. If the driver is in a great hurry, there’s also a boost mode which increases output by 8% to 646ps for short periods. The motors get energy from an 83.7 kWh lithium-ion battery pack which can provide a range of almost 500km. Depending on the power supply, charging time is claimed to be 22.5 minutes from 5% – 80%. AC charging is also possible at up to 22 kW – if you can find or install such a power outlet. The interior corresponds to that of a classic gran turismo and this being an Audi, premium finish and topquality materials would be expected. Typical for a sportscar, the front seats are set low and at the back, the legroom is fairly decent for this type of car. Audi Malaysia to go electric from mid-2023
KLCI 1,484.26 47.58 STI 3,311.23 30.41 HANG SENG 20,987.67 175.50 SCI 3,249.03 194.58 NIKKEI 27,696.44 3.93 TSEC 15,550.50 117.61 KOSPI 2,475.48 S&P/ASX200 7,410.30 58.10 FRIDAY FEBRUARY 17, 2023 Editorial Tel: 03-7784 6688 Fax: 03-7785 2624/5 Email: [email protected] Advertising Tel: 03-7784 8888 Fax: 03-7784 4424 Email: [email protected] 5 MOST ACTIVES February 16, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (sen) +/– (sen) HONGSENG-WB 405,421,800 1.0 -0.5 MYEG 349,556,300 69.5 UNCH HONGSENG 191,557,400 18.5 -3.0 HSI-HKH 128,029,500 23.5 -5.0 BETA 95,060,700 61.0 +3.0 EXCHANGERATES FEBRUARY 16, 2023 Foreign currency Bank sell Bank buy Bank buy TT/OD TT OD 1 US DOLLAR 4.4810 4.3470 4.3370 1 AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR 3.0940 2.9720 2.9560 1 BRUNEI DOLLAR 3.3470 3.2490 3.2410 1 CANADIAN DOLLAR 3.3340 3.2440 3.2320 1 EURO 4.7880 4.6330 4.6130 1 NEW ZEALAND DOLLAR 2.8150 2.7110 2.6950 1 SINGAPORE DOLLAR 3.3470 3.2490 3.2410 1 STERLING POUND 5.3870 5.2160 5.1960 1 SWISS FRANC 4.8400 4.7310 4.7160 100 UAE DIRHAM 123.2200 116.8400 116.6400 100 BANGLADESH TAKA 4.2820 4.0170 3.8170 100 CHINESE RENMINBI 65.4000 62.8000 N/A 100 HONGKONG DOLLAR 57.6200 54.7500 54.5500 100 INDIAN RUPEE 5.5000 5.1600 4.9600 100 INDONESIAN RUPIAH 0.0304 0.0276 0.0226 100 JAPANESE YEN 3.3460 3.2400 3.2300 100 NEW TAIWAN DOLLAR 15.8000 N/A N/A 100 PAKISTAN RUPEE 1.7100 1.6000 1.4000 100 PHILIPPINE PESO N/A N/A N/A 100 QATAR RIYAL 124.0000 117.7200 117.5200 100 SAUDI RIYAL 120.5700 114.4600 114.2600 100 THAI BAHT 13.6000 12.0700 11.6700 Source: Malayan Banking Berhad/Bernama KL MARKET SUMMARY February 16, 2023 INDICES CHANGE FBMEMAS 10,815.60 -10.90 FBMKLCI 1,484.26 -3.93 CONSUMER PRODUCTS 602.53 -4.38 INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS 190.46 -0.25 CONSTRUCTION 160.99 -0.58 FINANCIAL SERVICES 16,119.90 -41.00 ENERGY 901.20 +8.56 TELECOMMUNICATIONS 602.23 +0.01 HEALTH CARE 1,697.73 +50.87 TRANSPORTATION 957.08 +10.74 PROPERTY 687.18 +4.47 PLANTATION 6,901.70 -1.20 FBMSHA 11,177.20 +3.27 FBMACE 5,749.55 +38.71 TECHNOLOGY 66.31 +0.33 TURNOVER VALUE 4.557 BIL RM2.550 BIL 5 TOP GAINERS February 16, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (RM) +/– RM MPI 115,800 33.74 +0.74 PANAMY 25,400 26.08 +0.52 HEXTECH 84,100 26.50 +0.50 PARAGON 936,500 2.52 +0.26 HSI-CLP 4,000 1.85 +0.22 5 TOP LOSERS February 16, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (RM) +/– RM NESTLE 62,000 135.50 -1.50 PMBTECH-LA 500 26.00 -0.70 F&N 199,000 26.24 -0.46 HEIM 157,700 29.22 -0.38 PETDAG 165,500 22.16 -0.28 31.46 Felcra debt arrears hit RM312m in 2021: Auditor-General KUALA LUMPUR: Felcra Bhd was unable to settle debt arrears amounting to RM312.22 million in 2021, up from RM82 million in the preceding year, according to the Auditor-General’s Report (LKAN) 2021 Series 2. It said based on the verification letter dated Jan 10, 2022, from the Accountant General’s Department on loans outstanding and arrears due to the federal government, Felcra still owed RM3.67 billion as at Dec 31, 2021. “The balance amount represented 69% of Felcra’s total liabilities of RM5.32 billion,” it said. The report said that based on Felcra’s feedback, the government, following the Dewan Rakyat’s approval on Aug 4, 2022, converted part of the debt amounting to RM969.27 million into equity in Felcra. It said in terms of its financial key performance indicator for 2021, Felcra responded that it did not achieve only one of the six perspective indicators: the lowering of administrative costs. Felcra attributed the failure to an increase in spending due to its corporate social responsibility programme totalling RM10 million that was not budgeted for earlier in the year. On the whole, based on the audit’s scope, Felcra’s objective of consolidating, reviving and developing its members’ lands was achieved through the main activities of carrying out its social mandate (through the Consolidation and Rehabilitation Plantation Management, or P&P, programme) and commercial business. “In terms of yield, the government received no dividend from Felcra for the period of 2019 to 2021, although the P&P programme has positively impacted and improved the living standards of Felcra members through dividend distribution,” the report said. The report also found that Felcra’s plantation management was inefficient as it did not adhere to fertilisation and harvesting schedules, and based on foreign workers who overstayed under their temporary work visit passes. It said as at April 2022, none of Felcra’s subsidiaries had paid dividends from 2019 to 2021 as the financial statements for the period were yet to be finalised. “Stakeholders must take action to help (Felcra) participants who have yet to receive their dividends and resolve the issues of operating costs and unviable projects. Undistributed dividends amounting to RM67.14 million must also be paid out to participants and trustees as soon as possible,” the report said. “Felcra is also encouraged to maximise plantation workforce recruitment in line with its requirements in order to improve harvest yields and optimise revenue”. – Bernama MISC shares rise, analysts upgrade shipping line’s outlook KUALA LUMPUR: MISC Bhd closed 15 sen or 2% higher at RM7.48 on volume of 2.78 million shares yesterday after the energy shipping company reported a 40% year-onyear jump in fourth-quarter (Q4’22) earnings, although its bottom line for the financial year ended Dec 31, 2022 (FY22) was down marginally . On Wednesday, MISC announced a net profit of RM645 million for Q4’22, bringing its full-year earnings to RM1.82 billion versus RM1.83 billion in FY21. Analysts have revised upwards their FY’23 earnings projections for MISC. In a note, MIDF Research upgraded its recommendation to a “buy” with a higher target price (TP) of RM8.16 per share (previously RM7.77) after revising its FY23 and FY24 earnings projections upward by 35% and 48%, respectively. Meanwhile, Kenanga Research said MISC’s FY22 earnings exceeded expectation and raised its FY23 earnings forecast by 39%. While retaining its “market perform” call on MISC, the research house raised the TP slightly to RM7.50 from RM7.30 previously. Despite the 0.5% year-on-year decline in MISC’s FY22 earnings, the figure came above MIDF Research’s one-year estimate by 19% and within consensus expectation. The research house reiterated its positive view on MISC, citing “the rising demand for both petroleum and liquefied natural gas in Europe and East Asia, its strong order book, the positive prospects of the shipping and tanker market, and also continuous contribution and support for carbon capture and storage and renewable energy projects.” Meanwhile, Kenanga Research raised its FY23 earnings forecast by 39% to account for the higher spot freight rates for its petroleum shipping division. – Bernama Petronas Gas posts FY22 profit after tax of RM1.76b KUALA LUMPUR: Petronas Gas Bhd turned in a resilient financial performance for the financial year 2022 (FY22) with profit after tax (PAT) of RM1.76 billion, and declared an interim dividend of 22 sen per ordinary share for the fourth quarter (Q4’22). Amid a challenging external environment which saw higher fuel gas prices and unfavourable foreign exchange movements, the group maintained its world-class performance and reliability across all its plants and facilities during the period, which ensured steady earnings from long-term contracts under the gas processing, gas transportation, regasification and utilities segments. For FY22, group revenue increased by 9% or RM512 million to RM6.16 billion, mainly driven by higher revenue from the utilities segment on the back of higher product prices. Gross profit was lower by 14% at RM2.35 billion against RM2.72 billion in FY21 resulting from lower contribution from all segments following higher operating expenses, mainly fuel gas and oDeclares 22 sen interim dividend for fourth quarter internal gas consumption expenses. PAT declined by 17% from RM2.11 billion to RM1.76 billion, in tandem with lower gross profit and unfavourable foreign exchange movement. Revenue for Q4’22 stood at RM1.63 billion, 9% higher than RM1.50 billion in Q4’21, mainly contributed by higher revenue from the utilities segment as a result of higher product prices in line with higher fuel gas prices. Gross profit declined by 24% from RM615 million to RM468 million due to lower contribution from all segments following higher operating expenses, mainly relating to fuel gas, internal gas consumption and depreciation expenses. PAT decreased by 5% from RM489 million to RM462 million in line with lower gross profit and partly cushioned by the impact of favourable foreign exchange movement following the strengthening of ringgit in the quarter. Commenting on the group’s performance, managing director and CEO Abdul Aziz Othman said: “Despite the unprecedented higher gas price and weaker ringgit, PGB still records a healthy level of profit for FY2022. Our commitment to running the plants efficiently, whilst applying cost discipline and optimisation has partly mitigated these higher operating costs. “As we head into 2023, we will continue these operational initiatives while pursuing growth opportunities to diversify our revenue streams as part of our effort to mitigate the lower returns from the RP2 tariffs.” Petronas Gas is under the Incentivebased Regulation Regulatory Period 2 effective Jan 1, 2023 until Dec 2025, applicable for its gas transportation and regasification businesses. Despite the lower tariffs approved by the Energy Commission, the capacity booked for Peninsular Gas Utilisation pipeline, Regasification Terminal Sg Udang and Regasification Terminal Pengerang are underpinned by long-term contracts with existing shippers. Participation 47.6 27.8 24.6 100.0 Institutions Retail Foreign Bought RM m 1192.9 692.9 664.9 2550.7 Sold RM m 1233.8 726.4 590.5 2550.7 Net RM m -40.9 -33.5 74.4 0 % Preliminary stats (excluding trade amendments). For final data, please refer to www.bursamalaysia.com Source: Bursa Malaysia A Participating Organisation of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad A Trading Participant of Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Berhad SECUR ITIES S D N. B H D. 197201001092 (12738-U) 16/02/2023
10 theSUN ON FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 17, 2023 SUNBIZ /thesundaily FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK SCAN ME Labour productivity in M’sia improves as economy expands PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia’s labour productivity as expressed by value added per employee increased by 3.6% year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2022 (Q4’22) compared with Q3’22 rise of 10.2%, as the economy continued to expand. Chief Statistician Malaysia Datuk Sri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said that during the final quarter of last year, employment rose 3.2% (Q3’22: 3.6%), recording an increase in value added per employee to RM24,915 (Q4’21: RM24,047, Q3’22: RM24,242). Elaborating on the performance of labour productivity as measured by value added per hour worked, he said the brisk business activity observed in this quarter translated into an increase of total hours worked by 5% with a record jump of 9.2 billion hours (Q3’22: 10.0%, 9.0 billion hours). “Therefore, labour productivity as measured by value added per hour worked also posted an increase with a growth of 1.9% (Q3’22: 3.8%) to RM43.1 per hour (Q4’21: RM42.3 per hour; Q3’22: RM42.5 per hour).” In terms of labour productivity oValue added per employee increases by 3.6% on-year in fourth quarter of 2022 expressed by value added per employee, all sectors posted increases with the highest growth registered by the construction sector at 10% (Q3’22: 14.9%), followed by mining and quarrying at 6.5% (Q3’22: 8.8%). Productivity in the services sector increased by 4% (Q3’22: 11.4%) spearheaded by three subsectors posting double-digit growth. They are real estate and business services (21.7%); food and beverage and accommodation (16.4%), and transportation and storage (11.9%). This was followed by positive growth in wholesale and retail trade (4.8%), other services (1.8%), information and communication (0.7%), and finance and insurance (0.1%). Meanwhile, the agriculture and manufacturing sectors increased at 1.6% each. In the meantime, in terms of labour productivity, as expressed by value added per hour worked, four sectors recorded positive growth namely construction, mining and quarrying, services and manufacturing, while agriculture remained sluggish. The construction sector posted a turnaround of 8.0% as opposed to a -2.1% in the previous quarter, while the mining and quarrying sector continued to record a steady increase of 4.7% (Q3’22: 4.2%). The services sector increased 2.3% (Q3’22: 6.0%) with two subsectors posting double-digit growth, namely food & beverage and accommodation (19.0%), and real estate and business services (16.7%), followed by transportation and storage (9.0%), finance and insurance (6.5%), wholesale and retail trade (1.7%), and other services (0.2%). Labour productivity by value added per hour worked in the manufacturing sector rose marginally by 0.4% (Q3’22: 1.4%). This was supported by electrical, electronic and optical products (3.7%), non-metallic mineral products, basic metal and fabricated metal products (1.3%), and textiles, wearing apparel and leather products (1.1%). Meanwhile, the agriculture sector fell marginally by 0.6% (Q3’22: -0.8%). Commenting further on the overall performance of labour productivity in 2022, Mohd Uzir highlighted that the performance of labour productivity per employee for 2022 strengthened by 5.4% (2021: 1.8%) to record value added per employee of RM95,628 (2021: RM90,697). Meanwhile, the value added per hour worked rebounded to 1.8% (2021: -2.6%) with a value of RM41.7 (2021: RM41.0). In comparison with the pre-Covid-19 pandemic period, labour productivity per hour worked and labour productivity per employee exceeded the 2019 levels (RM40.7 per hour; RM94,138 per person). Manufacturing and services surpassed their pre-pandemic levels while the other sectors remained below their own levels. AME Elite to build RM108 million Bucher Emhart Glass factory in Johor JOHOR BAHRU: Integrated industrial space solutions provider AME Elite Consortium Bhd, via its subsidiary Ipark Development Sdn Bhd, has secured a vote of confidence from Emhart Glass Sdn Bhd (Bucher Emhart Glass) to construct the latter’s RM108 million manufacturing facility in iPark@Senai Airport City, Johor. Bucher Emhart Glass, which is a subsidiary of Swiss-listed engineering and manufacturing group Bucher Industries AG, has established itself as a global leader in glass container manufacturing solutions, including equipment, controls, parts and support. The international group has presence across the globe, including Switzerland, Sweden, Italy, Germany, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, China, and the United States. The new facility in i-Park@Senai Airport City will have a built-up area of about 300,000 square feet, which will replace the existing factory at another site in Johor Bahru, in order to increase production capacity. Construction of the project will begin in the second quarter of 2023 and is scheduled to be completed in 2024. Bucher Emhart Glass held a signing ceremony at the sales gallery of i-Park@Senai Airport City yesterday, attended by Bucher Emhart Glass logistics & manufacturing vice-president Juan P. Montes, finance vice-president Reto P. Semadeni, finance controller Chan Siew Kheng and Johor Bahru site manager Bryant Wong, as well as AME executive director Simon Lee, property development director Cheryl Lim and sales director Alice Tee. AME group managing director Kelvin Lee Chai is happy that AME’s integrated industrial parks and properties at i-Park@Senai Airport City continued to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) including from internationally respected, blue chip global c o r p o r a t i o n s . He added, “We warmly welcome Bucher Emhart Glass to iPark@Senai Airport City as they expand their operations in Malaysia. We are proud to be chosen as Bucher Emhart Glass’ solutions provider, proving AME’s expertise to support the growth requirements of global businesses. “AME continues its role as an FDI magnet and will benefit from increased demand for our industrial parks as international borders reopen. With this latest contract from Bucher Emhart Glass, our new sales for the financial year to date increased to RM433 million and will enhance our financial performance.” From left: Tee, AME Elite chief financial officer Gregory Lui, Lim, Simon Lee, Montes, Semadeni, Chan and Wong at the signing ceremony. MPC continues to push for increased digital tech adoption PETALING JAYA: Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) continues to drive the productivity push across all industries in line with the Malaysia Digital Blueprint’s (MyDigital) strategies. MPC director-general Datuk Abdul Latif Abu Seman said that digital technology is a key factor towards boosting productivity and is the primary trigger of high productivity growth. “MPC is ready to push for increased digital technology adoption by the industry to increase productivity through our 11 Productivity Nexus established consists of sectors such as agro-food, services and manufacturing,” he said, adding that to achieve the labour productivity growth at 3.6% as highlighted in 12MP (12th Malaysia Plan), it requires a sharp rebound in e c o n o m i c activities, including rapid expansion in productivity and a higher adoption rate of automation and digital technology to achieve the desired level. He said that without aggressive technology adoption, they cannot go far and they cannot change or support the economy. “Digital technology supports productivity growth, reflecting increased economic growth, job creation, and improved working conditions. Countries need to focus on improving their productivity levels through technology adoption,” said Abdul Latif. Through the MyReskill IoT Programme, one of the programmes introduced by MPC, he added, the businesses are able to enhance their strategic initiatives, especially in increasing productivity and managing costs more effectively. MPC also highlighted that it is imperative for businesses to accelerate their digital technology adoption in order to improve Malaysia’s competitiveness. Last year, Malaysia was ranked 31st out of 63 countries in the IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking, declined by four positions compared to 2021. This shows that businesses in Malaysia must aggressively improve digital technology adoption in order to be at par with the companies in better developed countries. Malaysia Halal Expo 2023 targets RM3-5m potential sales SERI KEMBANGAN: Malaysia Halal Expo 2023, which focuses on strengthening the domestic halal market, aims to generate RM3 million to RM5 million in potential sales in the three-day event from Sept 1-3, 2023. Organising chairman and HQC Commerce Sdn Bhd CEO Khairul Shahril Hamzah said the inaugural event will accommodate 300 SMEs for them to promote their products and services and gain exposure and knowledge to access global markets. “This event aims to strengthen domestic SMEs which are the backbone of our economy. I believe that by bringing all of this together under one roof, this event will be a significant milestone for Malaysia’s halal industry as the government agencies will be available to support and facilitate the industry,” he told reporters after the soft launch of Malaysia Halal Expo 2023. The expo, themed “Empowering Local for Global Sustainability” will showcase the diverse halal industry in Malaysia, including food & beverages, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, education, e-commerce and digitalisation, tourism, fashion. – Bernama B R I E F SCAGAMAS ISSUES RM120M ISLAMIC MEDIUM-TERM NOTES KUALA LUMPUR: Cagamas Bhd, the national mortgage corporation of Malaysia, announced the conclusion of an issuance of RM120 million two-year Islamic Medium Term Notes (IMTN). Proceeds from the issuance will be used to fund the purchase of house financing from the domestic financial system. Cagamas president and CEO Datuk Chung Chee Leong said the new issuance brings the corporation’s aggregate funds raised for the year to RM819 million. PAY FOR FOODPANDA DELIVERIES WITH TOUCH ‘N GO EWALLET PETALING JAYA: Touch ‘n Go (TNG) group has expanded the reach of its Touch ‘n Go eWallet to include Foodpanda Malaysia, which allows users to pay for the latter’s delivery services nationwide. TNG Digital Sdn Bhd CEO Alan Ni said users will be able to utilise Foodpanda’s delivery services and pay with Touch ‘n Go eWallet. MANAGEMENT THE MOST SOUGHT-AFTER SKILL: LINKEDIN PETALING JAYA: The most sought-after skill by companies in Malaysia is management, indicating that those with good leadership and people management skills to lead their teams through uncertainty, as well as keep them engaged and motivated are highly valued, according to Linkedin Learning 2023 Workplace Learning Report. According to Linkedin, the top three mostin-demand skills in Malaysia in 2023 are management, communication, and sales.
11 * SUNBIZ theSUN ON FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 17, 2023 READ OUR HERE /thesundaily SCAN ME Analysts positive on Farm Fresh’s move to acquire ice cream company KUALA LUMPUR: Investment analysts have maintained a positive stance on Farm Fresh Bhd (FFB) following the dairy producer’s proposal to acquire a controlling stake in ice-cream company The Inside Scoop Sdn Bhd (TISSB). On Wednesday, FFB announced the proposed acquisition of a 65% stake in TISSB, an ice-cream maker with 37 retail outlets nationwide, via share purchase and subscription for a total of RM83.9 million. In a research note yesterday, Maybank Investment Bank Bhd (Maybank IB) said the acquisition could lift FFB’s net profit by RM3.8 million per annum, while offering various positive business synergies across its existing value chain and potential foray into the consumer-packaged goods (CPG) icecream market. “With retail ice creameries as a new revenue stream, this offers various businesses synergies to FFB in the form of product cross-selling opportunities, regional store expansions and wider product distribution network capabilities. “As FFB has previously indicated its intention to penetrate the domestic CPG ice-cream market once its new manufacturing hub in Bandar Enstek, Seremban, is completed, TISSB’s founders will also be key assets in leading FFB’s ice-cream division,” the bank said. Maybank IB is maintaining a “buy” call on FFB with an unchanged target price of RM1.75. Similarly, CGS-CIMB Securities said the proposed acquisition is earnings accretive in nature as well as offering various business synergies between both companies. The brokerage said the valuation is undemanding based on TISSB’s 2022 price-to-earnings ratio (PER), at a 59.5% discount to Malaysia’s overall consumer sector’s 2022 PER of 40.7 times, and at a 57% discount to FFB’s 2022 PER. In addition, it said, FFB has no issue funding the cash portion of this purchase with its net gearing of 0.1 times at the end of its second quarter ended Sept 30, 2022. “We reiterate a ‘hold’ call, with an unchanged target price of RM1.65. In our view, the current valuations have largely priced in FFB’s growth prospects and the growing demand for fresh milk goods in the Asian region,” it said. At 12.30pm yesterday, FFB shares rose one sen to RM1.60 each, with 1.63 million units transacted. – Bernama Hibiscus posts ebitda of RM353.3m for quarter to Dec 31, 2022 KUALA LUMPUR: Hibiscus Petroleum Bhd reported earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (ebitda) of RM353.3 million and profit after tax of RM70.5 million for the financial quarter ended Dec 31 2022, driven by revenue of RM713.1 million, due to consistently high oil, condensate, and gas prices and strong operational performance. Issuing a corporate and business update outlining the group’s operational and financial highlights in conjunction with the release of its unaudited quarterly financial results for the second quarter of FY2023 (Q2’23) yesterday, the group said in Q2’23, 1.3 MMbbl of oil and condensate and 0.7 MMboe of gas were sold, contributing RM605.3 million and RM106.8 million to the total revenue, respectively. Over the course of FY23, the group estimates to sell 7.3 MMboe of oil, condensate, and gas. PAT increased by 45.3% compared to that of the previous financial year’s corresponding quarter ended Dec 31, 2021, despite being adversely affected by a one-off and noncash net deferred tax liability charge of RM104 million relating to the United Kingdom’s Energy Profits Levy (EPL). This one-off charge, which was recognised upon the introduction of the EPL regime, will be fully reversed from the group’s statement of profit or loss during the EPL regime period, which ends on March 31, 2028. In conjunction with its second quarter results released yesterday, the group declared an interim single-tier dividend of 0.75 sen per ordinary share for FY23. Commenting on the group’s outlook, managing director Dr Kenneth Pereira, said: “We have seen considerable growth in Q2 FY2023 which can be attributed to better performance from the Peninsula Hibiscus Group assets and the Anasuria Cluster. Despite the one-off negative non-cash adjustment from the Energy Profits Levy regime in the UK, we were still able to deliver strong ebitda and PAT numbers.” Beyond4, pitchIN to fuel growth of local startups KUALA LUMPUR: BEYOND4 has partnered with pitchIN (Pitch Platforms Sdn Bhd) yesterday to further bolster their startup ecosystem system with more fundraising opportunities available to founders. The pitchIN equity crowdfunding platform is a Registered Market Operator (RMO) with the Securities Commission. To date it has successfully funded over 164 deals, the most among all ECF platforms in Malaysia. pitchIN has raised more than RM280 million to date, with over 7,952 investments made into fast growing Malaysian companies. This partnership has already onboarded its first three startups: Yes Hello, a platform that creates meaningful connections for businesses to grow, Materials in Works, a scalable upcycling technology that produces sustainable raw materials from “hard-to-recycle” waste packaging materials and Sayur Kita Asia, a community-driven urban farming solution, BEYOND4 having previously raised their seed funding of RM1.45 million alongside pitchIN in May 2022, this partnership marks the next chapter in their working relationship, as both organisations work towards building the Malaysian startup ecosystem ever upward. MIDF Research maintains neutral call on the property sector PETALING JAYA: MIDF Research believes that the buying interest in the property sector may recover slightly following the pause in the overnight policy rate (OPR) hikes despite the continuous decline in loan applications. It has maintained a “neutral” call for the property sector and favours companies which focus on affordable price range properties as the segment continues to see resilient demand from first-time home buyers. According to the data released by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), loan applications for the purchase of property continued to decline for the fourth consecutive month in Dec 2022. The decline could be due to the OPR hikes in September and November which reduce the buying interest as a result of higher monthly instalments. BNM paused the OPR hike in January 2023 by keeping OPR unchanged, providing shortterm relief to the property sector as the four consecutive OPR hikes by a total of 100 basis points in 2022 hurt the affordability of property buyers. It has maintained a “buy” call for Mah Sing Group Bhd at a target price of 75 sen for its high exposure to mid-market and affordable homes segments. The research firm expects a better earnings outlook for Mah Sing due to the pick-up in progress billing of its ongoing projects. “New sales outlook remains positive with upcoming launches in M Series and demand for M Series affordable housing remains supported by genuine home buyers,” it said in a research report. Cape EMS expects to raise RM155.7m from IPO PETALING JAYA: Cape EMS Bhd, en route to a listing on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia, has launched the prospectus for its initial public offering (IPO). The IPO exercise is expected to raise RM155.7 million for the group based on the retail price of 90 sen per share through a public issue of 173.0 million new shares. From the proceeds, 40.3% will be utilised for the setting-up of a new cleanroom facility and the purchase of new automated production lines for EMS operations; 34.1% will be utilised for the construction of a New Senai 226 Warehouse and the installation of automated storage facilities; 13.2% will be allocated for working capital; 3% will be utilised for the purchase of new machinery and equipment for die-cast manufacturingrelated services; 2.4% will go towards the installation of an energy-saving cooling system, and 7% is to defray the listing-related expenses. A total of RM78 million is expected to be raised through the offer-for-sale exercise involving 86.7 million existing Cape EMS shares by the selling shareholders of Cape EMS. Based on the enlarged share capital of 923 million shares at 90 sen per share, Cape EMS’s market capitalisation will work out to be RM830.7 million. Non-independent managing director and group CEO Tee Kim Chin (Christina) said it has expanded its product portfolio to include both industrial and consumer electronic products such as wireless communication equipment, smart utility data collection equipment, point of sales terminals, household appliances and electronic cigarettes, and now serve both regional and overseas markets. “Our strong financial performance has provided us with the resources to continue to invest in our manufacturing facilities to be ready to capture more market share by taking From left: Cape EMS director Lim Chue Wan, chairman Datuk Mohd Rabin Basir, HLIB group managing director/CEO Lee Jim Leng, Tee, AmInvestment Bank CEO Tracy Chen Wee Keng, Cape EMS director Tee Kim Yok and HLIB head of equity markets Phang Siew Loong at the launch. oProceeds will be used for enhancement of production lines, new warehouse, working capital and installation of energy-saving cooling system, among others on more orders for new products from existing and new customers in both the industrial and consumer electronic products segment,” she said. The projected growth of the global semiconductor and electronics markets will drive the demand for EMS, and it has set sights on the huge growth potential of both the local and global EMS industries. “We intend to construct a new warehouse and install automated storage facilities in the new warehouse. We also intend to set up a new cleanroom facility and purchase new automated production lines for our EMS operations to enhance our production capacity. “We will install an energy-saving cooling system at our existing Senai 227 Factory and purchase new machinery and equipment for die-cast manufacturing related services. We are optimistic that the added production capacity and increasing automation facilities will enhance our operational efficiency and help to reduce reliance on manual labour,” she added. For this IPO exercise, Hong Leong Investment Bank Bhd is the principal adviser, joint bookrunner and joint underwriter while AmInvestment Bank Bhd is the joint bookrunner and joint underwriter.
12 theSUN ON FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 17, 2023 SUNBIZ @thesundaily FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM SCAN ME Rising debt, crypto regulation high on agenda of G20 meet oFinance ministers and central bank chiefs to gather in India next week NEW DELHI: G20 finance and central bank chiefs meet in India next week at the first-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to discuss rising debt troubles among developing countries, the regulation of cryptocurrencies and the global slowdown. The Feb 22-25 meeting in the Nandi Hills summer retreat near Bengaluru is the first major event of India’s G20 presidency and will be followed by a March 1-2 meeting of foreign ministers in New Delhi. As global borrowing costs rise, India – whose neighbours Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh have all sought International Monetary Fund (IMF) support in recent months – wants to put debt relief at the forefront of discussions at the finance talks. It is drafting a proposal for G20 countries to help debtor nations badly hit by the economic impact from the pandemic and the Ukraine war, by asking big lenders including China to take a large haircut on loans, Reuters reported on Wednesday. New Delhi also supports a push B R I E F S TEMASEK IN TALKS ON STAKE IN INDIA’S CLOUDNINE HOSPITALS B E N G A LU R U : S i n g a p o re a n sovereign fund Temasek Holdings is in advanced talks to buy a minority stake in Cloudnine Hospitals, valuing the Indian hospital chain at 30 billion rupees (RM1.6 billion), the Economic Times reported yesterday. Temasek is likely to invest around 5 billion rupees for a 15-20% stake in the maternity, gynaecology, and pediatric hospital chain via its Sheares Healthcare unit, ET said. Apart from Temasek, existing investor NewQuest Capital will increase its stake in the Bengaluru-based company with an investment of about 2 billion rupees, the report said. Cloudnine had reportedly planned an initial public offering in February last year to raise 12 billion rupees, but postponed that plan due to market volatility. – Reuters STANCHART RAISES FORECASTS, UNVEILS SHARE BUYBACK SINGAPORE: Standard Chartered (StanChart) upgraded a key performance metric and announced a new US$1 billion (RM4.4 billion) share buyback programme yesterday, after reporting a 28% rise in annual pretax profit as global interest rate hikes boosted its lending revenue. Standard Chartered’s performance, like that of global peers, was aided by aggressive central bank interest rate hikes aimed at combating inflation, which in turn allowed lenders to charge more after a decade of near-zero rates. The Asia, Africa and Middle East-focused bank, which has been the subject of takeover speculation linked with First Abu Dhabi Bank, said its latest share buyback exercise would start imminently. – Reuters by the IMF, the World Bank and the US for the so-called Common Framework (CF) – a G20 initiative launched in 2020 to help poor countries delay debt repayments – to be expanded to include middle-income countries, though China has resisted. “We support exploring a possible extension of the CF to middleincome countries facing debt vulnerabilities,” said a European Union paper, signalling its backing for such moves ahead of the meeting. The World Bank said in December the world’s poorest countries owed US$62 billion (RM272 billion) in annual debt service to bilateral creditors, a yearon-year increase of 35%, triggering a higher risk of defaults. Two-thirds of the debt burden is owed to China, the world’s largest sovereign creditor. For India, the other priority is to agree on global rules for cryptocurrencies. India’s central bank governor said last year cryptocurrencies were a “huge threat” to economic and financial stability” and some officials even called for a ban. “Crypto assets are by definition borderless and require international collaboration to prevent regulatory arbitrage,“ India’s Ministry of Finance told parliament this week. “Therefore, any legislation for regulation or for banning can be effective only with significant international collaboration on evaluation of the risks and benefits and evolution of common taxonomy and standards.”– Reuters Chinese developer CIFI says not facing debt payment woes SHANGHAI: Chinese real estate developer CIFI Group said there had been no delays or defaults with regard to its onshore debt payments, triggering a robust rebound in its domestic bond prices yesterday. Shanghai-traded bonds issued by CIFI Group have been sharply down since late January, despite improved investor sentiment towards China’s crisis-hit property sector after authorities embarked on a slew of supportive measures. “The transaction prices of our bonds in the secondary market significantly deviate from their reasonable value,” CIFI Group, which is part of CIFI Holdings, said in its statement issued late on Wednesday. The company also said it is actively improving sales and cash flow and is arranging fundraising and repayments “in an orderly way”. Prices of the company’s Shanghaitraded bonds jumped more than 30% in yesterday’s trade. They are, however, still trading at stressed levels. A batch of 1.8 billion yuan (RM1.2 billion) bonds maturing in May 2025 was trading at around 51 yuan compared to 72 yuan at the end of January. CIFI, China’s 18th largest property developer by sales, in November suspended payments on all of its offshore debt after it failed to reach an agreement with creditors who are owed US$414 million (RM1.8 billion) in total. The company at the time said it was in discussions with offshore bondholders and aimed to come to an “overall solution” before the end of this March. The default added to a string of non-payments of offshore debt obligations by Chinese developers over the last couple of years as the property sector, which accounts for roughly a quarter of the economy, reeled from a stifling cash squeeze. Most property developers have blamed the offshore defaults on declining property sales in a slowing economy and fewer avenues for raising fresh capital as creditors remain wary about the sector’s revival prospects in the near-term. Analysts see rising home prices as a positive sign, but believe more stimulative policies are needed to spark a longer-term recovery in the sector. – Reuters Germany’s oldest companies face fresh break-up calls FRANKFURT: Activist investors are renewing their years-long efforts to break up some of Germany’s most venerable firms, seeing streamlining as a promising route to reviving share prices as Europe’s top economy emerges from the energy crisis. This week Brenntag, founded in 1874 as an egg trader in Berlin, became the latest target of investors, who called for the chemicals distributor to spin off its specialties unit. Bayer, Fresenius and Thyssenkrupp have seen similar demands to release value. That signals a rebound in shareholder activism that may force companies to consider major overhauls and spin-offs, executives and investors say, after a lull last year that investment bank Lazard attributed to the energy crisis triggered by the war in Ukraine. Lawrence Elbaum, co-head of law firm Vinson & Elkins’ shareholder activism practice, said investors were looking for value-boosting strategies that do not require much funding in a difficult market. Deka Investment, which has around €367 billion (RM1.7 trillion) in assets under management and holds stakes in most major German corporations, has repeatedly called out German companies for structural weaknesses. The US has a much richer history of corporate break-ups, exemplified by plans unveiled in October by medical device maker Medtronic, which is creating a new company out of its patient monitoring and ventilators businesses. Other US examples over the last two years include Johnson & Johnson, General Electric and 3M. Joe Kaeser, supervisory board chairman of Siemens Energy , said the US was much more advanced, and also more successful, in the field of shareholder activism. “A leaner set-up can take advantage of untapped energy and crystallise hidden value, especially in a complex environment with difficult market conditions,” he told Reuters. Management and governance problems are still rife in Germany, creating activist opportunities, said Kaeser. He said a certain “friends and family” attitude in German board rooms meant there was less awareness that firms belong to their shareholders.
13 SPORTS theSUN ON FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 17, 2023 IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF VENUE VENTURE SDN. BHD. [Registration No. 200201030649 (598312-V)] NOTICE OF CAPITAL REDUCTION AND REPAYMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 117 OF THE COMPANIES ACT 2016 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Venue Venture Sdn. Bhd. (“the Company”) had on 10 February 2023 passed a Special Resolution to reduce its share capital by cancelling the sum of RM71,800,953 represented by 71,800,953 ordinary shares from the issued capital of the Company of RM76,601,277 comprising 76,601,277 ordinary shares, resulting in the share capital being reduced to RM4,800,324 comprising 4,800,324 ordinary shares and that the credit of RM71,800,953 arising from such reduction be returned in cash to the sole shareholder of the Company, Europlus Berhad [Registration No. 192601000051 (520-H)]. A Solvency Statement in relation to the capital reduction made by all the Directors of the Company is available at the Company’s registered office at Unit 17.02, Level 17, Menara Maxisegar, Jalan Pandan Indah 4/2, Pandan Indah, 55100 Kuala Lumpur for inspection by any creditor of the Company for a period of six (6) weeks from the date of the Special Resolution. The Company will proceed to lodge the required documents with the Registrar to effect the capital reduction if no application for cancellation of the Special Resolution is made to the Court by any creditor of the Company within six (6) weeks from the date of the Special Resolution. BY ORDER OF THE BOARD SOO KAH PIK (MIA 8102) SSM PC NO. 201908004099 Company Secretary Kuala Lumpur 17 February 2023 PERISYTIHARAN JUALAN DALAM MAHKAMAH TINGGI MALAYA DI SUNGAI PETANI PERMOHONAN UNTUK PERLAKSANAAN NO: KB-38-801-12/2022 Dalam perkara mengenai Seksyen 256 dan 257 Kanun Tanah Negara, 1965 Dan Dalam perkara mengenai Gadaian Perserahan No: 21284/2004 ( bertarikh 23/08/2004) ke atas semua bahagian tanah yang dipegang di bawah HSD 59003 (dahulunya dikenali sebagai HSD 9109), PT 4619, Mukim Bandar Kulim (dahulunya dikenali sebagai Mukim Kulim), Daerah Kulim, Kedah Dan Dalam perkara mengenai Aturan 83 Kaedah- Kaedah Mahkamah, 2012 ANTARA Public Bank Berhad (No. Syarikat : 6463-H) .. PLAINTIF DAN Ketua Pengarah Insolvensi sebagai pentadbir harta kepada Khairul Adnan Bin Hashim (No. Kad Pengenalan : 660423075199) ...DEFENDAN Menurut Perintah Mahkamah Tinggi Malaya di SUNGAI PETANI mengenai Perintah Jualan dan Perintah bertarikh 24 Januari 2022 dan 11 Januari 2023, adalah dengan ini diisytiharkan bahawa Timbalan Pendaftar/Penolong Kanan Pendaftar Pusat Operasi e-Lelong di Kuantan AKAN MENJUAL SECARA LELONG AWAM Pada Hari Isnin, 6 Mac 2023, Pada Jam 9:00 pagi, SECARA ELEKTRONIK DI LAMAN WEB e-LELONG, PUSAT OPERASI e-LELONG, KOMPLEKS MAHKAMAH KUANTAN, PAHANG DARUL MAKMUR NOTA: Bakal pembeli adalah dinasihatkan agar membuat carian Hakmilik secara rasmi di Pejabat Tanah dan memeriksa semua tanggungan, bebanan serta mengenal pasti dengan tepat hartanah tersebut sebelum juaIan lelongan dijaIankan. Sila layari https://eIeIong.kehakiman.gov.my/bidderweb BUTIR-BUTIR HAKMILIK: No. Hakmilik : HSD 59003 (dahulunya dikenali sebagai HSD 9109) No. Lot : PT 4619 Mukim/Daerah/Negeri : Bandar Kulim (dahulunya dikenali sebagai Mukim Kulim) / Kulim / Kedah Pegangan : Hakmilik Kekal No. Petak/No. Tingkat/No. : Bangunan : Keluasan Tanah : 5156.000000 kaki persegi : 479.000000 meter persegi Pemilik Berdaftar : Ketua Pengarah Insolvensi sebagai pentadbir harta kepada Khairul Adnan Bin Hashim Syarat Nyata : Tanah yang terkandung dalam hakmilik ini hendaklah digunakan sebagai tapak satu bangunan kediaman (Rumah Berkembar) sahaja Sekatan Kepentingan : - Bebanan / Lain-Lain : Kawasan Rizab : Lot Untuk Orang Melayu Kaveat : LOKASI DAN PERIHAL HARTANAH : Hartanah tersebut adalah “A Two and a half storey semi-detached house bearing the assessment address No. 26, Jalan Budiman 4, Taman Budiman, 09000 Kulim, Kedah Darul Aman held under HSD 59003 (formerly HSD 9109), PT 4619 Bandar Kulim (formerly Mukim of Kulim) District of Kulim, Kedah Darul Aman.” yang beralamat pos di No. 26, Jalan Budiman 4, Taman Budiman, 09000 Kulim, Kedah. HARGA RIZAB : Hartanah tersebut akan dijual atas “sepertimana sedia ada” tertakluk kepada satu harga rizab sebanyak RM 405,900.00 (RINGGIT MALAYSIA: EMPAT RATUS LIMA RIBU SEMBILAN RATUS SAHAJA) dan kepada syarat-syarat jualan yang dilampirkan. Pembida yang berminat hendaklah mendepositkan 10% daripada harga rizab dalam bentuk Bank Draf di atas nama PUBLIC BANK BERHAD 1 HARI BEKERJA sebelum tarikh lelong awam. Baki harga belian hendaklah dibayar oleh pembida yang berjaya kepada PUBLIC BANK BERHAD dalam tempoh seratus dua puluh (120) hari dari tarikh jualan. Untuk butir-butir selanjutnya, sila berhubung dengan:- Firma Guaman : WONG-CHOOI & MOHD NOR Alamat : NO. 27, 1ST FLOOR JALAN MAJU JAYA PUSAT PERNIAGAAN MAJU JAYA, 14000 BUKIT MERTAJAM, PULAU PINANG No. Telefon : 04-5398855 No. Fax : 04-5395855 No. Rujukan : WCMN(BM)/PBB(SP)-HL/2021-159/KAH(RS/j) 322 Notices IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF PEMBINAAN PAKATAN SUN SDN. BHD. Company No: 199501025219 (354424-M) (MEMBERS’ VOLUNTARY WINDING-UP) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to Section 459 of the Companies Act, 2016 that a Final Meeting of the Company will be held at P13, Level P, Block A, Kelana Square, Jalan SS 7/26, Kelana Jaya, 47301 Petaling Jaya on 22.03.2023 at 11.00 a.m. For the following purpose : 1. To receive an account from the Liquidator showing manner in which the winding-up has been conducted and the property of the Company disposed of and to hear any explanations that may be given by the Liquidator. 2. To determine pursuant Section 518 of the Companies Act, 2016 the manner in which the books, accounts and documents of the Company and of the Liquidator thereof shall be disposed of. Sylvester Devaraj A/L Anthony Liquidator c/o Elementary Consultancy Services Sdn Bhd P13, Level P, Block A, Kelana Square, 17 Jalan SS 7/26, Kelana Jaya, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan. Petaling Jaya this 13.02.2023 322 Notices DALAM MAHKAMAH MAJISTRET DI SHAH ALAM DALAM NEGERI SELANGOR DARUL EHSAN, MALAYSIA GUAMAN NO: BA-A72NCC-339-12/2022 ANTARA QUICKASH MALAYSIA SDN. BHD. [No. Syarikat: 201701007737 (1221902-M)] …PLAINTIF DAN 1. CHANG SOOK KEI (No. K/P: 920209-14-5502) Berniaga di bawah nama dan gaya SGE SUMMIT GLUE ENTERPRISE [No. Pendaftaran Perniagaan: 201903287196 (003032094-U)] 2. BOEY WAI HONG (NO. K/P: 920103-14-5395) ...DEFENDAN-DEFENDAN NOTIS PENYAMPAIAN GANTI Kepada: - BOEY WAI HONG (NO. K/P: 920103-14-5395) 139, JLN Perigi Nanas 8/10 Taman Perindustrian Pulau Indah 42920 Pulau Indah, Selangor. AMBIL PERHATIAN bahawa suatu Writ Saman dan Pernyataan Tuntutan telah dikeluarkan terhadap kamu di MAHKAMAH MAJISRET DI SHAH ALAM oleh Plaintif, QUICKASH MALAYSIA SDN BHD dan Mahkamah telah memerintahkan bahawa Writ Saman dan Pernyataan Tuntutan disampaikan kepada kamu melalui penyampaian ganti dengan menampalkan sesalinan Writ Saman dan Pernyataan Tuntutan bersama dengan Perintah untuk Penyampaian ganti pada papan notis di Mahkamah Shah Alam dan alamat terakhir kamu yang diketahui di 139, JLN Perigi Nanas 8/10, Taman Perindustrian Pulau Indah, 42920 Pulau Indah, Selangor dan serta mengiklankan satu notis pengiklanan sebanyak sekali di akhbar tempatan di mana penampalan dan pengiklanan tersebut adalah disifatkan sebagai penyampaian yang sempurna dan memadai ke atas kamu selepas tujuh (7) hari dari tarikh penampalan dan juga pengiklanan yang terakhir. Jika kamu berhasrat untuk membela Tindakan tersebut, kamu mestilah memasukkan kehadiran di Pejabat Pendaftaran Mahkamah Majistret Shah Alam. Jika kamu gagal berbuat demikian, Penghakinman boleh diberikan terhadap kamu. Bertarikh pada 20 Januari 2023 t/t .................................. Peguamcara Plaintif Tetuan Leong Law Chambers NOTIS PENYAMPAIAN GANTI ini adalah difailkan oleh Tetuan Leong Law Chambers, Peguamcara pihak Plaintif yang beralamat di Ground Floor, PT 14077, Jalan Sri Cindai 1, 18300 Gua Musang, Kelantan. (Tel: 09-9134888) (Ruj: LLC/22/QK-SGE/L22) DALAM MAHKAMAH MAJISTRET DI KAJANG DALAM NEGERI SELANGOR DARUL EHSAN, MALAYSIA GUAMAN NO: BH-A72NCC-74-12/2022 ANTARA QUICKASH MALAYSIA SDN. BHD. [No. Syarikat: 201701007737 (1221902- M)] …PLAINTIF DAN 1. CHAO LING GROUP HOLDING SDN. BHD. [No. Syarikat: 201901010109 (1319437-A)] 2. WONG KONG MENG (NO. K/P: 640514-05-5611) 3. OLIVIA WONG SIEW LAY (NO. K/P: 880207-10-5060) ...DEFENDAN-DEFENDAN NOTIS PENYAMPAIAN GANTI Kepada: - WONG KONG MENG (NO. K/P: 640514-05-5611) 23, Jalan TK 5/7 Taman Mawar 47100 Puchong Selangor. OLIVIA WONG SIEW LAY (NO. K/P: 880207-10-5060) 23, Jalan TK 5/7 Taman Mawar 47100 Puchong Selangor. AMBIL PERHATIAN bahawa suatu Writ Saman dan Pernyataan Tuntutan telah dikeluarkan terhadap kamu di MAHKAMAH MAJISRET DI KAJANG oleh Plaintif, QUICKASH MALAYSIA SDN BHD dan Mahkamah telah memerintahkan bahawa Writ Saman dan Pernyataan Tuntutan disampaikan kepada kamu melalui penyampaian ganti dengan menampalkan sesalinan Writ Saman dan Pernyataan Tuntutan bersama dengan Perintah untuk Penyampaian ganti pada papan notis di Mahkamah Kajang dan alamat terakhir kamu yang diketahui 23, Jalan TK 5/7, Taman Mawar, 47100 Puchong, Selangor dan serta mengiklankan satu notis pengiklanan sebanyak sekali di akhbar tempatan di mana penampalan dan pengiklanan tersebut adalah disifatkan sebagai penyampaian yang sempurna dan memadai ke atas kamu selepas tujuh (7) hari dari tarikh penampalan dan juga pengiklanan yang terakhir. Jika kamu berhasrat untuk membela Tindakan tersebut, kamu mestilah memasukkan kehadiran di Pejabat Pendaftaran Mahkamah Majistret Kajang pada 27 haribulan Februari 2023 pada pukul 9.00 pagi. Jika kamu gagal berbuat demikian, Penghakiman boleh diberikan terhadap kamu. Bertarikh pada 27 Januari 2023 t/t ............................ Peguamcara Plaintif Tetuan Leong Law Chambers NOTIS PENYAMPAIAN GANTI ini adalah difailkan oleh Tetuan Leong Law Chambers, Peguamcara pihak Plaintif yang beralamat di Ground Floor, PT 14077, Jalan Sri Cindai 1, 18300 Gua Musang, Kelantan. (Tel: 09-9134888) (Ruj: LLC/22/QK-CHAOLING/L21) 322 Notices 322 Notices DALAM MAHKAMAH TINGGI DI SHAH ALAM DALAM NEGERI SELANGOR (BAHAGIAN KELUARGA) PETISYEN PERCERAIAN NO.: BA-33-855-11/2022 Dalam Perkara Seksyen 53 & 54 Akta Membaharui Undang-Undang (Perkahwinan dan Perceraian) 1976 ANTARA CATHERINE NG SOO YING (NO. K/P: 710110-07-5692) …PEMPETISYEN DAN NG CHEE THENG (NO. K/P: 700406-02-5265) …RESPONDEN N O T I S Kepada: NG CHEE THENG Unit F603, Perdana Condo No. 15, Jalan PJU 8/1 Bandar Damansara Perdana 47820 Petaling Jaya Selangor Darul Ehsan AMBIL PERHATIAN bahawa satu Petisyen Perceraian telah dikemukakan terhadap kamu, NG CHEE THENG di Mahkamah Tinggi Malaya di Shah Alam oleh CATHERINE NG SOO YING di mana pihak Pempetisyen menuntut terhadap kamu sebagai pihak Responden seperti yang tertera di dalam Petisyen Perceraian bertarikh 10.11.2022 (“Petisyen tersebut”). DAN TELAH DIPERINTAHKAN bahawa Petisyen tersebut disampaikan terhadap kamu secara penyampaian ganti dengan menampalkan sesalinan Petisyen tersebut, Notis Prosiding dan Akuan Terima Penyampaian bersama-sama dengan sesalinan Perintah untuk penyampaian ganti (“Kertas-kertas Kausa tersebut”) pada Papan Notis Mahkamah Tinggi Malaya di Shah Alam, mengirim sesalinan Kertaskertas Kausa tersebut ke premis alamat terakhir kamu yang diketahui di Unit F603 Perdana Condo, No. 15, Jalan PJU 8/1, Bandar Damansara Perdana, 47820 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan melalui Pos Berdaftar dan Sijil Perakuan Pengeposan dan dengan mengiklankan Notis ini dalam suatu surat khabar tempatan iaitu “The Sun”, dan penampalan, pengiriman dan pengiklanan sedemikian hendaklah dianggap sebagai penyampaian sempurna ke atas kamu tujuh (7) hari selepas tarikh akhir penampalan, pengiriman dan pengiklanan tersebut (“Tarikh Penyampaian tersebut”). Kamu boleh memohon kepada Timbalan Pendaftar Mahkamah Tinggi Keluarga di Shah Alam atau Tetuan Kee Sern, Siu & Huey, peguamcara bagi pihak Pempetisyen tersebut salinan Kertas-kertas Kausa tersebut dan salinan-salinannya akan dihantar kepada kamu. Sekiranya kamu berhasrat untuk membela tindakan ini, kamu dikehendaki dalam tempoh lapan (8) hari selepas Tarikh Penyampaian tersebut memasukkan kehadiran dengan memfailkan Akuan Terima Penyampaian di Pejabat Pendaftaran Mahkamah Tinggi Malaya di Shah Alam dan menyampaikan sesalinannya kepada peguamcara Pempetisyen, Tetuan Kee Sern, Siu & Huey. Jika kamu ingkar berbuat demikian, satu Penghakiman boleh dikenakan terhadap kamu. Bertarikh pada 10 Januari 2023. ..................t.t .................. Pendaftar Mahkamah Tinggi Malaya Shah Alam Notis ini dikeluarkan oleh Tetuan Kee Sern, Siu & Huey, peguamcara Pempetisyen yang mempunyai alamat penyampaian di No. 468-11E(2), Tingkat 2, Blok C, Rivercity, Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah (formerly Jalan Ipoh), 51200 Kuala Lumpur. [Tel: 03-9212 2688] [Faks: 03-4044 0448] [Emel: [email protected]] [Ruj: KZ/GSL/GL03/CNSY-NCT/220450] THE ATLAS ICE COMPANY, BERHAD (INCORPORATED IN MALAYSIA) [191201000003(1302-W)] NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the 108th Annual General Meeting of the Company will be held at No. 12, Jalan Bukit Gedong, 75050 Melaka on Friday, 17 March 2023 at 12.00 noon to transact the following:- AGENDA AS ORDINARY BUSINESS: 1.To table the Audited Financial Statements for the financial year ended 30 September 2022 together with the Reports of the Directors and Auditors thereon. Note 1 2.To consider and if thought fit, to pass the following Ordinary Resolutions:- Resolution 1 (a) To re-elect Mr. Chee Kim Hoon who shall retire in accordance with the Company’s Constitution (Article 91 of the Company’s Articles of Association) and being eligible, has offered himself for re-election. Resolution 2 (b) To re-elect Mr. Chee Teng Wah @ Charlie Chee who shall retire in accordance with the Company’s Constitution (Article 91 of the Company’s Articles of Association) and being eligible, has offered himself for re-election. Resolution 3 (c) To re-elect Mr. Chee Eng Hoon who shall retire in accordance with the Company’s Constitution (Article 91 of the Company’s Articles of Association) and being eligible, has offered himself for re-election. Resolution 4 (d) To approve the declaration of a final single tier dividend and a bonus single tier dividend totalling 70 sen per ordinary stock for the year ended 30 September 2022. Note 2 Resolution 5 (e) To approve payment of Directors’ fees. Resolution 6 (f) To re-appoint M/s. O. L. Yeo & Co PLT as Auditors of the Company for the financial year ending 30 September 2023 and to authorise the Board of Directors to fix their remuneration. 3. To transact any other business of which due notice shall have been given. NOTICE OF CLOSURE OF BOOKS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Transfer Book will be closed from 25 February 2023 to 27 February 2023. By Order of the Board, Low Bee Kheng Nurizzatul Ilya binti Md Isa Nur Syabinaz binti Jamal Secretaries Melaka, 17 February 2023 Notes:- 1. Pursuant to Section 340(1)(a) of the Companies Act 2016 [the “Act”], the directors shall lay before the Company at its annual general meeting its annual financial statements made up to a date not more than 6 months before the date of the meeting. There will be no resolution to be passed on this item 1. 2. At the said meeting, the directors will recommend payment of a final single tier dividend of 10 sen per ordinary stock and a bonus single tier dividend of 60 sen per ordinary stock for the year ended 30 September 2022 to all stockholders whose names appear in the Register of Members at the close of business at 5.00 p.m. on 24 February 2023. 3. A member shall not be entitled to appoint more than two (2) proxies to attend at the same meeting. Where a member appoints two (2) proxies, the appointment shall be invalid unless he specifies the proportion of his holdings to be represented by each proxy. 4. The instrument appointing a proxy must be deposited at the Registered Office of the Company at No.12, Jalan Bukit Gedong, 75050 Melaka not less than 48 hours before the time set for holding the meeting or at any adjournment thereof. 5. If the appointer is a corporation, the form of proxy must be given under its common seal or under the hand of an officer of the corporation duly authorised on its behalf. 6. In the case of joint holdings, the vote of the first-named in the Register of Members will be accepted to the exclusion of other joint holders of the stocks. NOTICE OF MEETING IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF DAYA LAND & DEVELOPMENT SDN. BHD. 200001021995 (524602-D) (In Member’s Voluntary Winding Up) (Incorporated in Malaysia) NOTICE OF FINAL MEETING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to Section 459(1) of the Companies Act 2016, the FINAL MEETING of the Company will be held at Suite 15, 6th Floor, IOI Business Park, Bandar Puchong Jaya, 47170 Puchong, Selangor on 20-03-2023 at 10.00 a.m. for the following purposes:- 1. To receive the Liquidators’ Statement of Account showing the manner in which the winding up has been conducted and the property of the Company has been disposed of, and of hearing any explanation that may be given by the Liquidators. 2. To destroy all the books and records of the Company and of the liquidators, in digital, printed and any format that are relevant to the affairs of the Company at the expiry of two years from the date of dissolution of the Company and in accordance to the provisions of the Companies Act 2016. LAI CHUNG EN CHAN BEE LEE (F) Liquidators Dated this 17-02-2023 Note : A member entitled to attend and vote at the meeting is entitled to appoint a proxy to attend and, on a poll, to vote in his stead. A proxy may but need not be a member of the Company. The proxy form must be deposited to the Liquidators’ address at Suite 15, 6th Floor, IOI Business Park, Bandar Puchong Jaya, 47170 Puchong, Selangor at least 48 hours before the date and time of the meeting. NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR VOLUNTARY WINDING UP OF LIMITED LIABILITY PARTNERSHIP (Section 50(4)(a) of the Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2012) Notice is hereby given that KSD Network PLT (LLP No. 0021825-LGN) will be making an application to the Registrar of Limited Liability Partnerships for a declaration of dissolution pursuant to section 50(2) of the Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2012 within seven (7) days after the publication of this notice. Any partner or creditor of the LLP desiring to object to the application may do so in writing to the Companies Commission of Malaysia within thirty (30) days from the date of this notice. IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF GEOMAP SDN. BHD. Registration No.: 198201009999 (89723-K) (In Members’ Voluntary Liquidation) NOTICE OF FINAL MEETING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to Section 459 (1) of the Companies Act 2016, a Final Meeting of the Members of the abovementioned Company will be held at No. 7, Jalan Industri PBP 3, Taman Industri Pusat Bandar Puchong, 47100 Puchong, Selangor Darul Ehsan on Monday, 20th March, 2023 at 11.00 a.m for the following purposes:- AGENDA 1) To receive the Statements of Accounts of the Company showing the manner in which the winding-up has been conducted and to hear explanations that may be given by the Liquidator. 2) To approve the following Ordinary Resolution :- ORDINARY RESOLUTION -DISPOSAL OF BOOKS AND RECORDS “THAT the books, accounts and documents of the Company and that of the Liquidator be destroyed at the expiration of three (3) months after the date of the Final Meeting.” Lee Chenk Hock @ Lee Cheng San Joint and Several Liquidators Khoo Boo Choon Joint and Several Liquidators February 17, 2023 322 Notices 322 Notices 322 Notices IN THE HIGH COURT OF MALAYA AT JOHOR BAHRU IN THE STATE OF JOHORE, MALAYSIA PETITION NO. JA-26NCC-1-12/2022 In the matter of LeeKee Industries (M) Sdn. Bhd. (Registration no. 199201002626 [234130-w]) And In the matter of Section 116 (1)(c) of the Companies Act 2016 LEEKEE INDUSTRIES (M) SDN. BHD. (Registration no. 199201002626 [234130-w]) ... PETITIONER ADVERTISEMENT OF PETITION NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Petition was on the 15th day of December 2022 presented to the High Court of Malaya at Johor Bahru for the confirmation of the reduction of the capital of the abovementioned Company from RM 3,000,000-00 to RM 2,490,000-00 by returning the paid-up capital which is in excess of the needs of the Company. AND NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that the said Petition is directed to be heard before the presiding Judge, YA Shamsulbahri bin Haji Ibrahim at High Court of Malaya at Johor Bahru on the 28th day of February 2023 at 9.00 am. ANY creditor or shareholder of the said Company desiring to oppose the making of an Order for the confirmation of the said reduction of capital should appear at the time of hearing in person or by counsel for that purpose. A copy of the said Petition will be furnished to any such person requiring the same by the same undermentioned solicitors on payment of the regulated charge for the same. Dated this 17 day of February 2023. signed ………………………… Messrs Tay Chambers Solicitors for the Petitioner No. 7-02, Jalan Molek 1/29, Taman Molek 81100 Johor Bahru, Malaysia Note: Any person who intends to appear on the hearing of the said Petition must serve on or send by post to the abovenamed solicitors, 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 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 solicitors not later than 12 o’clock noon on the 24th day of February 2023 (2 clear days before the day appointed for the hearing of the said Petition). Tel No: 07-361 2283 E-mail: [email protected] [Ref: 22145/LeeKee/VK] 322 Notices IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF VENUE VENTURE SDN. BHD. [Registration No. 200201030649 (598312-V)] NOTICE OF CAPITAL REDUCTION AND REPAYMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 117 OF THE COMPANIES ACT 2016 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Venue Venture Sdn. Bhd. (“the Company”) had on 10 February 2023 passed a Special Resolution to reduce its share capital by cancelling the sum of RM71,800,953 represented by 71,800,953 ordinary shares from the issued capital of the Company of RM76,601,277 comprising 76,601,277 ordinary shares, resulting in the share capital being reduced to RM4,800,324 comprising 4,800,324 ordinary shares and that the credit of RM71,800,953 arising from such reduction be returned in cash to the sole shareholder of the Company, Europlus Berhad [Registration No. 192601000051 (520-H)]. A Solvency Statement in relation to the capital reduction made by all the Directors of the Company is available at the Company’s registered office at Unit 17.02, Level 17, Menara Maxisegar, Jalan Pandan Indah 4/2, Pandan Indah, 55100 Kuala Lumpur for inspection by any creditor of the Company for a period of six (6) weeks from the date of the Special Resolution. The Company will proceed to lodge the required documents with the Registrar to effect the capital reduction if no application for cancellation of the Special Resolution is made to the Court by any creditor of the Company within six (6) weeks from the date of the Special Resolution. BY ORDER OF THE BOARD SOO KAH PIK (MIA 8102) SSM PC NO. 201908004099 Company Secretary Kuala Lumpur 17 February 2023 PERISYTIHARAN JUALAN DALAM MAHKAMAH TINGGI MALAYA DI SUNGAI PETANI PERMOHONAN UNTUK PERLAKSANAAN NO: KB-38-801-12/2022 Dalam perkara mengenai Seksyen 256 dan 257 Kanun Tanah Negara, 1965 Dan Dalam perkara mengenai Gadaian Perserahan No: 21284/2004 ( bertarikh 23/08/2004) ke atas semua bahagian tanah yang dipegang di bawah HSD 59003 (dahulunya dikenali sebagai HSD 9109), PT 4619, Mukim Bandar Kulim (dahulunya dikenali sebagai Mukim Kulim), Daerah Kulim, Kedah Dan Dalam perkara mengenai Aturan 83 Kaedah- Kaedah Mahkamah, 2012 ANTARA Public Bank Berhad (No. Syarikat : 6463-H) .. PLAINTIF DAN Ketua Pengarah Insolvensi sebagai pentadbir harta kepada Khairul Adnan Bin Hashim (No. Kad Pengenalan : 660423075199) ...DEFENDAN Menurut Perintah Mahkamah Tinggi Malaya di SUNGAI PETANI mengenai Perintah Jualan dan Perintah bertarikh 24 Januari 2022 dan 11 Januari 2023, adalah dengan ini diisytiharkan bahawa Timbalan Pendaftar/Penolong Kanan Pendaftar Pusat Operasi e-Lelong di Kuantan AKAN MENJUAL SECARA LELONG AWAM Pada Hari Isnin, 6 Mac 2023, Pada Jam 9:00 pagi, SECARA ELEKTRONIK DI LAMAN WEB e-LELONG, PUSAT OPERASI e-LELONG, KOMPLEKS MAHKAMAH KUANTAN, PAHANG DARUL MAKMUR NOTA: Bakal pembeli adalah dinasihatkan agar membuat carian Hakmilik secara rasmi di Pejabat Tanah dan memeriksa semua tanggungan, bebanan serta mengenal pasti dengan tepat hartanah tersebut sebelum juaIan lelongan dijaIankan. Sila layari https://eIeIong.kehakiman.gov.my/bidderweb BUTIR-BUTIR HAKMILIK: No. Hakmilik : HSD 59003 (dahulunya dikenali sebagai HSD 9109) No. Lot : PT 4619 Mukim/Daerah/Negeri : Bandar Kulim (dahulunya dikenali sebagai Mukim Kulim) / Kulim / Kedah Pegangan : Hakmilik Kekal No. Petak/No. Tingkat/No. : Bangunan : Keluasan Tanah : 5156.000000 kaki persegi : 479.000000 meter persegi Pemilik Berdaftar : Ketua Pengarah Insolvensi sebagai pentadbir harta kepada Khairul Adnan Bin Hashim Syarat Nyata : Tanah yang terkandung dalam hakmilik ini hendaklah digunakan sebagai tapak satu bangunan kediaman (Rumah Berkembar) sahaja Sekatan Kepentingan : - Bebanan / Lain-Lain : Kawasan Rizab : Lot Untuk Orang Melayu Kaveat : LOKASI DAN PERIHAL HARTANAH : Hartanah tersebut adalah “A Two and a half storey semi-detached house bearing the assessment address No. 26, Jalan Budiman 4, Taman Budiman, 09000 Kulim, Kedah Darul Aman held under HSD 59003 (formerly HSD 9109), PT 4619 Bandar Kulim (formerly Mukim of Kulim) District of Kulim, Kedah Darul Aman.” yang beralamat pos di No. 26, Jalan Budiman 4, Taman Budiman, 09000 Kulim, Kedah. HARGA RIZAB : Hartanah tersebut akan dijual atas “sepertimana sedia ada” tertakluk kepada satu harga rizab sebanyak RM 405,900.00 (RINGGIT MALAYSIA: EMPAT RATUS LIMA RIBU SEMBILAN RATUS SAHAJA) dan kepada syarat-syarat jualan yang dilampirkan. Pembida yang berminat hendaklah mendepositkan 10% daripada harga rizab dalam bentuk Bank Draf di atas nama PUBLIC BANK BERHAD 1 HARI BEKERJA sebelum tarikh lelong awam. Baki harga belian hendaklah dibayar oleh pembida yang berjaya kepada PUBLIC BANK BERHAD dalam tempoh seratus dua puluh (120) hari dari tarikh jualan. Untuk butir-butir selanjutnya, sila berhubung dengan:- Firma Guaman : WONG-CHOOI & MOHD NOR Alamat : NO. 27, 1ST FLOOR JALAN MAJU JAYA PUSAT PERNIAGAAN MAJU JAYA, 14000 BUKIT MERTAJAM, PULAU PINANG No. Telefon : 04-5398855 No. Fax : 04-5395855 No. Rujukan : WCMN(BM)/PBB(SP)-HL/2021-159/KAH(RS/j) 322 Notices IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF PEMBINAAN PAKATAN SUN SDN. BHD. Company No: 199501025219 (354424-M) (MEMBERS’ VOLUNTARY WINDING-UP) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to Section 459 of the Companies Act, 2016 that a Final Meeting of the Company will be held at P13, Level P, Block A, Kelana Square, Jalan SS 7/26, Kelana Jaya, 47301 Petaling Jaya on 22.03.2023 at 11.00 a.m. For the following purpose : 1. To receive an account from the Liquidator showing manner in which the winding-up has been conducted and the property of the Company disposed of and to hear any explanations that may be given by the Liquidator. 2. To determine pursuant Section 518 of the Companies Act, 2016 the manner in which the books, accounts and documents of the Company and of the Liquidator thereof shall be disposed of. Sylvester Devaraj A/L Anthony Liquidator c/o Elementary Consultancy Services Sdn Bhd P13, Level P, Block A, Kelana Square, 17 Jalan SS 7/26, Kelana Jaya, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan. Petaling Jaya this 13.02.2023 322 Notices DALAM MAHKAMAH MAJISTRET DI SHAH ALAM DALAM NEGERI SELANGOR DARUL EHSAN, MALAYSIA GUAMAN NO: BA-A72NCC-339-12/2022 ANTARA QUICKASH MALAYSIA SDN. BHD. [No. Syarikat: 201701007737 (1221902-M)] …PLAINTIF DAN 1. CHANG SOOK KEI (No. K/P: 920209-14-5502) Berniaga di bawah nama dan gaya SGE SUMMIT GLUE ENTERPRISE [No. Pendaftaran Perniagaan: 201903287196 (003032094-U)] 2. BOEY WAI HONG (NO. K/P: 920103-14-5395) ...DEFENDAN-DEFENDAN NOTIS PENYAMPAIAN GANTI Kepada: - BOEY WAI HONG (NO. K/P: 920103-14-5395) 139, JLN Perigi Nanas 8/10 Taman Perindustrian Pulau Indah 42920 Pulau Indah, Selangor. AMBIL PERHATIAN bahawa suatu Writ Saman dan Pernyataan Tuntutan telah dikeluarkan terhadap kamu di MAHKAMAH MAJISRET DI SHAH ALAM oleh Plaintif, QUICKASH MALAYSIA SDN BHD dan Mahkamah telah memerintahkan bahawa Writ Saman dan Pernyataan Tuntutan disampaikan kepada kamu melalui penyampaian ganti dengan menampalkan sesalinan Writ Saman dan Pernyataan Tuntutan bersama dengan Perintah untuk Penyampaian ganti pada papan notis di Mahkamah Shah Alam dan alamat terakhir kamu yang diketahui di 139, JLN Perigi Nanas 8/10, Taman Perindustrian Pulau Indah, 42920 Pulau Indah, Selangor dan serta mengiklankan satu notis pengiklanan sebanyak sekali di akhbar tempatan di mana penampalan dan pengiklanan tersebut adalah disifatkan sebagai penyampaian yang sempurna dan memadai ke atas kamu selepas tujuh (7) hari dari tarikh penampalan dan juga pengiklanan yang terakhir. Jika kamu berhasrat untuk membela Tindakan tersebut, kamu mestilah memasukkan kehadiran di Pejabat Pendaftaran Mahkamah Majistret Shah Alam. Jika kamu gagal berbuat demikian, Penghakinman boleh diberikan terhadap kamu. Bertarikh pada 20 Januari 2023 t/t .................................. Peguamcara Plaintif Tetuan Leong Law Chambers NOTIS PENYAMPAIAN GANTI ini adalah difailkan oleh Tetuan Leong Law Chambers, Peguamcara pihak Plaintif yang beralamat di Ground Floor, PT 14077, Jalan Sri Cindai 1, 18300 Gua Musang, Kelantan. (Tel: 09-9134888) (Ruj: LLC/22/QK-SGE/L22) DALAM MAHKAMAH MAJISTRET DI KAJANG DALAM NEGERI SELANGOR DARUL EHSAN, MALAYSIA GUAMAN NO: BH-A72NCC-74-12/2022 ANTARA QUICKASH MALAYSIA SDN. BHD. [No. Syarikat: 201701007737 (1221902- M)] …PLAINTIF DAN 1. CHAO LING GROUP HOLDING SDN. BHD. [No. Syarikat: 201901010109 (1319437-A)] 2. WONG KONG MENG (NO. K/P: 640514-05-5611) 3. OLIVIA WONG SIEW LAY (NO. K/P: 880207-10-5060) ...DEFENDAN-DEFENDAN NOTIS PENYAMPAIAN GANTI Kepada: - WONG KONG MENG (NO. K/P: 640514-05-5611) 23, Jalan TK 5/7 Taman Mawar 47100 Puchong Selangor. OLIVIA WONG SIEW LAY (NO. K/P: 880207-10-5060) 23, Jalan TK 5/7 Taman Mawar 47100 Puchong Selangor. AMBIL PERHATIAN bahawa suatu Writ Saman dan Pernyataan Tuntutan telah dikeluarkan terhadap kamu di MAHKAMAH MAJISRET DI KAJANG oleh Plaintif, QUICKASH MALAYSIA SDN BHD dan Mahkamah telah memerintahkan bahawa Writ Saman dan Pernyataan Tuntutan disampaikan kepada kamu melalui penyampaian ganti dengan menampalkan sesalinan Writ Saman dan Pernyataan Tuntutan bersama dengan Perintah untuk Penyampaian ganti pada papan notis di Mahkamah Kajang dan alamat terakhir kamu yang diketahui 23, Jalan TK 5/7, Taman Mawar, 47100 Puchong, Selangor dan serta mengiklankan satu notis pengiklanan sebanyak sekali di akhbar tempatan di mana penampalan dan pengiklanan tersebut adalah disifatkan sebagai penyampaian yang sempurna dan memadai ke atas kamu selepas tujuh (7) hari dari tarikh penampalan dan juga pengiklanan yang terakhir. Jika kamu berhasrat untuk membela Tindakan tersebut, kamu mestilah memasukkan kehadiran di Pejabat Pendaftaran Mahkamah Majistret Kajang pada 27 haribulan Februari 2023 pada pukul 9.00 pagi. Jika kamu gagal berbuat demikian, Penghakiman boleh diberikan terhadap kamu. Bertarikh pada 27 Januari 2023 t/t ............................ Peguamcara Plaintif Tetuan Leong Law Chambers NOTIS PENYAMPAIAN GANTI ini adalah difailkan oleh Tetuan Leong Law Chambers, Peguamcara pihak Plaintif yang beralamat di Ground Floor, PT 14077, Jalan Sri Cindai 1, 18300 Gua Musang, Kelantan. (Tel: 09-9134888) (Ruj: LLC/22/QK-CHAOLING/L21) 322 Notices 322 Notices DALAM MAHKAMAH TINGGI DI SHAH ALAM DALAM NEGERI SELANGOR (BAHAGIAN KELUARGA) PETISYEN PERCERAIAN NO.: BA-33-855-11/2022 Dalam Perkara Seksyen 53 & 54 Akta Membaharui Undang-Undang (Perkahwinan dan Perceraian) 1976 ANTARA CATHERINE NG SOO YING (NO. K/P: 710110-07-5692) …PEMPETISYEN DAN NG CHEE THENG (NO. K/P: 700406-02-5265) …RESPONDEN N O T I S Kepada: NG CHEE THENG Unit F603, Perdana Condo No. 15, Jalan PJU 8/1 Bandar Damansara Perdana 47820 Petaling Jaya Selangor Darul Ehsan AMBIL PERHATIAN bahawa satu Petisyen Perceraian telah dikemukakan terhadap kamu, NG CHEE THENG di Mahkamah Tinggi Malaya di Shah Alam oleh CATHERINE NG SOO YING di mana pihak Pempetisyen menuntut terhadap kamu sebagai pihak Responden seperti yang tertera di dalam Petisyen Perceraian bertarikh 10.11.2022 (“Petisyen tersebut”). DAN TELAH DIPERINTAHKAN bahawa Petisyen tersebut disampaikan terhadap kamu secara penyampaian ganti dengan menampalkan sesalinan Petisyen tersebut, Notis Prosiding dan Akuan Terima Penyampaian bersama-sama dengan sesalinan Perintah untuk penyampaian ganti (“Kertas-kertas Kausa tersebut”) pada Papan Notis Mahkamah Tinggi Malaya di Shah Alam, mengirim sesalinan Kertaskertas Kausa tersebut ke premis alamat terakhir kamu yang diketahui di Unit F603 Perdana Condo, No. 15, Jalan PJU 8/1, Bandar Damansara Perdana, 47820 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan melalui Pos Berdaftar dan Sijil Perakuan Pengeposan dan dengan mengiklankan Notis ini dalam suatu surat khabar tempatan iaitu “The Sun”, dan penampalan, pengiriman dan pengiklanan sedemikian hendaklah dianggap sebagai penyampaian sempurna ke atas kamu tujuh (7) hari selepas tarikh akhir penampalan, pengiriman dan pengiklanan tersebut (“Tarikh Penyampaian tersebut”). Kamu boleh memohon kepada Timbalan Pendaftar Mahkamah Tinggi Keluarga di Shah Alam atau Tetuan Kee Sern, Siu & Huey, peguamcara bagi pihak Pempetisyen tersebut salinan Kertas-kertas Kausa tersebut dan salinan-salinannya akan dihantar kepada kamu. Sekiranya kamu berhasrat untuk membela tindakan ini, kamu dikehendaki dalam tempoh lapan (8) hari selepas Tarikh Penyampaian tersebut memasukkan kehadiran dengan memfailkan Akuan Terima Penyampaian di Pejabat Pendaftaran Mahkamah Tinggi Malaya di Shah Alam dan menyampaikan sesalinannya kepada peguamcara Pempetisyen, Tetuan Kee Sern, Siu & Huey. Jika kamu ingkar berbuat demikian, satu Penghakiman boleh dikenakan terhadap kamu. Bertarikh pada 10 Januari 2023. ..................t.t .................. Pendaftar Mahkamah Tinggi Malaya Shah Alam Notis ini dikeluarkan oleh Tetuan Kee Sern, Siu & Huey, peguamcara Pempetisyen yang mempunyai alamat penyampaian di No. 468-11E(2), Tingkat 2, Blok C, Rivercity, Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah (formerly Jalan Ipoh), 51200 Kuala Lumpur. [Tel: 03-9212 2688] [Faks: 03-4044 0448] [Emel: [email protected]] [Ruj: KZ/GSL/GL03/CNSY-NCT/220450] THE ATLAS ICE COMPANY, BERHAD (INCORPORATED IN MALAYSIA) [191201000003(1302-W)] NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the 108th Annual General Meeting of the Company will be held at No. 12, Jalan Bukit Gedong, 75050 Melaka on Friday, 17 March 2023 at 12.00 noon to transact the following:- AGENDA AS ORDINARY BUSINESS: 1.To table the Audited Financial Statements for the financial year ended 30 September 2022 together with the Reports of the Directors and Auditors thereon. Note 1 2.To consider and if thought fit, to pass the following Ordinary Resolutions:- Resolution 1 (a) To re-elect Mr. Chee Kim Hoon who shall retire in accordance with the Company’s Constitution (Article 91 of the Company’s Articles of Association) and being eligible, has offered himself for re-election. Resolution 2 (b) To re-elect Mr. Chee Teng Wah @ Charlie Chee who shall retire in accordance with the Company’s Constitution (Article 91 of the Company’s Articles of Association) and being eligible, has offered himself for re-election. Resolution 3 (c) To re-elect Mr. Chee Eng Hoon who shall retire in accordance with the Company’s Constitution (Article 91 of the Company’s Articles of Association) and being eligible, has offered himself for re-election. Resolution 4 (d) To approve the declaration of a final single tier dividend and a bonus single tier dividend totalling 70 sen per ordinary stock for the year ended 30 September 2022. Note 2 Resolution 5 (e) To approve payment of Directors’ fees. Resolution 6 (f) To re-appoint M/s. O. L. Yeo & Co PLT as Auditors of the Company for the financial year ending 30 September 2023 and to authorise the Board of Directors to fix their remuneration. 3. To transact any other business of which due notice shall have been given. NOTICE OF CLOSURE OF BOOKS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Transfer Book will be closed from 25 February 2023 to 27 February 2023. By Order of the Board, Low Bee Kheng Nurizzatul Ilya binti Md Isa Nur Syabinaz binti Jamal Secretaries Melaka, 17 February 2023 Notes:- 1. Pursuant to Section 340(1)(a) of the Companies Act 2016 [the “Act”], the directors shall lay before the Company at its annual general meeting its annual financial statements made up to a date not more than 6 months before the date of the meeting. There will be no resolution to be passed on this item 1. 2. At the said meeting, the directors will recommend payment of a final single tier dividend of 10 sen per ordinary stock and a bonus single tier dividend of 60 sen per ordinary stock for the year ended 30 September 2022 to all stockholders whose names appear in the Register of Members at the close of business at 5.00 p.m. on 24 February 2023. 3. A member shall not be entitled to appoint more than two (2) proxies to attend at the same meeting. Where a member appoints two (2) proxies, the appointment shall be invalid unless he specifies the proportion of his holdings to be represented by each proxy. 4. The instrument appointing a proxy must be deposited at the Registered Office of the Company at No.12, Jalan Bukit Gedong, 75050 Melaka not less than 48 hours before the time set for holding the meeting or at any adjournment thereof. 5. If the appointer is a corporation, the form of proxy must be given under its common seal or under the hand of an officer of the corporation duly authorised on its behalf. 6. In the case of joint holdings, the vote of the first-named in the Register of Members will be accepted to the exclusion of other joint holders of the stocks. NOTICE OF MEETING IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF DAYA LAND & DEVELOPMENT SDN. BHD. 200001021995 (524602-D) (In Member’s Voluntary Winding Up) (Incorporated in Malaysia) NOTICE OF FINAL MEETING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to Section 459(1) of the Companies Act 2016, the FINAL MEETING of the Company will be held at Suite 15, 6th Floor, IOI Business Park, Bandar Puchong Jaya, 47170 Puchong, Selangor on 20-03-2023 at 10.00 a.m. for the following purposes:- 1. To receive the Liquidators’ Statement of Account showing the manner in which the winding up has been conducted and the property of the Company has been disposed of, and of hearing any explanation that may be given by the Liquidators. 2. To destroy all the books and records of the Company and of the liquidators, in digital, printed and any format that are relevant to the affairs of the Company at the expiry of two years from the date of dissolution of the Company and in accordance to the provisions of the Companies Act 2016. LAI CHUNG EN CHAN BEE LEE (F) Liquidators Dated this 17-02-2023 Note : A member entitled to attend and vote at the meeting is entitled to appoint a proxy to attend and, on a poll, to vote in his stead. A proxy may but need not be a member of the Company. The proxy form must be deposited to the Liquidators’ address at Suite 15, 6th Floor, IOI Business Park, Bandar Puchong Jaya, 47170 Puchong, Selangor at least 48 hours before the date and time of the meeting. NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR VOLUNTARY WINDING UP OF LIMITED LIABILITY PARTNERSHIP (Section 50(4)(a) of the Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2012) Notice is hereby given that KSD Network PLT (LLP No. 0021825-LGN) will be making an application to the Registrar of Limited Liability Partnerships for a declaration of dissolution pursuant to section 50(2) of the Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2012 within seven (7) days after the publication of this notice. Any partner or creditor of the LLP desiring to object to the application may do so in writing to the Companies Commission of Malaysia within thirty (30) days from the date of this notice. IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF GEOMAP SDN. BHD. Registration No.: 198201009999 (89723-K) (In Members’ Voluntary Liquidation) NOTICE OF FINAL MEETING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to Section 459 (1) of the Companies Act 2016, a Final Meeting of the Members of the abovementioned Company will be held at No. 7, Jalan Industri PBP 3, Taman Industri Pusat Bandar Puchong, 47100 Puchong, Selangor Darul Ehsan on Monday, 20th March, 2023 at 11.00 a.m for the following purposes:- AGENDA 1) To receive the Statements of Accounts of the Company showing the manner in which the winding-up has been conducted and to hear explanations that may be given by the Liquidator. 2) To approve the following Ordinary Resolution :- ORDINARY RESOLUTION -DISPOSAL OF BOOKS AND RECORDS “THAT the books, accounts and documents of the Company and that of the Liquidator be destroyed at the expiration of three (3) months after the date of the Final Meeting.” Lee Chenk Hock @ Lee Cheng San Joint and Several Liquidators Khoo Boo Choon Joint and Several Liquidators February 17, 2023 322 Notices 322 Notices 322 Notices IN THE HIGH COURT OF MALAYA AT JOHOR BAHRU IN THE STATE OF JOHORE, MALAYSIA PETITION NO. JA-26NCC-1-12/2022 In the matter of LeeKee Industries (M) Sdn. Bhd. (Registration no. 199201002626 [234130-w]) And In the matter of Section 116 (1)(c) of the Companies Act 2016 LEEKEE INDUSTRIES (M) SDN. BHD. (Registration no. 199201002626 [234130-w]) ... PETITIONER ADVERTISEMENT OF PETITION NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Petition was on the 15th day of December 2022 presented to the High Court of Malaya at Johor Bahru for the confirmation of the reduction of the capital of the abovementioned Company from RM 3,000,000-00 to RM 2,490,000-00 by returning the paid-up capital which is in excess of the needs of the Company. AND NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that the said Petition is directed to be heard before the presiding Judge, YA Shamsulbahri bin Haji Ibrahim at High Court of Malaya at Johor Bahru on the 28th day of February 2023 at 9.00 am. ANY creditor or shareholder of the said Company desiring to oppose the making of an Order for the confirmation of the said reduction of capital should appear at the time of hearing in person or by counsel for that purpose. A copy of the said Petition will be furnished to any such person requiring the same by the same undermentioned solicitors on payment of the regulated charge for the same. Dated this 17 day of February 2023. signed ………………………… Messrs Tay Chambers Solicitors for the Petitioner No. 7-02, Jalan Molek 1/29, Taman Molek 81100 Johor Bahru, Malaysia Note: Any person who intends to appear on the hearing of the said Petition must serve on or send by post to the abovenamed solicitors, 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 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 solicitors not later than 12 o’clock noon on the 24th day of February 2023 (2 clear days before the day appointed for the hearing of the said Petition). Tel No: 07-361 2283 E-mail: [email protected] [Ref: 22145/LeeKee/VK] 322 Notices THE Honda LPGA Thailand 2023 is all set to feature the world’s leading players in Pattaya, Chonburi, alongside some of Thailand’s rising stars featuring 72 players from Feb 23 to 26 at Siam Country Club Old Course. The return of fans to the tournament will add vibrancy and excitement with an increased purse prize of US$1.7 million (RM7.5m) and the first hole-in-one on the 16th hole reward of the Honda Accord e:HEV, e:HEV TECH variant worth approximately RM230,000. Fans will be able to watch and cheer their favourite players including champion Nanna Koerstz Madsen, world No. 1 Lydia Ko, acclaimed golfing sister act, Jessica and Nelly Korda, US Women’s Open 2022 champion, Minjee Lee, 2021 Player of the Year Jin Young Ko, 2022 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship winner Ingee Chun and winner of the 2023 Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, Brooke Henderson along with 12 sponsors’ invitees and Natthakritta Vongtaveelap, who won the 2023 National Qualifiers. Local fans will also have the opportunity to get up close and personal with elite Thai players, led by world No. 4 Atthaya Thitikul, rising stars Patty Tavatanakit, Pajaree Anannarukarn and Pornanong Phatlum and the Jutanugarn sisters, Moriya and Ariya, who won the Honda LPGA Thailand 2021. Jessica Korda, winner of the Honda LPGA Thailand 2018, said of her return for the first time since 2019: “I’m honoured to be going back after a long time and playing alongside the world’s greats in beautiful Thailand. “I love the challenge here and will work hard to make another impactful appearance at Honda LPGA Thailand 2023.” Star-studded field for Honda LPGA Thailand
14 theSUN ON FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 17, 2023 SPORTS /thesuntelegram FOLLOW ON TELEGRAM SCAN ME IN THE MAGISTRATE COURT OF MALAYA AT KUALA LUMPUR IN THE FEDERAL TERRITORY OF MALAYSIA (CIVIL DEPARTMENT) CIVIL SUIT NO. : WA-A72NCVC-4871-11/2022 BETWEEN SUASANA SENTRAL LOFT MANAGEMENT CORPORATION (REG NO. : PTG/WP/20/2798/2008) ...PLAINTIFF AND SAI PRASAD TUMMAPUDI (PASSPORT NO: Z2209522) …DEFENDANT SUBSTITUTE SERVICE OF WRIT SUMMONS AND STATEMENT OF CLAIM DATED 25-11-2022 AND ORDER DATED 19-01-2023 TO: SAI PRASAD TUMMAPUDI A-28-07, Suasana Sentral Loft Condominium, Jalan Stesen Sentral 5, 50470, Kuala Lumpur. TAKE NOTICE that a Writ Summons has been taken against you and issued in this Court by SUASANA SENTRAL LOFT MANAGEMENT CORPORATION for the amount of RM13,208.28 as at 14.11.2022 and still accruing including interest on the said amount of RM13,208.28 at the rate of 5% per year from the date of the said Writ Summons until the date of full and final settlement and that is has been ordered that the Writ of Summons and Statement of Claim dated 25.11.2022 espectively be served on your through this advertisement and by posting copies of the said Writ Summons and Statement of Claim together with a copy of the Order for Substitute Service at your last known address of 1A-28-07, Suasana Sentral Loft Condominium, Jalan Stesen Sentral 5, 50470, Kuala Lumpur as well as on the Notice Board of the Registry at the Magistrate Court of Kuala Lumpur and that the said advertisement and postings be taken as full and successful service on you seven (7) days from the date of the said advertisement and/or postings. If you so wish to defend the said action against you, you are instructed to attend personally or through your appointed Solicitors in fron of the Magistrate Court of Kuala Lumpur, Jln Tuanku Abdul Halim, Kompleks Kerajaan, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur on 24/02/2023 at 9.00 am. If you fail to do so, Judgment can be given against you. Dated on 17 Februari, 2023. ..............T.T.............. Solicitors for the Plaintiff (Messrs. Dwayne Keegan Pinto) This Notice is taken by Messrs. Dwayne Keegan Pinto, Solicitors for the Plaintiff whose address for service is at No. 22, Jalan Fauna 2B/1, Penduline Bandar Rimbayu, 42500 Telok Panglima Garang, Selangor Darul Ehsan [No. Tel/Fax: 03-51316567 email: dwaynepinto@dkpadvocates. com] [Ref: DKP.Lit-SSL(DebtRecovery).5/22/ (A-28-07)] IN THE MAGISTRATE COURT OF MALAYA AT KUALA LUMPUR IN THE FEDERAL TERRITORY OF MALAYSIA (CIVIL DEPARTMENT) CIVIL SUIT NO. : WA-A72NCVC-4872-11/2022 BETWEEN SUASANA SENTRAL LOFT MANAGEMENT CORPORATION (REG NO. : PTG/WP/20/2798/2008) ...PLAINTIFF AND DING NING (PASSPORT NO.: G57339695) …DEFENDANT SUBSTITUTE SERVICE OF WRIT SUMMONS AND STATEMENT OF CLAIM DATED 24-11-2022 AND ORDER DATED 18-01-2023 TO: DING NING A-35-05, Suasana Sentral Loft Condominium, Jalan Stesen Sentral 5, 50470, Kuala Lumpur. TAKE NOTICE that a Writ Summons has been taken against you and issued in this Court by SUASANA SENTRAL LOFT MANAGEMENT CORPORATION for the amount of RM11,531.43 as at 14.11.2022 and still accruing including interest on the said amount of RM11,531.43 at the rate of 5% per year from the date of the said Writ Summons until the date of full and final settlement and that is has been ordered that the Writ of Summons and Statement of Claim dated 24.11.2022 respectively be served on your through this advertisement and by posting copies of the said Writ Summons and Statement of Claim together with a copy of the Order for Substitute Service at your last known address of A-35-05, Suasana Sentral Loft Condominium, Jalan Stesen Sentral 5, 50470, Kuala Lumpur as well as on the Notice Board of the Registry at the Magistrate Court of Kuala Lumpur and that the said advertisement and postings be taken as full and successful service on you seven (7) days from the date of the said advertisement and/or postings. If you so wish to defend the said action against you, you are instructed to attend personally or through your appointed Solicitors in fron of the Magistrate Court of Kuala Lumpur, Jln Tuanku Abdul Halim, Kompleks Kerajaan, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur on 20/02/2023 at 9.00 am. If you fail to do so, Judgment can be given against you. Dated on 17 Februari, 2023. ................T.T................ Solicitors for the Plaintiff (Messrs. Dwayne Keegan Pinto) This Notice is taken by Messrs. Dwayne Keegan Pinto, Solicitors for the Plaintiff whose address for service is at No. 22, Jalan Fauna 2B/1, Penduline Bandar Rimbayu, 42500 Telok Panglima Garang, Selangor Darul Ehsan [No. Tel/Fax: 03-51316567 email: [email protected]] [Ref: DKP.Lit-SSL(DebtRecovery).5/22/ (A-35-05)] DALAM MAHKAMAH MAJISTRET MALAYA DI KAJANG DALAM NEGERI SELANGOR DARUL EHSAN, MALAYSIA (BAHAGIAN SIVIL) GUAMAN SIVIL NO. : BH-A72NCVC-237-10/2022 ANTARA PERBADANAN PENGURUSAN WRC COUNTRY VILLA (NO. PEN : SEL4329/11) ...PLAINTIF DAN KAUSAR BINTI AHMAD RODZI (NO. K/P: 901006-14-5998) ...DEFENDAN PENYAMPAIAN GANTI WRIT DAN PERNYATAAN TUNTUTAN BERTARIKH 27-10-2022 DAN PERINTAH BERTARIKH 26-12-2022 KEPADA: KAUSAR BINTI AHMAD RODZI Lot 771, Jalan Senyum Bintang, Country Heights Kajang, 43000 Kajang, Selangor Darul Ehsan. AMBIL PERHATIAN bahawa suatu Writ terhadap kamu telah dikeluarkan dalam Mahkamah ini oleh PERBADANAN PENGURUSAN WRC COUNTRY VILLA untuk tuntutan sejumlah RM45,405.17 setakat 26.10.2022 dan masih berterusan dan faedah ke atas jumlah sebanyak RM45,405.17 pada kadar 5% setahun dari tarikh writ tersebut sehingga tarikh penyelesaian penuh dan bahawa telah diperintahkan juga bahawa Writ Saman dan Pernyataan Tuntutan masing-masing bertarikh 27.10.2022 di sampaikan kepada kamu melalui iklan ini dan dengan penampalan sesalinan Writ dan Pernyataan Tuntutan tersebut bersama dengan satu salinan Perintah Penyampaian Ganti di alamat terakhir kamu di Lot 771, Jalan Senyum Bintang, Country Heights Kajang, 43000 Kajang, Selangor Darul Ehsan dan di Papan Kenyataan Mahkamah Majistret Kajang dan bahawa pengiklanan dan penampalan tersebut merupakan penyampaian yang sempurna dan cukup ke atas kamu tujuh (7) hari dari tarikh pengiklanan dan penampalan tersebut. Jika kamu berhasrat untuk membela tindakan tersebut kamu mestilah hadir secara sendiri atau melalui peguambela kamu di hadapan Mahkamah Majistret Kajang, Jalan Cempaka Kuning, 43000 Kajang, Selangor Darul Ehsan pada 23/02/2023 pukul 9.00 pagi. Jika kamu ingkar hadir sedemikian, Penghakiman boleh diberikan terhadap kamu. Bertarikh pada 17 Februari, 2023. ..............T.T.............. Peguamcara bagi Plaintif (Tetuan Dwayne Keegan Pinto) Notis ini dikeluarkan oleh Tetuan Dwayne Keegan Pinto, peguamcara bagi pihak Plaintif yang mempunyai alamat penyampaian di No. 22, Jalan Fauna 2B/1, Penduline Bandar Rimbayu, 42500 Telok Panglima Garang, Selangor Darul Ehsan [No. Tel/Faks: 03-51316567 emel:dwaynepinto@dkpadvocates. com] [Ruj:DKP.Lit-CountryVilla.7/2022/ KAZ] 322 Notices 322 Notices 322 Notices 2 The SunMegazine Friday, 17 February, 2023 Advantage Benfica Portuguese club have one foot in quarters after beating Club Brugge BENFICA closed in on a place in the quarterfinals of this season’s Champions League after easing to a 2-0 victory over Club Brugge in Belgium in the first leg of their last-16 tie on Wednesday. Both goals came in the second half at the Jan Breydelstadion, with Joao Mario opening the scoring from the penalty spot six minutes after the restart and substitute David Neres putting daylight between the teams by pouncing on sloppy defending to add another goal late on. The Portuguese league leaders, who lost to Liverpool in the last eight last season, will be expected to complete the job when the sides meet in Lisbon for the second leg on March 7. “When you play the first leg away from home in a Champions League tie and win it is always a good first step. We are halfway there,” Benfica coach Roger Schmidt told broadcaster Eleven Sports. Schmidt’s team have lost just once in their domestic league in this campaign and topped their Champions League group ahead of Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus. They do not appear to have been seriously affected by the loss of star midfielder Enzo Fernandez, the Argentine World Cup winner who was sold to Chelsea for €121 million (RM580m) last month. Benfica were simply too strong for a Club Brugge side who have won just once in eight matches since former England midfielder Scott Parker was appointed as their coach at the end of December. “Naturally a 2-0 defeat isn’t something you can be happy with, but I have seen a lot of positive things in this game,” Parker said. “I’m just super proud of the team. After five weeks of coaching them, I’m finally seeing what I was looking for. But little mistakes lost us this game tonight.” The visitors should have been in front at halftime, with an unmarked Antonio Silva heading over from close range when it seemed easier to score and Rafa Silva hitting the junction of bar and post from a Joao Mario assist. Playing in the knockout phase of the Champions League for the first time, the hosts did have the ball in the net on the stroke of halftime when a Denis Odoi header deflected into the net, but the goal was disallowed for offside. Instead, Benfica went in front shortly after the restart and Portugal World Cup star Goncalo Ramos played a part in the goal. Ramos, who netted a hattrick in Portugal’s 6-1 demolition of Switzerland in Qatar, missed a golden chance to open the scoring just before he was brought down by Jack Hendry in the area and won his side a penalty. Joao Mario’s spot-kick was touched onto the underside of the crossbar by goalkeeper Simon Mignolet on its way in. Brazilian winger Neres and onloan Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Goncalo Guedes replaced Rafa Silva and Ramos midway through the second half and they combined as Benfica got the crucial second in the 88th minute. Guedes helped a ball on towards Neres and a poor touch by Bjorn Meijer allowed the Benfica player to steal in, run through and score. He had another effort disallowed for offside in stoppage time but Club Brugge have a mountain to climb in the return. – AFP World No. 1 ranking a hot potato: McIlroy THE world No. 1 ranking is being passed around like a “hot potato” due to the depth of talent in the sport, Rory McIlroy said yesterday as he looks to regain top spot from Scottie Scheffler at the PGA Tour’s Genesis Invitational this week. McIlroy, who became No. 1 for the ninth time in October, slipped to second last weekend after Scheffler retained his Phoenix Open title but is only 0.5 points behind the American. “I’ve got a chance to get it back this week,” the Northern Irishman told reporters ahead of the opening round at Riviera County Club in Pacific Palisades. “Hopefully it’s a bit of a sort of hot potato thing where me, Scottie and Jon (Rahm) sort of pass it around a little bit because it means we’re all playing great golf. “I think it’s a really cool thing to be ranked No. 1 in whatever you do, but I think it just goes to show the level of depth and the level of talent that’s out here,” the 33-year-old added. McIlroy said he had lost the top ranking to Scheffler despite not playing poorly. “I literally have one average week, it wasn’t even a bad week, just an average week, and there’s always someone waiting to overtake you or to come and try to take that mantle from you,” he added. – Reuters KARIM BENZEMA netted two penalties as Real Madrid breezed to a 4-0 win over rock-bottom Elche yesterday to cut the gap on La Liga leaders Barcelona back to eight points. Carlo Ancelotti’s team did not play at the weekend because of their involvement in the Club World Cup in Morocco, which they presented to supporters at the Santiago Bernabeu. It was Madrid’s second trophy of the season, after the European Super Cup, but if they are to add La Liga to their haul they have a big job on their hands. Marco Asensio opened the scoring and veteran midfielder Luka Modric rounded off the rout on an easy night for Los Blancos. “Here nothing is impossible,” Eduardo Camavinga told DAZN, pledging to fight for the title until the end of the season. “We saw it last season in the Champions League and we will play until the end.” The French midfielder said he was happy to return to his usual position in midfield after a spell on the left of the defence. “I like playing as pivot more, I’m not a full-back, I played there to help the team,” he added. “Today I was a pivot and I am happy.” Benzema’s brace took him to 11 league goals for the season, three short of Robert Lewandowski at Barcelona. “We had a good game, with a lot of control and opened the scoring early through Asensio,” Ancelotti told DAZN. “It was a good game at an important moment in the season.” With Vinicius Junior suspended, there was a rare opportunity for Rodrygo to play on the left wing and Ancelotti evaluated his performance by stating: “He is a complete player and can play anywhere in the attack. “He feels more comfortable there, because he started his career there. But, he comes inside a lot more. “We had a lot more space down the left wing for the leftback because of that so it was good to have David Alaba there. He has played at leftback throughout his life and knows the position well.” – AFP/Agencies Benzema spot on as Madrid defeat Elche Swiatek routs Collins WORLD NO. 1 Iga Swiatek needed just 53 minutes to rout Danielle Collins and reach the Doha Open quarterfinals yesterday. The reigning French and US Open champion, playing her first match since a shock last-16 exit at the Australian Open, defeated 42ndranked Collins of the United States 6-0, 6-1. “I felt pretty confident,” said Swiatek who last season kicked off her 37-match win streak in Doha. “I’m happy that I was kind of composed and from the beginning till the end pretty focused and disciplined with tactics. I didn’t really let Danielle get into the rhythm. I wanted to be aggressive.” Alcaraz wins on return CARLOS ALCARAZ made a winning return to tennis after a four-month injury absence yesterday, defeating Serbia’s Laslo Djere to advance to the quarterfinals of the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires. The 19-year-old Spaniard showed signs of ringrustiness during a two-hour battle on the Court Guillermo Vilas before sealing a 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 victory against Djere, the world No. 57. World No. 2 Alcaraz said afterwards he was relieved to have got his first victory of 2023. “It’s a great feeling to win again,“ the reigning US Open champion said. “It’s been a long time without any competition and no matches, just recovering – finally I got my first win of 2023. I’m really happy. I didn’t expect such a great atmosphere behind me. So a thank you to all the fans here – hopefully I can keep going with this energy.” Australia stay top of Test rankings AUSTRALIA remain the world’s top-ranked Test team, the International Cricket Council said as it apologised for briefly and “erroneously” listing India as No. 1. India demolished Australia by an innings and 132 runs in the first Test in Nagpur, and yesterday the ICC showed the hosts as taking over at the top of the Test rankings. The ICC subsequently clarified that Australia were in fact still No. 1 in Tests. India top the Twenty20 and one-day rankings. “The ICC acknowledges, for a short period of time on February 15, 2023 that, due to a technical error, India were erroneously displayed as the No. 1 Test team on the ICC website,” it said. “We apologise for any inconvenience caused.” BRIEFS Swiatek Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema (2nd right) shoots at goal against Elche. – REUTERSPIX
15 * SPORTS theSUN ON FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 17, 2023 EPL PREVIEWS & PREDICTIONS MATCH-BY-MATCH facts and statcs ahead of the next round of Premier League fixtures (all in Malaysian time/11pm unless stated): TOMORROW Aston Villa vsArsenal (8.30pm) –Away win After winning three consecutive Premier League games against Arsenal from July 2020-Feb. 2021, Villa have now lost each of their last three against them. The Gunners have lost their last two away games in all competitions, as many as they had in their first 14 on the road this season (W11 D1) while Villa have lost their last two Premier League games, as many as they had in their previous nine (W6 D1). Brentford vs Crystal Palace – Home win All three Premier League meetings between Brentford and Crystal Palace have ended in a draw. Palace are winless in their last three away League games against Brentford (D1 L2) since a 3-0 win on Christmas Day 1957 in the Third Division South while Brentford are unbeaten in their last 10 Premier League games (W5 D5), with only Newcastle United (17) currently enjoying a longer run without defeat in the competition. Brighton vs Fulham – Home win Following their 2-1 win at Craven Cottage in August, Fulham are looking to complete their first League double over Brighton since the 1992-93 third-tier campaign. The Seagulls are unbeaten in their last nine Premier League home games against promoted sides (W4 D5). Chelsea vs Southampton – Home win Chelsea lost the reverse fixture 2-1 against Southampton in August but have not lost consecutive League matches against the Saints since December 1993. Southampton are looking to complete their first League double over Chelsea since 1987-88. The Blues have drawn their last three Premier League matches, last having a longer run of consecutive draws in their final five matches in 2006-07. Everton vs Leeds United – Home win Everton have lost just one of their last 10 Premier League games against Leeds (W5 D4) while Leeds have won just one of their last 15 away League games against Everton (D7 L7), a 1-0 victory in November 2020. Toffees manager Sean Dyche has never beaten Leeds in the Premier League in four previous meetings, all while as Burnley manager (D1 L3). Nottingham Forest vs Man City –Away win This is the first time Forest are hosting City in a League match since October 2001 (1-1 in second tier), and the first time in a Premier League match since September 1995 (3- 0 win). City have won their last nine Premier League games against newly promoted sides since a 2-1 home defeat by Leeds in April 2021. Since losing three Premier League games in a row at the City Ground in August and September, Forest are unbeaten in seven at home (W4 D3). Wolves vs Bournemouth – Home win Wolves are unbeaten in their last seven Premier League games against promoted sides (W3 D4) since a 2-0 home loss to Brentford in September last season. The Cherries have kept only two clean sheets in their 11 League games against Wolves (W4 D3 L4) while Wolves have won three of their last four Premier League games (L1), as many as they had in their previous 25 (D7 L15). SUNDAY Newcastle vs Liverpool (1.30am) – Home win Newcastle are winless in their last 12 Premier League meetings with Liverpool (D4 L8) since a 2-0 home win in December 2015 while the Reds have lost their last three away League games and conceded three goals in each while scoring only once. The Magpies are unbeaten in their last 17 League games since losing 2-1 to Liverpool in August. Man United vs Leicester(10pm) – Home win Manchester United have now lost just three of their last 21 Premier League matches (W14 D4). Since their win over Liverpool in August, United have earned more points than any other side (46). Leicester are looking to win three straight League games for the first time since January 2021. MONDAY Tottenham vs West Ham (12.30am) – Home win Tottenham have lost four of their seven Premier League games so far in 2023 (W3), as many as they had lost in their previous 22 (W13 D5) while the Hammers have lost their last five away London derbies in the Premier League, since winning 3-2 at Palace on New Year’s Day 2022. It is their longest such losing run since a streak of six between April 2009 and October 2010. Reuters CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LAST 16, 1ST LEG: Club Brugge 0 Benfica 2 (Joao Mario 51- pen, Neres 88), Borussia Dortmund 1 (Adeyemi 63) Chelsea 0. ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: Arsenal 1 (Saka 42-pen) Manchester City 3 (De Bruyne 24, Grealish 72, Haaland 82). P W D L F A Pts Man City 23 16 3 4 59 23 51 Arsenal 22 16 3 3 47 21 51 Man Utd 23 14 4 5 38 28 46 Newcastle 22 10 11 1 35 13 41 Tottenham 23 12 3 8 42 35 39 Brighton 21 10 5 6 39 28 35 Fulham 23 10 5 8 34 30 35 Brentford 22 8 10 4 36 29 34 Liverpool 21 9 5 7 36 28 32 Chelsea 22 8 7 7 23 22 31 Aston Villa 22 8 4 10 26 34 28 Crystal Palace 22 6 7 9 20 30 25 Leicester 22 7 3 12 36 38 24 Nottm Forest 22 6 6 10 17 37 24 Wolves 22 6 5 11 17 31 23 West Ham 22 5 5 12 19 27 20 Leeds 22 4 7 11 28 38 19 Everton 22 4 6 12 16 30 18 Bournemouth 22 4 6 12 20 44 18 Southampton 22 4 3 15 18 40 15 CHAMPIONSHIP: Preston 1 Luton 1, Swansea 2 Blackpool 1, Bristol City 1 Wigan 1, Stoke 3 Huddersfield 0, Sheffield United 1 Middlesbrough 3, West Brom 1 Blackburn 1. Top 6 P W D L F A Pts Burnley 31 20 9 2 62 27 69 S. United 31 18 7 6 52 27 61 Mid’sbrough 32 16 6 10 53 37 54 Luton 31 13 11 7 39 31 50 Sunderland 31 13 9 9 46 33 48 Watford 32 12 11 9 38 35 47 LA LIGA: Real Madrid 4 (Asensio 8, Benzema 31-pen, 45+1-pen, Modric 80) Elche 0. Top 5 P W D L F A Pts Barcelona 21 18 2 1 43 7 56 Real Madrid 21 15 3 3 44 17 48 Real Sociedad 21 13 3 5 31 21 42 Atletico 21 11 5 5 30 17 38 Real Betis 21 10 4 7 27 22 34 RESULTS & STANDINGS Spurs trophy drought pain Kane responds after Conte questions Tottenham’s mentality TOTTENHAM striker Harry Kane understands why Antonio Conte has questioned his side’s mentality. Conte suggested some of his players “collapse” under the pressure after Saturday’s 4-1 Premier League thumping at Leicester, where a win would have put them back in the top four. They did little to dispel that in Tuesday’s Champions League last-16 firstleg tie at AC Milan, which they lost 1-0 after an insipid attacking display. Spurs have an unwelcome habit of failing to produce when it matters the most, with a Champions League final, two title challenges and a host of cup semifinals in recent years, and Kane says it has to stop. “We haven’t won a trophy for a long time. We’ve been in good moments, we’ve been close but for one reason or another we haven’t achieved what we wanted to achieve,” he said after the defeat at the San Siro. “Leicester was disappointing because we were coming off the back of three wins in a row, a really good win against City and it was really the time to put our foot on the pedal, climb up the League and see what happens. “To lose that type of game in the manner that we lost it was what hurt the most and I know that’s what hurt the boss the most. So hopefully that’s behind us and we don’t have any more performances like that. “We can still lose games but we need to make sure we show the side that we showed in Milan. That should stand us in good stead.” S p u r s c o n t r o l l e d large parts of the game, but lacked any real goal threat, meaning they were unable to recover from Brahim Diaz’s s e v e n t h - minute opener. This Milan side are a far cry from the one that swept to the Serie A title last season, so turning the tie around at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in three weeks is not out of the question. Kane says Spurs should not feel too down about their defeat in Italy. “It will still be a tough game, we know that,” he said. “We’re playing a good team but we felt like we controlled the game well and felt like we just lacked a bit of spark. “Hopefully we can find that at home. We’ll go away, assess it and things we can improve on, because they still had a couple of chances but overall it’s not a night to get down about. We have to keep our heads high and look forward to the next one. “Whenever you lose a game, there’s always disappointment but it was a tough game, away from home, against a good side, in the San Siro, good atmosphere. “It’s a difficult place to play and I thought we definitely controlled the game really well in spells, we just lacked a bit of quality in their final third. But for sure we come away knowing there’s a lot to play for.” Injuries to Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma and PierreEmile Hojbjerg’s suspension meant that youngsters Oliver Skipp and Pape Matar Sarr were handed first Champions League starts. The pair, 22 and 20 respectively, acquitted themselves well in a hostile atmosphere and Kane says they should be proud of their performances. “I’m sure they’ll both be disappointed we lost but they can be proud. We’ve got a lot of games coming up and I’m sure they are going to play a lot more than they have been. They need to get ready for that.” – the Independent BY the time Mikel Arteta returned to the Arsenal dressing room, the players were barely saying a thing. The mood was “down”. Arteta attempted to rouse them by saying they just needed to figure out why they lost in order to improve on it, and “move on”. A problem is now how the season evolves from here, though. Such was the nature of Manchester City’s victory that it’s impossible not to think this is the start of the end. For the first time this season, though, that fear isn’t just because of the champions’ capacity to go on one of those runs. It is whether Arsenal now go in the other direction. Yesterday’s 3-1 defeat to City made it one point from three in the Premier League, three defeats in the last four in all competitions and no victories at all in any of this. It might be a stretch to call it a “rut” yet, especially when elements of this Arsenal performance were still somewhat encouraging, but there is now the danger that it can quickly become one. Arteta now has just two days to prepare for an awkward match away to Aston Villa, and that against his predecessor Unai Emery. It’s easy to imagine the headlines, and how the momentum can go. That’s what makes it all the more important for Arteta to figure out how they lost. Some of it, to be fair, is obvious. Neither manager wanted to admit this was down to experience or one team knowing how to win titles but the game said enough. Some of their players, rather fittingly, chose this game to have their most decisive performances for the club so far. That was particularly the case for the match-winners in Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland. They produced when it mattered, as Arsenal made the kind of individual errors that come from not yet playing enough games that matter. This might be a learning experience for Arsenal – perhaps even for this season. There is still more than enough time to recover, as well as potential ructions to this campaign. Many will point to how City showed a “siege mentality” that has come from so many Premier League charges but that doesn’t necessarily go indefinitely, and can gradually start to work in the other direction. The World Cup could yet have a huge effect we don’t know. This was all inkeeping with the message Arteta radiated afterwards. “Psychologically, it’s a marathon,” he said, before pointing to how their only focus should ever be on the next game. That is now just all the bigger. It makes it all the more important for Arteta to figure out what went wrong in this one. – The Independent Is this the end of the title race? █ JONATHAN VEAL █ MIGUEL DELANEY Harry Kane
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] We haven’t won a trophy for a long time. We’ve been in good moments, we’ve been close but for one reason or another we haven’t achieved what we wanted to achieve. Leicester was disappointing because we were coming off the back of three wins in a row. Tottenham striker Harry Kane QUOTE OF THE DAY FRIDAY • FEBRUARY 17, 2023 Potter sees ‘step forward’ for Chelsea despite defeat in Dortmund GRAHAM POTTER believes Chelsea are heading in the right direction despite a 1-0 defeat in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 meeting with Borussia Dortmund. The Blues managed 21 attempts to the hosts’ 14 and Joao Felix cannoned a first-half effort off the crossbar as Potter’s side – still searching for just their second win in 2023 – came up emptyhanded. Defeat in front of the imposing Yellow Wall at Signal Iduna Park means Chelsea will have to quickly come up with answers before the sides meet again at Stamford Bridge on March 7. Graham Potter hit back with a passionate response after a reporter suggested the underfire manager “doesn’t get angry enough”. The Chelsea boss admitted that he does “lose his temper” as football is an “emotional” game, but also moved to defend his temperament. “I choose to conduct myself the way that I think is the right way to conduct myself on the side,” Potter said of his touchline behaviour. He added that people who think he got to his position at Chelsea by being “nice” don’t know “anything about anything”. The Chelsea boss chose to see the evening’s glass as half full. “We have to to better. We were pushing at the time (of the goal) and were the better team so to concede in that manner is what we’re disappointed in, but the players are honest,” Potter said. “They know they can do better with that. We have to help them, of course, but again we’ll probably focus on the positive which was the performance was another step forward for us. “Before the game we were looking at Reece (James) and Ruben (Loftus-Cheek) and Ben (Chilwell) and Kalidou (Koulibaly), you know it’s their first and second games for quite some time. “It isn’t easy to pick up the speed of the Champions League but I still think they did it really well, you’ve still got three new players coming in and again playing against a team that is in a good moment. “So hopefully I think we will improve and then in three weeks’ time we can take the game at Stamford Bridge. “You can see the supporters’ reaction at the game, It was really positive. They saw that performance from the team.” The third-placed Bundesliga side picked up their seventh straight victory thanks to Karim Adeyemi’s second-half solo goal – a brilliant, rapid run down the left from deep in his own half. His speed made the difference as he evaded Enzo Fernandez before rounding Kepa Arrizabalaga and firing the winner into the empty net with a composed finish. Emre Can made a last-ditch clearance to deny Koulibaly an equaliser when his effort rolled dangerously across the goalline in the 77th minute to give Dortmund the advantage. Potter said: “They know the situation that we’re in and they know the challenges that we have but it’s exciting. “Training as a group has been fantastic so the spirit’s there in the team, it’s just we need a little bit of luck I think and we need to carry on the performance level that we had tonight and we need to try to keep improving. That’s the job.” Dortmund boss Edin Terzic, whose side beat Premier League opposition for the first time since Tottenham in 2016, was thrilled with Dortmund’s effort against the Blues, particularly his goal-scorer. “It’s ‘meep meep’ and off he goes,” Terzic joked of Adeyemi. “It was a crucial situation for us. He did it and it was also a clinical finish. “He didn’t chip the ball, he didn’t shoot the ball, he used his pace to pass the goalkeeper as well and then he had the clinical shot. “It was an outstanding goal and we hope he can continue like this because this is a weapon that is very hard to defend for every opponent.” – The Independent/Agencies Psychological blow Guardiola hails Man City’s quality as they move top after defeating Arsenal PEP GUARDIOLA hailed his side’s quality after Manchester City moved ahead of Arsenal to the summit of the Premier League with victory at the Emirates, but warned that the League is not over yet. Erling Haaland wrapped up a 3-1 victory for the reigning champions, as Arsenal slipped out of the top spot they had occupied since the third week of the season. Bukayo Saka’s spot-kick had levelled after Kevin De Bruyne had struck first for Manchester City, but goals from Jack Grealish and Haaland secured the three points for Guardiola’s side. The City manager reflected on a difficult game in London and praised Arsenal’s gameplay. “The game was half-half,” Guardiola said. “First half they were much better than us, (our) second half was much better. “At halftime we said we are not playing, just defending, because they are so good. But we should be more active and the second half was excellent.” “It’s not easy to play against them, the build up they have is really good. We were in the game and at the end, the quality of the players made the difference.” Arsenal have now lost three of their last four matches in all competitions, but remain behind City only on goal difference, and do have a game in hand. For Guardiola, despite moving to the top of the table, he warned that there was a lot more of the season remaining. “There are still many games to play, the Champions League is coming, the Europa League is coming. They have one game in hand still so I consider them leaders. “Now for the fact that they dropped points, we came here for the chance to win the game and now we are there (level at the top of the League). So far they’ve got better results than us – this is the reality.” Goalscorer Haaland said City have to back up yesterday’s win with a consistent run of form. “I’m so happy,” Haaland told Amazon Prime. “We needed this one and now we need to start going on a run because that’s what Man City do.” Haaland is in his debut season in the Premier League, but many of his teammates have been part of City’s four title-winning campaigns in the past five years. “City, we – not me but all the boys and club here – are the champions so you can say so yes,” added Haaland on whether Pep Guardiola’s men had delivered the performance of champions. “They (Arsenal) have been the best team this season so to come on their place and play against them is not easy and we got three important points.” Arsenal had held an eight-point lead but it had been eroded as City found their form and they showed their quality again at the Emirates. Mikel Arteta admitted all his Arsenal players were feeling downcast after the defeat and urged his side to be more ruthless going forward. “We are all feeling down, especially because they knew we could do much better today to get a very different result and we just give them the game,” the Arsenal boss said. “We have to pick the points because the performances are there for sure. What we’ve done today against this team, believe me that wasn’t the game that they wanted to play. “But we wanted the points and we didn’t get them and at the end the games are decided in the boxes and we have given too much away today. We weren’t ruthless enough to convert our chances.” – The Independent/AFP Manchester City’s Ilkay Gundogan (centre) and Jack Grealish (3rd left) in action with Arsenal players during the English Premier League match at the Emirates yesterday. – REUTERSPIX