THE STAR 14 SEPTEMBER 2021

Nation Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021 • PP19652/12/2020 (035234) (No. 22643) RM1.60 • 1300-88-7827 (Customer Service)

When schools
reopen again ...

Adhere to the SOP and
virus can be prevented
from spreading among
students, say experts.
>4

A political milestone

It’s a victory for the rakyat, the King says of the bipartisan cooperation between the government and the
Opposition to help the country overcome various challenges. While the Prime Minister says their agreement stays
true to the Malaysian Family spirit, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong calls it historic and a nod to
democracy. > See reports by MARTIN CARVALHO, RAHIMY RAHIM, TARRENCE TAN, ALLISON LAI
and RASHVINJEET S. BEDI on pages 2 & 6
Bernama

2 Nation THE STAR, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021

Reports by MARTIN CARVALHO, RAHIMY RAHIM, TARRENCE TAN, ALLISON LAI and RASHVINJEET S. BEDI

Royal nod for new approach
King: bipartisanship has potential to shape a new political landscape

PETALING JAYA: The prospect of a new His Majesty noted that he received hun- its administration,” he added. Positive outlook:
political landscape from a bipartisan admin- dreds of letters from the rakyat, sharing their The King also noted he was satisfied that sultan abdullah in his
istration and consensus approach between grief and hoping for change so that they could royal address to
the government and Opposition has got the get on with their lives. Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had secured assembled lawmakers
King’s approval. the majority support of 114 lawmakers in in parliament.
He urged the new government to intensify accordance with the Federal Constitution, — bernama
Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah its effort to fight the pandemic. with regards to his appointment as the ninth
Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah advised Prime Minister. under the government led by Ismail Sabri.
all parties to practise democracy by consen- “I believe this government will be able to Based on the calendar of the Dewan Rakyat
sus so as to find solutions to whatever prob- deliver early achievements within 100 days of This parliamentary session is the first
lems the country faced. meeting, this session will be for 17 days until
Oct 12.
“In this respect, I welcome the govern-
ment’s move to give others an opportunity, Watch the video
including MPs, to participate in the adminis-
tration of the nation,” he said in his Royal TheStarTV.com
Address when opening the first meeting of the
fourth session of the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

“I also welcome and appreciate the cooper-
ation through a bipartisan approach which
has the potential to shape a new political
landscape for the nation.”

His Majesty noted that such a mature
approach was what the rakyat desired.

“Where those who win, do not win
everything and those who lose, do not lose all.

“It is only though unity, consensus and
togetherness as a Malaysian Family can we be
able to overcome challenges and trials that
come our way,” he said.

The King also advised all MPs not to gamble
away the nation’s future and that of the peo-
ple to achieve specific agendas.

Lawmakers laud King’s speech, call for consensus

PETALING JAYA: Lawmakers from both can work together,” he said. then they should support the MoU,” he added. other halfway in achieving stability and
sides of the political divide greeted the Yang Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said the question of Lukanisman Awang Sauni (GPS-Sibuti) said reforms,” he added.
di-Pertuan Agong’s call for political consensus
and cooperation with enthusiasm. tabling a vote of confidence in Parliament the bipartisan cooperation should also focus Petaling Jaya PKR MP Maria Chin Abdullah
was no longer relevant following the King’s on equal funding for the respective service described the King’s call as a good guide
Datuk Mohamad Alamin praised the King speech. centres so that all the MPs could give the best towards political cooperation between the
who had called for a bipartisan cooperation service to their constituents. government and Opposition.
among lawmakers. “Because if it goes through and the
Opposition continues to demand for it, then He said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail She said that the offers of reforms should
“This will be a new political landscape for they are not heeding the King’s call,” the Sabri Yaakob had also offered proposals to extend beyond parliamentary and include
the country,” said the Kimanis Umno MP. Padang Rengas MP said. transform Parliament based on the King’s issues affecting health, education and the
advice and that this would require the coop- economy.
“We can now sit together and discuss ways Nazri said lawmakers should also support eration of all parties involved.
to find solutions to the problems faced by the the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang said the cooper-
country including the health and economic signed between the government and the “I hope that the transformation can be ation should concentrate on fighting the
crisis,” he said. Opposition. implemented smoothly,” he said. Covid-19 pandemic for the next 10 to 18
months.
“That is the message the King conveyed and “It is in line with the King’s speech. It is Bayan Baru PKR MP Sim Tze Tzin said the
we need to find ways to realise this aspira- right, because we are fighting Covid-19 and in King wanted political stability with focus on “There should be institutional and parlia-
tion. the process of trying to recover our economy,” the rakyat’s well-being. mentary reforms so that the country can
he said. embark on economic and social recovery to
“I am confident the government and the “Through consensus, both the government save lives and livelihoods,” he said.
opposition bloc will find a point so that they “If all MPs are concerned about the rakyat, and Opposition will now be able meet each

WEATHER PRAYER TIMES

GEORGE TOWN K. LUMPUR JOHOR BARU KOTA BARU K. KINABALU KUCHING ALOR SETAR PENANG K. LUMPUR JOHOR BARU KUANTAN KOTA BARU
Subuh 6:01 Subuh 6:02 Subuh 5:58 Subuh 5:49 Subuh 5:54
No rain No rain No rain Rain Rain Zohor 1:16 Zohor 1:16 Zohor 1:12 Zohor 1:03 Subuh 5:52 Zohor 1:09
No rain Asar 4:21 Asar 4:20 Asar 4:12 Asar 4:05 Asar 4:14
AM Thunderstorms Thunderstorms Maghrib 7:20 Maghrib 7:20 Maghrib 7:15 Maghrib 7:06 Zohor 1:06 Maghrib 7:13
Isyak 8:29 Isyak 8:29 Isyak 8:24 Isyak 8:14 Isyak 8:18
Asar 4:06

PM No rain Thunderstorms Thunderstorms Thunderstorms Maghrib 7:09

Isyak 8:18

THE STAR, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021 Nation 3

King pays tribute Our watch is not over
to national King: m’sians cannot be complacent in fight against Covid-19
athletes
and frontliners KUALA LUMPUR: Despite the success of the nity is achieved,” Sultan Abdullah said. total trade was worth RM1 trillion in the first
National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, His Majesty also reminded the government half of this year and investments in all sectors
KUALA LUMPUR: The success of our nation- Malaysians cannot be complacent in the fight of the economy increased by nearly 70%.
al athletes at the Tokyo Olympic Games and against Covid-19, says Yang di-Pertuan Agong to review policies on visa approval and entry
Paralympic Games as well as Covid-19 front- Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa permits for foreigners to control the spread of “This clearly gives a positive image that
liners received high praise from the King at Billah Shah. new Covid-19 variants. Malaysia is a very competitive country, busi-
the Dewan Rakyat. ness-friendly and also a strategic location for
The King said the battle must go on and the “Also, border controls need to be tightened domestic and international investors,” he
To record the country’s appreciation, Yang new government must work hard and make to stop illegal immigrants,” he added. added.
di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah sure herd immunity is achieved.
Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah asked all The King also said the “whole-of-society The King said he is also grateful the gross
MPs to rise and applaud the contributions of In his Royal Address at the first meeting of effort” needs to be ramped up with effective domestic product (GDP) for the second quar-
these athletes and frontliners. the fourth session of the 14th Parliament yes- communication narratives to make things ter of this year increased by 16.1% and
terday, the King said he was pleased with work. praised the government’s plans to gradually
“On this occasion, I would like to record my government efforts against the pandemic and reopen the economy.
appreciation and congratulate all our athletes in alleviating its socio-economic impact on He said he welcomes the government’s
for their success at the Tokyo Olympics and Malaysians. effort in promoting the Malaysia Sihat The King noted the role of government aid,
Paralympic Games, and who had struggled to (Healthy Malaysia) national agenda by edu- adding that cash handouts had benefited 10
bring a good name to our country based on These efforts, he said, were reflected in cating everyone in the Malaysian Family to million recipients from the B40 and M40
the prayers and support from all Malaysians,” Malaysia’s high recovery and quick vaccina- coexist with the virus. groups in the second half of 2021.
he said. tion rates, besides the majority of new cases
being in Categories 1 and 2 (asymptomatic/ “With us accepting Covid-19 as endemic “For businesses under the Pemulih pack-
“Let us continue to mild symptoms). where it will be part of our lives, we also need age, the special Prihatin grant worth RM1,000
support and express to realise how dangerous it is, especially with will be paid to more than one million micro,
our highest gratitude “Right now, almost 75% of workers in the the new variants and possibly newer ones in small and medium enterprise owners.
to all the frontliners.” manufacturing sector registered with the the future.
industry vaccination programme have been “To ensure business continuity, Pemulih
yang di-pertuan agong al-sultan fully vaccinated. “Everyone must stay vigilant to take care of has also prepared wage subsidy schemes for
abdullah ri’ayatuddin al-mustafa their well-being and be disciplined in adher- four additional months, worth almost RM4bil,
billah shah “This has helped to increase productivity in ing to the standard operating procedure at all that will benefit more than 200,000 employ-
factories and the manufacturing sector. times. ers,” he added.

“But despite these successes, let’s not let our “More importantly, the people must make Although the economy has been battered
guard down and feel complacent. We have to sure they get vaccinated,” he added. by the Covid-19 pandemic, the King said he is
continue with our efforts, especially with the optimistic it will show signs of recovery once
emergence of new virus variants. Earlier, before the start of his speech, the more people are vaccinated.
King also remembered Malaysians who have
“The government must work hard to bring died from Covid-19 and called on members of “This will also give stakeholders and inves-
down the daily cases and ensure herd immu- the Dewan Rakyat to recite the al-Fatihah. tors more confidence,” he added.

Meanwhile, the King noted that Malaysia’s

At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Malaysia won Meeting
a silver medal through national cycling cham- of minds
pion Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang in the
keirin event while Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi defence minister
Yik bagged a bronze medal in the men’s dou- datuk seri
bles in badminton. Hishammuddin
Hussein (second
As for the Paralympics, Malaysia won three from right) and
gold medals through Abdul Latif Romly in the Finance minister
men’s T20 long jump, Cheah Liek Hou in the Tengku datuk seri
SU5 men’s singles badminton and Bonnie Zafrul Tengku
Bunyau Gustin in powerlifting. abdul aziz (right)
attending the
His Majesty also thanked civil servants, the opening ceremony of
Armed Forces and the police along with other the fourth session of
government agencies which continued to the 14th parliament.
provide services to make Malaysia a safe, — bernama
respected and prosperous country.

“While the country is facing the Covid-19
pandemic, the frontliners especially those in
healthcare services, continued to work hard
with dedication. Let us continue to support
and express our highest gratitude to all the
frontliners and those in the critical sectors for
their services,” added the King.

4 Nation THE STAR, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021

Experts: School SOP sufficient
Observe rules to ensure a conducive environment, all stakeholders told

By ASHLEY TANG face classes would resume next “As we are opening schools right type of vaccine. face masks, practising physical dis-
and REBECCA RAJAENDRAM month under tightened SOP. now, I think we are taking chances,” Malaysian Public Health tancing and hand hygiene must be
newsdesk@thestar.com.my he said. maintained, particularly when we
PETALING JAYA: The standard Among others, only 50% of the Physicians’ Association president are outdoors or meet someone who
operating procedure (SOP) for school’s enrolment is allowed to be Dr Sazaly believes that emphasis Datuk Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar said is not from the same household,”
schools when they reopen next present at the school at any one should continue to be given on the SOP was good and practical. she said.
month is comprehensive, and all time, mandatory wearing of face hybrid learning as that is the future.
stakeholders must adhere to it to mask, Covid-19 self-test to be con- However, former National Union “With the threat of new variants
prevent any spread of the virus, say ducted if a student has symptoms, “We should improve on online of Teaching Profession (NUTP) sec- such as Mu and Lambda, the coun-
health experts. and students to be seated one table distance learning (ODL); how the retary-general Datuk N. Siva try is going to continuously face
apart. content should be delivered; and Subramaniam said the SOP for challenges linked to possible new
Universiti Putra Malaysia medi- how students can get the best edu- schools was confusing. variants.
cal epidemiologist Assoc Prof Dr Universiti Malaya virologist Prof cation through ODL,” he said.
Malina Osman said the SOP looked Dr Sazaly Abu Bakar urged all par- “Parents must understand the “Undoubtedly, this is inevitable
“very comprehensive”. ties to remain vigilant. Physical education and social risk they are taking if they choose to but we can always avoid it through
activities for students could still send their children to school,” he proper preventive measures such
But for it to be effective, she said He cited the situation in the continue on the side, he added. said. as adhering to the SOP vigilantly. If
it needed the cooperation from United States and Scotland where we adhere to the SOP, transmission
everyone. cases went up after schools reo- Dr Sazaly is not in favour of vac- He said ministry officials should can be stopped, therefore prevent-
pened. cinating school children as there is go to the ground and check if the ing further spread,” she said.
“We need commitment from all – “no basis to suggest that vaccination SOP was doable and effective.
teachers, students, parents, staff However, he also noted that will limit the number of people get- Dr Sazaly points out that it is cur-
and communities – to ensure the reports showed that deaths among ting infected”. “The ministry should be recep- rently still unknown if immunisa-
school environment is safe and children were rare. tive and proactive with the situa- tion can protect against the Mu and
healthy. “When you take the vaccine, it is tion, especially since they are deal- Lambda variants.
“It looks like children are less to limit the number of people devel- ing with children,” he said.
“If all parties are committed and vulnerable to severe infection and oping severe disease. So, vaccina- As Malaysia prepares to transi-
fully adhere to the SOP and instruc- they are using that as a logic to open tion is not going to reduce the num- Meanwhile, as more economic tion from the Covid-19 pandemic to
tions, we should have a conducive up schools, but at the same time, we ber of infections. sectors reopen and people go about the endemic phase, Dr Sazaly said
environment for schools to reopen,” do not know whether there is any their daily lives once again, Dr this basically means that everyone
she said. bearing if the variants are different. “I am not against the vaccination Malina urged the public to remain would eventually be infected.
In our country, it is mainly the Delta of children but I am against man- cautious.
On Sunday, Education Minister variant and when it spreads does it datory vaccination,” he said, add- He also spoke about those who
Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin said face-to- have a bigger impact? We do not ing that parents should be given “As we know, protection against remain vulnerable regardless if
know. the option whether they want to infection is not 100% with the vac- they are vaccinated or not.
vaccinate their children and the cine, so public health measures
through appropriate wearing of

Langkawi to set standard for other travel bubbles

For peace of mind: a housekeeper sanitising a guest room at a resort in pantai Cenang, Langkawi. KUALA LUMPUR: The travel bub- building yesterday.
ble initiative which will be imple- Nancy reminded all parties to
mented in Langkawi from Thursday
will serve as a benchmark for open- comply with the SOP, which
ing more tourist destinations in the includes tourists being required to
country. use transport services provided by
travel agencies if they are travelling
In this regard, Tourism, Arts and by land.
Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nancy
Shukri has advised those planning Nancy said there were propos-
to travel to the resort island for a als from the private sector to set
holiday to be responsible tourists up a centre for conducting swab
and follow the prescribed stand- tests for tourists going to
ard operating procedure (SOP) Langkawi.
because their action will deter-
mine the fate of the country’s tour- “It is a very good initiative,
ism sector. although it is not compulsory for
individuals to go for swab tests.
“We want to see how Langkawi
will impact the entire economic “I have asked them to speak to
sector, especially the tourism sec- Lada and I hope they can work
tor. together,” she said, referring to the
Langkawi Development Authority.
“This will be a model of our travel — Bernama
bubble.
ThWeaStctahrtThVe .vcidoemo
“We want and hope Langkawi to
be a good model to enable us to
open more travel bubbles,” she told
a press conference at the Parliament

THE STAR, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021 NMeawlacyassiae:s cTaosteasl recToovtaelred IVNAMCCAILNAAYTSEIDA TOTAL DOSES Nation 5
ADMINISTERED
Covid-19 16,073 1,995,771 1,746,526 (+24,813) As at 11:59pm Sept 12 FULLY
(Daily figures in brackets) 38,488,051 VACCINATED
Current situation (227,476)
17,177,911
(151,130)

Perlis Kedah Penang Perak Selangor Kelantan Terengganu Pahang N. Sembilan Melaka Johor Sabah Sarawak K. LuFmT pur PutFraTjaya LaFbTuan

+41 +1,191 +1,243 +1,011 +1,947 +1,070 +704 +878 +156 +206 +2,030 +1,649 +3,522 +398 +16 +11

Illegal home-sharing worries hotels

‘unregulated businesses lacking sOp would negatively impact pandemic control’

By FATIMAH ZAINAL New cases by category “Hotels are prepared to foot the lem of unregulated home-sharing hoteliers to incur losses and lower
fatimah@thestar.com.my for Sept 13 higher operational costs to assure businesses, the hospitality industry income.
PETALING JAYA: With domestic guests of their safety and health,” he would not be able to make any
tourism allowed in the Klang Valley TOTAL CASES 16,073 added. meaningful economic recovery and “For the sake of continuing our
after it moved into Phase Two of the unlicensed home-sharing operators business, we are forced to follow
National Recovery Plan (NRP), Category 1, 2 Yap, however, said unregulated would be able to flout the Covid-19 the sales prices as well as promo-
hotels are ready for fully vaccinated home-sharing businesses would SOP. tions set by online travel agencies.
guests but are concerned about 15,840 (98.5%) have a negative impact on efforts to
unregulated home-sharing busi- control the pandemic as they were “It is not fair for the hotels to “The government also directly
nesses hampering recovery efforts. Category 3, 4, 5 operating without their SOP compli- adhere to all regulations while incurs losses on the service tax and
ance being monitored. home-sharing businesses are not this will also have an effect on the
Malaysian Association of Hotels 233 (1.5%) regulated. annual threshold value for hotels,”
chief executive officer Yap Lip Seng “Since the pandemic, there have he said.
said licensed hotels were well pre- Source: Health Ministry been multiple reports of SOP “They are a threat to the hospital-
pared with contingency and isola- breaches at these accommodations, ity industry and until now, all the As for Klang Valley budget and
tion plans in the event that Covid-19 graphics including drug parties at residential parties responsible have failed to business hotels’ capability to oper-
cases were detected. areas compromising the livelihoods resolve the matter. ate, Sri Ganesh said most hoteliers
level of compliance with SOP to and safety of local communities,” he were in deep financial trouble with
He said besides following all the minimise risks to both employees added. “As long as the STRA guidelines no capital to restart and would need
standard operating procedures and guests, and that should be the are not resolved, the recovery of the time to put their business back on
under the NRP, hotels had also guiding principle moving forward. This concern was echoed by hospitality industry will be a fail- track.
taken extra precautions, especially Malaysia Budget and Business Hotel ure,” he added.
on operational controls – from guest “As part of our Clean & Safe Association deputy president Dr Sri “The operation costs will be high-
interactions to employees and even Malaysia hygiene and safety label, Ganesh Michiel, who called upon Sri Ganesh also called upon the er as we need to prepare sanitisers,
the back-office. there are also contingency and iso- the government to immediately government to enact legislation to extra forms and signage, and prop-
lation plans. enforce the short-term rental regulate online travel agencies as er chemicals to wash the linens,” he
“We are well prepared and since accommodation (STRA) guidelines they had caused many issues for the said, adding that the industry would
day one, have demonstrated a high that have long been postponed. hospitality industry. not be able to recover fully as long
as borders remain closed and inter-
He said without solving the prob- “The high commissions set by state travel was still banned.
online travel agencies have caused

Breath of fresh Jump!: Nor sanah (in red) and her family at mengkuang dam in penang. — ZHaFaraN NasIb/The star SOP in Sabah
air for the fully to be enforced
vaccinated long period, this is a good family mittee chairman Dr Norlela Ariffin The Penang Water Supply for fully jabbed
in Penang get-together,” she said. has urged Malaysians to always Corporation (PBAPP) which oper- from Sept 21
comply with the standard operating ates the dam has set a limit of 350
By LO TERN CHERN Administration officer Noriza procedure (SOP) when in public. people in the area at any one time. KOTA KINABALU: The standard
andylo@thestar.com.my Khalifah, 49, also brought her chil- operating procedure (SOP) require-
dren there to play. “Covid-19 can still infect people in The dam is open from 7am to ment for the fully vaccinated to
Watch the video the open. It is good to conduct phys- 7pm daily. enter business premises will be
“For a few years years, the dam ical exercises to keep fit, but we enforced in Sabah from Sept 21.
TheStarTV.com was closed for upgrading. need to be considerate of each For more stories:
other. See page 7 Sabah has allowed for a week’s
BUTTERWORTH: With more free- “Since it’s a weekend, we decided extension for the fully vaccinated to
dom for the fully vaccinated, a large to come and let the children play,” “Everyone should wear a face be allowed entry to restaurants,
crowd rose before sunrise to enjoy said Noriza, who was accompanied mask. And do not forget to observe coffeeshops, malls and supermar-
the scenery and fresh air at by her husband Ilias Zainal, 48. physical distancing,” she said. kets, said state Covid 19 spokesman
Mengkuang Dam. Datuk Masidi Manjun said.
Meanwhile, Penang health com-
A 150m-long queue was spotted “We were supposed to imple-
from the entrance as the crowd ment the requirement from Sept 15
waited patiently to scan their but our fully vaccinated rate is cur-
MySejahtera app before entering. rently only at 52%,” he said.

Among them was engineer Thus, he said a decision was
Ajeerah Jamil, 32, who brought her made to defer it till 60% of the adult
five-year-old son Muhammad Ariq population are fully vaccinated.
Ulwan for a walk.
Masidi said that there were also
“We live in Bandar Perda nearby, some delays among employees in
and since I’m working from home, the trade and industry sectors as
we can come here every day. well as coffeeshops and restaurants
in getting their second jab.
“The air is fresh and the scenery
is beautiful, plus my son can run on Such employers should apply for
the road without worrying about temporary exemption, he said.
traffic,” she said.
“The applications must include a
Retired school canteen assistant list of employees and the dates of
Nor Sanah Ahmad, 54, also brought their first dose of the vaccination as
her children and grandchildren, well as the scheduled dates for their
having last visited the place some second dose.
10 years ago.
“It should be submitted to the
“After being stuck at home over a respective local authorities,” he
added.

Police to act against those who flout SOP in public areas

KUALA LUMPUR: Those found Mastor Mohd Ariff said they would only increase monitoring of these He also said most of the visitors at bathing in rivers and visiting recre-
ignoring standard operating proce- be forced to act firmly if things got areas,” he said in a statement yes- recreational areas were with family ational parks, while disregarding
dures (SOP), in particular physical out of control and if there were too terday. members who either came together social distancing last weekend.
distancing, while enjoying recrea- many people at a certain place. or are staying together, while these
tional activities in public areas will DCP Mastor also said police locations are only crowded on Starting last Friday, the govern-
face action, the police warn. “We don’t plan to close down would be working together with Saturdays and Sundays. ment announced that crossing dis-
public places found to be over- Rela under Op Patuh to conduct tricts was allowed after Klang Valley
Federal Internal Security and crowded because we have checked scheduled monitoring in areas He was commenting on pictures transitioned to Phase Two of the
Public Order Department deputy and found that the visitors came which are expected to be the focal and videos which appeared on National Recovery Plan (NRP). —
director Deputy Comm Datuk from the same bubble. We will points. social media showing the public Bernama

6 Nation THE STAR, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021

Wee: Democracy will continue to flourish and mature

PETALING JAYA: Leaders from the sake of the people and our coun- would be good to return the man- is not necessary,” he said.
both sides of the political divide try. date to the people in a peaceful and Shahidan also noted that the
have lauded the historic signing of a harmonious manner,” he said.
memorandum of understanding for “This also shows that democracy present administration was govern-
political transformation and stabili- in Malaysia will continue to flourish When contacted, Arau Umno MP ing with a simple majority of 114
ty. and mature,” he said after the sign- Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said MPs and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong
ing ceremony at the Parliament yes- there was no need to test Datuk Seri had consented to this based on the
They are hopeful the first-of-its- terday. Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s majority as Federal Constitution.
kind bipartisan cooperation will prime minister through a vote of
eventually bear fruit for the benefit Umno secretary-general Datuk confidence in Parliament following “So it is unwise for us to question
of the people. Seri Ahmad Maslan also gave his the MOU. the King, simply because we are
thumbs up to the MOU, saying it unhappy,” he said.
MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee was fair. He explained that under the
Ka Siong (pic) described the signing MOU, the Opposition would neither Pakatan Harapan communica-
as historic. He said it was important to finish be supporting nor challenging the tions director Fahmi Fadzil noted
the battle against Covid-19 as lives, government. that the coalition remained in the
“This is a historic moment for health and the welfare of the people opposition despite the MOU.
Malaysian Parliament when the remained top priority. “When it comes to the tabling of
government and the Opposition set Budget, they are also not against the “Parliament will also not be dis-
aside any political differences for “Once Covid-19 is under control government. The vote of confidence solved before July 31, 2022,” he
and the economy in recovery, it said.

PM: This is Keluarga M’sia Warisan in
the dark over
bipartisan
cooperation

Official KOTA KINABALU: Parti Warisan
agreement: Sabah was kept out of the discus-
Ismail sabri sions by Pakatan Harapan and the
(centre), government over the memoran-
representatives dum of understanding on biparti-
of opposition san cooperation, says Warisan
parties and the Youth chief Datuk Azis Jamman.
speakers from
both chambers He said at no point did Pakatan or
signing the the government invite the party to
mOu in the join in discussions on the MOU
parliament before it was signed yesterday.
building.
— bernama “They had been holding talks
with the government but we were
‘unity, consensus and togetherness shown in mOu’ not invited or informed of them,” he
said when contacted.
PETALING JAYA: A historic agree- spirit that emphasises unity, con- administrative transformation, Lim Guan Eng, Parti Amanah
ment has been reached between sensus and togetherness shown in rejuvenation of Parliament, inde- Negara president Mohamad Sabu For such discussions, he said
the government and Pakatan the MOU,” he said in a statement pendence of judicial institutions, and Upko president Datuk Seri Warisan would have highlighted
Harapan for bipartisan coopera- following the signing in Parliament Malaysia Agreement (MA63) and Wilfred Madius Tangau. issues that needed to be addressed
tion towards stability and reforms yesterday. the setting up of a steering commit- for Sabah and Sarawak, especially
for the nation, says Datuk Seri tee. Among those who were present in terms of Malaysia Agreement
Ismail Sabri Yaakob. He noted that transformation to witness the event were Ketereh 1963.
would not only encourage greater “The government is confident the MP Tan Sri Annuar Musa, Seremban
The Prime Minister hailed the excellence in managing the fight MOU not only sets aside all political MP Anthony Loke, Senator Datuk “We don’t even know the con-
inking of the memorandum of against the pandemic but also in the differences but will also ensure Donald Peter Mojuntin, Kulim tents of the MOU,” said the
understanding (MOU) as a “historic nation’s economic recovery. recovery takes place holistically Bandar Baharu MP Datuk Seri Sepanggar MP.
milestone” that would transform and in an inclusive manner,” said Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and Pulai
the nation’s political landscape in “It will also be a catalyst for a Ismail Sabri. MP Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub. He also took to task Opposition
line with the King’s advice. conducive climate for investors Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim
while at the same time spurring The MOU was inked by Ismail Earlier in the day, the King, in his over his continued talk of inclusive-
“As mentioned, His Majesty’s economic growth for the well- Sabri, Dewan Negara president Tan Royal Address when opening the ness.
aspiration is for all parties to prac- being of the Malaysian Family,” he Sri Rais Yatim, Dewan Rakyat Dewan Rakyat meeting, advised the
tise consensus democracy in seek- added. Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun, lawmakers to work together “We were kept in the dark. He
ing solutions. PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar through a bipartisan and consensus always spoke of inclusiveness but
The MOU covers six areas, name- Ibrahim, DAP secretary-general approach. we were not even informed of the
“This is the Keluarga Malaysia ly empowering the Covid-19 plan, meetings.

“The voice of Sabah and Sarawak
should be heard,” said Aziz, whose
Warisan with its eight MPs is work-
ing with Parti Sarawak Bersatu
(two MPs) and protem MUDA (one
MP).

The group of 11MPs has worked
on the broader opposition frame-
work with Pakatan, which compris-
es PKR, DAP and Amanah, but is not
part of the coalition.

Sabah-based Upko, with its lone
MP, president Datuk Wilfred Madius
Tangau, broke away with this bloc
to join Pakatan.

Analysts: Bipartisan ties a sign of political maturity

PETALING JAYA: The memoran- role of checks and balances. the MOU was the way forward, Former deputy speaker of (CSA), the Opposition would have to
dum of understanding on biparti- He, however, cautioned that the whereby institutions were used to Parliament Datuk Seri Azalina explain how it could still provide
san cooperation between the enhance democracy for the good of Othman Said hailed the MOU as a effective checks and balances
government and the Opposition has MOU should not remain as a signed the people in the long run. step forward towards political sta- against potential excesses by the
been lauded as a sign of political document but that it would be acted bility via a “ceasefire”. government of the day.
maturity. Analysts say it is one that upon immediately. “This is a perquisite for us to
should be acted upon immediately. become a mature democracy, which “I fervently hope that this will not “I frankly don’t know how that
“Similar to how the Undi18 initia- is a win-win situation for all,” he compromise MPs’ role in ensuring will be achieved because it appears
Prof Dr Sivamurugan Pandian of tive was moved quickly in Parlia- said, adding that it would be for the checks & balances ... Btw, unfin- that an overwhelming portion of
Universiti Sains Malaysia said the ment and received bipartisan sup- good of the government, the ished business from last session is the Opposition is now signing on to
move was historical and would sta- port. Opposition and the rakyat. not good for business,” she tweeted this CSA, assuming that it is.
bilise the country’s political climate. on Sunday.
“It’s possible to get it done imme- Dr Jeniri said reforms such as “Assuming that it is just to pass
“It will allow for more maturity diately if everyone is sincere and equal development funds for all Adjunct senior fellow at Singa- so-called reform proposals, I would
in Malaysian politics. It is important committed to what they are doing. parliamentarians and equal rep- pore’s S. Rajaratnam School of be more comfortable. If it is a full
at this stage of the National Recovery They must move beyond politics,” resentation in special select com- International Studies Dr Oh Ei Sun fledged CSA, I think the Opposition
Plan,” he said, adding that it would he added. mittees augured well for the coun- said that if the MOU was a will really have to think twice,” he
still allow the Opposition to play the try’s future. Confidence and Supply Agreement said.
National Professors Council
senior fellow Dr Jeniri Amir said

THE STAR, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021 Nation 7

No longer cooped up Covid-19
numbers
public resume outdoor and indoor activities with caution continue
downward
By JIA QI CHOK remain cancelled, and teams are “We’ve tried to get the kids to Many others like her have also trajectory
jiaqi.chok@thestar.com.my also bringing back fewer players to wear masks, but they feel uncom- chosen to jog around housing areas,
PETALING JAYA: Thrilled that the court,” said Hujayshen, 25, who fortable and tend to pull it down. as it is easier to practise social dis- PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia’s number
some outdoor activities are permit- is captain of the SL Raptors futsal tancing, she said. of Covid-19 daily cases went down
ted now, futsal fan Hujayshen Nair team. As a safety precaution, Thashini to 16,073 yesterday, its lowest since
began calling the courts to book a only allows her children to cycle or Housewife Yew Ai Vee, 35, takes Aug 2.
slot for his game. Operations manager Thashini, skateboard near her house, and her two children, aged two and five,
33, and her spouse Sanjay, 36, have they do not play with other chil- on occasional walks around the Cases in the Klang Valley contin-
“I called up many courts as soon been making sure that they stay dren. neighbourhood for some fresh air. ued their downward trajectory,
as I got the news, but they were all safe when they take their three dogs with Selangor reporting 1,947 infec-
fully booked,” he said. for a walk in the neighbourhood. “We limit their outdoor activities “I don’t think it’s healthy to keep tions, Kuala Lumpur reporting 398
to the front of our house,” she the kids cooped up in the house for while Putrajaya had 16.
He ended up going to a court in As their routine only consists of added. so long, both mentally and physical-
Subang Jaya with a small group of short walks, the couple opted to not ly.” The combined total of 2,361 cases
friends for a friendly match. wear masks as they usually steer Sales executive Amanda Wong for the Klang Valley is a huge drop
clear of people. has made some adjustments to her Steering clear of crowds and from the peak in early August,
And that was how he got to enjoy jogging routine. Instead of her usual parks, Yew also regularly sanitises when the region’s daily cases
his first futsal game in months. “To keep ourselves safe, we walk rounds at the community stadium when outside. reached as high as 11,000.
our dogs at set times; either before with friends, she has opted for
“Things are different now. Only 6am, or later at night like 7pm shorter rounds alone around her They would get a shower upon Sarawak is still the state with the
fully vaccinated players that were onwards.” neighbourhood. returning home. most cases, reporting 3,522 new
identified as low risk were allowed infections.
in and there were no spectators. At times, their two children aged “I’m wary of going to the parks “We also keep face masks with us
five and seven, would tag along to because many people go there,” on our walks and will put them on In his daily Covid-19 statement,
“Tournaments and leagues walk their dogs in the evening. said Wong, 24. when we see anyone walking Health director-general Tan Sri Dr
towards us,” she added. Noor Hisham Abdullah said the
country’s cumulative total number
Families surrounded by nature, not crowds of cases now stands at 1,995,771.

By MANJIT KAUR Chance to catch up: Cycling enthusiasts enjoying a bbQ at a picnic sweating it out at public parks ever Of yesterday’s 16,073 cases,
and ANDY CHUA table in Lubuk Timah hot spring. — rONNIe CHIN/The star since the town moved into Phase 15,840 or 98.5% were mild or
manjit@thestar.com.my Three under the National Recovery asymptomatic infections.
IPOH: For some families, it was “Since it rained heavily, we were “The only disappointing thing Plan on Aug 4.
time to sit back and relax at the unable to go swimming,” he said. was that it rained the whole day so “Another 233 cases or 1.5% were
Lubuk Timah Hot Springs near we could not swim at the waterfall “I am fully vaccinated and I don’t Categories 3 to 5 infections,” he
Simpang Pulai, since the govern- His friend Nazifi Shamsudin, 29, pool,” he added. wear a mask when I am in the park. said.
ment has given the nod to some said they decided on the outing
tourism activities. since they could not return to their When contacted, state Housing, “But I avoid getting close to other In the same 24-hour span, 24,813
respective hometown. Local Government and Tourism joggers,” said insurance agent Pang patients in the country were dis-
Those present at the picnic spot Committee chairman Datuk Nolee Chui Hua, 63. charged. A total of 1,756,526 people
were seated inside small huts far “We spend most of the time inside Ashilin Mohammed Radzi said the in Malaysia have recovered from
away from other families, as they the school hostel. So we are actually state government was excited about Pang, who was at the Kutien Park Covid-19 thus far.
were mindful of physical distanc- living within a bubble,” he added. the reopening of certain sectors in in Sibu, said he always takes extra
ing. the tourism industry. precaution when exercising. The Health Ministry also identi-
Businessman Wan Zulkarnain fied 32 new Covid-19 clusters.
“My family just wanted some Wan Mohd Hatta, 32, was at the hot “We would like to advise both Pang, who lives near the park,
fresh air, and a different environ- spring with his wife, sister and visitors and operators to remain never misses his 6.30am routine. The ministry’s Covid-19 tracker
ment, and the waterfall area is real- nephew. vigilant in adhering to the SOP to website CovidNow showed that
ly cool,” said policeman Iqmal keep the people and the state safe,” He said the park was closed to the coronavirus death cases are on a
Firdaus Fazrin, 24, who was there “We decided to come on a she added. public during Phase One and Two. decline, with the average number
with his parents, brother, wife and Monday, as most people are at work of deaths in the past seven days, up
his month-old daughter. and we would have the place to In SIBU, residents here have been “When Sibu entered Phase Three to Sept 12, at 99.
ourselves. last month, the council reopened
And he picked a weekday to avoid the park by removing the barricade This was also on a downward
crowds. line,” he said. trend, after the seven-day average
for Covid-19 deaths was at a peak of
His family sat away from the rest (Sarawak is categorised Phase 300 daily cases in early August.
of the picnickers. Three except for eight districts such
as Kuching which are under Phase The number of active Covid-19
“We have our hand sanitisers Two. This means that public parks cases also continued their down-
with us at all times, and we make in the southern region which ward trend, with 237,277 cases
sure not to mingle with the rest of includes Kuching, Samarahan, reported on Sunday, a reduction of
the people,” he said yesterday. Serian, Tebedu and Bau are still more than 2,000 cases from the pre-
closed to the people.) vious day.
Over at another hut was a group
of teachers who cycled some 30km Retiree Marcus Tan, regularly Of the total active cases, 83.1%
from Ipoh to the hot spring. jogs along Jalan Awang Ramli Amit are patients with mild infections
here in Sibu. and who are undergoing home
Muhammad Habil Azman, 31, quarantine. Another 10.8% are
said his group of nine decided to “With the Covid-19 situation turn- under isolation at low-risk quaran-
cycle there as a way to keep fit. ing bad lately, I have cut down on tine centres. About 5.5% are hospi-
going to public parks. talised, while another 0.6% are at
“We are teachers at a full board- an intensive care unit (ICU).
ing school, fully vaccinated, and we “But if the weather is good, I will
decided to get some fresh air. jog around the place here near St The national ICU utilisation rate
Mary’s Church along Jalan Awang is currently at 83.9%.
“We packed our own food and Ramli Amit,” he said.
drinks, and picked a spot away Three states have ICUs operating
from the rest,” he said, adding that Sibu Municipal Council chair- at overcapacity: Kedah (125.2%),
they would be cycling back to Ipoh man, Clarence Ting advised people Kelantan (101.8%) and Penang
after lunch. to observe physical distancing. (101.8%). The Klang Valley’s ICU
“Keep a distance, do not exercise in usage rate is at 82.5%.
groups and do not stop to gather for
a chat,” he said.

Parents out and about but not letting their guard down

By MOHD FARHAAN SHAH this pandemic and ensure that them out of the car for a breather,” Zakaria, 38, agreed that parents protect us from being badly affect-
and REMAR NORDIN infections do not rise again. he added. played a crucial role in keeping ed,” he said.
newsdesk@thestar.com.my their children safe.
JOHOR BARU: The battle against “Even though I have been fully Ayuni Allaudin, 23, said she took He repeated the need to double
Covid-19 is far from over even with vaccinated, I take careful measures the opportunity to take her three- “We have to follow SOP and prac- mask and practise good hygiene
the easing of restrictions and whenever I go out in public. year-old son to the beach as they tise physical distancing while at and for physical distancing.
Malaysia expecting to transition hardly had the chance to spend public places and avoid public gath-
from the Covid-19 pandemic to an “We are responsible not only for time outdoors together. erings. That’s just the new way of “People should avoid exposing
endemic phase by the end of next ourselves but also our family,” he living.” themselves to the risk of contracting
month. said when met at Stulang Laut here “Public parks are still closed and Covid-19 by limiting their socialis-
yesterday. some places do not allow children He added that both he and his ing and movement outside to pro-
Although they now have leeway and babies, so here we are. wife, though fully vaccinated, con- tect themselves and their families.
for outings with the family, many The father-of-three said none of tinue to be extremely cautious.
parents say they will not let up on his children ever left the house “Even though I am completely “Before stepping out of their
their vigilance against the virus. without his supervision. vaccinated, I still take additional When contacted, Johor Health home, people should make sure
precautions when I am out. Department director Datuk Dr that they are healthy and do not
Mohd Yusof Abd Karim, 45, a pri- “They have been cooped up at Aman Rabu likened vaccination to show any symptoms.
vate-sector employee, urged cau- home with me since I also work “We have to be responsible par- wearing the seat belt inside a car.
tion and not complacency. from home, and this is the first time ents, not just for our own children’s “They should also bring and con-
we’ve come out during the NRP safety, but also for the protection of “Even though we are buckled up, stantly use hand sanitiser as well as
“We have a collective duty to fight (National Recovery Plan) phase. other children,” the factory worker we should still be vigilant. making sure the locality they are
added. visiting is listed in the MySejahtera
“As there are not many people “Vaccination does not prevent us app,” he said.
around, I’m comfortable allowing Civil servant Ahmad Fahmi from getting Covid-19 but it can

8 Nation THE STAR, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021

Staying put, staying FLASHBACK #50
safe the best way
Malaysia dominated the 2017 SEA
Better safe Games with a haul of 145 gold
than sorry: medals. It was the country’s best
(From left) ever performance in the biennial
rohaya a.shymad, event which was hosted by Kuala
Noor Hafizza Lumpur in August of that year. To
spawi, Fazril celebrate the triumph, the
mohd daniel government declared Sept 4, 2017
Firdaus, muhd as a public holiday. The Star
rezza Zafran published a special pullout, paying
abdullah and may tribute to the athletes who were
Valerie on a video “heroes of Malaysia”.
call with their
friend from
sarawak as they
celebrate ahead
of malaysia day at
their home in
bukit Jambul,
penang. —
ZHaFaraN
NasIb/The star

Low-key malaysia day celebrations with sOp in mind NRC wants
data to
By RENA LIM win the battle against Covid-19. outfits and just chill there,” he from the pandemic. assess getting
rena@thestar.com.my “For me, it means staying put, added. “One of the ways to achieve this students back
GEORGE TOWN: For the second to physical
straight year, Sarawakians living in staying in and staying safe. This year, Lau said, they will is to contain the spread of the virus classes
Penang say they will mark Malaysia “During this time of the pandem- avoid crowded places and stay in by staying home as much as possi-
Day at home and hope that the on the public holiday. ble,” she added. KUALA LUMPUR: National
pandemic will be over soon. ic, even for festive periods, there Recovery Council (NRC) chairman
should not be big gatherings or “I might order some local The insurance executive said Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has asked
Lau Hon Wee said that as the celebrations,” he added. Sarawak food and just enjoy it at that in the past, the Sarawak com- the Education Ministry and the
nation is set to celebrate the 58th home,” he said, adding that he has munity in Penang would usually Higher Education Ministry to pres-
Malaysia Day on Thursday, he has Lau said in previous years, not returned to Kuching for over gather for a barbeque outing or ent assessment reports at the coun-
only one wish – that is for the coun- he would fly back to his hometown two years. gathering to mark the day. cil’s meeting.
try to emerge from the pandemic in Kuching and spend time with
soon. his family since it was a public hol- “I miss my hometown. Hopefully, “This year, we will just stay He said the reports were impor-
iday. when cases go down, I can return home, communicate via social tant to ensure face-to-face teaching
The 26-year-old recruitment con- to see my family.” media and usher in the event virtu- and learning sessions could be car-
sultant said he hopes every “The times when I did not go ally,” said Noor Hafizza, who ried out as usual once educational
Malaysian will be responsible and home, I would check out celebra- Another Sarawakian, Noor rounded up a few close friends – all institutions reopen in stages accord-
play their part to help the nation tions and events around Penang Hafizza Stawi, 38, said she too will of them fully vaccinated – to tuck ing to phases under the National
island with my friends. be staying in on Malaysia Day. into Sarawak delights ahead of Recovery Plan.
Malaysia Day at home.
“Sometimes we would go to “I am sure every Malaysian “The council would need to ana-
parks in our Malaysia Day-themed hopes to see the nation recover lyse the findings and also other
issues so that decisions can be made
‘PM to help Under to enable the education system to
speed up field close watch return to the normal face-to-face
hospital set school sessions.
up in Tawau’ sarjan mejar
shahrol Niza “The reports will be scrutinised
By MUGUNTHAN VANAR (front) and sarjan by the council. If there are sugges-
vmugu@thestar.com.my syahrizal dasril tions for improvement, they will be
KOTA KINABALU: Prime Minister from discussed so that the reopening of
Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has the ampang schools for physical lessons can be
given the assurance that he will Jaya police done gradually,” he told reporters
help expedite the setting up of the Headquarters after an inspection at the AEON
Tawau Field Hospital in the east checking visitors shopping complex in Keramat AU2
coast of Sabah. to make sure they here yesterday.
follow sOp at the
This was relayed to Chief Kampung Muhyiddin said among matters
Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor Kemensah to be looked into were parental con-
who made the request during the recreation park cerns, students’ safety guarantee
online National Disaster in Hulu Klang, and issues concerning Covid-19 vac-
Management Committee meeting selangor. — cination for students.
that was chaired by the Prime aZHar maHFOF/
Minister yesterday. The star The issue of a small number of
teachers opting not to be vaccinated
Hajiji said that an army field Toned down celebrations in Sabah and matters concerning retail and
hospital that was used during the KOTA KINABALU: The current trade would also be discussed in the
first spike of Covid-19 cases had Covid-19 pandemic situation should “The event will be carried out He said Prime Minister Datuk Seri meeting, he added.
ceased operations. not dampen the national level under strict adherence to standard Ismail Sabri Yaakob is scheduled to
Malaysia Day celebration on operating procedure such as limited attend the event. On the inspection, Muhyiddin
Thus, he said the army field hos- Thursday, says state secretary Datuk invitations and a short 90-minute said almost all the retailers he met
pital in Tawau was urgently Seri Safar Untong. programme that begins at 8pm. Separately, the Sabah Cultural said sales had picked up despite
required as the upgrading works Board said they would be organis- having only reopened their shops
for the Tawau district hospital was He said although this year’s “The signing of a special book in ing Malaysia Prihatin prayers pro- less than two months ago.
only 60% completed. celebration would be on a small conjunction with Malaysia Day will gramme on their Facebook Page
scale, the main purpose was to be the highlight of the celebration,” and also at selected places of wor- “I believe that when we start
On another issue, Hajiji said that inspire and commemorate the spirit he said yesterday. ship. opening businesses with the assis-
302 temporary evacuation centres of the formation of Malaysia on Sept tance provided through various
had been identified in Sabah. 16, 1963. Safar, who is also the co-chair- The programme involved the stimulus packages, then (economic)
man for the National Malaysia Day Sabah Bumiputera Christian activities will increase.
Fourteen agencies involving The celebration will be held at the 2021 celebration committee earlier Association, Sabah United Chinese
6,800 personnel will be on Sabah International Convention extended an invitation to the Yang Association, Malaysia Hindu “It is important for us to
standby in view of the rainy days Centre here. di-Pertua Negeri, Tun Juhar Sangam and Kinabalu Singh Sabha see that the recovery process can
during the monsoon season, he Mahiruddin at Istana Seri Kinabalu. Sabah. take place smoothly,” he said. —
added. Bernama

THE STAR, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021 Nation 9

CJ issues rules for remand It’s a routine
advisory, no
Circular for judges, lawyers sets directives for proceedings real threat,
says Bukit
PUTRAJAYA: All suspects must napping or abduction laws,” she ings are heard before the magis- file suspects, cases of public interest Aman
have lawyers present in court dur- said in the Chief Justice’s Practice trate, the investigating officer must and cases under the Malaysian Anti-
ing remand proceedings from Direction No. 11 2021 on remand ensure the remand application has Corruption Commission Act 2009 By FARIK ZOLKEPLI,
Wednesday onwards, following a proceedings under Section 117 of been filed through the e-Kehakiman must be handled by an ex officio MAZWIN NIK ANIS
practice direction by Chief Justice the Criminal Procedure Code, dated system, including a copy of the magistrate. and JUNAID IBRAHIM
Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat. Sept 10. investigation diary, and to also newsdesk@thestar.com.my
ensure that the suspect is present “An ex officio magistrate can be a KUALA LUMPUR: The terrorism
The practice direction – a circular Tengku Maimun said the new for the proceedings. Sessions Court Judge, High Court threat travel advisory issued by the
for judges and lawyers to abide by directives will take effect on Sept 15, deputy registrar and senior assis- Japanese Embassy to its citizens in
– also noted that investigating revoking previous directives issued Tengku Maimun said during tant registrar (for remand applica- Malaysia was a routine notice, says
officers must ensure suspects have in 2003 and 2012. remand proceedings, suspects must tions in Peninsular Malaysia), Bukit Aman Special Branch director
appointed lawyers. also be asked about their health. senior assistant registrar of the Comm Datuk Zamri Yahya.
She also noted remand proceed- Subordinate Courts or any other
The lawyers must also be ings must be postponed to a reason- “If the magistrate finds the sus- official listed under the Fourth He said there had not been any
informed earlier to be present for able time on the same day to allow pect needs medical treatment, the Schedule of the Subordinate Courts additional information on a possi-
the proceedings. lawyers representing the suspect to investigation officer must ensure Act 1948,” she said. ble terrorist threat in the country.
attend proceedings. the suspect is taken to hospital for
“As for suspects not represented examination and appropriate treat- Tengku Maimun said remand “The warning issued by the
by lawyers or are unable to appoint However, Tengku Maimun said ment,” she added. proceedings should be conducted in Japanese Embassy to its citizens in
one, they will be informed by the the remand hearing will proceed if court or at any detention centre that Malaysia on the possibility of a ter-
magistrate of their rights to obtain suspects do not wish to be repre- Tengku Maimun said if there is has been gazetted for remand pur- rorist attack in South-East Asia was
legal aid service from the National sented or their lawyers fail to turn no magistrate available, remand poses on a daily basis including a travel advisory.
Legal Aid Foundation if the suspect up within the reasonable time order applications involving crimes weekends and public holidays. –
is a Malaysian citizen and not inves- period given. punishable by death, or 14 years’ Bernama “These advisory notices are
tigated under any preventive, kid- imprisonment and above, high pro- usually issued by an embassy or
She said before remand proceed- high commission for its citizens
who are in foreign countries.
Mum and
daughter “The warnings are issued based
charged with on a threat assessment done by the
cheating country (issuing the warning). In
this context, there is a possibility of
SHAH ALAM: A woman and her In celebratory mood a terrorist threat in the region
mother were charged in a (South-East Asia),” he said when
Magistrate’s Court here with various annie Wong, 49, looking at a lantern in a shop in yulek, Cheras, as the mid-autumn Festival approaches. contacted yesterday.
cheating offences in connection — samueL ONG/The star
with the sale of non-existent electri- Comm Zamri said so far, only the
cal goods and kitchen utensils Traders maintain self-test kit price Japanese Embassy had issued such
involving losses amounting to a travel advisory, which was a rou-
RM41,645. SEKINCHAN: The level of compli- against the traders. “Generally, all traders have set tine measure in reminding Japanese
ance on the ceiling price of RM19.90 “We received both complaints in prices lower than the ceiling price,” citizens in the region to be careful,
Nurul Yasmin Rosli, 32, and for Covid-19 self-test kits in Selangor he told reporters yesterday. in conjunction with the 20th anni-
Melati Zainol, 54, pleaded not guilty has been good as no action or warn- the Petaling district involving the versary of the Sept 11, 2001 attack
after all the charges were read out ings have been issued by the Shah Alam area. When we reviewed He urged consumers to lodge on the United States.
to them before magistrate Sabreena Domestic Trade and Consumer the complaints and found that the complaints if there was a violation
Bakar @ Bahari yesterday. Affairs Ministry so far. traders had complied with the on the sale price of kits either at the “The advisory might also be con-
instructions, no action was taken premises or online, by calling the nected to the latest development in
In the first to sixth charges, Nurul The ministry’s Selangor director against them. call centre at 1800 886 800; Afghanistan after the Taliban rose
Yasmin was charged with fraudu- Muhammad Zikril Azan Abdullah Enforcement Command Centre to power,” he said, adding that the
lently cheating six individuals to the said although two complaints “Since Sept 5, we have carried out (ECC) at 03-8882 6245 /6088; Special Branch, through its Counter
point of inducing them to pay for regarding the kits being sold inspections at 564 premises cover- WhatsApp 019-279 4317 or at any of Terrorism Unit, would continue to
the purchase of electrical goods and above the ceiling price were ing the distribution, wholesale and the ministry’s seven offices in keep an eye out for any develop-
kitchen utensils to a bank account recorded, no action was taken retail sectors for self-test kits in Selangor. — Bernama ment and take appropriate action
in the name of Melati, amounting to Selangor. where needed.
RM17,541, where the accused failed
to deliver the promised goods. Regulations to protect Pulau Payar Earlier, the Japanese Embassy in
Kuala Lumpur confirmed that a
She was charged under Section ALOR SETAR: The Kedah govern- “Pulau Payar Marine Park will ers from Coral Cay Conservation in warning had been issued to its citi-
415 of the Penal Code. This is pun- ment, in collaboration with the also be closed to tourists every 2004 and 2005, reported that coral zens in Malaysia over possible ter-
ishable under Section 417 of the Department of Fisheries (DOF), is Tuesday and Wednesday, and for cover at the island was classified as rorist threats in South-East Asia.
same law which carries a jail term introducing several new regula- the period between March and May moderate to poor with a percentage
of up to five years or a fine, or both, tions to protect and conserve Pulau every year,” he said in a statement of coral cover between 0% to 50%. The advisory was issued to all of
if convicted. Payar Marine Park, near Langkawi, here yesterday. its citizens in Indonesia, the
says Mentri Besar Muhammad The annual coral cover monitor- Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia,
For the seventh to 12th charges, Sanusi Md Nor. He said scientific data showed ing, conducted by the DOF last year, Thailand and Myanmar, urging
Nurul Yasmin was charged with that the preservation of marine bio- found that the rate of coral cover in them to stay away from religious
fraudulently misappropriating He said the regulations include diversity at Pulau Payar through the waters of the island was at good facilities and other crowded areas.
RM19,548 belonging to six other limiting the number of tourists to the concept of a marine park had a levels, at 60.8%.
individuals, which was sent to her the island to 100 people a week, and positive impact on the rehabilita- Inspector-General of Police Datuk
via a bank account in the name of only allowing tour operators regis- tion of the coral reef ecosystem. “The state government will sup- Seri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani said
Melati as payment for the purchase tered with the Kedah DOF to con- port all DOF efforts to boost fishery police have not received any infor-
of electrical goods and kitchen uten- duct activities at the marine park. He added that a survey of the resources, which in turn will help mation on any type of security
sils of various brands, which did not coral cover, conducted by research- the community. — Bernama threat.
exist.
“We hope the public remains
She was charged under Section calm and not speculate on the mat-
403 of the Penal Code which carries ter as the police are always moni-
a jail term of up to five years and toring national security,” he said in
whipping, and can also be fined, if a statement yesterday.
convicted.
Meanwhile, Wisma Putra said
All the offences were allegedly that it had taken note of the security
committed in Bukit Jelutong, Shah advisory and communicated it to
Alam and Sungai Buloh, between the relevant Malaysian authorities.
Nov 27, 2020 and June 13, 2021.
“Our security agencies, in par-
Melati and Nurul Yasmin were ticular the police, are currently
additionally charged with conspir- assessing the situation very careful-
ing to deceive two other individuals ly,” it said in a statement.
so as to induce them to make a pay-
ment of RM4,556 into a bank The Foreign Ministry also gave its
account in the name of Melati, for assurance that Malaysia continues
the purchase of the same goods. to strengthen cooperation in the
security field, including in coun-
They are accused of committing ter-terrorism efforts, with its part-
the act in Subang Jaya and Shah ners globally.
Alam on May 28 and July 24, 2021,
and charged under Section 415 of “Sharing of intelligence and best
the Penal Code. practices are important compo-
nents of this cooperation.
The court fixed Nov 15 for men-
tion. – Bernama “In respect of the aforementioned
advisory, the ministry has instruct-
ed the Malaysian Embassy in Tokyo
to be in close communication with
the Foreign Affairs Ministry of
Japan,” it added.

10 Nation THE STAR, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021

Sultan Mizan wants focus on reviving state’s economy

KUALA TERENGGANU: The trengganu Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar. “The SMEs are among the sectors Board, to attract new investments.
Sultan of Terengganu, Sultan Mizan The Ruler also urged the state affected by the movement control. In another development, Sultan
Zainal Abidin, wants the state gov- STATE ASSEMBLY Many night market and farmers’
ernment to draw up and implement government to pay serious atten- market traders, restaurant opera- Mizan said he hoped the manage-
effective and comprehensive strate- “All expenditures made on one- tion to developing the agricultural tors and others have lost their ment of Covid-19 vaccinations in
gies to revive the state’s economy, off basis should be reviewed accord- sector and hoped that programmes source of income, are forced to Terengganu could be intensified so
which has been hard hit by the ing to the current financial position and incentives for farmers, live- close their businesses or have lost that the state could achieve herd
Covid-19 pandemic. and commitment of the state gov- stock breeders and fishermen could their jobs,” he added. immunity by the end of the year or
ernment,” he said when opening be continued with improvements before the northeast monsoon sea-
Sultan Mizan said he hoped the the fourth term of the 14th state made. Sultan Mizan advised the state son.
state’s budget for the coming years assembly at Wisma Darul Iman government, with the collaboration
would focus on economic growth here yesterday. The state government, he said, of various state and Federal “I also hope that stricter action is
and recovery. should also continue to help those Government agencies, such as the taken to ensure that the SOP set by
The text of Sultan Mizan’s speech under the small and medium enter- Terengganu State Economic the National Security Council and
“Development projects need to be was read out by Mentri Besar Datuk prises (SMEs), like providing them Development Corporation, Tereng- the Health Ministry is adhered to so
planned carefully to ensure the sus- with financial support and business ganu Incorporated Sdn Bhd and that the spread of new cases could
tainability of economic growth and premises or facilities so that they Terengganu State Heritage Trust be curbed in an open economic sec-
long-term needs. could keep their businesses going. tor,” he added. — Bernama

Going above the call of duty Terengganu
policeman wins praise for lifting spirits of elderly man teachers
refusing the
By IVAN LOH jab a cause
ivanloh@thestar.com.my for concern

IPOH: The sight of an elderly man, More than words: Insp saravanan (inset) did a good deed of giving an elderly scrap collector some money KUALA TERENGGANU: About
huffing and puffing away on a tricy- while on patrol. The act captured in this screencap from a video uploaded to the royal malaysia police 100 teachers in Terengganu refuse
cle with a load of recyclable items, Facebook page has been winning praise from malaysians. to get their Covid-19 vaccine shots,
was too much to bear for Insp G. says Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr
Saravanan. resolve to continue working even “I was out on patrolling duty and my offer as he feared he would Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar.
though he was a senior citizen. I I saw a man pushing his motorcycle dirty my car. I assured him that I
So, he asked his patrolling part- also told him to take care of himself under the rain with his son walking could wash the car. He got in and I He said the figure represented
ner Sjn Asrul Shafawi Jamaluddin and he thanked me,” he added. beside him,” he said. sent him home,” he said. only a small percentage of the total
to make a U-turn and stopped the number of teachers serving in the
man, who was toiling under the hot Insp Saravanan, who has been So, he told the man that he would Insp Saravanan, who is part of a state.
sun, and handed him RM50. with the police force for 16 years, send his nine-year-old son home to team monitoring compliance to
said he had previously sent a avoid him falling sick from being Covid-19 safety procedures, also “I do not know their excuses for
This was at 3pm last Friday. schoolboy home during a down- drenched in the rain. reminded people not to loiter not wanting to receive the vaccine
“We had driven past him, but I pour in December last year. around needlessly. jabs.
could see that he looked exhaust- “The boy initially declined
ed,” said Insp Saravanan, 40, from “All I could do was to advise them
the Kerian district police station. to reconsider their decision for the
He spoke briefly with the man good of all parties including their
and gave him the money “so that he families and pupils,” he told report-
could buy some food or whatever ers after the opening ceremony of
he needed”. the First Meeting of the Fourth
A brief video of the act was Session of the 14th State Legislative
uploaded by the Royal Malaysia Assembly at Wisma Darul Iman
Police on its Facebook page on here yesterday.
Saturday.
This led to Malaysians praising Ahmad Samsuri said for the time
the policeman for his act of kind- being, the only approach was to
ness. persuade them to accept the vacci-
When contacted, Insp Saravanan nation as there were no regulations
said he understood the man’s hard- or laws to allow any action against
ship. them.
“I know that a scrap collector can
only earn between RM5 and RM10 Asked whether the teachers need
from selling recyclable items. to undergo random Covid-19
“I told him that I respected his screening tests when the school ses-
sion starts, he said it may be one
Duo testify to being donors for foundation way to tackle the situation if they
were willing to take the test every
By NURBAITI HAMDAN Hearing continues: ahmad Zahid arriving at the High Court in Kuala is the MP. two weeks.
nurbaiti@thestar.com.my Lumpur for his trial involving charity foundation yayasan akalbudi. “We submitted that the prosecu-
KUALA LUMPUR: A sum of Meanwhile, local government,
RM5.9mil, part of the millions in witnesses testified in court. dations share similar objectives,” he tion has failed to prove that the housing, health and environment
Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid “The defence concedes that the told the court. RM5.9mil are proceeds from illegal committee chairman Dr Alias Razak
Hamidi’s corruption trial involving activities,” he added. said the occupancy rate of intensive
charity foundation Yayasan instructions for the purchase of the Hisyam said Mubarak had made care unit (ICU) beds in the state was
Akalbudi, did not come from illegal lots came from the accused and the the contribution for the purpose of It was reported that the two bun- still high at more than 75%, which
activities, the High Court heard. two lots were transferred to Yayasan building a school in Melaka while galows in Country Heights, Kajang, was a factor why Terengganu has
Al-Falah (YAF). Junaith contributed to the construc- had been converted into a centre not moved to Phase Three of the
Instead, the money came from tion of a mosque and a tahfiz in for religious activities for YAF. National Recovery Plan.
two contributors, textile wholesaler “It is the defence case that the lots Bagan Datuk, where Ahmad Zahid
Junaith Asharab and jeweller are a donation to YAF as both foun- YAF is a charitable foundation “We need the ICU rate to be at
Mubarak Hussain Akhtar Husin, that belongs to Ahmad Zahid’s fam- 50% to move to Phase Three, but we
who testified for the prosecution. ily, managed by his younger brother are more than 75% now. This is
Datuk Seri Mohamad Nasaee because Covid-19 patients’ admis-
Lawyer Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, Ahmad Tarmizi. sion into ICU is 21 days and this is a
who represented Ahmad Zahid, long time.
said this in his submissions in the Ahmad Zahid is on trial for a total
trial here yesterday. of 47 charges, 12 of which are for “Even though the daily ICU
criminal breach of trust (CBT), eight admissions are small, occupancy
The testimony of the two prose- for bribery and 27 for money laun- got increasingly higher over time as
cution witnesses was pivotal to one dering involving millions of ringgit the wait was 21 days,” he said, add-
of Ahmad Zahid’s money-launder- belonging to Yayasan Akalbudi. ing that he expected ICU bed usage
ing charges, charge number 26, to drop in three weeks.
where it was alleged that he had The hearing continues before
given instructions to purchase two Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah In another development, entre-
bungalow lots in Kajang using today. preneurship, human resource,
RM5.9mil that was said to be the micro industry and hawker affairs
proceeds from illegal activities. ThWeaStctahrtThVe .vcidoemo committee chairman Mohd
Nurkhuzaini Ab Rahman, who was
Hisyam said there were no ele- confirmed positive for Covid-19,
ments of corruption, as the two was now in stable condition.

Dr Alias said the Kota Putera
assemblyman was admitted to
Hospital Sultanah Nur Zahirah last
week and was expected to be dis-
charged soon. — Bernama

THE STAR, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021 Nation 11

Trading in China from Malaysia
matrade extends bridge to entrepreneurs for Caexpo business matching

By BEH YUEN HUI Guangzhou, Zaimah Osman, said “We managed to link up 19 Business as usual: Zaimah (right) speaking with potential buyers at a
newsdesk@thestar.com.my the health crisis had rendered con- Malaysian companies and 60 poten- business matching session at the malaysia pavilion in Nanning.
NANNING: Remote business mat- ventional face-to-face business tial buyers from around China,”
ching was conducted for Malaysian deals near-impossible. said Zaimah.
entrepreneurs who are unable to
enter China due to Covid-19 travel “We used to have more than 170 Apart from this, a live-streaming
restrictions. exhibitors showcasing some 1,000 booth was also set up at the
products here yearly, but since the Malaysian pavilion for exhibitors to
The exercise was made possible Covid-19 outbreak, the number of promote their products online.
with Malaysia External Trade participating companies plunged to
Development Corporation (Matra- only 58 in these two years,” she “We hired two key opinion lead-
de) acting as the bridge between revealed. ers (KOLs) for the purpose and the
both sides at the 18th China-Asean results were promising,” she added.
Expo (CAExpo) here. She said the companies that were
unable to attend the event physical- Zaimah added that the broadcast-
The new strategy was adopted ly sent samples of their products to ing session drew high viewership,
amid the pandemic to help the busi- be promoted by Matrade at the with the figure hitting 2.1 million.
ness community expand their mar- exhibition centre.
kets in the Middle Kingdom. CAExpo is the main annual trade
The items included medical tools, exhibition in China participated by
Matrade trade commissioner of cosmetics, food and beverage, skin- the Malaysian business community.
care and haircare products.
This year, it was held from Sept
10 to yesterday.

Colleges not rushing to reopen for face-to-face lessons

By N. TRISHA Ready to open: uOW malaysia Kdu penang university College staff member sanitising a computer lab as INTI International College Penang
trishang@thestar.com.my they prepare to reopen for physical classes at anson road. — LIm beNG TaTT/The star chief executive Hemalatha Muru-
GEORGE TOWN: Many institutions giah said, “We will allow students to
of higher learning are taking cau- “And those teaching them are ing procedure) compliance,” she cater to 25 students is only permit- return to campus in phases and
tious steps in offering physical fully vaccinated. said, adding that the institution ted to have 12 at any one time. based on priorities, such as for
classes. would also emphasise proper venti- those in their final year, or new
“The lessons are held one-shot lation. “We reduce the capacity to ensure students who have not been to cam-
UOW Malaysia KDU deputy without days in between and we it is not a crowded environment,” pus since last year.”
vice-chancellor (academic) Prof Dr ensure strict SOP (standard operat- “Currently, a laboratory that can she said.
Hon Wei Min said it was not going “With strict SOP and cooperation
to force the matter. from staff and students in adhering
to the guidelines, we should be able
“We know the sentiment. Some to gradually restart physical class-
want to come back for physical es.
classes while others prefer online
lessons,” she said. “Priority will be given to those
who require the use of hardware
She added that the institution and infrastructure on campus.”
would cater to both “as there are
some who need face-to-face classes, She cited the hospitality and culi-
while there are others who are nary arts programmes that require
apprehensive.” proper kitchen and other facilities
for teaching and learning purposes.
“We are definitely more prepared
than we were last year, but we will Hemalatha said INTI would open
take it slow and only consider fully to fully vaccinated students and
reopening next year when more staff when permitted, with the
people have been fully vaccinated,” exception of students who are sit-
she said. ting for the CAIE (Cambridge
Assessment International Educa-
On Sept 5, Bernama quoted tion) A Level examinations.
Higher Education Minister Datuk
Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad as saying “A special task force has been set
that the government is planning to up to manage the international
allow students of higher learning examination on campus in accord-
institutions to return to campus for ance with the guidelines.
the 2021-2022 academic session
starting next month, after being “The student capacity on campus
fully vaccinated. will be maintained at a maximum
of 50% from now until the end of
Prof Hon said it currently has the year,” she added.
physical classes for culinary and
nursing students, but this involved She said they had also created a
only a small group of people. contact tracing mechanism that
requires students to scan in before
they use any facility on campus.

Malaysian earns spot on Global Student Prize 2021 Actress claims
trial to
By REBECCA RAJAENDRAM international youth-serving Worldwide, Yiq Zhenn has rest to fund his higher education drug charge
rebeccagr@thestar.com.my non-governmental organi- also won top community degree, majoring in economics,
PETALING JAYA: A 19-year-old’s sation he joined in 2018. service awards in the Leo which he is currently pursuing at SEREMBAN: Actress Zarina
efforts to leave a positive impact on Club programme since University of Calgary, Canada. Anjoulie Mohamad Fahizul pleaded
youth entrepreneurship and finan- After completing his Sijil joining it in Form One at not guilty at a Magistrate’s Court
cial literacy – while remaining on Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) SMK Bandar Utama The teenager hopes his nomina- here to a charge of using metham-
top of his studies – has won him a exams and wearing many Damansara 3. tion will inspire others to take part phetamine.
spot as one of the 50 finalists for the hats at JA Malaysia, he then in similar initiatives to help
Global Student Prize 2021. focused on bringing digital The awards included Leo Malaysia’s youth “which could then Zarina, 34, is accused of commit-
innovation to their pro- Club Excellence Award and create an impact across society”. ting the offence at a house in Kg
Leong Yiq Zhenn (pic) said he was grammes. Leo of the Year 2018. Chalet in Nilai in June.
motivated to help other young peo- The Chegg.org Global Student
ple because of his own “traumatic He developed a multi- While there, he worked Prize is a cash award presented to She was charged under Section
experience” with bad financial vendor e-commerce platform, JAM to build up the club with monthly an exceptional student making a 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act
planning and irrational business Mall, to provide thousands of small-scale projects to expanding its real impact on learning, the lives of which carries a jail term of up to
decisions that affected the lives and Malaysian high-school entrepre- community service. their peers and on society beyond. two years, a fine of up to RM5,000 or
livelihoods of others. neurs a learning environment for both upon conviction.
digital marketing, online sales and “Despite setbacks and lack of sup- Run by the London-based Varkey
“I hope no other youth members data analytics. port, I tried to change the status quo Foundation, it is open to all students Magistrate Mahyun Yusof fixed
would experience the feeling of of ‘how things used to work’ by who are at least 16 years old and bail at RM2,000 and Sept 24 for the
keeping their head just above The platform, he added, process- expanding our community service enrolled in an academic institution next mention.
water,” he said. ed orders worth more than scope and making existing initia- or training and skills programme.
RM48,000 in two months. tives bigger and better,” he said. The accused was represented by
The Petaling Jaya boy beat over The top 10 finalists will be anno- Fadhli Sutris and Ahmad Faiz
3,500 nominations and applications He also designed and conducted If he wins the US$100,000 unced in October. Munawar.
from 94 countries to make it into the workshops with a focus on e-com- (RM415,450) award, Yiq Zhenn said
top 50 and was nominated by Junior merce, data analysis, branding, and he would donate a portion to JA The Global Student Prize, and its It was reported on June 29 that
Achievement (JA) Worldwide, an digital growth, impacting more Malaysia’s company programme sister prize, Global Teacher, also police had detained an actress for
than 41,000 students. for rural schools, another to JA organised by the foundation, offer alleged drug abuse.
Worldwide/Asia Pacific and use the inspirational stories from both sides
Besides being involved in JA of the education divide.

12 Views THE STAR, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021

A great Malaysian tragedy

What does it say about a nation when it fails its most vulnerable people?

THIS is one article that I didn’t want MoHD smothered his three children after did the parents not seek help from there are families facing destitu-
to write. I put off writing it for two TAjUDDIn his wife died. the leaders of their own race or tion?
years. Writing 900 words about this MoHD RASDI religion? We have political leaders
subject was more painful than tak- After each of these cases, our of all races and houses of worship I wish the four families had
ing three years to write a 100,000- Over the top nation went on with business as worth millions. What is the purpose reached out to the media or
word thesis. I would do three more usual. No professors from our 200 of religion and these splendid dis- someone for help instead of killing
theses if I could avoid writing these deed, he hanged himself. universities raised the issue. No plays of architectural feats if par- their children. What does it say
next 900 words. I could not sleep well for several religious clerics from any religion ents had no faith that they could get about our nation when parents kill
made it into a social and political help from going to a church, a their children instead of trusting
This article is about a tragedy that days after reading about that, won- issue. No NGO stood up and demon- mosque, a temple or a gurdwara to our institutions of race, institutions
concerns us as a people and a dering why a father would kill his strated or wrote press statements ask congregants to help their chil- of religion and institutions of gov-
nation. The tragedy should have children. What drove him to do about the tragedies. dren? ernance?
sparked a national debate, but it that? The police and other authori-
was ignored despite being repeated ties dismissed it as the act of a crazy Was I the only one who cringed at If I were the parent, I would have When I was in the United
four times. man. I did not think so. the news of parents killing their taken them to the mosque and Kingdom, I was given a financial
children? Was I the only one to ask begged for help and asked to stay at allowance for my four children.
What is this great tragedy, you Two weeks later, there was a questions? the mosque. I would help sweep the When I was in the United States, I
might ask? Is it the May 13 race riots report of another destitute Indian- floor of the mosque or scrub its toi- was given food stamps when my
in 1969? Is it the Bukit Kepong inci- Malaysian family whose parent, Firstly, why did these parents not lets and then ask restaurants for daughter was born. I also remem-
dent in 1950? Is it the first riot in also suffering from an illness, killed seek help from other family mem- leftovers so I could feed my chil- ber watching a report on YouTube
1964 in Singapore before it left the the children. Again, the authorities bers? All of us have wider family dren and myself. There is no shame about 400,000 unemployed British
federation? Is it the fall of a govern- dismissed it as “orang gila punya circles and if we begged several of in that. But, of course, I would ask youngsters given £250 (about
ment? Or is it the dismal state of our kerja” (a mad person’s act). them to care for one child each, for help from my own family and RM1,400 at current rates) a month
institutions of education, justice surely they would respond? I have wife’s family first before going that as a benefit back then.
and administration? Several months later, I read of no issue whatsoever if adults decide far.
Chinese-Malaysian parents who to take their own lives, but I am I spent nine years overseas and I
To me, all of these things com- poisoned their four little children aghast and crushed when children Finally, I asked: what should never read about parents killing
bined fail to measure up to the and then themselves. At the last are killed just because one cannot our government do for such fami- their children because of poverty.
tragedy I am about to describe. minute, an ambulance was called, figure out how to feed and care for lies? Why did the four families What does it say about our country,
but all the children died; the par- them. not go to a zakat office or the our people and our faiths when
Two years ago I happened to read ents survived. Welfare Department for help? Why four tragedies like these can happen
a news article about an Indian- All children in this country – and did they have no confidence in our – and that they raised not one iota of
Malaysian family whose father And just last week, a penniless the world – should be cared for and institutions, orphanages and other concern? We are, truly and sadly, a
killed all of his children. The report father, whose race was not stated, given a minimum chance to survive forms of welfare? What are these nation that is failing its most vulner-
related how the mother died of can- until they can make their own way. zakat or welfare officers doing? able people.
cer a few days before and the father, Is that not a social, political and Why are they not proactively walk- Prof Dr Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi is
who was jobless and also in poor spiritual right? What happened to ing the streets and looking under Professor of Architecture at UCSI
health, had become distraught. He the larger family system if parents bridges for the homeless or talking University. The views expressed here
ended up killing his 15-year-old son think that it would burden other to people in low-cost flats to see if are entirely the writer’s own.
and three other children by stran- family members?
gling them all. After that horrifying
Then I asked the question: why

Other news & views

Compiled by rasHVINJeeT s. bedI, C. aruNO and r. araVINTHaN

Down Syndrome teen loses savings in fire Welfare group
delivers its
A TEENAGER with Down Syndrome lost first batch of aid
almost RM3,000 in savings kept in a biscuit
container after his home in Felda Lubok THE Malaysia Tamilar Sangam has donated
Merbau in Kuala Nerang, Kedah, was razed food and grocery packets to 50 poor families
by fire. as part of its campaign to provide supplies to
2,000 families, Makkal Osai reported.
Muhammad Amzar Haziq Mohad Azlan,
13, lost the money in the blaze that happened Residents from Sentul, Jalan Ipoh and
at 10am on Saturday, reported Sinar Harian. Setiawangsa in Kuala Lumpur were among
the first batch of beneficiaries last Thursday.
According to Sopiah Saidin, her grandson
was saving the money to buy a smartphone. These recipients were from multiracial
families.
“My grandson was
saving the money from The Sangam, which was started in 2002,
his duit raya and has 53 branches around the country carrying
allowance to buy a out welfare and aid programmes.
smartphone.”
> The Negri Sembilan government will help
sopiah saidin find a solution to the land issue faced by a
temple in Lukut, Makkal Osai also reported.

The temple is apparently located on a site
belonging to another party.

It is also situated below a transmission
pylon which could be unsafe for devotees.

“The money in the biscuit tin was saved At a loss: muhammad amzar Haziq holding what’s left of his savings in Kuala Nerang. Woman dressed
from his duit raya, money that people gave to entertain
him as well as his school allowance,” Sopiah ily members were safe. Amri said investigations revealed the syndi-
said. “Luckily, the fire was spotted early and we cate had been operating for the past month A WOMAN who dressed as Snow White to get
using WeChat, adding that the foreigners had her vaccine in Kluang, Johor, came for her
The 83-year-old grandmother said she had could save ourselves,” she added. entered the country with a social visit pass. second jab as Captain America, China Press
noticed the flames on the top part of her > A prostitution syndicate that offered sex- reported.
home before she told her four grandchildren “The syndicate charged RM200 for each
including Muhammad Amzar Haziq to run ual services via the WeChat application in session while the minder received a salary of Health and wealth consultant Hana Hng
for safety. Klang was busted after police arrested eight RM1,800 a month. said she decided on Captain America because
foreign women at an apartment in Jalan Batu of the superhero’s shield, which
“The incident happened so quickly and the Nilam 16, reported Kosmo!. “We also seized items including condoms, a symbolises the protection she would receive
fire was so intense that we could not save any work schedule, a bottle of lubricant, massage once she is fully vaccinated.
important documents such as our identity A local man in charge of the premises was oil, and RM183 in cash,” he said.
cards,” she said, adding that her children also held during the 9.30pm raid on Saturday. Hng, 30, was taking selfies with frontliners
were not in the house at the time. He added that the man was remanded for at the vaccination centre.
The suspects were aged between 32 and 67. three days and the women for 14.
Sopiah said that although she could not South Klang OCPD Asst Comm Shamsul
save the things and furniture in the house,
she was relieved and grateful that all her fam-

THE STAR, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021 Views 13

EMAIL editor@thestar.com.my or
MAIL The Editor, Menara Star, 15, Jalan 16/11, Section 16, 46350 Petaling Jaya.
Letters must carry the sender’s full name, address and telephone number.
A pseudonym may be included.

More support for para athletes
FOLLOWING the excellent perfor- Accompanying officials must be would help ensure that no one fails
mance by Malaysia’s para athletes Heartbreak: paralympian muhammad Ziyad Zolkefli celebrating his held accountable for how they dis- our para athletes or deprives the
at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic gold medal in the men’s shot put F20 event on aug 31 before discovering charge their duties. They should be nation of a medal ever again.
Games, the Youth and Sports he had been disqualified for a late arrival. better training of officials accountable not just to the Para- Furthermore, it is time for
Ministry has indicated that it is accompanying para athletes will ensure this won’t happen again. — ap lympians and the Youth and Sports Malaysia to engage more former
looking to further support persons minister but also to all Malaysians Paralympians as accompanying
with disabilities (PWD) or orang ment to recognise and treat com- with disabilities to training pro- who stand firmly behind our sports officials, including in a
kurang upaya, OKU, in Malay. petitive athletes with disabilities grammes and facilities. Paralympians. supervisory capacity.
exactly the same as their non-
Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad disabled peers training for and The Tokyo 2020 Paralympics The investigation into the pro- As underscored by Ahmad Faisal
Faizal Azumu is reported to have associated with the Olympics and taught Malaysians a bitter lesson: cess that led to Muhammad Ziyad in referring to WeThe15 (recogni-
said on Sept 6 that it is time to other major international sports all officials assigned to accompany Zolkefli’s Paralympic gold medal tion of the rights of PWD as 15% of
amend the Persons with Disabi- competitions. This includes Paralympians must be screened disqualification on Aug 31 must be the global population, launched
lities Act 2008 to bridge the gap; he improving the quality and quantity and trained as carefully as the conducted transparently, ethically with the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic
also spoke about providing more of support and access for athletes Paralympians so they can fulfil and urgently. The rakyat have Games), 15% of Malaysia’s popula-
facilities and access to PWDs, espe- their responsibilities properly. every right to the detailed findings tion of 32 million are PWD. But 11
cially in the wake of the Covid-19 of that investigation. years after Malaysia ratified the
pandemic. Convention on the Rights of
Regulations and SOPs must be Persons with Disabilities, the PWD
This statement publicly accords developed and introduced for the Act has not been harmonised with
long overdue recognition, by a conduct of officials accompanying the convention.
Cabinet minister, of the need to para athletes to national and inter-
amend the PWD Act. The minister national events. We urge the Youth The limited impact of the PWD
correctly highlighted the need for and Sports Ministry to ensure the Act in protecting PWD rights
disabled-friendly access to impor- full participation of Paralympians remains the neglected orphan of
tant services, including digital ser- in the development of such regula- the Women, Family and Com-
vices, banking, food and retail ser- tions and SOP, as well as in training munity Development Ministry. We
vices and welfare assistance. It is sports officials in how they can ful- urge minister Datuk Seri Rina
also heartwarming that the minis- fil their responsibilities to properly Mohd Harun to respond by imme-
ter urged the Public Service support Malaysian para athletes. diately establishing a task force
Department to increase employ- The regulations and SOP must to initiate efforts to amend the
ment opportunities for PWD in the include protection and provision PWD Act 2008 within her first 100
public sector to reach the 1% PWD for para athletes to report miscon- days.
employment policy for that sector. duct by any sports official, without
fear of reprisal. HARAPAN OKU LAW
In celebrating the success of our REFORM GROUP
Paralympians, we urge the govern- These regulations and SOP

Inclusive MOU between govt and opposition? Ending
gender bias
THE Coalition for Clean and Fair Institutional on Parliamentary special select requested. Any institutional reforms in conferring
Elections (Bersih 2.0) welcomes the reform ensures committees, will be extended to all achieved under this MOU will bene- citizenship
joint announcement by representa- that all parties MPs on the opposition bench and fit all political parties in the coming
tives of the government and compete fairly. not restricted only to Pakatan par- days as they would have the effect WE, the undersigned civil society
Pakatan Harapan that they will be liamentarians. of levelling the political playing field organisations and individuals,
signing a memorandum of under- hold both parties accountable in ful- and start to bring an end to the cur- applaud the landmark Sept 9 deci-
standing (MOU) for Transformation filling its terms. While this historic document is rent winner-takes-all situation. sion by the Kuala Lumpur High
and Political Stability. The event called a memorandum of under- Court that affirmed Malaysian
was scheduled to take place in However, we noted that the other standing, it is essentially a Confi- More importantly, it will benefit women’s right to confer citizenship
Parliament at 5pm yesterday. parties on the opposition bench, dence and Supply Agreement under the rakyat when the government, automatically on their children
namely Warisan, Pejuang, PSB which, in exchange for implementa- Parliament and key institutions born overseas on an equal basis
This is a rare achievement (Parti Sarawak Bersatu) and two tion of some policies and institution- start working for and protecting the with Malaysian men.
between the government and oppo- independent MPs are not party to al reforms, the opposition agrees to interests of the people instead of the
sition in Malaysian politics, with the MOU (though whether they support the government when it politicians’. The Court ruled that Article 14(1)
bipartisanship triumphing over were invited or not, we do not comes to votes of confidence and (b) of the Federal Constitution,
spiteful rhetoric, one-upmanship know). We strongly hope that the supply (budget) Bills. The opposition In a democracy, politicians should together with the Second Schedule,
and mindless politicking. The agree- benefits of institutional reforms, will not be part of the government compete with each other to come Part II, Section 1(b) pertaining to
ment pivots on the need for political including equal constituency devel- and is free to vote against any other up with better policies and laws citizenship rights, must be read in
stability to better manage the Covid- opment funds and representation Bills as it deems fit. that would improve the lives of the harmony with Article 8(2), which
19 pandemic and restore the econo- rakyat. Institutional reform ensures prohibits discrimination on the
my. We look forward to learning the that all parties compete fairly, and basis of gender. High Court judge
details of the MOU but we believe there are adequate checks and Datuk Akhtar Tahir ruled that the
Bersih 2.0 also welcomes the that the seven-point reform package balances to prevent abuses of word “father” must therefore be
promise to publish the details of the offered by Prime Minister Datuk power and corruption. read to include “mother” and that
MOU in full at the signing, allowing Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob on Sept 10 their children are entitled to citizen-
the Malaysian public not only to will be included, as well as addition- STEERING COMMITTEE OF ship by operation of law.
witness the agreement but also to al reforms that Pakatan may have BERSIH 2.0
We strongly urge the government
Industries must self-regulate safety in the workplace of Malaysia not to appeal against
this ruling. This will then enable all
THE Department of Occupational Act also promotes self-regulation. Health Master Plan 2021-2025. tices to manage work processes. National Registration Department
Safety and Health (DOSH) is the Industries are encouraged to moni- While industries welcome this This is vital for industries to con- offices and Malaysian embassies
agency that enforces safety legisla- tor their adherence to legal and anticipated amendment, SMEs may duct their business safely. Member- worldwide to expedite the registra-
tions in Malaysia. In 1967, the safety standards rather than rely have difficulty meeting the require- ship in a trade association is essen- tion of Malaysian identification
department enacted the Factories solely on DOSH enforcement. How- ments. tial to learn these best practices. documents for children born over-
and Machinery Act, commonly ever, for the last 27 years, the seas to Malaysian mothers and non-
known as FMA. The Act prescribes requirement for self-regulation has In Malaysia, there are trade asso- The fast pace of technology Malaysian fathers.
the technical details required for not been fully enforced by the ciations for almost every industry improvement and market competi-
installing and operating machinery department. sector. Though trade associations tion means that these practices are We believe that with Malaysia
in the workplace. DOSH officers play a major role in assisting their constantly changing. Hence, all seeking a seat on the United Nations
carry out frequent inspections The self-regulation initiative was members, only a small number trade associations should vigorous- Human Rights Council, the govern-
to ascertain safety standards are not enthusiastically implemented of companies join them. A large ly promote the latest best practices ment is well placed to lead by exam-
met. by industries. The main reason was number of businesses in the coun- to their members. ple the countries yet to reform
a lack of knowledge. Most of them, try are not members of any trade unequal nationality laws. Not
In 1994, DOSH enacted the particularly small and medium association. As the number of members in appealing against this ruling is an
Occupational Safety and Health Act industries (SMEs), do not have the Malaysian trade association is com- incredible opportunity to do right
(Osha). The spirit of the Act is capability and capacity to imple- The main function of a trade paratively small, the government by Malaysian women and their chil-
based on the premise that the ment self-regulation. Only the mul- association is to increase its mem- could in future mandate that com- dren, and to once and for all end
responsibility of ensuring safety tinational companies and the large bers’ efficiency in operating their panies must be members of their gender discrimination in the confer-
and health in the workplace lies local companies practise self-regu- businesses. They provide their trade associations before they can ment of citizenship on children
with those who create the risks lation. members with services such as renew their yearly business licenc- born overseas to Malaysian women.
and those who work with the risks. training and technical advice es. With this requirement, trade
The Act thus rightly places the DOSH is currently reviewing and through conferences and network- associations can help companies LETTER ENDORSED BY 114
responsibility for workplace safety amending Osha 1994. One of the ing and keep members updated on realise self-regulation of workplace ORGANISATIONS & 52
on employers and employees. proposed amendments is the changes in industry standards and safety and health. INDIVIDUALS
implementation of self-regulation laws.
In addition to governing safety by industries. This is included in WONG SOO KAN
and health in industries, the Osha the DOSH Occupational Safety and For every industry sector, there Petaling Jaya
is always a specific set of best prac-

14 THE STAR, TuESdAy 14 SEpTEmbER 2021

Philippines Thailand Vietnam Singapore Cambodia

Chanthu lashes Fire badly destroys Fifteen found in cold Underwater forensic China gifts new
northern islands nightclub in Pattaya, truck as they tried to study discovers new US$150mil stadium
leaving many often frequented by flee areas badly hit species of shark in Phnom Penh that
power-less. >15 Indian tourists. >15 by Covid-19. >16 and stingray. >16 can seat 60,000. >17

China

Red hot nation

In conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party, a farmer is creating a flag of the Party with corns and red peppers as farmers dry their harvested products
in Congjiang in the southwestern Guizhou province. — AFP

Between lives and livelihoods
With economies pushed to the brink, South-East Asia chooses to reopen

Singapore EvEn as they which have already moved down South-East Asia’s factory shut- impressive – vietnam is set to grow global supply chains, the stakes
struggle with the reopening path, the region’s low downs have rippled across the 6% this year and Singapore officials have been among the highest in
one of the world’s worst Covid-19 vaccination rates leave it among the world to create supply chain hic- see theirs as high as 7% – there’s vietnam, where increasingly strin-
outbreaks, nations across South- world’s most vulnerable to the Delta cups, with automakers including increasing pressure to address gent lockdowns have exacted a high
East Asia are slowly realising that variant. Toyota Motor Corp slashing produc- global supply-chain blockages and cost for manufacturers and export-
they can no longer afford the econo- tion and clothing retailer Abercrom- to avoid dampening foreign inves- ers while failing to halt Delta’s
my-crippling restrictions needed to But with state finances stretched bie & Fitch Co warning the situation tor appetite for the dynamic region. spread.
squash it. by previous rounds of stimulus and is “out of control”.
On the factory floors of vietnam dwindling monetary policy fire- According to Oversea-Chinese The country’s trade ministry
and Malaysia, in the barbershops of power, lockdowns are becoming The daily death rate in many Banking Corp economist Wellian warned this month that it risks
Manila or office towers of Singapore, less tenable by the day. South-East Asian countries has sur- Wiranto, South-East Asian nations losing overseas customers because
regulators are pushing forward passed the global average, helping are being worn down both by the of tough restrictions that have shut-
with plans to reopen, seeking to “It’s a tricky balance between push them to bottom spots of economic costs from successive tered factories.
balance containing the virus with lives and livelihoods,” said Krystal Bloomberg’s Covid Resilience rounds of lockdowns and an increas-
keeping people and money moving. Tan, Australia & new Zealand Ranking. ing sense of exhaustion among their The European Chamber of
That’s leading to a range of experi- Banking Group Ltd economist, not- populations as the crisis drags on. Commerce in vietnam estimated
ments including military-delivered ing that even Singapore has strug- Yet officials are increasingly wor- that 18% of its members have
food, sequestered workers, micro- gled with infection spikes despite ried about what it means economi- “Any hope of a broad border relocated part of their production to
lockdowns and vaccinated-only having a world-leading vaccination cally if restrictions linger too long reopening that can facilitate trade other countries to ensure their sup-
access to restaurants and offices. rate. The risks of stop-start reopen- despite slow inoculations. Thailand’s and tourism flow across various ply chains are protected, with more
In contrast to Europe and the US, ings are higher in the rest of the hoped-for rebound on a critical Asean countries is going to remain a expected to follow.
region, where coverage is consider- tourism revival is swiftly vanishing. distant pipe dream,” Wiranto said.
ably lower, Tan said. > SEE NEXT pAGE
Even where the outlook appears When it comes to impacts on

THE STAR, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021 StarAsean+ 15

HCM City extends curbs Singapore
move necessary to isolate clusters in city of nine million
3D printing tech
Vietnam C o r o n av i r u s although more than one million go out for food.” ter earlier warned of a long corona- helps surgery
outbreak epicen- vaccine shots have been adminis- vietnam has recorded more than virus battle for which lockdown
tre Ho Chi Minh City will extend its tered daily of late, vietnam’s vacci- and quarantine measures could not dOCTOrs at Tan Tock
restrictions, state media reported, nation rate of 5.2% of its 98 million 610,000 infections and 15,000 be relied on indefinitely. seng Hospital have used
as the capital Hanoi and several population is one of the region’s deaths, the majority of those since 3d printing technology to
provinces sought an easing of curbs lowest. May. Business hub Ho Chi Minh City The capital Hanoi, the southern create tools for surgery
and the aviation authority proposed accounts for half of those infections industrial hub Binh Duong and and mock-ups of a
domestic flights resume. “overall, Ho Chi Minh City will and 80% of fatalities. some provinces in the rice bowl patient’s body parts to
Ho Chi Minh City authorities said still be under restrictions for anoth- Mekong Delta are seeking to gradu- use in consultations. They
an extension until the end of er two weeks,” state-run Dan Tri vietnam had until late april ally ease curbs, authorities said. said the innovation can
september was necessary to isolate newspaper quoted city vice-chair- maintained one of the world’s best help make consultations
clusters, speed up inoculations and man Duong anh Duc as saying. containment records. The current The civil aviation authority has clearer for patients and
prevent hospitals being over- outbreak and movement curbs proposed to the transport ministry complicated procedures
whelmed in the city of nine million “although in some districts of the have impacted its manufactur- a resumption of domestic flights in faster, more accurate and
people. city where the virus is being kept at ing-led economy, with industrial three phases, state-run Nguoi Lao less risky. — The straits
bay, restaurants are allowed to output, exports and retail sales all Dong newspaper reported, after a Times/aNN
open for takeaways and people can down in august. The prime minis- months-long suspension. — reuters
Myanmar
Pattaya
nightclub Suu Kyi skips
damaged court hearing
in blaze
depOsed leader aung
Thailand a FirE in Pattaya, san suu Kyi was unable
the Thai seaside to appear at a court
resort city southeast of Bangkok hearing yesterday for
known for its racy nightlife, has health reasons, a member
badly damaged a large nightclub of her legal team said,
catering to indian tourists, officials describing her condition
said. as dizziness caused by
There were no injuries or deaths motion sickness. suu Kyi
in the sunday night blaze, said felt ill having not travelled
suptawee ongnonyang, chief of in a vehicle for a long time,
Pattaya’s land disaster prevention lawyer min min soe said.
agency. — reuters
The nashaa Club was closed, as
are most entertainment establish- Brunei
ments due to a government-ordered
coronavirus lockdown. Six new virus
The fire, which began in the clusters found
nashaa Club, spread to several
adjoining structures on the city’s THe nation detected six
famous Walking street that were new clusters of Covid-19
also damaged, suptawee told jour- cases, raising the number
nalists. of active clusters to 69.
Pattaya is filled with bars, discos minister of Health dato
and restaurants that – before the seri setia dr Haji mohd
pandemic – were patronised by mil- Major destruction: debris seen after Typhoon Chanthu passed through sabtang town in the province of Isham also said 128 new
lions of tourists each year. batanes. — reuters cases were detected
The pandemic devastated the yesterday, bringing the
city’s economy after Thailand closed Many left without power after typhoon total cases to 4,163.
its borders in april 2020 to most — borneo bulletin/aNN
foreign visitors.
The nashaa Club was shuttered, Laos
then reopened in February this Philippines sEvEral com- “it’s one of the strongest typhoons been affected by the typhoon, with
year but closed again in april as munities i’ve felt,” said Dennis Ballesteros more than 1,000 still in evacuation Boost for ICT
Thailand suffered badly from a remain flooded and without power valdez, a resident of sabtang town centres, the disaster agency said in development
third wave of the coronavirus. after a strong typhoon battered the in the province of Batanes, which is a report. no casualties have been
suptawee said the fire spread Philippines’ northernmost islands, often pummelled by powerful reported yet. THe ministry of Techno-
quickly due partly to the sound- the authorities said, displacing typhoons. logy and Communications
proofing material used in the club, thousands of people. Chanthu has been downgraded to recently announced
and that a strong wind on sunday Typhoon Chanthu, which at one “it could have been more destruc- Category 3, according to Tropical the winner of the best
night spread the blaze to three point was categorised by the tive if the houses were not built as storm risk, as it brushed Taiwan ICT product contest,
other nearby establishments. Philippine weather bureau as a strong,” valdez said. and drenched the island with heavy who will compete in the
He said that it took about two Category 5 storm, has weakened rain. asean ICT award 2021
hours to control the fire, which after powering into the northern- Footage taken by valdez showed contest. The organisers
was extinguished around mid- most region, including the Batanes powerful winds and rains battering some 20 typhoons hit the said the competition
night. — aP island group, on saturday. houses in sabtang on saturday Philippines on average each year, played an important
morning. according to the weather authori- role in encouraging the
ties. — reuters development of ICT.
More than 11,000 people have — Vientiane Times/aNN

Growing shift to treat Covid-19 as endemic
> FROM PAGE 14 in singapore and the Philippines, on-and-off mobility curbs. tions based on virus risk in differ-
Patience among the public is businesses are becoming more They are also rolling out “road ent areas of the city.
vocal about difficulties in long-term
wearing thin across the region, planning due to the lack of certainty maps” for specific areas like offices only those with vaccine cards
especially as they’ve battled the around government policies. and schools in order to outline more can enter malls and places of wor-
virus for longer than most of the permanent rules in the new nor- ship in Jakarta.
world. as a result, there is now a grow- mal.
ing shift in south-East asia to treat restaurants in singapore are
street protests against the Thai Covid-19 as endemic, with the likes reporting the number of daily required to check the vaccination
government that predate Covid-19 of indonesia and Thailand emulat- cases is now becoming less impor- status of diners.
have evolved into pandemic-related ing singapore’s strategy to learn to tant than their severity.
rallies. “live with the virus”. in Manila, officials are consider-
in place of national or regional ing “vaccine bubbles” for workpla-
The plight of the working poor indonesia, the region’s biggest lockdowns, the Philippines is look- ces and public transport.
in vietnam – away from promis- economy, is focused on the long ing to apply mobility curbs in more
ing middle-class jobs for multi- game. targeted zones – down to the street While this strategy may reduce
national companies – is increasing or even house. the damage to the broader econo-
pressure on the government to Ministers are attempting to my, the risk is that an unequal dis-
reopen. cement rules like a years-long mask vietnam, too, is testing this strate- tribution of vaccines may unfairly
mandate rather than implementing gy, with Hanoi instituting travel disadvantage lower-income resi-
checkpoints as officials vary restric- dents. — Bloomberg

16 StarAsean+ THE STAR, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021

Not out of the woods yet Group tries
potential floods and landslides despite weakened storm to flee
hot zone in
Vietnam THE authorities Last week, the authorities put Highlands, the country’s main Separately, Typhoon Chanthu, cold truck
warned of the risk 500,000 soldiers on standby, pre- growing belt. which at one point was categorised
of floods and landslides triggered pared evacuation plans and ordered by the Philippine weather bureau Vietnam FIFTEEN people,
by Tropical Storm Conson, even vessels to stay in port as the country “The coffee farms are safe and we as a category-5 storm, weakened including a seven-
after the low-pressure system weak- braced for the arrival of Conson. expect to start harvesting from after hitting the northernmost year-old boy, have been found
ened off the country’s central coast November,” coffee grower Tran region of the Philippines on inside a refrigerated truck in
at the weekend. “Areas from Quang Binh to Quang Dinh Trong from the Central Saturday. Vietnam after they tried to escape
Heavy rain brought by the storm Ngai and Kon Tum are facing the Highlands province of Dak Lak said. areas of the south badly hit by
killed one person, damaged 31 threat of landslides and floods,” Authorities in Shanghai and Covid-19, state media said.
houses and flooded more than Vietnam’s weather agency said in a Vietnam is prone to destructive neighbouring coastal regions have Vietnam has been battling a
1,000ha of rice fields in central statement, referring to central storms and flooding due to its long cancelled flights, and suspended devastating fourth wave of the
Vietnam, the country’s disaster coastal areas and Kon Tum in the coastline. Natural disasters – pre- schools, subways and trains as virus since April and millions of
management agency said yester- country’s central highlands. dominantly floods and landslides Chanthu approached China after people are under stay-at-home
day. triggered by storms – killed 379 drenching Taiwan though causing orders, with domestic travel large-
No damage has been reported so people and injured 1,060 others in little damage there. — Reuters ly forbidden.
far to the coffee farms in the Central the country last year.

Thailand On Sunday, police in Binh Thuan
Night rally province discovered the group of
15 inside a vehicle that had aroused
protesters watching suspicion as it tried to pass a virus
as fireworks are checkpoint on its way north, Ho Chi
thrown at the Minh City’s Phap Luat online news-
police during a paper said.
demonstration in “Police were so surprised to see
bangkok. activists 15 people at the back of the truck...
are calling for the Some of them were sweating and
resignation of prime showed symptoms of breath short-
minister prayut ness,” the report said, adding that
Chan-o-cha over the the passengers were carrying nega-
government’s tive Covid-19 test certificates.
handling of the A passenger said they had asked
Covid-19 pandemic. the driver to turn off the truck’s
— aFp refrigeration system as it had been
too cold.
“We knew it is a huge risk and
very dangerous to stay in a closed
frozen truck, but we face a higher
risk if we get infected with the
virus,” the report quoted a man
travelling with his seven-year-old
son as saying.
According to the report, the group
travelled dozens of kilometres in
the sealed truck from southern
Dong Nai province, an industrial
area that has recorded more than
35,000 Covid-19 cases and 320
deaths.
The province has been in total
Underwater forensics reveal new shark and ray species lockdown since early July and
makeshift hospitals have been set
up to treat tens of thousands of
infected patients.
Singapore THE murky cowtail stingray. reef shark and blue-spotted ray. Instead, environmental forensics The people in the truck were
waters hide an Sharks and rays belong to a group But the new study led by Aden Ip, paved the way for their discovery. reportedly trying to reach their
abundance of marine life – includ- homes in central Vietnam.
ing a group of creatures that is glob- of marine creatures known as elas- a doctoral student at the Reef The researchers took 84 water Vietnam has suspended all pub-
ally threatened from overfishing. mobranchs. Museum records going Ecology Lab in NUS, suggests that samples from nine locations in the lic road and air transport links
A new study by National back to the 1960s at NUS show that up to 16 species – including the two Singapore Strait and ran DNA from the south, which has been hit
University of Singapore (NUS) scien- 37 elasmobranch species have been new ones – could have swum in tests. the hardest by the country’s most
tists has found that there could be found in local waters. Singapore waters recently. severe wave of the pandemic so
more species of sharks and rays The study also found that three far.
than expected – including two spe- But of the 37, only seven have The scientists did not discover the sites south of Singapore – Cyrene The country has reported more
cies never before recorded in local been sighted in Singapore waters by presence of these animals in the Reef, Lazarus Island and Raffles than 610,000 virus cases, with more
waters: the Bengal whip ray and anglers and scuba divers in the past usual way creatures are found, such Lighthouse – hosted a larger array than 11,400 deaths. — AFP
two decades. as through chance encounters or of shark and ray species. — The
camera trap footage. Straits Times/ANN
They include the black-tipped

Young adults willing to venture into agriculture

Indonesia SOME young “I believe farming is noble “This is the effort by us and for all al career owing to family pressure.
Indonesians because apart from earning a liv- of us. Hopefully, if our villages Maya was an operational manag-
are abandoning comfortable desk- ing, we can create good karma for advance, people don’t need to
bound jobs in the city to toil on the life. We preserve our soil and water migrate to cities for jobs,” he said. er in an export company before
land as farmers. and help many people,” he added. turning to farming, and Herwita
In tourism hot spot Bali, Agung Bali’s farming community, whose worked as a store manager in a flo-
Wedhatama, who has a master’s In 2014, Agung, along with 20 economy depends primarily on rist.
degree in information technology, other people, set up a community tourism, has also moved to help
decided to do so in 2013 when he called “Petani Muda Keren”, or Cool those hit hard by the Covid-19 pan- They started their farming busi-
was 29, leaving behind the IT busi- Young Farmers, which now has demic by offering incentives to ness from scratch, renting a num-
ness that he had set up. He started 2,000 members in dozens of villages A group of leading Asian those who have lost their jobs in the ber of plots of land in Mojokerto in
by producing organic fertilisers and across Bali. newspapers working hospitality sector to turn to farm- 2016.
then went on to plant ginger, chilli ing.
and fruits for domestic and over- All of them are into organic farm- toward improving coverage Aided by 20 others, nearly all of
seas markets under a new compa- ing, which is more profitable, and of Asian affairs. They are offered seeds and fertil- whom are women, Maya and her
ny, PT Wedhatama Sukses Makmur. they adopt mechanisation as well as isers, the cost of which is repaid business partner now grow 50 types
He said he switched to farming digitalisation to improve output. www.asianewsnet.net only after the harvest. of organic vegetables and fruits in
because he wanted to build a sus- eight separate plots of land, each of
tainable business, one with Armed with an IT background, BOS Fresh, another application, In East Java, English Literature which range in size from between
far-reaching impact. Agung has also developed several allows the user to offer products to graduate Maya Stolastika Boleng 1,000sq m and 2,000sq m.
“If we do business just to earn applications to help farmers on buyers. and her friend, Herwita Suma
money, we are the only ones who planting and marketing their pro- Rosalina, ventured into farming in Agung and Maya are the faces of
enjoy the benefits. We don’t bring duce, either at home or overseas, Agung believes that the integrat- 2012 after leaving stable jobs in young Indonesian farmers who
any impact on life,” Agung, now 36, including Singapore. ed value chain aided by technology Bali. bring new hope to the country’s
told The Straits Times. brings farmers closer to the market agriculture sector.
In the BOS Farmer app, for and makes the agriculture sector Both had tried their hand at
instance, one can store information more efficient. organic farming while in university Only 2.7 million, or 8%, of the
about produce and find out more after learning about it during a yoga 33.4 million farmers in the country,
about fertilising and harvesting. workshop, but opted for a tradition- are aged between 20 and 39. — The
Straits Times/ANN

THE STAR, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021 StarAsean+ 17

Raising the green goal bar
Deeper reforms ahead for eco-compensation mechanism

BEIJING: China has released a such as rivers, natural forests and tection areas, and the protection energy use rights and carbon emis- Shanghai
guideline on deepening the reform wetlands, and the comprehensive costs of diverse ecological elements. sion rights, which is to involve vol- battens down
of the country’s ecological compen- compensation system that features untary emission reduction projects as typhoon
sation mechanism to speed up the fiscal support will be improved. While focusing on national eco- on greenhouse gases in the fields of storms in
building of ecological civilisation. logical security priorities, the coun- forestry, renewable energy and
In the meantime, a market-ori- try will enhance the comprehensive methane utilisation. SHANGHAI: All passenger flights
The guideline, jointly released by ented and diversified compensation compensation system with policies at Shanghai’s two airports were
the general offices of the Communist pattern will be formed with the that conform to the financial capa- To expand market-oriented cancelled as Typhoon Chanthu is
Party of China Central Committee whole society more actively partici- city and promote equal access to financing channels, financial insti- forecast to go through or make a
and the State Council, details meas- pating in ecological protection. basic public services. tutions, qualified non-financial landfall at the eastern coastal region
ures for the country to realise long- firms and insurers are encouraged of the municipality.
term ecological compensation goals By 2035, the country will form an Efforts will be made to give full to provide green services and prod-
set for 2025 and 2035. ecological compensation mecha- play to the role of market mecha- ucts, the document added. Shanghai first issued a warning
nism that meets the requirements nism to promote diversified com- for typhoon and rainstorm on
By 2025, an ecological compensa- of ecological civilisation in the new pensation and help regions that Supporting policies regarding the Sunday. The city’s meteorological
tion mechanism that is aligned with era, according to the document. conduct ecological protection meas- rule of law, ecological environment authority said that the accumulated
economic and social development ures obtain benefits. monitoring, and fiscal and taxation rainfall from yesterday to Thursday
should be basically built up. The classified compensation sys- will also be introduced to deepen is expected to be between 200 and
tem will take into account factors According to the document, the reform of the ecological compensa- 400mm. The heaviest rainfall in an
The classified compensation sys- including the economic and social country will accelerate the building tion mechanism. — Xinhua hour can reach 50 to 80mm.
tem targeting ecological elements development of the ecological pro- of a national market for trading
Chanthu, the 14th typhoon this
Power to year, was at the northern region of
the people the East China Sea at 9am yesterday
and was moving northwest at the
solar panels speed of 15 to 20 kph.
covering barren
hillsides in Jishan Shanghai authorities closed all
county, shanxi kindergartens as well as primary
province. besides and middle schools yesterday after-
building solar noon through to today. Parks, out-
farms, rural door scenic spots, sports stadium
residents of the and large amusement parks, includ-
area are actively ing the Shanghai Disney Resort and
participating in Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park,
China’s national will also be closed until today.
development
strategy by Nearly 600 trains leaving and
installing panels arriving in Shanghai were can-
on the roof of celled. Five of the city’s metro routes
their homes in a or sections that run above the
push towards ground at coastal regions were also
realising their suspended.
goal of energy
self-sufficiency. A total of 28,000 residents living
— China daily/ in the city’s coastal regions were
aNN relocated to safe venues yesterday.

Young HK scientists win prized national grant East China’s Zhejiang province
braced itself and upgraded its emer-
HONG KONG: Three young Hong the University of Hong Kong, and er, 1,135 scientists applied for the awarded the Life Science Prize in the gency response to Typhoon Chanthu
Kong scientists were among 50 top Lu Yi-chun, associate professor at award from across the country. 2021 Future Science Prize – known to the highest level, closing schools
national researchers awarded the the Department of Mechanical as “China’s Nobel Prize”. as well as suspending air and rail
2021 Xplorer Prize, one of the and Automation Engineering at This year, a total of 69 applica- services in several cities.
nation’s highest grants for young the Chinese University of Hong tions were received from scientists They were recognised for discov-
researchers. Kong. from Hong Kong and Macau, a ering the SARS-CoV-1 as the causa- The Zhejiang provincial meteoro-
record since the non-profit award tive agent of the global SARS out- logical observatory said the typhoon
The three are Yao Wang, profes- Each of them will be rewarded opened to them in 2020. break in 2003 and the transmission was expected to make landfall in
sor at the Department of Physics at with three million yuan (RM1.9mil) chain of the pathogen, which helped the province’s coastal areas between
the University of Hong Kong, Huang by Tencent Charity Foundation in Also on Sunday, two Hong Kong the mankind deal with the MERS Zhoushan and Ningbo, or pass
Mingxin, professor at the Depart- the next five years. scientists Yuen Kwok-yung and and Covid-19 coronavirus. — China through Zhoushan Islands yester-
ment of Mechanical Engineering at Joseph Sriyal Malik Peiris, both from Daily/ANN day morning. — China Daily/ANN
According to the grant’s organis- the University of Hong Kong, were

Cambodia-China ties reflected in gift of new stadium

Cambodia CHINA handed over to vel to Cambodia by boat, officials said.
Cambodia a US$150mil It is surrounded by a moat that echoes the
(RM622mil) stadium in Phnom Penh, with
officials saying on Sunday it is the result of body of water encompassing the Angkor Wat
Beijing’s biggest ever infrastructure grant to temple complex.
the country.
The 60,000-capacity venue is the latest pro- “This is another new milestone in the iron-
ject under China’s trillion-dollar Belt and clad friendship between Cambodia and
Road initiative, a plan to fund infrastructure China,” Prime Minister Hun Sen said upon
projects and increase its sway overseas. receiving the stadium.
The presentation of the arena, intended as
the main venue when Cambodia hosts the During Wang Yi’s visit, Cambodia and
South-East Asian (SEA) Games in 2023, was China also signed several new deals in which
made by China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi Beijing promised a total of US$250mil
during his visit. (RM1.03bil) for the country’s development Poised for glory:
Cambodia’s tourism minister Thong Khon projects, Hun Sen said. The morodok
said the stadium represented China’s largest Techo National
ever grant to Cambodia for an infrastructure Wang Yi later pledged to continue support- stadium will be
project. ing Cambodia’s infrastructure expansion. the main venue for
Located in Cambodia’s capital, the Morodok the 2023 sea
Techo National Stadium resembles a sailing He added China had never set “political Games in phnom
ship, symbolising the two nations long-stand- conditions” in its cooperation with Cambodia. penh. — reuters
ing friendship as Chinese people used to tra-
Cambodia has long been a staunch Beijing
ally, receiving billions of dollars in soft loans
and investments. China has also supplied
Phnom Penh with nearly 28 million doses of
Covid-19 vaccines, including a donation of 4.3
million jabs. — AFP

18 THE STAR, TuESdAy 14 SEpTEmbER 2021

N. Korea tests new missile Another
deadly year
Pyongyang threatening its neighbours and beyond, says US for LatAm
environment
Seoul: North Korea test-fired a South or Japan – both of them US which it says it needs to defend The launch was a response to defenders
new “long-range cruise missile” allies. against a US invasion. joint South Korea-US military drills
over the weekend, state media last month, he said. Bogota: A record 227 people
reported, with the United States The test launches took place on But Pyongyang is not banned were killed worldwide in 2020 for
saying the nuclear-armed country Saturday and Sunday, the official from developing cruise missiles, But Chinese Foreign Minister their defence of nature – more than
was threatening its neighbours and Korean Central News Agency said. which it has tested previously. Wang Yi is due in Seoul today and four a week on average, and almost
beyond. Park added: “By choosing cruise three-quarters of them in Latin
The missiles travelled 1,500km As described, the missile “poses a missiles, North Korea is trying not America, environmental rights
Pictures in the Rodong Sinmun above North Korea to hit their tar- considerable threat”, Park Won- to provoke the US and China too organisation Global Witness said.
newspaper showed a missile exit- gets, according to KCNA. gon, professor of North Korean much.”
ing one of five tubes on a launch Studies at Ewha Womans University, For the second year in a row,
vehicle in a ball of flame, and a Its report called the missile a said. Meanwhile, the Japanese govern- Colombia was the country with the
missile in horizontal flight. “strategic weapon of great signifi- ment is “concerned” over the mat- highest number of killings – 65 –
cance”, adding the tests were suc- “If the North has sufficiently min- ter, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsu- while Nicaragua had the highest
Such a weapon would represent cessful and it gave the country iaturised a nuclear warhead, it can nobu Kato said yesterday. per-capita rate, with 12 murders up
a marked advance in North Korea’s “another effective deterrence be loaded onto a cruise missile as from five in 2019, the group said in
weapons technology, analysts said, means” against “hostile forces”. well,” Park said. He added that Japan will contin- its annual report.
better able to avoid defence systems ue to work closely with the United
to deliver a warhead across the North Korea is under internation- “It’s very likely that there will be States and South Korea to monitor Seven of the 10 deadliest coun-
al sanctions for its nuclear weapons more tests for the development of the situation. — Agencies tries for land and environmental
SpaceX to and ballistic missile programmes, various weapons systems.” defenders were in Latin America,
launch with 165 killings recorded, though
all-civilian Checking out warlord luxury Global Witness said the number
crew into was “almost certainly” an underes-
Earth orbit A member of the Taliban visiting the greenhouse yard at the home of Afghan warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum timate.
in the Sherpur neighbourhood of Kabul. The Taliban have taken over the glitzy Kabul mansion of one of their
WaShington: SpaceX is set to fiercest enemies – the warlord and fugitive former vice-president Dostum. — AFP After Colombia, Mexico had the
launch four people into space on a second highest number of deaths
three-day mission that is the first to globally, with 30.
orbit the Earth with exclusively pri-
vate citizens on board, as Elon It was followed by the Philippines
Musk’s company enters the space (29), Brazil (20), Honduras (17), the
tourism fray. Democratic Republic of Congo (15),
Guatemala (13), Nicaragua (12),
The “Inspiration4” mission caps a Peru (six) and India (four).
summer that saw billionaires
Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos “This is a crisis against humani-
cross the final frontier, on Virgin ty,” said the report.
Galactic and Blue Origin spaceships
respectively, a few days apart in “Land and environmental
July. defenders that have stood up to
powerful interests have paid a
The SpaceX flight has been char- heavy price – with their freedom,
tered by American billionaire Jared livelihoods and even their lives.”
Isaacman, the 38-year-old founder
and CEO of payment processing Repressive governments, added
company Shift4 Payment. Global Witness, used the global
coronavirus outbreak “as an oppor-
The exact price he paid SpaceX tunity to clamp down on civil socie-
hasn’t been disclosed, but it runs ty as companies pushed ahead with
into the tens of millions of dollars. destructive projects”.

The mission itself is far more Many activists and communities
ambitious in scope than the few also experience attempts to silence
weightless minutes Virgin Galactic them through death threats, sur-
and Blue Origin customers can buy. veillance, sexual violence or arrests,
said the report.
The SpaceX Crew Dragon will be
flying further than the orbit of the The majority of victims – 71% –
International Space Station. had been working to protect forests,
while others died for their work to
“The risk is not zero,” said conserve rivers, coastal areas and
Isaacman in an episode of a Netflix the oceans. — AFP
documentary about the mission.
Joy for vaccinated residents as rules relaxed
“You’re riding a rocket at 17,500
miles (28,000km) per hour around Sydney: Virus lockdown rules Out and about: Residents exercising along the Sydney Harbour after but like many was looking forward
the Earth. In that kind of environ- were relaxed for fully vaccinated some rules were relaxed by the New South Wales state. — AFP to the day when more rules are lift-
ment there’s risks.” people in Sydney, with small groups ed.
allowed to meet for picnics for the told reporters. ble-dose vaccination rate hits 70%
SpaceX has already given no first time in months. Stay-at-home orders are set to be – likely in October based on current “I can catch up and be with more
fewer than 10 astronauts rides to trends. mates but I’d love to see both my
the ISS on behalf of Nasa – but this Families and friends gathered in lifted for the fully vaccinated across kids.
will be the first time taking non-pro- parks and at beaches, reuniting 11 Sydney and surrounding New Damien Carr, who is semi-retired,
fessional astronauts. weeks after an outbreak of the Delta South Wales state when the dou- said the rule change was “great”, “I haven’t been able to see my
variant brought Australia’s biggest daughter in over two months and
Lift-off is scheduled for tomor- city to a virtual standstill. she only lives 10km from here.
row from 8pm Eastern Time (0000
GMT). The rules remain strict, with just “That’s actually been the toughest
five fully vaccinated people allowed thing for me in the lockdown, I
In addition to Isaacman, who is to gather outdoors for up to an think for a lot of people, just not
the mission commander, three hour, while tougher rules are in being able to see your family.
non-public figures were selected for place for virus hotspots.
the voyage via a process that was “Whether they are 20km away or
first advertised at the Super Bowl in Across Sydney, a five-kilometre 2,000km, it’s tough.”
February. (three-mile) travel limit remains in
place. Sydney residents are cautiously
The stated goal of the mission is hoping the rule changes signal the
to make space accessible for more Though only a slight easing of beginning of the end of 18 months
people, although space travel restrictions, carer Lisa Doyle wel- of on-off restrictions.
remains for the moment only par- comed the change, saying it would
tially open to a privileged few. — make lockdown “a lot easier”. “Most people I know, they want to
AFP go to restaurants, they want to cele-
“I think with the restrictions eas- brate, they want to have birthdays,”
ing today it gives me greater peace Carr said.
of mind that we can go out and
we’re allowed to get together,” she “I think it will be a huge party
but I don’t think we’re out of it.”
— AFP

THE STAR, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021 19

20 THE STAR, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021

THE STAR, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021 21

22 THE STAR, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021

THE STAR, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021 Sport 23

Medvedev delivers on biggest stage to win US Open Bagnaia
claims
COMPETING just a stone’s throw 5-4, left leg, I almost couldn’t walk. after losing to Djokovic in straight move the avid gamer said he maiden
from the bright lights of Broadway, “If you really look the replay, sets at the Australian Open final learned from a FIFA video game. MotoGP win
Daniil Medvedev delivered the per- earlier this year.
formance of a lifetime to win the US when I walked to the towel, my leg “I wanted to make it special for ALCANIZ: Pole sitter Francesco
Open and deny Novak Djokovic a was just going behind. I was trying “For the confidence and for my people to love, for my friends to ‘Pecco’ Bagnaia of Ducati held off a
rare calendar year Grand Slam. not to show it. If Novak feels it, it’s future career, knowing that I beat love who I play FIFA with,” said spirited challenge from Honda’s Marc
not good.” somebody who was 27-0 in a year in Medvedev, conceding that per- Marquez in an epic battle to win his
The Russian won the year’s final Grand Slams, I lost to him in haps the move would have been first MotoGP race at the Aragon Grand
major 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 though the Medvedev had dropped just one Australia, he was going for huge better attempted on a different Prix and move up to second in the
straight-sets victory was anything set on the way to the final and history, and knowing that I man- surface. championship standings.
but routine as Medvedev had to grit ripped through each of his first four aged to stop him it definitely makes
his teeth and battle through cramp matches in under two hours, deter- it sweeter and brings me confi- “I got hurt a little bit. It’s not easy Marquez, who was seeking a
to close out the match, keeping the mined to finally get his hands on a dence for what is to come on hard to make it on hard courts.” sixth premier class victory at the
pain hidden to avoid giving Djokovic Grand Slam trophy. courts,” he said. track, started fourth on the grid but
the scent of blood. The move delighted the rowdy quickly moved up to second after
He had come close here two years “But let’s see about other surfac- New York crowd, who moments turn one when he overtook Jack
“I started cramping at 5-3, I think ago, coming up short in the final es.” earlier had booed and whistled as Miller to split the Ducatis.
because of the pressure at 5-2 where after a five-set thriller against Rafa Medvedev served in the eighth and
I had match points, I didn’t make it,” Nadal. He had enough left in the tank to 10th games hoping to see Djokovic The former champion piled on
he told reporters. serve up a unique victory pose, flop- go the distance, refusing to quiet the pressure in the chase and
But he was still widely regarded ping to his side in a “dead fish cele- down despite the urging of the chair overtook Bagnaia seven times
“My legs were gone after 5-3. At as the underdog when he arrived at bration” with his tongue stuck out, a umpire. — Reuters with three laps to go but the Italian
Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday, took the position right back by
lunging on the inside each and
Saved by the halo every time before taking the cheq-
Hamilton says he’s alive because of neck protection device uered flag.

MONZA: Lewis Hamilton said he Lucky escape: The red bull of max Verstappen lands on the mercedes of Lewis Hamilton (left) after their “It’s a dream come true to get my
was grateful to be alive following crash on the Italian Formula One Grand prix at the autodromo Nazionale Circuit in monza on sunday. — aFp first victory,” Bagnaia, the eighth
his extraordinary crash with Max different winner of the season, said
Verstappen at the Italian Grand like that that you get the real shock calling it the “worst-looking modifi- “The championship was good fun in a pit-lane interview.
Prix. of how you look at life and how cation” in the sport’s history and up until now but we saw the halo
fragile we all are. vowed not to use it, unless it became save Lewis’ life today. We don’t want “It wasn’t easy to stay in front of
Hamilton and Verstappen collid- mandatory. to see someone seriously hurt.” Marc. His body is not at 100% but I
ed for the second time in five races “If you look at the images of the think today he was very competi-
in Monza following another tanta- crash, my head is really quite far But the 36-year-old Briton started Rival Red Bull boss Christian tive.”
lising chapter of Formula One’s best forward in the cockpit. to change his tune ahead of its intro- Horner, who described the crash as
championship battle of recent duction three years ago. a 50-50 accident, said: “It was a very Six-times MotoGP champion
memory. “I have been racing a long, long awkward accident and you could Marquez has not been at his best
time. I am so grateful I am still here. The device has also been lauded see Max’s car right up the Mercedes. since his arm injury last year and
Verstappen was deemed at fault I feel incredibly blessed that some- for saving Charles Leclerc after his subsequent surgeries but the
for the coming together and pun- one was watching over me today.” car was struck by Fernando Alonso’s “Without the halo there would Spaniard was happy to finish on the
ished with a three-place grid penal- flying McLaren following a first-lap have been no protection for the podium for a second time this season.
ty at the next round in Russia. Reacting to Verstappen’s penalty, accident at Spa-Francorchamps in weight of that wheel coming down
Hamilton added: “I am proud of the 2018. on top of Lewis. The halo has again “I still need to find the best level.
On lap 26 of 53, Verstappen stewards. demonstrated its purpose in I enjoyed the battle with Pecco in
approached the Variante Del “The halo definitely saved Lewis’ Formula One.” the last laps,” Marquez said.
Rettifilo at 225mph as Hamilton “It sets a precedent and it is life today,” said Mercedes team
exited the pit-lane. important for us moving forwards, principal Toto Wolff. “Without it, it The race was won McLaren’s “Today Pecco was faster than us.
for the safety of the drivers, that would have been a horrible acci- Daniel Ricciardo who was followed I tried in the end but it wasn’t possi-
Verstappen attempted to squeeze there are rules in place.” dent which I don’t even want to home by teammate Lando Norris in ble. But really happy with another
past Hamilton at the right-left chi- think about. second place. — Reuters podium.”
cane, but ran off the track and on to Hamilton was initially sceptical
the kerbs. about the introduction of the halo, Reigning champion Joan Mir of
Suzuki finished third while champi-
Verstappen was sent out of con- onship leader Fabio Quartararo,
trol and airborne into Hamilton’s who started third on the grid, had a
path, with the rear-right wheel poor start and eventually finished
crushing the top of Hamilton’s eighth.
Mercedes.
Frenchman Quartararo holds a
Mercifully, the halo protection 53-point lead over Bagnaia with five
device, which sits above the driver’s races left. — Reuters
head, and was controversially intro-
duced in 2018, absorbed the crush- Horschel
ing impact of Verstappen’s 750kg wins despite
machine. Ryder
Cup snub
Seven-time world champion
Hamilton was able to walk away, VIRGINIA WATER (England):
complaining only of a stiff neck and Billy Horschel felt aggrieved this
soreness. week at the manner in which he
missed out on a place in the US
But three hours after the accident, team for the Ryder Cup.
Hamilton admitted he was still in
pain and said he will be forced to So he took down a bunch of lead-
seek medical attention ahead of the ing Europeans by himself.
next round in Sochi on Sept 26.
Horschel birdied Wentworth’s
“I feel very fortunate today,” said storied 18th hole after an approach
Hamilton. “Thank God for the halo shot that spun back to inside two
which saved me, and saved my neck. feet, securing a closing seven-under
65 and a one-shot victory at the
“I don’t think I have ever been hit BMW PGA Championship on
on the head by a car before. And it Sunday.
is quite a big shock for me.
He became only the second
“We are taking risks and it is only American to win what is tradition-
when you experience something ally regarded as the biggest event
on the European Tour, after Arnold
RESULTS WORLDWIDE 16.575, 9. Jorge Martin (Spa) Ducati-Pramac 16.615, Moto3: 1. Pedro Acosta (Spa) KTM 201 points, 2. 1:24.812. Palmer in 1975.
10. Takaaki Nakagami (Jpn) Honda-LCR 16.904. Sergio Garcia (Spa) GasGas 155, 3. Dennis Foggia (Ita) Retired: Yuki Tsunoda (Jpn) AlphaTauri-Honda, Pierre
GOLF Moto2: 1. Raul Fernandez (Spa) Kalex 39:49.990, Honda 143, 4. Romano Fenati (Ita) Husqvarna 134, 5. Gasly (Fra) AlphaTauri-Honda, Max Verstappen (Hol) Not a bad way to get over the
BMW PGA TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP 2. Remy Gardner (Aus) Kalex at 5.408, 3. Augusto Jaume Masia (Spa) KTM 111. Red Bull-Honda, Lewis Hamilton (Bri) Mercedes, disappointment of being over-
Leading final round scores (Bri-Irl unless stated): 269: Fernandez (Spa) Kalex 6.824, 4. Jorge Navarro (Spa) Nikita Mazepin (Rus) Haas-Ferrari looked for a captain’s pick for the
Billy Horschel (US) 70-65-69-65; 270: Laurie Canter Boscoscuro 7.051, 5. Aron Canet (Spa) Boscoscuro MOTOR RACING Leading overall standings Ryder Cup team. And Horschel had
67-66-70-67, Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Tha) 64-68-74- 10.695. ITALIAN F1 GRAND PRIX Drivers: 1. Max Verstappen (Hol) 226.5pts, 2. Lewis a message for US captain Steve
64, Jamie Donaldson 69-66-69-66; 271: Christiaan Moto3: 1. Dennis Foggia (Ita) Honda 37:53.710, 2. 1. Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) McLaren-Mercedes Hamilton (Bri) 221.5, 3. Valtteri Bottas (Fin) 141, 4. Stricker.
Bezuidenhout (Rsa) 64-72-68-67; 272: Justin Rose Denis Oncu (Tur) KTM at 0.041, 3. Ayumu Sasaki (Jpn) 1’21:54.367, 2. Lando Norris (Bri) McLaren-Mercedes Lando Norris (Bri) 132, 5. Sergio Perez (Mex) 118,
67-68-72-65, Andrew Johnston 70-69-68-65, Franc- KTM 0.644, 4. Izan Guevara (Spa) GasGas 0.708, 5. at 1.747, 3. Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Mercedes 4.921, 6. Charles Leclerc (Mon) 104, 7. Carlos Sainz Jr (Spa) “It sucks not making the team,”
esco Laporta (Ita) 68-65-69-70; 273: Shubhankar Niccolo Antonelli (Ita) KTM 0.878. 4. Charles Leclerc (Mon) Ferrari 7.309, 5. Sergio 97.5, 8. Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) 83, 9. Pierre Gasly Horschel said.
Sharma (Ind) 70-69-68-66, Thomas Pieters (Bel) Leading overall standings Perez (Mex) Red Bull-Honda 8.723, 6. Carlos Sainz (Fra) 66, 10. Fernando Alonso (Spa) 50, 11. Esteban
70-66-71-66, Sean Crocker (US) 71-68-66-68; 274: MotoGP: 1. Fabio Quartararo (Fra) Yamaha 214 points, Jr (Spa) Ferrari 10.535, 7. Lance Stroll (Can) Aston Ocon (Fra) 45, 12. Sebastian Vettel (Ger) 35, 13. Lance “I didn’t play consistent enough,
Tommy Fleetwood 71-68-68-67, Matthias Schwab 2. Francesco Bagnaia (Ita) Ducati 161, 3. Joan Mir Martin-Mercedes 15.804, 8. Fernando Alonso Stroll (Can) 24, 14. Yuki Tsunoda (Jpn) 18, 15. George and well enough, after I won the
(Aut) 69-69-69-67. (Spa) Suzuki 157, 4. Johann Zarco (Fra) Ducati-Pramac (Spa) Alpine-Renault 17.201, 9. George Russell (Bri) Russell (Bri) 15, 16. Nicholas Latifi (Can) 7, 17. Kimi Match Play to warrant a pick or to
137, 5. Jack Miller (Aus) Ducati 129, 6. Brad Binder Williams-Mercedes 19.742, 10. Esteban Ocon (Fra) Raikkonen (Fin) 2, 18. Antonio Giovinazzi (Ita) 1, 19. get enough points to get an auto-
MOTORCYCLING (Rsa) KTM 117, 7. Aleix Espargaro (Spa) Aprilia 96, 8. Alpine-Renault 20.868, 11. Nicholas Latifi (Can) Mick Schumacher (Ger) 0, 20. Nikita Mazepin (Rus) 0, matic selection.” — AP
ARAGON GRAND PRIX Maverick Vinales (Spa) Aprilia 95, 9. Miguel Oliveira Williams-Mercedes 23.743, 12. Sebastian Vettel 21. Robert Kubica (Pol) 0.
MotoGP: 1. Francesco Bagnaia (Ita) Ducati 41:44.422, (Por) KTM 87, 10. Marc Marquez (Spa) Honda 79. (Ger) Aston Martin-Mercedes 24.621, 13. Antonio Constructors: 1. Mercedes 362.5pts, 2. Red Bull-Hon-
2. Marc Marquez (Spa) Honda at 0.673sec, 3. Joan Moto2: 1. Remy Gardner (Aus) Kalex 251, 2. Raul Giovinazzi (Ita) Alfa Romeo-Ferrari 27.216, 14. da 344.5, 3. McLaren-Mercedes 215, 4. Ferrari 201.5,
Mir (Spa) Suzuki 3.911, 4. Aleix Espargaro (Spa) Aprilia Fernandez (Spa) Kalex 212, 3. Marco Bezzechi (Ita) Robert Kubica (Pol0 Alfa Romeo-Ferrari 29.769, 5. Alpine-Renault 95, 6. AlphaTauri-Honda 84, 7.
9.269, 5. Jack Miller (Aus) Ducati 11.928, 6. Enea Kalex 179, 4. Sam Lowes (Bri) Kalex 127, 5. Augusto 15. Mick Schumacher (Ger) Haas-Ferrari 51.088. Aston Martin-Mercedes 59, 8. Williams 22, 9. Alfa
Bastianini (Ita) Ducati-Avintia 13.957, 7. Brad Binder Fernandez (Spa) Kalex 108. Fastest lap: Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) McLaren-Mercedes Romeo Racing-Ferrari 3, 10. Haas-Ferrari 0.
(Rsa) KTM 14.064, 8. Fabio Quartararo (Fra) Yamaha

24 Sport THE STAR, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021

In prime UEFA Champions League 2021-22 Serdar double
position lifts Hertha
MATCHDAY 1: SEP 14 Head-to-head W D L off bottom
of Bundesliga
GROUP E Form 2020-21
BERLIN: Hertha Berlin’s new sign-
Dynamo Kyiv UKR 1 03 Bayern Q-final ing Suat Serdar scored the first
Benfica POR 27 brace of his career as his club
Barcelona Last 16 moved off the foot of the Bundesliga
table with their first points this sea-
Barcelona ESP 2 Benfica – son after a 3-1 win at Bochum.
Bayern GER
Kyiv Group The 24-year-old Germany mid-
fielder, who was signed from rele-
GROUP F 002 Villarreal – gated Schalke for around €8mil
Young Boys SUI First (RM39mil), scored his opening goal
Man Utd ENG Man Utd Group for Hertha on 37 minutes, then
Villarreal ESP meeting reacted quickest to a mistake in the
Atalanta ITA Atalanta Last 16 defence just before the break.

Young Boys – Bochum pulled a goal back when
Simon Zoller scored for the hosts
‘Competitive’ bayern head GROUP G 200 Lille – early in the second half, before
into europe boosted by Sevilla ESP 011 Hertha’s ex-Nice forward Myziane
Leipzig reinforcements Salzburg AUT Sevilla Last 16 Maolida, 22, came on to score on his
Lille FRA Bundesliga debut to put the result
Wolfsburg GER Salzburg Group beyond doubt.

Wolfsburg – After defeats in the opening three
games, visibly relieved Hertha
BERLIN: Bayern Munich start their GROUP H 002 Chelsea Winner coach Pal Dardai praised his team
Champions League campaign today Malmö SWE First Juventus Last 16 for grinding out the result.
with a mouth-watering clash at Juventus ITA Zenit
Barcelona as the Bavarian giants Chelsea ENG meeting Malmö Group “The first half was a battle, we
confidently head into Europe hav- Zenit RUS – wanted to counter. It didn’t look
ing plundered reinforcements from pretty,” said Dardai, “but if anyone
Bundesliga rivals Leipzig. RONALDO RETURNS: Portuguese captain thinks we can play lovely football
Cristiano Ronaldo (right) completed emotional here, they don’t know the
While Paris St Germain snapped €15m return to Old Trafford in August – further bolstering Bundesliga.
up stars like Lionel Messi and Sergio United’s squad, which also includes summer signings
Ramos and Manchester United Jadon Sancho and Raphaël Varane “That’s why I’m proud of the
finally signed Jadon Sancho, team. The result is nice, we were
Bundesliga champions Bayern raid- Ronaldo: Champions League by numbers effective.”
ed last season’s German runners-up
Leipzig for talent. 05 Titles – Man Utd (2008), Borussia Moenchengladbach also
Real Madrid (2014, 2016-18) earned their first win this season
Bayern head into Europe buoyed 07 Seasons finished as under new coach Adi Huetter earli-
by results, with 10 points from their tournament top goalscorer er in the day as their captain Lars
first four league games, and confi- 08 Hat-tricks – including one four-goal Stindl netted twice in a 3-1 home
dent in their current squad despite haul – level with rival Lionel Messi victory against Bielefeld.
no big-name signing this summer. 17 Goals in single season, during FUTURE MATCHDAYS
prolific 2013/14 campaign Sep 28 / 29, Elsewhere, Eintracht Frankfurt’s
“We are very, very well posi- Oct 19 / 20, Nov 2 / 3, wantaway midfielder Filip Kostic
tioned – we have possibilities and 134 Champions League goals – record tally. Nov 23 / 24, Dec 7 / 8 came off the bench to score in their
options. We are definitely competi- 176 appearances 1-1 draw at home to 10-man
tive,” Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn Stuttgart on his first appearance
insisted last week. Sources: UEFA, Gracenote Picture: Newscom © GRAPHIC NEWS since boycotting training in an
attempt to force a transfer to Italy.
France defender Dayot Upame- “When an opportunity arises, we With Upamecano anchoring the setting up many of the chances
cano was signed for €42.5mil try to make it possible. defence, Bayern boast the core of Lewandowski finishes. In an action-packed last 11 min-
(RM208mil) from Leipzig, as was the Germany team’s midfield and utes, Kostic gave Eintracht the lead
versatile Austria midfielder Marcel “That has nothing to do with attack, with the addition of Robert Bayern will need a new striker in before Egyptian striker Omar
Sabitzer, at a bargain price of around weakening an opponent. We don’t Lewandowski, voted the Best FIFA the coming seasons. Marmoush levelled for Stuttgart,
€16mil (RM78mil), as Bayern’s main force anyone to come to FC Bayern.” Men’s Player in 2020, up front. who had defender Waldemar Anton
recruits for this season. They could well join the race to shown a straight red card.
Nagelsmann says the squad he Joshua Kimmich and Leon sign Borussia Dortmund striker
Ironically, Sabitzer made his has inherited is “more than enough” Goretzka form a formidable mid- Erling Haaland, whose contract “Filip brought lots of momentum
Bayern debut off the bench in as he predicts using a core group of field partnership with Serge Gnabry reportedly has a release clause when he came on – that’s how we
Saturday’s 4-1 win at Leipzig, where 14 to 15 players for “90 per cent” of and Leroy Sane on the wings and which becomes active in 2022. know him,” Frankfurt captain
he began the season as club captain. matches this term. Thomas Mueller in attacking mid- Martin Hinteregger told DAZN. —
field. However, Bayern have a ready- AFP
Bayern also reportedly paid Bayern have drawn Dynamo made replacement for Mueller in
Leipzig around €20mil (RM98mil) Kiev, Benfica and Barca in their Lewandowski, 33, and Mueller, 18-year-old Jamal Musiala. RESULTS
to bring the 34-year-old Julian Champions League group. 31, are approaching the twilight of
Nagelsmann to Munich as head their careers, yet both are in peak Already a full Germany interna- Eintracht Frankfurt 1VfB Stuttgart 1, VfL Bochum
coach on a five-year contract after Tuesday’s clash at Camp Nou will form. tional, Musiala scored Bayern’s 1 Hertha Berlin 3, Borussia Moenchengladbach 3
two successful years in Saxony. be the first time Bayern have faced third in Leipzig to claim his eighth Arminia Bielefeld 1.
Barcelona since the unforgettable Having scored a record 41 times Bundesliga goal in 31 appearances. Leading standings: VfL Wolfsburg 12, Bayern Munich
Kahn rejects the notion that 8-2 thrashing the Germans handed during the 2020/21 Bundesliga cam- 10, Borussia Dortmund 9, Mainz 9, Freiburg 8.
Bayern deliberately set out to weak- out in a one-off Champions League paign, Lewandowski has already Mueller rates Musiala as a “spe-
en Leipzig, who have lost three of quarter-final in 2019/20. scored six goals in four league cial talent” who “works hard”, while
their first four league games. games this season, including a hat- Nagelsmann says the teenager is
Bayern have retained seven of trick against Hertha Berlin and a “already extraordinary”.
“We always have a clear idea of the side which started the historic penalty on Saturday at Leipzig.
the players and coaches we think rout in Lisbon. “Yeah ... he can have it - some-
are good,” said Kahn. Mueller earned a Germany recall day,” Mueller said with a smile
They certainly possess the fire- with a constant supply of assists, when asked about Musiala taking
power to become European cham- his shirt for club and country. —
pions for the seventh time in the AFP
club’s history.

Shaqiri and Boateng make Lyon debuts in Strasbourg win

PARIS: Xherdan Shaqiri and RESULTS The club was docked a point Lob it: Lyon’s Jason denayer (right) scores his side’s second goal during the
Jerome Boateng made their Lyon this week following the ugly inci- Ligue 1 match against strasbourg. — ap
debuts in the 3-1 victory over Montpellier 2 St Etienne 0, Brest 1 Angers 1, Metz dents, and league officials
Strasbourg as Peter Bosz’s side 0 Troyes 2, Bordeaux 2 Lens 3, Rennes 0 Reims 2, ordered the match to be replayed
won for the second straight game Nantes 0 Nice 2, Lyon 3 Strasbourg 1. behind closed doors at a neutral
after a poor start to the Ligue 1 Leading standings: Paris SG 15, Angers 11, Mar- ground.
season. seille 10, Nice 9, Lens 9.
“We were not happy. We were
Moussa Dembele’s terrific vol- for Lyon by sweeping in a pass on the pitch and we feel pun-
ley gave Lyon the lead on seven from Houssem Aouar, with ished,” said Nice captain Dante.
minutes at Groupama Stadium, Habib Diallo grabbing Strasbourg
with former Liverpool winger a late consolation from the penal- “But in life you can’t let your
Shaqiri crossing for Jason ty spot after a handball. head drop. Especially after an
Denayer to head in a second just injustice or bad decisions. We
past the hour. Lyon, who failed to win any of have to work hard and do our
their first three games, moved up best this season.”
Boateng, who left Bayern to seventh, seven points adrift of
Munich this summer after 10 leaders Paris St Germain. Nice, backed by British billion-
years at the club, came on for the aire Jim Ratcliffe, will not appeal
final 30 minutes following his Nice remained unbeaten after the ruling. They were leading the
arrival on a free transfer. a 2-0 win at Nantes courtesy of Mediterranean derby 1-0 when
late goals from Denmark for- the game was interrupted in the
The 2014 World Cup winner ward Kasper Dolberg and Amine 75th minute.
was convicted on Thursday of Gouiri.
assaulting his ex-girlfriend dur- “I didn’t feel like the group was
ing a Caribbean holiday three Nice are fourth but have a affected,” said Nice coach
years ago, and fined €1.8mil game in hand after their August Christophe Galtier. “But obvious-
(RM8.8mil) by a court in Munich. 22 match with Marseille was ly they would have preferred to
abandoned in the wake of a pitch keep the points they could earn
Lucas Paqueta added a third invasion by Nice supporters. on the pitch.” — AFP

THE STAR, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021 Sport 25

Milestone for Salah LEGA CALCIO liTEaalgiaunE
ASERIE
RESulTS & STanDingS

ROMA 2 SASSUOLO 1
AC MILAN 2 LAZIO 0
SAMPDORIA 2 INTER MILAN 2
CAGLIARI 2 GENOA 3
striker joins 100 SPEZIA 0 UDINESE 1
club as elliott TORINO 4 SALERNITANA 0
needs surgery
after ankle injury RoMA P W D L F A Pts
3 3 0 0929

Ac MiLAn 3 3 0 0719
nApoLi 3 3 0 0629

intER MiLAn 3 2 1 0 9 3 7
udinESE 3 2 1 0627

LAzio 3 2 0 1946
fioREntinA 3 2 0 1 5 5 6

LEEDS: Mohamed Salah’s 100th Premier League BoLoGnA 2 1 1 0324
goal helped Liverpool cruise to a 3-0 victory at SASSuoLo 3 1 1 1444
10-man Leeds in a match that was marred by
teenager Harvey Elliott suffering a dislocated AtALAntA 3 1 1 1334
ankle. toRino 3 1 0 2643

After a lightning-fast start to the game, Salah EMpoLi 3 1 0 2353
became the 30th player to join the Premier GEnoA 3 1 0 2483
League’s 100-goal club in the 20th minute, tap-
ping home from close range from a Trent VEnEziA 3 1 0 2263
Alexander-Arnold cross. SAMpdoRiA 3 0 2 1 2 3 2

The visitors missed a host of chances to make JuVEntuS 3 0 1 2351
it 2-0 in the first half, before Fabinho made one cAGLiARi 3 0 1 2591
count early in the second period to put Juergen
Klopp’s side on course for three points in West SpEziA 3 0 1 2391
Yorkshire. VERonA 2 0 0 2360

There was a worrying sight later in the half as SALERnitAnA 3 0 0 3 2 11 0
Elliott needed lengthy treatment on the pitch
following a tackle from Leeds’ Pascal Struijk, Excruciating pain: a trainer runs on the pitch to help Liverpool’s Harvey elliott after he suffered Childlike
with the hosts’ substitute shown a straight red a serious ankle injury following a tackle by Leeds’ pascal struijk (not seen). — aFp Mourinho
card for the challenge by the referee. hails
they had won seven and drawn once in their last home the loose ball. ‘incredible’
Elliott was taken off on a stretcher, receiving eight league games on the road before the trip to Elliott, who has impressed this season since Roma win
applause from Leeds fans as he was taken down Elland Road, and showed no fear in going toe-to-
the touchline. toe with Leeds’ high-octane style in a raucous being promoted to the first-team fold by Klopp, MILAN: Jose Mourinho said he felt
atmosphere on Sunday. was then left in serious pain having been caught like a child when charging from his
“It is his ankle. I heard it was dislocated and by Struijk’s trailing leg. dugout to celebrate Stephan El
they couldn’t put it back and he is now in hospi- The goal that broke the deadlock came via a Shaarawy’s last-gasp winner in a
tal,” Klopp said. familiar source, as Salah was alert to Alexander- Struijk was sent off by referee Craig Pawson thrilling 2-1 victory over Sassuolo,
Arnold’s pullback to become the fifth fastest and the decision was confirmed by the VAR which put his side top of Serie A in
The 18-year-old posted on his Instagram before player in Premier League history to reach a cen- before the red card was shown. his 1,000th match as a manager.
the match finished: “Thank you for the messages tury of goals, reaching the milestone from 162
guys! Road to recovery. YNWA (You’ll Never appearances for Liverpool and Chelsea com- When contacted by Reuters for the reason Italy international El Shaarawy
Walk Alone).” bined. behind the dismissal, the Premier League said it struck with a sublime curling strike
was for “serious foul play – intensity and endan- in the 91st minute which caused
Liverpool regained their composure to add a Liverpool were in the ascendancy after their gering the safety of an opponent.” wild celebrations at the Stadio
stoppage-time third through Sadio Mane to put opener, and should have quickly made it two, Olimpico in Rome, with Mourinho
the seal on a victory that moved them above but Mane could only balloon his effort over the Mane’s frustrating afternoon in front of goal running to join his joyous players in
Manchester City into third in the standings, top from close range. continued as chance after chance came and front of screaming supporters
while Leeds sit 17th without a win from four went, before he finally put one away in stop- behind the goal.
league matches this season. The goal that put the game to bed for Liverpool page-time to put the icing on the cake and make
came after another Alexander-Arnold cross, this it 10 points from 12 so far this season for “Today I wasn’t 58 years old, I felt
“We were not in charge very often in the time from a corner, with Brazilian Fabinho firing Liverpool, as Klopp’s side stretched their unbeat- like a 10, 12, 14-year-old, back when
game,” Leeds coach Marcelo Bielsa told Sky en Premier League run to 14. — Reuters you begin to dream about a career
Sports. in football. It was a child’s run,”
Mourinho told DAZN.
“They were superior to us in all aspects.”
Liverpool’s away form has been impressive -– “During the week I lied to myself
because I tried to convince myself
A Real triple treat by Benzema at spanking Bernabeu that wasn’t a special match but it
was a special match ... For the rest
MADRID: Real Madrid’s Karim SlEpaagnuiSEh of my life I will remember that the
Benzema netted a hattrick as they match that took me to 1,000 was
capped their return to the refur- RESulTS & STanDingS this one.”
bished Bernabeu with a thrilling 5-2
comeback win over Celta Vigo in La ESPANYOL 1 A. MADRID 2 A breathless contest looked to be
Liga. OSASUNA 1 VALENCIA 4 heading for a draw after Bryan
CADIZ 0 R. SOCIEDAD 2 Cristante’s 37th-minute opener was
The Frenchman was unplayable REAL MADRID 5 CELTA VIGO 2 cancelled out by Filip Djuricic just
at times as Real were reunited with before the hour mark and both
their fans for the first time since P W D L F A Pts sides wasted a raft of chances.
March 1, 2020. REAL MAdRid 4 3 1 0 13 6 10
Tammy Abraham and Hamed
They played the whole of last sea- VALEnciA 4 3 1 0 9 2 10 Traore hit the post for each team
son at reserve team Castilla’s A. MAdRid 4 3 1 0 7 4 10 but it was Roma goalkeeper Rui
Alfredo Di Stefano ground at their Patricio who had to be at his best to
training complex. R. SociEdAd 4 3 0 1 6 4 9 stop gilt-edged opportunities pre-
A. BiLBAo 4 2 2 0418 sented to Domenico Berardi and
“I feel good, I’ve got the support Jeremie Boga as Sassuolo pushed
of the coach, the president, the SEViLLA 3 2 1 0517 for a win.
players and the crowd,” Benzema BARcELonA 3 2 1 0 7 4 7
said. However with the seconds tick-
R. MALLoRcA 4 2 1 1 3 3 7 ing away El Shaarawy crashed in
“It’s a special night for us with the oSASunA 4 1 2 1465 his shot from the edge of the area
fans here and the atmosphere. It off the post to put Roma top, level
was a little strange to be playing in R. VALLEcAno 4 1 1 2 5 5 4 on a perfect nine points with AC
front of fans again, but they got ViLLARREAL 3 0 3 0 2 2 3 Milan and Napoli.
right behind us. We need their sup-
port and they gave us everything On fire: real madrid’s Karim benzema celebrates scoring their first goal LEVAntE 4 0 3 1563 There was even time for a scare
today.” during their La Liga match against Celta Vigo. — reuters R. BEtiS 3 0 2 1232 right after the winner when
Gianluca Scamacca’s wonderful
The crowd were, however, ELchE 3 0 2 1122 strike was disallowed for offside to
stunned when Santi Mina latched ESpAnyoL 4 0 2 2132 enormous roars from the home
onto a defensive mistake to put the crowd.
visitors ahead after four minutes. the run of play from a lightning Junior whose composed finish gave cAdiz 4 0 2 2472
counter-attack and they went in Carlo Ancelotti’s side the lead for GRAnAdA 3 0 2 1152 “It was a match that could have
Real recovered well, pinning ahead at the break. the first time. finished 6-6, 7-7, they could have
Celta back, and the pressure even- cELtA ViGo 4 0 1 3 3 8 1 won 2-1 as we did,” added
tually told after 24 minutes as But Benzema, who had what he New signing Eduardo Camavinga GEtAfE 3 0 0 3140 Mourinho. — AFP
Benzema equalised with his first thought was an equaliser disal- came off the bench to score on his
goal following a Federico Valverde lowed for offside just before half- debut, with the France midfielder ALAVES 3 0 0 3180
cutback. time, headed Real level two minutes tucking the ball home from close
after the restart and from then on range, before Benzema completed Real had started the process of
Franco Cervi put Celta back in there was only going to be one win- his treble with a penalty three min- reforming their stadium just before
front seven minutes later against ner. utes from time to delight the return- the Covid-19 pandemic struck, mod-
ing home fans. ernising the ground and adding a
The forward teed up Vinicius retractable roof. — Reuters

26 Sport THE STAR, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021

Wong: We’ve done everything to persuade shuttler to stay Soh: Japan’s
doubles
PETALING JAYA: The Badminton of her colon, she was finding it Zakaria on Aug 16). own yesterday. still strong
Association of Malaysia (BAM) tough to cope with the high inten- “After being told that it was “It was a collective decision despite
have made every effort to convince sity of training. retirement
two-time world junior champion purely due to health reasons, Tan from the coaching and training of top trio
Goh Jin Wei to stay after the latter Jin Wei is also dependent on Sri had offered to send her for committee (CNT) based on her
first shocked the national team by medications to keep up with her treatment abroad, similar to the training performance evaluation. PETALING JAYA: National men’s
tendering her resignation letter on daily routines, but it eventually what (former national mixed dou- doubles ace Soh Wooi Yik believes
Aug 2 but it proved futile, says took its toll on her and it led to her bles ace) Goh Liu Ying used to “She’s not ready. I think we’ve Japan will still be a force to be reck-
coaching director Wong Choong resignation on Aug 2. enjoy few years back (for her been fair to her by selecting her oned with at the forthcoming
Hann. shoulder injury in 2017). for the Uber Cup,” said Choong Sudirman Cup and Thomas Cup
“We have done everything we Hann. Finals despite the retirement of
This included offering the could to persuade her to stay. The Jin Wei made a request to play three seasoned players from their
21-year-old a switch to the mixed process has been going on since in the Sudirman Cup and Uber “We’re happy that she was will- national team.
doubles event, which is less Aug 2,” explained Choong Hann. Cup as it was suppose to be her ing to commit to the Sudirman
intense than the singles, in order swansong. and Uber Cup.
to rejuvenate her playing career. “We appreciate her contribu-
tion to the national team and we Jin Wei eventually made the “We thought this could motivate
Jin Wei has been struggling to feel that she still has the potential. Uber Cup squad in Aarhus, her to stay on if she perform well.
regain her form since she was So we treated her the best we Denmark in Oct 9-17 but not the But of course, we did not promise
diagnosed with a stomach ailment could. Sudirman Cup in Vaanta, Finland her that she’s an automatic inclu-
in mid-2019. from Sept 26-Oct 3. sion.”
“Since her letter we had rounds
Although she underwent a of talks with her over the past Jin Wei was believed to be upset Choong Hann said BAM have
colectomy surgery to remove part one month, including a meeting with the decision, leading her to accepted her resignation yester-
with president Tan Sri Norza announce her retirement on her day and wished her the best in the
future.

Goh figure it out World No. 6 Keigo Sonoda-
Takeshi Kamura, both 31, and
long-serving Hiroyuki Endo, 34,
have tendered their resignation to
Nippon Badminton Association last
week after having failed to win the
country’s first medal in the men’s
doubles event at the recent Tokyo
Olympics.
Endo formed the world No. 5
partnership with Yuta Watanabe,
did sudirman Cup snub 24, and they successfully defend-
drive Jin Wei to call it quits? edtheir All-England title in March.
Japan will now have to rely on the
likes of world No. 14 Takuro Hoki-
Yugo Kobayashi, No. 30 Takuto
Inoue-Yuki Kaneko and No. 31 Akira
By TAN MING WAI she didn’t get to go. Koga-Taichi Saito to deliver in the
PETALING JAYA: Shuttler Goh Jin “It’s due to these two tourna- men’s doubles ties, especially during
Wei appeared to have hit out at the the Thomas Cup.
Badminton Association of Malaysia ments that she perseveres until Wooi Yik, however, stressed that
(BAM) management for leaving her today, otherwise she would not he and partner Aaron Chia can’t
out of the Sudirman Cup squad. have taken a high dosage of medica- afford to take the new pairings
tions to continue with her daily lightly.
However, that wasn’t exactly the training. “The Japanese players who
reason which prompted the 21-year- retired were among the world’s top
old to announce her premature “Whatever it is, I would like to 10 pairs but that doesn’t make
retirement due to health reasons stress that this is just what I things easier for us,” said Wooi Yik
via her YouTube channel yesterday. dreamed of.” after receiving RM50,000 cash
incentive from Federal Territories
It seems that the two-time world Jin Wei also thanked the Penang Ministry yesterday.
junior champion was unhappy that BA and BAM for nurturing her as a “We will now have to face their
she has been denied the chance to state and national player. younger pairs, we have to study
make a farewell appearance in both their game well.”
the Sudirman Cup (mixed team) “It has been seven years now Wooi Yik is also aiming to beef up
and Uber Cup (women’s team) since I joined the national team at their game as they anticipate a
Finals. the age of 14. I would also like to backlash from the Indonesian
thank NSI (National Sports Institute) world’s top two pairs – Kevin
Jin Wei has been named in the and NSC (National Sports Council) Sanjaya-Marcus Fernaldi and
team for the Uber Cup in Aarhus, for providing us with the top facili- Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra
Denmark, from Oct 9-17 but not the ties. My thanks to BAM president Setiawan – after beating them en
Sudirman Cup in Vaanta, Finland, Tan Sri Norza Zakaria for taking route to winning the bronze medal
from Sept 26-Oct 3. good care of me,” she said. at the recent Tokyo Olympics.
They beat Kevin-Marcus in the
Although she did not openly point “I would like to apologise to those last eight to mark their first win in
the finger at any individuals, Jin of you who have been supporting eight meetings while the downed
Wei appeared to have vented her me all these years because you all Ahsan-Hendra for only their second
frustration through a story narra- could not only see me reach the top victory in nine matches to capture
tion that resembled her own situa- – but also end my career early.” the bronze in Tokyo.
tion. “It’s surely going to be tougher
After winning her maiden Youth than ever to beat the two Indonesian
“I have a story to share here, it’s Olympics and second World Youth pairs. After having beaten them, I’m
(based on) what I have dreamed Championships in late-2018, Jin Wei sure they will want to seek revenge
last night,” said Jin Wei in the same did well in the first three months of and we have to work harder to get
video where she announced her 2019 by making it to the semi-finals Shrouded in mystery: Two-time world junior badminton champion ready to face them (if meet them in
retirement. of the Malaysian Masters and Goh Jin Wei has announced on youTube that she will be quitting the the knockout stage of the two team
German Open. national team at the age of 21. tournaments).”
“There’s one player who’s sup-
posed to retire after the Sudirman The 2017 SEA Games champion Just when Jin Wei thought the this year with the opportunities she Meanwhile, Wooi Yik thanked
and Uber Cup, these two tourna- was ranked a career-high No. 24 worst was behind her, along came had. She reached the quarter-finals the FT Ministry for the cash
ments are part of her plans which before being diagnosed with a the Covid-19 pandemic to put a stop of the Orleans Masters in France reward.
were made known to the coaches. stomach ailment that required her to any chance she had of progress- and finished runner-up to team- “I’m grateful for the incentive. I
to undergo a colectomy procedure ing. mate S. Kisona at the Spain have been representing FT since I
“The coaches knew that this play- in mid-2019. International. was young, they have supported
er would call it quits after playing in Jin Wei did make some headway me in the early stages of my career
the two tournaments. She was then sidelined for almost
seven months before she returned
“But after learning from social in January. By then, she had already
media that her name was not in the slipped out of the world top 100 in
team list, she was speechless the world rankings, making her
because she was not informed that ineligible to even compete in the
Olympics qualifiers.

before joining the national team,”
he said.
Eain Yow has what it takes to go the distance with El-Shorbagy It took Wooi Yik’s cash rewards to
RM140,000 in total including the
RM90,000 he pocketed last week
from his share of RM180,000 incen-
By T. AVINESHWARAN so far, the 23-year-old Eain Yow 5-11, 11-5, 11-9, 7-11, 12-10 in an 2014, won’t be short of motivation tive handed by Badminton Associa-
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s top seems well-equipped to give the 82-minute third-round match. In after breaking into the top 20 of the tion of Malaysia (RM120,000) and
men’s squash player Ng Eain Yow Egyptian a run for his money. the second round, he had shocked world rankings. 100Plus (RM60,000).
will need endurance and resilience world No. 9 Mostafa Asal of Egypt Wooi Yik and Aaron are also due
to overcome world No. 2 and top El-Shorbagy is the favourite to 11-8, 11-5, 11-8. He is only the third Malaysian to rake in another RM100,000 from
seed Mohamed El-Shorbagy in win the title after showing his male player to reach the top 20 after the National Sports Council’s (NSC)
their Egyptian Open quarter-final prowess by beating compatriot “It will be tough against Ong Beng Hee and Mohd Azlan incentive scheme – Shakam.
clash at the Giza Sporting Club in Karim El Hammamy 11-8, 11-4, 11-9 El-Shorbagy in the quarter-final, Iskandar. As the Olympics bronze medal-
Cairo today. in the third round. but I will just focus on myself. If I’m lists, the duo will also receive a
playing at my best, I believe I can “It feels good for sure to be in the monthly lifetime pension of
And going by his impressive run Eain Yow booked his last-eight beat anyone,” said Eain Yow. top 20, but I still have a long way to RM2,000 each.
ticket by edging Colombian veteran go to get to number one. So I’ll keep
and world No. 11 Miguel Rodriguez Eain Yow, who turned pro in working hard to get there.”

THE STAR, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021 Sport 27

Hungry like Tigers sUpeR LeagUe

ResULTs & sTaNdiNgs

JDT 2 K. LUMPUR 1
KEDAH 4 MELAKA 1
PENANG 2 TERENGGANU 2
PERAK 2 SABAH 1
SELANGOR 1 PJ CITY 2
UITM 1 PAHANG 0
ROLL OF HONOUR Victorious: The JdT team being paraded on an open-top bus at the
sultan Ibrahim stadium. — bernama P W D L F A Pts
CHAMPIONS *JDT 22 18 3 1 50 9 57
JOHOR DARUL TA’ZIM
(Qualified for the AFC Champions KEDAH 22 13 4 5 43 28 43
PENANG 22 12 5 5 37 30 41
League)
TERENGGANU 22 11 6 6 33 20 38
RUNNERS-UP SELANGOR 22 10 6 6 45 30 36
KEDAH
K. LUMPUR 22 8 9 5 27 20 33
(Qualified for the AFC Cup) PJ CITY 22 6 6 10 16 28 24

THIRD PLACE **MELAKA 22 5 9 8 25 31 21
PENANG SABAH 22 4 7 11 22 34 19

GOLDEN BOOT WINNER PAHANG 22 4 6 12 23 37 18
IFEDAYO OLUSEGUN ***PERAK 22 4 4 14 21 45 16
(Selangor, 26 goals)
***UITM 22 3 4 15 16 41 13
TOP LOCAL GOALSCORER
BADDROL BAKHTIAR * Champions
(Kedah, seven goals) ** Melaka docked three points for failure to
settle arrears
TOP PROVIDER *** Relegated to Premier League 2022
TCHETCHE KIPRE
(Kedah, 11 assists) Second spot
still a high for
MOST CLEAN SHEETS Eagles after
FARIZAL MARLIAS far-from-
(JDT, 13) Aidil season

JdT switch focus to malaysia Cup after colourful celebration PETALING JAYA: Kedah coach
Aidil Sharin said the Red Eagles’
By T. AVINESHWARAN They won the championship with Malaysia Cup, which will be cele- “Our stats are above every team. second-place finish in the Super
PETALING JAYA: Johor Darul 57 points, 14 ahead of Kedah, who brating its 100th anniversary this Possession, goals, shooting, corners, League feels like a success as they
Ta’zim (JDT) are roaring on every finished second with 43 points. year. you name it. We continue evolving had to endure so many obstacles
front. With their eighth straight as a team.” this season.
Super League title in the bag, the JDT also announced that they “We must now close the Super
Southern Tigers are hungry for the have donated the RM1mil prize League chapter. Next, we will look JDT have the highest number of They finished runners-up for the
Malaysia Cup next. money to the frontliners and their at at how we’re going to play in the goals in the league with 50, and they second season in a row after beat-
families. Malaysia Cup. The same objective. have only conceded nine goals. ing Melaka 4-1 at the Darulaman
Coach Benjamin Mora said the We have no other objective but to Stadium in Alor Setar on Sunday.
celebrations of their Super League “This is in line with the decree by win the cup again,” said the Brazilian striker Bergson Da Silva
success are now over as his charges Tunku Ismail (Sultan Ibrahim) as a Mexican. is the team’s top scorer with 23 “We had to deal with so many
eye their third Malaysia Cup. sign of gratitude for their services goals from 20 matches, while veter- obstacles – Covid cases, the AFC Cup
and sacrifices in fighting the Covid- “This is what we do and what we an midfielder Safiq Rahim is the top being cancelled and a tight schedule
In the last edition of the competi- 19 pandemic and ensuring a better have been doing for years. It isn’t provider with five assists. towards the tail end of the league.
tion in 2019, JDT lifted the coveted future. Thank you once again,” said easy to always win, but we try our Playing nine matches in a month is
trophy for the second time by JDT. best and continue improving as a Goalkeeper Farizal Marlias has tough,” said the Singaporean.
thumping Kedah 3-0 at the National team because we know other teams the most clean sheets with 13 shut-
Stadium in Bukit Jalil. JDT’s celebrations caught the eye would have studied us by now and outs. “It’s hard to motivate players in
for their spectacular fireworks and try to counter our game. these circumstances, but they
JDT ended their Super League the players paraded the trophy on Mora hopes the team will contin- showed great fighting spirit. All of
campaign this year by edging Kuala an open-top bus to the fans at the “I’m a coach that likes to improve ue to improve and remain a force. them worked their socks off.
Lumpur 2-1 at the Sultan Ibrahim stadium car park. all the time.
Stadium in Iskandar Puteri. “We have to continue with this “Despite our ups and downs, I
After the festivities, Mora remind- “Our performance has been fighting spirit and be fearless in always told the boys before match-
ed his players to focus on the superb this season. order to achieve success. We are in es to just enjoy the game.
it to win it!”

Nazim hopes Flying high: Nazim “I salute the
for Bullish times azman secured the effort and
ahead after perfect malaysia day commitment of
maiden gift after claiming his this team.”
EuroFormula win first win in the
euroFormula Open at aidil sharin
red bull ring in austria.
“I salute the effort and commit-
PETALING JAYA: Nazim Azman earned a time- RESULTS well with Cameron (Cameron Das of Team ment of this team and I hope we can
ly Malaysia Day present with his first win in the Motopark), so it just left me and Cem alone. bring this momentum to the
EuroFormula Open at the Red Bull Ring in Race 1: 1. Jak Crawford (US) 29:37.946, 2. Louis Foster (Gbr) 29:44.857, Overall, I am really happy with the result,” said Malaysia Cup.”
Austria. 3. Cameron Das (US) 29:45.126. Nazim, who is based in the United Kingdom
Selected: 6. Nazim Azman (Mas) 29:55.074. while going through his undergraduate studies. Liberian striker Kpah Sherman is
The 20-year-old emerged victorious in Race 2 Race 2: 1. Nazim Azman (Mas) 34:00.256, 2. Cem Bolukbasi (Tur) the team’s top scorer with 13 goals,
on Sunday as he became the seventh different 34:00.988, 3. Louis Foster (Gbr) 34:02.250. It is also the seventh podium success for Nazim while his partner Ivorian forward
race winner of the 2021 season so far. Race 3: 1. Jak Crawford (US) 29:28.531, 2. Cameron Das (US) 29:33.133, in the championship this year. Tchetche Kipre netted 10 and is the
3. Louis Foster (Gbr) 29:38.217, 4. Nazim Azman (Mas) 29:44.313. top provider in the league with 11
Nazim, who drives for CryptoTower Racing After 17 races, Nazim now lies fourth in the assists.
Team, finished sixth in the first of three races quite hard to be fair, Cem (Bolukbasi) was very championship with 208 points as Foster leads
before going on to top the podium in the second quick. And then I think the main thing was not to with 257 points. The remaining two rounds in Captain Baddrol Bakhtiar is the
race, clocking in at 34:00.256. make any mistakes and it paid off. the series will be held in Monza, Italy, end of this top local goalscorer with seven
month and in Barcelona, Spain next month. goals and Aidil believes the 33-year-
Turkey’s Cem Bolukbasi of Van Amersfoort “It was good, because Foster had a battle as old veteran has what it takes to
Racing finished 0.732 behind in second place return to the Harimau Malaya
while Nazim’s teammate Louis Foster of Britain squad again.
came in third at 34:02.250.
“I’m happy for Badd. At his age,
Nazim was placed fourth in the final race of maintaining such a high level of
the weekend. performance is exemplary. He wore
the number seven and scored seven
Nazim is the first Malaysian winner of the goals ... it’s amazing. As a midfield-
EuroFormula Open series and he is delighted to er, he has shown his class.
fly the Jalur Gemilang proudly on European soil.
“He also guides the youngsters
“Obviously a good start, number one. It was well. He’s still one of the better play-
ers in the league, and he’s a legend
in Kedah.”

THE STAR, TuESdAy 14 SEpTEmbER 2021

Sssowmnaganshed?

SHUTTLER Goh Jin Wei has left many guessing why she has decided to retire at only age 21 despite announcing
via her YouTube channel that it was due to health reasons. But it seems that the two-time former world junior champion is
unhappy that she has been denied the chance to make a farewell appearance in both the Sudirman Cup and Uber Cup
Finals. >Story by TAN mING WAI on page 26

Broadway stuff mora wants Halo, Hamilton!
as Medvedev more with It could have
upstages JdT. >27 been
Joker to goodbye
win US Open. at Monza.
>23 >23

Fab strike ENGLISH
PREMIER LEAGUE

RESULT & STANDINGS

Liverpool’s Fabinho (centre) celebrates after scoring the second goal in the 3-0 win over Leeds at Elland Road. — AP >See page 25 Leeds 0 LiverpooL 3

Man Utd p W d L F A pts
Chelsea 4 3 1 0 11 3 10
liverpool 4 3 1 0 9 1 10
Man City 4 3 1 0 9 1 10
Brighton 4 3 0 1 11 1 9
tottenhaM 4 3 0 1539
West haM 4 3 0 1339
everton 4 2 2 0 10 5 8
leiCester 3 2 1 0737
Brentford 4 2 0 2466
C. palaCe 4 1 2 1325
aston villa 4 1 2 1555
Wolves 4 1 1 2574
s’haMpton 4 1 0 3233
Watford 4 0 3 1463
arsenal 4 1 0 3373
leeds 4 1 0 3193
BUrnley 4 0 2 2 4 11 2
neWCastle 3 0 1 2251
norWiCh 4 0 1 3 5 12 1
4 0 0 4 1 11 0

Published by Star Publications Sdn Bhd (202001037064) (1393385-K), Menara Star, 15 Jalan 16/11, 46350 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan. Printed by Star Media Group Berhad (197101000523) (10894-D), 2 Jalan Astaka U8/88, 40150 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan. Copyright ©

THE STAR, TuESdAy 14 SEpTEmbER 2021

Historical relationship between Singapore bank
dbS charts
prices of CPO and stocks

ambitious
epxlacnhsanfogredigitalStock
Stock CPO price RM/
(tonnes) tonne
3,500,000 4,700

3,000,000 3,700 SINGAPORE: Singapore’s DBS Group expects
2,500,000 to double the number of members on its new
2,000,000 2,700 platform for cryptocurrency trading to 1,000
1,500,000 by end-December and grow this by 20%-30%
1,000,000 Jan '15 Jan '16 Jan '17 Jan '18 Jan '19 Jan '20 Jan '21 1,700 annually for the next three years as digital
tokens gain acceptability.
Jan '14
In an interview, DBS senior executives said
Source: CGS-CIMB Research graphics DBS Digital Exchange, set up in December as
a members-only bourse, is seeing robust
There is a potential price uptrend for crude palm oil as the commodity has averaged at RM4,150 per tonne in the first eight months of demand from corporate investors, accredited
this year. > See page 6 individuals and investment firms that man-
age the fortunes of wealthy families.
MAHB optimistic
of better results “We are growing very rapidly. Investors are
Absence of ISG impairment to help improve performance gradually exploring cryptocurrencies and
digital assets,” said Eng-Kwok Seat Moey,
corporate “With Langkawi as the pioneer destination of head of capital markets at DBS, South-East
the domestic travel bubble, we are certainly Asia’s largest bank by assets, and chairperson
by THOmAS HuONG looking forward for our airport operations of the exchange.
huong@thestar.com.my to be in full swing again.”
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia Airports Holdings DBS’ foray in the crypto business come
Bhd (MAHB) is optimistic its financial perfor- Datuk Mohd Shukrie Mohd Salleh after its CEO Piyush Gupta steered the bank to
mance will be better in the fourth quarter invest billions of dollars to upgrade its tech-
with the ramping up of Covid-19 vaccinations In a statement, the group said ISG is cur- terms of cashflow, without international trav- nology infrastructure over the past eight
in the country. rently ranked the fourth busiest airport in ellers, it will be a struggle to get the numbers years as it embraced cloud computing and
Europe by Airports Council International we used to enjoy in the past,” he said. digitised its services.
“For the fourth quarter, we are cautiously (ACI).
optimistic that our results will be better than In a statement, Shukrie also said MAHB is DBS Digital Exchange bills itself as the
the third quarter of financial year 2021 (FY21) It was also recently added to the European seeing light at the end of the tunnel, espe- world’s only bank-backed full service digital
– once inter-state travelling is allowed. Union’s Covid-19 Passport Scheme that will cially with the reopening of domestic tour- bourse – offering cryptocurrency trading,
facilitate the reopening of economic and ism. asset tokenisation and digital custody servic-
“We hope our losses will narrow in the social activities, including travel, further con- es, in a crypto sector where investor trust is
fourth quarter with the opening of Langkawi tributing to ISG’s recovery. “With Langkawi as the pioneer destination still low.
and hopefully, other state borders,” said of the domestic travel bubble, we are certain-
group chief financial officer Mohamed MAHB chairman Datuk Seri Dr Zambry ly looking forward for our airport operations Soaring popularity of cryptocurrencies has
Rastam Shahrom during an online briefing. Abd Kadir hopes the government would con- to be in full swing again,” he noted. posed a problem for mainstream banks as
sider the opening of Asean and other interna- they try and balance clients’ interest in digital
Rastam expects the financial results for tional sectors. He said despite 2020 being a challenging coins with regulatory concerns about their
FY21 to be better than the previous year due year, the group focused on improving its risks.
to an absence of impairment for its Turkish “Within Europe, flight movements seem to operation standards and facilities.
airport concession rights. be seamless now,” he said. A unit of Standard Chartered is setting up a
“We also took full advantage of the lull joint venture to establish a cryptocurrency
In FY20, the group made an impairment of Meanwhile, group chief executive officer period to upgrade and expedite our long- brokerage and exchange platform in Britain
RM500.4mil based on a review of the recover- Datuk Mohd Shukrie Mohd Salleh said term plans such as the critical asset replace- and Europe, while HSBC said it has no plans
able amount of concession rights of Istanbul MAHB’s turnaround would hinge on the ment and as well as our commercial reset to offer digital currencies to customers.
Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (ISG) in return of international passenger traffic. initiatives.
Turkey, based on cashflow projections up to Eng-Kwok said DBS’ position as one of the
the end of the concession period in August The passenger service charge is RM11 for > TuRN TO pAGE 2 biggest wealth managers in Asia and its
2032. domestic travellers, RM35 for Asean (inter- expertise in originating deals in capital mar-
national) and RM73 for non-Asean (interna- ThWeaStctahrtThVe .vcidoemo kets would help it attract users and grow
“This year, we do not anticipate any further tional). trading volume.
impairment because ISG has shown good
recovery in terms of passenger traffic. “On average, it costs us RM18 to RM25 to The move comes at a time when DBS, like
manage one passenger. other banks, is looking to boost fee-based
“In the absence of the impact from that income as net interest income decreases amid
impairment, we believe we will be better, “While domestic travellers will help us in low interest rates.
performance-wise, compared with FY20.
How much better we are will depend on how Eng-Kwok said the bourse hoped to list at
fast the state borders open,” he added. least half a dozen security tokens by end-
2022.

Singapore’s central bank brought crypto
businesses under a new regulatory frame-
work that came into effect in January 2020.

DBS’ brokerage arm has received in-princi-
ple approval under the new regime, which
will allow it to directly support asset manag-
ers and companies to trade in digital payment
tokens through the bourse. The Singapore
Exchange has a 10% stake in the bourse.

“Having mainstream banks helps foster an
environment where settlement risk is mini-
mal and there are safeguards in place for
custody of user deposits and security of trans-
actions,” said Ganesh Viswanath-Natraj, assis-
tant professor of finance at Warwick Business
School in Britain.

Last week, Binance, one of the world’s larg-
est cryptocurrency exchanges, said it would
restrict its services in Singapore days after
the central bank told it to stop offering pay-
ment services.

DBS Digital Exchange offers trading servic-
es between bitcoin, bitcoin cash, ethereum
and XRP, and United States, Singapore, Hong
Kong dollars and the yen.

“Our aim was to create a platform that
could serve the entire digital asset value
chain, from deal origination to tokenisation,
listing, trading, and custody – all within a
trusted and regulated bank franchise,” said
Kwee Juan Han, DBS’ group head of strategy
and planning. — Reuters

2 News STARBIZ, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021

BAuto Q1 net profit up 12% despite lower revenue Gagasan
Nadi bids for
PETALING JAYA: Bermaz Auto Bhd (BAuto) pre-tax profit improved slightly by RM1.4mil ally reopening and there is more relaxation RM1.7bil jobs
recorded an increase of 12% year-on-year or 10.4% largely due to lower share of loss on containment measures, the outlook for the
(y-o-y) in net profit to RM10.3mil in the first from one of its associated companies, Mazda automotive industry remains volatile and PETALING JAYA: Gagasan Nadi Cergas
quarter of its financial year ending April 30, Malaysia Sdn Bhd (MMSB), and a higher prof- uncertain in view of the resurgence of Covid- Bhd is tendering for projects in excess of
2022 (FY22) despite a 28.5% y-o-y decline in it contribution from domestic operations,” it 19 cases,” it said. RM1.7bil in the coming year.
revenue. said.
BAuto pointed out that the Philippines had The construction group said its tender
The group announced a first interim divi- “The lower share of loss from MMSB during seen an imposition of further lockdowns to book consists of bids from the private and
dend of 0.50 sen per share. the quarter was due to lesser impact in June curb the spike in daily Covid-19 cases and the public sectors, including essential projects
and July 2021 as compared to the correspond- spread of the highly contagious Delta variant. such as hospitals and healthcare facilities.
In a statement, BAuto said revenue for the ing quarter of the previous year where the
quarter was impacted by the lower sales vol- unit sales were low during the whole quarter.” This will have an impact on the outlook of In a statement released after its AGM,
ume registered from domestic operations due the Philippine economy for the rest of the group managing director Wan Azman
to lockdown, as all showrooms were not BAuto said cost-saving measures contribut- year, it said. “Premised on these, the directors Wan Kamal said the favourable outcome
allowed to operate for two months since the ed to its higher profit contribution from anticipate the performance of the group for of those tenders would complement the
beginning of June 2021. domestic operations despite it registering the remaining quarters of FY22 to remain group’s RM1.6bil order book as of March
lower sales. “Although the economy is gradu- challenging and uncertain,” BAuto said. 31, 2021, that consists of six ongoing pro-
“Despite the drop in revenue, the group’s jects and several others that would soon
commence.
Scientex makes offer
to take Daibochi private OM’s JV starts
Firm to buy remaining shares, warrants for rm345mil drilling in
Bryah Basin
corporate “It is crucial to future-proof Daibochi’s
capabilities through implementation of PETALING JAYA: OM Holdings Ltd’s joint
KUALA LUMPUR: Scientex Bhd has pro- risk mitigation and business continuity venture (JV) with Bryah Resources Ltd has
posed to take its subsidiary Daibochi Bhd plans that are integrated with Scientex’s commenced drilling for manganese in the
private by offering to acquire all the remain- resources and internal processes.” Bryah Basin, 150km north of the central
ing shares and warrants it does not already Western Australian town of Meekatharra.
own for RM345.3mil cash. Lim peng Jin
Australian Stock Exchange-listed OM
In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, the packag- The offer price of RM2.70 per share repre- and administrative functions as an overall Holdings, which completed its secondary
ing manufacturer and property developer sents a premium of 17.39% over the three- means to optimise the enlarged Scientex listing on the Main Market of Bursa
said the proposed voluntary takeover exer- month volume weighted average market group’s operations as a leading packaging Malaysia in June, shared in a statement
cise would entail buying 38.12% of Daibochi’s price (VWAP) up to the last traded price on player in the region, aligned to its sustaina- that the 2,000-metre drilling programme is
issued shares, excluding treasury shares, for Sept 10, 2021. bility roadmap. planned to test some of the potentially
RM2.70 apiece, and 95.75% of its outstanding concealed manganese targets identified by
warrants for 32 sen each. In addition, the offer price represents a Daibochi would also be able to leverage on a geophysical survey in the vicinity of the
premium of 221.43% over the latest unaudit- the larger scale of the Scientex group’s manu- Brumby Creek Prospect.
Scientex CEO Lim Peng Jin said the chal- ed consolidated net asset per Daibochi share facturing facilities in Malaysia, other South-
lenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic of 84 sen as at April 30, 2021. East Asian countries and the United States. The drilling would primarily focus on
highlighted the growing needs of companies the Bryah West, Redrum, Mollie and Clover
to be agile to react fast to external impacts. The offer price for the warrants represents This will put it in a better position to meet targets, it said.
a premium of 100% over the three-month the stringent requirements of multinational
He said this is especially important for VWAP of Daibochi up to Sept 10. companies and prominent local brands, who MR DIY
Daibochi, which serves the supply chains of are increasingly reliant on suppliers that are wins three
essential food and beverage and fast-moving The proposed privatisation of Daibochi equipped with good risk management and awards
consumer goods segments. would provide Scientex with greater flexibili- business contingency plans.
ty and autonomy to rationalise its business PETALING JAYA: Homegrown retailer
“To ensure uninterrupted supply to cus- activities and to streamline the operations of Scientex intends to finance the offer consid- MR DIY Group (M) Bhd won three awards
tomers, it is crucial to future-proof Daibochi’s both Daibochi and the enlarged Scientex eration through a combination of internally at the Alpha SEA 11th Institutional Investor
capabilities through implementation of risk group, to achieve greater operational efficien- generated funds and bank borrowings. Corporate Awards 2021 last week, just one
mitigation and business continuity plans that cies to grow the flexible packaging business. year after its listing on Bursa Malaysia.
are integrated with Scientex’s resources and Barring any unforeseen circumstances and
internal processes. Additionally, the exercise would allow subject to all relevant approvals being The company was named the recipient
Scientex to streamline Daibochi’s produc- obtained, the offer is expected to be complet- of the “Most Organised Investor Relations”
“This will enhance Daibochi’s competitive tion, supply chain, business development ed by the fourth quarter of 2021. and “Best Senior Management IR Support”
edge and resilience, as well as reinforce the awards, while its senior vice-president of
confidence among its multinational compa- finance, Lim Chen Hwee, was named the
nies and local prominent brands.” “Best CFO in Malaysia”.

Lim said the cash offer provides an oppor- The Alpha SEA 11th Institutional
tunity to Daibochi’s shareholders to realise Investor Corporate Awards are based on
their investments immediately. the results of a perception-based poll
which evaluates companies based on their
Carimin swings back to profitability in fourth quarter performance in financial management,
adherence to corporate governance, inte-
PETALING JAYA: Carimin Petroleum Bhd dend of 0.50 sen per share. In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, Carimin grated reporting, corporate social respon-
returns to the black, with a net profit of During the quarter in review, Carimin saw said its outlook remained positive given the sibility and investor relations.
RM2.11mil for the fourth quarter of its finan- resumption and continuation of project
cial year ended June 30, 2021 (FY21), com- its revenue fall 33% to RM40.76mil from activities. Cheetah
pared with a net loss of RM4.45mil in the RM60.96mil in the fourth quarter of FY20 due invests in IT
same period a year ago. to disruptions caused by the national lock- “The group would continue to assess its firm Lambo
down. capital asset and capabilities and increase its
The company attributed the improvement operating efficiency. It would also explore PETALING JAYA: Garment retailer
to the finalisation of projects and cost ration- For FY21, net profit was RM13.19mil, up new opportunities for growth and sustaina- Cheetah Holdings Bhd has subscribed to a
alisation. It announced a second interim divi- from RM12.93mil in FY20, while revenue fell bility,” it said. total of 239.50 million rights issue of ordi-
to RM165.21mil from RM373.86mil. nary shares, with 95.80 million free
detachable warrants, in Lambo Group Bhd
Group expects workers to be fully vaccinated soon for a total cash consideration of
RM23.95mil.
> FROM pAGe 1 workforce is fully vaccinated and is targeting the benchmarking of regulated aeronautical
“In fact, our improvement efforts resulted for all staff to receive both doses of the vac- charges by the Malaysian Aviation The subscription via its wholly-owned
cine by end-September. Commission. subsidiary Cheetah Marketing Sdn Bhd
in well-deserved achievements such as KL was funded by internally generated
International Airport (KLIA) being ranked On safety standards, six airports have The group is awaiting the government’s funds.
among the top 10 in the world for the catego- received the Airport Health Accreditation (AHA) approval for the Subang Airport Regeneration
ry of over 40 million passengers per annum from ACI. KLIA, ISG, Kuching International Plan that is key to position the country as the Lambo is principally involved in infor-
in the global Airport Service Quality survey Airport, Langkawi International Airport, Kota top aerospace nation in the world by 2030. mation technology and e-commerce busi-
for 2020 by ACI. Kinabalu International Airport and Penang ness. Its geographical segments include
International Airport have been certified to It is also hoping for the implementation of Malaysia and China.
“This was a significant improvement from meet global health and safety standards. international travel bubbles or green lanes
our 17th position pre-pandemic,” he added. without quarantine based on global travel
MAHB looks forward to the conclusion of standards as practised in Turkey, Maldives,
The group also announced that 93% of its the operating agreement, which is pending Dubai, Greece and Switzerland.

STARBIZ, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021 3

4 Insight STARBIZ, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021

By KOONG LIN LOONG Towards a long but
EVER since the first confirmed hopeful recovery for SMEs
Covid-19 case in Malaysia on Jan 25
last year, the situation of the pan- According to a survey by the Companies self-limitation and complacency are keys to business sustainability.
demic has been fluctuating over Associated Chinese Chambers of that seize the with the existing market. We know that these require-
the past year and a half. Commerce and Industry of opportunity
Malaysia on business and econom- in time will This is notable especially with ments can be challenging for many
Although some states have ic condition in the first half and recover quickly. the implementation of the Regional SMEs, especially the traditional
entered phases two and three of second half of 2021, up to 73.7% of Comprehensive Economic Part- family businesses.
the National Recovery Plan, the companies are still facing the 3C need for SMEs to embark on four nership (RCEP) free trade agree-
raging Delta variant has led to problem – cash flow, cost and cred- major action plans to get through ment, where the markets of all 10 However, the times are constant-
repeated new high in the daily con- it. this crisis. Asean nations together with five ly moving and we can only catch
firmed cases in the past few weeks. regional partner countries – China, up to weather the storm and see
The five major issues affecting First, formulate financial budg- Japan, South Korea, Australia and the light.
The shadow of the virus is still business performance the most ets and deliberate how to reduce New Zealand are fully open.
looming, despite the economic sec- are: fixed costs such as rent and Take the adoption of e-wallet
tors gradually opening up. employee salaries, and try to main- Products from other countries in and e-commerce as an example –
> Implementation of various tain existing revenue streams the region will enter the Malaysian the popularisation of going digital
Some restaurants, including the MCO (65.4%), while creating new ones. market and compete with ours. that was expected to take five years
McDonald’s fast-food chain, have was achieved in less than a year,
decided to delay accepting dine-in > Increase in raw material price Second, change the work meth- To stay relevant, businesses all sped up by the pandemic.
until the pandemic has stabilised. (50.2%), ods and utilise technology. need to start re-evaluating and
planning their production lines So it is clear that what’s per-
As the third quarter of 2021 > High operating costs and cash Third, re-examine products and and service delivery to improve ceived impossible was only limited
comes to an end, the much antici- flow problems (46.6%), services by focusing on whether quality. Prices have to be competi- by nothing but reluctance.
pated economic recovery seems the market needs them. tive to secure a place in the market.
rather distant, as some states in > Political situation (45.5%) and, With more people in the country
phases two and three scrambled to > Decline in corporate and con- Fourth, conduct middle and It will be a boon for SMEs as long getting vaccinated, it is only a mat-
control the rebound of the virus. sumer confidence (43.6%). long-term analysis on the produc- as we succeed in tapping into the ter of time when the pandemic is
I have shared some views during tivity of employees, machinery and huge market in the RCEP. brought under control. But certain-
Let’s hope that the new Cabinet The Star’s SOBA webinar recently operating modes. ly, we will not be able to return to
would get to work and achieve that for SMEs to survive this Moving forward in the post-pan- where we were before the pan-
some results within 100 days, as unprecedented global pandemic, This will enable the use of fewer demic times, consumers’ consump- demic for a while.
announced by the Prime Minister, urgent solutions are required. but efficient employees with the tion patterns and purchasing
for the economy to recover by Most companies’ reserves would same machinery and operating power would see a tremendous As said by the new Health
year-end. have almost been exhausted, if not modes to improve production out- change. Minister, we still need to mask up
used up, after more than a year of put – literally achieving “reducing and we have to accept a lifestyle
After this long period of inter- depletion. costs and increasing efficiency.” Especially in the retail industry, that coexists with the virus.
mittent lockdown and opening, the We need to accept that the pan- The four practices are still relevant the interaction with consumers
biggest problem facing most small demic has brought irreversible to this day. will see newer and more targeted However, as long as the indus-
and medium enterprises (SMEs) is changes to the entire business ways. tries can resume business, facto-
the void in cash flow. environment. So it is necessary for Business is all about buying and ries can open and resume produc-
business leaders to adjust their selling. Any unsold product, no Marketing becomes a dialogue tion and people can freely travel
During the first movement con- mindset accordingly to steer the matter how profitable it can be, is with consumers, who will in turn across districts and states, the
trol order (MCO) last March, a sur- company in the right direction. only a liability. In sales, payment have greater say in brand-building. economy will gradually recover.
vey by Malaysia’s Statistics The MCO has made working collection is important to ensure
Department showed that up to remotely or from home a new uninterrupted cash flow. In other industries, there will be For now, companies that seize
67.8% of companies had no income norm, where online meetings and more automation and outsourcing, the opportunity in time will recov-
during the MCO. various software took centrestage Other than setting a demand, while some jobs are replaced and er quickly, stand out from the rest
in connecting businesses with business leaders also need to new ones emerged. who are not ready and move for-
If employees were to be paid in employees and clients. explore more sales channels, avoid ward.
full, more than half (53.4%) of the When business leaders get used Business leaders need to grasp Koong Lin Loong is managing part-
companies could only sustain for to this new business model, the these trends and analyse their ner of Reanda LLKG International
up to two months. challenge also arises for them to impact before planning the busi- and treasurer-general cum chair-
ensure work efficiency is not com- ness direction, including the train- man of SMEs committee of the
Some of the main problems fac- promised along the way. ing and allocation of manpower. Associated Chinese Chambers of
ing companies were salary pay- I mentioned last year on the Commerce and Industry of
ment (76.6%), no customers They also need to manage the Malaysia. The views expressed
(65.5%) and rental payment delivery of their products and ser- here are the writer’s own.
(61.4%). vices, the logistics arrangement,
including after-sales service and
With a series of government aid customer satisfaction – all of which
packages, especially the moratori-
um on loan repayment and wage
subsidies, many companies have
benefited and survived.

However, in 2021, the raging
pandemic leaves more companies
high and dry.

You don’t need a CFA to value Chinese equities

By MATTHEW BROOKER was a “tragic mistake” and likely to to price-in the emergence of a sionals are familiar with his valua- What’s striking is that
WHAT we’ve got here is a failure to lose money. more activist government that’s tion techniques, having studied Damodaran, while disclaiming any
communicate, as Paul Newman intent on addressing inequality them for the CFA Institute’s specialist knowledge of China and
observed just before being shot in New York-based BlackRock and and what it perceives as socially Chartered Financial Analyst pro- simply applying the reasonable
Cool Hand Luke. other investors such as veteran harmful trends, such as excessive gramme. constraints of valuation logic,
emerging markets fund manager video-game playing, wealth-drain- arrives at a view that is closer to
Chinese and foreign investors Mark Mobius have pushed back ing extracurricular education and Damodaran’s advantage that of the country’s domestic
appear to have an acute difference of against Soros. effeminate pop stars. stockholders and less pessimistic
opinion over how the government’s The advantage of Damodaran than the bulk of his fellow overseas
shifting of the regulatory goalposts (Ark’s Wood has also said she is Incremental changes over more storied names willing to investors.
has affected equity valuations. optimistic about China in the long talk about their investments is that
run.) At root, the question is whether he shows his work, providing Just perhaps, a little knowledge
A gauge of US-traded Chinese China is making incremental spreadsheets of his discounted cash has been a dangerous thing for
stocks had fallen about 43% from In a sense, the dichotomy in changes to move toward a more flow models that enable the curious some foreign investors perturbed
its February high as of Friday after- returns isn’t so surprising. Indices level playing field and a fairer soci- to see how the sausage is made and by China’s shift in direction.
noon, while the MSCI China Index have underperformed to the extent ety, or is reverting to hardline how palatable the inputs are.
used as a benchmark by many that they are weighted toward the socialism and perhaps even spiral- The regulatory announcements
global investors had lost 27%. Internet sector, and the technology ing down toward another Cultural Damodaran considers three sce- emanating from Beijing in the past
giants that have borne the brunt of Revolution. narios for the companies under the 10 months or so have been unpre-
On the same day, the Shanghai Beijing’s regulatory onslaught changed environment, with the dictable and draconian, and the
Composite Index surpassed its aren’t listed in China. Such risks are hard to quantify, government acting as a benefactor accompanying rhetoric has some-
February peak. so it’s helpful to have the man who (the role it played until recently), as times been alarming.
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, the wrote the book on equity valuation a net negative (his central case)
Cathie Wood of Ark Investment first casualty when officials halted weigh in. and as an adversary, adjusting his It may be that local investors used
Management is among those who the initial public offering of its Ant estimates for revenue growth and to the way the Communist Party
have sold China tech stocks, warn- Group unit last November, is trad- In a blog post on Sept 1, New profit margins for each. Some talks have been more willing to look
ing of a “valuation reset.” ed in New York and Hong Kong. York University finance professor might quibble with the numbers through the noise and to trust that
Tencent Holdings Ltd, a US$600bil Aswath Damodaran provided his here and there. With the govern- pragmatism will prevail, as it has for
Wood told an audience of institu- (RM2.5 trillion) colossus confront- own assessment of the China tech ment as an adversary, revenue for most of the past 40 years.
tional asset managers that her fund ing tighter restrictions on its gam- crackdown and how it has affected all four companies is still seen
had “dramatically” reduced its posi- ing business, is listed in Hong Kong. valuations of four companies: growing by 10% to 20%. Then again, those living in the
tioning in the country and had Tencent, Alibaba, JD.com Inc and pot may not be best placed to judge
swapped some holdings into compa- The Shanghai Composite, by con- Didi Global Inc. He concludes that The obvious objection is that an when the water starts to heat up.
nies that were courting government trast, is dominated by state-owned all four are undervalued. administration with the autocratic
favour by supporting its “common businesses such as Industrial & power of the Communist Party can The conclusive truth of this com-
prosperity” campaign, the Financial Commercial Bank of China Ltd and Damodaran doesn’t have quite shut down a company or, for that munication breakdown will only
Times reported last week. PetroChina Co that aren’t in the the market-moving cachet of a matter, a whole industry overnight become clear in time. — Bloomberg
Communist Party’s immediate Warren Buffett or a Cathie Wood, if it so decides. So why not 0%, or Matthew Brooker is a columnist
Legendary trader George Soros, crosshairs. but is quietly influential. minus 50%? Never mind. and editor with Bloomberg Opinion.
meanwhile, criticised BlackRock Thousands of investment profes- The views expressed here are the
Inc for investing in China, writing Even so, a near-50% gap over writer’s own.
in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that it little more than half a year points
to a fundamental conflict over how

STARBIZ, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021 News 5

UMW sees surge in automotive sales in August EXCHANGE RATE

OpENING RATES By MAyBANk ON SEpT 13, 2021

SEllING BuyING BuyING
TT/OD TT OD
KUALA LUMPUR: UMW Group saw a surge 74% higher than 1,450 units in July, under- level of outstanding bookings, and will be
in automotive sales to 9,512 units in August, pinned by sales of the Toyota Vios, Yaris and focusing on ramping up production to 1 us dollar ...........................4.2070 4.0820 4.0720
about 4.5 times higher than the 2,105 units Hilux, which made up 69% of total sales for ensure timely delivery to our customers 1 australian dollar ...............3.1120 2.9890 2.9730
sold in the previous month, as its showrooms the month. whilst ensuring full compliance with the 1 brunei dollar .....................3.1330 3.0410 3.0330
and automotive assembly plants restarted standard operating procedures. 1 Canadian dollar ................3.3120 3.2230 3.2110
operations. Year-to-date, UMW Toyota Motor has sold 1 euro ...................................4.9730 4.8140 4.7940
38,085 vehicles, 20% higher than 31,734 “Our domestic parts and components 1 New Zealand dollar ..........3.0020 2.8910 2.8750
The August figures were based on about units in the corresponding period in 2020. suppliers have also resumed operations as 1 singapore dollar ...............3.1330 3.0410 3.0330
two weeks of operations, which resumed well as having secured our planned com- 1 sterling pound ..................5.8260 5.6440 5.6240
following the easing of the movement con- Perodua posted sales of 6,988 units in pletely-knocked-down parts to meet our 1 swiss Franc ......................4.5640 4.4600 4.4450
trol order restrictions on Aug 16. August, up from only 655 units in July. customers’ demand,” said UMW president 100 uae dirham .................115.8800 109.8800 109.6800
and group CEO Datuk Ahmad Fuaad Kenali. 100 bangladesh Taka ..........5.0220 4.7110 4.5110
“Both, UMW Toyota Motor and its associ- Sales of the national marque over the 100 danish Krone ..............68.5600 63.1000 62.9000
ate company Perodua, registered improved first eight months of the year were 12.5% He added that he expects the automotive 100 Hongkong dollar ........54.6600 51.9500 51.7500
sales in August despite operating for less lower year-on-year at 104,933 units. sales momentum to continue for the 100 Indian rupee ................5.8200 5.4600 5.2600
than half the month,” it said in a statement remainder of the year, especially with the 100 Indonesian rupiah .......0.0306 0.0277 0.0227
yesterday. Consequently, Perodua cut its 2021 sales extension of the sales tax exemption to Dec 100 Japanese yen ...............3.8300 3.7110 3.7010
target to 214,000 units from the previous 31, 2021. 100 Norwegian Krone .......49.8200 45.8400 45.6400
UMW Toyota Motor delivered 2,524 units, 240,000 units target. 100 pakistan rupee ............2.5500 2.3800 2.1800
100 philippine peso ............8.5500 8.0600 7.8600
“Currently, both marques have a healthy 100 Qatar riyal ...................116.8100 110.8900 110.6900
100 saudi riyal ...................113.4200 107.6700 107.4700
Malaysia’s approved 100 south africa rand ......30.7100 27.7300 27.5300
FDI leaps 223% in H1 100 sri Lanka rupee ...........2.1600 1.9800 1.7800
100 swedish Krona ...........50.2400 45.7600 45.5600
positive performance augurs well for country: azmin 100 Thai baht ....................13.4200 11.9000 11.5000

investment “the stellar performance also demonstrates Mah Sing shares
that malaysia’s strategy of positioning the Budget 2022
KUALA LUMPUR: An increase in approved country as an attractive investment destination wish list
foreign direct investment (FDI) in the first of choice and a supply chain hub in Asean,
half of 2021 (H1’21), which leapt 223.1% year- particularly for manufacturing operations, KUALA LUMPUR: Mah Sing Group Bhd
on-year, signals the confidence of foreign is showing positive results.” hopes the government could introduce addi-
investors in the country’s stable and condu- tional initiatives to ease the homeownership
cive economic climate and business ecosys- datuk seri azmin ali journey for first-time home buyers and expe-
tem, said Senior Minister Datuk Seri Azmin dite the recovery of the property industry as
Ali. stered by its high-skilled talent and adoption projects will also require 4,144 skilled part of its wish list for Budget 2022 which will
of advanced technology for value-added craftsmen. be tabled in Parliament on Oct 29, 2021.
In a statement, he said the positive perfor- industries.
mance augurs well for Malaysia’s path to a Notable projects approved in H1’21 include In a statement yesterday, the property devel-
vibrant and sustainable economic recovery. Meanwhile, in tandem with the National South Korea’s SK Nexilis project for a new oper said enhanced measures to ease home-
Investment Aspirations (NIA), Malaysia pur- copper foil manufacturing plant, Risen ownership for first-time home buyers, review
“The stellar performance also demon- sues more capital-intensive projects and Energy’s proposed project to produce bi-facial Malaysia My Second Home programme’s
strates that Malaysia’s strategy of positioning those that support the development agenda of technology solar products, and OCIM’s pro- (MM2H) new criteria, and lower minimum
the country as an attractive investment desti- the nation, consistent with environmental, posed investment to expand the capacity of threshold for foreign property ownership to
nation of choice and a supply chain hub in social and governance (ESG) goals. its solar grade polysilicon plant. RM600,000 are among the items on its wish list.
Asean, particularly for manufacturing opera-
tions, is showing positive results,” added There is an emphasis on job creation with “Going forward, from the strategic vantage Founder and group managing director Tan
Azmin, who is International Trade and the 367 manufacturing projects worth point of the NIA, we will continue to pursue high Sri Leong Hoy Kum proposed that the govern-
Industry (Miti) Minister. RM66.9bil approved in the first half of 2021 quality investments to bring value to the nation ment offer more measures targeting first-time
(H1’21) creating 32,220 job opportunities. and people, not just in preserving jobs but in homebuyers, specifically in home financing to
FDI was the main driver of the manufactur- creating new high value-added employment. boost homeownership.
ing sector during this period with a contribu- Azmin revealed that the workforce
tion of RM58.2bil in approved investments required for the approved investments “We are committed towards positioning “This includes reinstating the maximum
while domestic sources of investment came to include 1,367 managerial positions and 4,031 Malaysia as the ideal partner for investors in loan tenure to 40 years which refers to gross
RM8.7bil. technical professionals such as engineers in the region, enhancing our economic complex- income rather than net income for loan appli-
the field of E&E, mechanical, chemical and ity and propelling long term growth for cations, higher debt service ratio as well as
In terms of total approved investment, other disciplines, reflecting the higher value Malaysia through the flow of sustainable setting a higher margin of financing up to 100%
Malaysia recorded RM107.5bil of FDI and chain transition of the manufacturing sector. quality investments in new and complex for first property buyers to help the M40 and
domestic direct investments (DDI) in the man- growth areas,” said Azmin. B40 groups who are affected during the pan-
ufacturing, services and primary sectors, rep- In addition, the approved manufacturing demic,” he said.
resenting a jump of 69.8% compared with the
same period of last year. Leong also said that the government could
consider the possibility of implementing the
The investments involved 2,110 projects developer interest bearing scheme (DIBS) for
and are expected to generate 44,994 jobs in first-time homebuyers, as this would allow
the country. them to have the option to not service their
loan interest and rentals at the same time dur-
Azmin said Malaysia continues to attract ing the construction period.
high-value and high-tech investments, bol-
“Additionally, we propose that the govern-
Sunway-Hoi Hup JV wins bid for Singapore condo ment extend the Home Ownership Campaign
(HOC) for another year.
PETALING JAYA: Sunway Bhd, through its strengths of its location. the Pasir Panjang MRT station on the Circle
joint-venture vehicle with Singapore develop- It noted the site is on a hillside, at the fringe Line. “The campaign has been proven to be vital
er Hoi Hup Realty, has won a competitive bid in helping home buyers while reducing the
for the en-bloc acquisition of Flynn Park, a of the city centre, next to public transporta- In addition, the development is near land- housing overhang situation since it was
condominium development in Singapore, tion and yet next to the lush and mature Kent marks such as the Pasir Panjang Food Centre, launched,” he said.
with a bid of S$371mil (RM1.15bil). Ridge nature park. Mapletree Business City, VivoCity and Sentosa
Island. On the MM2H programme, Leong has made
In a statement, the conglomerate said Flynn Park, a 72-unit condominium block several proposals to the government such as
Sunway Property and Hoi Hup plans to rede- built in 1986, was open for tender at the end With the latest acquisition of Flynn Park, lowering the qualifying minimum income, liq-
velop the site into modern private residential of July. Sunway Property’s landbank to date stands uid assets, and fixed deposits instead of a dras-
condominiums, leveraging on the multiple at 3,339 acres, with a potential gross devel- tic increase currently.
It is sited on an elevated 4.79-acre freehold opment value of RM54.4bil.
plot of land and is located 350 metres from Other recommendations are to impose dif-
ferent classes of applications, tailor the pro-
Maybank Islamic, Cookhouse Malaysia in tie-up grame for various foreign applicants, all exist-
ing MM2H pass holders should not be affected
KUALA LUMPUR: Maybank Islamic Bhd has This initiative benefits SMEs operating ise on Cookhouse’s expertise as one of the by the new rules, as well as the duration of the
partnered with Cookhouse Malaysia to offer from their homes, but have plans to scale up most-established Cloud Kitchen Operators in MM2H pass shall remain at 10 years.
small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the their businesses and obtain halal certifica- the country, hence shortening their learning
food and beverage business an opportunity to tion. curve,lowering startup cost and bridging Meanwhile, Leong proposed that the govern-
access most comprehensive and best them to the market in a more efficient man- ment reduce the minimum threshold for foreign
equipped cloud kitchen in Malaysia. The collaboration is part of the bank’s ner. property ownership to RM600,000, although the
on-going efforts to tap on the ever-growing current minimum threshold for foreign proper-
This collaboration enables SMEs to rent halal market by enhancing the awareness of It also provides them with enterprise-ready ty ownership varies according to states.
dedicated commercial-grade kitchen space the halal industry and increasing the number solutions such as online platform for order-
with state-of-the-art facilities at a cost-effec- of new halal-certified companies. ing, cashless payments and integration into “We hope the government can review and
tive price, they said in a joint statement. food-delivery services. standardise the minimum threshold to
The SME foodpreneurs are able to capital- RM600,000 across all states, especially in the
areas with high property overhang such as the
Klang Valley, Johor and Penang,” he said

Other items on the wish list are to terminate
the real property gains tax on properties sold
after five years as an impetus to boost the sec-
ondary market, reduce the compliance cost to
lower house prices to benefit home buyers, as
well as to introduce incentives for develop-
ments incorporating green features. —
Bernama

6 News STARBIZ, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021

Boustead poised to get Strong orders
significant rental returns to boost Kawan
Food earnings
Income of rm19mil a year anticipated
PETALING JAYA: Kawan Food Bhd’s growth
CORPORATE “When its balance sheet strengthens, plans include introducing new products and
the group will look at purchasing younger penetrating into new export markets.
PETALING JAYA: Boustead Plantations Bhd’s estates to rebalance its ageing trees profile.”
proposal to lease out a portion of its Telok The group managed to penetrate into South
Sengat Estate in Johor to cultivate large-scale maybank Ib research America, a market which is expected to con-
algae plantation is expected to generate up to tribute positively in the fourth quarter of the
RM18.7mil in rental income per year. based on target price of 81 sen. the RM37mil one-off goods and services tax financial year 2021 (Q4’FY21).
“The group is not adverse to sell non-strate- (GST) refund that was received on Aug 5 will
According to Maybank IB Research, the be recognised as one-off income in the third Demand for Kawan’s products will contin-
proposed venture if it materialises can help gic or older estates. quarter of 2021,” it said. ue to be strong as the popularity of frozen
the group add over RM11mil per year in its “When its balance sheet strengthens, the food has increased, fuelled by the change in
profits for the financial year 2022. Boustead Plantations has also clarified that consumer consumption behaviour due to the
group will look at purchasing younger estates this will not be the case as the accounting Covid-19 pandemic, according to PublicInvest
It deemed the rental returns as “signifi- to rebalance its ageing trees profile,” added treatment of the refund is merely a move- Research in its latest report.
cant” and the conditional land lease agree- Maybank IB Research. ment in its balance sheets from “other receiv-
ment would see it leasing out for a 30-year ables” to “cash”. Kawan Food had recently hosted a virtual
period with an option for another 30 years. It noted that the group has also undertaken investor briefing, said the research house
“very little forward sales until now”. “Following the briefing, we will remove the adding that “we came away feeling reaf-
The research house, which is upbeat on the RM37mil one-off GST refund from our fore- firmed on the group’s future prospects.’’
proposal, noted that Boustead Plantations The weak fresh fruit bunches output in the cast FY21 headline net profit.
would receive lease rentals of RM1,210 per first half of 2021, which fell 14% year-on-year, Despite the disruption in production facili-
acre per month or RM35,880 per ha per year. was mainly due to the lagged effect of little “However, our forecast FY21 core net prof- ties, there were no order cancellations and
fertilising work in 2019 and heavy rainfall in its is unchanged at RM101mil,” Maybank IB Kawan Food has managed to capture an addi-
Based on its recent briefing with the group’s the first quarter of this year, it said. Research said. tional 3%-5% market share in the domestic
new CEO Zainal Abidin Shariff, Maybank IB market.
Research said: “While details remain sketchy, Meanwhile, Maybank IB Research said the It had also kept its FY21’s forecast net divi-
we sense a greater willingness for the group sustainability of the group’s quarterly divi- dend per share unchanged at 3.6 sen, which is Kawan Food’s market share was about 60%
to monetise and sweat its existing assets to dend payouts would depend largely on its based on an 80% dividend payout ratio of the before the pandemic.
quicken its transformation while rewarding profitability. core net profit.
its shareholders at the same time.” While the manpower constraints had limit-
“This is opposed to our earlier belief that ed Kawan Food’s production for its new prod-
The research house said Boustead ucts such as Pizza, Malabar Roti, PublicInvest
Plantations remained a “buy” with an Research said the group managed to get new
unchanged discounted revised net asset value workers and is looking to gradually increase
its headcount to 410 from about 300 going
Genting’s forecast intact despite resort cancellation forward.

PETALING JAYA: Despite the cancellation of with Japan’s Sega Sammy, which is one of the achieved herd immunity by the year-end. This should enable Kawan Food to ramp up
the Yokohama integrated resort (IR), in which country’s largest pachinko game manufactur- “We reckon investors should not be focus- its production for the new products given the
Genting Singapore Ltd had put in a bid, the ers, and Kajima Corp for this purpose. positive response among local consumers.
Genting group remains a recovery play. ing on near-term earnings setbacks but
Although the outcome was a lost opportu- towards a gradual improvement in 2022/23 Kawan Food has secure vaccines for its
PublicInvest Research, in a report, said it nity, PublicInvest believed Genting Singapore with the eventual opening of international employees and resumed its production at full
had left its forecasts and recommendation for should deliver better performance as borders that will benefit the global tourism capacity on Aug 16.
parent company, Genting Bhd, unchanged as Singapore had been able to control the spread industry,” it added.
it has yet to factor in any expectations for the of Covid-19 relatively well compared with its The research house noted that the two-
bid for the Yokohama IR project. regional peers. The research firm maintains an “outper- week closure from June 14 and workforce
form” on the stock with a target price of restrictions from stricter movement orders
Genting Singapore, which is 52.7%-owned As for Malaysia, it said the near-term cata- RM5.70. saw Kawan Food’s utilisation rate declined to
by Genting, announced last week that lyst would be the reopening of the Malaysian 45%-55%.
Yokohama City published its decision to can- economy as well as stronger plantation earn- For the second quarter ended June 30, 2021,
cel the Yokohama integrated resort bid pro- ings due to the elevated crude palm oil (CPO) Genting reported improved results across its “As a result, there has been a backlog in
cess on Sept 10. As a result, Genting Singapore’s prices. major operating divisions, but huge impair- orders from both Kawan Food’s local and
participation in the bid was discontinued. ment charges and higher expenses kept the overseas customers. Going forward, given the
However, earnings weakness is expect- group in the red. strong order backlog and the robust demand
Genting Singapore and another competitor, ed to persist for the group’s casino opera- from both local and overseas clients, we are
Melco Resorts, had passed their qualification tions, particularly in Malaysia given the For that period, Genting made a loss of expecting Kawan Food’s utilisation to rise to
screening process in June to take part in the prolonged lockdown, added the research RM563mil compared with a loss of RM786mil 60%-65%.’’ the research house said.
city’s Request-For-Proposal (RFP) to develop firm. a year ago.
an IR. It has maintained an “outperform’’ call on
It expected a complete reopening of the Revenue was up at RM2.93bil from the stock with an unchanged target price of
Genting Singapore formed a consortium Malaysian economy to take place once it RM1.1bil previously, boosted by its leisure RM2.75 a share.
and hospitality division.
Loans under
Upside potential likely for price of CPO repayment aid up

By ZUNAIRA SAIEED “Consumers are also importing more palm tion and lower exports. KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s six largest
zunaira@thestar.com.my oil from Indonesia ahead of the US$73 “We think that the supply outlook is banks have reported that loans under Covid-
KUALA LUMPUR: The price of crude palm (RM303) per tonne increase in palm oil export 19 pandemic-related repayment assistance
oil (CPO) is expected to remain firm at tax in Indonesia effective Sept 1. improving after months of tight supply pres- increased to an average of 27% of total loans
RM3,500 to RM4,500 per tonne this month sure as production is seen picking up in the between July and August 2021 from 12% in
amid tight global oil inventories. “There were talks that India is likely to next two months. March to May.
lower the effective import duty on edible oils
CGS-CIMB Research, in its latest agribusi- by 5.5% points to 24.75% for crude palm oil, “We are maintaining a ‘neutral’ call on the This was driven by the retail and small and
ness report, pegged the average CPO price at soya and sunflower oil as well as by 9.5% sector while monitoring the rebalancing of medium enterprise segments, after Bank
RM3,700 per tonne this year, but there remain points to 31.75% for refined palm oil and soya the sector valuation,” the research house said Negara expanded the programme to support
an upside potential as “the CPO price has oil,” it added. in its report. a wider group of borrowers alongside the
averaged at RM4,150 per tonne in the first extension of the lockdown in June, said
eight months of this year.” Meanwhile, PublicInvest Research TA Securities said cargo surveyors AmSpec Moody’s Investors Service.
expected a potential downward pressure on and Intertek expected palm oil exports for the
By end-September, the palm oil stocks the price of CPO in the near-term as produc- first 10 days of September 2021 to fall by “Although this will result in a deteriora-
could rise 1% month-on-month (m-o-m) to tion is likely to pick up in the next two 50.5% and 57.0% to 555,000 and 572,000 tion in banks’ asset quality, we do not expect
1.89 million tonnes, said the research house. months. tonnes respectively. non performing loans to increase sharply
because most of the scheme’s applicants are
CGS-CIMB Research pointed out that palm Last month, local palm oil inventories rose It has kept an “overweight” on the planta- likely to have sufficient financial capacity to
oil exports fell 17% m-o-m and 26% year-on- to its all-time high in over a year due to the tion sector with key downside risks includ- repay their debt when the programme ends,”
year to 1.2 million tonnes in August, dragged stronger-than-expected production level ris- ing higher-than-expected rise in soybean it said. — Bernama
by weaker demand from China, the European ing 11.8% m-o-m to 1.7 million tonnes. production which could put downward pres-
Union and the United States. sure on the prices of other edible oils in the For the record
The local stockpiles grew 25% m-o-m to market.
“We suspect the sharp drop in local exports 1.87 million tonnes, above market expecta- IN our StarBizWeek report headlined
could be due partly to subdued buying by tion of 1.74 million tonnes. Other risks included unfavourable govern- “Industry players likely to take stock” pub-
traders in anticipation of an increase in pro- ment policies, weaker- than-expected demand lished on Sept 11, we reported that the US
duction. According to PublicInvest Research, this is in China and India as well as a delay in global Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has
the steepest inventory growth since October economic recovery from the prolonged Covid- banned imports from IOI Corp Bhd over
2009 mainly driven by recovery in produc- 19 pandemic. forced labour allegations.

It has been pointed out to us that IOI has
not been contacted by the US CBP with regard
to their investigation on its forced labour alle-
gations.

The error is regretted.

STARBIZ, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021 News 7

By SIMON DALE Reimagining the future of
THE acceleration of digital adoption has mas- work in South-East Asia
sively changed the nature of work. talent, with 50% of enterprise workers report-
A step ahead: dale, who is the managing director of south-east asia at adobe, believes ing that they would switch jobs if it gave them
This, in turn, has changed the way employees that digital transformation has changed how people work. access to tools that enable them to be more
are expected to work today and post-pandemic. productive at work.
them relevant, and bringing them along with Legacy workflows is another challenge that
As more employees bring the office into their you. many organisations face when transforming To thrive in the digital economy, employers
living rooms, these seismic shifts are helping for the future of work. must embrace flexible technologies that digitise
some companies flourish, while challenging One example of this is the Adobe more, or all, workflow steps, and use cloud-
those that are slow to respond. Programmatic League that we run in SEA. According to Adobe’s Future of Time report, based services to deliver this efficiently.
enterprise workers and small-to-medium busi-
Last year, when it became clear that work We introduce existing members of the work- ness (SMB) owners now have higher expecta- To help with that, Adobe has recently
was never going back to the way things were, force to data and analytics to get them interest- tions for technology to help them work faster announced the availability of Adobe Sign and
we saw an opportunity and the need to reima- ed in learning those skills and begin applying and more efficiently, especially for low-effort Adobe Experience Manager as a Cloud Service
gine the employee experience that leverages them to their functions. tasks such as managing files, contracts, and hosted locally in the Microsoft Azure SEA
the best of in-person and virtual interactions to invoices. region data centre located in Singapore.
foster creativity, innovation, and culture. Similarly, digital literacy in the boardroom is
also no longer a nice-to-have, but rather a key In reality, however, only 12% of Asia-Pacific This move will bring expanded digital expe-
Where we landed is this: The future of work competitive differentiator in today’s corporate organisations have transitioned to fully digit- rience management and e-signing capabilities
is hybrid. landscape. ised document workflows. to support organisations across the region in
their future of work vision.
While we believe that the hybrid future of A digitally savvy board can help foster a Those that still rely on paper-based process-
work is here to stay, we know that one size data-driven culture that ensures employees are es will continue to be burdened by inefficien- Adobe also rolled out new product offerings,
doesn’t fit all. Let’s break that down further: equipped with the tools and skills to continually cies. Digitising workflows is also especially integrated seamlessly with Microsoft infra-
enhance the digital experience. important to help employers retain and attract structure, that are designed to help local gov-
> Being digital-first will be critical ernment and commercial organisations deliver
Digital transformation has fundamentally > Digitising workflows enhanced customer and citizen experiences.
changed how people work. As the digital expe-
riences company, we doubled down on digital This is just the beginning.
tools and workflows across the employee expe- We recognise that we, and organisations
rience to enable our people to be productive across SEA, have a lot to learn, and that evolv-
working wherever they are. ing how we work will be a long-term transfor-
Organisations, large and small, will need to mation. However, we are energised by the fact
determine how that “hybrid” will look like for that we’ll soon be able to come together again
them, then start cultivating a digital-first mind- – be it in-person or digital.
set across the entire company, and put in place For more information, visit bit.ly/ado-
the digital solutions needed to build the future bebiz-sign.
of work. Adobe was a Terabyte Partner of the recent
> Digital literacy is key Smart Gov & Public Services Live Virtual
Even before the pandemic, South-East Asia Conference on Sept 7 and Sept 8, held in com-
(SEA) businesses were concerned about the memoration of Star Media Group’s 50th anni-
digital skills gap. versary.
It’s easy to be overwhelmed with the Rajesh Patil, head of territory and channel
increased pace of change, the explosion of digi- sales, spoke at day two of the conference. To
tal channels and technologies, and rising cus- rewatch his session, visit bit.ly/smartgov-adobe.
tomer expectations. Simon Dale is the managing director of
When Econsultancy and Adobe surveyed South-East Asia at Adobe with over three
marketing and technology leaders for our 2021 decades of professional experience in the
Digital Trends Report, both mainstream compa- technology sector, including 20 years in Asia-
nies and customer experience (CX) leaders Pacific.
ranked “lack of digital skills” as the third-high-
est issue holding back their marketing or CX
organisations.
Evidently, upskilling SEA workers is key to
establishing a successful digital future for the
fast-growing region.
However, digital upskilling isn’t just about
training a new generation of workers. It’s about
taking the workforce you already have, keeping

Top Glove to see better earnings after ban lifted Ibraco all
geared up for
GlovES “This is a positive development as it indicates the long term
that ESG concerns have been alleviated.”
PETALING JAYA: Top Glove Corp Bhd could PETALING JAYA: Property developer Ibraco
see a boost in its earnings after getting the amInvestment bank research Bhd is gearing up for long-term growth with
greenlight to resume selling its glove products its proposed private placement of up to 49.6
to the United States. “Top Glove has embarked on a substantial ufacturers are of the view that ASP will likely million new shares.
investment programme to significantly normalise between US$30 and US$35 (RM124-
Its products were previously banned by the improve the living quarters of its workers RM145) per 1,000 pieces considering that the More excitingly, the exercise could potential-
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) over nationwide and is committed to continually cost structure has risen including social compli- ly see the entry of strategic investors into the
allegations of forced labour practices. improving its workers’ accommodations,” the ance costs,” it said in a report yesterday. Sarawak-based company to realise synergies
research house said in a report yesterday. through this exercise, said TA Research.
AmInvestment Bank Research raised its fair Kenanga said according to Top Glove’s latest
value estimate in Top Glove to RM3.77 from It is worth noting that shares in Top Glove presentation on its website, it revealed that the Last Friday, Ibraco announced the proposed
RM3.66 due to a higher environmental, social had tumbled more than half since the ban. group has scaled down new capacity expansion private placement exercise, representing up to
and governance (ESG) rating” following the by 14% this year, which it deems as positive. 10% of its total issued shares, to third-party
announcement. Its share price gained as much as 10% to investors to be identified later.
RM3.75 last week, but it was short-lived. Top Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers
“This is a positive development as it indicates Glove’s share prices continued with their Association expected the strong demand for Based on an indicative issue price of 47 sen
that ESG concerns have been alleviated,” it said declining trend down by 15 sen to RM3.28 at rubber gloves to last beyond the first quarter of per placement share, the exercise is expected to
in a report yesterday. Our fair value is based on yesterday’s close. 2022 (Q1’22) with a growth rate averaging raise gross proceeds of up to RM23.3mil, which is
unchanged 14 times price-earnings (PE) ratio between 15% and 20%. expected to be utilised mainly for property
for 2022 forecast earnings per share. Kenanga reckoned that the current share development funding and working capital.
price level of Top Glove reflects “an overly bear- Nonetheless, AmInvest maintained its earn-
“We ascribe a higher fair value after remov- ish reaction”, expecting a decline in glove aver- ings estimates on Top Glove pending Q4’21 TA believes the proceeds will help to ensure
ing the previous 3% ESG-adjusted discount. For age selling price (ASP) in the coming quarters. results slated on Sept 17. “We maintain our timely delivery of the group’s existing proper-
companies with a three-star ESG rating, we do earnings estimates for FY21, FY22 and FY23 at ty development projects while at the same
not assign a premium or discount to the stock “Due to over-ordering over the past 15 RM8.54bil, RM2.80bil and RM1.51bil, respec- time maintaining its net-gearing levels below
PE valuation,” it added. months since the pandemic started, the market tively on the assumption of gloves ASP at the board’s internal gearing threshold of 0.5
is currently undergoing a phase of inventory US$87.50, US$30.50 and US$26.50,” it said. times.
In July last year, two of the world’s largest adjustment. We highlight that some glove man-
glove manufacturer subsidiaries – Top Glove “Nonetheless, we do not discount the possi-
Sdn Bhd and TG Medical Sdn Bhd – were placed bility of the potential entry of strategic inves-
under detention order by the CBP. Kenanga tors to realise synergies through this private
Research said the US market accounts for 18% placement exercise,” it added in a report.
to 21% of Top Glove’s total export sales.
Assuming the completion of the exercise at
KWAP appoints Hizzan Hamid as CEO of KWEST the end of financial year 2021 (FY21), TA esti-
mates that the exercise could increase the
KUALA LUMPUR: Kumpulan Wang The appointment of Hizzan Hamid fol- acquisition and commercial real estate. group’s FY22 net profit by about 1% due to
Persaraan (Diperbadankan) has appointed lowed the departure of former KWEST His career in property spans across 14 additional interest income. It would also reduce
Hizzan Hamid as the new chief executive chief executive officer, Sufian Abdullah. gearing level from 0.47 times as at end of sec-
officer of its property arm, KWEST Sdn years in local and international acquisi- ond quarter of 2021 to 0.39 times.
Bhd. In a statement, KWAP said Hizzan was tions, as well as facilitating joint ventures
previously the executive director of busi- between top property development com- However, the enlarged share base is expect-
The appointment took effect on Sept 1, ness development at Gamuda Land. panies and government-linked organisa- ed to dilute its FY22-FY23 earnings per share by
2021. tions. some 8% and reduce its price-to-book-based
He has experience in managing land target price by 4.6% from 65 sen to 0.62 sen per
share.

8 Foreign News STARBIZ, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021

SpiceJet settles with Boeing MAX aircraft lessor CDB Aviation

BENGALURU: Budget airline SpiceJet said it into a financial crisis, which has since been service at the end of September after a settle- The resumption of MAX aircraft services
has settled with another lessor of Boeing Co’s compounded by the pandemic. ment with lessor Avolon on leases of the air- would be subject to regulatory approvals,
MAX aircraft, CDB Aviation, as it looks to start craft. SpiceJet, India’s second-largest airline by mar-
operating the aircraft by the end of September In August, India’s air safety regulator, the ket share and the only one in the country to
after India cleared the 737 MAX to fly last Directorate General of Civil Aviation, said it The lifting of the ban in India came months fly the aircraft, said.
month. cleared 737 MAX aircraft to fly with immedi- after the aircraft returned to service in the
ate effect, after nearly two-and-a-half years of United States and Europe. More recently China is the biggest market in the region
The 737 MAX was grounded worldwide in regulatory grounding. grounding orders were lifted in other coun- that has yet to approve the return of the 737
March 2019 after two fatal crashes in five tries, including Australia, Fiji, Japan and MAX, though Boeing last month conducted
months killed 346 people, plunging Boeing SpiceJet said in August it expected the Malaysia. test flights in the country. — Reuters
grounded 737 MAX jets in its fleet to return to

Merchants prepare Singapore firms
to use digital yuan encouraged
to invest in
Africa amid
Terminal device makers form tie-ups with large banks tech growth

CHINA SINGAPORE: Companies here have long
been encouraged to expand into Asia’s
BEIJING: Chinese merchants are already Big potential: a visitor walking past by a e-CNy logo at a trade fair in beijing. China’s fast-growing market, but they are now being
preparing for the cross-border usage of digi- e-CNy system has the potential to expand to larger-value transactions over the next five to urged to take advantage of the immense
tal yuan, or e-CNY, at a time when some major 10 years. — ap opportunities opening up in Africa.
central banks in the world have not yet decid-
ed to develop their own digital currencies. The central bank will explore pilot gies, Reuters reported. The region has received far less attention
cross-border payment programmes and work “By positioning itself at the frontier of CBDC from global firms, but the potential is vast in
Some terminal device manufacturers, with relevant central banks and monetary areas like healthcare and technology.
eying the cross-border payment function of authorities to set up exchange arrangements development, China is attempting to establish
e-CNY, have cooperated with large commer- and regulatory cooperation mechanisms for greater influence in setting international Enterprise Singapore (ESG) said it facilitat-
cial banks and applied to the central bank for the digital currency, in line with the principle standards and rules, just as it did in the 5G ed 20% more projects for Singapore firms
business licenses of exchanging digital yuan of “no detriment”, “compliance” and “inter- sector,” said Michael Taylor, a managing going into Africa last year than in 2019.
for foreign currencies and for retail use, said connectivity”, the white paper said. director and chief credit officer of Moody’s.
an executive of a manufacturer who declined “We are on track to exceed that in 2021,”
to be named. Reuters reported that at a seminar of the Taylor said central bank digital currencies said G. Jayakrishnan, ESG global markets
Bank for International Settlements in March, will very likely serve as a much cheaper way executive director covering the Middle East
The source said the authorities agreed to officials from the PBoC laid out new proposals to conduct cross-border transactions, because and Africa, Central Asia, and Central and
give the green light to some applicants, so of global rules for central bank-backed digital they can act as a medium of direct exchange, Eastern Europe.
users will be able to exchange e-CNY in currencies (CBDC). replacing some third-party intermediaries
authorised commercial banks. including banks. He noted Africa’s average annual gross
PBoC officials called for enabling interoper- domestic product growth consistently out-
Some exchanges can be implemented ability between central bank digital currency Industry experts expect the PBoC will con- paced the global average in the pre-pandemic
through self-service machines. Those systems of different jurisdictions. tinue to explore the possibility of adopting era and was expected to be at least 6% until
machines could be used when Beijing hosts e-CNY internationally, and it will continue to 2023.
the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, industry They also proposed a scalable and overseen work with other central banks to research the
experts said. foreign exchange platform supported by dis- exchange arrangements and regulatory coop- Africa is also home to seven of the world’s
tributed ledger technology or other technolo- eration mechanisms. — China Daily/ANN 10 fastest-growing economies. More than 100
Moody’s Investors Service foresees the Singapore firms operate in Africa now, with
broad use of e-CNY in cross-border payments the top four sectors of interest being consum-
by Chinese tourists when they travel abroad. er goods, or manufactured food products, oil
Such payments would be at a cost lower than and gas, digital solutions and urban solutions.
that of services provided by companies such
as UnionPay. “The digital revolution
that was well under
China’s e-CNY system has the potential to way in Africa sped
expand to larger-value transactions over the up considerably
next five to 10 years, the agency predicted, during the pandemic.”
although it is designed for small-value pay-
ments in the country at the initial stage. G. Jayakrishnan

A research note from Shengang Securities Jayakrishnan added: “There have been
said as e-CNY technologies are improving and other factors at play that have sparked excite-
trials are expanding, consumption scenarios ment and interest among small and medium
will increase to business trading, logistics and enterprises about doing business in Africa.
cross-border payments, which need an
upgrade of financial and information technol- “The digital revolution that was well under
ogy systems. way in Africa sped up considerably during
the pandemic.”
The People’s Bank of China (PBoC) said in
its first e-CNY white paper in July that explor- The growth of digital technology over the
ing the applicability of e-CNY in cross-border past 15 years, mainly driven by the mobile
scenarios is one of the objectives. revolution and associated innovations, has
been one of the bright spots for Africa’s devel-
China to consolidate overcrowded EV industry opment, he said.

BEIJING: China has “too many” electric vehi- in the world’s biggest vehicle market. Thursday’s announcement created some con- More than 80% of Africa’s population has
cle (EV) makers and the government will A prolonged global chip shortage has affect- fusion among market watchers over whether a mobile phone subscription and the digital
encourage consolidation, Industry and the auctions had already taken place, or economy is becoming a key driver of
Information Technology Minister Xiao Yaqing ed major automakers, including Ford Motor, would happen in the future. growth.
said yesterday. Honda Motor and Volkswagen, forcing many
to idle or curtail production. She declined to clarify if the auction may Farmers with small holdings can make pay-
The minister also said China would improve include unconfirmed reserve sales that some ments on their phones and deal directly with
its charging network and develop EV sales in Separately, China said it would announce analysts said took place in July and August. wholesalers, getting information on pricing
rural markets. details of planned crude oil sales from strate- and other factors like weather conditions.
gic reserves in due course. State oil refinery sources told Reuters on
The government’s promotion of greener Friday that the government may pick key Digital trade has also led to fintech services
vehicles to cut pollution has prompted elec- The National Food and Strategic Reserves plants that have direct pipeline links to becoming a powerful lever for growth and
tric carmakers such as Nio Inc, Xpeng Inc and Administration issued a four-sentence state- reserve bases for such auctions, but added financial inclusion, Jayakrishnan said.
BYD Co Ltd to expand manufacturing capaci- ment last Thursday announcing the country they were not certain how the sales would be
ty in China. would for the first time sell state crude priced. He noted that Singapore companies have
reserves via public auction. recognised this opportunity and are develop-
Xiao said the ministry was speeding up China, which closely guards information ing partnerships in healthtech, fintech and
alternative solutions to address an auto chip “We will disclose the time frame and the about its emergency stockpile, had over the even education technology in various African
supply shortage. volume of the auction on our official website years sold some reserves to state refineries on markets.
in due course,” a reserves administration an ad-hoc basis, with prices in line with pre-
China’s market regulator last week fined spokesperson said yesterday, in response to vailing market rates, one of the sources said. Other opportunities lie in manufacturing,
three auto chip sales companies for driving Reuters queries. — Reuters with domestic food production and packag-
up prices, in a move to help auto production ing having to grow to meet population needs.
The vague wording and the lack of detail in — The Straits Times/ANN

STARBIZ, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021 Foreign News 9

JAPAN Japan’s investors
TOKYO: Japan’s stock investors have raised raise bets on Kono
bets Taro Kono will become the country’s next Vaccine minister a favourite to head Ldp
prime minister, snatching up renewable
energy and office technology shares that are and investors expect him to promote a fur- Potential corporate inefficiency.
expected to benefit under his economic poli- ther shift to renewable energy given Japan leader: Kono His improved chances supported firms that
cies. last year adopted a carbon neutral goal. is known as a
critic of nucle- provide document digitalisation services.
At the same time, investors are now trim- His improved political prospects since the ar power and Bengo4.com, which offers electronic contract
ming holdings of some medical service shares start of the month have pushed renewable investors service, has risen 8.4% so far this month
that had previously benefited on now fading energy firm Renova up 47% over that period expect him to while GMO GlobalSign, a web certificate ser-
expectations former foreign minister Fumio while rival West Holdings has gained 26%, promote a fur- vice firm, added 9.7%.
Kishida, an advocate of spending in that sec- ther shift to
tor, could succeed outgoing Prime Minister renewable Kishida’s chances were undermined after
Yoshihide Suga. energy. — ap former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, one of his
main backers, switched his support to less-
Weekend polls showed vaccine minister easily beating 6.5% gains in the broad Topix er-known former home affair minister Sanae
Kono emerging as a strong favourite to index. Takaichi.
become the next leader of the ruling Liberal
Democratic Party (LDP), and therefore prime Similarly, Kono, as administrative reform Kishida has pledged to expand the coun-
minister, well ahead of Kishida and former minister, has spearheaded efforts to abolish try’s medical capacity to deal with the
defence minister Shigeru Ishiba. the use of “hanko” seals, personal signature Covid-19 outbreak so his candidacy and
stamps traditionally used for managerial initially strong support helped shares in
While there are few specific details about approval and seen as a symbol of Japanese that sector.
each candidate’s economic platforms, inves-
tors are nonetheless positioning themselves However, his subsequent loss of momen-
ahead of the Sept 29 LDP vote. tum has hit those shares with Leoclan, a med-
ical equipment trading firm, shedding some
“Some foreign investors are buying of its gains of more than 20%. MRT, which
Japanese stocks on Kono hopes,” said Hiroyuki offers web-based staffing service for doctors
Ueno, senior strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui and hospitals, also lost steam. — Reuters
Trust Asset Management.

“But his economic policies are still not that
clear, including his stance on the Bank of
Japan’s monetary policy, so there is a risk
markets may get disappointed.”

Kono is known as a critic of nuclear power

Wholesale inflation hovers near 13-year high Indonesia
pushes for
TOKYO: Japan’s wholesale inflation hovered “The Bank of Japan might be forced to steam on key
near a 13-year high in August as raw material continue its massive easing even when central jobs with Japan
imports continued to rise on solid global banks around the world seek normalisation.”
demand, data showed yesterday, putting pres- JAKARTA: Indonesia is pushing for faster
sure on companies to pass on higher costs to Takumi Tsunoda progress on flagship infrastructure projects
households. on which it is cooperating with Japan, but
and a tad below the 5.6% surge in July, which over the outlook due to a resurgence in infec- various issues have yet to be settled, not least
Many analysts, however, expected com- was the fastest pace of increase since tions,” he said. on pricing.
panies to keep any price hike moderate as September 2008.
state of emergency curbs to combat the Underscoring the huge cost pressure com- Transportation Minister Budi Karya
coronavirus pandemic weighed on domes- The index, at 105.8, marked the highest panies were facing, the yen-based import Sumadi met with top officials in Japan last
tic demand. level since 1982, when Japan’s economy was prices rose a record 29.2% in August from a week to discuss several projects, including the
booming from an asset-inflated bubble. year earlier, the data showed. second phase of MRT Jakarta, the Makassar-
“It’s difficult to pass over the (wholesale) Parepare railway, Patimban seaport and a
price increase to consumer goods given the While gains in fuel costs moderated, prices Japan’s economy has emerged from last vehicle testing facility in Bekasi, west Java.
weak consumption,” said Takumi Tsunoda, rose for chemical, steel and wood products as year’s slump thanks to robust exports. But
senior economist at Shinkin Central Bank global demand for such goods remained continuing state of emergency curbs have Minister Budi, accompanied by Indonesian
Research. strong, Shigeru Shimizu, head of the BoJ’s dampened prospects for a solid recovery in ambassador to Japan Heri Akhmadi and
price statistics division, told a briefing. the current quarter. house of representatives deputy speaker
“The Bank of Japan (BoJ) might be forced to Rahmat Gobel, met with Japan’s Land,
continue its massive easing even when cen- “As the global economy continues to recov- Core consumer prices fell 0.2% in July from Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
tral banks around the world seek normalisa- er thanks to progress in vaccinations, domes- a year earlier, marking the 12th straight Minister Akaba Kazuyoshi, Foreign Affairs
tion.” tic wholesale inflation will remain under month of declines and staying distant from Minister Uto Takashi and Japan Bank for
upward pressure, though there’s uncertainty the BoJ’s elusive 2% target. — Reuters International Cooperation governor Tadashi
The corporate goods price index (CGPI), Maeda, as well as other stakeholders.
which measures the price companies charge
each other for their goods and services, rose During his visit, Budi asked the Japanese
5.5% in August from a year earlier, slightly government to adjust its bid price for the
below a median market forecast for a 5.6% Jakarta MRT phase two project, saying that
gain, Bank of Japan data showed. the developer’s proposed price was “too
high”.
It was the sixth straight month of increase
“We hope (progress on) these projects will
South Korea’s Strong rebound in construction seen continue to accelerate and run according to
export soars 31% plan,” Budi said.
MANILA: The Philippines construction sec- the core of the Philippine government’s plans
SEOUL: South Korea’s export posted a dou- tor is likely to rebound strongly this year, to revive the economy, and will support our The Japanese Embassy in Indonesia said
ble-digit increase for the first 10 days of this driven by transport infrastructure, particu- near-term growth outlook,” it said. Tokyo was working with the Japan
month amid the continued recovery in global larly rail and road development, says think International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to
demand from the Covid-19 pandemic, accord- tank Fitch Solutions. In the 2021 national budget, the allocation help operator PT MRT Jakarta and other nego-
ing to customs office data. for the Department of Public Works and tiating companies reach an agreement on the
The local construction industry is seen to Highways increased by 61.3% to 696 billion completion date and close in on agreeable
The outbound shipment soared 30.7% over grow by 24.2% this 2021 and 16.1% in 2022, pesos (RM58bil) or 15.4% of the 4.5 trillion prices.
the year to US$19.5bil (RM81bil) in the Sept outpacing the growth of the overall economy. pesos (RM374bil) budget.
1-10 period, according to Korea Customs “Japan is fully committed to the MRT pro-
Service. Downside risks remain, however, due to The Department of Transportation’s budget ject,” the embassy told The Jakarta Post.
the resurgence of Covid-19 infections from also rose by 4.4% to 88 billion pesos (RM7bil).
The daily average export also jumped the more contagious Delta variant and Fitch Solutions noted that as of end-July, gov- Separately, JICA did not immediately
30.7% on a yearly basis due to the global heightened containment measures, which ernment expenditures linked to these two respond to a request for comment on the
demand recovery from the pandemic. may temper the sector’s recovery this second departments had already reached 427 billion issue.
semester, Fitch Solutions said in a recent pesos (RM35bil) and 32 billion pesos
Oil products shipment more than doubled report. (RM2.63bil), respectively. Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Construction
in the 10-day period, and those for steel prod- Company won a contract to build part of the
ucts, automobiles, precision machinery and The construction sector grew by 25.7% This budget is expected to continue MRT Jakarta’s phase-two development over a
mobile phones advanced in double figures. year-on-year in real terms in the second increasing in 2022, with 1.2 trillion pesos 72-month schedule that starts this month and
quarter, posting one of the highest construc- (RM98bil) proposed for infrastructure and ends in August 2027.
Export to China, South Korea’s biggest trad- tion growth rates in its history, albeit this the “build, build, build” programme, which
ing partner, surged 24.5% for the first 10 days was largely due to the low base seen in the Fitch Solutions expects to remain a key poli- The Makassar-Parepare railway project, on
of this month, and those to the United States, same period last year when lockdown proto- cy driving investments in the construction the other hand, is proceeding as planned and
the European Union and Japan spiked in dou- cols in the country were at their tightest. sector. nearing the financial close, according to Budi.
ble digits.
Nonetheless, Fitch Solutions said this signi- The Duterte administration has approved The construction work is divided into five
Import picked up 60.6% from a year earlier fied a very strong market recovery as this had 80% of its flagship infrastructure projects stages, one of which is expected to break
to US$21bil (RM87bil), sending the trade defi- been achieved despite localised lockdowns under the “build, build, build” programme, to ground by the end of this year. — The Jakarta
cit to US$1.5bil (RM6bil). — Xinhua across the market in recent months. revitalise the pandemic-stricken economy. — Post/ANN
The Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
“We stress that infrastructure remains at

10 Foreign News STARBIZ, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021

GM in search of source of defects
Company digs in with LG Corp to speed a fix for bolt battery fires

DETROIT: General Motors Co is taking a Safety first: General motors assembly workers connect a battery pack underneath a par- electric models such as the GMC Hummer EV
more direct role with South Korea’s LG Corp, tially assembled 2018 Chevrolet bolt electric vehicle on the assembly line at Orion and electric Chevrolet Silverado are scheduled
its longtime electric vehicle (EV) partner, in assembly in Lake Orion, michigan. — reuters to be made with LGES in joint-venture facto-
tracking down and fixing problems linked to ries in Ohio and Tennessee as part of a
battery fires in Chevrolet Bolts that threaten “Not even Tesla has been slowed by fires,” some Bolts from owners and is reviewing US$4.6bil (RM19bil) investment programme.
the strategic plans of both companies. said Tyson Jominy, JD Power vice-president of such requests on a case-by-case basis. GM also
automotive data and analytics. “I don’t expect has said it expects LG to help shoulder the But following the latest Bolt recall in late
At an investor conference on Friday, GM this to slow down the EV transition much.” US$1.8bil (RM7.4bil) expense to replace Bolt August, chief executive Mary Barra left open
chief financial officer Paul Jacobson said LG is battery packs. the possibility that GM could find new part-
working with GM engineers to “clean up the With resolution of the costly recall debacle ners for future battery plants.
manufacturing process” at LG battery plants still up in the air, relations between GM and On Friday, GM’s Jacobson said the two compa-
and implement some “GM quality metrics.” LG have soured, people familiar with the situ- nies are having “high level conversations” about GM’s Ultium cells have a different design,
ation said. The partners are stuck in what one costs, and that GM expects reimbursement. size and chemistry than the LG cells in the Bolt
Battery plants in South Korea and Michigan Korean analyst deemed a “show window and are packaged into modules and packs in a
operated by LG Energy Solution (LGES) have marriage,” one in which a divorce is unlikely But the ultimate cost to GM and LG could be different way.
been identified by GM as the source of defects as few immediate alternatives are available. even greater. GM is ramping up a US$35bil
behind a rash of battery-related fires in the (RM145bil) campaign to launch a new gener- GM executives also stress that the automak-
Bolt that have triggered three recalls and For now, GM’s Michigan factory that assem- ation of electric and automated vehicles pow- er, not LG, will control manufacturing and
US$1.8bil (RM7.4bil) in warranty set-asides by bles the Bolt is shut down and its 1,000 work- ered by its proprietary Ultium battery tech- quality control for Ultium batteries.
GM since last November – recalls for which ers idled until late September. nology.
GM still has not implemented a hardware fix. LG and its affiliates have as much at stake as
The automaker said it has bought back The Ultium batteries GM plans to use in key GM, if not more.
LGES and sister company LG Electronics on
Friday reiterated their “close relationship” The Bolt recalls are not the only ones involv-
with GM and said the three companies are ing LG batteries. South Korea’s Hyundai Motor
“actively cooperating to come up with a final Co earlier this year recalled nearly 76,000
recall plan” to “wisely resolve” battery issues Kona electric cars worldwide to replace defec-
in more than 140,000 Bolts – the entire pro- tive battery modules after reports of fires
duction run since late 2016. linked to LG batteries made in China.

“Experts from GM and LG continue to work LG’s signature battery technology, a thin
around the clock on the issues,” GM spokes- and flexible rectangular format called pouch
man Dan Flores said on Thursday. “We are cells, is one of three different battery types
determined to do the right thing for our cus- used in electric vehicles.
tomers and resolve the problem once and for
all. Once we are confident LG can provide us Tesla chief executive Elon Musk took a jab
with good battery modules, we will begin at the GM-LG pouch cell technology in a recent
repairs as quickly as we can.” tweet, writing that “probability of thermal
runaway is dangerously high with large pouch
GM has said early Bolt models will have cells. Tesla strongly recommends against their
their entire battery pack replaced, while use.” Tesla mainly uses cylindrical cells from
newer models will have only defective mod- several sources, including some made in
ules within the pack replaced. Those new China by LG.
parts may not be available until after
November. It is not clear what type of cells LGES
expects to produce as part of its plan to invest
In the meantime, Bolt owners and prospec- another US$4.5bil (RM18.6bil) in two addition-
tive EV buyers have unleashed a torrent of al United States battery plants. Switching bat-
complaints and concerns on social media tery cell technology and formats could slow
aimed at both GM and LG. It is unclear how the investment timetable.
much permanent damage either company
may sustain from the battery fires. On Friday, LGES told Reuters: “We will con-
tinue to win orders and proceed (with) our
investment in global markets, including the
United States, as planned.” — Reuters

Evergrande haircut a base case for bond analysts Adnoc Drilling
IPO price implies
BEIJING: China Evergrande Group may “Liquidation is a scenario where bondholders equity valuation
undergo one of the country’s biggest-ever may get close to nothing but is unlikely of US$10bil
debt restructurings, if the developer’s dis- because it would wreak havoc across
tressed-level bond prices are any indication. China’s property and banking sectors.” DUBAI: State oil giant Abu Dhabi National Oil
Co (Adnoc) has set a price for the initial public
It’s “almost unavoidable,” said Nomura Luther Chai offering (IPO) of its drilling unit, giving Adnoc
International Hong Kong Ltd credit analyst Drilling an equity valuation of US$10bil
Iris Chen. Her base case is a government-su- holders recover a portion of their funds. This though Nomura’s Chen assigns a low proba- (RM41.4bil) , it said yesterday.
pervised deal that ensures Evergrande deliv- would be an “orderly wind down,” says bility to this scenario. Evergrande could also
ers homes and pays suppliers, where dollar Omotunde Lawal, head of Barings LLC’s sell its listed assets at better prices if market Adnoc will sell a minimum 7.5% stake in the
debt investors would get 25% of their money emerging-market corporate debt group. conditions improve, says Chen, which she IPO of Adnoc Drilling at 2.3 dirhams (0.62 US
back. predicts would give bondholders a recovery cents or RM2.61) per share, raising at least
There may be some contagion across rate of 30% or more. US$750mil (RM3.1bil) in the deal.
Luther Chai, a senior research analyst at China’s property issuers at first, according to
CreditSights Singapore LLC, also says Nomura’s Chen, though sentiment would Evergrande could buy some time to The sale is the second public flotation of a
Evergrande will default and enter restructur- improve as a key overhang would be improve its liquidity over the next year, company owned by the Abu Dhabi oil major
ing. That risk is being priced in, with many of removed. She expects only a 5% recovery rate according to Chai at CreditSights. In this sce- after the 2017 listing of Adnoc Distribution, the
Evergrande’s dollar bonds trading near 30 US for investors in Evergrande unit Scenery nario, Evergrande would repay some of its largest operator of petrol stations and conveni-
cents (RM1.24). Journey Ltd. nearest-term dollar bonds upon maturity. ence stores in the United Arab Emirates.

Debt delinquencies at developers the size It’s essential that normal operations contin- > Nightmare Adnoc will sell a minimum 1.2 billion shares
of Evergrande are so rare in China that inves- ue after any potential default of a Chinese Liquidation is a scenario where bondhold- in the IPO, according to the prospectus, but it
tors, analysts and regulators would only have developer, wrote Morgan Stanley analysts led ers may get close to nothing. reserved the right to increase the size of the
a few case studies to go on. Kaisa Group by Kelvin Pang in an Aug 18 note. This is unlikely, says CreditSights’s Chai, offering at any time before the end of the sub-
Holdings Ltd in 2015 became the first Chinese because it would “wreak havoc across China’s scription period.
builder to default on dollar bonds. The In other words, construction projects property and banking sectors, as well as relat-
restructuring of another, China Fortune Land would be completed and homes would be ed companies such as Evergrande’s suppli- The equity valuation is similar to that in 2018
Development Co, is currently under negotia- delivered. And because dollar debt funding is ers.” when Adnoc sold a 5% stake in Adnoc Drilling
tion. “crucial” for developers, a defaulted property Morgan Stanley analysts say “all parties are to Baker Hughes.
developer may not necessarily favour incentivised to avoid a liquidation scenario”
Any disorderly failure by the firm may pose onshore creditors over those offshore, accord- in the restructuring of any Chinese property The planned IPO is the latest move by Gulf oil
a threat to the financial system. The lack of ing to Morgan Stanley. developer. Chairman Hui Ka Yan, who con- giants Adnoc and Saudi Aramco to raise cash
clear precedents also means Chinese authori- trols more than 70% of Evergrande’s equity -- from outside investors as they try to diversify
ties have yet to test mechanisms in solving a The government would likely be involved would lose a significant portion of his wealth. sources of income in their oil-dependent econo-
debt problem quite like Evergrande, which in a restructuring process, CreditSights’s Chai Another negative scenario would involve mies. Saudi Aramco listed in late 2019, raising
has more than US$300bil (RM1.24 trillion) in said in emailed comments, though Beijing is Evergrande bringing some of its off-balance US$29.4bil (RM122bil) in the world’s biggest IPO.
liabilities. unlikely to prevent a default or be seen as a sheet debt – which may include pledged
creditor of last resort. assets – back into the books, according to The offer price was determined by Adnoc
Evergrande didn’t immediately respond to Nomura’s Chen. — Bloomberg and Adnoc Drilling, following strong initial
a request for comment on its financial health. > Blue sky demand indications from both local and inter-
A complete or partial takeover by a state- national investors, Adnoc said.
Regulators in Beijing have signed off on an owned enterprise is another possibility,
Evergrande proposal to renegotiate payment The subscription period opened on Sunday
deadlines with banks and other creditors, and will close on Sept 23 for UAE retail inves-
paving the way for a temporary reprieve, a tors and on Sept 26 for qualified domestic and
person familiar with the matter said last international institutional investors. — Reuters
week.

Below are three potential scenarios.
>Base case
Evergrande restructures its debt and bond-

STARBIZ, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021 Foreign News 11

Tiger Global-backed startup brings US$2 brokerage to Australia

SYDNEY: Stakeshop Pty Ltd, an online stock “I think this will accelerate us towards the top.” will compare with CommSec’s tiered fees of
broker backed by tech investment giant Tiger A$10 to A$29.95 (RM30 to RM91) for each
Global, says it will launch a A$3 (US$2 or matt Leibowitz trade worth up to A$1,000 to A$25,000
RM8) brokerage service in Australia, the (RM3,048 to RM76,200), respectively.
country’s cheapest. tors in Australia and New Zealand primarily stocks will be powered by Finclear, a bro-
as a commission-free retail broker for ker-dealer 16% owned by Magellan “I think this will accelerate us towards the
The launch is a direct challenge to No. 1 US-listed stocks. For that service, Stake’s plat- Financial Group. top,” Leibowitz said.
lender Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s form operates in US dollars and traders are
subsidiary CommSec, the country’s largest charged 0.7% on fund transfers between Trading in stocks listed on the local ASX Ltd “We’ll hopefully be banging down the door
online and mobile broker, and other large Australian and US dollars. exchange will be CHESS-sponsored, meaning of No. 1, that would be the goal.”
competitors that have dominated the local that it will be under the person’s own name,
market for years. It has about 360,000 customers, and trading not a separate legal entity’s name, as is com- CommSec holds 5.4% market share in
on the app has grown 100-fold to over US$1bil monly done by low-cost brokers seeking to terms of the traded value of Australian stocks
“I don’t think there’s been material change (RM4.14bil) per month since its launch, reduce costs. as of June 30, according to Commonwealth
in the industry since brokerage went elec- Leibowitz said. Bank’s annual report.
tronic in the late ‘90s and early 2000s,” said After a commission-free period until year
Matt Leibowitz, Stakeshop’s Sydney-based The brokerage for Australian-listed end, Stake’s commissions of A$3 (RM8) a trade But its share of the narrower online broker-
founder and chief executive. age market is estimated to be close to 40%,
with the retail broker opening over 550,000
“I think 25 years on, this will be a big client accounts in fiscal 2021.
moment.”
In June, New York-based Tiger Global led a
Operating as Stake since 2017, the company A$40mil (RM122mil) Series A equity-raising
is known among a growing number of inves- for Stake, which with 75 employees, also oper-
ates in Britain and Brazil. — Reuters

Sydney Airport sale House
closer after higher bid Democrats
Infrastructure investor group offering us$17bil set to propose
corporate tax
SYDNEY: A sale of Australia’s biggest airport Good deal: a file picture showing people walking through the domestic terminal at the rate of 26.5%
moved closer yesterday as an infrastructure sydney airport. The new offer sent the airport’s shares up 5%. — reuters
investor group won permission to conduct WASHINGTON: House Democrats are set to
due diligence on Sydney Airport Holdings Pty pension funds and their investment manag- holder with a 15.3% stake, has indicated it is propose raising the corporate tax rate to
Ltd, after sweetening its takeover offer to ers to chase higher yields. open to rolling that equity into an investment 26.5%, according to sources, among other
A$23.6bil (US$17.4bil or RM72bil). in the privatised company, as required as part plans that fall short of president Joe Biden’s
Australia’s other major airports are unlist- of the bid conditions. ambitions in a bid to help improve chances of
The move sent the airport’s shares up 5%, ed and owned by pension funds and infra- passing a major social-spending package.
with analysts saying a rival bid appeared structure investors. The deal will require an independent
unlikely given the scale of the funding needed expert’s report, approval from 75% of share- Democrats on the House Ways and Means
and foreign ownership rules that mean the SAA has been granted non-exclusive due holders and a green light from the competi- Committee plan to put forward an increase in
airport must remain 51% Australian owned. diligence that is expected to take four weeks tion regulator and the foreign investment the business rate that’s currently 21%, offer-
after signing a non-disclosure agreement, review board, in a process that typically takes ing less than the 28% Biden sought, the sourc-
“We assign a high probability of a deal suc- Sydney Airport said. months to complete. es said.
ceeding given the board’s commitment to
unanimously recommend the (current) offer If SAA makes an acceptable binding pro- An SAA spokesperson said the consortium The top rate on capital gains would rise
if there is no alternative higher offer,” Credit posal, the current intention is for the board to welcomed the announcement and looked from 20% to 25%, instead of the 39.6% Biden
Suisse analysts said in a note. recommend it in the absence of a superior forward to working with Sydney Airport’s proposed that would have been equal to a
offer, the airport operator added. board to finalise the transaction. — Reuters new top rate on regular income, the sources
Sydney Airport is Australia’s only listed said.
airport operator and a purchase would be a UniSuper, Sydney Airport’s biggest share-
long-term bet on the travel sector which has While the numbers are still subject to
been battered by the pandemic. change before the proposal is officially
released, such scaled-back plans would
A successful takeover would be among the amount to an acknowledgment that even
largest buyouts ever of an Australian firm higher rates would have a tough time getting
and underline a year of stellar deal activity, through Congress after some moderate
that has already seen a mega US$29bil Democrats expressed objections.
(RM120bil) buyout of Afterpay by Square.
With thin majorities in both chambers,
The improved offer of A$8.75 (RM26) a Democrats can afford just three defections in
share – an increase of 3.6% – follows prior the House and none in the Senate as they use
proposals from the consortium pitched at a process called budget reconciliation that
A$8.45 (RM25) and A$8.25 (RM25), both of allows them to bypass Republicans.
which were rejected by the airport operator’s
board as inadequate. A spokesperson for Ways and Means
Committee chairman Richard Neal didn’t
Sydney Airport shares were trading at respond to a request for comment Sunday.
A$8.40 (RM25) yesterday morning, below the
offer price, due to the length of the time the The panel is set to debate the tax portions of
transaction will take to complete as well as the bill tomorrow and Wednesday.
the limited prospects for a rival bid.
Earlier Sunday, West Virginia Senator Joe
“An alternative bidder appears highly Manchin, a moderate Democrat whose vote is
unlikely,” Jefferies analyst Anthony Moulder crucial in the evenly split upper chamber,
said in a note to clients. renewed his objections to the US$3.5 trillion
(RM15 trillion) tax-and-spending reconcilia-
The bidding consortium, Sydney Aviation tion plan. He said he can’t support the price
Alliance (SAA), is comprised of Australian tag, doesn’t see the urgency and is concerned
investors IFM Investors, QSuper and about inflation and the impact of higher cor-
AustralianSuper and US-based Global porate taxes on US competitiveness.
Infrastructure Partners.
Manchin, speaking on CNN’s “State of the
Record-low interest rates have prompted Union,” floated a roughly US$1.5 trillion
(RM6.2 trillion) headline number for the
Banks expect London to remain a top financial centre package.

LONDON: London will remain a leading asset managers and insurers showed that Regulatory change is seen as the biggest The Ways and Means panel and others in
global financial centre despite uncertainty more than two-thirds believe that London threat, consistent with the “ongoing uncer- the House have already passed or have intro-
over regulation due to Brexit, according to will remain a top centre. tainty” over the shape of regulatory reform duced major spending portions of the
Lloyds Bank’s annual sentiment survey of many months after Brexit, the survey said. Democrats’ plan to remake the US safety net,
financial firms. “It seems sensible to conclude that, while including a multi-year extension of an
London’s status has taken a knock due to With little prospect of EU access, Britain’s expanded child tax credit, paid family medi-
Britain fully left the European Union (EU), its Brexit, it will remain one of the world’s lead- finance ministry set out a welter of reform cal leave, universal pre-K and two free years
biggest single export customer, in December ing financial centres,” the survey said. proposals that have yet to be implemented. of community college.
last year, with thousands of jobs and billions of
euros in daily trading moving from London to Brexit led to the UK financial sector being The survey showed splits, with some firms Ways and Means Democrats are expected
the continent, raising concerns about the capi- cut off from the EU and the survey showed saying that competitiveness would improve to propose raising the top individual income
tal’s clout in global finance. that 42% believe a resumption of access won’t due to divergence from EU rules, while others tax rate to 39.6%, as sought by Biden, the
happen until 2023 or later, while almost a said competitiveness will worsen because of sources said.
But the survey of more than 100 banks, third said it would never happen. such divergence. — Reuters
The Democrats would also propose a 3%
surtax on individuals with adjusted gross
income of over US$5mil (RM21mil), a propos-
al not included in Biden’s plans released ear-
lier this year. Other proposals may fall short
of what Biden wants. — Bloomberg

12 Foreign News STARBIZ, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021

Businesses cry foul Regulator denies
approval for
Confederation warns tax hikes may impact growth Qantas-JAL deal

LONDON: United Kingdom Prime Minister “I am deeply worried the government thinks SYDNEY: Australia’s competition regulator
Boris Johnson risks strangling growth with that taxing business – perhaps more politically yesterday denied authorisation for Qantas
higher taxes on business to fix the public palatable – is without consequence to growth.” Airways and Japan Airlines (JAL) to coordi-
finances in the wake of the coronavirus pan- nate flights between the two countries, citing
demic, the country’s biggest business lobby Tony danker competition concerns as international travel
said. is set to resume.
ness by announcing plans to support 425,000 labour market shortages
The blunt criticism comes less than a week jobs a year over the next four years, as part of > overhaul Solvency II regulations for the Australian Competition and Consumer
after Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer a previously-announced £650bil (US$900bil Commission (ACCC) chairman Rod Sims said
Rishi Sunak raised payroll levies on workers or RM3.7 trillion) package of private and pub- insurance industry to unlock institutional the regulator was not satisfied that the public
and companies to help fund health spending. lic investment in infrastructure projects over investment in new assets benefits of the proposed joint business agree-
the next decade. ment would outweigh harm to competition.
But at a time of ultra-low government > address the country’s “seismic” re-skilling
borrowing costs and a recovery that’s start- The Treasury will also publish a new jobs needs “Preserving competition between airlines
ing to stumble, many have questioned the update, setting out how people and businesses is the key to the long-term recovery of the
timing. have been supported through the pandemic. > push ahead with infrastructure projects aviation and tourism sectors, once interna-
such as the HS2 high-speed rail link, and the tional travel restrictions are eased,” he said in
“I am deeply worried the government “Business confidence is growing and thanks expansion of London’s Heathrow airport and a statement.
thinks that taxing business – perhaps more to the action we’ve taken, we’re expected to regional airports.
politically palatable – is without consequence see two million fewer people out of work,” The agreement – which would allow the
to growth,” Confederation of British Industry Johnson said in an emailed statement. While Sunak introduced a special tax break airlines to coordinate fares and schedules –
director general Tony Danker said in a speech on investment in March, it’s due to phase out would make it very difficult for other airlines
yesterday. Danker said Johnson and Sunak should at the end of the 2022-2023 tax year, the same to operate on routes between Australia and
“flip business taxation on its head” and time as corporation tax rises to 25% from Japan, ACCC said.
“It’s not. Raising business taxes too far has reward investment. 19%.
always been self-defeating as it stymies fur- Japan’s ANA Holdings is the only other air-
ther investment.” Otherwise, he warned, any positive eco- Danker, pushing for more incentives, point- line that flies non-stop between Japan and
nomic story will be “short lived.” ed to decline in business investment to about Australia.
Danker’s remarks, emailed in advance by 10% of output in 2019 from 14.7% in 1989.
his office, highlight the growing unease Danker will urge the government to: “Virgin Australia told the ACCC that it
among corporate leaders about Johnson’s > use the immigration system to solve “It’s a terrible time to be poor at invest- would be more difficult to enter the Australia-
approach toward business. ment,” he said. — Bloomberg Japan route if it is required to compete with
Qantas and Japan Airlines acting jointly rath-
Companies are also concerned about er than as individual competing airlines, “ the
labour shortages and supply chain delays in regulator said.
the wake of Brexit, and have long sought
reforms to business rates levied on shops. After a negative draft decision by the ACCC
in May, Qantas had offered to commit to a
Johnson will attempt to reach out to busi- new service between Cairns and Tokyo once
demand thresholds were reached.
Kansas City Southern to accept CP Rail offer
Qantas and JAL expressed disappointment
DALLAS: Kansas City Southern (KCS) said it Rail supremacy: surveyors work next to Cp rail trains in Toronto. Canadian pacific’s pro- with the ACCC decision in a joint statement
is backing out of a merger agreement with posal to Kansas City southern to take over operations is dominating headlines. — ap yesterday, though they said they would con-
Canadian National Railway Co and plans to tinue their code-share arrangements and one-
accept a competing offer from Canadian Canadian National’s proposal, Cowen ana- The potential KCS deal puts CP Rail on track world alliance partnership.
Pacific Railway Ltd (CP Rail), the latest step in lyst Jason Seidl said in a Sept 7 note. to be the first railroad to operate in Canada,
the fight over which railroad would become the US and Mexico, where KCS gets about half Qantas domestic and international chief
the first to operate in Canada, the United It also gave CP Rail the upper hand because of its revenue. executive Andrew David said the decision
States and Mexico. the STB already had approved its voting-trust was unfortunate for Cairns, because without
proposal and said its merger would be The combined companies would have the ability to coordinate with JAL, the planned
CP Rail’s proposal was declared superior judged under less-stringent rules than 32,186.88 km network spanning from Tokyo flights would not be commercially via-
even though at about US$27bil (RM112bil), it’s Canadian National’s. Vancouver to Veracruz, Mexico’s largest port ble. — Reuters
lower than Canadian National’s US$30bil on the Gulf of Mexico.
(RM124bil) offer, which began to unravel last CP Rail and KCS had initially agreed earli- UAE to spend big
month amid questions over whether it would er this year to a US$25bil (RM103bil) merg- The deal would also allow Creel to compete to boost jobs
win regulatory approval. er, which was derailed by a surprise US$30bil more effectively with Canadian National, in private sector
(RM124bil) counter offer from Canadian which already has a T-shaped network that
Canadian National has about five business National that the US railroad accepted in reaches coast-to-coast in Canada and down to DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will
days to negotiate terms that could change the May. the US Gulf Coast at New Orleans. spend 24 billion dirhams (US$6.5bil or
US railroad’s decision, KCS said in a state- RM27bil) on a package of benefits and subsi-
ment. Although CP Rail chief executive officer The STB consistently praised the CP Rail- dies designed to reduce citizen unemploy-
Keith Creel vowed not to get in a bidding KCS deal as an “end-to-end” arrangement. ment by making private sector-jobs more
Canadian National said it is continuing to war and predicted that the regulator would The two networks don’t have overlapping attractive.
evaluate its options and “will make carefully swat down the Canadian National proposal, track and meet only in Kansas City.
considered decisions in the interests of all he increased his bid to US$27bil (RM112bil) As in much of the Gulf, the UAE government
Canadian National shareholders and stake- only days before KCS shareholders were While Canadian National could attempt to is the employer of choice, with many college
holders and in line with our strategic priori- scheduled to vote on Canadian National’s sway KCS with more money, the railroad graduates rebuffing offers from private com-
ties.” trust. already is feeling heat from shareholders to panies while they wait for state jobs with bet-
drop the deal. ter pay, benefits and working hours.
The months-long saga has now come full The US railroad postponed the vote until
circle, after CP Rail and KCS initially agreed to after the STB’s ruling. TCI Fund Management, which owns 5% of Millions of foreigners from all over the
a deal in March, only for Canadian National the railroad, is leading that charge with plans world currently fill most private-sector jobs.
to swoop in with a higher offer. On Sept 4, KCS said it would take a second to call a special shareholders meeting to nom-
look at CP Rail’s offer and re-engage in talks. inate five director to the board and task them The measures the UAE government
The Canadian companies are battling for with replacing chief executive officer Jean- announced Sunday to try to shift that trajecto-
the rare opportunity to acquire a US railroad “We are pleased to reach this important Jacques Ruest. ry include a monthly stipend of 800 dirhams
and build a network spanning much of North milestone and again pursue this once-in-a- (RM902) per child and up to four times that for
America. lifetime partnership,” Creel said in a state- If Canadian National walks away, it won’t people earning less than 20,000 dirhams
ment Sunday, calling the potential union a be empty-handed. (RM22,560) a month.
CP Rail’s offer values the US railroad about “perfect match.”
US$300 (RM1,242) a share. KCS ended last Under the terms of the prior deal, KCS is Other incentives include paid training pro-
week at about US$280 (RM1,160) in New York “This merger proposal provides KCS stock- subject to a break-up fee of US$700mil grammes, supplemental income for five years
trading, up from about US$224 (RM928) holders greater regulatory and value certain- (RM2.9bil), which CP Rail has pledged to reim- and bonuses for people employed in profes-
before the CP Rail’s overture became public ty.” burse. — Bloomberg sions deemed important such as nursing and
on March 21. computer programming.

Sunday’s decision by KCS looked increas- The government’s aim is to absorb 75,000
ingly likely after the US rail regulator rejected citizens into private-sector jobs over the next
Canadian National’s proposal for a voting five years.
trust, which would have allowed KCS share-
holders to be paid even before the combina- The measures follow last week’s easing of
tion received regulatory approval. work visa requirements, designed to attract
talent and boost growth as the UAE economy
The Surface Transportation Board’s (STB) tries to claw back from the clobbering it took
forceful ruling on Aug 31 against the trust last year from the oil price slump and corona-
proposal suggested it was unlikely the regula- virus pandemic.
tor would give final approval to the deal.
Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a UAE political sci-
Canadian National’s offer was further ence professor, said the government shouldn’t
undercut after the regulator raised issues shoulder the burden alone.
with a possible decline in competition that
went beyond 70 miles of overlapping track in “It’s important for the sake of security and
Louisiana that was to be addressed with an stability that companies, which are under-
asset sale. standably concerned with profit, also work to
accommodate and incorporate citizens into
What’s more, the STB cited concern that the their workforce,” he said. — Bloomberg
Canadian National-KCS tie-up could kick off
more acquisition activity because the deal
would isolate CP Rail mostly to Canada.

The ruling was a “stinging rebuke” of

THE STAR, TuESdAy 14 SEpTEmbER 2021 Advertising: (03)7966 8388 Customer Service: 1300-88-7827
lifestyle@thestar.com.my Content: (03) 7967 1290

Printmaking art has been a hit during
the pandemic, helping young Malaysian
artists’ careers to blossom.

by RouWEn LIn
lifestyle@thestar.com.my
AS a curious child, Syafiqah Sharom – better
known as Ika – used to watch her mother
transform fruit into works of art. Her mother
participated in numerous fruit carving com-
petitions and young Ika would watch her
working on them in fascination.

“She loves carving fruit and she used to
enter so many competitions. It was amazing
to watch her doing it. All the detailing, it just
blew my mind. Whenever there is a wedding
for a family member or a friend, she would
carve fruit into flower shapes to use as table
decorations. She really inspired me with her
creativity,” says Ika, 29, an illustrator and
printmaker who is steadily making a name
for herself in the art scene with her retro-in-
spired linocut prints.

For newcomers, a linocut is a type of relief,
or block print. It has a lot of similarities to
woodblock printing. Here, the artist carves an
image into a linoleum (lino) block and what’s
left of the block is inked and printed.

Throughout the pandemic, Ika has been
active on Instagram, sharing her creative pro-
cess and giving viewers a glimpse of her
works ranging from black-and-white prints to
hand painted prints.

Everyday women and mothers, seemingly
hailing from an old world Malaysia, are seen
looking strong and elegant in traditional
Malay attire, especially the baju kebaya and
baju kurung.

Ika’s artwork themes also feature a Mother
Nature (Bumi Ibu) character and a Malaya-
era woman rubber tapper (carrying a pail of
latex and a hooked knife). Each new piece
shows the artist sharing stories and develop-
ing an inspirational print series celebrating
women’s empowerment, freedom and
achievements.

In an ever-expanding series of works, Ika
has also made prints featuring a Japanese
woman wearing a Kitsune mask and a kimo-
no with traditional batik patterns.

“In a way, you can say that I am a self-
taught artist in linocut. I find it a very inter-
esting and unique technique, one that really
tests your patience in creating art. The most
challenging thing in lino is you have to know
what to carve and what not to carve. It is like
seeing an inverted photo, and you have to
carve the inverted part.

> TuRn To pAgE 2

Ika’s Kaseh Bonda, a coloured lino print (2020). — IKA SHAROM

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2 Culture STarLIFeSTYLe, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021

Empowering images of women

moiInkfagask,iuwninrphguronitsiewveceaharssnniiidtqnyuts,reeuo.nsdjpuoecynessdtehtoeofelitnlheoimspeprnirnitnt-t-

Ika’s lino print Di Bawah Bulan Purnama. — photos: IKa sHarOm for our wedding ceremony the fol-
lowing year,” says Kide.
> From page 1 in KL, including the TapauFest. kampung”, something that many of a piece called Noreh Getah.
“I also like the element of sur- us have not been able to do during Kide & Ika officially kicked off imagery. For instance, imagine the
Taking prints mainstream the pandemic. later that year, in August 2019. Bawang Putih character entering
prise and the suspense when you the world of Alice in Wonderland!”
reveal the final work. Time passes Today, the husband-and-wife art- These boutique releases have The recurring theme in their says Ika.
so quickly when I am engrossed in ist duo are busy building their own made the brand a popular name creations? Malaysian culture and
my art. I just need my tools and brand, Kide & Ika. among young art collectors. There its people. She adds that they fully embrace
music, and I am good to go!” she was no need for an art gallery the handmade concept with their
says. They both bring something dif- route to success. The duo was inspired by the brand and they try to support the
ferent to the table: Ika works on beautiful illustrations by other art- local creative industry during their
Ika was introduced to lino print- her linocut prints while Kide does As independent artists who ists, especially those from abroad, production process.
ing in university, where she all the ink drawings. loved printmaking and design, that captured their local culture in
researched printmaking tech- they worked outside the art gallery a fresh and catchy way. So they In the spirit of Malaysia Day,
niques for her final year project. Earlier this year, they released a system and often found ways to thought, why not make Kide & Ika Kide & Ika recently released a new
limited edition Hari Raya art box sustain themselves through art- a visual art platform that introduc- rug. Like all other creations under
Ika’s limited edition and num- set, comprising tote bags, T-shirts, based commissions. es and promotes Malaysian cul- this brand, the rug is made by
bered prints have found an avid art prints, stickers and money ture? hand and combines the artistic
following, and she has come a long packets that featured Ika’s prints “We have known each other for styles of the creators.
way from the days of exhibiting a and Kide’s drawings. more than 10 years. We are very Their mantra? To do their part
small series of works at her hus- lucky that we share the same pas- in creating a positive impact, The rug, sporting a familiar “tra-
band Kide Baharudin’s show Pe’el The main design was a typical sion for visual art. The first project spread joy and remind everyone to ditional Malaysia” scene, is decked
last year in Kuala Lumpur. kampung scene that the duo that we worked on together was be proud of our unique culture out in cheery colours. This is a
imagined as “a bit of a wonder- for the 2018 House of Vans Asia and heritage. head-turner for sure, particularly
Her linocut prints don’t stick land”. It showed people dancing Tour. for Ika as her works are usually in
around for long when they are among the trees and flowers in the “We try to come up with ideas black and white.
made available online. kampung. “She helped me with the colour- that highlight the unique aspects of
ing process after I was done with Malaysian culture and traditional “We wanted to create something
But Ika has always been comfort- In Ika’s works, the female form the black-and-white outline for the elements, some of which are fast that goes with our weather in
able working as a team with Kide, in a rhythmic groove is often cele- illustrations. This project will disappearing from modern life. We Malaysia. It’s like, it is summer
especially as seen during the early brated. always hold a special place in our find ways to celebrate this with every day here, with lots of vibrant
days when they used to exhibit hearts because through this com- fans of our work. I also like to colours all around us. I was excited
illustrations at indie arts festivals Both Kide and Ika also wanted to mission, we were able to save up insert elements of fantasy and sur-
remind people of the joys of “balik realism into my linocut works, Promoting and selling art on
merging it with local stories and social media, after all, is the new
normal for many artists these days
By DINeSH KUmar Positivity in pandemic times and Shan Shan agrees that a new
magaNaTHaN platform such as Outlet KL is help-
lifestyle@thestar.com.my ful in reaching a target market of
printmaking art collectors.
IF there is one thing artist Shan
Shan Lim has learned, it is that Before she was featured in
affordability and making her print- Outlet KL, Shan Shan mentions
making art seen on Instagram is a that she was handling sales of her
great way to attract a new genera- artwork through her own website
tion of art collectors. when the pandemic hit last year.
One glance at her I Am Jungle
limited edition print series, pro- As the pandemic months went
moted on the Outlet KL online plat- on, she decided to take a hiatus
form, is enough to tell you that from creating art and took on a
these are the kind of contempo- full-time job as a designer for
rary works that millennials and financial stability.
dare we say, Gen Z, would have
adorning their rooms and homes. With Outlet KL representing her,
Shan Shan, a textile design grad- Shan Shan does not have to juggle
uate from London’s Central Saint between her day job and selling
Martins, specialises in weaving shan shan says creating limited her artwork.
and printing. She agrees that keep- edition prints gives newcomer col-
ing things young, hip and vibrant lectors and art enthusiasts equal “They handle all the printing of
makes her artworks marketable access to art at affordable prices. the artworks as well as packaging
online. and shipping, which makes it so
“When you promote artworks of Paintings on canvas are, argua- much easier for me.
the artist through social media bly, more expensive and time con-
platforms, you need to not only shan shan’s I Am Jungle print series, which is inspired by flora and suming to produce. “I used to have to print, wrap,
highlight the artwork but the art- fauna. — Outlet KL pack and ship out my artwork
ist’s story as well,” says Shan Shan, As a matter of survival, some orders all on my own and it can be
describing how Outlet KL has youthful artist like Shan Shan can owned by the masses. young artists are looking at print- very time-consuming,” says Shan
ensured that each artist on its vir- be seen as an affordable invest- “My limited edition prints were making art to keep their careers Shan, who founded her own con-
tual “shop window” has a backsto- ment or a great first-time purchase created as an extension of my orig- going while art galleries them- sulting agency Shan Shan Lim
ry to share. from a new art collector. inal paintings that people can col- selves are in recovery mode. Studios in 2017.
These short and fun snippets With more people working lect at a more affordable price to
make for good social media posts, from home, there is no reason not display in their homes,” says Shan Be not mistaken. Shan Shan’s In her new collection, Shan Shan
keeping young media-savvy fol- to get hooked on printmaking art, Shan, referring to her prints that artworks would attract many an has designed a series of three
lowers tuned in. More than that, which is produced in editions, look come in two sizes (A4 & A3) and art collector. But empty galleries prints, exploring the theme of
limited edition prints from a contemporary cool and can be sell between RM70 and RM90. and cancelled art shows are the self-discovery using natural motifs.
harsh realities of a pandem-
ic-stricken art scene. “As one ventures into uncharted
jungle, these sketches portray the
exploration of our dense inner-

STARLIFESTYLE, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021 Culture 3

Accessible and affordable art
social media and virtual spaces spark new interest in print art.

By DINESH KUMAR
MAGANATHAN and ROUWEN LIN
lifestyle@thestar.com.my

Taman Puspawarna coloured lino IT is no secret that exhibitions ded- The most popular items on pangrok mixed-media art-
print. icated to printmaking are regarded sulap’s new website are the pandem- ist afi sulaiman’s
to play with colours in my work, it as an afterthought in Malaysia. ic- and nature-themed wwodcut Psychedelocal
felt really refreshing. prints. — pangrok sulap Fruits digital print
But since the pandemic hit last series celebrates
“The pandemic has affected all year, casting a dark shadow over the vibrancy of
of us and adding a new style into the homegrown art gallery land- local fruits. —
my art makes me happy and pro- scape, there seems to be a new- Outlet KL
ductive,” she says. found interest in printmaking, No-to-scale*’s
especially art prints, among a Chicago
This marks the early days of the younger demographic. Convention Hall
“rejuvenated” Kide & Ika brand, in Repurposed
the form of more colours and more Platforms such as online concept (digital collage
pop elements. store Outlet KL have played a role on matte,
in creating some buzz for art smooth paper,
“During lockdown, I spent so prints. archival grade
much time surfing the Internet and ink, 2020). —
researching fashion in the psyche- “We’ve had past conversations The backroom
delic and hippie era of the 1960s with friends where they talked KL
and 1970s. It made me feel like about how it’s quite difficult to buy
wearing colourful clothes, especial- or even look for art prints here. samsudin Wahab’s Kasih Through Outlet KL, co-founder sisters elina (left) and dana believe that
ly since wearing pale colours while Terhalang (etching and aquatint on awareness on affordability is key to create demand for art prints. —
stuck at home makes me feel rath- “When we ourselves were look- paper, 2021). — Chetak 12 Outlet KL
er dull. Our parents said that back ing for prints to buy, we would
then, everyone wore colourful usually end up on Instagram, look- medium via social media exposure. hosted another print-based group “And through the website, we
clothing. When did this stop?” she ing at artist profiles to check if And because of this, print works exhibition this year entitled Copy, can reach out to the everyday art
muses. they’re selling their art in any are now easier to collect, making Paste, Displace featuring works by lovers who are looking for afforda-
form. We put ourselves in our pro- them “more accessible and attrac- Amanda Gayle, No-To-Scale* and ble artworks and products. We are
It felt like the right time to inject spective customers’ shoes, and we tive”. Studio Karya. happy that it has been going really
a bit more colour into the brand then thought, ‘why not start a plat- well,” says Rizo Leong, one of
the duo had built together – to form where we can sell a variety of “This is because a large number “Limited edition art prints have Pangrok Sulap’s founding mem-
spread cheer, share good vibes and work from different artists’? Not of print works come in editions, never been popular in our country, bers.
bring back a colourful Malaysia. only can people discover artists, which make it possible for more and it could be because these are
but also buy their work,” shares than one person to own a copy, paper-based artworks and the A website helps to centralise con-
“You will be seeing more colour- Dana Kaarina Zainal Abidin, Outlet unlike with paintings and sculp- humidity in Malaysia is a big con- tent, especially with a series of
ful artworks and products from us KL’s co-founder. tures, where the artworks are in sideration when it comes to collect- iconic Pangrok Sulap prints such as
now, we want to make our ‘old tra- most cases not made to be repro- ing paper-based artworks,” says Di Belakang Saya Ada Orang
dition’ culture look ‘pop’ today. But Outlet KL began in October last duced,” says Low. Ho. Kampung, Di Belakang Orang
everything else remains the same, year and operates on Instagram, Kampung Ada Saya and Beads Not
in that we want to continue doing showcasing five young artists in What’s important now, says But she believes that platforms Dead made available online.
what we love, which is to create art their 20s and 30s. Low, is to keep the interest going, like Outlet KL are definitely chang-
joyfully and spontaneously. And especially when art galleries reo- ing the narrative. It is a one-stop shop of sorts: a
we want to make art that people The artists currently featured pen. place where Pangrok Sulap lists all
will enjoy. This is what is impor- are illustrator/printmaker Ika “It’s a good alternative platform available artworks (woodcut post-
tant, this is what matters the most Sharom, mixed-media artist Afi “This pandemic has allowed us to promote limited edition prints ers at RM60) and related merchan-
to us,” she says. Sulaiman, graphic artist Sherwan to focus on building an audience and making it more accessible to dise. Some of the works sold on the
Rozan, artist/designer Shan Shan online – it can only help rather wider and new audiences that website are part of its campaign to
most selves through a playful Lim and Mexican photographer/ than hurt the art scene so there is would otherwise not look at art,” raise funds for community and
interplay of spontaneous strokes, illustrator Jousi Fabiola, who is no reason to go back to solely she adds. charity projects the collective has
textures and a collage of shapes,” based in Kuala Lumpur. More col- focusing on presenting it only been involved in throughout the
she explains. laborations with local and interna- physically. Why not both?” says Woodcut warriors pandemic.
tional artists are in the works. Low.
Her choice of pastel colours During the pandemic, Sabahan The community has always been
with pops of orange add a calm- Outlet KL carries prints that Indeed, building a new market art collective Pangrok Sulap something close to Pangrok Sulap’s
ing effect. range in style such as digital prints, for print works is as much the launched its new website (pan- heart, as evidenced in the woodcut
serigraph and lino prints. The art- responsibility of galleries as that of groksulap.com) in an effort to artworks.
Flora and fauna are nothing works sold at this one-stop centre online platforms. streamline its woodcut print sales
new for the artist. range between RM20 and RM200, and to reach out to an even wider “But community engagement
depending on size and medium. With this newfound awareness audience. during a pandemic has to take on a
“A lot of my inspiration comes and curiosity for print works different form. Where in the past
from my environment through “We think that art prints here among Malaysians, Liza Ho, found- “We continued working with gal- we could meet people at festivals,
travelling and photographing need more of a push to create er of art gallery The Back Room KL, leries and shops as these collabora- exhibitions and workshops, this
various landscapes and flora in demand and we believe that in believes art galleries should also tions are very important for the isn’t possible during a pandemic.
nature. Memories of the moun- order to sell or create this demand push for more printmaking art continuity and sustainability of the
tains in India, my grandfather’s for prints, we need our brand to exhibitions. arts. The galleries often take up our “Instead, we shifted our focus to
home in Melaka and the flower stand out and be as inviting as pos- big works and they are the link to online methods and doubled our
gardens of London all find their sible,” offers Elina Zainal Abidin, Last year, The Back Room hosted collectors who are interested in efforts in virtual engagement and
way into my art. the platform’s other co-founder. the Wonderwall group exhibition our work. activities,” says Bam Hizal, another
featuring various types of print member of Pangrok Sulap.
“Obviously, during the lock- Trendy, vibrant, personalised works by 12 artists. The gallery
down, we haven’t been allowed
to travel so I was forced to draw “We are aware that the younger
inspiration from the immediate generation are very much influ-
surroundings. enced by what they see on social
media, which is why we also prior-
“In a way, the lockdown made itise content that we put out to be
me so appreciative of my home visually appealing, engaging and
and the little mundane objects relevant to our audience,” says
that we usually overlook,” says Dana, 31.
Shan Shan.
This is something indie art space
Short walks outdoors and Hom Art Trans’ in-house curator
watching birds and plants Elizabeth Low realised during art-
through a pair of binoculars ist-run printmaking studio Chetak
from her home-based studio 12’s annual print show called 3rd
have been helpful. Edition: Love Song in February this
year.
Shan Shan is also exploring
creating her own natural paints “What I found special about the
by pounding rocks she collected show was that we dedicated time
on her walks. The stone pig- towards creating content on our
ments, she says, produce “beauti- ‘daily stories’ feature, educating
fully rich and earthy colours.” our audiences with educational
posts.

“And because we used those
interactive features on Instagram,
we were able to see our audiences
engaging with our educational con-
tent, which means they were listen-
ing, reading and absorbing,” offers
Low.

She agrees that more and more
people are becoming aware of the

4 Culture STARLIFESTYLE, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021

OWFOWRLODNSDER Rise of the super undead
By KALEON RAHAN Last week’s Marvel’s What If... episode put the spotlight on marvel Zombies, so here’s
lifestyle@thestar.com.my a lowdown on this super-undead series.

BEFORE the 21st century, zombies When Galactus arrives in zombie world, there is one way to describe it –
were just mindless living dead char- all-you-can-eat buffet time!
acters in works of fiction used to
bump up the thrill-and-chill factor. even when they are zombies, superheroes and supervil- don’t make Hulk hungry. you won’t The marvel Zombies as we know
However, comics and movies like lains still don’t mix. – photos: marvel Comics like it when Hulk is hungry. today made their debut in 2005’s
The Walking Dead and I Am Legend Ultimate Fantastic Four #21.
gave zombies a new lease of life, Kirkman’s approach gave the zom- Iron Man, Luke Cage, Wakanda and trans-
making them more than just decay- biefied characters’ more, well, char- Spider-Man and ports the zombies Way before marvel Zombies, stan
ing accessories. acter by acknowledging each char- Wolverine, travelling into another dimen- Lee actually created a character
acter’s powers and personalities, through the universe sion. To give the tele- called, well, The Zombie.
In 2005, Marvel Comics took the and adding an insatiable hunger for in order to feed their ported zombies clo- horror approach had devolved this
undead to a superheroic level by flesh and fresh meat. hunger. sure, their tales were franchise into a B-grade horror
introducing Earth 2149 – an alter- subsequently told in flick.
nate universe dominated by zom- The zombies’ hunger pangs form E(a)t Tu Cortez? the Marvel Zombies
bie-fied versions of Marvel superhe- the premise of the first Marvel Return five parter. Continuing from MZ3, Morbius
roes and villains. Zombies series, in which our The original crea- and the new Midnight Sons (i.e.
flesh-eating “heroes” realise that the tive team (Kirkman, Zombie home- Werewolf, Daimon Hellstrom,
Unsurprisingly started by shock letters in the word “TEAM” also Phillips and Suydam) returned for a coming Jennifer Kale and Man Thing) con-
and horror luminaries Mark Millar spells “MEAT”! 5-parter sequel in 2007 – the five-is- tinues the battle against the zom-
(Kick-Ass, Wanted, Jupiter’s Legacy) sue Marvel Zombies 2 (MZ2). The four-issue bie-plague, which is now being
and Robert Kirkman (creator of The With Magneto punished for sav- Marvel Zombies 3 blamed on Deadpool’s head and
Walking Dead and Invincible), zom- ing the Ultimate Fantastic Four in Set 40 years after the original (2008) saw a new cre- Simon Garth. However, villains like
bies or rather Marvel Zombies Millar’s story, the super-zombies event and after a galactic food road ative team (Fred Van Black Talon and the Hood capitalis-
became a prominent and recognisa- then set out to address a bigger trip that included Ego the Living Lente, Kev Walker es on these zombie-spreaders as
ble force in the Marvel universe, problem – famine. Having devoured Planet on the menu and also infect- and Greg Land) come weapons to destroy all superheroes.
and its popularity has led to an ani- all non-transhuman human life, ing the likes of Thanos, Phoenix and on board and bring the Zombies to
mated adaptation in last week’s epi- they now need to replenish their the Gladiator, MZ2 has the hun- the original Marvel universe aka A more innovative approach was
sode of Marvel’s What If.... food supplies, and compounding gry-crew revisiting their focus in Earth-616. adopted for MZ5, as Van Lente used
things further, the Silver Surfer life. This is very much a Machine the premise set in MZ3 as a plat-
Now, before we go deeper into arrives to announce the arrival of Man tale, as he and Jocasta goes to form, and had a new team (i.e.
the undead world of Marvel the Devourer of Worlds aka Apparently, overeating can over- the Marvel Zombies universe to Morbius, Machine Man, Howard
Zombies, it is worth mentioning Galactus. come “The Hunger”, prompting find a cure for the zombie plague The Duck and A.R.M.O.R. agents)
that this wasn’t the first time conflict between the members of happening in their world. Here’s embarked on a journey involving
Marvel had zombies in its books. In However, the arrival of Galactus the Galacti. With Spidey and Luke also where the links to the first five realities.
fact, one notable character was The usually spells doom for a world, in Cage regaining their conscience and Marvel Zombies come in – after the
Zombie, a Stan Lee and Bill Everett Earth- 2149, it means only one thing opposing to Giant Man’s plan to Galacti left Earth-2149, the zom- The appeal here is that each reali-
co-creation who appeared in the – a gigantic cosmic buffet! As start a human “breeding pro- bie-Kingpin stepped in and started ty has its own version of the virus
pages of Menace #5, published by expected, the zombies had no gramme”, their conflict eventually a human-clone food bank. and even mimics a popular horror
Atlas Comics (which would later qualms with eating the Silver brings them to a showdown in New The cure for Earth 616’s zombie movie. Sadly, this felt more like
become Marvel) in 1953. The Surfer, and were imbued with his Wakanda, now ruled by an elderly plague resides in the blood of hotch potch and paled in compari-
Zombie brought back to, er, life 20 cosmic powers as a result. Then Black Panther (who managed to Vanessa Fisk (whom the Kingpin son with the first two series.
years later, when Steve Gerber and when Galactus himself shows up, survive the last event). has left untouched). They succeed
Pablo Marcos used it for the black- the smartest of the undead superhe- in getting her blood sample with With the renewed interest in
and-white Tales Of The Zombie hor- roes – Tony Stark, Hank Pym, Bruce T’Challa is currently in a power Jocasta taking it back to Earth-616 Marvel Zombies after the stellar
ror-comic magazine (1973-1975). Banner etc – come up with a way to struggle with Malcolm Cortez (lead- to develop a vaccine, as Machine What If... episode last week, here’s
After that, however, zombies pretty bring down the big man, but that er of the new generation of Man stays back to battle the zom- hoping we’ll get a new and better
much rested in peace until the only leads to an all-out food fight Acolytes), proving that politics can bies and later returns to Earth-616 undead superhero series again.
introduction of Marvel Comics. between zombiefied superheroes still exist even in a zombie-ravaged to kill more zombies. The series
and supervillans. world. then concludes with Earth 616’s
Millar maketh Zombies Morbius gathering his band of
In the end, the “heroes” win and The double crossing between Midnight Sons to take on more
Hollywood films and television devour Galactus, which leads to the zombies, humans and mutants zombies in the next series.
shows have introduced us to vari- formation of the “Galacti” which is forms the undercurrent of this
ous types of zombies, including the cosmic-powered zombie-force of story, with Cortez emerging as the B-grade horrors
Walkers, Roamers, Lurkers, comprising Giant-Man, the Hulk, biggest winner as he seizes New
Homers, Hawkings, Ninjas... you get By the time Marvel Zombies 4
the idea. But they all had one com- (2009) and 5 (2010) came out, we
mon weakness – they eat brains, were starting to miss Kirkman’s
but don’t have any of their own to vision and influence, as Van Lente’s
use!

Millar’s zombie-concept in the
Crossover arc of 2005’s Ultimate
Fantastic Four #21-#23 stood out
because they were intelligent
schemers. The “infection” in Millar’s
story targets superheroes, which it
uses to spread and consume entire
dimensions and realities, and the
zombies are so smart that they even
tricked (Ultimate) Reed into opening
a portal to the undead universe
because they “ran out of food” and
needed fresh meat.

While that Crossover story-arc
lasted only three issues, it was so
popular that Marvel decided to
expand on the undead concept and
invited pitches for a spin-off minise-
ries, which eventually went to one
Robert Kirkman, ie the master of
comic book zombies.

The Walking Superdead

It was a match made in heaven –
Kirkman loves both zombies and
Marvel comics, plus he is a long
time fan of fellow artist, Sean
Phillips. the icing on the cake was
having legendary horror-artist
Arthur Suydam join the team to
deliver “zombified” homage covers.

The chemistry of the team was
beautifully evident in the first
Marvel Zombies limited series on
2005.

While Millar’s initial story
focused on the Ultimate universe’s
foray into the zombie world and
Magneto’s (last) heroic act,

STARLIFESTYLE, TueSDAy 14 SePTeMBer 2021 Culture 5

By DINESH KUMAR MAGANATHAN Refreshing change of scenery
lifestyle@thestar.com.my
FOR performing arts group Orang Orang Arts group Orang Orang Drum Theatre builds an art farm in rural Pahang.
Drum Theatre (OODT), building its very
own art base, surrounded by a lush natural An artist rendering of the Orang Orang Art Farm, an ideal spot for creatives to Orang Orang Drum Theatre group, now based in Selangor,
landscape, has always been a dream since unwind and create art. — Photos: Orang Orang Drum Theatre is planning a new home in Pahang.
its inception in 2013.
eight full-time members and 10 part-timers we have planned,” adds Leow. during the different fruit seasons.
Having participated in many communi- will join forces with the builders. There are five ways to financially support “We also imagine the art farm to be an
ty-based arts festivals abroad over the
years, OODT’s assistant artistic director Zyee Initially, Leow says it was difficult to find this art farm project, namely via the Tree ideal arts residency space for international
Leow shares that the idea was to have a site a location that met OODT’s criteria for an Friend Forever (RM10,000), 1 Man 1 Tree artists, a place to create and have cultural
away from the concrete jungle. art farm – close to nature, safe and also (RM1,000), 1 Man 1 Brick (RM500), 1 Man 1 exchange,” says Leow.
nearby to a community. Ticket (RM300) and purchasing the
“We wanted a space where we can get Embracing Arts, Preserving Heritage book She notes that OODT’s base at Bandar
close to nature, play music as we want and “This place that we found at Karak has a (RM100). Cheras Mahkota in Selangor will still be
create whatever performances that tickles community of retired people who live in the used as a rehearsal and storage space for
our fancy,” says Leow. area. It’s a place where you find a calm, The funds collected will also be used to the group’s theatre props and musical
peaceful and healthy life. We hope that in save the sick fruit trees on site and also instruments.
It took a global pandemic to hit for the the near future, we can connect with this plant more trees and vegetables in the area.
OODT team to finally turn that dream into local community through the arts. “However, in the future, we are not sure
reality. Once the art farm is up and running, yet if we are going to, or be able to continue
“There’s also new villages, small villages, Leow says it would be an ideal space away with two art bases. We need to consider it
Last year in August, the team found a waterfalls, and a forest reserve nearby. It’s from the hustle and bustle of the city to carefully and see how things are going to
location in Karak, Pahang that exuded “the an ideal ecotourism spot and most organise eco-friendly concerts, and hold be,” Leow concludes.
right energy” according to Leow. importantly, the area offers the perfect arts programmes that have a bit of camping Facebook: Orang Orang Drum Theatre
environment for future arts projects that involved and maybe even mini festivals
The Orang Orang Art Farm independent
project had a place to call home.

Situated 10km from Kampung Baru
Karak, the art farm, estimated to be 93sq m
in size, sits on a piece of land that’s sur-
rounded by lots of trees, fruit orchards and
rolling hills.

“We took our time to do the (land)
research and finally met up with the
design team from Haus Studio. We share a
lot of the same core values about arts, cul-
ture and what we imagine this art base to
be, including using recycled materials to
build this space,” says Leow.

To fund this project, OODT launched a
crowdfunding campaign in May with a tar-
get of RM200,000 to meet the basic construc-
tion fees. At press time, RM28,348.40 has
been collected.

On-site construction of the Orang Orang
Art Farm by KXY Builders started at the end
of May this year but it was halted momen-
tarily after the nationwide lockdown was
enforced from June 1.

Construction work resumed at the end of
July and Leow estimates the first phase will
be completed by next month where OODT’s

RRoeaodmIng tion of articles by healthcare professionals
shines a light on the problems of our over-
Identity theft burdened health system, as well as offers
potential solutions. Among the issues dis-
Compiled by ROUWEN LIN cussed in the book are inequalities in
lifestyle@thestar.com.my healthcare delivery, the significance of
boosting primary care, healthcare financ-
She Who Became ing and hospital safety.
The Sun (The Radi-
ant Emperor #1) The Husbands

Author: Shelley Parker-Chan Author: Chandler Baker
Publisher: Tor Books Publisher: Hachette

Can you really change Nora does the same thing
your fate? While her every day: she packs
brother was bestowed lunches, goes to work,
greatness, she ended up makes all the doctor
with nothing. Born to a poor family in a fam- appointments, takes care
ine-stricken village, Lady Luck is really not of all the groceries. She
on their side. When a bandit attack results in takes care of everything so well that it all
the death of their parents, her brother runs like clockwork. It is a thankless job,
wastes away and dies. Desperate to escape but she is quite used to it by now. Her hus-
this cruel fate, she steals her brother’s identi- band just works. Then Nora befriends a
ty and enters a monastery as a male novice. group of women whose husbands do more
Can she now discard her nothingness and than their fair share of helping out around
claim her brother’s greatness? the house. They live in the perfect subur-
ban neighbourhood and all their kids are
Malaysian Health- bright-eyed angels. What is their secret
care: Maladies And and how can Nora get her hands on that?
Remedies
Vortex (FBI
Editors: Dr Steven K.W. Thriller #25)
Chow
and Dr Milton S.W. Lum Author: Catherine Coulter
Publisher: Federation Publisher: WIlliam Morrow
of Private Medical
Practitioners’ Associations, Investigative journalist
Malaysia Mia is digging up an old
personal case. Seven
Malaysia has made tremendous strides in years ago, her best
healthcare since Independence. However, friend Serena mysteri-
the rapidly increasing number of non-com- ously disappeared after a fire. No one has
municable disease cases and increasing seen or heard from her since then. But
cost of healthcare is making our current now an old photo has provided some clues
health system unsustainable. This collec- to this disappearance and Mia really wants
to track down every bit of information she
can get her hands on. As she leaves no
stone unturned in her search, the bad and
the ugly start to emerge. Even worse, they
are now coming for her.

6 Travel STARLIFESTYLE, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021

TOURISM operators in Pulau Monsoon worries for island
Tioman, Pahang are hoping that pulau Tioman tourism players are hopeful for a reopening period is short, it would at least
water activities at the popular before the wet season begins. allow them to replenish their
holiday destination will be depleted savings after having to
allowed soon, before the monsoon Tioman Island is one of the main stretch their meagre funds
season starts in about two tourism draws of rompin district in throughout the pandemic.
months.
pahang. — Tourism malaysia Tourism Malaysia Domestic and
The lack of tourists have left Events Division senior director
chalet operators with little choice money as customers are limited pleted their Covid-19 vaccina- we will have to wait until next Iskandar Mirza Mohd Yusof said
but to lay off their workers as to just the residents on the island. tions. year to fully operate. It will devas- they were aware that industry
they could no longer manage to tate industry players here like players in Pulau Tioman were
pay their salaries or earn enough Damai Tioman Resort owner “We hope to be given a chance myself. I have had to let go of ready to offer activities to visitors
to continue their business. Syed Rizalman Syed Abu Bakar, as we have less than two months eight workers since Covid-19 hit and hoped they would be patient
46, also said exemptions to con- to operate and we will be facing us early last year,” he said. and wait for the good news from
Kampung Juara Tok Ampat duct beach activities should be the monsoon season starting the National Security Council.
(headman) Ab Razib Ali Awang, given to tourism operators on the November. This season will last Syed Rizalman, who has been
55, said approval to conduct those island as around 80% of the adult for four months. in the hospitality business for 12 “As we all know, the people
activities would rejuvenate the population in the area have com- years, said although the operating here depend mostly on tourism
community’s economy, especially “If this exemption is not given, activities and with the reopening
for those who have lost their of the sector it will restart the
source of income when the tour- local economy, subject to the strict
ism sector stopped operating due standard operating procedures.
to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We, however, seek the cooper-
“The wage subsidy assistance ation of both parties, the tourism
programme provided by the gov- operators and visitors, to ensure
ernment really helped us to pay that the SOP is complied with for
our workers but we still need to the good of all,” he said.
pay utility bills and bank loans
and also find money to support The media had previously
our families. reported that the government has
agreed to reopen the tourism sec-
“That’s why we hope for some tor at several islands under a
exemptions for us to conduct travel bubble programme, with
water activities immediately to Langkawi serving as the pilot
attract domestic tourists,” he said. project, starting Sept 16. –
Bernama
The father-of-five who operates
the Tioman Santai Resort chalet
in the village said they tried to
eke out a living by selling fruits,
but it doesn’t bring in enough

ABU Dhabi has opened its borders No quarantine required A golden
to all fully vaccinated tourists and chance
residents travelling from all coun- Unvaccinated travellers arriv- abu dhabi is welcoming all fully vaccinated tourists and residents
tries around the world, as well as ing from green list countries will travelling from all countries around the world. — NICK FeWINGs/ TO celebrate the first anniversa-
unvaccinated visitors from also be exempt from quarantine unsplash ry of online shopping platform
approved countries, with no quar- measures. ShopMYairports, Malaysia
antine measures. Airports recently launched a
Abu Dhabi only recognises vac- campaign called Are You The
The latest development, which cines that are approved by the Goldenaire.
kicked off on Sept 5, is expected to World Health Organisation.
provide some respite for the capi- This campaign, which kicked
tal’s tourism sector. Meanwhile, entry for unvacci- off earlier this month, gives
nated travellers from countries shoppers the chance to win gold
Under the new guidelines, vacci- outside the green list will be – literally. To participate, buy a
nated travellers arriving from required to quarantine for 10 Goldenaire voucher (RM10) and
countries on Abu Dhabi’s “green days at home or in a hotel. redeem it on the e-commerce
list” will be required to show a platform from now until
negative PCR test taken a maxi- Tourists to the city would be February next year. Each
mum of 48 hours before departure able to explore places of attrac- voucher entitles you to one
and take a PCR test at the airport tion while observing safety meas- entry into the contest.
on arrival. ures.
The vouchers will be valid for
“They will not need to quaran- Abu Dhabi implemented a use up until three months after
tine but will be required to take Green Pass protocol on Aug 20, the campaign period ends.
one more PCR test on day six enabling only those who are fully
(counting the day of arrival as the vaccinated, officially exempted or The grand prize is a 200g gold
first day). Their hotel will arrange under 16 years of age to access bar featuring a silhouette of the
testing on the premises for their key public places and attractions. KL International Airport, while
convenience,” said Department of – Chester Chin monthly prizes are 2.5g gold
Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi wafers from Habib. There are
in a statement. 48 units of gold wafers to be
won throughout the campaign
Revisiting Hong Kong period.

THE Hong Kong Tourism Board HKTB has chosen to launch this yau ma Tei is included in HKTb’s latest programme to promote the Since its launch in September
(HKTB) has officially launched a large-scale programme before city-state’s quaint neighbourhoods. — reuters 2020, ShopMYairports has
West Kowloon neighbourhood borders reopen because we want achieved encouraging sales
programme, after featuring popu- residents to savour the experience devised five thematic walking a condiment store promoting growth and attracted more than
lar promotions Old Town Central first and discover hidden gems in tours focusing on heritage, craft- western dishes fused with tradi- two million page views. A series
and Sham Shui Po – Every Bit their community, rekindling their manship, cultural arts and culi- tional fermented tofu. of online shopping promotions –
Local in its Hong Kong enthusiasm and appreciation and nary arts. in particular the massive Boxing
Neighbourhoods campaign. creating a harmonious art-life The routes offer recommenda- Day campaign – has also helped
aura in the West Kowloon neigh- The routes cover many lit- tions for more than 50 points of boost sales and orders.
The latest programme high- bourhood. tle-known corners of the city, such interest, shops, and restaurants,
lights the West Kowloon neigh- as a bookstore hidden in the Tin and are available as an interactive “ShopMYairports is one of
bourhood’s rich heritage and “We hope Hong Kong people Hau Temple, a seafood restaurant e-map on the HKTB website. – our key initiatives to revive the
vibrant street life in Yau Ma Tei will then share their experiences transformed into an art hotel, and Bernama local airport retail industry. The
and Jordan along with its two new with friends and relatives outside platform has proven to help our
world-class museums – M+ and Hong Kong. Besides, visitors airport retail partners adapt to
the Hong Kong Palace Museum in around the world are eager to a new business environment.
the West Kowloon Cultural District travel as soon as restrictions are We believe ShopMYairports will
(WKCD) – which will open at the eased, and we will be able to capi- continue to empower retailers
end of the year and become land- talise on the opportunities if we and shoppers with the ultimate
marks in art and cultural tourism. are well prepared in advance,” online airport retail experi-
Cheng said. ence,” said Hani Ezra, Malaysia
According to a statement, the Airports senior general manag-
programme builds a bridge Starting from the beautiful er of commercial services, in a
between the local life of the bus- shoreline at the WKCD, the pro- statement.
tling communities, home to many gramme extends to Yau Ma Tei
historical architecture and tradi- and Pitt Street, and spans along For more information on the Are
tional craftsmanship, and the Nathan Road to reach streets and You The Goldenaire contest,
artistic lure of the WKCD. paths around Austin Road, Jordan. Malaysia Airports on Facebook
(@MalaysiaAirportsOfficial and
HKTB executive director Dane To reflect the unique character- @shopMYairports).
Cheng said in a statement: “The istics of each area, the HKTB has

STARLIFESTYLE, Tuesday 14 sepTember 2021 Showbiz 7

By JAKE COYLE No time like now people show up in mass. You don’t
THE film business is inherently full want a pandemic to be the reason
of starts and stops, but few have No Time To Die director Cary Fukunaga on the frustrations people didn’t show up to see your
experienced the phrase “hurry up waiting for the new James bond film to finally drop. film.
and wait” quite like No Time To Die What was your original interest
director Cary Fukunaga. because we broke our backs just Do you ever wake up and (From left) James in making a Bond film?
trying to get done in time. So it’s wonder: did I really make that bond star daniel
Fukunaga, the 44-year-old been strange. movie? Craig, director I talked about doing Bond films
filmmaker of Beasts Of No Nation Fukunaga and quite a ways back. I talked to
and the first season of True You want to watch it with an I had a dream last night where actress Lashana (producer Barbara Broccoli) even
Detective, took the job directing the audience and see how people (Skyfall and Spectre director) Sam Lynch on the set about doing one of these shortly
25th Bond film after Danny Boyle react. But you just kind of put it Mendes was there. We were on of No Time To Die. after Spectre.
dropped out. behind you. What I haven’t gotten vacation on some frozen lake. — Handout
on this one is the satisfaction of during the pandemic to I always wanted to have a
What followed was, for a big- anyone else seeing the film and There was a feeling like: he was decide what’s best for its chance of competing – and I
budget movie like No Time To Die: saying “I hated it” or “I like it.” done with Bond films. And he was most expensive films – like No consider it competing even though
A sprint to rewrite the script (with That’s the part you’re waiting for. like, “Oh, you finished one. Now Time To Die – which need to sell I want my fellow filmmakers to do
Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and you get a break”. a huge amount of tickets to well – to see if I could make a
Phoebe Waller-Bridge), begin pro- Some people are going to like. break even. Do you feel that movie that people actually wanted
duction in spring 2019, wrap by the Some people aren’t going to like it. Then we started, like, water pressure? to show up to cinemas for.
fall and have the film ready for But you still want to hear it. Even if skiing on a frozen lake. It was a Of course. You want the film to
release in April 2020. you don’t want to hear it, you want weird dream. perform as best it can. You have To me, Bond always made the
to hear it. Hollywood has been struggling the industry professionals telling most sense out of any of the
But when the pandemic arrived, you everyone’s optimistic, but no tentpole, iconic figures out there
the fittingly titled No Time To Die one really knows what’s going to as a character.
was put on ice for a year and a half happen.
while studios MGM and United You have the out to say Covid is If you were to look at my work
Artists Releasing awaited the right the reason it underperformed. You in the past, I’ve always kind of
conditions to open a film that cost want to be the exception and have focused on outsiders.
at least US$250mil (RM1bil) to
make. This guy is somebody that for 60
years now has been an outsider.
Fukunaga, the first American to He felt like the kind of character
direct a Bond film in the franchise’s that I would want to take on.
58 years, has since moved onto
other projects. Almost every one of my
characters has been an orphan.
But the wait for the biggest The film has been called more a
movie of his career has been – like psychological thriller. Is that
most things during the pandemic – accurate?
discombobulating.
If there’s a needle that bent one
It’s even affected his dreams. way or the other based on genre,
Fukunaga recently talked about it’s still categorically a Bond film.
No Time To Die, which is tentative-
ly coming out on Sept 30 in But it would lean to the
Malaysia, in a phone interview psychological side.
from London. And are you happy with the film
What has this experience been you made?
like, waiting for No Time To Die
to be released? Yeah. Whenever you make
I’ve never experienced anything, you’d want to change it
anything like this. There have been and make things better. But I think
releases that come out later but considering everything, this film
never by that much – especially looks (like) it took years to make
instead of a year. – AP

8 Course Focus THE STAR, TUESDAY 14 SEPTEMBER 2021

Food science and technology
for a sustainable future

AS you devour a bar of chocolate, you may the fat crystals as they go through “The main benefit of This sweetness is microencapsulated and
start to think of the calories you have temperature fluctuation. microencapsulation appears as you chew and break down the
indulged in. But have you thought about the is protecting active gum's microcapsules. When there are no
science that goes into it? If you noticed that Head of Food Science and Physical compounds from the more microcapsules left, the gum will taste
your chocolate is a little whitish, that is not Sciences Assoc Prof Siow Lee Fong has external environment bland.
mould. It is, in fact, a change in the size of always had an insatiable curiosity for food so that they are not
and its processes. She was even more piqued destroyed in a harsh "There are many benefits of
Assoc Prof Siow Lee Fong. when she realised she could improve human environment. It acts microencapsulation. The main benefit is
as a shield, masking protecting active compounds from the
life by keeping food better and healthier the taste of the external environment so that they are not
through food science and technology. active compounds, destroyed in a harsh environment. It acts as
Prof Siow, an academic at Monash controlling their a shield, masking the taste of the active
University Malaysia’s School of Science, release and adding compounds, controlling their release and
is interested in researching more on them to products. adding them to products.
microencapsulation, a technique to
encase certain substances in capsule Assoc Prof Siow Lee Fong "Bioactive compounds are known to have
form. This method is not new, and antioxidant properties, which contribute to
many industries are already using testing its performance," Prof Siow adds. good health. Food products incorporated
it. However, Prof Siow is currently Microencapsulation started with non-food with these compounds are called functional
utilising it with an underutilised foods. Consumers may easily accept them as
plant known as the drumstick tree, materials like detergent, but a good example they don't need to purposely buy a separate
or moringa. to explain how it works is by using chewing health supplement when their daily foods
"Moringa is prized for its oils. gum as an example. A chewing gum's are added with these bioactive compounds.
Yet, many are not aware of the gem sweetness emerges as you chew on it, but the
in the remaining seedcake. Others longer you chew it, the less sweet it becomes. "Utilising a new plant-based source opens
have extracted proteins from the up options for vegetarians. Plant-based
seedcake. It has not been used proteins are also far more sustainable than
as wall materials in animal proteins. This current work is
microencapsulation before, matched with the United Nations Sustainable
making this research Development Goals to achieve food security
project current and and end hunger," says Prof Siow.
innovative," she says.
"We have extracted the Monash University Malaysia has given out
proteins from the scholarships worth RM200mil to successful
seedcake, which remains recipients for the past 10 years. If you are
after its oils are passionate about tackling core challenges
extracted, and have facing the world, Monash University
dried it into powder Malaysia is the perfect place for you.
form. We are now n For more information on Monash
studying its content University Malaysia’s postgraduate
and behaviour and coursework and research programmes, visit
www.monash.edu.my.

Find your right fit

WITH the exception of the last couple of number of years you spend studying in a
years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, country.
studies conducted by the Higher Education
Statistics Agency in the UK show that more For example, a 2+1 programme means
and more students are going to the UK to that you spend two years studying in
further their studies. In fact, according to Malaysia and the final year in the UK. A
the UK Council for International Student 3+0 programme, meanwhile, means that
Affairs, Malaysia is one of the top countries you complete all three years of your
outside of the European Union to send degree in Malaysia, but still obtain
students to the UK for higher education. qualifications from a UK university.

UK university programmes are so Below is a closer look at different types
popular among Malaysians that over the of programmes.
last few decades, numerous UK branch
campuses have popped up in our country. l 2+1 (Two years in Malaysia, one
Even local private universities are offering year in the UK) – The 2+1 is arguably the
twinning programmes with various UK most popular sort of UK programme
universities. among Malaysians as it gives students a
chance to study in Malaysia and in the UK.
For many of the UK academic
programmes offered in Malaysia, you get If you are keen on studying in the UK
the option to study locally, in the UK or but want to save up before going abroad,
both throughout the duration of your this programme is for you. The credits that
degree and be conferred a degree from you accumulate in the first two years of
that UK university upon graduation. your degree can be transferred so that you
may finish the rest of your course in the
Telling them apart UK.

Upon researching on the various With this programme, you can enjoy the
programmes on offer, you may come experience of living there and partake in
across programmes that denote a 2+1, 3+0, the vibrant activities to the fullest instead
1+2 arrangement. These digits refer to the of having to survive by penny pinching for
three years.

> TURN TO PAGE 10

For many of the UK academic programmes offered in Malaysia, students get the option
to study locally, in the UK or both, and be conferred a degree from that UK university upon
graduation.

THE STAR, TUESDAY 14 SEPTEMBER 2021 9

10 Course Focus THE STAR, TUESDAY 14 SEPTEMBER 2021

Engineering future-proof talents

IN line with Tunku Abdul Rahman Dr Lum with the mechanical rack which is used for vertical farming in TAR systems. These are the basis for are also based on recent
University College’s (TAR UC) UC’s Smart Agriculture project to incorporate new technologies to boost all technology today and the research topics. This exposes
mission to produce graduates who cultivation of Bentong ginger. future. These are the three main them to the latest industry
can contribute towards the nation’s fields of engineering offered by trends and newest technology,
development, in this case being involved in to gain hands-on requirements and increase crop FOET,” he adds. giving them the opportunity to
well versed in the Fourth Industrial experience in smart agriculture. yield. Since there is no existing continue a life-long learning
Revolution (IR4.0) technology as reference on the design of this Dr Lum elaborates that TAR process even after graduation,”
well as its smart campus initiative, “The project is in line with the automation process, we have to UC’s syllabus not only focuses he says.
the Faculty of Engineering and UC’s research direction of having start from scratch to implement this on theory, but practical
Technology (FOET) offers smart agriculture. The project was initiative,” says Dr Lum. experience and research skills FOET’s engineering
engineering programmes in the initiated to cultivate Bentong ginger are equally emphasised. programmes are professionally
fields related to IR4.0 due to its medicinal benefits. The “Engineering is versatile. The accredited by the Board of
transformation to meet the needs aim of incorporating vertical foundation of IR4.0 still incorporates “Students can be good at Engineers Malaysia and globally
of the complex future. farming and robotic technology is to elements of electrical, mechanical, studying theory, but they also recognised through Malaysia’s
reduce human labour, reduce land and mechatronic engineering need to be competent when it signatory membership with the
With a research interest in comes to practical works like Washington Accord. Graduates
power electronics and smart design, prototyping and can register as a professional
robotics, Dr Lum Kin Yun, senior integration. engineer after gaining three
lecturer at FOET’s Department of years of relevant work
Mechanical Engineering, currently “Doing practical work in a experience, professional
heads the engineering role in TAR laboratory is easy where every development training and
UC’s Smart Agriculture project and step is planned in a controlled passing the professional exams.
research to incorporate new environment. In practical
technologies to boost cultivation of projects, we try to expose them Application for the September
Bentong ginger. to real-life problems where they and November intakes are
have to deal with many currently ongoing. Prospective
This project is an example of one uncertainties and potential students are encouraged to apply
of the many IR4.0 topics that TAR limitations. online at www.tarc.edu.my.
UC engineering students can get Attractive scholarships are also
“Students are put into groups available at TAR UC based on
to handle more challenging academic merit and sibling
capstone projects once they discount for qualified students.
have been equipped with a n For more information on
strong engineering background. engineering programmes offered
This practical work requires by FOET, call 011-1082 5613, visit
them to build a prototype of a www.tarc.edu.my/foet/ or visit
specific topic, enabling them to TAR UC’s virtual open day from
implement what they have Sept 20-24, 10am to 5pm.
learnt and at the same time
sharpening their hands-on
skills. Their final-year projects

Quality education
made affordable
> FROM PAGE 8 year can be transferred so that
l 3+0 (Three years in you may finish your course in
the UK.
Malaysia, zero years in the UK)
– If you have a tight budget but This programme may cost a
still want to obtain a UK degree, bit more than the 2+1 or 3+0
this programme is the way to go. options as you will spend a
It is perhaps the least expensive longer time in the UK, but it is a
option out of all UK programmes. fast-track option if you are eager
to get there. It is still cheaper
During this programme, you than completing your entire
complete all three years of your degree in the UK.
degree in the comfort of your
home country, surrounded by At what cost?
familiar environments and
people. The best part is that you For Malaysian students who
will still earn a degree and feel ill-prepared to move halfway
qualification from your chosen across the world for three years,
UK university. a twinning programme with a
partner university or studying at
l 1+2 (One year in Malaysia, a branch campus can be a good
two years in the UK) – Though alternative.
uncommon, a few universities do
offer a 1+2 programme where Such programmes appeal to
you can spend the first year many Malaysians because it
studying in Malaysia and makes a UK education a little bit
complete the rest of your degree more attainable. You get the
in the UK. same quality of education here
as you would in the UK at a
Credits accumulated and considerably lower fee.
modules covered in your first

For Malaysian students who feel ill-prepared to move halfway across
the world for three years, a twinning programme with a partner
university or studying at a branch campus can be a good alternative.