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PETALING JAYA: As the world enters a recession, Malaysia must be cautious about its debt and spending as the country is almost reaching its debt threshold, which is 65% of gross domestic product (GDP). Universiti Tun Abdul Razak economist Dr Barjoyai Bardai said the country’s economy is very dynamic, and has been moving forward rapidly, with the GDP growing since 2019. He said last year, the nation’s GDP growth was 8.6% but this year, it is expected to be around 4.5% due to the global recession. However, this will not have a major impact on the country, and Malaysia is expected to reach its economic peak in 2026, he added. “Although Malaysia’s debt stands at RM1.5 trillion – RM1.2 trillion being national debt and the rest liabilities – the country’s revenue collection stands at RM270 billion while debt servicing is at RM45 billion annually, which is manageable for now. “The national budget deficit, which stood at RM99.48 billion last year, the highest since 1998, cannot be allowed to grow. The previous government had proposed a deficit budget of RM322 billion. “Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will be careful with the (2023) budget he intends to propose, but it has to take into account the coming recession, which means the lower-income groups will need help.” He said the country is facing a critical year as the government cannot hope to save a lot of money, and needs to ensure its debt does not exceed the threshold level (65% of GDP). Barjoyai added that the following year’s budget would be more stable, and Anwar should be able to cut the deficit within the next five years to bring down the national debt. He also said Anwar has always been prudent when it comes to handling the nation’s finances and budget deficits. The prime minister said on Tuesday that the national debt, including liabilities, has hit RM1.5 trillion and the debt-servicing charges for this year amounted to RM45 billion, representing 15% of national revenue. He said this is also the maximum amount the country can handle. Sunway University economics professor Dr Yeah Kim Leng said the country’s current debt level is of concern, but it is not yet alarming, adding that the government needs to be fiscally prudent in managing the national debt. He said Malaysia’s rating by two of three international agencies remains at “A minus”, which is good. “The nation’s fiscal position remains at a stable level but the government needs to work on reducing the vulnerabilities the country faces. “For emerging economies, a comfortable debt-to-GDP ratio should be in the 60% to 80% level before it starts hurting national development. “At present, Malaysia’s direct debt level is close to 65% of its GDP. But if government liabilities are taken into account, it is already above 70%. “A prudent approach is needed and the new government needs to focus on reducing the nation’s fiscal vulnerabilities. It is important to lower the budget deficit and debt level to a more manageable one.” Yeah said one way to achieve this is to cut down government wastage and leakage, as this would build investor confidence, adding that it is timely now for the new government to work on creative ways and conditions to reduce debt. While acknowledging the world is entering into recession and that the lower-income group oNational budget deficit of RM99.48b as at 2022, the highest since 1998, cannot be allowed to grow: Economists █ BYRAJVINDER SINGH [email protected] Need for caution INSIDE TELLING IT AS IT IS ON THURSDAY JANUARY 19, 2023 No. 8192 PP 2644/12/2012 (031195) www.thesundaily.my MOVE OVER, TIGER ... A giant rabbit display erected on a stage next to Suria KLCC in Kuala Lumpur is all set to “leap” into the Lunar Year of the Rabbit come Sunday, as the Tiger, the Chinese zodiac animal for this year, makes an exit. – SYAZWAN KAMAL/THESUN will need help, he said the government’s budget deficit does not need to increase, as by cutting wastage and leakage, the savings can be channelled to help the B40 segment of society. Yeah said if the government can improve fiscal debt servicing and the debt level, then the debt servicing burden can be reduced. Varsity duo clinch Apicta award Keeping tradition of making ‘kuih bakul’ alive 3 page 2 page

2 theSUN ON THURSDAY | JANUARY 19, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS Varsity duo clinch Apicta award with low-cost creation KUALA LUMPUR: Two private university students earned international recognition at the 21st Asia Pacific ICT Alliance (Apicta) Awards 2022 in Pakistan recently, thanks to their innovative creation that makes cutlery very high-tech. Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation Centre of Robotics Engineering students Wong Heng Ying, 22, and Ang Jia Ze, 23, of “Tremor X” team outshone 20 other teams from 16 countries, under the “Student-Tertiary Technology” category. The Apicta Awards is an Wong showing the gadget that brought Ang and her nternational recognition. – SYAZWAN KAMAL/THESUN oStudents come up with high-tech gadget that self-stabilises cutlery for people with hand tremors █ BY ARINA MUSTHAFA [email protected] international accolade programme designed to stimulate information and communications technology (ICT) innovation and creativity to boost ICT awareness in the community and assist in bridging the digital divide. Apicta members are Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Macao, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. The Tremor X duo represented Malaysia at the grand finals after they emerged winners in the Student-Tertiary Category at the national-level MSC Malaysia Apicta 2022 Awards. They had pitched their creation of a low-cost electronic gadget that enables cutlery to self-stabilise when used by people who have hand tremors, particularly those suffering from Parkinson’s disease. The students were mentored by APU School of Engineering senior lecturer Suresh Gobee and lecturer Vickneswari Durairajah. Wong told theSun the idea for the project stemmed from their desire to make a social impact by addressing a problem faced by a small but often overlooked group that suffers from hand tremors. “When we embarked on this project, we were not going after profit or popularity. It was simply our way of serving the community. So, for us, profit is secondary.” Wong said their creation has four main features, which are an inertial measurement unit sensor that senses tremors and sends signals for necessary corrections, two motors that allow a handle to remain stable, a control unit that functions as the “brain” to control the motors and rotate them accordingly to counteract the tremors, and a Bluetooth module to send information to mobile phones via an application. “For our next prototype, we plan to add features that are more user-friendly, such as rotatable motors that are more flexible, a Bluetooth module for an IoT (Internet of Things) module to allow healthcare workers to retrieve data efficiently, and a more ergonomic handle. “The prototype can be attached to spoons, forks and other cutlery.” Vickneswari said the university is looking for sponsorships from NGOs and corporate social responsibility programmes to fund the mass production of stabilisers and also to reduce their production costs, which would eventually translate to an affordable price. “The production cost of a stabiliser is only RM400, which is 44% cheaper than other products in the market that cost RM900 each. The funds will cover the cost of research and development, manufacturing and marketing.” Can people weather more OPR hikes? KUALA LUMPUR: While the nation waits to see if there will be another overnight policy rate (OPR) hike today or whether the current rate will be maintained by Bank Negara, the key question is, can we afford to have the OPR continue its upward climb? The inflation rate, especially of food, rose by 7.3% in November, a steady month-on-month increase. This resulted in the prices of some items rising by more than 100% last year, leading to intense concern about food security. Statistics Department chief statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the 7.3% increase in food costs was the main contributor to overall inflation, followed by transport, which rose 7.2% and resulted in higher logistic costs. While various efforts, such as increasing the OPR, have been taken to control excess cash and normalise demand, the reality is that people are still waiting for the situation to improve, or at least be less painful. An OPR increase can tighten cash flow for the average person, especially for those with a car or housing loan, or both. Those who refinanced their loans or signed up for new financing in the wake of high OPR rates, especially for long-term commitments like housing or automotive loans, will find the situation particularly tough. The same goes for personal loans. In short, loans cost more nowadays because the cost of money has increased. This has resulted in financial liquidity drying up for many. According to the Executive Opinion Survey of the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2023, cost of living, rapid or sustained inflation and debt crises were identified as Malaysia’s top three global risks. Principal Asset Management Bhd chief investment officer Patrick Chang said inflation levels had taken everybody by surprise, not only in Malaysia but globally last year. He added that rise in inflation, coupled with the US Federal Reserve’s aggressive interest rate hikes, gave rise to volatile markets but the situation is expected to moderate soon. Chang said there were many concerns regarding the nation’s economy last year but he expects a more neutral 2023. He said as Malaysia becomes an ageing nation, those who still have the energy to work must try their level best to save at least a little every month for retirement. – Bernama Payment mode for early schooling aid being improved NIBONG TEBAL: The Education Ministry will improve the payment process for the Bantuan Awal Persekolahan programme, said its minister Fadhlina Sidek. She said this includes crediting the aid directly into the bank accounts of pupils or parents to ensure safety and save time. Fadhlina said she has taken note of all suggestions from various parties regarding the payment process for the early schooling aid initiative. “For now, we will maintain the existing method, but we will improve it from time to time,” she said, after delivering Chinese New Year donations to 103 senior citizens in Kampung Jawi on Tuesday. Fadhlina, who is Nibong Tebal MP, was commenting on former education minister Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin’s proposal for early schooling aid payments to be credited directly into pupils’ bank accounts. She added that the ministry would continue giving the aid face-to-face for the time being, as there are parents who do not have bank accounts. The issue of safety was raised after a headmaster lost RM109,000 in aid for a school in Beranang, Selangor. The money was reported to have been stolen from his car on Monday. The headmaster had withdrawn the amount from a bank and placed it in a bag in the front passenger seat of his car before going to a nearby shop in Semenyih to buy a drink According to Kajang district police chief ACP Mohd Zaid Hassan, based on a statement by the 50-year-old headmaster, it was normal for him to make such a transaction without a police escort. – Bernama Do not take Auditor-General’s Report lightly, says Anwar PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim told Cabinet members to take seriously and scrutinise all remarks made in the Auditor-General’s Report 2021 regarding expenses, leakages as well as matters of non-compliance with conditions and regulations involving their respective ministries. Anwar said yesterday’s Cabinet meeting had examined the report but decided not to disclose it to give space to relevant agencies under the ministries to respond. “For now, I want Cabinet ministers to seriously look into these remarks so that they are not repeated because the Auditor-General’s Report always contains recommendations, but the same mistakes are repeated year after year,” he said at a media conference after chairing the meeting. Anwar added that the National Audit Department would announce the report at a time it deems fit and table it in the next Parliament session. He said such a report is important as repeated mistakes were detected, such as a lack of monitoring, allowing leakages as well as handing over matters to companies that do not play by the rules. – Bernama ‘GLC political appointments must be merit based’ IPOH: Politicians appointed to GLCs must be qualified and such appointments must be based on merit and certain conditions, said Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad. He said appointments must also, among others, be tied to stipulated conditions and based on expertise and experience. “We want the new appointments made by the state government to be based on skills, expertise and experience, and not solely on political affiliation. “So too, at the federal level. Let’s say we want to make an appointment in the Perak Water Board. He or she will need to have a background in engineering and at the same time be a person appointed by a political party and not a politician per se.” He was speaking after launching the Perak Children’s Shelter programme yesterday. – Bernama

3 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON THURSDAY | JANUARY 19, 2023 Lee (second from left) making kuih bakul with the help of family members. – BERNAMAPIC Govt plan for more Sabah, Sarawak High Court judges PUTRAJAYA: The government is looking into the need to increase High Court judge posts for Sabah and Sarawak, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Speaking after chairing the Cabinet meeting yesterday, he said that was one of the proposals presented at the meeting. “We are giving it some priority, especially due to the increase in cases in Sabah and Sarawak,” he said. Anwar said the process of appointing High Court judges in Sabah and Sarawak has to be referred to their Yang di-Pertua Negeri respectively, adding that this was per the requirements of the Federal Constitution before appointments were presented to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. He said the meeting also agreed for the government to examine the court buildings in Sabah and Sarawak, which were found to be in a poor condition. – Bernama 31 recognised for human resource achievements KUALA LUMPUR: The Human Resource Development Corporation (HRDC) presented a total of 31 awards to outstanding employers, training providers and trainers at its 20th HRD Awards 2022 Gala Dinner on Tuesday. The award presentation, held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, was in recognition of their achievements in human capital development. Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar, who officiated at the ceremony, said the awards are a great way to evaluate how well employers and industry players fared in strengthening their human resources development efforts. “Their successes have and will continue to set the benchmark for others to emulate,” he said. HRDC chief executive Datuk Shahul Dawood said the awards have been instrumental in shaping trends and facilitating the growth of Malaysia’s workforce and talents. “We have seen past winners become movers and shakers of the training and development landscape in the country, which is good for the industry,” he said. The awards were divided into two categories with 17 industry players chosen for the Human Resources Minister Award and 14 small and medium enterprises, training providers and trainers for HRD Corp Awards. Convenience store chain 7-Eleven Malaysia Sdn Bhd was among the notable recipients presented with the Human Resources Minister Award. Apart from 7-Eleven, other winners of the Human Resources Minister Award included Malaysia Airlines Berhad, CIMB Bank Berhad, AirAsia Berhad, Telekom Malaysia Berhad, Tenaga Nasional Berhad, Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad and Alam Flora Sdn Bhd. Winners of the HRD Corp Awards included Owen Mumford Sdn Bhd, Jesin Construction Sdn Bhd, Zhulian Marketing (M) Sdn Bhd and Aspac Lubricant (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd. UKM to set up Malay Studies chair at Indian university KUALA LUMPUR: Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) has signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) to establish the Chair of Malay Civilisation Studies at the Indian university’s School of Language, Literature and Culture Studies. The MoA was inked by UKM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Ekhwan Toriman and JNU vice-chancellor Prof Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit at UKM on Tuesday. The ceremony was witnessed by India’s High Commissioner to Malaysia B.N. Reddy and UKM Board of Directors chairman Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Mohamad Abd Razak. Mohd Ekhwan said the establishment of the chair would elevate Malay language and civilisation on the international stage through collaborative research activities, joint publications, conferences and strategic networking between the two public universities. Through the collaboration, the Malay language and culture will be taught in a language laboratory equipped with complete facilities at the faculty. He added that the soon-to-be-appointed Chair will play a role in introducing the Malay language as well as attracting JNU students to learn about Malay civilisation, similar to how other languages and cultures are taught at JNU’s foreign language study centre. Mohd Ekhwan said the idea to establish the chair came about during former Higher Education minister Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad’s working visit to India in May last year. She was accompanied by Mohamad and Cyberjaya University pro-chancellor Tan Sri Dr R. Palan. It was also a continuation of the Malay Studies chairs established by the Higher Education Ministry in foreign universities, including Leiden University, the Netherlands in 1993, Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand (1997), Beijing Foreign Studies University (2007) and Hankuk Foreign Studies University in Seoul (2008). Santishree described the MoA as a historic moment for the two universities, where the Malay language will be included in the list of 32 foreign language subjects offered at the university. – Bernama She added that her family used to make flour from scratch by grinding the glutinous rice by hand, which was the most difficult process in making kuih bakul. “That is why I decided to buy a machine that will make our work easier and to make more kuih bakul so that we can sell them.” Lee said most of the process of making the delicacy is still traditional, such as using firewood for slow cooking. “The steaming process takes up to 14 hours and we use banana leaves to wrap the cakes,” she said. “It is a long and slow process, but we want to keep the original taste so that everyone can enjoy the kuih bakul prepared by the last three generations.” Lee said her family members would assist her to make 400 various sizes of kuih bakul daily to be sold between RM4 and RM10. Meanwhile, fond memories of helping his late mother in the kitchen to bake kuih bakul had motivated Chaing Chai, 66, in Padang Besar in Perlis, to continue the tradition of making the traditional delicacy. “For me, Chinese New Year celebration is not complete without kuih bakul, which is a must-have every year. “It is just like the Malays who must have rendang and ketupat during the Hari Raya celebration. “I still remember sharing kuih bakul with my Malay friends when I was a child, and they would share their rendang and ketupat with me,” he told Bernama. Chaing said making kuih bakul requires patience, as the lengthy process of steaming the cake could take about 10 to 12 hours. “The perfectly cooked kuih bakul can be stored for a long time, almost two years. “To preserve the aroma, it must be cooked with firewood,” he said. oPenang housewife continues legacy of grandmother to meet high demand during Chinese New Year Keeping tradition of making ‘kuih bakul’ alive █ BY MUHAMMAD YUSRY [email protected] Cashless pilot project launched at 28 centres PUTRAJAYA: The Cashless@PEDi pilot project has been introduced at 28 selected digital economy centres nationwide to promote cashless payments among rural communities. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) yesterday said the pilot project was in line with the goal of improving the level of digital payment literacy under the Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint. “The programme will be expanded to other centres nationwide, based on the study of the pilot project’s effectiveness,” said MCMC, which has formed a partnership with Payments Network Malaysia Sdn Bhd (PayNet) for the programme. PayNet, owned by Bank Negara Malaysia and 11 local banks, is the national payment network and shared central infrastructure for Malaysia’s financial markets. The Cashless@PEDi campaign will continue this month at digital centres in Taman Kelisa and Felda Soeharto in Selangor, as well as several centres in Negeri Sembilan, Malacca and Johor, it said. – Bernama BALIK PULAU: Kuih bakul or Nian Gao, especially traditionally made ones, are still in high demand during the Chinese New Year. A 53-year-old housewife, Lee Li Yong, who lives at Jalan Tun Sardon, said she learned the traditional method of making kuih bakul, which carries the symbol of luck and prosperity for the festival, from her grandmother. “I started learning to make it when I was still in primary school by wrapping banana leaves on a cylindrical tin. After almost 10 years, I was allowed to handle every process to make the sweet and sticky glutinous rice cakes.” Lee said she has been making kuih bakul for more than 30 years and demand is particularly high during Chinese New Year.

4 theSUN ON THURSDAY | JANUARY 19, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS HIV stigma still widespread PETALING JAYA: With 81,000 people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the country as of 2021, discrimination is widespread and continues to be a challenge despite advancements in medicine that allow them to live in society and lead fulfilling lives, said a doctor dealing with the disease. The resident doctor at the Community Health Care Clinic run by the PT Foundation, Dr Haziman Fauzi (pic), said the organisation has to keep doing what it does best in the interest of PLHIV. “Of the 81,000 PLHIV, 83% are aware of their status after being notified via the Health Ministry’s oKnowledge a powerful tool to prevent discrimination against infected individuals, says community clinic doctor █ BYNURIN ABDULLAH [email protected] National Surveillance Programme, but they still need support from healthcare professionals and the public.” PT Foundation is a c o m m u n i t y - b a s e d , voluntary non-profit organisation providing HIV/AIDS education on prevention, care and support, empowerment programmes on sexual health for vulnerable communities. It focuses on five key affected populations – drug users, sex workers, transsexuals, men who have sex with men and PLHIV. On public education and awareness, Haziman said the foundation conducts talks on the basic science of HIV/AIDS and HIV modes of transmission and treatment, especially on its open days. “We consult with family members as well in regards to PLHIV, but only with those who have opened up about their status to their family members. This helps increase awareness about HIV. “We believe knowledge is the most powerful tool to end the stigma against the human immunodeficiency virus. Some stigma is caused by the patients themselves, where newly diagnosed ones face self-stigmatisation, which can affect their mental health. We provide free counselling sessions for newly diagnosed HIV-positive patients, and we encourage them to join our peer group sharing sessions.” One of the foundation’s PLHIV patients, who wishes to remain anonymous, told theSun of his experience after contracting HIV. “It felt devastating at first. My legs went numb. All hopes and plans I had for a better life vanished at that very moment and of course, overcoming the denial stage was extremely difficult. “The main challenges of having this disease start with accepting the fact that ‘I got infected’, and trusting people to share and disclose my HIV status. “Other challenges that followed were on how to pursue my career and achieve goals for myself and my loved ones, knowing that a majority of society still has a strong negative stigma towards PLHIV.” A study by Universiti Sains Malaysia, titled Stigma and Discrimination: Malaysia Stigma Evaluation Survey 2021 concluded that PLHIV often have to deal with discriminatory remarks, are denied employment and excluded from social gatherings. Universiti Malaya Medical Centre nutritionist Dr Henry Chang Chung Yuan said there were even instances when healthcare workers themselves discriminated against PLHIV, viewing them as immoral. “For PLHIV, many are scared to come forward and get themselves tested, as they fear discrimination by the public, healthcare workers, family and friends. Those who lack knowledge of HIV will consider it a death sentence and often develop a negative self-image. “But with the right medication, PLHIV can live long, healthy lives. When the HIV in the body falls to an undetectable level, it is unlikely for them to transmit the virus.” Chang said while many people think the disease only affects certain groups of people, which leads to negative judgements and views of PLHIV, public perception has improved as people are more accepting and understanding. “I hope this disease disappears by 2030 so that new transmissions and infections will no longer exist in the country.” Labuan starts FT Day events with flag feat LABUAN: Ahead of the 39th Federal Territory Day, which falls on Feb 1, the Labuan Corporation (LC) successfully unfurled the Federal Territories flag underwater at Rusukan Kecil Island yesterday. Fifteen divers from the Labuan Fisheries Department took part in the ceremony. LC CEO Rithuan Ismail said the idea behind the initiative is to invoke patriotism in the people and to commemorate the elevation of Labuan as a federal territory. He added that the campaign, which is part of the FT Day celebrations, was launched on Jan 15. “The campaign is to encourage citizens to hoist the flag at their homes and business premises to mark the 39th Federal Territory Day.” Rithuan also said the corporation has started hoisting flags along the main streets downtown. Labuan fisheries director Faizal Ibrahim Suhaili said the flag was unfurled about 5m underwater during the 30-minute ceremony. – Bernama Ship owner to aid in missing vessel probe KUALA LUMPUR: The owner of the cargo ship MV Dai Cat 06 and family members of the missing crewmen will be summoned to assist in the investigations, said Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) director-general Maritime Admiral Datuk Mohd Zubil Mat Som. “MMEA will open an inquiry paper and will call the ship’s owner, the crewmen’s family members, and the ship’s agent to answer questions about the ship’s disappearance. “Among the things that would be asked is the safety of the ship before sailing and the welfare of the crew, including why the disappearance was only reported on Jan 9 when it was supposed to have arrived in Kuching on Dec 31,” he said. On Jan 9, the cargo vessel carrying pipes valued at RM726,000, was reported missing in Indonesian waters and a police report was lodged by the ship’s agent the same day. The search operation for the missing ship, which was coordinated by Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency, was called off on Jan 14 after no progress was made. Mohd Zubil also said initial investigations revealed that the ship was a sand vessel but was carrying pipes when it went missing. – Bernama Kelantan temple beautified ahead of CNY GUA MUSANG: With three days left until Chinese New Year (CNY), the Chinese community continues to liven up the festive atmosphere by decorating the Kuan Tai Meow Temple in Bandar Lama here. Housewife Suni Eh Wang, 52, said after two years of moderate celebrations, she longs to beautify the temple area with a bright and joyous ambience to celebrate the arrival of the Year of the Rabbit, according to the Chinese calendar. “Beginning this month, the local residents and I have been working together to decorate the temple to liven up the atmosphere to set a cheerful and happy mood for the coming CNY celebrations. “More than 50 lanterns of various types and colours are used for the decorations,” she told reporters at Kampung Baru yesterday. Chong Won Mei, 51, said the temple decorations can only be put up at night after she returns from work. “The total cost for all decorations such as flowers, lanterns and lights was RM5,000, which was paid for with donations as well as money we collected among ourselves.” Chin Qi Yao, 30, said the excitement of reviving the CNY atmosphere at the temple is special because it not only involves adults and the elderly, as youths also participate, contribute ideas and efforts. “Besides decorating the area with Meihua flowers and dozens of hanging lanterns, the cheerfulness of the Kuan Tai Meow Temple is enhanced with Calamansi plants, a symbol of good fortune.” – Bernama Delivery driver jailed, fined for bribing policeman BUTTERWORTH: A delivery van driver was sentenced to 10 days in jail and fined RM10,000, in default five months’ jail, by the Sessions Court yesterday, after pleading guilty to a charge of giving a RM200 bribe to a policeman in June 2021. M. Kalaithasan, 53, made the plea after the charge was read before Judge Zulhazmi Abdullah. According to the charge sheet, he gave the money to Cpl Hisamudin Ibrahim at Lorong Perusahaan 4, in front of a factory in Bukit Tengah, Central Seberang Perai in Penang at 5.10pm on June 28. He offered the bribe as inducement to avoid being arrested due to the issuance of a compound against him under Regulation 16 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures within the Infected Local Areas) for violating the Movement Control Order 3.0 standard operating procedures. The bribery offence was committed under Section 17(b) of the Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission Act 2009. – Bernama FESTIVE HAUL ... Penang Customs Department director Hamisan Kalip (right) showing crackers and fireworks worth RM87,000 with unpaid tax of RM56,000 during a press conference in Butterworth yesterday. – MASRY CHE ANI/THESUN

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6 theSUN ON THURSDAY | JANUARY 19, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS @thesundaily FOLLOW ON TWITTER SCAN ME Philippine Nobel laureate acquitted of tax evasion MANILA: Philippine Nobel Prize winner Maria Ressa was acquitted yesterday of tax evasion, among a slew of charges she has long maintained are politically motivated, calling the verdict a victory for “truth”. Ressa, who shared the Peace Prize with Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov in 2021, still faces three other cases, including a cyber libel conviction now under appeal that could mean nearly seven years in prison. “Today, facts win. Truth wins,” a teary-eyed and defiant Ressa told reporters outside the Manila courtroom after the ruling on four government charges that she and her online media company Rappler had dodged taxes in a 2015 bond sale to foreign investors. The tax court said prosecutors failed to prove “beyond reasonable doubt” that Ressa and Rappler had evaded income taxes. “This acquittal, even when it took time, is not just for Rappler. It is for every Filipino who has ever been unjustly accused. It is also a ray of light, hope,” Ressa said, calling the charges “politically motivated”. The 59-year-old has been battling a series of cases that media advocates say were filed due to her vocal criticism of former president Rodrigo Duterte and his drug war, which claimed thousands of lives. Ressa and Muratov were awarded the Nobel for their efforts to “safeguard freedom of expression”. “An adverse decision would have had far-reaching repercussions on both the press and the capital markets. With you, we will continue to #HoldTheLine,” Rappler said in a statement. #HoldTheLine is a slogan used to symbolise the fight for press freedom. Despite the ruling, Ressa still faces the threat of prison from the cyber libel case, while the future of Rappler, which she founded in 2012, remains uncertain. “We keep going,” she said yesterday when asked about the other cases. “You prepare for the worst-case scenario and you keep going.” Rappler is challenging a Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission order to close for allegedly violating a ban on foreign ownership in media. Under the Constitution, investment in the media is reserved for Philippine citizens or entities controlled by citizens. The case springs from a 2015 investment by the US-based Omidyar Network, established by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar. – AFP Strong quake hits eastern Indonesia JAKARTA: An offshore earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 hit near eastern Indonesia’s Maluku islands yesterday, the US Geological Survey (USGS) reported, triggering a tsunami warning that was later lifted. The epicentre of the tremor was located 150km northwest of the eastern Indonesian island of Halmahera, at a depth of 48km. There were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage. The quake occurred around 1.06pm local time (2.06pm in Malaysia) off the coast of Sulawesi island, shaking nearby islands and forcing residents to flee in panic. “The quake was felt for around 15 to 20 seconds. The shakings were quite long,” said an AFP journalist on Morotai island in the Maluku archipelago. “Some people went outside because they were afraid of buildings collapsing.” The NWS Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii said in its updated warning after the quake that the tsunami threat had passed. Earlier, it said tsunami waves could hit coastal areas around 300km from the epicentre. The quake was also revised down from an initial magnitude of 7.2 reported by the USGS. Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, which gave the magnitude at 7.1, warned of possible aftershocks. Daryono, the head of the agency’s earthquake and tsunami centre who like many Indonesians goes by one name, said the tremor was followed by five aftershocks, the largest with a magnitude of 5.3. – AFP Macau court jails former ‘junket king’ 18 years MACAU: Former “junket king” Alvin Chau was sentenced yesterday to 18 years in jail for running an illegal gambling empire, ending a criminal trial that shocked the casino hub and toppled one of its highest-profile gaming tycoons. The 48-year-old founder of Suncity Group pioneered the junket industry that brought high rollers from mainland China to Macau, the only place in the country where casinos operate legally. At its peak during the 2010s, junkets contributed the bulk of gaming revenue for the former Portuguese colony, which boasted a pre-pandemic casino industry bigger than Las Vegas. Chau’s downfall coincided with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s years-long anti-corruption drive, which has included much closer oAlvin Chau found guilty of fraud, running criminal syndicate and operating illegal bets Girl killed as convenience store collapses in Vietnam HANOI: A 15-year-old girl was killed when a convenience store collapsed in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City yesterday, with rescue workers blaming an overload of stock ahead of the Lunar New Year. At least one more person was thought to be trapped inside the two-storey Circle-K shop, state media said, after eight others escaped from the ground floor. “Paramedics gave the girl CPR in the ambulance as we rushed her to hospital. But we were informed by the hospital that she died,” Nguyen Duy Long, head of the southern business hub’s ambulance service, told AFP. Photos of the site showed a large amount of soft drinks, milk and other goods in a heap outside the store after they were pulled out by rescue workers searching for victims. Earlier this month, authorities declared a 10-year-old boy dead after four days trapped in a buried hollow concrete pillar at a construction site in the Mekong Delta’s Dong Thap province. Rescuers have yet to pull up the pillar with the boy’s body inside. – AFP FESTIVE EXODUS ... Passengers waiting to board trains at Shanghai’s Hongqiao Railway Station yesterday during the annual Spring Festival travel rush ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year. – REUTERSPIC B R I E F SACQUITTAL OF TEPCO EX-BOSSES UPHELD TOKYO: The High Court here upheld yesterday the acquittal of three former executives from the operator of the Fukushima nuclear plant, again clearing them of professional negligence over the 2011 disaster. A massive tsunami swamped the Fukushima Daiichi plant on Japan’s northeastern coast in March 2011 after a 9.0-magnitude undersea earthquake, causing the world’s worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl. Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) ex-chairman Tsunehisa Katsumata, and former vice-presidents Sakae Muto and Ichiro Takekuro were accused of liability for the deaths of more than 40 hospitalised patients who had to be evacuated following the nuclear disaster. – AFP ESCAPED TIGER KILLED IN SOUTH AFRICA PRETORIA: A tiger who escaped from a South African farm and roamed the countryside outside of Johannesburg for four days, attacking a man and killing several animals, was killed yesterday, a local community leader said. The eight-year-old female Bengal tiger was put down just before dawn after it killed a dog, the latest in a series of attacks that followed its escape from an enclosure at a private farm on Saturday, said safety volunteer Gresham Mandy. Following its escape, the tiger, named Sheba, attacked a man, 39, who was hospitalised with injuries to his legs. It also killed a dog and a deer and mauled another dog so badly that it had to be put down. – AFP scrutiny of corrupt officials who might travel to Macau to place bets and launder money. Prosecutors charged Chau with 289 counts of fraud, money laundering and illegal gambling. Judge Lou Ieng Ha yesterday found Chau guilty of fraud, running a criminal syndicate and operating illegal bets, but acquitted him on the money laundering charge. Suncity under Chau’s leadership “conducted illegal gambling for unlawful gains for a long time”, she said in her ruling, and sentenced him to 18 years behind bars. She also awarded damages of HK$6.5 billion (RM3.6 billion) to the Macau government and lower sums to five casino operators, saying their revenue took a hit due to Suncity not declaring the full extent of its gains. The trial began in September and centred on alleged under-the-table bets worth HK$824 billion over eight years, which defrauded Macau of tax revenue exceeding HK$1 billion. Chau, who was charged alongside 20 co-defendants, was also accused of facilitating proxy betting for Chinese clients to gamble remotely in casinos based in Southeast Asia. The defence acknowledged that under-the-table betting existed in Macau, but pointed to the lack of direct evidence implicating Chau, Suncity executives or employees. Addressing the court last month, Chau said his company had never run into legal trouble in more than a decade of operating VIP rooms in casinos worldwide. “I don’t know why (Suncity) is deemed a criminal syndicate,” Chau said, according to local media. “My colleagues have not seen a cent of criminal proceeds up until now. We have never paid additional compensation for illegal acts.” Pedro Leal, one of Chau’s lawyers, said he believed there were grounds for appeal but needed to discuss further with his client. “I think there’s a lack of evidence for the fraud and illegal gambling (charges),” he told reporters. – AFP

7 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON THURSDAY | JANUARY 19, 2023 Key suspect in EU graft scandal to tell all oAllegations of ‘influence buying’ by certain countries roil European Parliament BRUSSELS: A key suspect in a spreading EU graft scandal, former Italian member of European Parliament (MEP) Pier Antonio Panzeri, has cut a deal to divulge information about countries involved and bribes made, Belgian prosecutors said on Tuesday. In return, he would get a “limited sentence”, including imprisonment, a fine and confiscation of €1 million (RM4.7 million) in assets, the prosecutors said in a statement. The development was a dramatic turn in the corruption scandal in which prosecutors suspect Qatar and Morocco funnelled bribes through Panzeri and other figures to influence decisions in the European Parliament. Qatar has denied any wrongdoing and Morocco has accused the media of making unjustified “attacks”. The allegations have roiled the Parliament and sparked unease in other EU institutions, with concerns voiced that their public credibility could be shaken. Panzeri is one of four suspects held in Belgium following police raids on addresses last month that turned up €1.5 million in cash. The searches were conducted in the homes and offices of MEPs, former MEPs, parliamentary aides, and the heads of NGOs that dealt with the Parliament. The other three suspects are Greek MEP and former Parliament vice-president Eva Kaili, her Italian boyfriend and parliamentary aide Francesco Giorgi and Italian head of an NGO, Niccolo Figa-Talamanca. World’s oldest known person dies aged 118 Jailed drug kingpin El Chapo sends ‘SOS’ to Mexico president MEXICO CITY: Notorious drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman has appealed to Mexico’s president for help over alleged “psychological torment” he is suffering in a US prison, his lawyer said on Tuesday. “In the six years that Joaquin has been in the United States, he has not seen the sun,” said Jose Refugio Rodriguez, a Mexico-based legal representative of the Sinaloa cartel founder. The message, described as “an SOS”, was relayed via one of Guzman’s lawyers in the US as well as his family, Rodriguez said. Guzman is only allowed outside three times a week into a small area where he “doesn’t get the sun”, and has fewer visits or phone calls than other inmates, the lawyer said in an interview with Radio Formula. “He is suffering psychological torment,” Rodriguez said, adding that the lack of sunshine was also bad for the convicted drug trafficker’s physical health. Guzman wants President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to address alleged procedural violations during his extradition in 2017 under the former government. The Mexican embassy in Washington confirmed on Twitter on Tuesday that it received an email from Rodríguez on Jan 10. Without referring to the content of the e-mail, Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard downplayed the chance of any government intercession in favour of the notorious drug trafficker. “He is serving a sentence there, he has a sentence,” the minister told journalists. “So frankly, I don’t see any possibilities for him, but I’m going to review it with the prosecutor’s office.” El Chapo is serving a life sentence in the United States after being convicted in 2019 of charges including drug trafficking, money laundering and weapons-related offences. One of his sons, Ovidio Guzman, was arrested by Mexican security forces this month in an operation that left 29 people dead and sparked a dramatic shootout at an airport in the city of Culiacan. – AFP B R I E F SUKRAINIAN MINISTER KILLED IN CRASH KYIV: At least 15 people, including Ukraine’s interior minister, other senior ministry officials and three children were killed yesterday when a helicopter crashed near a nursery outside the capital. Several bodies were covered by blankets on the ground of a courtyard in a residential area near the damaged entrance of a block of flats after the helicopter came down in Brovary, northeast of Kyiv, setting at least one building ablaze. Emergency services announced a death toll of 15, and said 25 others had been injured, including 10 children. Police confirmed that Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi was killed. – Reuters EL SALVADOR RELEASES 3,000 DETAINEES SAN SALVADOR: At least 3,000 people who were detained under El Salvador’s sweeping emergency anti-gang laws have been released after being deemed “innocent” of any crime, President Nayib Bukele said Tuesday. “In El Salvador, throughout the emergency regime, more than 3,000 people who were innocent have been released,” he said during a public event near the capital. The release of detainees follows the government’s launch early last year of a frontal “war” against violent gangs plaguing the Central American country. More than 61,000 people suspected of being gang members have been arrested and of that total, 3,000 have now been released. – AFP STEP DOWN ... Demonstrators protesting against the government of President Dina Boluarte in Peru capital Lima. The country has been rocked by five weeks of protests since the ouster and arrest of her predecessor Pedro Castillo last month. – AFPPIC All four are being held on charges of “criminal organisation, corruption and money laundering”. Panzeri, 67, headed another NGO suspected of receiving money from certain countries to pay serving MEPs to sway parliamentary decisions on issues important to those countries. Belgian media said Panzeri was put under surveillance by Belgian intelligence services for at least a month before his arrest. The reports said he received money from Morocco to promote its interests in Parliament. Italy has arrested Panzeri’s wife and daughter under a warrant issued by Belgium and authorised their extraditions. But his wife is challenging the court order, and his daughter is expected to follow suit, according to Italian media. Panzeri did not appear at a scheduled custody appeal on Tuesday, withdrawing for what prosecutors initially said were “personal reasons”. In their statement on Panzeri agreeing to turn over evidence, prosecutors said they were applying a pentiti law, designed for mafia cases in which a criminal suspect repents. It was only the second time in Belgian legal history that the pentiti statute has been used. The first time was in 2018, for a football agent who cooperated on international corruption in the sport. Panzeri’s lawyer said the deal meant Panzeri could receive a sentence of up to five years, but with only a maximum of one year spent in custody, part of which could be under house arrest with an electronic bracelet. Prosecutors said Panzeri committed to truthfully tell all about “the identity of the persons he admits to having bribed”. He is also to divulge his methods, the “financial arrangements with other involved countries” and “the involvement of known and unknown persons within the investigation”. That last pledge could send chills down the spines of potential suspects who have not been questioned by Belgian authorities. Already, intense scrutiny is being directed at any EU official or lawmaker who has made effusive statements in favour of Qatar or Morocco. – AFP Plane lands safely in Sydney after mid-air mayday CANBERRA: Ambulance services scrambled at Sydney Airport yesterday to meet an incoming Qantas plane that issued a mid-air mayday alert with engine trouble before landing safely. Flight QF144 was carrying 145 passengers from Auckland, New Zealand, a statement from Qantas said. The Boeing 737-800 plane landed without incident on the runway at Sydney Airport and will now be inspected by engineers. Qantas said the mayday alert was downgraded to a PAN – or “possible assistance needed” – before the flight touched down. The airline did not identify the problem precisely but said one of the aircraft’s engines had “experienced an issue” about two hours after take off. “While inflight engine shutdowns are rare, and would naturally be concerning for our passengers, our pilots are trained to manage them safely and aircraft are designed to fly for an extended period on one engine.” Airservices Australia, the government’s aviation regulator, said a PAN indicated a situation that “requires attention from air traffic control”. Qantas is consistently ranked among the world’s safest airlines and has not been involved in a fatal accident for more than 70 years. NSW Ambulance said earlier the service had initiated its “emergency activation” plans because the plane had made a mayday call while flying over the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand. Paramedics were called and ambulance services were placed on standby at the airport. The Boeing 737-800 is a twin-engine plane and able to land safely with just one engine. According to the Australian government, a mayday call “indicates an aircraft is in grave and imminent danger and requires immediate assistance”. – AFP PARIS: The world’s oldest known person, French nun Lucile Randon, has died aged 118 at her nursing home in the city of Toulon. Randon, known as Sister Andre, died in her sleep, said St Catherine-Laboure nursing home spokesman David Tavella on Tuesday. “There is great sadness but it was her desire to join her beloved brother. For her, it’s a liberation.” Randon was born in the southern town of Ales on Feb 11, 1904, when World War I was still a decade away. She grew up in a Protestant family as the only girl among three brothers. Randon later worked as a governess in Paris – a period she once called the happiest time of her life – for the children of wealthy families. She converted to Catholicism and was baptised at the age of 26. Driven by a desire to “go further”, she joined the Daughters of Charity order of nuns at the relatively late age of 41. Sister Andre was then assigned to a hospital in Vichy, where she worked for 31 years. Later in life, she moved to Toulon along the Mediterranean coast. Her days in the nursing home were punctuated by prayer, mealtimes and visits from residents and hospice workers. – AFP

8 theSUN ON THURSDAY | JANUARY 19, 2023 SPEAK UP CANING of children is not uncommon in Malaysian society since it is frequently justified as a form of discipline, particularly when not only parents but also teachers use the same approach as a form of punishment. Regulation 5 of the Education Ordinance 1957 states that the headmaster, which includes the teachers under his supervision, has the authority to punish students as long as it is not abusive. According to social theorist Michael Donnelly and family violence expert Murray A. Straus, corporal punishment, which includes caning, is a form of physical violence that is used to correct or regulate the behavior of children. The objective is to cause the child pain but not injury in order to correct the child’s behaviour. The phrase “pain but not injury” distinguishes physical abuse and corporal punishment. Pinching, twisting the ears and other similar actions are examples of physical abuse. Due to the culture and practice of corporal punishment, the subject of caning children is starting to come to light as society progresses, which has aroused concern among some parents. In this regard, the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, citing the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Children’s Act 2001, has recommended criminalising physical punishment, such as caning. French sociologist David Emile Durkheim believes that education is a crucial medium for instilling social ideals in children’s minds, in order for them to mature into adults with high social values. As such, school’s disciplinary rules should be strictly adhered to. This will enable students to develop self-discipline as well as the ability to refrain from engaging in illegal behaviour, even if it means being caned. In addition, he opined that children who broke the rules should be disciplined so that they can learn from their mistakes and develop more self-control. German philosopher Immanuel Kant, indirectly supporting the view, said it is permissible to use physical punishment on children as long as it does not cause harm or injury. Furthermore, Kant emphasises the significance of education in order to instil a sense of purpose in young people. On the other hand, English philosopher and physician John Locke stressed that corporal punishment, including caning, should not be permitted because it has the potential to encourage aggression and does not provide a quality education. However, he added that there are exceptions to the rule that allow parents to discipline and punish their children as long as the punishment does not inflict physical harm. Locke is of the view that educating children should not be a chore but rather a pleasant experience. English philosopher John Stuart Mill agreed with Locke that parents have a duty to raise their children. Mill believes that the major objective of education is to make their lives better and train children so that they can contribute to society in the future. However, Mill maintained that caning and other forms of physical punishment are not an effective method of educating children. This may be because they would lead children to think that using violence is permissible to solve problems, and there is a high probability of them engaging the same form of punishment on their children. Mill also believes that the government should intervene by imposing fines on parents who physically abuse their children to prevent further abuse. Durkheim and Locke’s theory establishes a balance between the punishment meted out to children and the consequences of their disobedience, thus, not impeding moral and self development. Durkheim echoes the argument of sensitivity but reiterates the necessity of caning children in order to form a quality society, a view shared by Kant, while Locke, who has a naturalistic perspective, feels parents have a responsibility to educate and shape the character of their children, a point partly supported by Mills. Succintly, it can be argued that the practice of caning children in Malaysia is consistent with naturalist and sociological jurisprudence, so long as it is carried out with the aim to teach children and not cause them physical harm. Ainur Sofea Talib is a third-year law student at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and Dr Nabeel Mahdi Althabhawi is a lecturer at the law faculty. Comments: [email protected] Caning children - abuse or discipline? “The practice of caning children in Malaysia is consistent with naturalist and sociological jurisprudence, so long as it is carried out with the aim to teach children and not cause them physical harm. Benefits of UK hospitals going vegan THE first tenet of a healthcare professional or institution is “do no harm”. In 2023, with advances in knowledge and technologies, we should be looking to extend this core principle to include minimisation and avoidance of harm to animals and our shared environment, in line with the “One Health approach”. Veganism is a social justice movement that centres animals at its core and aims to eliminate the use and commodification of animals in everyday life. While it may seem that this has no relevance within the workings of UK’s National Health Service (NHS), in fact, health outcomes for individuals can benefit hugely from removing the use of animals, which permeates every aspect of our lives. An example of a change that needs to occur is ending the use of animals for the development of medicines and medical devices. It is shocking to learn that, globally, almost 200 million animals are used for scientific purposes every year. Yet, 90% of studies conducted fail to lead to effective treatments for humans, and there are instead a vast number of validated nonanimal models that can be used. An easier first step would be to focus on using a vegan or plant-based diet to improve the health of patients, while at the same time reducing the carbon footprint of the food served within the NHS. A balanced, plant-based diet is one of the best choices we can make for our health, with significant benefits for reducing rates of obesity, cardiovascular disease, type two diabetes, fatty liver disease and certain cancers. Eighty per cent of conditions dealt with by the NHS are entirely preventable if we adopt a better diet, alongside other healthy habits. With more than 40% of adults living with a chronic condition and most of us spending our last decade in ill health, supporting people to adopt a plantbased diet seems like a simple solution. Plant-based diets can increase healthy life-expectancy, reduce expenditure on healthcare and the need for prescribed medications. Studies show that a healthy plantbased diet can significantly reduce the severity of Covid-19 infection. The NHS was the first healthcare system in the world to declare a climate emergency in recognition of the fact that the climate crisis is “the biggest health threat facing humanity”. With more than a million employees and 140 million meals served to hospital patients each year, switching to a plantbased menu could reduce the NHS’ food-related carbon footprint by more than 50%. More than £630 million (RM2.72 billion) is spent on inpatient food provision, yet studies have shown that a vegan diet would cost just a third of that in the UK. We have a long way to go to transform both staff and patient meals in hospitals. The good news is that precedent has now been set through a campaign spearheaded by the mayor of New York, Eric Adams. All meals at hospitals in New York City will be plantbased by default, with animal foods served only on request. At my hospital, we are running a Veganuary campaign for staff for the second year and there is a commitment from the executive to move towards a plant-based food environment. Removing animals from our plates brings further co-benefits. Antibiotic-resistant infections are a major threat to global health, resulting in 1.3 million deaths annually. Seventy per cent of antibiotics produced are used in farm animals, resulting in the contamination of our land, water and crops with antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Eliminating our reliance on animals for food would vastly reduce the use of antibiotics and, consequently, treatment-resistant infections. Similarly, three of four new and emerging infections with pandemic potential come from animals, and the next pandemic is predicted to arise from industrialised animal farming, likely bird flu. The key to addressing many of these issues is through training and education of healthcare professionals. This is already taking place with the sustainable healthcare curriculum for medical students. Implementation of recommendations takes time, and it is often left to civil society organisations to shift the needle. Change can and does need to happen in healthcare in general. Doctors are now referring to the removal of animals from healthcare as “a moral imperative”. We have the knowledge and means. We just need the collective will to succeed. Dr Shireen Kassam is a consultant haematologist, lifestyle medicine physician and founder of Plant-Based Health Professionals UK. – The Independent COMMENT by Ainur Sofea Talib and Dr Nabeel Mahdi COMMENT by Dr Shireen Kassam

9 SPEAK UP theSUN ON THURSDAY | JANUARY 19, 2023 Invest in employee mental well-being THE World Health Organisation (WHO) defines mental health as “a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realise their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community. Mental health is more than the absence of mental disorders” (“Mental health: Strengthening our response”, WHO, June 17, 2022). Mental health encompasses psychological, emotional and social health. In 2015, it was reported that 29.2% of individuals aged 16 and above had mental health problems in Malaysia (“National Strategic Plan for Mental Health 2020-2025”, Health Ministry, 2020). East Malaysia had the highest prevalence rate of a population meeting the criteria of mental disorder at 43%, followed closely by Kuala Lumpur at 40% (“Mental disorders in Malaysia: An increase in lifetime prevalence”, Raaj et al., British Journal of Psychiatry International, 2021). As Malaysia develops from a middle- to high-income country, levels of stress are also increasing. Mental health in the workplace Increasing demands of workload, competition and globalisation have been associated with rising mental health conditions (“Struggle over employees’ psychological well-being. The politicisation and depoliticisation of the debate on employee mental health in the Finnish insurance sector”, Koukkanen et al., Management and Organisational History, 2020). Last year, it was reported that 51% of our workforce had work-related stress (“Mental health protection for the workforce”, The Star, Aug 16, 2022). However, it was estimated that only 20% of Malaysians with mental health issues received the treatment they needed (“Workplace mental health: The business costs”, Relate Mental Health Malaysia, 2020). High prevalence of mental disorders translates into increased costs to organisations and puts severe strains on the economy. Lower productivity and increased absenteeism are the leading causes behind these financial losses (“Exploring mental illness in the workplace: The role of HR professionals and processes”, Hennekam et al., The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 2021). Poor mental health is seven times more likely to make an employee unproductive. According to an Australian study, psychological distress can decrease productivity by 26%. In the UK, the statistic was around 40%. Depression alone accounts for over 15% of loss in productivity. WHO estimates that poor workplace mental health costs the global economy US$1 trillion (RM4.33 trillion) annually. In Malaysia, poor mental health in the workplace cost the country around RM14.46 billion or 1% of the gross domestic product. Given such drastic financial losses, it does not make sense to not invest in mental health of our workforce. There are many things an organisation can do to boost their employee’s mental health, and thereby productivity, such as providing flexible working hours, respecting non-office hours and promoting a healthy work culture. While such measures are useful in improving mental health conditions, therapy is also an indisputably critical aspect. Lack of laws The Malaysian Mental Health Act (2001) and the Mental Health Regulation (2010) make no provisions regarding mental health in the workplace (“Mental Health Issues at Workplace: An Overview of Law and Policy in Malaysia and United Kingdom”, International Journal of Law, Government and Communication, 2021). The Occupational Safety and Health Act (Osha) 1994 posits that employers are liable “to ensure, so far as is practicable, the safety, health and welfare at work of all his employees”. However, the Act primarily focuses on the physical safety of the employees and has no explicit provisions regarding an employer’s duty towards mental health, especially depression, anxiety and stress. Scarcity of insurance plans Most employers provide health insurance as an incentive and in line with good practice. However, currently there are no laws in Malaysia that require employers to provide health insurance to employees, let alone mental health insurance. There is a lack of employee mental health coverage plans offered by insurance companies. Along with this, there is poor awareness among employers about the availability of mental health coverage. In August 2022, AIA was the first to launch a mental health employee insurance programme in Malaysia in collaboration with ThoughtFull, a digital mental health organisation. The insurance plan offers unlimited daily digital one-on-one therapy with professionals, 24/7 wellness hotline and mental wellness programmes. It includes coverage for employee consultation, medication and treatment as provided by a psychiatrist (“Mental Health Protection for the Workforce”, AIA, Aug 16, 2022). The key question for employers in providing mental health insurance for their employees is whether it is worthwhile? Importance of mental well-being in the workplace Mental well-being is linked to increased creativity, motivation, curiosity, cognitive flexibility, broader array of ideas and problem solving, improved ability to consider numerous options and increased resilience. All these skills are instrumental for the growth of a company. Therapy improves job performance In 2010, a study found that access to therapy can decrease employee sick days by half. Less sick days translates into more work done for employers. Furthermore, being happy increases an employee’s engagement with their work and productivity by 12%. Google, by providing therapy, reported a 37% increase in employee satisfaction and productivity. A study with 197 employees from two Fortune 100 companies receiving counselling through an Employee Assisted Programme (EAP) provider suggested that 90 days after starting counselling, employees showed significant decreases in absenteeism, presenteeism, workplace distress and increase in life satisfaction (“Evaluating the Workplace Effects of EAP Counseling”, Sharar et al., Journal of Health and Productivity, 2012). Therapy is cost-efficient Given that most organisations are private and for profit, it seems counter-intuitive for employers to invest in mental health, which is seemingly intangible and difficult-to-measure. However, research suggests that investing in employee therapy both saves and makes money for organisations (“Is Therapy an Effective Provision for your Employees”, Spectrum Mental Health, April 19, 2018). Research suggests that it is extremely costly for employers to not invest in employee mental health. In the US, depression costs employers US$17 per employee annually, a stark difference from the next highest health cost, diabetes costs less than US$2 (“What do employers need to know about parity?”, American Psychological Association (APA), May 5, 2021). Additionally, an increase in mental health issues have shown to increase employer expenditure on physical health problems. WHO estimates that for every USD1 spent on mental well-being, there is a US$4 return through productivity and health. The annual estimated cost for treating depression and anxiety in Malaysia is lower than the annual cost of lost productivity due to mental health issues. The RM14.46 billion cost has increased over the past four years, especially exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. This figure does not include the cost of treating physical health problems caused or exacerbated by mental health issues. The RM14.46 billion cost due to mental health issues at the workplace dwarfs the mere RM337 million allocated to mental health issues in the 2022 budget (“What We Know So Far: A Breakdown of Budget 2021’s Allocation for Mental Health”, Relate Malaysia, Nov 19, 2020). Employers cannot avoid hiring employees with mental health issues While companies may be motivated to only hire mentally “healthy” individuals, such a strategy does not take into account the possibility of employees developing a mental health condition during employment. An employee without any history of mental health issues is 7% likely to develop such a condition and 13% if they are stressed. Companies cannot avoid employing individuals with mental health issues given that 51% of workers in Malaysia report high occupational stress. Hence, employers should support mental health instead of avoiding it. While 63% of employers recognise that employee health and well-being impacts company success, only 13% are aware of potential well-being interventions. This suggests a severe disconnect between employer beliefs and the implementation of appropriate budgeting and processes safeguarding employee mental health. Addressing mental health issues will benefit employers in other crucial ways as well, such as boosting their reputation, promoting a healthier work culture and gaining employee commitment and loyalty. Hence, Emir Research recommends: 0 Including specific provisions regarding mental health in Osha (1994); 0 Workplaces to hold mandatory mental health awareness seminars once a year, which should be claimable via the Human Resource Development Fund; 0 The Health Ministry and Finance Ministry to work closely with the Malaysian Mental Health Association, Malaysian Society of Clinical Psychologists and insurance companies to introduce more employee mental health insurance schemes, especially focusing on depression, anxiety and stress; Insurance schemes should also include first line of treatment, such as initial consultations and psychotherapy, instead of only including psychiatry and medication that are mainly used for extreme cases; 0Ensuring employer and insurer confidentiality regarding the therapy; 0 The necessity for a mental health “criterion” to prevent/pre-empt the possibility of insurers using their own pre-computed actuarial risk analysis calculations that may result in unfairly denying workers mental health treatment. Reference can be made to the two statements/recommendations issued by the APA, namely that: “Requirements related to prior authorisation of treatment and medical necessity determinations must also be comparable and no more stringently applied to mental health coverage than physical health coverage”. And “co-payments, co-insurance, deductibles, and out-of-pocket costs for mental health benefits cannot be higher for mental health services than the co-payments for physical health benefits”. In conclusion, Emir Research strongly urges the government and insurance companies to work together under a public-private partnership and develop comprehensive mental health insurance plans to improve both the organisational and economic outcomes, among others. Jason Loh and Juhi Todiare part of the research team at EMIR Research, an independent think tank focused on strategic policy recommendations based on rigorous research. Comments: [email protected] We need more than tolerance in a multicultural society WHEN I was growing up in the 80s and 90s, I used to hear the greeting “Kung Hei Fat Choi” being exchanged among my Chinese neighbours during the Lunar New Year. In my ignorance, I had always assumed that the term meant something similar to “Happy New Year” or in the same vein as the greetings “Selamat Hari Raya”, “Merry Christmas”, and “Happy Deepavali”, which are exchanged during the corresponding festivities. Towards the end of the 90s and the start of 2000s, the words “Kung Hei Fat Choi” became more ubiquitous, and again, in my limited Mandarin, thought that this was the modern way of wishing “Happy Chinese New Year”. The world at the time was a changing landscape on numerous fronts, including the internet being useful, thanks to Google; and the fact that “Apple” was no longer just the name of a fruit; and we can now create a sheep solely with its mother’s cells. So, I assumed “Gong Xi Fa Cai” was a modern way of wishing “Kung Hei Fat Choi”, but I was wrong. Although “Kong Hey Fat Choy” and “Gong Xi Fa Cai” mean the same thing, it has nothing to do with modernisation. The former is in Cantonese, and the latter in Mandarin. And the literal meaning is not even close to “Happy New Year”, but it means “Congratulations and may you be prosperous”. And to my surprise, I recently found out that “Gong Xi Fa Cai” is better used together with another expression: “Xin Nian Kuai Le”, which means “New Year Happiness”. I am disappointed with myself for not knowing this. Living in a multicultural society since birth, having Chinese and Indian friends at school, I thought I knew enough about their culture to live harmoniously and work together to build a better future for our country. But to my dismay, I did not even understand the commonly uttered celebratory expression during the Lunar New Year. Perhaps, tolerance alone is not enough to flourish in a multicultural society like ours. The Mughal Empire, which existed in India from the 16th to the 19th century, was a diverse and multicultural society. The empire was ruled by Muslim emperors but the population was made up of a mix of Hindus, Muslims and other groups, such as Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists. The Mughals were known for their tolerance of different cultures and religions, and made efforts to incorporate elements of different cultures into their own. The courts were cosmopolitan, with people from different backgrounds and cultures serving in important positions. They also allowed different religious communities to practise their faith and live according to their own customs. However, it is important to note that the Mughal Empire was not perfect and there were instances of religious and cultural discrimination. For example, Hindus were sometimes viewed as second-class citizens and there were restrictions placed on their religious practices. In some cases, the emperors imposed taxes on non-Muslims. While the Mughals made efforts to be and tolerant, there were religious and cultural discrimination. And this is where understanding is important. Understanding and respecting each other’s cultures and backgrounds is an important step towards creating a harmonious multicultural society. When people understand and appreciate the diversity around them, it can lead to greater acceptance and less mistrust between different races. Efforts must be made to promote cultural understanding through education, such as incorporating history and culture of different races into the curriculum, so that students can learn and appreciate the various cultures. Interactions and exchange programmes can also help build understanding. Having leaders and politicians who represent different races and actively promote diversity and inclusiveness is also important for a harmonious society. It is pertinent to note that tolerance alone is not enough to ensure a harmonious multicultural society, but it is a necessary ingredient. Tolerance means that people accept and respect different cultures and beliefs even if they do not agree with them. A society that is truly inclusive requires both tolerance and understanding of different cultures. To all my Chinese friends and acquaintances, “Gong Xi Fa Cai”. Assoc Prof Dr Nahrizul Adib Kadri Director of Corporate Communications Centre, Universiti Malaya COMMENT By Jason Loh and Juhi Todi LETTERS [email protected]

10 theSUN ON THURSDAY | JANUARY 19, 2023 The Sail Melaka on course to transform Malacca’s landscape PETALING JAYA: Sheng Tai International (STI) is set to change the landscape of Malacca with its The Sail Melaka, which looks like the sails of a ship. The RM6.5 billion mixed-use project on 27.5 acres land is expected to be developed over 10 years. In line with the travel-oriented theme of The Sail Melaka, Sheng Tai is taking property tourism to a whole new level. By complementing the local property market, The Sail is expected to bring in new business opportunities, boosting the economy and creating jobs, leading them to a higher living standard as prosperity flows into the area. The RM6.5 billion mixed-use development project is set to be fully completed over 10 years. oSheng Tai’s travel-oriented theme project will bring new business opportunities, boost the economy and create jobs in the state “We are laying the foundation for initiatives such as hub set-ups, a surge in tourism with fabulous hotels, F&B (food and beverages) outlets, a showcase of small businesses, improved logistics in the area as well as encouraging business migration from overseas into the country. This will help boost the economy, bringing foreign direct investments and business to Malacca and the country on the whole. It’s a big vision but I believe in it,“ said Sheng Tai International founder and president Datuk Leong Sir Ley. The Sail is uniquely designed with globalisation concept in mind and master-planned with nine towers joined with a Celestial Sky Ring on top of each building. The nine towers consists of sixstar Hotel & Fashion Tower, Wellness Tower, Cultural Tower, AI Tower, M Tower, Condotels & Business Suites. The main tower consists of Malaysia’s first fashion brand hotel. The Fashion Tower has a moonshaped top which would look stunning when it is completed. Tower two is a five-star hotel with a modern oriental concept. Tower three is a hotel and residences with a Japanese zeninspired look. Leong revealed that one of the towers is 70% sold. The fourth tower is M Tower which has been sold enbloc to former Hong Kong beauty queen Michelle Reis. Towers five and six are planned as condotel with another three towers dedicated as business suites towers. Apart from the nine blocks, there is also the convention and exhibition centre, an international MICE venue. The Sail has one million square feet of luxury shopping mall space with most buyers from Japan with Japanese brands. Apart from that, it also has retail, F&B and entertainment outlets. Then there is the cultural retail village with names like Baba Nyonya Street, Japanese Street, Western Street and other outlets. Leong’s ambition includes helping to create job opportunities that will lead to a higher living standard as prosperity flows into the area, starting with jobs related to the fashion and arts via their Straits Designers’ Gallery and FashionTV Malaysia modelling academy. To help promote Malacca as a fashion hub, Sheng Tai hosted an international fashion show last Friday with about 1,000 invited guests. The famous international designers are Motoko, Djoko Margono, Erdan, Yongki Komaladi, Annop Wanchucherd, Thithananpacher and Gina Frias apart from home-grown ones headed by Bill Keith. Disha Goenka Das is PropertyGuru’s new chief marketing officer PETALING JAYA: Southeast Asia’s property technology company PropertyGuru Group Ltd yesterday announced the appointment of Disha Goenka Das as chief marketing officer (CMO). As CMO, Disha will oversee the group’s brand strategy, corporate communications function, as well as the environmental, social, and governance mandate. Disha is part of P ro p e r t y Gu r u ’s group leadership team and will report to CEO and managing director Hari V. Krishnan. Hari said that Disha brings a strong skill set in technology marketing which is critical as it fuels PropertyGuru’s growth and guide all in the property sector to make confident decisions. “Disha’s rich experience will aid the group in our ambition to be a trusted adviser as we help people find, finance and own their homes,” he said in a statement. Disha is a seasoned executive having led strategic marketing and communications teams and cross-functional work streams for some of the most well-known tech companies in the world, working extensively across 30+ markets in Asia, Europe, Latin America & the Americas. Most recently, Disha served as the senior global director of marketing at Twitter where she led global strategy and built Twitter’s business brand globally. Previously, Disha spent a decade at Google where in her last role she was head of ad product commercialisation for Asia-Pacific. PropertyGuru Malaysia a double winner at 2022 Putra Aria Brand Awards PETALNG JAYA: Southeast Asia’s property technology company PropertyGuru Group’s portals PropertyGuru.com.my and iProperty.com.my won a bronze and silver award, respectively in the Property Development category at the recent inaugural 2022 Putra Aria Brand Awards. Established last year by the Association of Accredited Advertising Agents Malaysia, the annual award ceremony highlights branding efforts across all industries. It surveys over 25,000 respondents in Malaysia to determine consumers’ preferred brands across 24 different products and service categories. PropertyGuru Malaysia country manager Sheldon Fernandez said that the group is honoured to be chosen as Malaysia’s preferred property portals. “We aim to be the property ‘Trust Platform’ in Southeast Asia by going beyond ‘property search’ and providing consumers with reliable property data and insights. We are committed to helping consumers at every stage of their property journey through innovative proptech solutions and by delivering relevant, insightful content. “Today, consumers have adopted a digital approach to property hunting. Hence, we aim to satisfy this need by providing the best digital property experience possible,” he said in a statement. The award marks the second consecutive year both platforms have received premier brand recognition following their bronze award win at the 2021 Putra Brand Awards. In October 2022, PropertyGuru Group announced its brand repositioning centred around guidance to every consumer in the property journey. The new brand positioning, where every step of the customer journey will be guided by Guru, reflects the company’s vision to be a trusted adviser to property seekers, sellers and owners. PropertyGuru.com.my has a range of property data and insights that consumers can utilise to make informed buying, renting, and investing decisions. These include the quarterly P r o p e r t y G u r u Malaysia Property Market Reports, the biannual Malaysia Consumer Sentiment Study as well as its Home Loan Tools and Calculator. R e c e n t l y , PropertyGuru Group launched a new enterprise brand PropertyGuru For Business, which unifies PropertyGuru’s business-tobusiness offerings. It focuses on creating cutting-edge solutions that assist property developers, brokers, banks, evaluators, and policy/city planners in achieving their targets. Meanwhile, iProperty.com.my launched Transactions Section in 2022, a feature which provides the latest and most accurate subsale transaction data in Malaysia. It is designed to bolster consumers’ research process and help them make informed decisions when buying or selling a property. Powered by brickz.my, consumers can instantly see a particular property’s latest 12-month transaction data – where the data can be filtered down by its built-up size, property type, median price, the median price per sq ft, and property tenure. The property site has LoanCare, a home loan eligibility tool which helps Malaysians increase their chances of securing a home loan and reduce the likelihood of rejection. Furthermore, iProperty.com.my provides a variety of content featuring expert insights and guides backed by data to optimise the property decisions of savvy buyers and investors in Malaysia. SunCon secures RM218.7m EPCC contract for solar power facility PETALING JAYA: Sunway Construction Group Bhd (SunCon) has accepted the letter of award by GBS Suria Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Gopeng Bhd for the design, engineering, procurement, construction, testing and commissioning of solar photovoltaic energy generating facility with ancillary equipment and facilities with generating capacity of 50MW (EPCC works) at Teja, Kampar, Perak Darul Ridzuan worth RM218.76 million. The scope of work include the design, engineering, procurement, construction, installation, testing and commissioning of the facility which includes the solar photovoltaic energy generating facility, the new 132kV substation and associated facilities, the transmission lines and underground cables and associated facilities. It also includes related works at the Tenaga Nasional Bhd’s interconnection facility and if applicable transmission lines works. The works commenced on Tuesday and will go on for 20 months. SunCon said the EPCC contract is expected to have marginal impact on the gearing of the group for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2023 if the deferred payment option is exercised by GBS Suria. “The EPCC contract is expected to contribute positively to the earnings of SunCon Group for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2023 onwards,” it said in a filing with Bursa Malaysia.

KLCI 1,495.50 652.44 STI 3,289.55 9.04 HANG SENG 21,678.00 100.36 SCI 3,224.41 0.16 NIKKEI 26,791.12 11.07 TSEC KOSPI 2,368.32 CLOSED S&P/ASX200 7,393.40 7.10 THURSDAY JANUARY 19, 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 January 18, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (sen) +/– (sen) TTVHB 155,850,500 128.0 +94.0 VELESTO 154,573,200 18.5 UNCH DNEX 106,119,800 60.0 +1.5 HSI-CJ5 58,113,200 31.5 +1.5 IRIS 57,617,100 11.5 -1.5 EXCHANGERATES JANUARY 18, 2023 Foreign currency Bank sell Bank buy Bank buy TT/OD TT OD 1 US DOLLAR 4.4000 4.2645 4.2545 1 AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR 3.0840 2.9620 2.9460 1 BRUNEI DOLLAR 3.3220 3.2260 3.2180 1 CANADIAN DOLLAR 3.2730 3.1860 3.1740 1 EURO 4.7410 4.5870 4.5670 1 NEW ZEALAND DOLLAR 2.8350 2.7300 2.7140 1 SINGAPORE DOLLAR 3.3220 3.2260 3.2180 1 STERLING POUND 5.3960 5.2240 5.2040 1 SWISS FRANC 4.7430 4.6320 4.6170 100 UAE DIRHAM 120.8700 114.6100 114.4100 100 BANGLADESH TAKA 4.3020 3.9890 3.7890 100 CHINESE RENMINBI 64.9000 62.5000 N/A 100 HONGKONG DOLLAR 56.7100 53.8900 53.6900 100 INDIAN RUPEE 5.4600 5.1300 4.9300 100 INDONESIAN RUPIAH 0.0299 0.0271 0.0221 100 JAPANESE YEN 3.4200 3.3120 3.3020 100 NEW TAIWAN DOLLAR 15.6000 N/A N/A 100 PAKISTAN RUPEE 1.9500 1.8200 1.6200 100 PHILIPPINE PESO 8.1100 7.6400 7.4400 100 QATAR RIYAL 121.6400 115.4800 115.2800 100 SAUDI RIYAL 118.1300 112.1500 111.9500 100 THAI BAHT 13.8900 12.3200 11.9200 Source: Malayan Banking Berhad/Bernama KL MARKET SUMMARY January 18, 2023 INDICES CHANGE FBMEMAS 10,803.40 -21.00 FBMKLCI 1,495.50 -3.88 CONSUMER PRODUCTS 597.07 -0.40 INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS 187.86 -0.70 CONSTRUCTION 157.56 +0.25 FINANCIAL SERVICES 16,516.80 -29.00 ENERGY 823.64 +3.07 TELECOMMUNICATIONS 591.38 -1.00 HEALTH CARE 1,693.27 -2.30 TRANSPORTATION 924.10 +0.23 PROPERTY 660.08 +0.84 PLANTATION 6,869.22 -32.00 FBMSHA 11,049.60 -15.00 FBMACE 5,446.90 -36.00 TECHNOLOGY 67.23 +0.59 TURNOVER VALUE 2.703 BIL RM2.003 BIL 5 TOP GAINERS January 18, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (RM) +/– RM MPI 52,400 33.24 +0.74 TEXCHEM 1,705,500 2.18 +0.29 PETDAG 184,400 22.52 +0.26 APOLLO 267,40 4.08 +0.21 ATECH 5,247,200 2.32 +0.15 5 TOP LOSERS January 18, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (RM) +/– RM HEIM 421,400 26.08 -0.70 KLK 1,141,700 21.24 -0.56 CARLSBG 147,100 23.26 -0.40 HEXTECH 227,500 24.16 -0.36 AEONCR 31,500 12.66 -0.30 EPMB partners TNB unit for EV battery infra rollout PETALING JAYA: Main Market-listed EP Manufacturing Bhd (EPMB), via its wholly owned subsidiary EP Blueshark Sdn Bhd, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) subsidiary Tenaga Switchgear Sdn Bhd to roll out batteryswapping stations and related infrastructure across Asean. This collaboration is pursuant to EPMB’s electric vehicle (EV) venture and carbon credit ambitions. Both parties will also explore the possibilities of unifying the batteryswapping stations and infrastructure networks in the target markets. In addition, the MoU seeks to explore the possibilities of deploying battery swapping stations via Tenaga Switchgear’s network in the region. EPMB acting CEO Lim Sim Yee said the group is working to commercially roll out its two-wheeler EV business in Malaysia and expand further into other Asean countries. “For this to take place without interruption, we need a well-built battery swapping station infrastructure in the markets we are eyeing to penetrate,” he said in a statement. EPMB is collaborating with an international technology company namely, Sharkgulf Technologies Group Ltd to manufacture, assemble and distribute battery-powered two-wheeled EVs in Malaysia and the larger Asean region. Tenaga Switchgear is involved in the manufacturing of medium- and highvoltage switchgears in Southeast Asia for the electrical transmission and is venturing into energy transition products. Malaysia’s trade exceeds RM2 trillion for second consecutive year PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s trade soared to a new high in 2022, surpassing RM2 trillion for the second consecutive year and registered the fastest growth since 1994. Minister of International Trade and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said exports reached RM1.552 trillion, exceeding the 12th Malaysia Plan projection for 2025 by 24%, three years ahead of the target. Meanwhile, imports posted another milestone by surpassing the RM1 trillion mark for the first time. Trade surplus was posted for the 25th consecutive year since 1998. “This is a positive reflection that the nation’s trade performance is on an upward trajectory, boosted by higher external demand and strong commodity prices,” Tengku Zafrul said in a statement yesterday. In terms of markets, exports to major trading partners notably Asean, China, the United States, the European Union and Japan registered a record high. Overall growth was driven by exports of electrical and electronic products, petroleum products, liquefied natural gas, palm oil and palm oil-based agriculture products, crude petroleum as well as machinery, equipment and parts with each product recording more than RM10 billion increase with double-digit growth. Except crude petroleum, all these products also posted the highest export value ever. Tengku Zafrul meets with Microsoft and Ericsson DAVOS (Switzerland): Ericsson Group and Microsoft are among the multinational companies that International Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz held bilateral meetings with at this year’s World Economic Forum (WEF). At their meetings with Tengku Zafrul, which discussed potential investment and expansion, Ericsson was represented by president and CEO Borje Ekholm and Microsoft by executive vice president JeanPhilippe Courtois. The minister also held meetings with Japan External Trade Organisation (Jetro) chairman and CEO Nobuhiko Sasaki and Dow Jones & Company CEO Almar Latour. Tengku Zafrul is leading the Malaysian delegation to WEF 2023. “It has been great so far. As you know, the 2023 WEF has about 2,700 leaders from 130 countries, including 52 heads. I am looking forward to more bilateral meetings, especially with my counterparts,” Tengku Zafrul said when asked about a string of engagements and bilateral meetings he has had since arriving here on Monday. The conversations focused on opportunities in Malaysia. “Some of the companies we met have already been investing in Malaysia for a while but want to ensure that their Tengku Zafrul (left) and Courtois at their meeting in Davos yesterday. oMinister discusses potential investment and expansion in Malaysia with tech giants – and other MNCs – at World Economic Forum 3.88 investments are protected. We also spoke about the potential for expanding their operations and increasing their investments in Malaysia,” he told Bernama on Tuesday on the sidelines of WEF 2023 at the resort town. Tengku Zafrul disclosed that the conversations also touched on what Malaysia could offer these multinationals. “So, with the new government, we are looking at stability and we also spoke about Malaysia’s prospects,” he said. Besides that, Malaysian companies are expanding abroad and these multinationals can also assist them in the endeavour, said the minister. The discussions with Jetro revolved around measures for strengthening cooperation to facilitate Malaysia-Japan trade. Jetro also presented its findings on Japanese companies’ performance in Asean countries, which showed that 59.7% of Japanese firms in Malaysia recorded profits in 2021, an improvement of nearly 10% versus their performance in 2020. In addition, 43.2% of Japanese companies in Malaysia are planning to expand their operations. On the presence of “Malaysia House” for the first time at the WEF, Tengku Zafrul said it is a good approach for Malaysia’s presence to be felt. “Other countries have taken this approach many years ago. We need our presence to be felt -- a stronger presence than before,” he added. Among the scheduled sessions in which the minister will participate is on the cost of economic fragmentation, supply chain and transport as well as a session titled “Living with Risk” where Tengku Zafrul will be one of the three panelists. Tengku Zafrul will also participate in a two-panel session on “Global Trade: Navigating The Post Pandemic Supply Chain Challenge” together with Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, group chairman and CEO of Dubai-based DP World. – Bernama Participation 54.2 28.7 17.1 100.0 Institutions Retail Foreign Bought RM m 1150.6 567.6 285.8 2004.0 Sold RM m 1021.5 582.1 400.4 2004.0 Net RM m 129.1 -14.5 -114.6 0 % Preliminary stats (excluding trade amendments). For final data, please refer to www.bursamalaysia.com Source: Bursa Malaysia A Participating Organisation of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad A Trading Participant of Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Berhad S E C U R I T I E S S D N. B H D. 197201001092 (12738-U) 18/01/2023

12 theSUN ON THURSDAY | JANUARY 19, 2023 SUNBIZ /thesundaily FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK SCAN ME Maybank provides digital financial services to Perodua KUALA LUMPUR: Maybank and Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd (Perodua) have signed a memorandum of collaboration (MOC) for the provision of seamless end-toend integrated digital financial services to Perodua via Maybank’s M2e platform. The bank will also offer additional financial support via financing packages worth close to RM400 million to help expand Perodua’s business. In the MOC, Maybank via its M2e platform will offer a one-stop comprehensive banking and financing products and services access across the entire supply chain to Perodua as well as its dealers and customers in Malaysia. This would cover all aspects of Perodua’s operations, from manufacturing, distribution, and vendor retail to after-sales services. The collaboration will cover financial services such as floor stocking facility, direct and blanket hire purchase, credit card merchant facilities, and cash management. An added benefit of the partnership is on the system integration between the Perodua sales operating system (PSOS) and the M2e platform which enables the automation of stock purchase by dealers and also simultaneously facilitate the autoreconciliation of stock payment between Perodua and its dealers on a real-time basis. oLender will also give additional support of close to RM400m to help expand carmaker’s business, packages cover vendors, dealers and customers Dialog invests additional RM700m in Pengerang facilities JOHOR BARU: Dialog Group Bhd has allocated additional investment amounting to RM700 million for the development of services facilities in Pengerang, Kota Tinggi, through Morimatsu Dialog (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd. Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said the development of the facilities would be carried out in three phases. “Dialog’s contribution is very significant to Johor’s economy, especially through investments worth RM14 billion for the development of Pengerang Deepwater Terminal from 2011 to 2021,” he said in a Facebook posting yesterday. Onn Hafiz said he is confident that such cooperation would not only provide more job opportunities but also increase the transfer of technology and knowledge to local companies and workers. Meanwhile, he said the state government intended to continue strengthening the level of investment in Johor after an encouraging performance last year. “Hopefully, Johor can always attract more quality investments that can contribute to the development of the state and improve the economic status of the people of Johor in the future,” he added. Earlier, Onn Hafiz received a visit from the top management of Dialog Group, which is one of the leading oil and gas and petrochemical services companies in the country. Also present at the meeting were Dialog Group executive chairman Tan Sri Ngau Boon Keat and independent director Datuk Ismail Karim. “With their banking and financing needs being taken care of by Maybank, we are confident that the dealers can then focus on business development and sales, leading to better overall profitability,” Maybank head of community financial services Datuk Hamirullah Boorhan said in a joint statement. “We are targeting to increase our market share of Perodua’s hire purchase financing to exceed 30% in 2023 from the average of 24% achieved in the previous year,” he added. Perodua president and CEO Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin Ahmad said the collaboration provides a more efficient financing facility for floor stocking for Perodua’s sales operations and retail hire purchase for its customers. “Maybank is in a strong position to support the growth and development of the automotive sector across the entire industry value chain with its extensive banking, financing and insurance solutions,” he said. – Bernama TT Vision opens at RM1.49 for 338% premium in debut PETALING JAYA: TT Vision Holdings Bhd (TTVHB) made an eye-catching debut on the ACE Market of Bursa Malaysia Securities yesterday, opening at RM1.49 for a 338.24% premium over its issue price of 34 sen per share on volume of 7.05 million shares. The stock closed at RM1.28 after hitting a day high of RM1.70, 94 sen or 276.4% above the issue price, with 155.85 million shares traded. TTVHB raised RM28.7 million through its public issue of 84.5 million new shares. Of the total proceeds raised, 37.2% or RM10.7 million will be used for working capital, 27.9% or RM8 million for research and development expenditure, 20.9% or RM6 million for repayment of bank borrowings, 3% or RM900,000 for marketing activities, and 11.1% or RM3.2 million for listingrelated expenses. The company is principally involved in the development and manufacturing of machine vision equipment and provision of related products and services. TTVHB CEO and executive director Goon Koon Yin said it aims to continue growing its company to greater heights and increase market share in other prominent semiconductor, optoelectronics, and solar cells markets such as the United States, Germany, South Korea, China and Malaysia. “The listing comes at an opportune time where we intend to capitalise on our listing status to sustain our growth momentum going forward,” he said. KAF Investment Bank Bhd is the principal adviser, sponsor, sole underwriter and sole placement agent for the IPO. TTVHB’s public portion of its initial public offering was oversubscribed by 89.15 times. Carlsberg Malaysia bags 5 awards at Putra Brand Awards 2022 PETALING JAYA: Carlsberg Malaysia has bagged five awards at the 13th edition of the annual Putra Brand Awards last week. The brewer won the Platinum Award for its flagship brand Carlsberg, Silver for both Somersby cider and its No. 1 French beer 1664 Blanc, while Connor’s Stout Porter and Japan’s No.1 premium beer Asahi Super Dry won Bronze under the beverage-alcoholic category. Carlsberg said the awards are testament to its commitment in offering quality brews and engaging brands to Malaysian beer, cider and stout consumers. Voted by over 6,000 Malaysian consumers, the brewer outshined other alcoholic beverages, earning the platinum award, which marks the 13th consecutive win for Carlsberg. Carlsberg Malaysia managing director Stefano Clini expressed his gratitude for having its flagship brand continue to be sitting on top of the winning list outperforming other alcoholic beverages for the second consecutive year. “We promise to continue pursuing quality and innovation as we strive to Brew for a Better Today and Tomorrow. Here at Carlsberg Malaysia, we are all about celebrating moments and we want to bring all our consumers closer to their loved ones with moments of togetherness to celebrate festive seasons together,” he said in a statement. Meanwhile, marketing director Olga Pulyaeva said that winning five Putra Brand awards is testament of Malaysian beer consumers’ love for not just Carlsberg, but also the growing popularity of its established premium brews – 1664 Blanc, Somersby, Connor’s Stout Porter and Asahi Super Dry. “With this, we will continue to strive to create even better beer, cider and stout enjoyment experiences for our Malaysian beer lovers and to always stay relevant, progressive, innovative and engaging with our consumers,” said Pulyaeva. The Putra Brands Awards was launched in 2010 by the Association of Accredited Advertising Agents Malaysia in association with Malaysia’s Most Valuable Brands. Clini with the Platinum Award Graphjet Technology secures US$200m equity deal with YA II PN KUALA LUMPUR: Nasdaq-bound Graphjet Technology Sdn Bhd, the world’s leading graphite and single-layer graphene producer, has recently via its special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Energem Corp entered into a definitive US$200 million (RM864 ,illion) Standby Equity Purchase Agreement (SEPA) with YA II PN, Ltd. YA II PN is a Cayman Islands exempt limited partnership managed by Yorkville Advisors Global, LP, who will be the investor for this SEPA. Under the terms of the SEPA, Graphjet Technology may issue and sell to the investor up to US$200 million worth of the company’s shares at any time during the 36 months pursuant to the terms and customary conditions set forth in the SEPA. Graphjet Technology is in the midst of completing the business combination with Energem, where the results will see Energem being renamed to Graphjet Technology and is expected to be listed on the Nasdaq Global Market under the ticker symbol “GTI”. “The access to this equity funding under the SEPA is a significant step towards accelerating growth and constructing a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in the face of persistent demand for graphite, which is the largest component of the lithium-ion battery with about half of a lithium-ion battery comprised of graphite,“ said Graphjet Technology CEO Aiden Lee Ping Wei. Graphite is the key raw material in the battery anode, with almost all EV battery anodes comprising 100% graphite. As such, graphene-based anode battery materials are critical in the world of EVs. Lee (left) with vice-chairman of Nasdaq’s Listing Services Bob McCooey

13 * SUNBIZ @thesundaily theSUN ON THURSDAY | JANUARY 19, 2023 FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM SCAN ME PETALING JAYA: Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) has inked production-sharing contracts (PSC) for three clusters of discovered resource opportunities (DRO) marketed under Malaysia Bid Round (MBR) 2022 yesterday. The A Cluster was awarded to Ping Petroleum Sdn Bhd and Petroleum Sarawak Exploration & Production Sdn Bhd (PSEP), while Dialog Resources Sdn Bhd and PSEP won the bid for the Baram Junior Cluster. Both clusters are located off the coast of Sarawak. Meanwhile, the Meranti Cluster, located offshore Peninsular Malaysia, was awarded to Ping Petroleum which is in partnership with Duta Marine Sdn Bhd. All three PSC were awarded under the small field asset (SFA) terms introduced in 2020. Petronas senior vice-president of Malaysia Petroleum Management (MPM) Mohamed Firouz Asnan remarked that DRO, which are perceived to be challenging, have been taken up by investors following the introduction of the SFA PSC terms. “We welcome Ping Petroleum to Malaysia’s upstream industry and look forward to the company replicating its successes abroad in monetising small field assets, here in our shallow water. Also, congratulations to Dialog Resources on its debut as an operator while PSEP and Duta Marine continue to expand their portfolio in Malaysia. “The signing of the three PSC validates the attraction of Malaysia as a preferred choice for potential investors looking for advantaged energy as we act positively on their feedback,” he said in a statement. In the coming weeks, Petronas will be signing new PSC with the MBR 2022 winning bidders for the exploration opportunities. The MBR is an annual licensing round offering diverse upstream opportunities to potential investors and includes exploration acreages, DRO and late life producing assets across Malaysia. MBR 2023 is scheduled to be held on Feb 15. Cruddas (second from left) and Brewer (second from right) launching the Café Mesra outlet at the Kuala Lumpur General Post Office at Dayabumi. Petronas signs production sharing deals for 3 clusters oContracts for discovered resource opportunities awarded to Ping Petroleum, Petroleum Sarawak Exploration & Production, Dialog Resources and Duta Marine BNM may surprise by holding OPR or signalling pause ahead: Maybank IB KUALA LUMPUR: Maybank Investment Bank Bhd (Maybank IB) believes Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) may surprise by either holding the Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) or making a “dovish hike” accompanied by explicit language to signal a pause ahead. The investment bank said this is aimed at curbing the negative feedback loop. “Another OPR hike in January could reinforce the upward spiral on the three-month Kuala Lumpur Interbank Offered Rate (3M Klibor), in our view, unless a compensating liquidity measure is announced,” it said in a note. Maybank IB said if the OPR is kept at 2.75%, analysts expect the three-year Malaysian Government Securities yield to fall to 3.25-3.4%, barring any US rates selloff, and 3M Klibor to start easing gradually. It said the market overwhelmingly expects BNM to raise the rate by 25 basis points, its fifth in a row, at the monetary policy committee (MPC) meeting yesterday. “From a rates strategy perspective, we think investors may want to position for a surprise hold by BNM considering that the market is already well priced for additional hikes in OPR to around 3.25%. “It is true that languages in the last MPC statement in November keep the door open for more hikes but not without a caveat indicating that rate normalisation is not on any preset course,” Maybank IB said. It said domestic growth is expected to slow considerably to 4% from an estimated 8% in 2022. “Inflation is subject to volatility depending on the timing and extent of administrative price adjustments. Demand-pulled inflation requires monitoring, but may not necessarily sustain if reopening effect begins to subside and policy tightening weighs. “Considering the OPR has already reached 2.75% which we think is one to two hikes away from neutral-restrictive area, BNM can afford to pause,” Maybank IB said. It added that foreign exchange stability is not an issue currently. Maybank IB said that a key matter to consider is the relentless rise in 3M Klibor which has persisted beyond end-2022. “It was last fixed at 3.71%, giving an extremely wide 96-basis point spread over the OPR which likely reflects a combination of hawkish rate outlook and interbank liquidity tightness,” it noted. – Bernama Pos Malaysia, PetDag’s Café Mesra to deliver ‘smile in the last mile’ KUALA LUMPUR: Pos Malaysia Bhd launched its first collaboration with Petronas Dagangan Bhd’s Café Mesra food and beverage (F&B) outlet with the aim to creating an even more exciting in-store experience and offering further retail convenience at the post office. It is part of its strategic transformation journey and leveraging on its unrivalled reach and retail footprint to connect Malaysians for a better tomorrow. “We sit on this incredible retail footprint that connects all Malaysians across every kampung, town and city, and we are very happy to partner with Café Mesra. We will leverage on our millions of square feet of retail space across more than 600 locations to provide our consumers with incremental choice and convenience,“ said Pos Malaysia Bhd’s Group CEO Charles Brewer. He said it is all about delivering the smile in the last mile, and now their customers will be able to save time and buy from a great selection of food and beverages with the pilot locations. “We are really excited about our retail transformation strategy and look forward to announcing more exciting updates soon,” said Brewer. The Store-Within-A-Store will first pilot in three locations with Café Mesra – General Post Office (GPO) Dayabumi, Post Office Taman Sri Tebrau, Johor; and GPO Shah Alam, Selangor. During the launch period, Café Mesra will be giving way free coffee with RM100 minimum spend at the Dayabumi outlet and offering free doughnuts for any bill payment and parcel drop-off at GPO Dayabumi. “We are thrilled to partner with Pos Malaysia to open our 41st Cafe Mesra outlet that supports our aspiration to deliver quality yet affordable Cafe Mesra coffee and food experience to customers. The Cafe Mesra outlets here at GPO Dayabumi KL, and later in Shah Alam, Tebrau and Bangi are testament to our pursuit of making our customers’ everyday lives simpler and better, providing access to our offerings and greater convenience to people beyond our vast network of Petronas stations,” said Mesra Retail & Café Sdn Bhd CEO Ian Malcolm Cruddas. B R I E F SIILM’S US$780M SUKUK OVERSUBSCRIBED BY 2.4 TIMES KUALA LUMPUR: The International Islamic Liquidity Management Corporation (IILM) has successfully completed its first auction of the year with the reissuance of an aggregate US$780 million (RM3.4 billion) short-term sukuk across three different tenors of one, three, and six-month respectively. The onemonth tenor of US$200 million sukuk was priced competitively at 4.45%, while the three-month tenor of US$380 million was priced at 4.85%, and the six-month tenor of US$200 million sukuk was priced at 5.05%. IILM said the short-term sukuk was oversubscribed by 2.4 times. – Bernama OCIM TO EXPAND POLYSILICON MANUFACTURING IN SARAWAK KUCHING: OCIM Sdn Bhd, a leading company in the green energy and polysilicon manufacturing, plans to increase its investment in Sarawak, focusing on expanding its existing polysilicon manufacturing for the solar value chain, and new investment in polysilicon production for semiconductors.. This would be the first polysilicon for semiconductors to be commercially produced in Southeast Asia, it said. OCIM said, in order to achieve commercial production in 2026, the company would be implementing its investment strategy now. The investment is expected to create more than 1,000 job opportunities in Sarawak. – Bernama ECONFRAME ACQUIRES TWO FIRMS IN DIVERSIFICATION KUALA LUMPUR: Econframe Bhd yesterday announced the expansion of its product offering and business diversification through two acquisitions – Lee & Yong Aluminium Sdn Bhd (LYASB) and Trans United Sdn Bhd (TUSB). Econframe acquired a 65% equity interest in LYASB, which is principally involved in the fabrication and installation of aluminium glazing, glass products and façade works comprising aluminium windows and glass doors. It also bought a 100% equity interest in TUSB, for the land on which LYASB’s factory is located. Econframe managing director Lim Chin Horng said the business diversification will help the brand grow further, adding mettle to its already strong presence in the industry. – Bernama BINTAI KINDEN REDESIGNATES KU CHONG HONG AS GROUP MD KUALA LUMPUR: Bintai Kinden Corp Bhd has redesignated executive director Ku Chong Hong as group managing director effective yesterday. In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, the mechanical and electrical engineering services specialist said Ku was appointed to the board of directors as executive director on Feb 24, 2022, having joined the group in June 2019 as group accountant. Bintai Kinden executive director Azri Azerai said Ku’s redesignation reflected a changing of the guard and a younger generation helming the business operations. – Bernama RESERVOIR LINK SECURES RM16.56M SOLAR EPCC JOB PETALING JAYA: Energy-related services provider Reservoir Link Energy Bhd has announced that its 51% owned subsidiary Founder Energy Sdn Bhd has won a contract worth about RM16.56 million from Solarvest Holding Bhd’s wholly owned unit Atlantic Blue Sdn Bhd. The contract is for the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning of an interconnection facility for the development of large scale solar photovoltaic plant of 50 MWac at Bukit Selambau, Kedah.

14 theSUN ON THURSDAY | JANUARY 19, 2023 SUNBIZ READ OUR HERE /thesundaily SCAN ME Bank of Japan keeps ultra-loose policy oYen weakens after central bank announced no changes to its yield curve control TOKYO: Japan’s central bank left its ultra-easy monetary policy unchanged yesterday, bucking heavy speculation that it could again tweak a key lever and sending the yen plunging against the dollar. The announcement after the twoday Bank of Japan (BoJ) meeting saw the yen sink about 1.5% against the dollar, with the greenback buying more than ¥131 (RM4.41) after the decision, from around 128.45 earlier in the day. Officials shocked the market last month by adjusting one of its policy tools, widening the band in which it allows rates for 10-year government bonds to move. The bank said the move would “improve market functioning”, and the surprise decision saw the Japanese currency gain ground against the dollar after months of weakening over the gap between Japanese and US central bank policy. The range set last month has been breached regularly in recent days, intensifying speculation that the BoJ would have to act again. But policymakers left the yield Moody’s warns of financial fault lines in Asia-Pacific KUALA LUMPUR: Rising geopolitical tensions in the Asia-Pacific (Apac), against the backdrop of increased competition between China and the US and its allies in the region, will create “fault lines” that could carry long-lasting credit effects, according to a new report by Moody’s Investors Service. Assistant vice-president and analyst Nishad Majmudar said these fault lines – which reflect the formation of new political alliances and the reconfiguration of Asia’s economic, trade and financial relationships – may pressure international companies, investors, and financial institutions to reshape or build redundancy into their operations. “Economic and financial relationships across Asia-Pacific could diverge along four fault lines – geopolitical; technology and manufacturing; trade, and financial. Geopolitical fault lines reflect the political and security alliances centered around competition between the US and China,” he said in a statement. Nishad said these alliances may drive shifts in international business strategies over time and could have credit implications in terms of economic competitiveness, cross-border investment policies, and the development of export markets. US-China competition over technological advancement will mean governments will continue to regulate how sensitive technologies such as semiconductors and renewable energy technology are transferred and adopted across borders. Closer scrutiny of foreign investments and data localisation efforts could become prevalent, raising regulatory and operational costs for multinational companies. “Trade fault lines will reflect a regionalisation of trade flows. While Apac trade has flourished under a rulesbased international trade order, the inception of major regional trade agreements, and the absence of the US and India from these accords, will increase China’s centrality to regional trade. “Financial fault lines will form as capital and banking flows align with geopolitical norms. “While the US dollar remains central to international trade, the threat of US sanctions may induce sovereigns, central banks and firms to diversify the currencies in which they raise funds, invest their reserves, or invoice merchandise trade,” he said. – Bernama B R I E F SCHINA’S PROPERTY SECTOR SHRINKS 5.1% ON-YEAR IN 2022 BEIJING: China’s property sector fell 5.1% in 2022 from a year earlier, value-added data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed yesterday, heaping more pressure on policymakers to revive the sluggish sector in 2023. Value added in the once-mighty industry was 7.2% lower in the fourth quarter than a year before, following a 4.2% annual contraction seen in the third quarter, according to NBS data. The figures indicated that the property sector was one of the biggest drags on the economy last year. Authorities have rolled out a flurry of policies to assist homebuyers and property developers and relieve a long-running liquidity squeeze in the industry that delayed the completion of many housing projects. – Reuters MARCOS SEES PHILIPPINE ECONOMY GROWING AROUND 7% THIS YEAR MANILA: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr expects the domestic economy to grow around 7% this year, saying strong fundamentals, prudent fiscal management and reforms in key sectors will cushion against risks from a potential global recession. The Southeast Asian country, which will announce its 2022 economic performance on Jan 26, also expects last year’s gross domestic product growth to be faster than the 6.5-7.5% target. – Reuters UK DECEMBER INFLATION SLOWS BUT REMAINS NEAR HISTORICAL HIGHS LONDON: UK annual inflation slowed to 10.5% in December, official data showed yesterday, but remained close to historically high levels. The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rate compared with 10.7% in November, the Office for National Statistics said in statement. UK inflation began soaring last year amid sharp price rises worldwide on supply constraints caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the lifting of Covid pandemic lockdowns. Britain was additionally hit by Brexit fallout. The nation’s CPI reached 11.1% in October, the highest level since 1980. – AFP COINBASE TO HALT JAPAN OPERATIONS DUE TO VOLATILITY TOYKO: Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase Global Inc yesterday said it will halt operations in Japan due to volatile market conditions. All Coinbase Japan customers will have until Feb 16 to withdraw their fiat and crypto holdings, the company said in a blog post. Coinbase’s decision to exit comes only a few weeks after rival exchange Kraken said it, too, would cease its operations in Japan this month. Several firms have suffered from waning investor appetite for crypto after major exchange FTX blew up in September. – Reuters Around 20 regional Asian airlines have been unable to restart or increase services to Hong Kong despite months of negotiations with ground handling services.– UNSPLASH PIX curve control range intact and said it would continue with “large-scale” purchases of government bonds to support the parameters. The decision boosted Tokyo stocks, with the Nikkei rallying more than two percent in the afternoon. For months, the central bank has bucked the trend set by global peers and stood its ground on its loose monetary policy, convinced that inflation has not yet taken hold in Japan in a sustained fashion. Prices have risen consistently over the past year, and while they have not neared the levels seen by other developed economies, Japan’s inflation rate is at a 40-year high. BoJ Governor Haruhiko Kuroda, whose term ends in spring, has insisted though that the rises are largely temporary and linked to exceptional factors such as the war in Ukraine. Kuroda has warned that the country is still far from achieving the bank’s long-standing goal of 2% inflation, seen as key to stimulating a stagnant economy. Still, the bank now expects inflation will hit 3% for fiscal 2022, up from the 2.9% it predicted in October. But it forecast inflation of 1.6% the following year, unchanged from its last estimate, rising to 1.8% for fiscal 2024, up from a previous outlook of 1.6%. The BoJ also revised its growth projections for the world’s third largest economy, tipping GDP expansion for fiscal 2022 of 1.9%, against a previous forecast of 2%. – AFP Staff shortages dent Hong Kong air hub reboot hopes HONG KONG: Regional airlines are struggling to ramp up flights to Hong Kong because of staff shortages at the airport, slowing the city’s plan to recapture its travel hub status, industry insiders have told AFP. Hong Kong, which calls itself Asia’s World City, once had one of the globe’s busiest – and bestconnected – airports. That evaporated during the coronavirus pandemic as authorities imposed more than two years of travel curbs and quarantine rules. The business hub has begun reopening with leader John Lee proclaiming in November that “Hong Kong is back”. But around 20 regional Asian airlines have been unable to restart or increase services to the city despite months of negotiations with ground handling services, five airline executives told AFP, asking not to be named. The executives complained that ground handling companies were upping fees by 30% to 100% and prioritising parent companies or mostly Chinese airlines that they have close, or direct, business ties to. Some warned it was becoming difficult to convince their headquarters to keep a presence in Hong Kong. In 2019, Hong Kong had 46,000 support staff handling nearly 420,000 flights and more than 71 million passengers. More than 35% of the staff – about 16,550 people -- had left the industry by the end of 2021, according to official figures. Last year, the airport handled just 5.7 million passengers, with 1.6 million in December alone after the city had dropped mandatory quarantine two months earlier. A former ground handling employee who left recently told AFP that his company was deploying just 200 people in his department compared with 1,000 before the pandemic. Those who remained worked long hours to make up for shortages while salaries remained slashed at pandemic levels, he added. “Attracting and training new hands did not happen as fast as hoped,“ Li Wing-foo, president of the Staff and Workers Union of Hong Kong Civil Airlines, told AFP, adding that the basic monthly pay of HK$13,000-HK$14,000 (RM7,400-7,800) was not competitive. “We told them in early 2022 to start replenishing staff after we saw other airport services broke down. But I haven’t seen any substantial steps taken,“ he said. Ground handling services at Hong Kong’s airport are controlled by three companies that have direct business ties to certain airlines, fuelling a sense of grievance among some foreign carriers that they are second in line. The executives AFP interviewed said local competitors such as Hong Kong Airlines, Hong Kong Express as well as Chinese mainland airlines including Tianjin Airlines, West Air and Capital Airlines have all been able to increase flights recently with access to ground handling crews. Meanwhile, they were struggling to do the same. “Since when has Hong Kong become a place where you can do business only when you are propped up?” one of the executives said. Hong Kong’s government is aware of the staffing shortages. The Airport Authority told AFP that it “has been closely monitoring the manpower situation” and has been supporting job fairs and adopting autonomous technology to reduce reliance on labour. – AFP

1 9 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 T H U R S D A Y New bakery in town oThe French-inspired bakery first opened its doors in South Korea in 1988 A POPULAR bakery with French influences, Paris Baguette has more than 4,000 cafés worldwide. In spite of its name referencing Paris, Paris Baguette is a South Korean specialty. The brand is renowned for its high-quality, fresh ingredients. The franchise brand expanded to other nations, including the United States, Singapore, Vietnam, China, and France growing to become South Korea’s top bakery in 2004. Now, through a partnership with Paris Baguette Singapore PLC and Berjaya Food Berhad, the brand has finally landed on our shores. Yesterday, Paris Baguette opened its first store in Malaysia at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur. The event was attended by Tan Sri Vincent Tan, Chairman of Berjaya Corporation Berhad; Datuk Seri Robin Tan, Deputy Chairman, Berjaya Corporation Berhad; Datuk Sydney Quays, Group CEO, Berjaya Food Berhad; Duli Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Shazuddin Ariff Al Aminul Karim Sultan Sallehuddin, Tunku Mahkota Kedah and Chairman of Berjaya Food Berhad; Yang Berhormat Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub, Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living; Datuk Azman Mohd Yusof, Chief Secretary, Minister Domestic Trade and Cost of Living; His Excellency Yeo Seung-bae, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Malaysia; Hur Jin Su, President of SPC; and Hana Lee, CEO of Paris Baguette, Southeast Asia. At the event, ambassador Yeo said that because of the immense support that Korea has been receiving as a result of the K-wave from K-Pop, Kdramas, and K-food, Malaysia is not unfamiliar with Korean culture. Additionally, he gave everyone the assurance that various events would be organised soon to celebrate the long-standing friendship between the two countries. “We are thrilled with the grand opening of Paris Baguette’s first store in Malaysia, and to be the principal operator of the brand locally,” said Berjaya Food Berhad CEO Datuk Sydney Quays. “We are also honoured to be given the opportunity to bring the unparalleled word-famous offerings form Paris Baguette to the Malaysian market. With the opening of the first store, Malaysians can anticipate more stores to be opened in cities across the country.” According to Paris Baguette Southeast Asia CEO Hana Lee: “We are pleased to partner with Berjaya Food to bring Paris Baguette to Malaysians. This partnership allows us to further increase our presence in the Southeast Asian market.” Kuala Lumpur’s Paris Baguette store is regarded as unique, since this café is slated to be the first Paris Baguette in history to receive Halal certification. The café offers European-inspired pastries, breads, cakes, hot foods, and desserts, including Signature Mushroom Soup in Bread bowl, Signature Natural Yeast Bread, Fresh Yogurt Cream Cake, Cranberry Chicken Pastry Wrap Sandwich and more. Customers may enjoy their freshly made pastries and breads in the cafe, which has modern décor with touches of European style. The shop was initially slated to open in December of last year, but since launching a new store isn’t always smooth, the team had to overcome several obstacles along the road. However, their key target was to open the store prior to Chinese New Year, and fortunately, they were succeeded in doing this, according to Dato Sydney. He added that Malaysians can expect the brand to open five new stores in the future. Undoubtedly, the arrival of Paris Baguette in Kuala Lumpur will be the beginning of something bigger. As the cherry on top of the cake, it was hinted that there would be a special promotion at the store, where 10 lucky customers who spend a certain amount there will be selected to receive free tickets to a concert of a certain popular K-Pop girl group. For further information, keep an eye on their official social media profiles. Paris Baguette Address: C3.03.00, Level 3, Connection, Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur Opening Hours: 10am-10pm █ BYTHASHINE SELVAKUMARAN Untapped potential of vegetables IN a recent meta-analysis, scientists highlight the potential cancerprotective effects of nutrients found in certain plants, such as tomatoes, eggplant and potatoes. Led by a team of researchers from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poland, and published in the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology, this research reviews the potential of the Solanaceae family of plants (which include potatoes, tomatoes and eggplants) as potential cancer treatments. The study also highlighted the alkaloids these vegetables are able to produce to protect themselves from parasites. Specifically, the researchers focused their attention on five types of naturally occurring compounds from the glycoalkaloid family found in Solanaceae plants. In the course of their research, the scientists found that, in the right dosage, glycoalkaloids have the potential to inhibit the growth of cancer cells and neutralise them, without the risk of damaging DNA or promoting the development of future tumours. “Therapeutic compounds can be applied separately or in combination with other drugs to increase the efficiency of cancer therapy,“ explain the study authors. This is a potentially promising avenue of exploration, since a large part of the current challenge for research in the fight against cancer involves finding treatments capable of neutralising cancer cells without damaging the patient’s healthy cells (something that treatments such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy are not able to do). “Taken together, although the effects of glycoalkaloids on cells have been intensively studied, the precise mechanisms of their action in organisms remain to be elucidated,“ conclude the study authors. They added that “more research needs to be conducted to explore new, more selective, and less toxic cancer therapies and improve the effectiveness of applied treatment methods because cancer remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide. – ETX Studio In a recent meta-analysis, scientists highlight the potential cancer-protective effects of nutrients found in certain plants such as tomatoes, eggplant and potatoes. – GETTY The launch was attended by a host of dignitaries and corporate executives. – ALL PIX BY MOHD AMIRUL SHAFIQ MOHD DIN/THESUN Tan Sri Vincent Tan and Datuk Sydney Quays enjoying the various Paris Baguette pastries at the newly-opened shop. The crowd checking out the bakery’s specialty pastries during the launch.

16 theSun LYFE ON THURSDAY | JANUARY 19, 2023 /thesuntelegram FOLLOW ON TELEGRAM SCAN ME Lisa Marie’s children to inherit Graceland A PUBLIC memorial service will be held for the late Lisa Marie Presley on Jan 22 at Graceland, her late father Elvis Presley’s 5.6-hectare estate in Memphis, Tennessee. Elvis bought the property in 1957 at age 22. After he died in 1977, Lisa Marie inherited the property when she turned 25. According to Yahoo Entertainment, the property, which is in a trust, will be passed down to her three surviving daughters: Riley Keough, 33, and 14-year-old twins, Harper and Finley Lockwood. Lisa Marie will be buried at Graceland next to her son Benjamin, who died by suicide in 2020. “In lieu of flowers, the family encourages all who wish to send something to do so in the form of a donation to The Elvis Presley Charitable Foundation,“ a rep for Keough told Yahoo. The foundation offers aid to various organisations, particularly focusing on arts, education, and children’s programmes in the Memphis/Whitehaven area near Graceland. TMZ reported that the twins have spent a lot of time at grandmother Priscilla Presley’s house in Los Angeles as they reportedly do not want to return to the house where their mother Lisa Marie went into cardiac arrest. “She was the most passionate, strong and loving woman I have ever known,“ Priscilla shared. “We ask for privacy as we try to deal with this profound loss. Thank you for the love and prayers.” – by Marietta Mu China lifts ban on Marvel movies WALT Disney Co’s Marvel Studios announced February release dates for Black Panther and Ant-Man sequels in China, marking the first time in nearly four years that the country has allowed Marvel movies into its cinemas. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will arrive in Chinese theatres on Feb 7 followed by Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania on Feb 17, Marvel announced on Chinese social media network Weibo. Quantumania, the third movie about the superhero who can shrink to the size of an insect, will premiere the same day in China as it does in the US. Wakanda Forever, the sequel to 2018’s blockbuster hit Black Panther, debuted in global theatres in November. The loss of the Chinese market in recent years cost Disney tens of millions of dollars. The first Black Panther took in US$105 million (RM455 million) at Chinese theatres, while the second Ant-Man movie generated US$121 million (RM524.3 million), according to Box Office Mojo. Chinese officials never explained why they did not allow other movies including Eternals and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings to play in the country. Disney has refused requests from some countries to edit movies such as Eternals and Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness to remove references to same-sex relationships. – Reuters Lupita Nyong’o during the premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, in London. – REUTERS Jeremy Renner back home after accident AFTER being crushed by a 6,500kg snowplough at his Nevada home on New Year’s Day, actor Jeremy Renner has been released from the hospital after being treated for serious injuries. “Outside my brain fog in recovery, I was very excited to watch episode 201 with my family at home”, the actor said in a tweet response to a statement about his Paramount+ television series, Mayor of Kingstown. The actor shared a photo of the exterior of his Nevada house along with a message on his Instagram Story expressing that he is missing his happy spot. Then he posted another story urging everyone to remain cautious in light of the heavy snowfall. “It’s a rough ride over the pass. Be safe out there Reno/Tahoe,“ he wrote. An insider revealed just how dangerous Renner’s injuries were. They said: “Jeremy is very aware of the fact that he almost died out there. The right side of Jeremy’s chest was crushed, and his upper torso had collapsed. “He also had a bad head wound that was bleeding and a leg injury.“ We wish you a speedy recovery, Jeremy Renner! – by Thashine Selvakumaran Always a fighter ACTRESS Park SoDam’s new period film P h a n t o m premiered in South Korea yesterday. The Parasite and Record of Youth star plays Yuriko, a secretary to the Japanese GovernmentGeneral during the Japanese occupation of the country in 1933. The film follows a group of individuals, each under suspicion of being a spy known as the “Phantom”, planted by i n d e p e n d e n c e revolutionaries to collect intelligence from deep inside the GovernorGeneral of Gyeongseong (now known as Seoul). The suspects will be “gathered” at a remote hotel located on a remote cliffside, and no one can get out until the Phantom is found. Recently, Park spoke to AllKpop.com about filming while overcoming thyroid cancer, which she was diagnosed with halfway through filming Phantom. She said: “During the first half of 2021 when I was filming Phantom, I didn’t know I was sick. I was afraid to be on the film set, and cried because I doubted my acting skills. But those were the signals my body was sending me. I just thought it was just a burnout.” She then recorded the audio for her Phantom role while waiting for the results of the biopsy, after being told by her doctor that she would have lost her voice if the treatment was delayed. To prepare for the film’s action scenes, Park had to first increase her stamina, which she did by running with a 4kg gun. She also discovered that shooting came natural to her. She underwent major surgery for her condition last year, shortly before her other film Special Delivery premiered. At the time, she said that her voice” didn’t come out” and she was unable to move. “These days, I’m doing pilates while taking hormone medication and my body is trying to recover its old routine.” Park also says that the entire cancer experience was a blessing in disguise, as it gave her time to invest in herself, which the actress said was previously impossible due to always working. – by Mark Mathen Victor oKorean actress Park So-dam shares her thoughts on her new movie, and about beating cancer

theSun LYFE ON THURSDAY | JANUARY 19, 2023 17 Criticism for Blanchett’s Tar THE psychological drama Tar is tipped to win Cate Blanchett a third Oscar for her role as a power-hungry conductor, but for one real-life pioneer in the job, the film does a “disservice to women”. Marin Alsop, 66, is chief conductor of the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra and has frequently broken new ground for women in the field. Born in the United States, she was the first woman named as musical director of a major orchestra there (in Baltimore) and the first to conduct London’s famous Last Night of the Proms. Tar has been hailed by critics and already scooped several awards for Blanchett, including a Golden Globe this week, as well as one for writerdirector Todd Field. Alsop told AFP that while Blanchett’s performance was certainly “marvellous”, her concern was this was “yet another misogynistic portrayal of a woman in a leadership role. Blanchett plays a powerhungry conductor in Tar. – “Historically, there have been very FOCUS FEATURES few opportunities for women at the top level (in classical music), so to assume that a woman would behave in an abusive, conceited manner similar to many men... does a real disservice to women,“ she said. The film is currently being released around Europe and beyond. Reinforcing stereotypes Blanchett has previously dismissed the importance of having a woman at the centre of the film, which charts the downfall of a fictional conductor following claims of abuse. After its premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September, where she also won best actress, Blanchett told reporters she “didn’t think about the character’s gender nor her sex at all” during preparations. “It wasn’t until we started doing the press and they said, ‘You have women at the centre of this’ and I thought: ‘Yeah, we do!’ That didn’t cross my mind,” Blanchett said. Alsop objects that Tar repeats stereotypes about powerful women being abusive, hysterical and unhinged. “It is reinforcing the same stereotypes, without ever giving women the opportunity to grow into these roles,” she said. “Of course it is fiction, but it is a fiction that is trying very hard to be similar, if not identical, to reality,” she added. The film was a missed opportunity to inspire people about classical music and encourage more women to enter the profession, she said. “Through my fellowships for women conductors ... I meet so many women who are using these positions to create future possibilities for their communities. “To have a star like Cate Blanchett – it could have been so much more.” – ETX Studio One fashionable affair THE FABULOUS is a Netflix original series consisting of eight episodes, that is written by Kim Ji-hee and directed by Kim Jung-hyun. The TV series explores the adventures of a group of friends who are determined to take on the challenges of joining Seoul’s cut-throat fashion industry. Each of the pals is aspiring to one of the major jobs within the industry. The plot of the series is straightforward, but it’s incredibly intriguing that the creators chose to tell it through the viewpoint of the fashion business. Ji Woo-min (Choi Min-ho) enchants everyone with his shy, carefree smile. He does a smooth job of switching from being vulnerable and behaving like a lovely lover boy. On the other hand, Ji-eun’s (Chae Soo-bin) life is beautiful, perhaps a little too flawless for her own good. It would have been good to see more development and progress in her character. Someone is always there to save the day for her whenever she has problems at work, demonstrating how model-perfect her career ended up being. The Fabulous greatly emphasises friendship throughout, using the fashion world as the ideal backdrop for all of the ups and downs. This TV series was engaging to watch because of its focus on friendship. This was made feasible by the four main cast members’ great chemistry, which effectively conveyed their tight relationship. With them in your posse, you might start to think that everything is possible. Netflix’s is back with another romantic K-drama. oThe Fabulous is a straightforward story of four friends enjoying a good time █ BYTHASHINE SELVAKUMARAN The four young adults’ friendship is the main highlight of this series. – ALL PIX BY NETFLIX Choi Min-ho and Chae Soo-bin play the charming leads in The Fabulous. In terms of their relationship, Ji Woo-min and Pyo Ji-eun just have a normal retroactively-came-to-therealisation love affair, with little romanticism permeating through the many situations when he has helped her and she has blamed everything on him. Honestly, I did not notice any romantic spark between Min-ho and Soo-bin. Given how the show starts, I was expecting more chemistry, but there isn’t much. Also, since I myself dislike love triangles, watching this series was tiresome since all I wanted at this point was for Ji-eun to choose a partner and resume the storyline. Despite several parts where she might have performed a bit better, Park Hee-jung’s performance as Ye Seon-ho, the model going through an agonizing phase concerning her own professional front, was enjoyable to witness in her film debut role. It was a nice series all around. Kdrama fans will watch at least once, however I’m not sure if it has the rewatchability factor. The Fabulous is now streaming on Netflix. 0DIRECTOR: Kim Jung-hyun 0CAST: Chae Soo-bin, Choi Min-ho, Park Hee-sung, Lee Sang-un E-VALUE 7 ACTING 7 PLOT 6

18 theSun LYFE ON THURSDAY | JANUARY 19, 2023 about the entire project. Sharmendran said that making the transition from an athlete to an actor was not as simple as it sounds, because it required a lot of hard work and dedication. However, he did feel as though this was a great chance for him to explore what he really wanted in life. In fact, he mentioned that this could be the start of a new career path. He said: “I was rather startled by this, as it’s new to me, but I absolutely want to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity. “Honestly, I simply wanted to give it a shot, but now I’m genuinely motivated to pursue acting and see what more this field has in store for me.” He was fortunate to have a few assistant directors to help him develop his acting abilities when he initially accepted the offer. With the support of the thoughtful people around him, Sharmendran found it possible to complete this project. Of course, Sharmendran’s journey was especially challenging, because, as he said: “I lack acting expertise and experience, I faced various hurdles.” But being a quick learner, Sharmendran quickly assessed the situation and made necessary adjustments to ensure the success of the shoot. He said that he did not want the shoot to be prolonged as a result of his errors. For Sharmendran, having to repeatedly perform the fight sequences while continuously practising them for improvement was probably the most difficult aspect. In Veera, Sharmendran plays Barath, the younger brother of the eponymous Veera, played by fellow mastial artist-turned-actor Theeban G (Paskal, Special Force: Anarchy). He said that he admires Theeban greatly, and expressed that he was glad that Theeban was around to guide him and give him advice along the way because he had experience in the field. Sharmendran also made sure to consult his friends who work in the field to obtain their thoughts. “I was careful to heed their advice and took it seriously when I was acting.” Since this is his first television series, I questioned him about how he would respond to any negative remarks about his acting. He stated: “I have no power over negative reviews. So I would simply disregard them. I like to concentrate on things I can have some control over.” Sharmendram also took the opportunity to express his gratitude towards his mother for always setting high standards for him to meet. “I gained knowledge based on what I perceive, sense, and encounter,” he said. In the future, he intends to appear in feature film projects after he has gained more experience as an actor, and wishes to take part in a variety of exciting work. He also thanked his fans for standing by him no matter what. He said: “Countless supportive words were sent to us, and we much appreciate them. Veera needs your continued support. I also want my fans to keep supporting local content.” ACTING is one of the most sought-after jobs nowadays. But few people possess the ability and motivation necessary to succeed in that field of work. Many people want the job because of fame and money, while some people want to perform. One spends a lot of time thinking about the day they can finally walk onto a set as an actor seeking to break into the world of TV or film. But what actually transpires there, and how do you handle yourself properly both on and off camera? theSun recently spoke with aspiring actor Sharmendran Raghonathan on his experience as a newcomer to the industry. Sharmendran recently made his small screen debut as Barath in local Tamil-language series Veera. The 30-year-old professional karate fighter has competed in the Sea Games three times and earned two Asian medals. However, he always wanted to look forward to doing something outside of his comfort zone. So, as soon as he heard about this acting opportunity, he seized it without delay. He explained: “I believed it was wise to attempt something outside of my comfort zone.” As an athlete, he said that the captivating plot of the martial arts series and its various fight sequences made him even more enthusiastic A new journey oLocal actor Sharmendran wishes to be involved in more interesting projects in the future Sharmendran is a full time professional karate fighter. – INSTAGRAM/ @PHOENIXFILMS_MY Sharmendran’s key to success is consistency, hard effort, and doing things with passion. – INSTAGRAM/@SHARMENDRAN Sharmendran plays Barath, the younger brother of series protagonist Veera, plyed by Theeban G. |– INSTAGRAM/@PHOENIXFILMS_MY Veera is inspired by the true life story of a Malaysian boxer in the 1950s. – INSTAGRAM/@PHOENIXFILMS_MY █ BY THASHINE SELVAKUMARAN First-time actor Sharmendran spent a lot of time and energy into this series. – INSTAGRAM/@PHOENIXFILMS_MY

theSun LYFE ON THURSDAY | JANUARY 19, 2023 19 promotion, salary increment or profits from your side-gigs. You may experience some challenges at work that could lead to conflicts. However, be patient and focus on your work to make sure there are no mistakes. Rats will be spending a lot this year due to travels or medical bills. So, take note of your health and avoid activities that might put your mental and physical health at risk. For singles, this is the year for love. You might meet someone with a steady temperament and gentle personality, but be mindful and don’t be too brash or you might frighten them away. Ox This year, you’ll need to take the bull by its horns and step up. Try to stay away from all types of high-risk investments and keep a lookout for scams or frauds. It may be stressful at work as you’ll be given new responsibilities. Take one step at a time to work at them as this will be your gateway to a breakthrough in your career. Re l at i o n s h i p - w i s e, you’ll have the opportunity to meet the person of your dreams, but pursue carefully and don’t be taken advantage of. It’s encouraged that you avoid outdoor activities like jungle trekking and camping for now as you might get injured during the process. Tiger It’ll be a roaring good year for the Tigers, if you know how to use the energy to make life better and become wiser. Stay alert when trying to make money. Be aware of those around that might take advantage of you, especially your friends, brothers or business partners. At work, try to keep a level head and mull on everything you hear. It’s going to get competitive. You may also connect with someone from the opposite gender who shares similar interests, but that might not be a romantic relationship. For now, focus on yourself first. Health-wise, be careful not to sustain any external injuries. This forecast was prepared by the Joey Yap Group. Interested to find out more about the 12 animals for 2023? Then download the Thriver’s Guide 2023 for free at www.joeyyap.com/TheSunDaily. The Thriver’s Guide 2023 has been written in such a way that any beginner with no prior knowledge of Chinese Metaphysics could learn and immediately put to use the information within. It’s a great place to start your educational journey into the realm of Chinese Astrology. decline due to overworking and stress. Monkey It’s a favourable, swinging year for Monkeys. There’ll be opportunities for forging new relationships and gaining help and support from the people around you. Your ability to dissolve problems will be enhanced and the turn of negative into positive outcomes. You may find yourself stuck in your job with no prospects of promotion or advancement. But worry not, be humble, work diligently and be patient with everyone at work and it’ll pay off. Monkeys may meet their special someone by accident this year. However, take it slow, don’t rush it or not you’ll frighten them away. Health-wise, you may experience minor illnesses like a cold. Make sure to have a balance diet and is well rested to avoid falling sick. Rooster From the get-go, gaining wealth this year is a little challenging for Roosters. It’ll be hard to capitalise and make money just by relying on talents and capabilities alone. But this is not the end. You can still seek every nook and corner for opportunities. If you’re thinking of changing jobs, it’s likely the year to do it as you might get one that’s ideal for you. Just make sure to vet through the companies that you want to join. Rooster’s love luck is mediocre as you may meet someone who’s not 100% committed. So, it’s best to just lie low for a while. Dog It’s going be a barking good year for Dogs as wealth, power and authority are some of the things you could expect in 2023. This will help you gain a stable income, but remember to spend wisely. Work-wise, it’ll be a little stressful. Thus, learning how to overcome the challenges will help you grow and shape your career prospects. Your romance luck is also looking good as you’ll be able to build a stable and long-term relationship. Make sure to take good care of your health as you might get overwhelmed with work. Pig It’s advisable that you be assertive and not too greedy when it comes to p u r s u i n g wealth gains. Avoid entering u n f a m i l i a r waters and be alert when investing or spending to stay clear of losses. There may be competition at your workplace and this could lead to confrontations if not careful. Steer clear of office politics as best as you can, lie low and focus on yourself by upgrading your skills instead. You’ll enjoy good relationships with your friends this year, and for the single males, you’ll have a higher chance of meeting your Ms Right. It looks to be a healthy year for the Pigs, but still be of careful of injuries. Rat 2023 will offer Rats the possibilities of a THIS year, Chinese New Year falls on Jan 22 and we’ll be entering the year of the Water Rabbit. It’s that time again to check out the 12 animal forecasts and what opportunities and challenges lie ahead for us in 2023. Before we begin, we first need to understand what is BaZi and how it relates to the 12 animals. BaZi and the 12 Chinese Animals BaZi, which translates as Eight Characters, is generally divided into four Pillars – the Year, Month, Day and Hour. And in each Pillar resides an animal sign. Your BaZi is unique to you as it is based on your date and time of birth. In Chinese Astrology, there are 12 animal signs and it is based on a twelve-year cycle. The 12 animals are the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and boar. In BaZi, we take into account all 12 animal signs and depending on the Pillar the animal sign sits in, it has a different meaning that helps you identify the opportunities and challenges you face throughout life. Here’s what each Pillar means. Year: represents friends, social circle and network Month: represents work performances, careers and business outlooks Day: represents personal relationships, self, character or personalities Hour: represents ideas, dreams, hopes, inspiration, assets, contributions and children oLuck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity Here is the outlook for the 12 animal signs of 2023. Rabbit As 2023 is the year of the Rabbit, you’ll take centre stage. Rabbit is the Grand Duke and all eyes will be on your every word and action. If you want to increase your likeability and network with the right people, whether it’s to grow your business, enhance your career or build your social media following, this is the year to do it. Rabbits will also likely enjoy good fortune from personal gains with the help from people who will benefit you greatly. To all the single Rabbits out there, you might get to meet someone special this year at social gatherings, but there’s a catch. It could be a brief romance. So, stay optimistic and don’t jump into it too fast. Dragon Your focus for 2023 would be on relationships, networking and socialising. This will open up new opportunities in your career or business, but be cautious when making investment deals or overspending. Remember to also help those in need – as the saying goes ‘what goes around, comes around’. You’ll gain abundance for your generous assistance. Dragons will also be travelling a lot to develop or expand their career or businesses. There may be a possibility of changing jobs too. If you’re looking for romance, it is advisable to focus on other aspects of your life for now is not the right time. Take good care of your overall health as you may likely get burnout or exhausted due to being overworked. Snake Snakes will get the chance to travel or go overseas for career and educational purposes this year. There will also be business opportunities to make money internationally. Pay attention to those around you as you may find helpful people or mentors that’ll support you in your endeavours. At work, be proactive and you’ll be recognised by your superiors. If you’re looking for that special someone, go out, mingle and you might get a surprise. Watch your health and dial down on outdoor activities and stay away from high-risk sports. Horse Galloping into 2023, Horses will have the ability to see the ‘gap in the market’ and the push needed to make money. For business owners, be open minded to new innovative ideas as it can bring a refreshing look and feel to your business. If you’re working for someone, you can start a side-gig and reap the rewards as they come. If you’re single and looking to build a longterm relationship, this is going to be the year. For those who are married, it’s a good year to strengthen your bond and build happy memories. You may enjoy improved health in 2023, but if you feel under the weather, go get a check-up to be safe. Goat There may be a possibility for gaining good fortune and profits for the Goats. You’ll gain the clarity to enhance your problem-solving skill to help yourself and others in the areas of finance, relationship or health. If you’re working for s o m e o n e , there’s a possibility that you’ll get noticed for your contributions and gain the career advancement that you’ve been hoping for. You’ll also enjoy good, healthy relationships with your loved ones. Just make sure not to over-indulge too much to please someone or you may just end up achieving nothing. Take note of your health as there may be a possible Joey Yap’s 12 Animal Forecasts for 2023

20 theSun LYFE ON THURSDAY | JANUARY 19, 2023 /theSunMedia FOLLOW ON YOUTUBE SCAN ME Listening to the people YOUTUBERS are not happy, and they are making it known. The streaming video platform has faced criticism from several of its creators after changing its moderation policy regarding profanity. Some YouTubers got an unpleasant surprise recently. A number of them have noticed that some of their older videos have been demonetised for obscenity. Back at the end of November, YouTube announced that it was tightening its moderation policy regarding the monetisation of videos posted online. With this new moderation rule, videos containing profanity in the first 8 to 15 seconds are no longer able to receive ad revenue. This is a major change since this rule is also retroactive. And it is particularly on this aspect of it that certain YouTubers are seeing red. According to The Verge, popular YouTuber Cr1TiKaL described the company as treating its policy changes “like a government secret” and said that his own YouTube contact wasn’t even aware of the change until looking it up. In a 47-second video, creator ProZD strongly criticised this new rule, pointing out the limitations of these new parameters. After waiting to go beyond the first 15 seconds of his video, the YouTuber let loose on YouTube, while respecting the clauses in order to not be demonetised. In his rant, he called out YouTube for establishing this rule, while allowing “ads that spew hate speech regularly”. He declared: “Did they say a nono word in the first 15 seconds? I guess not. Then that’s fine. Thank you YouTube, you f***ing donkeys, and I should be able to say that without being demonetised because, one, it wasn’t in the first 8-15 seconds, and two, it’s only four swear words out of around 150 words total, so it’s not the oYouTube is adjusting its moderation policy in response to creator complaints majority.” In just nine days, this video by ProZD, who is followed by almost 4 million subscribers, has surpassed 2 million views. Following that video, the creator said in another video that his content was eventually demonetised: “It [the video] was up for about two days no problem and then after two days it got demonetised,” he explained. “Not only does this policy affect new uploads, but it can also retroactively affect old uploads. So videos that were totally fine before with the monetisation rules ... all of a sudden, no, not anymore, you don’t get to make money on those anymore,”he continued. “For a little experiment, I’m just going to say ‘f*** YouTube’, just once, and I’m going to see if this video gets demonetised. Is it because YouTube just doesn’t like it when I get mad at them and it gets a lot of views?” he pitched. In five days, this new video has achieved over 1.3 million views. In the face of such criticism, the video platform has decided to reconsider this moderation policy, without announcing any concrete changes for the moment. “In recent weeks, we’ve heard from many creators regarding this update,” YouTube spokesperson Michael Aciman told The Verge. “That feedback is important to us and we are in the process of making some adjustments to this policy to address their concerns. We will follow up shortly with our creator community as soon as we have more to share,” he added. – Agencies Can the walkman make a comeback? WE’VE been hearing about the “comeback” of Walkman-style portable audio players for a few years now. But it remained the domain of select manufacturers and audiophiles driven by nostalgia rather than a mainstream phenomenon embraced by industry giants. But Sony has recently started producing them again. Will it be the ultimate cool music accessory? For a long time, listening to music mainly took place at home, if not in a dedicated location like a nightclub or live performance venue. It wasn’t until Sony’s Walkman was launched in 1979 as a compact cassette player that personal music listening entered the public space. But smartphones have gradually replaced the pocket MP3 players thanks to the advent of online listening platforms. These accounted for 62% of the sector’s global turnover in 2021, according to figures from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. However, Sony seems determined to bring this device, a former favourite device of music lovers, into the present. The Japanese company recently unveiled two new Walkman models, the NW-A306 and the NW-ZX707. These digital music players aren’t surfing on the retro trend but rather relying on advanced technologies to offer “high-fidelity” (or “hi-fi”) quality for all. And that makes sense because the general public is increasingly placing greater importance on the quality of the sound they have in their ears. The popularity of lossless, spatial or high-resolution music on streaming platforms illustrates this phenomenon, as does the renewed interest in vinyl records. Sony’s new music players use Edge-AI artificial intelligence and DSEE Ultimate (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine) technology to improve the quality of the music. This will allow music lovers to enjoy “music the way the artist intended” according to Sony. In the wake of cassette tapes Unlike the Walkmans of the 1980s, the NW-A306 and NWZX707 are Wi-Fi enabled for listening to music online via streaming platforms or for downloading it. The screensaver of these devices is inspired by none other than the good old audio cassette, in a nod to the Japanese group’s first Walkman model. And that’s not a random choice as cassettes have become cool again in recent years, driven by movies such as the first two instalments of Guardians of the Galaxy and series like Stranger Things and 13 Reasons Why. Furthermore, many artists (Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, The Weeknd, Justin Bieber...) also release their new albums in this format to take advantage of the nostalgic appeal. Will digital music players be able to take advantage of this taste for replicas of a not-sodistant musical past? It’s still too early to tell, although all the conditions seem to be in place for them to make their mark in our digital world. Even wired headphones have succeeded in becoming a favourite of Generation Z with their humble vintage charm. So why not the Walkman? – ETX Studio Get directions directly on your smartwatch GOOGLE has announced that it will now be possible to find your way around with its Maps application without necessarily using your smartphone. All you’ll need is your Wear OS watch, provided that it’s connected to a cellular or WiFi network. This new feature will primarily concern owners of a latestgeneration smartwatch, compatible with Wear OS 3, and which can connect to the cellular network. The idea is to allow users to bypass their smartphone thanks to an onboard version of Google Maps that offers turn-by-turn navigation, regardless of your mode of transport. This type of use could appeal to joggers or cyclists, for example, who will simply be able to look at their wrists to find their way around, and will no longer have to carry their smartphones, which connect via Bluetooth to their watch. Previously, navigation via a smartwatch always required the presence of a smartphone nearby, which was not always very practical, especially when exercising. With this new version of Google Maps on Wear OS, the user will be able, if they wish, to set off without their smartphone, so long as their watch is connected, preferably to the cellular network. To enjoy smartphone-free Google Maps navigation on a Wear OS watch, all you have to do is open the application on your watch, choose your connection type, enter your destination (via the map or by voice), choose your means of transport and then follow the directions onscreen. It will soon be possible to use Google Maps navigation directly on your smartwatch. – 123RF Unsurprisingly, this version has been optimized for the Google Pixel Watch and the latest generations of Samsung Galaxy Watch (4 and 5), which are the only watches currently compatible with the latest version of Wear OS. Other high-end models should also benefit from the feature soon. – ETX Studio

21 * SPORTS theSUN ON THURSDAY | JANUARY 19, 2023 PERISYTIHARAN JUALAN DALAM MAHKAMAH TINGGI MALAYA DI PULAU PINANG PERMOHONAN UNTUK PERLAKSANAAN NO: PA-38-551-10/2022 Dalam perkara mengenai Seksyen 256 dan 257 Kanun Tanah Negara, 1965 Dan Dalam perkara mengenai Gadaian Perserahan No: 0799SC2013037060 (bertarikh : 25/09/2013), 0799SC2016024078 (bertarikh : 22/07/2016) ke atas semua bahagian tanah yang dipegang di bawah GRN 162658, Lot 4221 Seksyen 1, Mukim Bandar George Town, Daerah Timor Laut, Pulau Pinang Dan Dalam perkara mengenai Aturan 83 Kaedah-Kaedah Mahkamah, 2012 ANTARA Public Bank Berhad (No. Syarikat : 6463-H) ... PLAINTIF DAN Yeoh Siak Kok (No. Kad Pengenalan : 571105025175) Goh Saw Wah (No. Kad Pengenalan : 580710075992) ...DEFENDAN Menurut Perintah Mahkamah Tinggi Malaya di PULAU PINANG mengenai Perintah Jualan dan Perintah bertarikh 18 November 2021 dan 14 Disember 2022, adalah dengan ini diisytiharkan bahawa Timbalan Pendaftar/Penolong Kanan Pendaftar Pusat Operasi e-Lelong di Kuantan AKAN MENJUAL SECARA LELONG AWAM Pada Hari Rabu, 8 Februari 2023, Pada Jam 11:00 pagi, SECARA ELEKTRONIK Dl 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 jualan lelongan dijalankan. Sila layari https://elelong.kehakiman.gov.my/bidderweb BUTIR-BUTIR HAKMILIK: No. Hakmilik : GRN 162658 No. Lot : Lot 4221 Seksyen 1 Mukim/Daerah/Negeri : Bandar George Town / Timor Laut / Pulau Pinang Pegangan : Hakmilik Kekal No. Petak/No. Tingkat/No. : Bangunan : Keluasan Tanah : 1981.000000 kaki persegi : 184.000000 meter persegi Pemilik Berdaftar : Yeoh Siak Kok, Goh Saw Wah Syarat Nyata : (FIRST GRADE) The Land comprised in this title: (a) shall not be affected by any provision of the National Land Code limiting the compensation payable on the exercise by the State Authority of a right of access or use conferred by Chapter 3 of Part Three of the Code or on the creation of a Land Administrator’s right of way; and Sekatan Kepentingan : Tiada Bebanan / Lain-Lain : Kawasan Rizab : Kaveat : No Pers 0799B2019001050 Kaveat Persendirian atas Tanah oleh GOH SENG LIANG No. Kad Pengenalan : 740324-07-5505 No. 46-4-2, Jalan Sungai Ara Satu Desa Ara, 11900 Pulau Pinang didaftarkan pada 31 Januari 2019 jam 08:59:41 pagi LOKASI DAN PERIHAL HARTANAH : Hartanah tersebut adalah “The plot of land is a three-storey shophouse bearing assessment address No. 30, Jalan Tanjung Tokong, 10470 Pulau Pinang” yang beralamat pos di No. 30, Jalan Tanjung Tokong, 10470 George Town, Pulau Pinang. HARGA RIZAB : Hartanah tersebut akan dijual atas “sepertimana sedia ada” tertakluk kepada satu harga rizab sebanyak RM 2,880,000.00 (RINGGIT MALAYSIA: DUA JUTA LAPAN RATUS LAPAN PULUH RIBU SAHAJA) dan kepada syarat-syarat jualan yang dilampirkan. Pembida yang berminat hendaklah mendepositkan 10% daripada harga rizab dalam bentuk Bank Draf di atas nama 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-HL/2020-116C/YSK(RS/j) 322 Notices IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF KLONSAWIT AGROCOM SDN. BHD. (199101013630 (223942-V)) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding-Up) At the General Meeting of the members of Klonsawit Agrocom Sdn. Bhd. (In Members’ Voluntary Winding-Up) duly convened and held at 45 Jalan Chew Boon Juan, 30250 Ipoh, Perak Darul Ridzuan on Thursday, 12 January 2023, the following resolutions were duly passed:- THAT the Company will be liquidated by way of members’ voluntary winding-up AND THAT Ms Ng Yuet Seam of 47A Jalan Chung Ah Ming, Pasir Puteh, 31650 Ipoh, Perak Darul Ridzuan be appointed as Liquidator to act for the purpose of winding-up the Company’s affairs and distributing its assets AND THAT the Liquidator be hereby indemnified by the Company against all losses, damages, causes of action, claims, demands whatsoever, whether at law or in equity, including legal fees, incurred or sustained by her in the execution and discharge of her duty as liquidator and in relation thereto. By Order of the Board WONG YOUN KIM (MAICSA 7018778) LIM LI HEONG (MAICSA 7054716) Secretaries 19 January 2023 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the creditors of the abovenamed Company which is wound up voluntarily, are required on or before 18 February 2023 to send in their names and addresses with particulars of their debts and claims, and names and addresses of their solicitor (if any) to the undersigned Liquidator at 47A, Jalan Chung Ah Ming, Pasir Puteh, 31650 Ipoh, Perak Darul Ridzuan and, if so required by notice in writing from the said Liquidator, or by its solicitors, to come in and prove their said debts and claims at such time and place as shall be specified in such notice, or in default thereof they will be excluded from the benefits of any distribution made before such debts or claims are proved. NG YUET SEAM Liquidator 19 January 2023 322 Notices 322 Notices 322 Notices 322 Notices DALAM MAHKAMAH TINGGI DI SHAH ALAM DALAM NEGERI SELANGOR DARUL EHSAN, MALAYSIA PENGGULUNGAN SYARIKAT NO.:BA-28NCC-688-12/2022 Dalam perkara Jeffrey Wong [No. K/P: 680110-05-5419]; Dan Dalam perkara Seksyen 465(1)(e) Akta Syarikat 2016; Dan Dalam perkara Kaedah-Kaedah (Penggulungan) Syarikat 1972; Dan Dalam perkara Brecon Synergy Sdn Bhd (No. Syarikat: 201501036025 (1161345-M)); ANTARA JEFFREY WONG (No. K/P: 680110-05-5419) …PEMPETISYEN DAN BRECON SYNERGY SDN BHD (No. Syarikat: 201501036025 (1161345-M)) …RESPONDEN PENGIKLANAN PETISYEN NOTIS ADALAH DENGAN INI DIBERIKAN bahawa sesuatu Petisyen untuk menggulungkan Syarikat Responden yang dinamakan di atas oleh Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur telah pada 15 Disember 2022 dikemukakan oleh Jeffrey Wong (No. K/P. 680110-05-5419). Dan bahawa Petisyen tersebut telah diarahkan untuk dibicarakan di hadapan Mahkamah yang akan bersidang di Mahkamah Tinggi Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan pada 14 Mac 2023 pukul 9.00 pagi. Dan mana-mana pihak pemiutang atau penyumbang kepada syarikat tersebut yang ingin menyokong atau menentang sesuatu Perintah mengikut Petisyen tersebut boleh hadir dengan tujuan itu secara peribadi atau melalui peguambelanya pada masa perbicaraan tersebut. Sesalinan Petisyen tersebut akan dibekalkan oleh pihak yang bertandatangan di bawah ini kepada manamana pemiutang atau penyumbang Syarikat tersebut yang memintanya dengan membuat bayaran yang ditetapkan. Pempetisyen adalah beralamat di 136, Jalan Zuhrah U5/151, Taman Subang Murni, 40150 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan. Peguamcara Pempetisyen adalah Tetuan Amos Ho, Sew & Kiew, peguamcara dan peguambela yang mempunyai alamat penyampaian di D-5- 7, Blok D, Tingkat 5, Megan Avenue 1, No. 189, Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur. t.t …………………………… PEGUAMCARA PEMPETISYEN TETUAN AMOS HO, SEW & KIEW NOTA- Mana-mana pihak yang ingin hadir pada perbicaraan Petisyen tersebut mestilah menyampaikan pada atau mengirim melalui pos kepada Peguamcara yang dinamakan di atas sini sesuatu notis bertulis mengenal niat beliau untuk berbuat demikian. Notis tersebut mestilah menyatakan nama dan alamat pihak tersebut atau sekiranya sesuatu firma, nama dan alamat firma tersebut dan mestilah ditandatangani oleh orang atau firma atau Peguamcara beliau atau mereka (sekiranya ada) dan mestilah disampaikan atau diposkan mestilah diposkan dalam tempoh masa yang mencukupi untuk sampai kepada Peguamcara yang dinamakan di atas sebelum pukul 12.00 petang, 13 Mac 2023 PENGIKLANAN PETISYEN ini adalah difailkan oleh Tetuan Amos Ho, Sew & Kiew, peguamcara dan peguambela bagi pihak Pempetisyen yang mempunyai alamat penyampaian di Unit No. D-5-7, Blok D, Tingkat 5, Megan Avenue 1, No. 189, Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur. Tel. No.: 03-2181 0358 Faks. No. : 03-2161 0109 E-mel:[email protected] No. Ruj.: ASK/A/L22.015/LIT/JF IN THE HIGH COURT OF MALAYA AT KUALA LUMPUR (COMMERCIAL DIVISION) COMPANIES WINDING UP NO: WA-28NCC-936-11/2022 In the matter of Section 466 (1) (a) of the Companies Act, 2016 And In the matter of Kelkatu Pintar Sdn Bhd (Company No: 201701037684(1251855-H)) And In the matter of Company Winding Up Rules 1972 Between ATLAS CSF SDN BHD (Company No: 199101014078 (224390-X)) …Petitioner And KELKATU PINTAR SDN BHD (Company No: 201701037684 1251855-H)) …Respondent ADVERTISEMENT OF PETITION Notice is hereby given that a Petition for the Winding-Up of the abovenamed company by the High Court was, on the 23rd day of November, 2022, presented by the said company and that the said petition is directed to be heard before the Court sitting at Kuala Lumpur High Court, Insolvency Court, Level 5, Left Wing, Kompleks Mahkamah Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Duta, 50592, Kuala Lumpur at 9.30 o’clock in forenoon, on the 5th day of July, 2023; and any creditor or contributory of the said company desiring to support or oppose the making of an order on the said Petition may appear at the time of hearing by himself or his counsel for that purpose; and a copy of the Petition will be furnished to any creditor or contributory of the said company requiring the same by the undersigned on payment of the regulated charge for the same. The Petitioner’s address is at CSF TelcoHub 1, 3552, Jalan Teknokrat 6, 63000 Cyberjaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan. The Petitioner’s solicitor is Messrs AMIR & RAJPAL GHAI of Suite 2012, Level 20, Plaza Pengkalan, Jalan Tiong off, Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, 51100, Kuala Lumpur. ......................................... Solicitors for the Petitioner Messrs AMIR & RAJPAL GHAI NOTE: Any person who intends to appear on the hearing of the said petition must serve on or send by post to the abovenamed Messrs AMIR & RAJPAL GHAI, notice in writing of his intention so to do. The notice must state the name and address of the person, or, if a firm, the name and address of the firm, and must be signed by the person or firm, or his or their solicitors (if any) and must be served, or, if posted, must be sent by post in sufficient time to reach the above-named not later than twelve o’clock noon of the day 4th July, 2023 (the day before the day appointed for the hearing of the petition) (Ref : ARG/CSF/L/307/2022/Rs) 322 Notices 322 Notices LOST CERTIFICATES The following Share Certificates have been reported lost or destroyed Certificate No Name No Of Share MCIS INSURANCE BHD 11890 SUBRAMANIAM A/L RAMAIYA 1 x 6500 10647 KALLIAMAL A/P SIVASAMY 1 X 5500 LAM SOON (M) BHD 800 CHEE CHEW SOO @ CHEE CHIU SOO 3 X 1000 36576 – 577 3641 KWANG SAY AIK KEE SDN BHD 1 X 1000 6315 NG KIM ONG 3 x 1000 34546 – 547 33870 – 871 WEE JOO 2 x 1000 22111 – 112 OH HONG KIAK 2 x 1000 14533 LEE FANG KAW @ LEE FONG KOW 3 x 1000 31295 – 296 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that if within fourteen (14) days from the date hereof, no claim or representation in respect of such certificates is made to the Directors, they will then proceed to issue replacement certificates and the original certificates will be deemed cancelled and void. REGISTRARS BOARDROOM SHARE REGISTRARS SDN (378993-D) Date: 19.01.2023 322 Notices IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF CHOOKS TO GO MALAYSIA SDN. BHD. 201501030552 (1155876-U) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding Up) NOTICE OF FINAL MEETING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to Section 459 of the Companies Act, 2016, the Final Meeting of the Company will be held at Suite I, 2nd Floor, Wisma Lister Garden, 123 Jalan Macalister, 10400 George Town, Pulau Pinang on Tuesday, 21 February, 2023 at 10.30 a.m. for the following purposes: 1. To receive and consider the Liquidators’ Statement of Accounts showing the manner in which the winding up has been conducted and of hearing any explanation that may be given by the Liquidators. 2. To resolve under Section 518(3)(b) of the Companies Act, 2016 the manner in which the books, accounts and documents of the Company and of the Liquidators shall be destroyed. 3. To approve and accept the resignation of the Liquidators in accordance with Section 513(3) of the Companies Act, 2016. Dated this 19th day of January, 2023 Nora Nurhidayah Binti Mohd Mustaffa Yeoh Hon Lin Liquidators IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF INNOVATIVE ENTERPRISE SDN. BHD. 199701000974 (416470-M) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding Up) NOTICE OF FINAL MEETING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to Section 459 of the Companies Act, 2016, the Final Meeting of the Company will be held at Suite I, 2nd Floor, Wisma Lister Garden, 123 Jalan Macalister, 10400 George Town, Pulau Pinang on Tuesday, 21 February 2023 at 10.00 a.m. for the following purposes: 1. To receive and consider the Liquidators’ Statement of Accounts showing the manner in which the winding up has been conducted and of hearing any explanation that may be given by the Liquidators. 2. To resolve under Section 518(3)(b) of the Companies Act, 2016 the manner in which the books, accounts and documents of the Company and of the Liquidators shall be destroyed. 3. To approve and accept the resignation of the Liquidators in accordance with Section 513(3) of the Companies Act, 2016. Dated this 19th day of January, 2023 Lam Sook Chan Yeoh Hon Lin Liquidators IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF KTS MEDIA SDN. BHD. (COMPANY NO.: 201001039295 [923219-A]) (IN MEMBERS’ VOLUNTARY WINDING-UP) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT pursuant to Section 459 of the Companies Act, 2016, the FINAL MEETING of the members of the above Company will be held at Lot 515, Block A, Kelana Business Centre, No. 97, Jalan SS7/2, Kelana Jaya, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor on Wednesday, 22nd February, 2023 at 3.30p.m. for the following purposes:- [1] To have an account laid before the members, showing the manner in which the winding-up has been conducted and the property of the Company has been disposed of and to hear any explanation that may be given by the Liquidator. [2] To pass a resolution pursuant to Section 518(3)(b) that the Liquidator be directed to destroy all the books and papers of the Company and of the Liquidator after the expiration of three (3) months from the date of the Final Meeting. [3] To accept the resignation of LIM KOK HENG as the Liquidator of the Company with effect from the conclusion of the Final Meeting of the Company. LIM KOK HENG Liquidator Petaling Jaya. Date: 19th January, 2023 NOTE: A member of the Company shall be entitled to appoint another person as his proxy to exercise all or any of his rights to attend, participate, speak and vote on his behalf. A member may appoint more than one proxy provided that the member specifies the proportion of the member’s shareholdings to be represented by each proxy. The instrument appointing a proxy must be deposited at Lot 515, Block A, Kelana Business Centre, No. 97, Jalan SS7/2, Kelana Jaya, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor not less than 48 hours before the time set for holding the meeting. 322 Notices 322 Notices PERISYTIHARAN JUALAN DALAM MAHKAMAH TINGGI MALAYA DI PULAU PINANG PERMOHONAN UNTUK PERLAKSANAAN NO: PA-38-551-10/2022 Dalam perkara mengenai Seksyen 256 dan 257 Kanun Tanah Negara, 1965 Dan Dalam perkara mengenai Gadaian Perserahan No: 0799SC2013037060 (bertarikh : 25/09/2013), 0799SC2016024078 (bertarikh : 22/07/2016) ke atas semua bahagian tanah yang dipegang di bawah GRN 162658, Lot 4221 Seksyen 1, Mukim Bandar George Town, Daerah Timor Laut, Pulau Pinang Dan Dalam perkara mengenai Aturan 83 Kaedah-Kaedah Mahkamah, 2012 ANTARA Public Bank Berhad (No. Syarikat : 6463-H) ... PLAINTIF DAN Yeoh Siak Kok (No. Kad Pengenalan : 571105025175) Goh Saw Wah (No. Kad Pengenalan : 580710075992) ...DEFENDAN Menurut Perintah Mahkamah Tinggi Malaya di PULAU PINANG mengenai Perintah Jualan dan Perintah bertarikh 18 November 2021 dan 14 Disember 2022, adalah dengan ini diisytiharkan bahawa Timbalan Pendaftar/Penolong Kanan Pendaftar Pusat Operasi e-Lelong di Kuantan AKAN MENJUAL SECARA LELONG AWAM Pada Hari Rabu, 8 Februari 2023, Pada Jam 11:00 pagi, SECARA ELEKTRONIK Dl 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 jualan lelongan dijalankan. Sila layari https://elelong.kehakiman.gov.my/bidderweb BUTIR-BUTIR HAKMILIK: No. Hakmilik : GRN 162658 No. Lot : Lot 4221 Seksyen 1 Mukim/Daerah/Negeri : Bandar George Town / Timor Laut / Pulau Pinang Pegangan : Hakmilik Kekal No. Petak/No. Tingkat/No. : Bangunan : Keluasan Tanah : 1981.000000 kaki persegi : 184.000000 meter persegi Pemilik Berdaftar : Yeoh Siak Kok, Goh Saw Wah Syarat Nyata : (FIRST GRADE) The Land comprised in this title: (a) shall not be affected by any provision of the National Land Code limiting the compensation payable on the exercise by the State Authority of a right of access or use conferred by Chapter 3 of Part Three of the Code or on the creation of a Land Administrator’s right of way; and Sekatan Kepentingan : Tiada Bebanan / Lain-Lain : Kawasan Rizab : Kaveat : No Pers 0799B2019001050 Kaveat Persendirian atas Tanah oleh GOH SENG LIANG No. Kad Pengenalan : 740324-07-5505 No. 46-4-2, Jalan Sungai Ara Satu Desa Ara, 11900 Pulau Pinang didaftarkan pada 31 Januari 2019 jam 08:59:41 pagi LOKASI DAN PERIHAL HARTANAH : Hartanah tersebut adalah “The plot of land is a three-storey shophouse bearing assessment address No. 30, Jalan Tanjung Tokong, 10470 Pulau Pinang” yang beralamat pos di No. 30, Jalan Tanjung Tokong, 10470 George Town, Pulau Pinang. HARGA RIZAB : Hartanah tersebut akan dijual atas “sepertimana sedia ada” tertakluk kepada satu harga rizab sebanyak RM 2,880,000.00 (RINGGIT MALAYSIA: DUA JUTA LAPAN RATUS LAPAN PULUH RIBU SAHAJA) dan kepada syarat-syarat jualan yang dilampirkan. Pembida yang berminat hendaklah mendepositkan 10% daripada harga rizab dalam bentuk Bank Draf di atas nama 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-HL/2020-116C/YSK(RS/j) 322 Notices IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF KLONSAWIT AGROCOM SDN. BHD. (199101013630 (223942-V)) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding-Up) At the General Meeting of the members of Klonsawit Agrocom Sdn. Bhd. (In Members’ Voluntary Winding-Up) duly convened and held at 45 Jalan Chew Boon Juan, 30250 Ipoh, Perak Darul Ridzuan on Thursday, 12 January 2023, the following resolutions were duly passed:- THAT the Company will be liquidated by way of members’ voluntary winding-up AND THAT Ms Ng Yuet Seam of 47A Jalan Chung Ah Ming, Pasir Puteh, 31650 Ipoh, Perak Darul Ridzuan be appointed as Liquidator to act for the purpose of winding-up the Company’s affairs and distributing its assets AND THAT the Liquidator be hereby indemnified by the Company against all losses, damages, causes of action, claims, demands whatsoever, whether at law or in equity, including legal fees, incurred or sustained by her in the execution and discharge of her duty as liquidator and in relation thereto. By Order of the Board WONG YOUN KIM (MAICSA 7018778) LIM LI HEONG (MAICSA 7054716) Secretaries 19 January 2023 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the creditors of the abovenamed Company which is wound up voluntarily, are required on or before 18 February 2023 to send in their names and addresses with particulars of their debts and claims, and names and addresses of their solicitor (if any) to the undersigned Liquidator at 47A, Jalan Chung Ah Ming, Pasir Puteh, 31650 Ipoh, Perak Darul Ridzuan and, if so required by notice in writing from the said Liquidator, or by its solicitors, to come in and prove their said debts and claims at such time and place as shall be specified in such notice, or in default thereof they will be excluded from the benefits of any distribution made before such debts or claims are proved. NG YUET SEAM Liquidator 19 January 2023 322 Notices 322 Notices 322 Notices 322 Notices DALAM MAHKAMAH TINGGI DI SHAH ALAM DALAM NEGERI SELANGOR DARUL EHSAN, MALAYSIA PENGGULUNGAN SYARIKAT NO.:BA-28NCC-688-12/2022 Dalam perkara Jeffrey Wong [No. K/P: 680110-05-5419]; Dan Dalam perkara Seksyen 465(1)(e) Akta Syarikat 2016; Dan Dalam perkara Kaedah-Kaedah (Penggulungan) Syarikat 1972; Dan Dalam perkara Brecon Synergy Sdn Bhd (No. Syarikat: 201501036025 (1161345-M)); ANTARA JEFFREY WONG (No. K/P: 680110-05-5419) …PEMPETISYEN DAN BRECON SYNERGY SDN BHD (No. Syarikat: 201501036025 (1161345-M)) …RESPONDEN PENGIKLANAN PETISYEN NOTIS ADALAH DENGAN INI DIBERIKAN bahawa sesuatu Petisyen untuk menggulungkan Syarikat Responden yang dinamakan di atas oleh Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur telah pada 15 Disember 2022 dikemukakan oleh Jeffrey Wong (No. K/P. 680110-05-5419). Dan bahawa Petisyen tersebut telah diarahkan untuk dibicarakan di hadapan Mahkamah yang akan bersidang di Mahkamah Tinggi Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan pada 14 Mac 2023 pukul 9.00 pagi. Dan mana-mana pihak pemiutang atau penyumbang kepada syarikat tersebut yang ingin menyokong atau menentang sesuatu Perintah mengikut Petisyen tersebut boleh hadir dengan tujuan itu secara peribadi atau melalui peguambelanya pada masa perbicaraan tersebut. Sesalinan Petisyen tersebut akan dibekalkan oleh pihak yang bertandatangan di bawah ini kepada manamana pemiutang atau penyumbang Syarikat tersebut yang memintanya dengan membuat bayaran yang ditetapkan. Pempetisyen adalah beralamat di 136, Jalan Zuhrah U5/151, Taman Subang Murni, 40150 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan. Peguamcara Pempetisyen adalah Tetuan Amos Ho, Sew & Kiew, peguamcara dan peguambela yang mempunyai alamat penyampaian di D-5- 7, Blok D, Tingkat 5, Megan Avenue 1, No. 189, Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur. t.t …………………………… PEGUAMCARA PEMPETISYEN TETUAN AMOS HO, SEW & KIEW NOTA- Mana-mana pihak yang ingin hadir pada perbicaraan Petisyen tersebut mestilah menyampaikan pada atau mengirim melalui pos kepada Peguamcara yang dinamakan di atas sini sesuatu notis bertulis mengenal niat beliau untuk berbuat demikian. Notis tersebut mestilah menyatakan nama dan alamat pihak tersebut atau sekiranya sesuatu firma, nama dan alamat firma tersebut dan mestilah ditandatangani oleh orang atau firma atau Peguamcara beliau atau mereka (sekiranya ada) dan mestilah disampaikan atau diposkan mestilah diposkan dalam tempoh masa yang mencukupi untuk sampai kepada Peguamcara yang dinamakan di atas sebelum pukul 12.00 petang, 13 Mac 2023 PENGIKLANAN PETISYEN ini adalah difailkan oleh Tetuan Amos Ho, Sew & Kiew, peguamcara dan peguambela bagi pihak Pempetisyen yang mempunyai alamat penyampaian di Unit No. D-5-7, Blok D, Tingkat 5, Megan Avenue 1, No. 189, Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur. Tel. No.: 03-2181 0358 Faks. No. : 03-2161 0109 E-mel:[email protected] No. Ruj.: ASK/A/L22.015/LIT/JF IN THE HIGH COURT OF MALAYA AT KUALA LUMPUR (COMMERCIAL DIVISION) COMPANIES WINDING UP NO: WA-28NCC-936-11/2022 In the matter of Section 466 (1) (a) of the Companies Act, 2016 And In the matter of Kelkatu Pintar Sdn Bhd (Company No: 201701037684(1251855-H)) And In the matter of Company Winding Up Rules 1972 Between ATLAS CSF SDN BHD (Company No: 199101014078 (224390-X)) …Petitioner And KELKATU PINTAR SDN BHD (Company No: 201701037684 1251855-H)) …Respondent ADVERTISEMENT OF PETITION Notice is hereby given that a Petition for the Winding-Up of the abovenamed company by the High Court was, on the 23rd day of November, 2022, presented by the said company and that the said petition is directed to be heard before the Court sitting at Kuala Lumpur High Court, Insolvency Court, Level 5, Left Wing, Kompleks Mahkamah Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Duta, 50592, Kuala Lumpur at 9.30 o’clock in forenoon, on the 5th day of July, 2023; and any creditor or contributory of the said company desiring to support or oppose the making of an order on the said Petition may appear at the time of hearing by himself or his counsel for that purpose; and a copy of the Petition will be furnished to any creditor or contributory of the said company requiring the same by the undersigned on payment of the regulated charge for the same. The Petitioner’s address is at CSF TelcoHub 1, 3552, Jalan Teknokrat 6, 63000 Cyberjaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan. The Petitioner’s solicitor is Messrs AMIR & RAJPAL GHAI of Suite 2012, Level 20, Plaza Pengkalan, Jalan Tiong off, Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, 51100, Kuala Lumpur. ......................................... Solicitors for the Petitioner Messrs AMIR & RAJPAL GHAI NOTE: Any person who intends to appear on the hearing of the said petition must serve on or send by post to the abovenamed Messrs AMIR & RAJPAL GHAI, notice in writing of his intention so to do. The notice must state the name and address of the person, or, if a firm, the name and address of the firm, and must be signed by the person or firm, or his or their solicitors (if any) and must be served, or, if posted, must be sent by post in sufficient time to reach the above-named not later than twelve o’clock noon of the day 4th July, 2023 (the day before the day appointed for the hearing of the petition) (Ref : ARG/CSF/L/307/2022/Rs) 322 Notices 322 Notices LOST CERTIFICATES The following Share Certificates have been reported lost or destroyed Certificate No Name No Of Share MCIS INSURANCE BHD 11890 SUBRAMANIAM A/L RAMAIYA 1 x 6500 10647 KALLIAMAL A/P SIVASAMY 1 X 5500 LAM SOON (M) BHD 800 CHEE CHEW SOO @ CHEE CHIU SOO 3 X 1000 36576 – 577 3641 KWANG SAY AIK KEE SDN BHD 1 X 1000 6315 NG KIM ONG 3 x 1000 34546 – 547 33870 – 871 WEE JOO 2 x 1000 22111 – 112 OH HONG KIAK 2 x 1000 14533 LEE FANG KAW @ LEE FONG KOW 3 x 1000 31295 – 296 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that if within fourteen (14) days from the date hereof, no claim or representation in respect of such certificates is made to the Directors, they will then proceed to issue replacement certificates and the original certificates will be deemed cancelled and void. REGISTRARS BOARDROOM SHARE REGISTRARS SDN (378993-D) Date: 19.01.2023 322 Notices IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF CHOOKS TO GO MALAYSIA SDN. BHD. 201501030552 (1155876-U) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding Up) NOTICE OF FINAL MEETING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to Section 459 of the Companies Act, 2016, the Final Meeting of the Company will be held at Suite I, 2nd Floor, Wisma Lister Garden, 123 Jalan Macalister, 10400 George Town, Pulau Pinang on Tuesday, 21 February, 2023 at 10.30 a.m. for the following purposes: 1. To receive and consider the Liquidators’ Statement of Accounts showing the manner in which the winding up has been conducted and of hearing any explanation that may be given by the Liquidators. 2. To resolve under Section 518(3)(b) of the Companies Act, 2016 the manner in which the books, accounts and documents of the Company and of the Liquidators shall be destroyed. 3. To approve and accept the resignation of the Liquidators in accordance with Section 513(3) of the Companies Act, 2016. Dated this 19th day of January, 2023 Nora Nurhidayah Binti Mohd Mustaffa Yeoh Hon Lin Liquidators IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF INNOVATIVE ENTERPRISE SDN. BHD. 199701000974 (416470-M) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding Up) NOTICE OF FINAL MEETING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to Section 459 of the Companies Act, 2016, the Final Meeting of the Company will be held at Suite I, 2nd Floor, Wisma Lister Garden, 123 Jalan Macalister, 10400 George Town, Pulau Pinang on Tuesday, 21 February 2023 at 10.00 a.m. for the following purposes: 1. To receive and consider the Liquidators’ Statement of Accounts showing the manner in which the winding up has been conducted and of hearing any explanation that may be given by the Liquidators. 2. To resolve under Section 518(3)(b) of the Companies Act, 2016 the manner in which the books, accounts and documents of the Company and of the Liquidators shall be destroyed. 3. To approve and accept the resignation of the Liquidators in accordance with Section 513(3) of the Companies Act, 2016. Dated this 19th day of January, 2023 Lam Sook Chan Yeoh Hon Lin Liquidators IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF KTS MEDIA SDN. BHD. (COMPANY NO.: 201001039295 [923219-A]) (IN MEMBERS’ VOLUNTARY WINDING-UP) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT pursuant to Section 459 of the Companies Act, 2016, the FINAL MEETING of the members of the above Company will be held at Lot 515, Block A, Kelana Business Centre, No. 97, Jalan SS7/2, Kelana Jaya, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor on Wednesday, 22nd February, 2023 at 3.30p.m. for the following purposes:- [1] To have an account laid before the members, showing the manner in which the winding-up has been conducted and the property of the Company has been disposed of and to hear any explanation that may be given by the Liquidator. [2] To pass a resolution pursuant to Section 518(3)(b) that the Liquidator be directed to destroy all the books and papers of the Company and of the Liquidator after the expiration of three (3) months from the date of the Final Meeting. [3] To accept the resignation of LIM KOK HENG as the Liquidator of the Company with effect from the conclusion of the Final Meeting of the Company. LIM KOK HENG Liquidator Petaling Jaya. Date: 19th January, 2023 NOTE: A member of the Company shall be entitled to appoint another person as his proxy to exercise all or any of his rights to attend, participate, speak and vote on his behalf. A member may appoint more than one proxy provided that the member specifies the proportion of the member’s shareholdings to be represented by each proxy. The instrument appointing a proxy must be deposited at Lot 515, Block A, Kelana Business Centre, No. 97, Jalan SS7/2, Kelana Jaya, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor not less than 48 hours before the time set for holding the meeting. 322 Notices 322 Notices LIV GOLF is close to completing a television rights agreement with The CW, Golf.com reported on Tuesday. The Saudi-funded circuit was without a US television deal in its initial season in 2022, streaming events on its website and on YouTube. As a result, the breakaway league struggled to reach mainstream audiences. The deal with The CW would be unorthodox primarily because the network would be new to the sports world, a break from its typically teen-skewing lineup of dramas. LIV CEO Greg Norman told Golf.com last week regarding the importance of a television deal, “It’s crucial. We have a great platform that really should be shown to the world. “When we go internationally, we are applauded and accepted and everybody wants to see us. So here in the United States, it was obviously a very critical point to our business plan to make sure we do get on TV and we will get on TV.” Norman, the front man of LIV Golf when it launched, helped the new circuit bring in such players as Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson, Cameron Smith, Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood. After an eight-event opening season, LIV is looking to hold 14 tournaments this year, beginning with an event in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, from Feb. 24-26. The CW has 220 affiliate stations in the United States. The network was recently purchased by Nexstar Media Group, with previous owners Paramount Global and Warner Bros retaining minority stakes. LIV nearing TV rights deal with CW Greg Norman.

22 theSUN ON THURSDAY | JANUARY 19, 2023 SPORTS 5583/2023 18/01/2023 (WED) 2845 6022 0528 3843 6487 0806 0749 8427 5480 0041 1327 3005 7013 2598 4618 2305 9369 0700 3562 2681 7526 8479 1284 4,965,761.46 2845 2845 2845 0528 0528 6022 0528 0528 6022 6022 2845 6022 482,253.78 2845 6022 0528 DRAGON 99496 48220 8220 220 22792 2 0 1 6 910316 10316 0316 316 91031 9103 910 9 1 7,388,314.04 1,545,192.08 13 29 31 39 40 41 190,315.70 10 16 21 22 40 45 6 8 26 38 39 45 19 26,767,748.44 RM204,057 Toto 4D Jackpot 2 (i-System) won on 15/01/2023 ! 272 027 +DRAGON 083 339 + DOG 302 630 + GOAT Draw Date: 18/01/23 (Wed) Draw No: 5530/23 Venue: PERAK TURF CLUB 2027 3339 2630 0001 + 4990 9462 + 5269 0673 + 7022 5273 + 9857 0791 + 9002 2826 + 4630 4954 + 1456 2578 + 7579 2447 + 9193 4363 + 7327 RM11,038,334.10 2027 + 3339 3339 + 2027 2027 + 2630 2630 + 2027 3339 + 2630 2630 + 3339 RM383,035.50 RM2,056,002.90 RM931,666.60 RM2,115,972.10 720 001 014 990 089 462 765 269 890 673 247 022 175 273 879 857 630 791 019 002 752 826 364 630 384 954 321 456 732 578 357 579 032 447 699 193 064 363 837 327 027 339 630 RM761,296.60 027 + 339 + 630 339 + 630 + 027 027 + 630 + 339 630 + 027 + 339 339 + 027 + 630 630 + 339 + 027 HSSB 1+3DJP1 RM242,686&HSSB 1+3DJP2 RM215,728 won on 15/1/23 Nadal crashes out R Spaniard ‘mentally destroyed’ as Australian Open defence ends in injury AFAEL NADAL admitted he felt “mentally destroyed” after the defence of his Australian Open title ended in injury and defeat by American Mackenzie McDonald in the second round yesterday. The top seed was already in trouble at a set and a break down to unseeded McDonald when he crouched down in obvious pain clutching his left hip after chasing out wide for a forehand. Nadal called for the trainer after limping through the rest of the game and headed off court for treatment. A retirement seemed on the cards, with the Spaniard’s wife Maria crying in the stands, but he opted to continue despite his movement clearly being impeded. Nadal managed to hold his serve until the 11th game, roared on by fans still believing he could somehow turn things around, but it was a case of when, not if, McDonald would find a way through and he finished off a 6-4 6-4 7-5 victory. Nadal revealed he had come into the match with an issue in his hip that then became significantly worse. He said: “It has been a couple of days like this, but nothing like today in that movement. “We’re going to start talking about that now, but I don’t know what’s going on, if it’s muscle, if it’s joint. “I have history in the hip. I had to do treatments in the past, address it a little (but there) was not this amount of problem. Now I feel I cannot move. “I tried until the end. I don’t know if in good conditions I will win the match, I will have better chances without a doubt. But at the end, that’s it. I just tried. It was not possible.” It was a hugely sad way for Nadal to exit the tournament a year after his near-miraculous run to the title when he feared his career may have been over because of a chronic foot problem, and there must be serious doubt over whether he will play again at Melbourne Park. T h e 36-yearold said: “I don’t need to talk and explain the feelings. It was not the right moment to have something like this now. “At the end, you need to keep going. Sometimes it’s frustrating. Sometimes it’s difficult to accept. Sometimes you feel super tired about all this stuff in terms of injuries. “In the end, I can’t complain about my life at all. Just in terms of sports and in terms of injuries and tough moments, that’s another one. I just can’t say that I am not destroyed mentally at this time, because I will be lying. “Hopefully it’s nothing too bad. In the end it has been three positive weeks in terms of practice. So I really hope that this doesn’t put me out of the court for a long time, because then it’s tough to make all the recovery again. “I went through this process too many times in my career and I am ready to keep doing it, I think, but that’s not easy, without a doubt.” – The Independent Gauff outshines Raducanu COCO GAUFF battled past Emma Raducanu 6-3, 7-6(4) yesterday to reach the third round of the Australian Open, but not before the two prodigies offered fans a good glimpse of what the future of women’s tennis could look like after an absorbing first clash. Having returned from an ankle injury suffered in a warm-up event in Auckland, Raducanu was troubled by an abs problem after being broken at 2-1 and Gauff pounced, before fending off a late fightback by the 2021 Flushing Meadows champion to prevail. “I just told myself to hang in there,” Gauff said in her on-court interview. “Emma was playing really good tennis towards the end of the match and the whole match was great. “In the beginning we both started off rocky but I think the match was good quality for the most part. Considering the circumstances, both of us were nervous. “This was a long anticipated match since the draw came out so I’m glad the match was good for you guys.” Medvedev keeps dreams alive AN irrepressible Daniil Medvedev overcame a partisan crown and tough veteran John Millman to march a step closer towards a third consecutive Australian Open final yesterday. The Russian seventh seed battled past the Australian wildcard entry 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 on Margaret Court Arena. “It was a great match. Even the score in the second and third sets doesn’t reflect everything that went on the court,” said the Russian. “He managed to break me three times in the first set, which doesn’t happen very often. I’m a bit disappointed in myself, but he played amazing.” “Physically for both of us it was tough, but I felt amazing,” said Medvedev. Sakkari silences Shnaider MARIA SAKKARI took umbrage with opponent Diana Shnaider’s vocal celebrations after winning points at the Australian Open yesterday but silenced the teenage qualifier with a fingerwagging rant on the way to a comeback 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 win. World No. 106 Shnaider, wearing a black and white polka dot kerchief, made a habit of roaring in Sakkari’s direction and throwing her icy stares, and it got too much for the Greek sixth seed at 5-5 in the second set at Margaret Court Arena. After a wry grin, Sakkari grew serious and walked toward the chair umpire holding up a finger, saying: “If she screams one more time in my face… No, no, no, no. “One more time… She’s coming towards me. One more time and I’m going to speak to the referee.” Taking charge of the situation appeared to work for Sakkari, who duly broke the 18-year-old Russian to take the set, then locked down the match to reach the third round. “During a match you can be very pumped or, you know, the way that some players celebrate their points, it’s not appropriate,” Sakkari later told reporters. “I wasn’t happy with that. But, you know, she never did it again. That was very nice of her.” █ ELEANOR CROOKS Rafael Nadal in action during his first round match against Jack Draper (not in picture). – REUTERSPIX SHORTS

23 * SPORTS theSUN ON THURSDAY | JANUARY 19, 2023 Fired-up Gunners Arsenal on pace to beat ‘Invincibles’ Premier League record ARSENAL’S win over Tottenham took them to their biggest Premier League lead since they last won the title and their highest points total at this stage of a season. With 47 points from 18 games, Mikel Arteta’s side lead second-placed Manchester City by eight points. Arsenal’s previous best record at this stage was 14 wins, two draws and two defeats on their way to the First Division title in 1932-33, which would be worth 44 points when converted to the modern three points for a win system. Arteta’s side are three points better off than that after 15 wins, draws with Southampton and Newcastle and a solitary loss to Manchester United. Arsenal’s last League title came in 2003-04 and while Arsene Wenger’s “Invincibles” were, by definition, unbeaten at this stage, draws with Portsmouth, Manchester United, Charlton, Fulham, Leicester and Bolton had Wenger’s side on 42 points after 18 games. They went on to finish with 90 and win the title by 11 points, with their current eight-point lead being their biggest advantage since then. They were one point better off at this stage in 2007-08 than they were in 2003-04, after 13 wins, four draws and a defeat to Middlesbrough, but they went on to finish third. Converting all historic seasons to three points for a win, Arsenal have eight seasons with 40 or more points through 18 games. Those campaigns brought them five League titles as well as a promotion, in 1903-04 as Second Division runners-up. The Gunners’ imperious form sees them ahead of back-to-back champions Manchester City’s points tally at this stage in each of the last two seasons. Pep Guardiola’s side had 44 points through 18 games last season and 38 the previous year, before finishing the respective campaigns top of the pile on 93 and 86. The three seasons prior to that saw the highest final points totals in Premier League history as City and Liverpool battled for top honours, with record pace at this stage of the season too. City won 17 of their first 18 games in 2017-18, taking 52 points out of a possible 54, and went on to record the only 100-point Premier League campaign to date. Liverpool matched that start two years later before winning the title with 99 points. Arsenal are ahead of City’s 44 points from the 2018-19 season – though Jurgen Klopp’s Reds had 48 at that stage, eventually finishing on 97 to City’s 98. The “Invincibles” aside, Arsenal’s other two previous titles in the Premier League era came after they had 33 at this stage in 2001-02 and 30 in 1997-98 – the latter leaving them sixth in the table at Christmas before a run of 18 games unbeaten, and 10 straight wins from March 11 to May 3, carried them to the trophy. – The Independent Weghorst ‘hungry’ to deliver for Devils MANCHESTER UNITED new boy Wout Weghorst feels like he has unfinished business in the Premier League and is determined to help bring success to Erik ten Hag’s side this season. The Old Trafford giants have impressed this term but looked light up top even before Cristiano Ronaldo’s dramatic exit last month. United’s January move for Weghorst surprised the Netherlands striker as much as onlookers, with the 30-year-old saying it was “special moment” to find out about the interest from his agent. The towering frontman had been on loan at Besiktas from Burnley, but a deal was struck last week that saw him instead switch from the Championship leaders to Ten Hag’s team for the remainder of the season. “Yeah, really (looking forward to being back in the Premier League),” Weghorst, who joined the Clarets from Wolfsburg for £12 million (RM64m) last January, told United club media. “For me, it was not done, it was not finished. It didn’t work out the first time as I hoped and I’m really hungry to show myself, to help the team. Of course, we are on a really good track now. “The last couple of weeks, months actually, it’s going really positive here and I just want to contribute and give my best and give my all for the club and I try to be a part of the successful (direction) we are going. “I also already have experience in the Premier League – that was not as successful as I hoped – and I am really waiting and looking forward to getting back here because, in my opinion, it is still the biggest competition in the world and now I’m going to play for one of the biggest clubs in England. “For me, (to play for) the biggest club is, of course, amazing, and as I’ve always said as a football player, and also as a human being, the stage I am at now, the (experience) that I have, I am ready for it. “This is the right moment to take on this great challenge, of course.” – The Independent Ronaldo-Messi renew rivalry in Riyadh A new chapter in the celebrated rivalry between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will unfurl tomorrow (1am Malaysian time) when they meet in an exhibition match as the Portugal forward gears up for his first game in Saudi Arabia since joining Al Nassr. After a glittering career in Europe that saw him win four Champions League titles with Real Madrid and two Scudettos at Juventus, Ronaldo signed for Al Nassr, describing it as the “right moment” to share his experience in Asia. The Saudi club is the latest stop in Ronaldo’s career that began in 2002 at Sporting CP before the forward spent two spells at Manchester United, the last of which ended on a bitter note as he exited following his acrimonious split with the club. Ronaldo and Messi, who have dominated football’s debate about the greatest of all time (GOAT) for the best part of 10 years, will face off on the pitch tomorrow for the first time since December 2020 when Juventus beat Barcelona 3-0. Ronaldo will lead Riyadh ST XI, a team made up of players from Al Hilal and Al Nassr, against Messi’s Paris St Germain in the exhibition contest where nothing is at stake, but fans are still excited by the prospect of watching the two stars clash. The highly anticipated showdown, which will take place at the King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh, reportedly had more than two million online ticket requests. The bidding for a VIP “Beyond Imagination” ticket to the match has already topped US$2.66 million (RM11.5m) in an auction that is set to end yesterday. While Friday’s friendly will be Ronaldo’s first in Saudi Arabia, the 37-year-old’s first competitive appearance will come in the Saudi Pro League on Sunday when Al Nassr host Al Ettifaq. The exhibition game will also feature other key PSG players such as Kylian Mbappe, Sergio Ramos and Neymar, while Saudi internationals Salem Al-Dawsari, who scored in the shock group-stage win over Argentina, and Saud Abdulhamid will play too. French newspaper L’Equipe reported on Monday that PSG will earn just over €10 million (RM47m) for the game. – Reuters █ TOM WHITE █ SIMON PEACH Birmingham avoid upset as Bristol snatch late win BIRMINGHAM CITY produced a second-half comeback to avoid an FA Cup upset with a 2-1 win at Forest Green Rovers. On a night of third-round replays, the match saw both sides going at it for the first time – after their initial attempt to play the game 10 days ago was scuppered by a frozen pitch. Goals from Lukas Jutkiewicz and Kevin Long ultimately sent the Championship Blues through after Rovers, currently bottom of League One, had gone ahead through Ben Stevenson’s stunning effort. Birmingham now face a trip to Blackburn in the fourth round as reward for their efforts in Nailsworth. Elsewhere, Sam Bell scored a superb winner nine minutes from the end of extra-time to carry Bristol City to a 2-1 win at Swansea City. The teams shared a 1-1 draw in their first encounter and could not be split over another 90 minutes as Mark Sykes’s opener for the Robins was cancelled out by Swans substitute Ollie Cooper. But Bell cut in from the left in extra-time and fired past Andy Fisher in the Swansea goal to settle the replay and reward his club with a home tie against West Bromwich Albion in an allChampionship clash. The Baggies ruthlessly exposed the 70-place gap between themselves and National League Chesterfield to prevail 4-0 at The Hawthorns. It was a 10th win in 12 games in all competitions for Carlos Corberan’s in-form side. Elijah Adebayo scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner as Luton Town defeated Wigan Athletic 2-1. – The Independent ENGLISH FA CUP 3RD ROUND/REPLAYS: Forest Green 1 Birmingham 2, Swansea 1 Bristol City 2 aet, Wigan 1 Luton 2, Wolves 0 Liverpool 1, West Brom 4 Chesterfield 0. COPA DEL REY LAST 16: Real Sociedad 1 Mallorca 0, Alaves 0 Sevilla 1. ITALIAN CUP LAST 16: Napoli 2 Cremonese 2 aet (Cremonese win 5-4 on pen). RESULTS Weghorst. – REUTERSPIX

theSun is published and printed by Sun Media Corporation Sdn Bhd (221220-K) of Lot 6, Jalan 51/217, 46050 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Tel: 03-7784 6688 Fax: 03-7783 7435 • Tel (Editorial): 03-7784 6688 Fax: 03-7785 2624/5 Email: [email protected] • Tel (Advertising): 03-7784 8888 Fax: 03-7784 4424 Email: [email protected] I also already have experience in the Premier League… and I am really waiting and looking forward to getting back here because it is still the biggest competition in the world and now I’m going to play for one of the biggest clubs in England. Wout Weghorst on joining Manchester United QUOTE OF THE DAY THURSDAY • JANUARY 19, 2023 Right response Klopp impressed by Liverpool reaction in Wolves FA Cup win BOSS Jurgen Klopp hailed Liverpool’s powers of recovery after they edged past Wolves in the FA Cup. Harvey Elliott’s first-half stunner booked a fourth-round trip to Brighton as the holders kept their defence alive with a 1-0 win. The Reds were demolished 3-0 at the Amex in the Premier League on Saturday – with Klopp calling it the worst performance of his managerial career – but believes his side responded at Molineux. “Everybody got that reaction, it was the reaction we needed to show,” he said after the third-round replay. “The game was completely different to last time. I’m really happy with that. All the individual performances were good. “It was good and I said to the boys after the game that’s how it feels when you play well and win. That’s why we are quite happy. “It was a good game, we only get into the next round but we wanted to go to the next round, it was an important sign that these things are possible. “There’s a massive game coming up at the weekend (Sat 8.30pm Malaysian time against Chelsea), if we had played another game like the last one I’m not sure what people would have thought before they arrived at the stadium. “We were compact, together and we had good challenges. We played really good football and scored an exceptional goal. “Harvey saw something not a lot of people have seen. I wouldn’t have expected a shot in that moment.” When asked if the performance was more typical of his Liverpool’s sides. Klopp said: “Yeah from the passion we showed, yes. “But it’s my job to help the boys, to find a formation where they feel good in the first place and where they can fight the challenges. “And of course on the pitch the boys have to make it with intensity and stuff like this. “Stefan Bajcetic and the whole midfield was really compact with the front three and the midfield three so it was difficult for Wolves to find the key players like (Ruben) Neves and (Joao) Moutinho. I liked the game a lot.” Following a brief floodlight failure in the opening seconds, Liverpool settled and Elliott won it after 13 minutes. Rayan Ait-Nouri’s shot had been blocked and the visitors quickly moved up the pitch, with Thiago Alcantara finding Elliott inside his own half. The England U-21 star ran unopposed before catching Jose Sa out of position and beat the scrambling goalkeeper from 25 yards. Fabio Carvalho had a goal chalked off for offside and Cody Gakpo drilled over as L i v e r p o o l comfortably made it to half-time. W o l v e s emerged from the break reenergised, with Matheus Nunes and Nelson Semedo the reinforcements from the bench, and they pushed Liverpool back. Yet for all their efforts, Wolves still struggled to create many meaningful openings – Liverpool’s organisation and determination earning them credit – and Adama Traore ballooned over from 18 yards. Klopp’s men stood firm and Matheus Cunha volleyed over before his stoppage-time header was gathered by goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher either side of Curtis Jones going close to a second. “We’re sad and frustrated for not continuing in the Cup. Looking at the two matches (including a 2-2 draw in the initial game) we deserved more, but this is football,” said Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui. “In this match it was a pity because we suffered a strange goal in the first half. We started well, after the goal we suffered emotionally, and we were out of the match until half-time. “I wasn’t happy and we changed some things. Unfortunately for us we didn’t score. We had a big ambition to continue in the Cup and now we have to put the focus 100% in the Premier League. “I hate losing and we lost so I’m sad. There’s no positive to be out of the Cup, never.” – The Independent/Express Newspapers ANTONIO CONTE has questioned the lack of interaction between senior figures at Premier League clubs and the media which he believes leaves managers under pressure to speak on different issues. The Tottenham Hotspur head coach is coming under increasing scrutiny following a string of poor performances which culminated in a 2-0 home defeat to north London rivals Arsenal on Sunday. The loss leaves Spurs fifth in the table, five points off the Champions League places and 14 adrift of the Gunners, who sit at the summit. Things do not get much easier for Conte and his players, who face a trip to reigning champions Manchester City on tomorrow (4am Malaysian time). Speaking at his press conference to preview the game at the Etihad Stadium, Conte repeatedly claimed he was answering similar questions he has fielded previously. When asked if it would help if other senior figures from the club spoke out on issues, the Italian replied: “In England, there is a bad habit that there is only the coach to speak and to explain. “I have never seen the medical department come here to explain why this player is having difficulty to recover. “It’s the same also, I have never seen the club or sporting director come here to explain the strategy and vision of the club. “In Italy for example, before every game there is a person from the club who has to go before the media and answer every question. “For us (managers), it could be really, really better. Because otherwise, every time there is only one face to explain a situation which I think is better for the club to explain. But this is a habit and I respect this habit. “In Italy, it’s different, the person from the club during the gameweek speaks and explains many situations. If only the coach speaks there are sometimes misunderstandings. “I think it would be good to have the club present in the media and to speak. Not every week but at least every 15 days or once a month. “In this way it could also be more simple for the media to understand the situation. And not only have one face and always the same face. “Believe me it’s difficult because everything I tell you could be a criticism or negative, and this is not the truth.” Spurs supporters have criticised the board and chairman Daniel Levy in recent times, with those frustrations boiling over again in the past few weeks. While Levy rarely speaks on the record, Conte said he had no plans to ask the club to instigate his suggested changes to media access. “I am not going to ask anything (of the club),” he said. “This type of situation is good for every club – ‘don’t go into the media’. “In this type of situation, it’s a risk to speak always to explain this type of situation. The coach has to stay silent and accept the situation.” Conte had earlier taken umbrage to a question surrounding fit-again Richarlison putting pressure on Son Heung-min to improve his performance levels. “About this topic, before you (the media) said to me ‘maybe Richarlison is pushing Son and Son is not performing well’, if I don’t remember wrongly,” he said. “Now you’re telling me exactly the opposite. (Laughs) I want to stay here to ask every question but sometimes I also have questions that are completely the opposite that you asked me some time ago.” Spurs won 3-2 at Manchester City last season but Conte admits it will be “difficult” to replicate the result against the team he considers to be unmatched. “You know when you’re playing against I think the best team in the world at the moment it will be very difficult… you need also to be a bit lucky to get a good result.” – The Independent Conte questions ‘bad habit’ ahead of City clash █ MARK MANN-BRYANS Liverpool keeper Caoimhin Kelleher catches the ball during yesterday’s FA Cup third round match against Wolves. – AFPPIX