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TELLING IT AS IT IS

INSIDE page MySejahtera 2 checks still on at eateries

There will be no publication of theSun on Monday, being a replacement holiday for Wesak Day. Please visit www.thesundaily.my for the latest news.

ALL SET ...

ON FRIDAY No. 8024 PP 2644/12/2012 (031195)

A volunteer, Visakha Lim, making final preparations for Wesak Day, which falls on May 15 this year, at the Mahindarama Buddhist Temple in Jalan Kampar, George Town, yesterday. – MASRY CHE ANI/THESUN

MAY 13, 2022 www.thesundaily.my

Making up for losses BY SHIVANI SUPRAMANI [email protected]

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ETALING JAYA: A refreshed approach is needed if Malaysia is to reverse the trend of having one of the highest learning losses among developing Asian nations. Treasurer and co-opted committee members of the Sarawak Women for Women Society, Sara Nadia and Gill Raja, said a new approach sensitive to each child’s needs and which enables them to progress is required. “To attract their interest, a more systematic and engaging method of teaching or learning that is relevant to their context and education level is required. The uneven loss in education due to the pandemic makes this even more essential,” Sara told theSun. “We cannot assume all children can just fit right back into the standard national curriculum. If a child feels it is beyond him, he will be demotivated, feel like a failure at a tender age and could be at risk of dropping out of school,” she said. Additionally, they agreed that no child should be left behind, hence schools need to be inclusive and safe. “We still have a long way to go to enable children with disabilities to learn with their peers. “In Sarawak, we have a high number of

o Sarawak group calls for fresh

approach to mitigate learning shortfalls due to Covid-19 residential schools because our (geographically) dispersed population (means students in rural areas) have to make long journeys to reach schools which, like their homes, lack good internet connectivity,” she added. Tiada.Guru representative Fiqah Roslan said the root cause of the issue needs to be examined, which is that our classrooms and education system are not digitally equipped, especially for our low-internet access, low-income schools (numbering about 10,200). “There must be a default school environment with the culture of e-learning. It is not just teachers that must be trained, but the country itself. “We must increase access to information and make open teaching or learning accessible to everyone. This encourages higher quality resources and increases self-responsibility of all parties, and creates accountability checks,” said Fiqah.

“E-learning requires a near-wartime strategy for national infrastructure resources and on-premises support. It doesn’t matter how well e-learning works in a workshop in the city. Come to rural schools, establish an IT team with required resources, and offer on-premises training and full-time support, like every other institution,” she added. They were responding to the survey findings of the Asian Development Bank in April 2021, that showed Malaysia had one of the highest learning losses among developing Asian nations. Think-tank Emir Research head of Social, Law and Human Rights Jason Loh said the government needs to be more proactive, rigorous Turn to and consistent in ensuring — that no child is left behind, page 3 from socio-economic and geographic backgrounds.

2 theSUN ON FRIDAY | MAY 13, 2022 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS

Use mosques as knowledge-development centres: Perlis Ruler KUALA PERLIS: The Raja of Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail wants mosques in the state to continue to be used as centres for learning and knowledge development. He said mosques should provide a balanced education and emphasise the Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah to educate the community so that its members would be able to practise the teachings. “At the same time, mosques must be kept

away from political parties and distance themselves from sensitive issues that can cause public concern.” He said to ensure the quality of religious teachers in the state’s mosques, the parties involved should obtain teaching certificates issued by the Perlis Mufti Department. He was speaking at the opening ceremony of the Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Jamalullail Mosque in conjunction with his 79th birthday on Wednesday.

Also present was the Raja Perempuan of Perlis Tuanku Tengku Fauziah Tengku Abdul Rashid, the Raja Muda of Perlis Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Jamalullail, Raja Puan Muda of Perlis Tuanku Lailatul Shahreen Akashah Khalil and their daughter Sharifah Khatreena Nuraniah. Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azlan Man and his wife Datin Seri Noraswana Omar, Perlis Mufti Prof Madya Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin and state executive council members also attended.

MySejahtera checks still practised at eateries oAlthough vaccination status irrelevant, move meant to curb potential virus transmission by those with ‘red status’ BY SIVAA TANGAI RAJU [email protected]

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PETALING JAYA: Recent backlash against a Kuala Lumpur-based cafe for turning away unvaccinated customers has sparked critical public discussions on whether vaccination status remains relevant after the government relaxed the standard operating procedures (SOP) on April 1. The incident became the talk of the town when the operator did not allow unvaccinated customers to enter the cafe, saying it was for public safety. Occupational health, emergency and public health expert Dr Hanafiah Bashirun said vaccination status does not matter as Covid-19 infection and transmission could affect both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. He said those with red MySejahtera profiles are the ones who should not be permitted to access premises due to the high possibility of them transmitting the virus. “I pity the restaurant owner because his understanding of Covid-19 is still poor. When it comes to the virus, it doesn’t matter if you have been vaccinated or not because the risk of infection and transmission is the same. That is the reason for the relaxed SOP. “As per the new understanding of the spread of Covid-19, we do not have to wear face masks when outside because the risk of transmission is very low as there is good ventilation compared with indoors. “For me, the most important thing we need to be concerned about are those who are supposed to be quarantined and those whose MySejahtera status are in red. These are the people we should not allow to enter any premises because the risk of them transmitting the virus to others is higher.” Meanwhile, Aunty Manjus restaurant managing director Mahendaren Suppaya said his employees always check customers’ MySejahtera status before allowing them to enter the restaurant to ensure the safety of the public and workers. “We ask our customers to show their MySejahtera status and allow them to dine in only if it is blue. But if it is in red, we definitely will not let them in.

“Customers will cooperate when we ask for their MySejahtera details. But sometimes, they want to know the reason for it because the government has relaxed the SOP. “However, the Covid-19 outbreak is still there and I think it is our responsibility to keep the premises clean and safe for other customers.” NZ Curry House manager Muhamad Noor Zainal said his employees are still performing routine checks on customers’ MySejahtera status just like they did during the height of the pandemic.

“We used to check customers’ vaccination status since it was compulsory to get two doses. However, ever since the government imposed the new SOP, we only check their MySejahtera status. “Currently, we are short of staff but we are still doing our part to prevent the spread of the virus by checking the MySejahtera status of customers before allowing them into our restaurant.” Flowers and Coffee shop supervisor Lim Amy Nei said she only admits customers with a low-risk status. “We have stopped checking people’s vaccination records, but we still check their MySejahtera status as it is mandatory and required under the new dine-in SOP. “So far, I have had no issues with customers because they normally provide their MySejahtera details for verification.”

EYE-CATCHING ... Burhan Ahmad with floral windcatchers that he makes from used plastic bottles at his home in Kampung Aman in Kepala Batas. – MASRY CHE ANI/ THESUN

Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin said teaching staff who delivered lectures using weak arguments and abusive words as well as those who cause divisions were not welcome in the state. “The same goes for those who do not respect the religious beliefs enshrined in the Constitution of the State of Perlis.” He also urged mosques to intensify programmes and activities related to religion so that they can be an attraction not only for locals but also the outside community. – Bernama

90% of Ipoh garbage backlog cleared IPOH: Majuperak Utilities Management Sdn Bhd has managed to clear 90% of the backlog of garbage in Manjoi and Meru as of noon on Wednesday. The company said it expected the problem to be fully settled by Thursday to enable its daily operations to return to normal. “A total of 19 vehicles and 102 workers have been deployed as backup to clear the backlog. We will provide an additional patrol team, five lorries and 29 workers to resolve complaints in areas which have probably been left out.” Ipoh Mayor Datuk Rumaizi Baharin was reported to have said on Tuesday that garbage collection was disrupted around Ipoh city due to labour shortage. He said several of the concession company’s employees had resigned to join the construction industry. He added that the quantity of waste generated had also increased by more than three times following Hari Raya Aidilfitri and this had worsened the situation. – Bernama

Malaysia reiterates stand on Myanmar KUALA LUMPUR: Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah reiterated Malaysia’s stand that the Asean Chair’s special envoy to Myanmar should engage all stakeholders, including representatives from Myanmar’s National Unity Government and the National Unity Consultative Council. He made the call at the Asean Foreign Minister’s Informal Meeting yesterday in Washington, held ahead of the Asean-US Summit on May 12 and 13. In a post on his official Facebook page yesterday, Saifuddin said he also highlighted Malaysia’s full support to the special envoy, Prak Sokhonn, who is also Cambodia’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, to fulfil his mandate on a Five-Point Consensus (5PC). The 5PC on Myanmar, adopted by Asean leaders at the Asean Leaders Meeting in Jakarta on April 24 last year, are to end violence, hold constructive discussions with stakeholders, provide humanitarian aid to Myanmar, appoint a special Asean ambassador to carry out negotiations and allow the special envoy to visit the country. Saifuddin expressed regret over the Myanmar military State Administration Council’s (SAC) move to not allow the United Nations secretary-general’s special envoy on Myanmar, Dr Noeleen Heyzer, to participate in the processes. “We should not allow the SAC to dictate who should be invited for related meetings.” – Bernama

‘High performance digital infrastructure vital’ KUALA LUMPUR: The Communications and Multimedia Ministry intends to develop high-performance digital infrastructure as well as computing and data processing centres in line with the goals in the Malaysian Digital Economy Blueprint. Its secretary-general Datuk Seri Mohammad Mentek said the move aims to combine excess data centre capacity with data processing facilities and cloud computing capacity. He said this is because more and more countries and economic sectors are implementing digital transformation while data flow is seen to be getting faster and would

continue to grow. “As businesses expand to new markets overseas, data flows are now far beyond the borders of a country, raising concerns about the potential risk of personal data leakage and so on. “Therefore, it is important for the government to introduce certain filters and policies to ensure that data flow can be regulated to protect the interests and sovereignty of the country and at the same time maintain secure access to data,” he said when officiating at the online webinar, “Digital Age: Embracing Technology, Preserving Data Sovereignty” yesterday.

Mohammad said under the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, there are already several policies to show the government’s commitment to preserving data sovereignty and cyberspace security, namely the National Policy Objectives in the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, National Cyber Security Policy 2006 and the Personal Data Protection Act 2010. He said these policies include a comprehensive cross-sector framework to protect personal data in commercial transactions, and played an important role in helping companies address data sovereignty issues while ensuring information security,

network reliability and integrity, as well as a secured and resilient infrastructure. Mohammad said the government would actively move to build international consensus on the issue and acknowledged the need to establish public-private cooperation in the country for the development of digital infrastructure and computing and data processing centres. “The collaborative agenda should revolve around common interests in areas such as personal data protection, open data usage and the ability to transact digitally, in a mutually beneficial manner as this will drive the growth of digital commerce.” – Bernama

3 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON FRIDAY | MAY 13, 2022

Princess Anne calls on Raja Permaisuri Agong LONDON: The Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah received a courtesy call from the Princess Royal of Britain, Princess Anne at the Malaysian High Commission in Belgrave Square on Wednesday. According to a post by Istana Negara on social media, Princess Anne, who is the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II, visited the Royal Pahang Weave Exhibition being held for the first time in conjunction with London Craft Week (LCW) from May 9 to 15. Tunku Azizah, who is also patron of Yayasan Tenun Pahang Diraja, briefed the Princess Royal on the weave craft art exhibition featuring handicrafts made by inmates of the Penor and Bentong prisons in Pahang, including a selection of the Raja Permaisuri Agong’s garments and personal tenun collection. The exhibition, themed “Menyulam Harapan” (Weaving Hope), also showcases archival fabrics and a collection of RiauPahang baju kurung as well as “samping” from the Pahang Museum. Malaysia’s participation at LCW this year features one of two pavilions, reinforcing the festival as a platform for sharing global perspectives and shining a spotlight on London as an international hub for outstanding craftsmen and creativity from around the world. – Bernama BY RAJVINDER SINGH [email protected]

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PETALING JAYA: Umno needs to look towards the future if it wants to remain relevant to voters, said political analysts who were of the view that the party needs to inject new and younger leaders who can inspire the people and bring about change. Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research senior fellow Prof Azmi Hassan said the party needs to change to keep up with the times, adding that there were a lot of old leaders at the branch and division level, making it hard for younger leaders to take over. He also said the present Umno seems to be out of step with the voters, while pointing out that a lot of countries today were being led by young leaders and Umno needs to understand and appreciate the trend. “It is difficult to say how many would be able to make the change, as it is a hierarchybased party. However, it is good that Umno deputy president (Datuk Seri) Mohamad Hassan had voiced his views on the need for the party to be in tandem with the changing times.” Azmi said many Umno warlords and veteran leaders may not be happy with this, but they have to realise changes have to be made for the party’s survival. He added that the views offered by Mohamad, who is better known as Tok Mat, would carry weight as he holds the second most powerful position in the party and is a different kind of leader, although he is a veteran politician. “Umno needs leaders like Tok Mat because people like him look at things differently. He is forward-thinking, and the party needs leaders who are imaginative and who know what voters want.”

Tunku Azizah and Princess Anne watching a master weaver at work at the exhibition. – BERNAMAPIX

Umno needs metamorphosis oParty must inject young, forward-thinking leaders to woo voters and keep up with times: Experts He said the ideas of veteran leaders may have become stale, therefore younger leaders were needed to rejuvenate and fire the imagination of party members, adding that with new ideas, Umno might be able to attract more voters. Tok Mat had said that many viewed Umno as being “far removed from the imagination of post-modern Malaysians”. “Whether we like it or not, Umno is seen to be ageing and in its twilight and that it is no longer seen as compatible with the times,” he said at the party’s 76th anniversary. National Council of Professors senior council fellow Prof Jeniri Amir said Umno is trying to change to keep in tandem with the evolving political landscape. He said Umno members and leaders have seen what could happen to the party, as they were in the Opposition for 22 months after the last general election. Jeniri said for Umno to transform, veteran leaders need to make way for younger ones, adding that the party cannot remain stuck in

its old ways of “doing business”. “The party must move with the aspirations of modern Malaysians in terms of outlook, ideology, policies and the economy. It needs to find a way to rebrand and rejuvenate itself to attract voters, not only the Undi18 group but also first-time voters created by automatic registration.” He said party warlords need to realise that the longer they refuse to allow changes, the more likely the party may end up becoming obscure, adding that Umno needed new leaders who are visionaries. Jeniri also said the party needed the creme de la creme of leaders to take the party forward, and that they must not only be forward-thinking but also have integrity. “The new leaders need to understand the mindset of the people to make changes happen. Total engagement is needed. Policies must resonate with all voters and not just the Malays,” he said, adding that Umno needs leaders who understand the aspiration of the people, including Sarawakians and Sabahans.

Specialists also on ‘housemen bullying list’ PUTRAJAYA: Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said yesterday that specialists were also on a list submitted to the Health Ministry containing the names of doctors allegedly involved in bullying trainee doctors or housemen at the Penang Hospital. Speaking after officiating at an International Nurses Day 2022 event, he said the ministry’s Integrity Unit has been instructed to investigate the allegations, while an independent special task force would also be set up. Khairy said members of the task force and other details would be announced today, adding that he will not be chairing the

task force. On Wednesday, Penang Agrotechnology and Food Safety, Rural Development and Health Committee chairman Dr Norlela Ariffin submitted to the ministry the names of five doctors allegedly involved in bullying housemen. On whether the five had been suspended, Khairy said they were still on duty as usual but investigations would continue. “We can’t simply just transfer them elsewhere. We have to establish first what had taken place. Some names (in the list) are specialist doctors. So, transferring them would not be easy,” he said, adding that investigations were expected to take

several weeks. “It involves serious allegations such as bullying and also unprofessional work culture. The investigations will involve an interview with the complainants and those accused.” On April 17, a 25-year-old male trainee doctor was found dead after apparently falling from his unit in a building near the hospital. Penang Health Department director Dr Maarof Sudin confirmed the houseman was a graduate medical officer who had reported for work on April 4, adding that his team would provide full cooperation to the police in the investigations. – Bernama

Satellite to link Borneo to internet “They need to work with the private sector (fibre optic providers) to speed up fiberisation, including provision of dark fibre, in rural and remote areas. “Dark fibre refers to the fibre From that is expected to be unused in front the short to medium-term and page hence has reserve capacity. It can co-exist with the used ones by way of a bundle of cables laid in a single duct and multiple ducts, which in turn can be buried in a single trench,” Loh said. “For East Malaysia, we should be ‘plugging’ into and leveraging on our very own startup Angkasa-X, which is targeting to launch its first low-earth orbit satellite to connect Borneo to the internet. “The company has partnered with Bruneibased HallBru Tech under the auspices of the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines-East Asean Growth Area. This will address the perennial issue of slower connectivity of existing satellite systems, including the use of very small aperture terminals,” he added.

Umrah compensation payout completed KOTA BARU: Compensation to more than 1,000 umrah pilgrims was fully disbursed in March, following a temporary postponement of umrah trips on Jan 8 due to concerns over the spread of the Omicron Covid-19 variant. Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Ahmad Marzuk Shaary said the remittance process was managed by Tabung Haji (TH). He said those who received compensation had fulfilled set conditions, including complete documentation such as receipts related to umrah expenses and other proof of payment of expenses. “We hope the compensation would ease the burden of those who had incurred losses due to the postponement,” he said at the Kelantan PAS Aidilfitri open house at Dataran Warisan Stadium Sultan Muhammad IV yesterday, which was also attended by Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob. It was earlier reported that affected pilgrims would receive a total of RM1,671 each as compensation from the government following the postponement, which would be deposited into their TH savings accounts. – Bernama

4 theSUN ON FRIDAY | MAY 13, 2022 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS

70.5 million vaccine doses administered KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 976,336 children aged five to 11 in the country have been fully vaccinated under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme for Children as of Wednesday. According to the CovidNOW website, a total of 1,580,723 children have received at least one dose of the vaccine. For adolescents aged 12 to 17, a total of 2,900,460 individuals were fully vaccinated while 2,998,074 have received at least one dose of the vaccine. At the same time, a total of 16,053,311 of the adult population have received their boosters while 22,969,986 have completed two doses and 23,245,293 have received at least one shot of the vaccine. A total of 29,791 doses of Covid19 vaccine were administered on Wednesday, with 12,393 as first doses, 14,168 as second shots and 3,230 as boosters, bringing the cumulative number of vaccine doses dispensed under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme to 70,510,766. Meanwhile, according to the Health Ministry GitHub portal, a total of eight deaths due to Covid19 were recorded on Wednesday with Johor, Kedah and Pahang registering two cases each, while Negri Sembilan and Perak recorded one case each. – Bernama

Against all odds

Putting second chance at life to good use oKidney recipient now devotes time to lobbying for better system to facilitate organ donation and transplant █ BY ELLY FAZANIZA [email protected]

PETALING JAYA: From being stricken with debilitating kidney disease to becoming a health advocate, Siva Kumar Raghavan has come a long way. It was 14 years ago when he felt

something was amiss with his health. Siva, 52, felt a splitting headache after breakfast that led him to be hospitalised. It was after a kidney biopsy that it was found he had a serious kidney condition. “It was emotionally tough on me. I broke the bad news to my wife and

told her that it was fine if she wanted to leave me. But she stayed.” In between dialysis procedures, Siva was told a kidney transplant could be done involving a donor with a different blood type. In his case, it was his wife Sharmila Devi. “I didn’t want to put anyone at risk, but once we spoke with the doctors at Kuala Lumpur Hospital, she insisted on being my donor,” he told theSun. The surgery took four hours and recovery took a month. “I became the first person (who have had) three kidneys.” But the fight was just the

Nurses shortage being addressed PUTRAJAYA: A shortage of nurses in hospitals nationwide is being addressed to provide the best possible services to the people, said Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin. Speaking after officiating at an International Nurses Day event yesterday, he acknowledged receiving many complaints regarding the shortage. He said during his visit to the Tunku Azizah Hospital last week, which is a modern and sophisticated hospital built for women and children in Kuala Lumpur, it was found that it could not maximise its services as there were not enough nurses. “Hence, we have expedited the approval of nurses to be sent there and other hospitals as well,” he said, adding that he would also try to resolve the issue of nurses on contract. “Currently, there are 3,469 nurses on contract. I will do my best to help, and hope the nurses would continue to provide excellent services.” – Bernama

Siva and Thaksheel taking a break on one of their regular hikes. – PIC COURTESY OF SIVA KUMAR RAGHAVAN

beginning, as his new kidney slowly started to fail due to mismanagement of immune suppressors that compromised his system. “My immune system started to attack my new kidney.” He was hospitalised for two weeks and given intensive medical treatment. Thanks to the doctors at Kuala Lumpur Hospital, he recovered. But instead of feeling sorry for himself, his life now revolves around sharing his insights on the importance of exercising and being stronger in mind and soul. He has been hiking weekly around the Klang Valley with his 12-year-old son Thaksheel Nair in preparation for their climb at Mount Kinabalu next month. “I believe in exercise as it makes our muscles stronger. Some have asked me why I don’t get tired after my dialysis. I can even drive to Penang and back. I want to change the common perception and let people know that one can be active even after dialysis treatment.” He has since been roped into a loose coalition with medical specialists to urge the government to study issues related to organ transplant. This is in addition to pushing for an opt-out system for organ donation to meet the large demand for organ transplants, especially for kidneys. “The opt-out system simply means that every citizen will automatically be a donor, and allow hospitals to harvest the organs of a deceased person, thus by-passing the consent required from the next-of-kin.” Siva, who is also president of organ donation non-governmental organisation Green Ribbon Support Association, said it is time for policymakers to ensure the system is implemented. “We understand that a change in policy would not come overnight. Our strategy is to amplify and advocate it in the long term.” To that end, he holds fast to Helen Keller’s words of wisdom: “Life is a daring adventure or nothing.”

KPJ launches special award for staff KUALA LUMPUR: Private healthcare provider KPJ Healthcare Berhad celebrated International Nurses Day yesterday by honouring the dedication and hard work of its nurses with the introduction of its “Near-Miss Nightingale Award”. KPJ said in a statement winners of the award could be nominated by anyone in the organisation, patients, family members, other nurses and anyone who experience or observes

extraordinary care being provided by any nurse. Its president and managing director Datuk Mohd Shukrie Mohd Salleh said the award was the highest recognition that any nurse at KPJ hospitals could receive. “It is a reflection of the high quality of nursing care offered to our patients and the tremendous contributions to care that are made every day by nurses on our team.

“The company would not stay strong without the contributions of our nurses as they have been risking their own life, especially during the pandemic to care for Covid-19 patients, which was not an easy task to do as they had to sacrifice a lot. “I believe that nurses are among the most respected of all professionals in the world and not to forget, we were born in a hospital with a nurse and we would also

(probably) end up our life with a nurse too in the hospital,” he said during the celebration at KPJ Ampang Puteri Specialist Hospital. Mohd Shukrie also said there was no better time to recognise and honour a nurse than during International Nurses Day, which was observed around the world yesterday to mark the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. – Bernama

disinfecting contaminated surfaces should also be encouraged.” Kedah recorded 102 cases from May 1 to 7, said state Health and Local Government Committee chairman Datuk Dr Mohd Hayati Othman. He said the highest number of cases were registered in Kuala Muda district with 29 cases, followed by 22 in Kota Star and 17 in Padang Terap. “This brings the cumulative number of HFMD cases in the state this year to 1,016, an increase of 46.6% compared with the same

period in 2019. A total of 26 outbreaks were also reported during this period.” He also said the upward trend of HFMD cases in Kedah this year was very significant and had exceeded the epidemic threshold. “Parents are advised to take children to the nearest clinic or hospital if they have signs or symptoms of infection, as well as not to take children to crowded public places such as swimming pools, markets, shopping malls and bus stations.” – Bernama

8.4 fold increase of HFMD cases in Penang GEORGE TOWN: The number of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) cases in Penang has increased by 8.4 times, as 959 cases were reported from January to May 7 compared with 102 in the corresponding period last year. State Agrotechnology and Food Safety, Rural Development and Health Committee chairman Dr Norlela Ariffin said during the period, 54 HFMD clusters were reported, compared with only seven in 2021, which was a 6.7-fold increase. “HFMD is contagious and

common among children who go to nurseries, childcare centres, kindergartens, day-care centres and pre-schools. “A total of 54 premises were closed during the period but they are now operating as usual, with the last premises involved reopened on May 3,” she said in a statement yesterday. Earlier Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah was reported to have said HFMD cases in the country saw a 12.8-fold increase, with 22,463 cases reported nationwide compared to 1,752 cases

last year. Norlela said the virus can spread through contact with saliva, blister fluids and faeces of patients. The infection is usually mild, with symptoms of fever followed by blisters and rashes on the hands, feet, mouth and tongue. She said children with HFMD would recover without treatment within seven to 10 days. “Children with symptoms are advised not to attend school to avoid infecting others and the practice of proper hand-washing and

5 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON FRIDAY | MAY 13, 2022

RM228,000 financial aid for rising track star Shereen oMove reflects foundation’s aim to help those in need reach full potential, says deputy chairman BY SURAYA ALI [email protected]

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KUALA LUMPUR: Good genes are not enough to ensure success, but hard work and discipline are what will lead to real success. This was Better Malaysia Foundation (BMF) chairman Tan Sri Vincent Tan’s advice for Malaysian athlete Shereen Samson Vallabouy, who is currently pursuing a degree in Tourism and Recreation at Winona State University in Minnesota in the United States. Tan relayed the message via an online conference call yesterday with the athlete during a presentation ceremony for her financial support from the foundation. “We are happy to help Shereen with her living and other expenses for the duration of her studies.” He reminded her to come home and serve Malaysia after she completes her studies. “Malaysia has lost a lot of talent. Too much brain-drain. The good ones left to study overseas and we hardly see them come back to serve the country,” he said at the event in Berjaya Times Square. He also said he was impressed with Shereen’s achievements and admires her zeal to be the first Malaysian female athlete to qualify for the 400m dash at the 2024 Olympic Games. BMF deputy chairman Datin Seri Sunita Mei-Lin Rajakumar said many Malaysian athletes have done well but failed to receive any financial support.

From left: Sunita, Tan and Shereen’s parents Samson and Josephine Mary at the presentation ceremony in Berjaya Times Square yesterday. – HAFIZ SOHAIMI/THESUN “We are committed to helping those in need who are deserving of aid so that they can reach their full potential.” Shereen’s mother Josephine Mary Singarayar thanked Tan and the BMF for the US$52,000 (RM228,000) in financial aid for her daughter. “We are so proud of her and glad that she will be able to continue her studies without having to worry about finances now.” Shereen is currently on an athletic scholarship at the university that covers only her tuition fees. The athlete said she is committed to excelling in her studies and athletic career, adding that she is

focused on her goal of qualifying for the Olympics. Shereen aims to beat the national record of 53.7 seconds in the 400m dash and beat her mother’s record of 52.5 seconds in the same event. The 24-year old started participating in school sports at the age of 12 and was coached by her mother until she was 16, when she secured a place at the Bukit Jalil Sports School. Shereen represented Malaysia at numerous events, which include the Asian-Youth Championship in Doha, Qatar; South East Asia Games in Singapore; World Youth Championship; and the Taiwan

Open Athletics Championship. At the ceremony, Tan and Sunita also expressed BMF’s interest in helping a private Malaysian karate team that had travelled on credit to Paris with the help of a local travel agency. The media reported that the team achieved huge success at the French Karate International Open, including netting the country’s first gold medal in a global meet. They came back with at least a medal each in the tournament, which saw 12 countries taking part in addition to the home team, including India, Japan, Ukraine, Romania and Italy.

I’m not Jho Low’s aunt: Ex-1MDB company secretary KUALA LUMPUR: Former 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) company secretary Goh Gaik Kim told the High Court yesterday that she is not the aunt of fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low. Goh, 54, who was 1MDB’s company secretary from March 31, 2011 to April 1, 2016, denied an allegation that she is related to Low. She was replying during cross-examination by Datuk Seri Najib Abrul Razak’s lawyer Wan Aizuddin Wan Mohammed at the

trial of the former prime minister over charges of embezzling RM2.3 billion in 1MDB funds. “I categorically say I am not his auntie. Not only I’m not his auntie, I am also not in any way related to him. In fact, I first met Jho Low in 2011 a month after I joined 1MDB. I was having lunch with 1MDB director Tan Sri Ong Gim Huat and Radhi Mohamad. “I think he came in, Radhi said ‘Oh, that’s Jho Low’ and both Tan Sri Ong and Radhi went over to say hi.

“I saw him from afar. At the time, I didn’t know who he was. “After lunch, I had asked the duo who Jho Low was because in my mind, of course he had connections to the company because they both went to greet the man, but they just kept quiet,” said the 17th prosecution witness. Wan Aizuddin: So, you were not introduced to Jho Low? Goh: “No”. When the lawyer showed the witness a photograph of Low, she

said she was unable to recognise the face as she had only seen him from afar. She added that she had never seen Low after the 2011 lunch event. To another question, Goh said she was never informed by the senior management of 1MDB that Low played any role in the company. Najib, 68, is facing four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB and 21 charges of illegal money laundering involving the same amount. – Bernama

Rosmah corruption trial verdict on July 7 KUALA LUMPUR: Whether Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor will be acquitted or convicted on three corruption charges involving a hybrid solar project for 369 rural schools in Sarawak, will be known on July 7. High Court Judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan fixed the date following mention of the case yesterday. “We have reached the end of the road with this case and it is time to end the journey. I propose to take two months from today (yesterday) and

propose to have my full written judgment on July 7 when I deliver my decision. “I will deliver my decision at 9am.” Rosmah, 70, the wife of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak, was in court yesterday in a yellow baju kurung with a matching shawl. Earlier, lead prosecutor Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram had submitted two additional case laws. Meanwhile, Rosmah’s counsel Datuk Akberdin Abdul Kader said he

just received both the case laws and requested more time to reply. On Feb 23, the defence closed its case after calling two witnesses, Rosmah and former director of the First Lady of Malaysia division Datuk Seri Siti Azizah Sheikh Abod. Rosmah was ordered to enter her defence on the three charges after the prosecution succeeded in proving a prima facie case against her on Feb 18 last year. She faced one charge of soliciting RM187.5 million and two counts of

receiving bribes totalling RM6.5 million from Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin. The bribes, allegedly received through her former special officer Datuk Rizal Mansor, were allegedly for helping Jepak Holdings secure the Hybrid Photovoltaic Solar System Integrated Project as well as the maintenance and operation of diesel generator sets for 369 Sarawak rural schools, worth RM1.25 billion. – Bernama

Woman loses more than RM100,000 in break-in IPOH: An insurance agent lost more than RM100,000 after her residence in Bandar Baru Tambun was believed to have been broken into. Perak criminal investigation department chief Datuk Anuar Othman said the victim, a 39year-old woman, found that her house had been broken into after returning from a holiday on Wednesday. “The victim and her family members left the house properly locked and in good condition at about 12.30pm on Tuesday. “However, when she returned home at about 5pm yesterday (Wednesday), she found the sliding door and grilles were pried open and the lock was also damaged.” Anuar said among the items missing were diamond rings and earrings, Rolex watches, cash in foreign currency as well as international passports, all estimated to be worth about RM100,500. He said a police forensic team inspection found nine fingerprints, adding that the burgled house did not have closed-circuit television cameras that could be used to assist in the investigations. “The fingerprints will be sent to the Penang Department of Chemistry for comparison and deoxyribonucleic acid testing,” he said, adding that the case was being investigated under Section 457 of the Penal Code. – Bernama

Yacht crew member feared drowned ALOR STAR: A crew member of a yacht is feared drowned after he was believed to have fallen into the waters off Kuah in Langkawi on Wednesday afternoon. Langkawi police chief ACP Shariman Ashari said information regarding the incident was received from the public at about 6.15pm, stating that a man was suspected to have fallen into the sea. “Preliminary investigations found that the victim is believed to be 23-year-old Ahmad Nur Hassanuddin Ibrahim from Alor Star, who worked as a crew member aboard the Sunset Dinner Cruise.” Shariman said based on interviews with the victim’s colleagues, he was late for duty and the yacht he was to have boarded had left at 4.30pm, so he decided to chase the yacht in a small boat. “At about 5pm, a fishing boat returning from Pulau Bumbun heading to the Yacht Club found a small boat without anyone on board, but found a pair of slippers and a hat floating near it, and subsequently enlisted the help of others to conduct a search. They then contacted the police.” According to Shariman, the search and rescue operation carried out by personnel from multiple agencies was halted at 8.50pm on Wednesday due to poor visibility. – Bernama

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China defends Hong Kong cardinal’s arrest HONG KONG: China yesterday defended the arrest of a 90-year-old Catholic cardinal under Hong Kong’s national security law, a move that triggered international outrage and deepened concerns over Beijing’s crackdown on freedoms in the financial hub. Retired cardinal Joseph Zen, one of the most senior Catholic clerics in Asia, was among a group of veteran democracy advocates arrested on

Wednesday for “colluding with foreign forces”. Cantonese pop singer Denise Ho, veteran barrister Margaret Ng and prominent cultural studies scholar Hui Po-keung were also arrested, the latter as he attempted to fly to Europe to take up an academic post. “The persons concerned are suspected of conspiracy to collude with foreign countries or foreign forces to endanger national security,

an act of severe nature,” said the Commissioner’s Office, which represents Beijing’s Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong. The four were detained for their involvement in a now-disbanded defence fund that helped pay legal and medical costs for those arrested during the huge and sometimes violent protests three years ago. Zen and his colleagues, who were released on bail on Wednesday, join

more than 180 Hong Kongers arrested to date under the national security law Beijing imposed to stop the protests. Those charged are typically denied bail and can face up to life in prison if convicted. Criticism came from Western nations who have accused China of eviscerating the freedoms it once promised Hong Kong could maintain. The United States called on

Ex-premier, allies banned from leaving Sri Lanka oPresident set to name new prime minister and unity govt

In a televised address to the nation on Wednesday night, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa stopped short of yielding to weeks of nationwide protests calling for him to resign over the country’s worst downturn since independence. But in a bid to win over opposition lawmakers demanding he quit before agreeing to any new government, the 72-year-old pledged to give up most of his executive powers and set up a unity cabinet this week. “I will name a prime minister who will command a majority in parliament and the confidence of the people,” he said. The mooted new premier, Ranil Wickremesinghe, has already served in the office five times – but it remains unclear if he will be able to get any legislation through parliament. Wickremesinghe, 73, is seen as a pro-West free-market reformist, potentially making bailout negotiations with the International Monetary Fund and others smoother. – AFP

North Korea reports first Covid outbreak PYONGYANG: North Korea reported its first Covid-19 outbreak yesterday, calling it the “gravest national emergency” and ordering a national lockdown, with state media saying an Omicron variant had been detected in the capital. North Korea had never confirmed a Covid infection before yesterday although South Korean and American officials have said there could have been earlier cases in the isolated country, given its trade and travel with China before it sealed its border to block the virus in early 2020. “The state’s most serious emergency has occurred: A break emerged in our emergency epidemic prevention front that had been firmly defended until now,” the official KCNA news agency said. The first public admission of Covid infections highlights the potential for a major crisis in a country that lacks medical resources and has refused international help with vaccinations and kept its borders shut. As of March, not only had no cases of Covid been reported, according to the World Health Organisation, but there was no official record of any North Koreans being vaccinated. KCNA said that samples taken on May 8 from people in Pyongyang who were experiencing fevers showed a sub-variant of the Omicron virus, also known as BA.2. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un convened a meeting of the ruling Workers Party’s powerful politburo, ordering a “strict lockdown” nationwide and the mobilisation of emergency reserve medical supplies. – Reuters

BRIEFS

COLOMBO: A Sri Lankan court yesterday banned former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, his politician son Namal and 15 allies from leaving the country over violence against anti-government demonstrators. The magistrate in Colombo ordered police to investigate Monday’s mob attacks on peaceful protesters, which led to retaliatory violence that claimed nine lives and caused widespread destruction. A petition to the court had also asked for an arrest warrant against Rajapaksa and his associates, a court official said. “But the magistrate turned it down because police anyway have powers

to detain any suspect,” the official told AFP. Victims of Monday’s violence said Rajapaksa and key aides had bussed around 3,000 of their supporters into the capital and instigated them to attack peaceful protesters. The loyalist mob poured out of his residence and assaulted anti-government demonstrators with sticks and clubs. Buddhist monks and Catholic priests were among at least 225 people hospitalised after the attack. Reprisals soon spread across the country, with dozens of homes of Rajapaksa loyalists set ablaze. The premier resigned and had to be evacuated from his home by heavily armed troops. The 76-year-old former leader is currently holed up at a naval facility in the east of the island nation. His former minister son Namal told AFP on Tuesday that the family had no intention of leaving the country.

DISASTER AVERTED ... Rescue workers at the site where a Tibet Airlines Airbus A319 plane caught fire after an aborted takeoff in the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing yesterday. There were no deaths and only minor injuries among the 113 passengers and nine crew members on board. – REUTERSPIX

Indian couple sue son for not producing grandchild NEW DELHI: An Indian couple are taking their son to court demanding that he and his wife produce either a grandchild within a year or cough up almost US$650,000 (RM2.9 million). Sanjeev and Sadhana Prasad say that they exhausted their savings raising and educating their pilot son and paying for a lavish wedding. Now they want payback. “My son has been married for six years but

they are still not planning a baby. At least if we have a grandchild to spend time with, our pain will become bearable,” the couple said in their petition filed with a court in Haridwar last week. The compensation they are demanding – 50 million rupees – includes the cost of a wedding reception in a five-star hotel, a luxury car worth US$80,000 and paying for the couple’s honeymoon abroad, the Times of India reported yesterday.

The parents also forked out US$65,000 to get their son trained as a pilot in the United States only for him to return to India unemployed, the paper said. “We also had to take a loan to build our house and now we are going through a lot of financial hardships,” the couple said in their petition. The couple’s lawyer Arvind Kumar said the petition will be taken up for hearing by the court in northern India on May 17. – AFP

Beijing to “cease targeting Hong Kong’s advocates”. Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly called the arrests “deeply troubling”. Ho is also a Canadian national. European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said he was following the arrests with “great concern”, while Human Rights Watch called it a “shocking new low for Hong Kong”. – AFP

U.S. MARKS ONE MILLION CORONAVIRUS DEATHS WASHINGTON: The United States has crossed the threshold of one million deaths from Covid-19, the White House said yesterday. “Today, we mark a tragic milestone: one million American lives lost to Covid-19,” President Joe Biden said in a statement that acknowledged the “unrelenting” pain of those who had lost loved ones during the pandemic. He called on residents to “remain vigilant against this pandemic” and said it was “critical” for Congress to fund resources like testing, vaccines and treatments. For many, the toll of more than one million deaths was difficult to comprehend. “It’s unfathomable,” Diana Berrent, one of the first people in New York to catch Covid-19, said of the toll that far exceeds epidemiologists’ worst predictions made at the outbreak of the crisis in spring 2020. – AFP

WASHINGTON, BEIJING CONGRATULATE MARCOS JR MANILA: The United States and China have congratulated Ferdinand Marcos Jr on his win in the Philippine presidential election, as the superpowers jostle to have the strongest ties with the nation. In a phone call on Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping told Marcos Jr the two countries had been “partners through thick and thin”, Chinese state television reported yesterday. “I attach great importance to the development of China-Philippines relations,” Xi said. The United States said it will seek close security ties with the Philippines under Marcos Jr, but made clear it would raise human rights. In a phone call, US President Joe Biden congratulated Marcos Jr and said he wanted to expand cooperation on a range of issues, including climate change and “respect for human rights”. – AFP

7 * NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON FRIDAY | MAY 13, 2022

Under-21 semi-auto gun sales ban overturned

Residents looking at Little Amal, a 3.5m puppet which is an international symbol of child refugees, in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on Wednesday. The puppet depicts a 10-year-old girl migrant from Syria, who walked 8,000km looking for her mother last year. – AFPPIX

BRIEFS

WASHINGTON: California’s ban on the sale of semi-automatic weapons to adults under the age of 21 violates the country’s constitution, a US federal appeals court ruled on Wednesday. California has in recent years passed several laws tightening the regulation of firearms, which, according to recently released federal data, were linked to more than 45,000 deaths nationwide in 2020. Buyers under 21 are already prohibited from purchasing handguns in California, but a new law that went into effect on July 1 last year added a prohibition on the sale of semi-automatic weapons. That new law was challenged by several individuals and groups lobbying for gun ownership rights, and the case has been working its way through the courts. By a two-to-one vote, judges on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals found that the law violated the Second Amendment to the US Constitution, which says that Americans have a right to “keep and bear arms”. The appellate court’s decision does not impact California’s ban on the sale of handguns to those under 21, which is also the legal age at which individuals are allowed to purchase alcohol in the US. – AFP

ONE DEAD IN MUNITIONS BLAST AT MILITARY BASE MOSCOW: One person died and several others were injured in an explosion that took place while ammunition was unloaded at a military base in Russia’s Far East, Russian news agency TASS reported yesterday. “As a result of an explosion of gunpowder during the unloading of ammunition, seven people were injured. They received minor wounds. Another person died,” a source in the emergency services told TASS state news agency, adding that the victim was a serviceman. The same source said a fire broke out after the blast and efforts were under way to put it out. Health officials said two of the injured have been hospitalised with severe burns. According to preliminary information, careless handling of explosives could have caused the incident, TASS said. – AFP

PALESTINIANS HONOUR SLAIN JOURNALIST RAMALLAH: Thousands of Palestinians yesterday honoured Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh at a memorial service in the occupied West Bank, a day after she was shot dead during an Israeli army raid. Israel and the Palestinians have traded blame over the killing of Palestinian-American Shireen, 51, a veteran of the Qatar-based network’s Arabic service, during clashes in the Jenin refugee camp. In a sign of Shireen’s stature among Palestinians, she received what was described as a full state memorial at the Ramallah compound of President Mahmud Abbas, attended by foreign diplomats and Arab Israeli politicians. Thousands lined the streets as her coffin, draped in the Palestinian flag, was driven through the city. – AFP

TURKEY FREES OPPOSITION POLITICIAN ANKARA: A Turkish court ordered the release of defence analyst and opposition party co-founder Metin Gurcan, pending trial, local media reported yesterday. Metin, a co-founder of the Democracy and Progress Party, had been held behind bars since November on charges of “political and military espionage”. Prosecutors accuse him of sharing classified information with foreign diplomats. Metin walked free from an Ankara prison and was welcomed by his lawyers and family after the court ruling. Last year, Metin criticised the government’s agreements with the United Arab Emirates, arguing that Turkey would be forced to make concessions in return for investment pledged by the UAE. – AFP

Finland must join Nato without delay: Leaders oKremlin says move is definite threat to Russia HELSINKI: Finland’s president and prime minister said yesterday they were in favour of joining Nato and a formal decision would be taken this weekend, after Russia’s war in Ukraine sparked a swift U-turn in opinion. The Kremlin immediately responded to the announcement, saying Finnish membership in the Western military alliance was “definitely” a threat to Russia. Neighbouring Sweden, which like Finland has been military non-aligned for decades, is also expected to announce its decision in the coming days, very likely at a meeting on Sunday of Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson’s Social Democratic Party. The two countries are widely seen submitting their membership bids in unison. “Finland must apply for Nato membership

without delay,” President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin said in a joint statement. “Nato membership would strengthen Finland’s security. As a member of Nato, Finland would strengthen the entire defence alliance,” the statement said. A special committee will announce Helsinki’s formal decision on a membership bid on Sunday, it added. Moscow has repeatedly warned Stockholm and Helsinki of consequences if they were to join the Western military alliance. “Joining Nato would not be against anyone,” Niinisto, who has often served as a mediator between Russia and the West, told reporters on Wednesday. As recently as January, amid tensions between the West and Russia, Marin said a bid would be “very unlikely” during her current mandate, which ends in April 2023. But after its powerful eastern neighbour invaded Ukraine on Feb 24, Finland’s

political and public opinion swung dramatically in favour of membership as a deterrent against Russian aggression. A poll published on Monday by public broadcaster Yle showed that a record 76% of Finns now support joining the alliance, up from the steady 20% to 30% registered in recent years. A country of 5.5 million people, Finland shares a 1,300km border with Russia. Defence Minister Antti Kaikkonen said yesterday a Nato bid would “significantly raise the threshold for Finland to be the target of a military attack”. “This is a defensive solution that threatens no one,” he wrote on his blog. Kaikkonen said he hoped Sweden would come to the same conclusion and “we could apply for membership together”. Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde told news agency TT that “Finland’s decision is naturally of great importance to Sweden” and said her government would announce its decision “soon”. – AFP

EU says Taliban ‘not listening’ to Afghans KABUL: The Taliban shutdown of girls’ education shows the hardliners are not listening to the Afghan people and poses a major hurdle to international recognition of the new regime, a top European Union (EU) official said yesterday. In March, Taliban authorities ordered all secondary girls schools to shut, just hours after reopening them for the first time since seizing power in August last year. The decision, which came from the country’s supreme leader and the movement’s chief Hibatullah Akhundzada, has triggered widespread outrage in the international community. Western nations have made aid pledges to tackle Afghanistan’s spiralling humanitarian

crisis conditional on the Taliban’s respect for human rights, particularly the rights of women to work and education. But the EU’s special envoy to Afghanistan Tomas Niklasson told AFP the Taliban veto on girls schools “has put some doubts in our heads regarding how reliable their promises are, how reliable they may be as a partner”. “It seems to be a government that isn’t really listening to its people,” he said, adding that what women really wanted is the right to work, education, access to health facilities and “not instructions on how to dress”. The Taliban had repeatedly assured that they would reopen secondary schools for girls, but they ordered them shut in late March after tens of thousands

of teenage girls flocked to attend classes. They have yet to offer any new timetable as to when the institutions will be opened again. “If the schools open relatively soon across the country at all levels for boys and girls, this could be a positive, positive step forward,” Niklasson said as he wrapped up a five-day visit to Kabul. He said removing the ban on girls’ education would be a “dramatic shift” which – if accompanied by guarantees for other civil liberties, minority protections and women’s rights – could help make the Taliban’s case for international recognition. However, he warned that the EU currently believes Afghanistan is in the grip of “a more backward going trend”. – AFP

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COMMENT by Sim Tian Hong

Tread carefully over smoke-free policy R ECENTLY, the Health and Education Ministries launched the “Generational End Game Anti-Rokok 18” or “Gegar-18” campaign to drum in the message among schoolchildren about the health hazards of smoking. This is part of the Health Ministry’s proposal to ban the sale of tobacco products to those born from 2005 onwards, starting next year. The bold move has been met with mixed reactions by the public. The proposal could be an inspiration from the Generational End Game policy introduced in New Zealand, which is following a phased approach that begun from 2011. New Zealand aims to reduce its national smoking rate to below 5% by 2025, starting with the reduction of the number of cigarette retailers from 2024, reducing the nicotine content in cigarettes beginning in 2025, and gradually raising the legal age to purchase cigarette products, to create a “tobacco free generation”. This means those who are 14 years or younger will not be able to buy cigarettes come 2027. There is no denying that the Malaysian version of this policy is good for public health, especially in managing health risks of future generations. But the road ahead is fraught with challenges, and if we are not careful, even the most well-intended policy can end up a failure if not well executed. Firstly, the government needs to look into its implementation. Tobacco products are widely and easily available in the market. With the proposed policy, those born in 2005 and beyond will be barred from purchasing the products at retail outlets. This can be monitored if the purchases are made physically and in-store. But there will be serious challenges monitoring things online, especially for non-cigarette tobacco products like

vape and e-cigarettes. Even for in-store purchases, what are the assurances that the retailers will not put their profitability over public health? Putting in place punitive mechanisms may serve as a deterrent for retailers but it will still be a challenge to enforce this soon-to-be-law. While enforcement is not an exclusive domain of the Health Ministry, as there are other ministries and agencies involved such as the Domestic Trade and Consumers Affairs Ministry, the practicality of this ban will be severely tested. Take for instance the smoking ban in eateries which have been violated time and again by restaurateurs and patrons. Secondly, when the government stands firm in banning or restricting purchase of certain products, the illicit trade of these products will more often than not flourish. Consumers will find ways to circumvent the law to get their hands on these products. The government is already in constant battle against illicit trade of cigarettes, costing the nation billions in lost tax revenue annually. The move to ban both cigarettes and non-cigarettes from reaching the younger generation will most likely boost the appeal for these products in the black market. Thirdly, by banning not just cigarettes but also the alternatives to cigarettes such as vape, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco, the likelihood of these products surfacing in the black market without any form of quality control will be higher. The younger generation, who mostly conduct online purchases, will find ways to get these untested, unregulated products, which given the electronic nature of the products, may not meet quality standards and can even be dangerous. The intention to introduce this policy is indeed commendable. However, the

“It would be wise for the Health Ministry to take a more cautious approach and to clearly define its target rather than push through targets, which may look good on paper but are not practical. This may, in the end, derail the main objective of cutting down smoking in Malaysia.

The “Generational End Game Anti-Rokok 18” campaign was launched to inform schoolchildren about the health hazards of smoking. rush to implement it may lead to a flop. A good intention must always be executed well to get the desired outcome. In the case of New Zealand, for example, the country has put in place other measures to work towards the end game, including requiring plain packaging for cigarettes and raising the price of cigarettes steeply to US$20 (RM88) per pack now. Vaping products are currently also prohibited for sale to anyone under the age of 18. There are steps that need to be taken to complement the ban, as the main goal is still to reduce smoking rates and protect future generations. Therefore, it would be wise for the Health Ministry to take a more cautious approach and to clearly define its target rather than push

through targets, which may look good on paper but are not practical. This may, in the end, derail the main objective of cutting down smoking in Malaysia. Consumer behaviours evolve constantly, and new trends and technology will emerge. What seems like a smart move today may be a new problem tomorrow. Hopefully, the Health Ministry will not miss the woods for the trees with this ban, as well as the much-awaited new Tobacco Act. While more regulation is better than no regulation, the enforcement mechanism must be there to ensure a smooth transition to a meaningful, smoke-free society for it to work.

Comments: [email protected]

COMMENT by M. Krishnamoorthy

Karmic fate for Rajapaksas? OUSTED Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and family members must redeem themselves and return all the wealth amassed corruptly to the Sri Lanka government. They should ask for forgiveness from the Sri Lankan masses, to end the violence of people burning their properties. The street protests are loud and clear: Stop all the hurt to people and economic rape of the nation. Sri Lankans blame the Rajapaksa dynasty for the economic meltdown that has left the country with only around US$50 million (RM219 million) in reserves, stalling most imports and leading to massive shortages of fuel, cooking gas and other essentials. An online petition, titled “Save Sri Lanka”, was to be forwarded to the United Nations, International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, attributing Sri Lanka’s present plight to bad economic decision-making, poor fiscal planning and management as well as rampant corruption by politicians and government officials. There is widespread anger against the Rajapaksa family. The time has come for Sri Lanka to establish mechanisms to recover the country’s stolen assets and proceeds accumulated through corruption. Sri Lanka has been grappling with its worst economic crisis since independence more than 70 years ago. The country faces a bleak prospect with the collapse of the rule of law, making Rajapaksa an absolute dictator and establishing kleptocracy as a norm. Everything that is evolving in Sri Lanka results from a corrupt government,

perpetuated by the Rajapaksa family leadership that has infringed the law to hold on to the reins of power, consolidating their positions. Today, Sri Lankans are determined to be resilient and to throw the government out. Unfortunately, they are facing the challenges and realities of failures of their leaders. They are now engulfed in darkness, but Sri Lanka will finally see the light when the dust settles, riots stop and president Gotabhaya Rajapaksa is ousted. Sri Lanka finds itself in an unprecedented situation. It so happens that the beleaguered president is now running a oneman show. People power has ousted his brother Mahinda, who was part of the 73-yearold government. Protests in the capital city of Colombo have grown in size and spread across the country. Nationwide, the Sri Lankan psyche has changed. Sri Lankans are furious because the cost of living has become unaffordable. The island nation has been involved in a long-drawn war with the Tamil Tigers in the northern part of the island, where there has been indiscriminate bombings. Gotabhaya was then former defence chief, who crushed the Tamil rebels in a bloody civil war, which ended 13 years ago. It is opined by Tamil leaders and others worldwide that the riots in Sri Lanka maybe karmic. The Rajapaksas triggered the Sri Lankan Civil war, which killed over 200,000 Tamil civilians. For over 73 years, the Rajapaksas and other leaders manipulated the laws, cheated and

Sri Lankans blame the Rajapaksa dynasty for the economic meltdown. – AFPPIX stole elections to stay in power. How long will Sri Lankans remain silent? Their economic problems are because its foreign currency reserves have run dry. The country is heavily reliant on imports but can no longer afford to pay for staple food and fuel. The government blames the Covid-19 pandemic, which killed Sri Lanka’s tourist trade – one of its biggest foreign currency earners. Through street protests, Sri Lankans are creating a wave of change for a better future. Sri Lanka is blessed with a wealth of natural resources and talent, but corruption has become part and parcel of daily life. Nepotism of the Rajapaksa family members can be seen, with eight top vital positions of the Cabinet and government held by them. People power is now forcing Gotabhaya to step down, but the task is a long and winding road. It is a message for future leaders to lead a fair

and balanced, non-corrupt government. Future leaders must champion the cause against corruption and leave a legacy for the nation to prosper. In the circle of life, we reap what we sow. Sri Lanka’s new leaders have to put the house in order. We hope the people’s voices will not be silenced. No Sri Lankan deserves a government that makes them live in fear, uncertainty, poverty, with weakened democratic institutions and systemic racism.

M. Krishnamoorthy is a freelance journalist and has been a local producer for CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera, Australian TV networks. He has also freelanced for The New York Times, TIME, The Sydney Morning Herald, and worked full time for The Star and New Straits Times for 25 years. Comments: [email protected]

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Kim, Son and Gong star in The Police Station Next to Fire Station. - ASIAN WIKI █

The three leads of The Witch is Alive. - ASIAN WIKI

BY THASHINE SELVAKUMARAN

T

HE line-up for forthcoming K-dramas is already looking promising. There’s something for everyone to enjoy, from heart-warming romantic comedies to thrilling blockbusters. Continue reading to find out which ones we think are the best.

oHere’s your complete guide to seven of this year’s new, exciting Korean drama series

0 Rose Mansion The primary characters in this new mystery thriller will be played by Lim Ji Yeon and Yoon Kyun Sang. Rose Mansion tells the story of Ji-na (played by Lim), who visits a mansion she doesn’t want to return to in order to discover the truth behind her sister’s disappearance. Following that, she is confronted with surprising truths and situations while working with Detective Minsu (Yoon) to investigate her suspicious neighbours, who hide their avarice beneath their ordinary facade. Rose Mansion premieres today. 0 Eve Eve depicts the narrative of a lady who has spent 13 years planning her revenge against an opponent who symbolises the top 1% of South Korean society. The story begins with an well-publicised divorce case featuring Lee Ra El (Seo Ye Ji). She seeks the assistance of Seo Eun Pyung (Lee Sang Yeob), who is head over heels in love with her. The case’s 2 trillion KRW lawsuit has become a national hot topic. Park Byung Eun and Yoo Sun also star in the highly anticipated drama. This series marks the return of actress Seo Ye Ji to the small screen after the release of her successful drama It’s Okay to Not Be Okay in 2020. This will also be the first time that she is formally resuming her activities following her recent gaslighting scandal. Eve will premiere on May 25, 2022. 0 Doctor Lawyer Doctor Lawyer tells the story of a brilliant surgeon who becomes a lawyer specialising in medical disputes after losing everything following a rigged operation. He now works with a prosecutor in charge of medical offences who lost a loved one as a result of the same incident that cost the former surgeon his job. This entertaining medical-legal drama, which stars So Ji-Sub and Im Soo-hyang as the two leads, follows their quest for revenge against those who have wronged them, while also speaking out for victims of injustice. This drama is So’s first small screen appearance in four years, following My Secret Terrius. In addition, Shin Sung Rok plays surpporting character Jayden Lee. The first episode of Doctor Lawyer will air on May 27, 2022. 0 Link: Eat, Live, Kill Link: Eat, Live, Kill is a fantastical mystery drama about a chef who suddenly begins experiencing the emotions felt by a complete stranger. Originally having set up a restaurant in a town where his twin sister went

Doctor Lawyer. - MDC

Link: Eat, Live, Kill. - TVN missing 20 years ago, chef Eun Gyehoon’s life is thrown into turmoil when he finds himself feeling random feelings of despair, joy and agony. He soon realises they are the feelings of Noh Da-hyun, a woman who maintains a bright and enthusiastic outlook despite her hardships in life. The two leads for this unique series are Yeo Jin Goo and Moon Ga Young. The first episode will air on June 6, 2022. 0 Alchemy of Souls Alchemy of Souls is a fantasy romantic drama set in the fictional country of Daeho. It centres around a

Alchemy of Souls. - TVN

group of young magicians whose fates can be twisted by “hwanhonsool” (the souls of the dead returning to the living). Lee Jae Wook plays Jang Wook, a troublemaking nobleman with a dark secret surrounding his birth. He meets the elite warrior Mu Deok Yi (Jung So Min), whose soul is trapped in a weak body. With her help Jang Wook sets off on a path to correct his destiny. Alchemy of Souls will debut on June 12, 2022. 0 The Witch is Alive The black comedy drama The Witch is Alive follows three women from

completely different backgrounds who each encounter enemies whom they want to kill. Lee Yu-ri portrays Gong Ma-ri, a housewife with a renowned husband and a bright daughter, Lee Min-young portrays Chae Hee-su, the daughter-in-law of a wealthy business family, and Yoon So-yi portrays Yang Jin-ah, who suffers from anxiety trying to protect the millions she inherited from her evil late husband after his death. How these three different women come to resolve their problems forms the basis of this drama. The series is set to make its debut sometime in June. 0 The Police Station Next to Fire Station The Police Station Next to the Fire Station revolves around the joint activities of the employees of these two institutions to solve crime and rescue people. Some of the more compelling characters include a ferocious investigator bent on arresting the scumbags, a kind paramedic bent on treating wounds and mending shattered hearts, and a fireman who bravely runs into the flames. Kim Rae Won plays detective Jin Ho-gae in the series, in his return to SBS following the widely praised Doctors. In addition, Gong Seung Yeon portrays paramedic Song Seol, while Son Ho Jun plays firefighter Bong Do-jin. The Police Station Next to the Fire Station is set to premiere in late May.

Rose Mansion. - ASIAN WIKI

Eve. - TVN

Buzz

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theSun BUZZ ON FRIDAY | MAY 13, 2022

The members of TNX were contestants from survival competition, LOUD. - P NATION

MAVE is an upcoming AL virtual girl group. METAVERSE ENTERTAINMENT

█

BY JOHN TAN

L

AST year was an incredible year for K-pop. While the industry was indeed affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, the past year was still a monumental one for many K-pop groups and idols. From Lisa’s glorious debut to BTS’s first Grammy nomination, 2021 allowed the industry to reach new hallmarks. And 2022 is not going to be any different. In fact, things already look very promising for the world of Kpop. This coming year will not only mark new music releases but also welcome new K-pop acts. In chronological order, here are five K-pop group debuts you should look out for this year: 1. TNX Under the music record label P NATION, TNX (The New Six) is an upcoming six-member boy group. The ensemble was formed through the survival competition show, LOUD. This was because SBS along with J.Y.Park and PSY had wanted to form two global boy groups. So, as part of their plan, the channel launched a boy group audition show to scout out male performers born in or after the year 2000. Fortunately, they found six male members – Woo Kyung Joon, Choi Tae Hun, Jang Hyun Soo, Cheon Jun Hyeok, Eun Hwi, and Oh Sung Jun. Another finalist, 13-year-old Tanaka Koki, was supposed to join the group, his recruitment was withheld for further training. But do not feel too bad, as the boys will be officially debuting on May 17 with their first mini-album, Way Up.

oFive K-pop groups set to debut this year Trainee A (left) is said to be among the first multinational and multilingual groups in K-pop history. TWITTER

BLANK2Y (right) is made up of nine male members. KEYSTONE ENTERTAIN MENT Debut date: May 24, 2022 Members: DK, Louis, Donghyuk, Siwoo, Mikey, U, Youngbin, Sungjun, and Sodam

in the Philippines. She was represented by one of the nation’s biggest talent agencies, Star Magic. Shana on the other hand was born in Japan, and was a former contestant on Girls Planet 999. Other than that, nothing much has been revealed. However, it was confirmed that the team will consist of more members. Their identities will be revealed from next week onwards.

Debut date: May 17, 2022 Members: Woo Kyung Joon, Choi Tae Hun, Jang Hyun Soo, Cheon Jun Hyeok, Eun Hwi, and Oh Sung Jun

3. LAPILLUS If you are a fan of Blackpink, you may want to keep an eye on MLD Entertainment’s upcoming girl group – Lapillus. This girl group might just be the next female force of K-pop. Its two confirmed members Shana and Chanty are two prominent international artists who are no strangers to the spotlight. Chanty, who is of Filipino and Argentinian descent, is an established actress

2. BLANK2Y Similarly to TNX, BLANK2Y is an upcoming boy group that is set to debut this month. The nine-member boy band will be among Keystone Entertainment’s newest talents. As a matter of fact, their group’s revelation was made by the company’s CEO and founder himself, Sam Choi. Choi revealed the group’s first member identity, Youngbin, on Dec 20. The other members’ identities were later revealed by the agency on specific dates. On March 15, it was announced that the boys will officially kick off their journeys as Kidols on May 24 with their minialbum, K2Y I: Confidence [Thumbs Up].

As of now, only two members’ identities have been revealed. - LAPILLUS

Debut date: June 2022

Members: Shana and Chanty (as of now) 4. TRAINEE A The next pre-debut group that has been drawing a lot of attention for its diversity is Trainee A. The group which is signed under BigHit Music is said to be among the first multinational and multilingual groups in K-pop history. Four of the seven members are from outside of Korea. For instance, the group’s member JJ is half-Japanese and half-American. Yorch Yongsin, who was recently added, is of Thai descent. Another m e m b e r, James, is a T h a i Chinese who can s p e a k

fluent Mandarin, English, Thai and Korean. And the last international member Leo is from Australia. Thanks to the group’s diversity, Trainee A has been already accumulating a strong following on social media. However, their debut date is yet to be confirmed. It was only revealed that they are scheduled to debut sometime this year. Debut date: 2022 Members: Yorch Yongsin, Leo, Sangwon, Woochan, James, JJ and Jihoon 5. MAVE Considering the popularity of K-pop, it is only natural for music labels to think of new ways to reach audiences. One new area that they have been experimenting with is the metaverse. The Korean company, Metaverse Entertainment for instance is developing a virtual girl group, MAVE. MAVE is said to feature four artificial intelligence (AI) girls. The female unit will be aimed at the global market. According to the CEO of Kakao Entertainment, Lee-Jin Soo, the girls will take entertainment to a whole new level. If you were a sucker for Japan’s AI sweetheart, Hatsune Miku, MAVE’s will definitely be a musical act you should look out for! Debut date: 2022 Members: Names not revealed yet

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Buzz theSun BUZZ ON FRIDAY | MAY 13, 2022

Mark (left) released a new single titled Save Me. - MARK TUAN

GOT7’s Just Right (right) was their 1st MV to hit 400 million views. JYPE

BamBam is nominated for TTA’s Global Best KDrama OST Artists. - TTA █

BY MARIETTA MU

A

FTER a long wait for their upcoming album, GOT7 – the seven-member boyband formed in 2014 – recently announced that they will be having their first comeback since officially leaving their previous agency in early 2021. After almost seven years in the business, the boys – comprising Jay B, Mark, Jackson, Jinyoung, Youngjae, BamBam and Yugyeom – have gone through highs and lows, and now, they are ready for their next new chapter. But before that, let’s take a look at their history and how it all started. The sub-units Before GOT7, there was JJ Project. The duo, Jay B and Jinyoung, were cast into JYP Entertainment and debuted on May 21, 2012. Both of them became JYPE trainees in 2009 after passing open auditions. One year after they became trainees, Mark and BamBam were scouted by JYPE scouts in 2010 in two different parts of the world. Being a multinational group. Having members from various countries – Mark hailed from Los Angeles, BamBam from Thailand, and Jackson passed JYPE’s overseas audition in Hong Kong – allowed them to communicate with their fans better at concerts and events, and gave the group a global appeal, further appealing to a wider audience. In 2017, JJ Project released Verse 2, an EP of self-composed, self-written songs about the anxieties of youth. At the end of the year, Verse 2 was chosen as the fifth best K-Pop album of 2017 by Billboard and was nominated in the album division at the Golden Disc Awards. Two years later, JYPE revealed that Jus2 would become GOT7’s second subunit, consisting of Jay B and Yugyeom. With the release of their music video for the track Focus on Me and their debut album Focus, Jay B explained that Jus2 was more fun and enjoyable while JJ Project’s last release was heavier, more sincere, and it was an album that made you think about a lot of things. Eventually, Jus2 would show a more sensual side of the duo with songs of slower tempos. In simple terms, a sub-unit is a smaller group formed of members from a larger group and the newly-formed mini-group will have separate music releases and promotions under the new entity.

Youngjae was chosen as the new DJ for MBC FM4U’s radio programme Close Friend. - YOUNGJAE Multifaceted boys and their debut Besides JJ Project, Jay B and Jinyoung also made their debut as actors in the 2012 television drama Dream High 2. They debuted as a musical duo with the single Bounce and the duo appeared again as actors for the 2013 drama, When a Man Falls in Love. Meanwhile, Mark, Jackson, BamBam and Yugyeom prepared for their debut together as a quartet and made their first television appearance on the fourth episode of Mnet’s reality-survival programme Who is Next: WIN, which aired in 2013. Eventually, JYPE announced that the group will be debuting GOT7 as their first boy group since 2PM in 2008, with Youngjae being the seventh and final member to join the group after being a trainee for seven months in 2014. When they first debut, GOT7 incorporated much martial arts tricking and b-boying styles in their performances and their dance style drew comparisons to their senior group 2PM, who were well known for their acrobatic dance styles. Even so, when GOT7 released their first EP Got It? in January 2014, the album shot to number one on Billboard’s World Albums Chart and number two on the Gaon Album Chart. GOT7 made their official music programme debut on Jan 16, 2014, through Mnet’s M Countdown, performing their debut single Girls Girls Girls. In June that year, GOT7 released their second EP, Got Love, with its title song A, which was written and produced by J.Y. Park. First music show win The group didn’t win their first music show until late 2015 with their If You Do comeback. The title track on their mini-album MAD was a complete 180 from Just Right, giving the boys a more intense aura. The darker concept was a first for the group, and the contrast between that fierce concept and the otherwise soft and playful personalities of the members really solidified their talents and helped propel them into the public eye. In 2016, GOT7 announced their comeback with Flight Log: Departure, kicking off a trilogy that would last into the next year. With the release of Hard Carry, the group drove Aghases (the name for GOT7 fans) deeper into a more intense lore, and Flight Log was a significant turning point for the group for a number of reasons.

The septet began to gain more respect among the community when it became clear that each of the members took part in the songwriting process and possessed significant musical talents. The final instalment of the series was Flight Log: Arrival with title track Never Ever soared to the top of the charts in Korea and the US, but direction for the group became unclear after the conclusion of the trilogy since it seemed that they had reached their peak in the industry. However,

oA look back at GOT7’s disco debut to their independe after the release of the tracks 7 for 7 and You Are, which was co-written by Jay B, it topped the charts in Korea and their music style began to evolve again in 2018, with title track Look having a trance and EDM influenced melody that was distinct from previous title tracks. They continued their experimental movement with the next comeback Lullaby, which was the first K-Pop song to be released in four different languages: Korean, Chinese, English, and Spanish. When 2019 came, it marked a transition for

Jinyoung’s (left) second season of Yumi’s Cells is set to premiere on June 10. TVING

Jackson (right) will be featured in the new Minions movie’s soundtrack. JACKSON WANG

Buzz

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theSun BUZZ ON FRIDAY | MAY 13, 2022

Yugyeom in a feature by Esquire Korea.

GOT7’s new EP (below) after a longawaited comeback. GOT7

ography, from their electrifying ence and return to music the group. Jackson began to be more active in China’s entertainment and releasing solo music along the way. Meanwhile, BamBam began to work on solo music back in his homeland Thailand. The end of 2019 was marked by the release of the album Call My Name and title track You Calling My Name, which marked a switch from their usual high-intensity sound into a softer, R&B retro influence.

Jay B bares his emotions in the Mindset app. MINDSET

Their Last Piece and departure from JYPE By 2020, the group released their 11th minialbum Dye and title track Not By The Moon and by the end of 2020, GOT7 released their fourth studio album, Breath of Love: Last Piece, along with its lead single, Last Piece. On Jan 10, 2021, JYPE initially announced that

The poster for GOT7’s 2022 fancon in Seoul. - GOT7 their exclusive contracts would expire. The next day, JYPE released an official statement reiterating that all members will leave the company after their exclusive contract that would be expiring in the next couple weeks. Most fans were not surprised by GOT7 not renewing their contract, as they felt the group was slowly getting forgotten by their label and were not being properly promoted. Instead, other JYPE groups such as ITZY, Twice, and Stray Kids were the main focus of the company. Fans were certain that the group would be disbanding and would be affected by the seven year curse. A fresh start The day their contracts expired, all members posted the same picture on their personal social media accounts with the hashtag #GOT7forever. Two days later, Jackson went live for the first time since the rumours of the group disbandment and did not mention anything regarding the rumours.

In fact, GOT7 released a special seven-year anniversary video on their Youtube channel and all the members posted on their social media accounts to thank fans for their journey together and to look forward to what was to come. Aside from their group’s achievements, many of the members were not given the creative liberty or freedom to do solo opportunities. With seven years of experience under their belts, Jackson was the only one who released a solo album and that was only because he took matters into his own hands and produced it under his own label team. The group was thought to have been severely held back from their full potential and it was known that the company has blocked numerous opportunities for the boys, ranging from canceling acting jobs to shutting down the ideas of solo albums multiple times. It was also rumoured that there were times when the members would share their music and get rejected in seconds. Jay B had even shared that he had to change the lyrics for their title track Eclipse more than 20 times and that there were at least 15 different versions of the song. Unsurprisingly, the stress took a toll on their health and at one point, fans had to help the group promote their comeback by buying ads for them. Many fans pointed out that the group seemed like “caged birds unable to fly”, and the fans celebrated the group’s freedom after their contract ended. The return While preparing

for

their

long-awaited

comeback, the group members kept themselves busy. Yugyeom held a standalone concert in Berlin last week, which is a first since he went solo, on top of performing in Munich and Oberhausen. Meanwhile, Jinyoung began acting, starring in the series Yumi’s Cells, with season 2 premiering on June 10. Jackson has also been confirmed to feature in the upcoming animated movie Minions: The Rise of Gru soundtrack with other artists, including Diana Ross, H.E.R., Gary Clarkson, St. Vincent, and many more. At the end of March, he also released his latest theatrical music video for his new single Blow. Mark recently posed for Harper’s Bazaar Korea’s May issue where he showed his brilliant boyish charms and talked about returning to Korea. He also released a new single in April titled Save Me, following his previous solo releases Last Breath, Lonely and My Life. In late March, Youngjae was chosen as the new DJ for MBC FM4U’s radio programme Close Friend. BamBam is making a splash on the international iTunes charts with his very first solo Korean OST song, Melting. His highly-anticipated contribution to the soundtrack for the popular new drama A Business Proposal allowed the song to soar to the top of iTunes charts in various countries across the globe shortly after its release. And lastly, Jay B, the leader of K-pop idol group GOT7, is revealing a whole new side of himself with the Mindset app. In his fifteen-part video series, he will be sharing stories about his family, his battle with anxiety, dealing with depression, and how he came to terms with the expectations and the responsibility of becoming the leader of GOT7. On May 9, 2022, GOT7 finally dropped their first teaser after a long-awaited comeback. The group also announced that they will be returning with a self-titled EP on May 23 at 6pm KST (5pm in Malaysia), marking their first official comeback with a new album since leaving JYPE last year.

ROAD SAFETY

ON FRIDAY

RED

IS

MEANS

YOUR

STOP! RESPONSIBILITY A Community Campaign by

13, 2022 NOVEMBERMAY 23, 2018

snskidz Ace.

snskidz Sport.

snskidz Whizz.

Subsidised child seats for B40 folks oBMW Malaysia, partner commence registration for NEXTStep programme.

B

snskidz Proto.

MW Group Malaysia on Tuesday announced the NEXTStep Subsidy Programme in collaboration with long-term partner Safe ‘n Sound, to provide fully-subsidised child car seats to parents in the B40 income group. The programme was introduced as part of the BMW Safety 360° initiative, on the back of a successful similar programme that saw over 300 subsidised child car seats delivered to parents across Malaysia since December 2019. The new subsidy programme will provide parents with child car seats for children of up to 36kg with donations previously made by BMW Group Financial Services Malaysia. BMW Group Malaysia managing director Hans de Visser said: “For over eight years, the BMW Safety 360° initiative has focused on raising awareness and encouraging action amongst families for more

responsible road and car safety practices in Malaysia. “Although we have placed a strong emphasis on child car seats in recent years with our many programmes and partnerships to advocate for the use of these seats, we recognise that the issue of low uptake must be tackled beyond verbal advocacy and partial

mifold booster. subsidies, especially within communities that are in need in a time like this. With the NEXTStep Subsidy Programme, we aim to continue making child safety seats even more accessible to parents who can use a helping hand.” The NEXTStep Subsidy Programme is applicable for families expecting a newborn or with a child up to 36kg and with a monthly household income below

RM3,500. Parents can register for the child car seat at Safe ‘n Sound’s website from now until May 22. Eligible parents will be notified by Safe ‘n Sound via WhatsApp. Selected parents from outside the Klang Valley will be notified on the delivery status, while parents within the Klang Valley will be informed of the date, time and place to pick up their new child car seat. BMW Group Malaysia and Safe ‘n Sound will be fully subsidising the seats (see list below), including shipping fees to recipients outside the Klang Valley. A suitable seat will be selected for the recipient according to their child’s respective weight and height, as well as vehicle requirement. The Safe ‘n Sound products, usage and retails prices are: 0 snskidz Ace seat (from birth to 13kg): RM199 0 snskidz Whizz Isofix seat (from birth to 18kg): RM499 0 snskidz Sport seat (from birth to 18kg): RM279 0 snskidz Proto seat (Isofix optional, between 13kg and 36kg): RM399 0 mifold booster seat (between 15kg and 36kg): RM199.

Out & About

theSun ON FRIDAY MAY 13, 2022

7

New colours for BR-V Safety campaign by PIAM, MTA IN THE last six years, the number of road accidents in Malaysia has been increasing to more than 500,000 accidents annually. The need to raise awareness on road safety among motorists is vital to ensure the reduction of road accidents, especially during festive seasons. With this in mind, Persatuan Insurans Am Malaysia (PIAM) and Malaysian Takaful Association (MTA) recently launched a nationwide “Us” road safety campaign, aimed at shifting the mindset of motorists and inculcating safe riding and driving habits by road users. The campaign, which started on April 21 and runs until May 31, is also aimed at reminding motorists of negligent riding and driving behaviours to avoid and the impact of high road accident fatalities on society, the economy and the nation as a whole. The campaign’s slogan “Safety starts with ‘S’ but begins with ‘U’” encourages all Malaysians to play their part in ensuring safe practices on the roads. The target road users include car drivers, motorcyclists, gig economy workers as well as commercial vehicle drivers in five states and federal territory with the highest accident death rates, namely Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Johor, Perak and Penang. Based on the “Road Traffic Negligence in Malaysia’ study conducted by online market research and analytics company Vodus for PIAM and MTA (from Dec 28, 2021 to Jan 26 this year) using the “Wisdom of the Crowd” survey methodology, the most common road safety negligence by car drivers in the five states and federal territory is tailgating, which is observed by 50% of the car drivers surveyed, followed by speeding. Motorcyclist swerving between lanes is the most common negligence, which is observed by 58% of the motorcyclists. Meanwhile, using mobile phones while riding the bike is the highest rate for gig-economy workers such as food delivery riders, with an observation rate of 62%. In the case of heavy vehicle/bus drivers, the most common negligence involved is the failure to enforce seatbelts on passengers, which has a 52% observation rate, while speeding accounts for an observation rate of 51%. Over the years, most road fatalities involved motorcyclists; during the PIAM-MTA 2022 Nationwide Road Safety Campaign, the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) informed that in 2020, there were a total of 4,634 fatalities due to road accidents, with 3,118 (67%) involving motorcycle accidents. This situation was believed to be partially attributed to an increase in food and other delivery services during the pandemic. There was also an alarming death count amongst young motorcyclists aged 16-30 years old totaling 11,690 fatalities, which represented 45% of total motorcycle fatalities due to road accidents from 2014 to 2020.

HONDA Malaysia on Tuesday announced two new colours, Ignite Red Metallic (pix, left) and Meteoroid Gray Metallic (pix, right), for the Honda “Bold Runabout Vehicle” – better known as the BR-V. The new colour options will replace the existing Passion Red Pearl and Modern Steel Metallic colours respectively. Honda Malaysia managing director and CEO Hironobu Yoshimura said: “Honda Malaysia has introduced the Ignite Red Metallic and Meteoroid Gray Metallic colours in our hatchback and sedan line-up, namely the all-new City Hatchback, City, and all-new Civic, while the Accord also offers the Meteoroid Gray Metallic colour. These colours have been

receiving good response from the market. In view of the good acceptance, we now continue to expand the new colours to the full sevenseater crossover, the BR-V. “The Ignite Red Metallic further elevates the attractiveness and bold appearance of the BRV, while the Meteoroid Gray Metallic enhances its rugged look. We are confident that the introduction of the new colour options will further excite customers who

would like to purchase the BR-V.” Since its launch in June 2020, the BR-V has sold more than 5,700 units as of last month. The “encouraging” sales performance is attributed to its overall design that meets customers’ needs for a seven-seater with stylish SUV design, exciting driving performance and incredible versatility, says Honda Malaysia.

2022 Saga launched NATIONAL carmaker Proton launched the new 2022 Proton Saga yesterday, in Shah Alam. It is available in four variants – Standard MT, Standard AT, Premium AT and a new Premium S AT. While it is pretty much the same under the bonnet as the 2016 Saga, Proton did some upgrades to it, including improving its fuel efficiency, the latter visible by an ECO Drive Assist indicator to highlight how efficiently the compact saloon is being driven. Among the “fresh touches” to the latest 1.3-litre-powered Saga are new front and side skirts, new 15-inch rims, LED daytime running lights, redesigned semi-leatherette seats, new carpet mats, new push start button, latest

operating software for its seven-inch touchscreen head unit and Bluetooth 4.2 for better wireless connectivity. The 2022 Saga is now open for bookings online and at authorised Proton showrooms. It is available in Snow White, Armour Silver, Jet Grey, Rosewood Maroon and Ruby Red. O n- th e - roa d p r i c e s without

insurance* (for Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia, respectively) are: 0 1.3L Standard MT: RM34,400, RM36,400 0 1.3L Standard AT: RM38,300, RM40,300 0 1.3L Premium AT: RM41,300, RM43,300 0 1.3L Premium S AT: RM44,300, RM46,300. * Valid until June 30, with sales tax exemption.

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Out & About

theSun ON FRIDAY MAY 13, 2022

Hino membership programme, lorry handover Advantage Touring comes in 67 dimensions BFGOODRICH recently launched the Advantage Touring – a “good valuefor-money ‘on-road’ tyre”. “Designed to give drivers the confidence in any road they take”, it is positioned as one simple tyre line to cover saloon, pick-up truck, minivan and CUV/SUV fitments, delivering greater than 85% market coverage in the 13- to 20-inch range, with a total of 67 dimensions – including 30 new. Michelin* Malaysia’s managing director Oliver Biggart said: “The BFGoodrich Advantage Touring targets active-lifestyle drivers who want the best value for their money and demand confident control for urban adventure. This newlylaunched tyre stands out with its extensive size offerings, as well as improved performance and aesthetics. What’s more, it also comes with a six-year manufacturer’s warranty, offering users real value with premium quality.” Key features of the Advantage Touring include: 0 Improved aesthetics and noise performance, thanks to a new, dynamic and simplified tread design, as well as an asymmetric, non-directional tread pattern with computer-optimised footprint to reduce interior cabin noise. 0 Engineered for confident handling and braking in all conditions, with an asymmetric tread design featuring rigid tread blocks and a shoulder that enable responsive handling and control, large tread blocks with deep grooves that deliver exceptional braking performance in both wet and dry road conditions, as well as a tyre sculpture inspired by BFGoodrich on-road racing. 0 Full depth features that provide driving confidence over the tyre life, thanks to an interlocking band technology that reduces friction and heat, and therefore, fuel consumption; plus an optimised contact patch specifically designed for markets with severe heat conditions. Now available at BFGoodrich’s authorised dealers throughout Malaysia, the BFGoodrich Advantage Touring comes in a total of 67 tyre sizes (H-, T- and V-speed rated) in the 13- to 20-inch range. * To those who are not aware, BF Goodrich was acquired in 1990 by the French tyre manufacturer.

HINO Motors Sales (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (HMSM) has launched a membership programme that offers extended warranty and other benefits for its light-duty commercial vehicle (LCV) and medium-duty commercial vehicle (MCV) models, with a minimum oneoff subscription fee starting from only RM10 per vehicle. Aimed to provide the best support, especially in aftersales services, the programme was introduced as part of Hino Total Support concept that brings its two values of “Maximise Vehicle Uptime 100% and Minimise Vehicle Lifetime Cost”. HMSM says that to be Malaysia’s most customer-centric and reliable commercial vehicle company, Hino always aims to be customer’s best business partner and to understand their business field. By offering this membership programme, HMSM believes it will benefit customers’ business operations, in terms of logistics operation and vehicle maintenance. Without any limitation of travelled mileage, selected models with registration date from 2017 onwards are eligible for the programme. Offering four packages included exclusive promotions which are Standard, Standard Plus, Premium and Premium Plus, HMSM initiates the programme with the confidence of its “QDR” (quality, durability and reliability) products. Promising seven years peace of mind, this programme offers extended warranty up to seven years with unlimited mileage. The warranty terms cover engine, transmission and axle while under warranty; and towing service assistance up to RM500 per year, with terms and conditions apply. HMSM is also offering exclusive promotion deals for customers when they subscribe any Hino Membership packages. Under the Hino Membership Premium subscription, customers can also enjoy free brake lining or brake pad replacement at every 60,000km, for both LCV and MCV models, while saving up to RM2,800 for LCV models. Apart from benefiting business owners, drivers are also entitled for Hino Membership benefits; Hino lorry drivers under this membership programme will be invited to Hino Smart Driving Contest and stand a chance to be the winner and be awarded with exclusive prizes by Hino. In conjunction with this programme launch, Hino is offering special launch promotion up to 50% discount of subscription fee for Hino Membership Programme Standard Plus, Premium and Premium Plus, until Sept 30.

From left: HMSM director Ahmad Yasmin Yahya, Soon Seng Truck & Parts (Hino authorised dealer) director Samson Chan, Uchiyama, Quanterm Logistics managing director John Tay and general manager Spencer Damian Sequerah during the handover ceremony. All vehicles registered under the programme must have a good service record with Hino authorised service centres and owners are required to send in their vehicles to Hino authorised service centre for a routine service according to recommended service interval. This programme is now available at all Hino authorised 3S centres. “Contact your nearest centre for registration and subscription,” says HMSM. HMSM recently handed over 10 units of Hino refrigerated lorries to Quanterm Logistics Sdn Bhd. The 10 units include four 300 Series Pro XZC730 LCVs, four 500 Series GH8JR1A MCVs and two 500 Series SG2PE1B prime movers. The handover was held at Quanterm Logistics’ head office in Shah Alam; the company was founded in 1992 as a freight forwarding company in domestic and international market, covering South East Asia and Oceania. This is the first-time it is partnering with Hino. Excellent aftersales services Continuing to expand authorised service centre network and being the first brand to comply with the new United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) safety compliance regulation before it is enforced, Hino has gained Quanterm Logistics’ confidence to add Hino lorries into its cold

chain transportation. Referring to Hino’s customer-centric passion as the company’s mission, HMSM managing director Atsushi Uchiyama said: “As a truck provider, we need to fully understand customer’s business and needs. Transporting of fresh and frozen goods requires expertise especially in temperature control and Quanterm Logistics has set a high standard of traceability and requirements. “With our tagline ‘Transporting Every Happiness’, we are particular on our truck to meet those needs and standard where we believe, it will contribute to our customers’ smooth operation and on-time delivery will contribute to their customers’ satisfaction. “Business-to-business is a chain of business where customers’ customers are ours too and we always aim to give satisfaction and happiness to the end-users, and that is the idea of our tagline. “Also, in terms of after-sales services, our teams are always ready to support and advise our customers, so they can optimise profit and control costs.” Professional driver training HMSM also takes an initiative to improve driving skills among commercial vehicle drivers via its training centre, the Hino Total Support Customer Center (HTSCC), in Sendayan, Negri Sembilan. Quanterm Logistics has registered its fleet supervisors to undergo the training and agreed higher fuel efficiency can be achieved with enhanced driving skills. In the training, drivers go through intensive courses that focus on driver safety, “eco-cien” (Hino-speak for fuel-economy and efficiency) driving and driver familiarisation.

Continental, Castrol collaborate CONTINENTAL Tyre Malaysia and Castrol Malaysia have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore a joint initiative across the country. The intitiative is driven by both companies’ aim to strengthen their position in the country by leveraging on each other’s extensive dealer network, offerings and expertise to offer consumers high quality products and services for a convenient and complete experience, for added peace of mind. Continental Tyre Malaysia managing director Andrea Somorova said: “There is a steady demand for both brands and our products in the market amongst the premium vehicle owners and we saw a great opportunity for us to come together to consolidate our offerings to serve our customers better. “We believe that with both brand’s longstanding service and excellence in the

market, we will continue to be the preferred brands in automotive maintenance.” Castrol Malaysia and Singapore market sales director Gan Wee Kiong said: “This partnership is a testament to both brand’s commitment to safety and customer satisfaction as together we join forces to further build our brand presence in Malaysia. “Through our combined expertise that supports new opportunities, we will continue to lead and innovate in securing global market leadership when it comes to service and maintenance.” Under the proposed collaboration, both parties will offer motorists in Malaysia a combined trade loyalty programme where they can enjoy various deals, incentives, redemptions and rewards. Continental and Castrol are also working towards a partnership that could see joint branded outlets nationwide with plans to grow and expand.

TEAMING UP ... Gan and Somorova during the MoU signing.

S E C U R I T I E S

S D N.

FRIDAY MAY 13, 2022

B H D.

197201001092 (12738-U)

A Participating Organisation of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad A Trading Participant of Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Berhad

Editorial Tel: 03-7784 6688 Fax: 03-7785 2624/5 Email: [email protected] Advertising Tel: 03-7784 8888 Fax: 03-7784 4424 Email: [email protected]

12/05/2022 Participation

Bought

Sold

Net

%

RM m

RM m

RM m

1182.0

1140.6

41.4

46.4

Institutions

26.2

Retail

709.2

605.4

103.8

27.4

Foreign

614.5

759.7

-145.2

2505.7

2505.7

0.0

100.0

Preliminary stats (excluding trade amendments). For final data, please refer to www.bursamalaysia.com Source: Bursa Malaysia

KL MARKET SUMMARY May 12, 2022 INDICES FBMEMAS FBMKLCI CONSUMER PRODUCTS INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS CONSTRUCTION FINANCIAL SERVICES ENERGY TELECOMMUNICATIONS HEALTH CARE TRANSPORTATION PROPERTY PLANTATION FBMSHA FBMACE TECHNOLOGY

10,953.00 1,538.80 573.98 193.47 163.01 16,701.40 764.07 597.07 1,959.67 846.06 685.94 8,021.89 11,301.70 5,229.78 63.32

TURNOVER 3.613 BIL

CHANGE -159.30 -17.13 -6.71 -3.91 -1.61 -64.63 -12.19 -12.84 -11.74 -12.68 -13.84 -212.10 -213.30 -129.30 -2.94

17.13

60.89

444.23

3.71

464.92

389.57

42.19

123.70

KLCI 1,538.80

STI 3,165.18

HANG SENG 19,380.34

SCI 3,054.99

NIKKEI 25,748.72

TSEC 15,616.68

KOSPI 2,550.08

S&P/ASX200 6,941.00

PM rolls out red carpet for US investors oIsmail Sabri welcomes American businesses, suggests Tesla invest in electric vehicle production in Malaysia

VALUE RM2.505 BIL

5 MOST ACTIVES May 12, 2022 STOCK SERBADK MNC TECHNAX DNEX CSH

VOL 352,320,000 328,245,100 188,562,000 70,159,700 68,839,600

CLSG (sen) 8.5 2.0 11.5 93.0 11.0

+/– (sen) +2.5 -0.5 UNCH -8.0 -1.5

5 TOP GAINERS May 12, 2022 STOCK HEIM SP500-HZ BJFOOD NDX-H1 SP500-H13

VOL 839,300 2,112,600 1,148,600 21,600 36,600

CLSG (RM) 24.00 1.66 4.05 1.62 2.80

+/– RM 0.68 0.36 0.35 0.33 0.31

5 TOP LOSERS May 12, 2022 STOCK NESTLE FANG-2XL PETDAG KLK RAPID

VOL 48,600 2,100 446,500 1,445,500 30,900

CLSG (RM) 132.00 6.84 20.60 26.38 11.50

+/– RM 0.70 0.64 0.64 0.52 0.48

EXCHANGE RATES Foreign currency

MAY 12, 2022

Bank sell

Bank buy

Bank buy

TT/OD

TT

OD

1 US DOLLAR

4.4490

4.3160

1 AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR

3.0930

2.9710

2.9550

1 BRUNEI DOLLAR

3.1980

3.1050

3.0970

1 CANADIAN DOLLAR

4.3060

3.4170

3.3270

3.3150

1 EURO

4.6850

4.5340

4.5140

1 NEW ZEALAND DOLLAR

2.8040

2.7010

2.6850 3.0970

1 SINGAPORE DOLLAR

3.1980

3.1050

1 STERLING POUND

5.4490

5.2780

5.2580

1 SWISS FRANC

4.4590

4.3570

4.3420

100 UAE DIRHAM

122.5200

116.2000

116.0000

100 BANGLADESH TAKA

5.2210

4.8950

4.6950

100 CHINESE RENMINBI

66.2000

63.6000

N/A

100 HONGKONG DOLLAR

57.2700

54.4300

54.2300

100 INDIAN RUPEE

5.8400

5.4800

5.2800

100 INDONESIAN RUPIAH

0.0316

0.0286

0.0236 3.3200

100 JAPANESE YEN 100 NEW TAIWAN DOLLAR 100 PAKISTAN RUPEE 100 PHILIPPINE PESO

3.4380

3.3300

16.0000

N/A

N/A

2.3700

2.2200

2.0200

8.6400

8.1500

7.9500

100 QATAR RIYAL

123.1500

116.9000

116.7000

100 SAUDI RIYAL

119.9100

113.8300

113.6300

100 THAI BAHT

13.4000

11.8800

11.4800

Source: Malayan Banking Berhad/Bernama

WASHINGTON: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob on Wednesday rolled out the red carpet for American investors and businessmen, and presented Malaysia as a preferred investment destination. He welcomed them, especially the Fortune 500 companies, to invest or increase their investment in Malaysia, namely in economic digital, green technology and electric car sectors. “I’ve suggested to Tesla to invest in Malaysia in producing electric cars,” he told Malaysian journalists after meeting Ted Osius, president and CEO of the United States-Asean Business Council (US-ABC), at a hotel here. Set up in 1984, the US-ABC represents 170 major American businesses in Southeast Asia. The prime minister, who arrived here on Tuesday, is on a four-day working visit to the US, during which he will meet with US President Joe Biden and other Asean leaders. Ismail Sabri said he has asked the USABC to play a bigger role in attracting investment to Asean, especially Malaysia. “They regard Malaysia as an important trading partner of the United States,” he said

Ismail Sabri (left) chatting with Osius in Washington on Wednesday. – BERNAMAPIX of the US-ABC reaction. Later, Ismail Sabri had a session with World Information Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA) secretarygeneral Dr James H. Poisant at the same venue. The prime minister said WITSA will hold the World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT), the world’s largest IT conference, in Penang in September. “I hope this congress will benefit Malaysians in terms of technology,” he said, adding that participants from all over the world, including speakers from America’s space agency, will converge on the congress. In another meeting at the same venue, Ismail Sabri met Dr Adam S. Posen, president of the Peterson Institute for

International Economics, as well as EastWest Center vice-president Dr P. Limaye. The prime minister also held discussions with Dr Kurt M. Campbell, deputy assistant to the US president and coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs in the National Security Council. Ismail Sabri told Campbell that all Asean member countries should be involved with the US-led initiative Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF). At the moment, some countries from the grouping are not in the picture for the major trade and economic initiative for the IndoPacific region. “Malaysia is of the view that all Asean countries should be involved,” he said, adding that Kuala Lumpur has agreed in principle to join the IPEF. – Bernama

MARC puts Malaysia’s Q1 GDP growth at 3.9%, says recovery momentum could have picked up PETALING JAYA: MARC Ratings has projected Malaysia’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth for first-quarter 2022 (Q1’22) at 3.9%, despite the economy facing external headwinds, on accelerating recovery momentum. Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) will announce the economic growth figures today. MARC said indicators suggest that Malaysia’s economic recovery remains on track and the momentum may have picked up slightly in Q1’22. The spike in the number of positive Covid-19 cases in the middle of the first quarter seems to have had limited impact on consumption. Distributive trade sales recorded a hefty growth of 8.0% year-on-year (y-o-y) on average in the first two months of 2022 compared with 5.1% in Q4’21, while the unemployment rate is declining gradually, coming in at 4.1% in Q1’22 (Q4’21 4.3%). “However, Q1’22 growth would have been much higher sans a slowdown in industrial production (4.5% y-o-y on average in Q1’22 versus 7.0% in Q4’21). On balance, we still project firmer real GDP growth of 3.9% y -o-y in Q1’22 compared with 3.6% recorded in Q4’21,” MARC explained in a report yesterday. MARC expects growth to strengthen

throughout the next two quarters, accentuated by favourable base effects, supportive fiscal policies, reopening of international borders and lifting of other pandemic-related curbs. Growth in domestic demand appears clear and imminent, MARC said It foresees considerable private consumption growth in the coming months on pent-up demand and income support. “Despite this optimistic viewpoint, we cannot discount the main threats to growth; these are not expected to dissipate anytime soon. Output growth will remain below potential amid the ongoing supply-side disruptions, which have led to higher input prices, labour shortages and a rapidly changing external outlook. “Our headline inflation projection has been revised upwards to 2.7% for 2022 (2021: 2.5%), reflecting the intense supplyside inflationary pressures in the coming months despite active government

intervention. Furthermore, the rising living and borrowing costs would act as speed bumps to consumer demand, though government measures such as price controls, the special Employees Provident Fund withdrawal and the increase in minimum wage could cushion households against it,” MARC said. On the external front, the weaker prospects of major economies are a concern, with the International Monetary Fund downgrading its global growth forecast by 0.8 percentage points to 3.6% in 2022. MARC perceived the rate increase by BNM as a defence against significant capital outflows and ringgit depreciation amid the higher interest rates in the US. It will also help keep inflation in check as demand improves. “We opine that a second interest rate hike by BNM in H2’22 is highly probable. Upon closer examination of the latest Monetary Policy Statement (MPS), there is an increasing number of positive words such as ‘firmer’, ‘strengthen’ and ‘improve’, implying BNM’s growing confidence in the domestic economy’s near-term prospects. Nevertheless, we expect that the eventual normalisation of monetary policy will be gradual, as reiterated in the MPS, to ensure sustainable recovery.”

10 theSUN ON FRIDAY | MAY 13, 2022 SUNBIZ

oTubeless insulin pump technology leader has long-term plan in Malaysia, initial phase will create 500 high-end jobs WASHINGTON DC: Global leader in tubeless insulin pump technology Insulet Corporation has planned to establish an insulin management facility in Johor on June 2, 2022 with a “significant amount” of investment, says Senior Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali. Azmin said the initial phase of the investment is expected to create about 500 quality high-skilled jobs for the local talents. “The success of this investment is not just on capital investment, but also to help build the supply chain ecosystem for our small and medium enterprises (SME),” he told Bernama on the sidelines of the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob on Wednesday. Azmin is currently on a 10-day Trade and Investment Mission (TIM) in the US since May 8, while Ismail Sabri has arrived here Tuesday for a four-day working visit, including meeting US President Joe Biden and Asean leaders. According to Azmin, Insulet has a longterm investment plan in Malaysia as it sees Malaysia as a medical devices manufacturing hub for it to cater to the demand from not only

Malaysia, but also from the region and other export markets. He said a “big announcement” would be made on June 2 in conjunction with the launch of the new facility in Johor. Insulet is an innovative medical device company producing Omnipod, an automated device used for diabetic patients to administer the insulin. Earlier Wednesday, Azmin held a meeting with Insulet chief operating officer Charles Alpuche. In his tweeter, Azmin said Insulet’s decision to choose Malaysia was founded upon Malaysia’s excellent talent pipeline and accessibility to ports to support its supply chain. “Insulet has expressed its keen interest towards developing the local ecosystem and further advance knowledge transfer programmes through collaborative partnerships with universities and other industry stakeholders to upskill and reskill local talent. “I expressed to Insulet that Malaysia is highly appreciative of this opportunity and

looks forward to grow together with them,” he tweeted. According to his tweets, Insulet’s investment would indeed open up vast opportunities for Malaysia, particularly in driving demand for the local parts and components of medical devices manufacturers. “As a matter of fact, Alpuche informed me that Omnipod consists of 72 components, and they will outsource some of the components to local vendors in Malaysia. “This will indeed open doors to bountiful possibilities for our local vendors to be integrated into the global supply chain of this industry,” according to his tweets. In a separate tweet, Azmin shared that he had held a separate meeting with Boston Scientific Corporation, a leader in the medical devices sector earlier Wednesday. “Since making its presence in Malaysia in 2015, Boston Scientific has continued to expand, powering the local medical industry through strategic collaborations of local vendor development efforts and capacity building programmes. “With health gaining increasing prominence in the post-pandemic world, its presence in Malaysia will continue to positively impact the development of our medical devices industry, adding further value to the ecosystem,” he tweeted. – Bernama

Bangladesh’s Fly Dhaka taps AirAsia Consulting’s expertise in airline management PETALING JAYA: AirAsia Aviation Group Limited’s (AAAGL) new aviation consultancy arm AirAsia Consulting has been appointed by Bangladesh’s Fly Dhaka for the provision of consulting services to the new start-up airline. Established in April 2021, AirAsia Consulting utilises AAAGL’s experience, expertise and performance to offer a wide range of services for airline clients. These include areas such as airline strategy, fleet evaluation and planning, network strategy, scheduling, turnaround time, on-time performance and crew optimisation, aircraft induction support, operational excellence in various areas, fuel saving initiatives, as well as low cost airline (LCC) best practises and initiatives. AirAsia Consulting CEO Subashini Silvadas said AirAsia Consulting was born with the mission to provide LCC consultancy services to clients who are either looking to establish new LCC airline brands, or improve their own existing operations, by emulating AirAsia’s successful business model. It will help Fly

Dhaka take flight as a new up-and-coming low cost airline and help it create a strong foundation for its operations based on AirAsia’s best practices as guiding principles. “Given the low LCC penetration of only 11% in the country, both AirAsia and Fly Dhaka see huge potential in the Bangladeshi aviation industry. Eventually, Fly Dhaka will also be able to tap into AirAsia’s network and hubs to allow its passengers to connect to other places in the region. Fly Dhaka, with AirAsia’s support, is expected to become a world-class LCC offering low fares and value for a new generation of passengers, boosted by its active adoption of technology in their operations,” she said in a statement yesterday. Fly Dhaka CEO Lt Gen M Fazle Akbar (rtd) said AirAsia’s two decades-long experience as a pioneer in the Asean region will help the airline learn from the best and build its capabilities to establish its operations. “With AirAsia Consulting’s guidance, we will seek new opportunities and ultimately achieve our main goal of being recognised as

the country’s best low cost airline. We also believe this partnership will give AirAsia greater access to Bangladesh which is proving to be an exciting market with significant potential given the recent investment boost in the country’s aviation infrastructure. “Fly Dhaka has secured the No Objection Certificate in October 2021 and is currently in the final stages of securing its Air Operator’s Certificate. Fly Dhaka has also made significant progress in securing the appropriate aircraft for its soon to be launched domestic operations. We will likely be the only local Airbus operator in Bangladesh, utilising AirAsia’s experience of the A320 family of aircraft.” The latest partnership comes as AAAGL is actively exploring opportunities for a new local airline presence in the region and its consultancy arm AirAsia Consulting is providing advisory services to selected third parties interested in establishing a new low cost airline or existing airline businesses who wish to enhance their efficiency and performance.

Fazle (seated left) and Subashini together with Capital A and Fly Dhaka management at the appointment event of AirAsia Consulting as the consultant for Fly Dhaka at AirAsia RedQ.

Razer enables global network card for M’sian e-commerce merchants PETALING JAYA: Razer Fintech’s businessto-business arm Razer Merchant Services (RMS) has become the first acquirer to enable acceptance of Discover Global Network card at e-commerce merchants in Malaysia. By 2023, RMS aims to enable 2,000 ecommerce merchants in Malaysia to accept Diners Club International, Discover and affiliate network cards for online transactions. The scheme enables RMS merchants to tap into the billion-dollar market global customer segment and reach more than 280 million cardholders worldwide. Razer Fintech CEO Lee Li Meng said RMS merchants can further expand their business reach by casting a wider net in the regional and global market as it looks to replicate its offerings with Diners Club International and Discover across Southeast Asia. On the other hand, Discover regional managing director, global acceptance, Asia Pacific Jonathon Gould said the partnership is pivotal in expanding the Malaysian ecommerce market to its global partners. “We continuously provide benefits and convenience to our cardholders around the world by offering options to make online payments more seamless across borders.” Cost-reduction methods through a single integration through RMS will benefit ecommerce merchants while providing a variety of payment methods to drive ecommerce sales locally and globally, it said in a statement.

BRIEFS

Insulet to make significant investment in Johor facility

SEDANIA OFFERS SOLUTIONS TO TWO MALAYSIAN DIGITAL BANKING LICENCE RECIPIENTS PETALING JAYA: Sedania Innovator Bhd’s fintech arm Sedania As Salam Capital Sdn Bhd is offering a full suite of digital banking solutions to two recipients of Malaysia’s digital banking licences. The recipients are Aeon Credit Service (M) Bhd, which currently uses Sedania As Salam’s integrated tawarruq trading solution for Islamic financial institutions; and another client which secured a conventional digital banking licence. Sedania As Salam CEO Khairul Nisa Ismail said it is supporting its clients to roll out marketready solutions within the stipulated time. “Additionally, we are keen to explore the possibility of partnering with the other three new digital banking licence holders. “As it is, we have been powering more than 80 clients with our patented APIbased digital commodities platform that enables straight through processing capabilities for Islamic consumer retail products.”

HSBC LAUNCHES US$1B LENDING FOR FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS GLOBALLY, INCLUDING MALAYSIA PETALING JAYA: HSBC yesterday launched a Female Entrepreneur Fund, which will provide US$1 billion (RM4.4 billion) in lending to female-owned businesses in 11 markets including Malaysia over the next 12 months. This comes alongside the introduction of the HSBC Roar initiative, which enables female entrepreneurs as well as successful fund applicants, to access a series of masterclasses hosted by experienced business leaders; tailored networking sessions with major companies in markets where the fund operates; insights from the investor community and the opportunity to pitch to angel investors; as well as bespoke advisory for female entrepreneurs from experienced HSBC bankers. HSBC Malaysia country head of commercial banking Andrew Sill said: “As the Malaysian economy continues to rebuild from the impact of the pandemic, small and medium-sized businesses will continue to be the bedrock on which our economies and local communities are built, meaning we need to ensure that those led by women are given the support to fulfil their full potential.”

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SIBS 2022 targets RM350m potential negotiated sales █ BY GLORIA HARRY BEATTY [email protected]

From left: Invest Selangor corporate communication and SIBS division director Ahmad Khairo Othman, Hasan Azhari, Selangor state executive councillor for investment, industry, trade & SME and Invest Selangor director Datuk Teng Chang Khim, Selangor Information Technology & Digital Economy Corporation COO Loo Chuan Boon and Selangor state government human resource division secretary Siti Azrah Mohd Ibrahim at the SIBS 2022 press conference. contributed mainly by domestic direct investment worth RM6.1 billion, according to the Malaysian Investment Development Authority. Investment projects in rubber, chemical,

electrical and electronics and transport equipment sectors contributed 71% (RM5.36 billion). The cluster remained the largest contributor to approved investment value.

Local banks raise rates in wake of OPR hike oPublic Bank, CIMB, Affin, Hong Leong and Bank Islam announce 25bps increase PETALING JAYA: Public Bank Bhd, CIMB Bank Bhd, Affin Bank Bhd, Hong Leong Bank Bhd and Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd will increase rates by 25 basis points (bps) correspondingly following Bank Negara Malaysia’s Overnight Policy Rate hike to 2.00%. Public Bank will increase its base rate (BR) and base lending rate/base financing rate (BLR/BFR) by 0.25% effective today. With this, the BR will be at 2.52%, up from 2.27%, and the BLR/BFR will be at 5.72%, from 5.47%. At the same time, Public Bank’s fixed

deposit rates will be correspondingly increased by 0.25% across all tenures, effective the same date. CIMB Bank and CIMB Islamic Bank will effect a 25bps increase in the base rate and fixed deposit/fixed return income account-i board rates. Similarly, all financing facilities based on the BLR and BFR will be increased by 0.25%. All rate changes will take effect next Wednesday. Affin Bank, Affin Islamic Bank and Affin Hwang Investment Bank, too, will revise the loan/financing reference rates upward by 25bps effective today. In line with the revision, Affin Bank’s fixed deposit and Affin Islamic Bank Term Deposit-i Board rates will be adjusted upwards today. Hong Leong Bank and Hong Leong Islamic Bank will be revising the BR and Islamic base rate (IBR) to 2.88% from 2.63% by 25bps. Loans

and financing based on the BLR and Islamic financing rate (IFR) will be revised to 5.89% from 5.64%. These changes will be effective from next Tuesday. During the course of the Covid-19 pandemic since January 2020, Hong Leong had reduced the BR/IBR and the BLR/IFR four times, with the last one done on July 10, 2020. Bank Islam will revise its BR and BFR by 25bps to 2.77% and 5.72%, respectively. Similarly, Bank Islam’s deposit rates will be adjusted upwards by 25bps. All changes will be effective from next Tuesday. The last revision to Bank Islam’s BR was on July 10, 2020, when it was reduced from 2.77% to 2.52%, while its BFR was lowered from 5.72% to 5.47%. On Wednesday, Malayan Banking Bhd and RHB Banking Group announced upward revisions to their lending and deposit rates.

CME would have preferred to see will to cut government spending PETALING JAYA: The Center for Market Education (CME) said it would have preferred to see the political will to cut government spending rather than the interest rate increase in addressing inflation. Additionally, it said, there is a need for more private investments – which are based on market signals and may be discouraged by the tightening of monetary policy – than government spending – which is based on borrowing and the money printing press and, therefore, strongly inflationary. CME CEO Dr Carmelo Ferlito

(pix) said interest rates should be determined by market forces instead of the central bank. “The power of the central bank to fix the interest rate, in the pretense of being able to fix the economy as if it was a mechanical engine, should be abolished. “When the interest rate is fixed by the monetary authority, we are not in the presence of a market price; rather, it is a ‘political price’. These means that economic decisions are taken not based on the interaction between supply and demand; instead, investment choices are

made on the basis of what the people leading a central bank believe to be the ‘appropriate’ interest rate for the economic system,” he said in a statement yesterday. This can lead to bad investments and financial instability within a boom-and-bust cycle. “Due to the quantity of money into circulation, the hike is inevitable. It only came earlier than expected. But a contractionary effect has to be expected, although its strength is not yet to be known,” he added.

BRIEFS

PETALING JAYA: The Selangor International Business Summit 2022 (SIBS 2022) is targeting RM350 million potential negotiated sales with 30,000 visitor turnout and participation of 850 booths. SIBS is the largest business summit initiated by the Selangor state government and organised by Invest Selangor Bhd. Back this year for its sixth edition, the summit has garnered 40% registration to date out of 850 booths, of which 20% are from foreign investors. The four-day summit will be held at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre from Oct 6 to 9, 2022. It will feature six main events, including the Selangor International Expo (F&B), Selangor International Expo (medical), Selangor Industrial Park Expo, Selangor Asean Business Conference, Selangor Smart City & Digital Economy Convention and Selangor R&D and Innovation Expo. Invest Selangor CEO Datuk Hasan Azhari Idris said SIBS can be the key global trading hub initiative by Selangor to assist not only exporters and manufacturers from Selangor but also from other states and regional players to restart their business in the region. SIBS provides networking opportunities for all participants across multiple sectors to meet and collaborate, using Selangor as the gateway to Asean. Invest Selangor invites foreign buyers to attend the summit as well as prearrange one-on-one business meetings, he said at the SIBS 2022 press conference in Shah Alam yesterday. Despite the pandemic last year, SIBS 2021 recorded RM217.6 million potential negotiated sales, and attracted 25,410 visitors, ranging from business owners, importers, wholesalers, distributors to retailers and the public. In 2021, the manufacturing sector in Selangor received RM7.5 billion in investment,

KELLINGTON CLINCHES RM80M DEAL FROM CHINA’S TOP CHIP FOUNDRY PETALING JAYA: Integrated engineering solutions provider Kelington Group Bhd, through wholly owned subsidiary Kelington Engineering (Shanghai) Corp Ltd, has secured a contract worth about RM80 million from China’s largest semiconductor foundry, which has its headquarters in Shanghai, to perform gas hook-up works in Beijing. Works begin this month and are slated to be completed by March 2024. Inclusive of this contract, the group has so far secured new orders amounting to RM427 million in the financial year ending Dec 31, 2022.

LTAT AIMS TO INCREASE PUBLIC EQUITY ALLOCATION TO 50% AS IT LOOKS OVERSEAS KUALA LUMPUR: The Armed Forces Fund Board (LTAT) aims to increase its public equity exposure through the realignment of its asset allocations as it plans to make a foray into international markets. CEO Datuk Ahmad Nazim Abdul Rahman said the retirement fund targets to increase its public equity allocation to 50% from 44.1%, with 30% to be dedicated for foreign investments. “So, we will see 30% allocated for investments abroad while the remaining 20% will be for the domestic market. We are looking at investing (overseas) in the third or fourth quarter of this year after getting approval from the Ministry of Finance and Bank Negara Malaysia,“ he said during a MIDF Conversations session yesterday. – Bernama

SERBA DINAMIK, TOP EXECS FULLY SETTLE COMPOUNDS TOTALLING RM16M KUALA LUMPUR: Serba Dinamik Holdings Bhd and its top executives have completed the full settlement of their compounds amounting to RM16 million which were imposed by the Securities Commission. In a statement yesterday, Serba Dinamik said the payment was made on May 9, ahead of the extended deadline of May 11, 2022. “The company would also like to emphasise that operations are continuing as usual, with a focus on managing its creditors and the Practice Note 17 restructuring process,” it said. – Bernama

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Bitcoin 2021 gains evaporate as cryptocurrency meltdown broadens Bitcoin dropped to a low of US$25,401.05 (RM111,180), its lowest level since Dec 28, 2020. In the past eight sessions, it has lost a third of its value, or US$13,000, and is down more than 45% so far this year From a peak of US$69,000 in November 2021, it has lost nearly twothirds of its value. TerraUSD, also known as “UST”, slipped below its 1:1 peg to the dollar this week, roiling cryptocurrency

markets already under pressure alongside tumbling stock markets. “The collapse of the Peg in TerraUSD has had some nasty and predictable spillovers. We have seen broad liquidation in BTC, ETH and most ALT coins,” said Richard Usher, head of OTC trading at BCB Group. Stablecoins are digital tokens pegged to the value of traditional assets, such as the US dollar. They are popular in times of turmoil in crypto

markets and are often used by traders to move funds around and speculate on other cryptocurrencies. Yesterday, TerraUSD was quoted around 50 cents, according to CoinGecko price data. Unlike most stablecoins which are backed by reserves, TerraUSD is an algorithmic, or “decentralised”, stablecoin. It was supposed to maintain its peg via a complex mechanism which involved swapping

Philippine economy in solid shape as Marcos Jr takes helm oSoutheast Asia’s fifth-largest economy grew a better-than-expected 8.3% in Q1, its fastest annual growth since the June quarter of 2021 MANILA: Newly-elected Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will inherit an economy that has strongly bounced back from the Covid19 pandemic when he takes office in June, but soaring food and fuel costs will need to be addressed quickly. Southeast Asia’s fifth-largest economy grew a better-than-expected 8.3% in the first quarter, the government said yesterday. It was the fastest annual growth since the June quarter of 2021 when it expanded 12.1% and exceeded a 6.6% forecast in a Reuters poll. That growth rate made the Philippines the fastest growing economy in the East Asia Region for the period, officials said. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the economy

grew 1.9% in January-March from the previous quarter, with the easing of Covid-19 curbs and election-related spending underpinning domestic demand. That gives the central bank scope to raise interest rates to tackle rising inflation, which threatens to dampen consumer sentiment and derail the economic recovery. “Since we are doing relatively well on the economic opening as evidenced by the Q1 data, the immediate priority is to address inflation, especially those that affected people the most, food prices,” Economic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua told a news conference. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) holds its next policy meeting on May 19, with some

analysts seeing higher chances for an interest rate hike. Economists have raised concerns the BSP, which has kept benchmark interest rates steady since November 2020 at record lows, could fall behind the curve as central banks around the world step up monetary tightening to fight inflation. Governor Benjamin Diokno, however, has flagged a possible hike in June, with the BSP looking at raising rates two to three times to bring down inflation by next year. Boosting tax revenue is crucial as Marcos must tackle the problem of heavy public debt bloated by heavy borrowings to finance the government’s pandemic measures. – Reuters

Xiaomi battles investigations in key market India NEW DELHI: Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomi Corp faces legal headaches in India as a federal financial crime-fighting agency and tax authorities probe its business practices. Xiaomi denies wrongdoing. But it recently hit the headlines with accusations that its executives faced intimidation from Indian enforcement officials, drawing public rebuttals from the agency. What’s the royalty case about? India’s financial crime-fighting agency, the Enforcement Directorate, has been investigating Xiaomi since February. On April 30, the agency said the smartphone maker had

illegally transferred funds abroad to three entities, including one from a Xiaomi group entity, “in the guise of royalty” payments. Physical violence threats Xiaomi’s Indian court filing revealed the company had alleged its top executives faced “physical violence” threats and coercion by the Enforcement Directorate. The company alleged Indian agents multiple times questioned Xiaomi’s global vice-president Manu Kumar Jain, as well as current chief financial officer Sameer B.S. Rao, and warned them of “dire consequences” if they did not submit statements as desired by the agency.

Other tax probes, China scrutiny Chinese firms have struggled to do business in India since 2020, when a border clash occured between the two nations. India has cited security concerns in banning more than 300 Chinese apps since then, including popular ones such as TikTok, and tightened norms for Chinese firms investing in India. India key market for Xiaomi Xiaomi also sells other tech gadgets, including smart watches and televisions, and has a lot riding on the Indian market. The group is best known for its affordable smartphone price range that has helped it grow rapidly in India. – Reuters

BRIEFS

HONG KONG: Cryptocurrencies extended their sell-off yesterday, with Bitcoin falling to its lowest levels in 16 months as a stampede out of so-called stablecoins sent shockwaves around broader markets. The latest blow to Bitcoin and its smaller rival Ether, which has shed more than half its market value so far this year, came from a meltdown this week in TerraUSD, also one of the world’s biggest cryptocurrencies.

it with another free-floating token. But even reserve-backed stablecoins, which say they have sufficient assets to maintain their pegs, were showing signs of stress yesterday. Major stablecoin Tether slipped below its dollar peg, hitting as low as 98 cents yesterday, according to CoinGecko. USD Coin was trading at around US$1.04 while Binance USD was at US$1.07 – a significant breakout of its usual range. – Reuters

SUBARU TO BUILD ITS FIRST ELECTRIC VEHICLE FACTORY TOKYO: Subaru Corp aims to build a dedicated electric vehicle (EV) factory in Japan in the late 2020s, it said yesterday, as part of a US$1.9 billion (RM8.3 billion) rampup to respond to surging demand for battery cars in its main North American market. It plans to launch a mixedproduction line of gasoline and electric vehicles around 2025 before opening an EVonly production line in the new factory after 2027, it said. The move would be a first for Subaru. Japan’s automakers are accelerating their EV production in an attempt to recover ground lost to Tesla Inc, now the leader in the fastest growing segment of the auto industry. – Reuters

SIEMENS PROFITS DOWN AS IT PLANS RUSSIA EXIT FRANKFURT: German industrial conglomerate Siemens said yesterday its profits were cut nearly in half in the second quarter as the group announced it would wind down its operations in Russia. Sanctions imposed on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine has cut Siemens’ earnings by around €600 million (RM2.8 billion) as the German giant wrote down the value of its business in the region. The group said it had begun the wind down of “all industrial business activities” in Russia. Siemens had already halted its business in Russia at the beginning of March, following the start of the war. – AFP

HAPAG-LLOYD Q1 EARNINGS MORE THAN TRIPLES, EXPECTS STRONG Q2 FRANKFURT: German container shipping group Hapag-Lloyd yesterday reported firstquarter net profit of €4.2 billion (RM19 billion), more than triple the number a year ago and, forecast another strong performance for the second quarter.“ The year has got off to an exceptionally strong start on the whole, and whilst there have been first signs that the market has passed its peak, we also expect a strong second quarter,“ CEO Rolf Habben Jansen said. Jansen also said that currently global supply chains remained under significant pressure, citing the recent measures taken in China in response to Covid-19 outbreaks. Many ports are still congested, which is resulting in longer turnaround times for ships. – Reuters

13 SPORTS

theSUN ON FRIDAY | MAY 13, 2022

SHORTS Nadal advances in Rome, Tsitsipas survives 302

Jobs

WE ARE HIRING ADVERTISING SALES & MARKETING 1)ASSISTANT MANAGER / MANAGER 2)EXECUTIVE / SENIOR EXECUTIVE

Job Description: • Building and sustaining strong working relationships with advertising clients. • Plan and executive new, creative, exciting and innovative marketing campaigns for the company • Develop and continuously improve marketing materials, product/service presentations and proposals. • Passionate in serving client accounts to improve sales revenue

Requirements: • Minimum Diploma/Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, or any other related field. • Assistant Manager/Manager: minimum 5 years of experience in sales and marketing in media industry • Executive/Senior Executive: at least 2 years of sales and marketing experience in media industry • Good communication, presentation, problem solving and organizational skills • Possess own transport and willing to travel • Able to start work immediately.

DIGITAL MARKETING EXECUTIVE / SENIOR EXECUTIVE Job Description: • Design and develop online marketing strategies, digital roadmap and creative campaigns that aligned with the business goals and directions. • Provide creative ideas for content marketing. • Manage all digital marketing channels • Plan and manage social media platforms. • Able to create content & produce graphics for social media postings. • Prepare copywriting for the marketing campaign.

IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF UMW AUTOCORP SDN. BHD. (Company No. 197501002729 (24449-K)) (Incorporated in Malaysia) (In Members’ Voluntary Liquidation)

IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF SPACE (CENTRAL) SDN BHD Company Number: 200801023515 (824838-M) (In member’s voluntary winding-up)

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to Section 459 of the Companies Act, 2016 that a Final Meeting of the Company will be held at Unit 7-03, Wisma Conlay, 1, Jalan USJ 10/1, Taipan Business Centre, 47620 Subang Jaya Selangor Darul Ehsan on 14th day of June, 2022 at 2:30 p.m. for the following purposes:-

At an Extraordinary General Meeting of Space (Central) Sdn Bhd duly convened and held on 06/05/2022, the following resolutions was passed to approve a members’ voluntary winding up of the Company: -

1. To receive the Liquidator’s Statement of Accounts showing the manner in which the winding up has been conducted and to hear any explanations that may be given by the Liquidator.

(ii) That the Liquidator may exercise any powers in accordance with Section 456 and Eleventh Schedule of the Companies Act 2016; and

2. To determine pursuant to Section 518(3)(b) of the Companies Act, 2016 the manner in which the books, accounts and documents of the Company and of the liquidator thereof, may be destroyed. Dated this 13th day of May, 2022 Lam Suk Kham Liquidator

NOTICE OF RESOLUTION

SPECIAL RESOLUTIONS: (i) That the Company be wound up voluntarily by way of a members’ voluntary winding up pursuant to Section 439(1)(b) of the Companies Act 2016;

(iii) That in accordance with the Articles of Association of the Company, the Liquidator be hereby authorised to distribute to the members the whole or any part of the assets of the Company. ORDINARY RESOLUTION: Resolved that in accordance with Section 445(1) of the Companies Act 2016, Mr. Loo Hin Lam of No. 17, Elitis Dahina, Valencia, 47000 Sungai Buloh, Selangor Darul Ehsan, be hereby appointed as the Liquidator for the purposes of such winding up. LOO HIN LAM Liquidator Petaling Jaya Dated this: 13/05/2022

Requirements: • Diploma/Degree in Marketing, Digital Marketing or equivalent. • At least 2 years of experience in implementing digital marketing strategies • Excellent understanding of digital marketing concepts and best practices. • Required Skill(s): Google Adwords, Google Analytics, SEO/SEM, social media marketing and optimization. • Team player • Great interpersonal and communication skills

Office based in Petaling Jaya (5 days a week) Closing date - 31 May 2022

Send in your CV with your photo via email to :

[email protected]

IN THE HIGH COURT OF MALAYA AT KUALA LUMPUR (COMMERCIAL DIVISION) COMPANIES (WINDING-UP) NO. WA-28NCC-279-04/2022 In the matter of Section 465 (1) (e) & Section 466 (1)(a) of the Companies Act, 2016 And In the matter of the Companies (WindingUp) Rules, 1972

In the matter of TAIYO RESORT (KL) SDN. BHD. (COMPANY NO.: 198701005699 (164370-X)) BETWEEN NORIYASU SAKAMOTO (PASSPORT NO.: TZ1103729) ... PETITIONER AND

NOTICE OF RESOLUTION NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT at a Members’ Meeting of Ambrosetti Sdn. Berhad duly convened and held at Unit No. 203, 2nd Floor, Block C, Damansara Intan, No. 1, Jalan SS20/27, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor on 9th May, 2022, the following Special Resolution was duly passed (a) That the Company be placed in members’ voluntary winding up; (b) That Ms. Chua Yoke Bee of Unit No. 203, 2nd Floor, Block C, Damansara Intan, No. 1, Jalan SS20/27, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor be appointed as the Liquidator of the Company for winding-up the Company’s affairs and distributing its assets either in cash or in specie amongst the contributories; and (c) That unless caused by negligence of the Liquidator, the Liquidator be indemnified by the Company against all costs, charges, losses, expenses and liabilities incurred in or sustained by her in the discharge of her duties as Liquidator and in relation thereto. Chow Sea Thong Director Petaling Jaya 13th May, 2022 NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT the creditors of the abovenamed Company which is being wound up voluntarily are required on or before 16th June, 2022 to send in their names and addresses with particulars of their debts or claims and the names and addresses of their solicitors (if any) to Ms. Chua Yoke Bee of Unit No. 203, 2nd Floor, Block C, Damansara Intan, No. 1, Jalan SS20/27, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, the Liquidator of the said Company and, if so required by notice in writing from the said Liquidator, are, by their solicitors or personally, to come in and prove their said debts or claims at such time and place as shall be specified in such notice or in default thereof they will be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made before such debts are proved. Chua Yoke Bee Liquidator Petaling Jaya 13th May, 2022

IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT 2016 AND AIRPELEC CONSULTANTS SDN. BHD. [Reg. No. 199601006827 (379173-D)] (In Members’ Voluntary Liquidation) NOTICE OF FINAL MEETING NOTICE is hereby given pursuant to Section 459(1)&(2) of the Companies Act, 2016 that a Final Meeting of the members of the Company will be held at C-02-16, Pavilion, Jalan Puteri 7/13, Bandar Puteri, 47100 Puchong, Selangor Darul Ehsan on the 13 June 2022 at 11.00 a.m. for the following purposes:1) To receive an account from the Liquidator showing the manner in which the winding up has been conducted, the property of the Company disposed of and to hear any explanation that may be given by the Liquidator. 2) To determine pursuant to Section 518(3)(b) of the Companies Act, 2016 the manner in which the books, accounts and documents of the Company and of the Liquidator hereof, shall be disposed of after the expiration of three (3) months from the date of the final meeting. Martin Ting Kah Yew Liquidator Dated: 13 May 2022

In the Matter of Section 465 (1)(e) and Section 466 (1)(a) of the Companies Act, 2016 And In the Matter of Frontprise Sdn Bhd (Company No.1151713-W)

And

IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF AMBROSETTI SDN. BERHAD [199301020162 (274900-M)] (In Members’ Voluntary Winding Up)

IN THE HIGH COURT OF MALAYA AT KUALA LUMPUR IN THE STATE OF FEDERAL TERRITORY, MALAYSIA (COMMERCIAL DIVISION) COMPANIES (WINDING-UP) NO. : WA28NCC-151-02/2022

TAIYO RESORT (KL) SDN. BHD. (COMPANY NO.: 198701005699 (164370-X)) ... RESPONDENT ADVERTISEMENT OF PETITION NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Petition for the Winding-Up of the TAIYO RESORT (KL) SDN. BHD. (“the Company”) by the High Court was, on 6 April 2022 presented to the said Court by NORIYASU SAKAMOTO (“the Petitioner”). AND that the said Petition is directed to be heard at the High Court, Kuala Lumpur (Insolvency Court, Level 5, Left Wing) on 23rd day of August 2022 at 9.00 o’clock in the morning. AND any creditor or contributory of the Company, desiring to support or oppose the making of an Order on the said Petition, may appear at the time of hearing by himself or his Counsel for that purpose. AND a copy of the Petition will be furnished to any creditor or contributory of the Company requiring the same by the undersigned on payment of the regulated charge for the same. The Petitioner’s address is 300-16-20 OBD Tower, Jalan Desa Utama, Taman Desa, 58100 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur. The Petitioner’s Solicitors is Messrs. Amir Faezal Norzela & Chong at Unit 9-1, 9th Floor, Wisma Bandar, No. 18, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, 50100 Kuala Lumpur. Signed Illegible ……………………………… Messrs Amir Faezal Norzela & Chong Solicitors for the Petitioner Note:Any person who intends to appear on the hearing of the said Petition must serve on, or send by post to, the abovenamed Messrs. Amir Faezal Norzela & Chong, notice in writing of his intention to do so. The Notice must state the name and address of the person, or, if a firm, the name and address of the firm, and must be signed by the person or firm, or his or their solicitors, if any. The notice must be served, or if posted, must be sent by post in sufficient time, to reach the abovenamed not later than 12.00 p.m. of 22nd day of August 2022. This Advertisement of Petition is issued by Messrs Amir Faezal Norzela & Chong, Advocates & Solicitors, solicitors for the Petitioner, whose address of service is at Unit 9-1, 9th Floor, Wisma Bandar, No. 18, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, 50100 Kuala Lumpur. Tel No: 03-2692 2387 Email : [email protected] Ruj: AFN/L/39/21

And In the Matter of Companies (Winding-Up) Rules 1972 BETWEEN

PERISYTIHARAN JUALAN PERINTAH JUALAN ATAS PERMINTAAN PEMEGANG GADAIAN 0703AUC2021000007 Dalam menjalankan Perkara Seksyen 263 Kanun Tanah Negara, 1965 DI ANTARA RHB ISLAMIC BANK BERHAD (No. Syarikat: 680329-V) .....PEMEGANG GADAIAN DAN YAW KIEN SIONG (NO. K/P : 770804-10-5483) .....PENGGADAI Menurut Perintah Pentadbir Tanah Seberang Perai Selatan bertarikh 25 April 2022 adalah diisytiharkan bahawa Pentadbir Tanah Seberang Perai Selatan dengan dibantu oleh Pelelong Berlesen akan menjual secara :LELONGAN AWAM PADA HARI RABU, 25 MEI 2022 JAM 10.00 PAGI DI PERKARANGAN PEJABAT DAERAH DAN TANAH SEBERANG PERAI SELATAN NOTA : Bakal-bakal pembeli adalah dinasihatkan agar membuat carian hakmilik secara rasmi di Pejabat Tanah dan memeriksa hartanah tersebut sebelum jualan lelong. BUTIR-BUTIR HAKMILIK NO HAKMILIK : GM 2260; NO LOT : Lot 8995; MUKIM / DAERAH / NEGERI : Mukim 14 / Seberang Perai Selatan / Pulau Pinang; PEGANGAN : Selama-lamanya; KELUASAN TANAH : 130 meter persegi (1,399 kaki persegi); CUKAI TAHUNAN : RM 40.00; KATEGORI KEGUNAAN TANAH : Tiada; PEMILIK BERDAFTAR : YAW KIEN SIONG(NO. K/P : 770804-10-5483) – 1/1 bahagian; SYARAT-SYARAT NYATA : (FIRST GRADE); SEKATAN KEPENTINGAN : Tiada; BEBANAN : Digadaikan kepada RHB ISLAMIC BAN BERHAD (No. Syarikat: 680329-V)melalui Perseraha No. 0703SC2019000230, didaftarkan pada 20 Februari 2019.; KAVEAT : Kaveat Persendirian atas Tanah dimasukkan oleh RHB ISLAMIC BANK BERHAD (No. Syarikat: 680329-V) melalui Perserahan No. 0703B2018000579, didaftarkan pada 30 Ogos 2018. LOKASI DAN PERIHAL HARTANAH Hartanah tersebut adalah sebuah rumah teres tiga (3) tingkat (lot tengah) yang telah diubahsuai. Hartanah terletak di alamat No. 2A, Lorong Seri Murai 3, Taman Seri Murai, 14100 Simpang Ampat, Pulau Pinang. Keluasan kasar lantai adalah seluas 325.35 meter persegi (3502 kaki persegi). Hartanah tersebut mempunyai tiga (3) bilik tidur dan tiga (3) bilik mandi. HARGA RIZAB Hartanah tersebut akan dijual tertakluk kepada satu harga rizab sebanyak RM 541,500.00 (Ringgit Malaysia : LIMA RATUS EMPAT PULUH SATU RIBU LIMA RATUS SAHAJA) dan kepada syarat-syarat jualan yang dicetak di perisytiharan jualan. Bagi penawar-penawar yang berminat adalah dikehendaki mendepositkan 10% daripada harga rizab dalam bentuk Deraf Bank / Banker’s Cheque diatas nama RHB ISLAMIC BANK BERHAD sebelum jam 10.00 pagi pada hari lelongan awam dan baki wang belian hendaklah dibayar oleh pembeli dalam tempoh satu ratus dua puluh(120) hari dari tarikh jualan kepada RHB ISLAMIC BANK BERHAD. Untuk butir-butir selanjutnya, sila berhubung dengan Pentadbir Tanah di Pejabat Daerah & Tanah Seberang Perai Selatan, Sungai Jawi, 14200 Pulau Pinang. No. Tel: 04-5857845, No. Fax: 04-5821003 atau kepada TETUAN GIBB & CO, Peguambela dan Peguamcara bagi pihak Pemegang Gadaian di alamat Suite 7A & 7B, 7th Floor, Wisma MTT, 26 Weld Quay, 10300 Penang. Tel : 04-2611877 Fax : 04-2616877 (Ruj: GCKL/RHBISL(SME)/P5045/2020(LO-SPS)/sh) atau kepada pelelong yang tersebut dibawah: MF PROJECT MANAGEMENT, ABDUL GHAFAR BIN MOHD NOOR TEL : 04-5755897 FAX: 04-5755897 PELELONG BERLESEN E-MAIL : [email protected] 019-3331469

TLH TIMBER SDN. BHD. (503478-H) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding-Up) (Incorporated in Malaysia)

SZU KEANG TRADING SDN. BHD. (85870-V) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding-Up) (Incorporated in Malaysia)

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT the Final General Meeting of the Company will be held at the office of the Liquidator, Suite D23, 2nd Floor, Plaza Pekeliling, No. 2 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur on Monday, 13th day of June 2022 at 11.00 a.m. for the following purposes:-

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT the Final General Meeting of the Company will be held at the office of the Liquidator, Suite D24, 2nd Floor, Plaza Pekeliling, No. 2 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur on Monday, 13th day of June 2022 at 3.00 p.m. for the following purposes:-

(1) To receive accounts from the Liquidator showing how the winding-up has been conducted and to receive any explanations thereon.

(1) To receive accounts from the Liquidator showing how the winding-up has been conducted and to receive any explanations thereon.

(2) To resolve under Section 518 of the Companies Act 2016 that after the expiration of three months from the date of the Final Meeting, the books and papers of the company may be destroyed.

(2) To resolve under Section 518 of the Companies Act 2016 that after the expiration of three months from the date of the Final Meeting, the books and papers of the company may be destroyed.

13th May 2022 Kuala Lumpur

13th May 2022 Kuala Lumpur

Yap Siew Cheng Liquidator

Lim E @ Lim Hoon Nam Liquidator

HEROSS SDN BHD (Company No.:155135-X) … PETITIONER AND FRONTPRISE SDN BHD (Company No.:1151713-W) … RESPONDENT ADVERTISEMENT OF PETITION NOTICE is hereby given that a Petition for the winding-up of the abovenamed Company by the High Court at Kuala Lumpur was, on the 21st February 2022 presented to the said Court by HEROSS SDN BHD of No. 17, Jalan Daya 11, Taman Daya, 52100 Kepong, Selangor Darul Ehsan. And that the said Petition is directed to be heard before the Court sitting at the High Court, Kuala Lumpur at 9.00 o’clock in the forenoon on the 29th June 2022; and any creditor or contributory of the said Company desiring to support or oppose the making of an Order on the said Petition may appear at the time of hearing by himself for his Counsel for that purpose; and a copy of the Petition will be furnished to any creditor or contributory of the said Company requiring the same by the undersigned on payment of the regulated charge for the same. The Petitioner’s address is at No. 17, Jalan Daya 11, Taman Daya, 52100 Kepong, Selangor Darul Ehsan. The Petitioner’s Solicitors is Messrs Gan & Zul of Level 30, Tower B, Vertical Business Suite, Avenue 3, Bangsar South, No. 8, Jalan Kerinchi, 59200 Kuala Lumpur. Dated this 10th May 2022. t.t. …………………………… Messrs Gan & Zul, Solicitors for the Petitioner abovenamed NOTE: Any person who intends to appear on the hearing of the said Petition must serve on or send by post to the abovenamed Messrs Gan & Zul of Level 30, Tower B, Vertical Business Suite, Avenue 3, Bangsar South, No. 8, Jalan Kerinchi, 59200 Kuala Lumpur, a Notice in writing of his intention so to do. The Notice must state the name and address of the person, or if a firm, the name and address of the firm, and must be signed by the person or firm or his or their Solicitors (if any) and must be served, or if posted, must be sent by post in sufficient time to reach the abovenamed not later than twelve o’clock noon on 28th June 2022. [REF: LIT.BL.213.21.W]

IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 and IN THE MATTER OF MORNING STAR PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SDN BHD (In Liquidation) (937047-W) (MEMBERS’ VOLUNTARY WINDING-UP)

B & W BEAUTY ASIA SDN. BHD. (1181347-D) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding-Up) (Incorporated in Malaysia)

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the creditors of the abovenamed Company which is being wound up voluntarily are required on or before 13 June 2022 to send in their names and addresses with particulars of their debts and claims and the names and addresses of their solicitors (if any) to the undersigned, No.9-2, Jalan Semenyih Sentral 8, Semenyih Sentral, 43500 Semenyih, Selangor, the liquidator of the abovenamed Company and, if so required by notice in writing from the said liquidator or by their solicitor or personally to come in and prove their said debts and claims at such time and place as shall be specified in such notice, or in default thereof they will be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made before such debts are proven. Dated this 12 MAY 2022

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT the Final General Meeting of the Company will be held at the office of the Liquidator, Suite D23, 2nd Floor, Plaza Pekeliling, No. 2 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur on Monday, 13th day of June 2022 at 2.00 p.m. for the following purposes:-

SIGNED YONG SWEE LIN Liquidator IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 and IN THE MATTER OF MORNING STAR PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SDN BHD (In Liquidation) (937047-W) (MEMBERS’ VOLUNTARY WINDING-UP)

(1) To receive accounts from the Liquidator showing how the winding-up has been conducted and to receive any explanations thereon. (2) To resolve under Section 518 of the Companies Act 2016 that after the expiration of three months from the date of the Final Meeting, the books and papers of the company may be destroyed.

At an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Members of MORNING STAR PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SDN BHD, duly convened and held at the registered office, 9-2A, Jalan Semenyih Sentral 8, Semenyih Sentral, 43500 Semenyih, Selangor on the 9 May 2022 the Special Resolution set out below was duly passed. THAT the company be wound up voluntarily by way of Members’ Voluntary Winding Up pursuant to Section 439((1)(b) of the Companies Act, 2016 and that Mr Yong Swee Lin be appointed Liquidator for the purpose of the winding up. Dated 9 MAY 2022

13th May 2022 Kuala Lumpur

SIGNED CHEAH LYE CHOON Director

Yap Siew Cheng Liquidator

DEFENDING champion Rafa Nadal began his Italian Open campaign with an emphatic 6-3, 6-1 victory over bigserving American John Isner to move into the last-16 yesterday while Stefanos Tsitsipas saved two match points to advance. Nadal dominated Isner who struggled to find answers once the Spaniard, seeking his 11th title at Rome’s Foro Italico, hit his stride. “The beginning of the match was not good for me and even he had some chances on the return to break. I was in his hands at that moment,” Nadal said in a post-match interview. “Lucky that he missed those couple of shots. Then I was able to break and then the match changed.” Tsitsipas scraped past Grigor Dimitrov with a 6-3, 5-7, 7-6(4) win but he was made to toil after the Bulgarian suddenly found his groove in the second set. Dimitrov broke to love when Tsitsipas was serving for the match and won four straight games to take it to a third set. Dimitrov earned match points at 5-4 and 6-5 in the decider but the Greek fourth seed saved both and forced a tiebreak, where he raced to a 5-0 lead before sealing his progress. “Incredible fight, I’m extremely happy I was able to overcome this obstacle,” Tsitsipas said.

... as Swiatek eases into last-16, Pliskova ousted CHAMPION Iga Swiatek breezed past Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse with a 63, 6-0 victory to move into the Italian Open last-16 while Switzerland’s Jil Teichmann ended Karolina Pliskova’s run of reaching three successive Rome finals with 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 win yesterday. World No. 1 Swiatek extended her winning run to 24 matches after converting seven break points to wrap up the match in just 68 minutes. “I’m pretty proud I could get into the rhythm today, just take some lessons during the match and improve my game, game by game. That was pretty solid match for me,” Swiatek told reporters. The top seed next faces former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka, who cruised past Colombia’s Camila Osorio 6-2, 6-4. Pliskova has enjoyed considerable success at the tournament, winning the title in 2019, before finishing runner-up to Simona Halep and Swiatek over the past two years. But her 2022 run ended prematurely after she failed to come to grips with Teichmann’s power and guile. Tunisian Ons Jabeur, who became the first African player to win a WTA 1000 title in Madrid over the weekend, also moved to the next round after beating Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic 7-5, 6-2.

Marsh keeps Delhi’s IPL hopes alive AUSTRALIA’S Mitchell Marsh smashed 89 after striking twice with the ball as Delhi Capitals stayed in the IPL playoff hunt with an emphatic eight-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals yesterday. Chasing a tricky 161 for victory, a 144run second-wicket partnership between David Warner (52 not out) and Marsh helped Delhi achieve their target with 11 balls to spare in Mumbai. Earlier Marsh took the key wickets of Yashasvi Jaiswal, for 19, and Delhi topscorer Ravichandran Ashwin, for 50, with his medium-pace to help restrict Rajasthan to 160 for six. The Rishabh Pant-led Delhi, still searching for their maiden Indian Premier League title, are fifth in the table, two points behind Royal Challengers Bangalore with two matches remaining. “It was close to a perfect game as I believe there is always space for improvement,” said Pant. On the team’s chances of making the final four, the wicketkeeper said: “Destiny is always on your hands, you can look to give 100%.”

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Simeone’s Atleti seal Champions League qualification ATLETICO MADRID secured qualification for the Champions League yesterday as a 2-0 victory away at Elche guaranteed their place in La Liga’s top four. Matheus Cunha and Rodrigo De Paul were both on target as Atletico pulled six points clear of Real Betis in fifth, with two games left to play. Atletico also have the superior head-to-head record over Betis. Sevilla, though, failed to make sure of their topfour spot as the team’s poor end to the season had earlier continued with a goalless draw at home to

SHORTS Ko seeks third straight title WORLD NO. 1 Ko Jin-young of South Korea chases her third consecutive Founders Cup title on a third different course this week at Upper Montclair Country Club. Ko won her 13th career LPGA Tour crown and sixth in 10 starts in March in Singapore. She comes to the layout in Clifton, New Jersey, off a runner-up effort two weeks ago at Palos Verdes, California. “I practiced just two days in off week, so when I got here, I forgot how to play golf,” Ko said yetserday. “It feels weird. “I have lots of tournaments this year, so I need to rest before the big (ones) coming up, but I need to practice. I didn’t because it was really hot in Dallas, so I didn’t want to get the clubs on the range.” Ko dismisses expectations given her ranking and past success. “I don’t care if the other people think Jin-young is going to be winning or if they’re expecting one more win for this week,” Ko said. “I just care about myself, how to play this golf course.”

Changing of the guard at Mercedes GEORGE RUSSELL outperforming Lewis Hamilton in Formula 1 in 2022 represents a “changing of the guard” at Mercedes according to former world champion Jacques Villeneuve. The seven-time world champion has endured a tough start to the year, trailing championship leader Charles Leclerc by 68 points and languishing back in sixth place. Russell has also experienced a testing start to life at Mercedes, but the 24-year-old is 23 points clear of his teammate in the standings. But despite both struggling due to the heavily porpoising W13 car produced by the Silver Arrows, Villeneuve, who won the 1997 championship with Williams, has been impressed by Russell and his ability to “ride the wave”. Villeneuve added that in comparison Hamilton is merely “trying not to drown”. “I think we have seen the final changing of the guard at Mercedes,” he said in his column for Formule1.nl. “George Russell is riding the wave, Lewis Hamilton is trying not to drown. After many years of winning without competition, it’s hard to wake up and realise it’s not that easy. “He now has to drive like he did in his first two years in Formula 1, which is what Russell is doing now.”

struggling Mallorca. Atletico look likely now to finish third and although the defence of their league title has been hugely disappointing – they are 14 points behind Real Madrid – Diego Simeone’s side have at least avoided missing out on the Champions League, which for a while seemed a very real possibility. “I’m happy for the players,” said Simeone. “It’s been an up and down season, with a Champions League when we competed very well and a La Liga where we haven’t been able to maintain our

consistency. “It’s not what we imagined but we have achieved the objective – the Champions League for another year, which is very important for the club.” Yesterday’s win marked Simeone’s 400th La Liga match in charge of the Madrid club. “It’s an important moment because if it weren’t for all the players who have passed through the club it would be impossible,” he said post-match. “I am grateful and lucky because the club has always supported me. The back and forth is there,

Ivan the toast of Milan I Inter clinch Coppa Italia to ensure Juve finish season trophyless

NTER MILAN won the Coppa Italia after an extratime double from Croatian forward Ivan Perisic earned his side a 4-2 victory over Juventus in yesterday’s final, ensuring Massimiliano Allegri’s team will finish the season trophyless. Inter, who are still in the running to retain their Serie A title this term, started on the front foot, racing into the lead after six minutes in the Stadio Olimpico as Nicolo Barella arrowed a stunning strike into the top corner. Juventus responded well with Serbian striker Dusan Vlahovic denied by a superb save from Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic in a pulsating first half, before defender Alex Sandro levelled five minutes after the break. Vlahovic then completed the

turnaround less than two minutes later to spark wild scenes of celebration among Juve’s players, but Hakan Calhanoglu’s expertly-converted penalty took the match to extra time. Perisic then took centre stage, firing his side in front once more with another penalty, again emphatically converted, before making sure of a first Coppa Italia triumph since 2011 for Inter with a powerful finish into the top corner. Allegri, who was sent to the stands for protesting against a decision late on, will become the first Juventus manager since 2011 to finish a season without having won a single trophy, with Juve fourth in Serie A and out of title contention. “ W e

just have to congratulate Inter for winning,” Allegri told Sport Mediaset. “We do not win a single trophy this season, we have to retain that anger for next season, when we must get back to winning. “It was a good performance, but we fell away towards the end, there were players who were not fully fit and did all they could. “It’s disappointing, but we can only thank them for their efforts. We learn from these experiences. “It’s a pity, because we didn’t get the win against Inter in Serie A and did not take our revenge this evening either. Incidents can go against you some days, in favour the others.” Things are looking rosier for Simone Inzaghi in his first

season as Inter boss, with two trophies under his belt now after adding the Coppa Italia to his side’s Supercoppa triumph this term. The Serie A title, where AC Milan have a two-point lead over their rivals with two games to play, is the next target. “This team never gives up,” he said. “If I ever needed a response, I got nothing but responses from this side from July to today, it’s been one long whirlwind of emotions. “Now we have two more Serie A matches to play and we want to end the season as well as possible. “It is also only fair we enjoy these moments, it had been a decade since we won the Coppa Italia or the Supercoppa, so I am happy for the club, these amazing players and the fans who stuck by us from start to finish.” – Reuters

Ivan Perisic (2nd right) celebrates scoring Inter Milan’s fourth goal with teammates during the Italian Cup final against Juventus at Stadio Olimpico in Rome yesterday. – REUTERSPIX

We’ve got your back, says Norman GREG NORMAN has pledged to “defend, reimburse and represent” any players facing sanctions by participating in the LIV Golf Invitational Series after being denied permission to do so by the PGA Tour. Phil Mickelson and Lee Westwood are among the professionals to have asked for the required release to play the first 54-hole event at Centurion Club, which boasts a total prize fund of US$25m (RM110m). However, PGA Tour members were informed on Wednesday that releases will not be granted, leaving them open to possible bans or fines if they do tee it up in St Albans, England, from June 9-11. Asked at a LIV Golf media event at Centurion if his legal team had injunctions in place to protect players in the face of any bans, including potentially from major championships, Norman – who is the CEO of LIV Golf – said: “Yes. “We are going to back up the players, we are going to be there for them, for whatever that is. We’re ready to go. We don’t want to go, but we’re ready to go. “I’ve said to the players, ‘we’ve got your back. Simple as that’. We will defend, we will reimburse and we will represent.”

but I thank all the players that were here over this time and allowed me to have this possibility.” In December, Atletico lost four league games in a row for the first time ever under Simeone, before defeat by Levante, who sat bottom of the table, prompted crisis talks between coach and players in February. But five consecutive victories in March proved crucial and while there has been another dip in recent weeks, Atletico have done just enough to seal Champions League qualification for a 10th consecutive year. – AFP

Scheffler enjoying home comforts ahead of major battle SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER will make his first individual start since his major breakthrough at the Masters and, after a whirlwind month, the Texan said yesterday he is excited that he can enjoy the comforts of home while competing in the AT&T Byron Nelson. Scheffler, whose only start since his threeshot victory at the Masters came in the Zurich Classic team event, feels the chance to sleep in his own bed could even give him a bit of an

edge in the final tune-up ahead of next week’s PGA Championship. “I would say rest is something I didn’t value as much as I do now,” Scheffler, 25, told reporters at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas. “Having some events close to home and especially one where can I stay in my own bed is such an advantage, I don’t really feel like I’m traveling and playing this week. It’s good to be at home.”

The Dallas native is the tournament favourite at TPC Craig Ranch where he will attempt to win for the fifth time in an eightstart stretch. While Scheffler would love to add title to his collection this week he will for sure be doing all he can ensure his game is where it needs to be next week when the year’s second major is contested at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma. – Reuters

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@thesundaily EPL FIXTURES & PREVIEWS MATCH-BY-MATCH facts and stats ahead of the 37th round of the English Premier League (all in Malaysian time, 9pm unless stated):

SUNDAY Tottenham vs Burnley (7pm) Tottenham have won nine of the 15 matches the two teams have played in the Premier League, while Burnley have three victories. The Clarets have won only two games away from home this season but have won three of their last five games in the League after caretaker manager Mike Jackson took over from Sean Dyche. Wolves vs Norwich The reverse fixture ended with a 0-0 draw at Carrow Road. Relegated Norwich have beaten Wolves only once in the Premier League (D2 L2). The last time the teams met at Molineux in the League, Wolves won 3-0 in 2020. West Ham vs Man City West Ham knocked City out of the League Cup in the fourth round earlier this season after a penalty shootout. The Hammers have lost four of their last five games (W1) in all competitions and have not had a League victory against the Cityzens since September 2015, when they won 2-1.

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Toffees’ survival in the balance

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RANK LAMPARD is happy Everton’s Premier League future remains in their own hands after they moved another point clear of the bottom three with a lacklustre goalless draw at already-relegated Watford. The Toffees went into the match having lifted themselves out of the relegation zone and up to 16th – one point ahead of Burnley and Leeds – following a run of 10 points from five matches. But Everton struggled despite coming up against a depleted Watford side who made seven changes to the starting line-up from their 1-0 defeat at Crystal Palace on Saturday. Lampard said he was still “relatively happy” with the result, and added: “I wouldn’t say I’m frustrated… I think if you can’t win, you don’t lose, and we were more than secure in the game. “We created a lot but probably for us, we didn’t have much in the final third and the final ball as we normally do. “We didn’t have that cutting edge about our game in forward areas, so from that we didn’t get enough clinical clear-cut chances to win the game. “It’s not easy, it’s the Premier League. People thought it was going to be a given for us. “Fresh players in their team, nothing to lose, that can create quite a difficult thing, so I’m relatively happy with the point and we’ll

… but Lampard glad future in Everton’s hands move on.” Everton could secure Premier League safety at the weekend if Leeds lose and they beat Brentford on Sunday – a situation Lampard believes is in their favour. “I think the pressure is big anyway,” he added. “If you ask me, I’d much rather be the team that’s got it in your hands and a point or two more on the board and maybe a game more than someone as well, so I think that probably in that situation that’s what you want, but the pressure is huge anyway. “For all the talk about pressure, more or less, it’s only actions at this point. It’s how we act and how we perform in these games.” Watford manager Roy Hodgson believes his injury-hit side deserved a point after securing a first clean sheet at Vicarage Road Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy (left) in action with Norwich City’s Grant Hanley during the English Premier League match at King Power Stadium yesterday. – REUTERSPIX

Watford vs Leicester Watford manager Roy Hodgson will lead his team for the last time at home before leaving the club at the end of the season. The Foxes have not won any of their last five games away in the league (D2 L3) while the Hornets lost 4-2 against Leicester in their last League encounter. Leeds vs Brighton Leeds, who are in danger of relegation, have never beaten Brighton in the Premier League. The Seagulls have more wins away from home (seven to four) this season and have scored nine goals in their last three League games. Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace Villa, 11th, are looking to finish in the top half for the first time since 2011 while Palace, 10th, are looking to beat their previous best Premier League finish (10th in 2014-15). The Villans and Palace have played each other 19 times in the Premier League, with both teams winning seven matches each. Everton vs Brentford (11.30pm) Everton, who are trying to avoid relegation for the first time since 1951, are unbeaten at home in their last four games (W3 D1). Brentford were unbeaten in April and have won four of their last six games. No player has made more chances for Brentford per game than Christian Eriksen, who joined the club in January.

TUESDAY Newcastle vs Arsenal (3am) Newcastle have beaten Arsenal only 10 times in 53 Premier League meetings, with Arsenal winning 33 times. The Magpies were on a sixmatch winning streak at home in the League before losing 1-0 to Liverpool. The Gunners beat Newcastle 2-0 at home in the reverse fixture.

WEDNESDAY Southampton vs Liverpool (2.45am) Southampton have won only one of their last 10 League games. (D2 L7) while Liverpool have not lost a League match in 2022 (W14 D3), with their last defeat coming against Leicester on Dec. 28. Reuters

Rodgers hails Vardy after double strike downs Canaries █

NICK MASHITER

BRENDAN RODGERS saluted Jamie Vardy after his brace saw Leicester stroll past Norwich. The striker’s double ended the Foxes’ sevengame winless run and lifted them to 10th in the Premier League with a 3-0 win. James Maddison also netted against his rock-bottom former club with the hosts easing to victory in the second half. Vardy has battled knee and hamstring injuries this year – only starting 17 top-flight games this season – but has still managed 14 goals in all competitions. “It’s been a tough season for him, for players it’s about rhythm and playing,” Rodgers said. “He is such a brilliant guy, so hungry and he showed that this evening. Two really good goals and he was a real threat. “I kept him on to see if he can get his hattrick. He’s older now so every minute counts. He gave everything. “He was tireless, chasing lost causes, getting blocks. The ball didn’t quite fall for him sometimes but he was outstanding and the

second goal was fantastic. “We were much better in the second half, the first half was too passive and we weren’t aggressive enough. “We needed to change the structure of the team and the midfield and from the first roll of the ball in the second half we were very good. “I said to the players, we don’t want to go out with a whimper this season, it felt a bit flat at the weekend. “We had a good chat and we want to finish in the top 10 and put a marker down for next season.” The Canaries managed to create chances but Kasper Schmeichel denied Tony Springett and Teemu Pukki early on. “It was a better performance but a similar result,” said Norwich boss Dean Smith after their 25th League defeat of the season. “They started better than we did but we grew into the game. We found it difficult to live with the tempo in the second half. “The first goal changes our mindset and from then we had to suffer. It became a damage limitation exercise.” – The Independent

in the Premier League this season. “I don’t know that I expected to see anything other than an honest performance really, but I think the players could have been forgiven if they weren’t able to produce that performance,” the Hornets boss said. “But I thought the honesty today, the integrity, the work ethic, so many players who have hardly played a game during my time at the club, so many so-called important players for the club not available on this occasion and playing against a team who have an awful lot to play for and really with a knife at their throat in terms of needing points to avoid relegation. “I thought we dealt with that aspect extremely well and I felt we can come away with saying that we deserved our point today.” – The Independent

RESULTS & STANDINGS ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: Leeds 0 Chelsea 3 (Mount 4, Pulisic 55, Lukaku 83), Leicester 3 (Vardy 54, 62, Maddison 70) Norwich 0, Watford 0 Everton 0, Wolves 1 (Dendoncker 11) Manchester City 5 (De Bruyne 7, 16, 24, 60, Sterling 84). P W D L F A Pts Man City 36 28 5 3 94 22 89 Liverpool 36 26 8 2 89 24 86 Chelsea 36 20 10 6 73 31 70 Arsenal 35 21 3 11 56 42 66 Tottenham 35 19 5 11 60 40 62 Man Utd 37 16 10 11 57 56 58 West Ham 36 16 7 13 57 46 55 Wolves 36 15 5 16 36 39 50 Brighton 36 11 14 11 38 42 47 Leicester 35 12 9 14 52 56 45 Crystal Palace 35 10 14 11 46 42 44 Aston Villa 35 13 4 18 48 49 43 Brentford 36 12 7 17 44 52 43 Newcastle 36 11 10 15 40 61 43 Southampton 36 9 13 14 41 61 40 Everton 35 10 6 19 37 56 36 Burnley 35 7 13 15 32 49 34 Leeds 36 8 10 18 39 77 34 Watford 36 6 5 25 32 70 23 Norwich 36 5 6 25 22 78 21 LA LIGA: Osasuna 1 (Oier 9) Getafe 1 (Torro 20-og), Alaves 2 (De la Fuente 7, Escalante 59) Espanyol 1 (De Tomas 14pen), Sevilla 0 Mallorca 0, Elche 0 Atletico Madrid 2 (Cunha 28, De Paul 62). TOP 6 P W D L F A PTS Real Madrid 35 25 6 4 73 30 81 Barcelona 36 21 9 6 68 36 72 A. Madrid 36 20 7 9 62 41 67 Sevilla 36 17 15 4 51 29 66 Real Betis 36 18 7 11 60 40 61 Real Sociedad 35 15 11 9 34 34 56 FRENCH LIGUE 1: Nice 4 SaintEtienne 2, Nantes 2 Rennes 1. TOP 5 P W D L F A Paris SG 36 24 8 4 81 36 Marseille 35 20 8 8 59 36 Monaco 36 19 8 9 59 36 Nice 36 19 7 10 48 31 Rennes 36 19 5 12 78 38 CHAMPIONS

PTS 80 68 65 63 62

RELEGATED

Ten Hag to seal blockbuster reunion with Barca midfielder De Jong MANCHESTER UNITED are reportedly close to agreeing a huge deal with Barcelona to sign Frenkie de Jong ahead of the summer transfer window. United have just one game left of what has been a woeful season after promising so much in last year’s summer transfer window. United appeared to be heading in the right

direction under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and the signings of Raphael Varane, Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho were tipped to help their chances in challenging for silverware. But a disastrous start to the campaign saw Solskjaer booted out and things haven’t improved under Ralf Rangnick’s temporary stewardship. With Erik ten Hag now confirmed as the club’s next

permanent manager, plans are already being made for an overhaul at the club this summer. Signing a top-rated central midfielder has been earmarked as a top target by United officials. And it appears as though former Ajax star De Jong is the man they want to bring in. According to transfer expert Gerard Romero, United are on the verge of an agreement with

Barcelona to sign the midfielder. Barcelona reportedly need to sell and De Jong is not part of Xavi’s long-term plans at the Nou Camp. It is claimed the deal could be worth in the region of £69 million (RM386m) and there is a “95% probability” of him moving to Old Trafford. There is still some doubt a deal could go ahead however if De Jong decides he wants to stay at Barcelona.

QUOTE OF THE DAY I wouldn’t say I’m frustrated… I think if you can’t win, you don’t lose, and we were more than secure in the game. …It’s not easy, it’s the Premier League. People thought it was going to be a given for us.” Everton manager Frank Lampard

FRIDAY • MAY 13, 2022

Blues in right frame of mind for Liverpool clash: Tuchel

FA Cup Final 2022 CHELSEA v LIVERPOOL Saturday May 14, Wembley Stadium, London Coach Thomas Tuchel (below) Club captain César Azpilicueta FA Cup best 8-time winner Top FA Cup goalscorer Romelu Lukaku (3)

ROAD TO FINAL

HEAD-TO-HEAD (All-time meetings) Chelsea

Liverpool

65 83 D43

RECENT MEETINGS 2022 Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool 2022 Chelsea 2-2 Liverpool 2021 Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea

Coach Jürgen Klopp (below) Club captain Jordan Henderson FA Cup best 7-time winner Top FA Cup goalscorer Takumi Minamino (3) Pens 10-11

Third round Chesterfield 5-1 (h)

Third round Shrewsbury Town 4-1 (h)

Fourth round Plymouth 2-1 (h)

Fourth round Cardiff City 3-1 (h)

Fifth round Luton Town 3-2 (a)

Fifth round Norwich City 2-1 (h)

Sixth round Middlesbrough 2-0 (a)

Sixth round Notts. Forest 1-0 (a)

Semi-final Crystal Palace 2-0 (neutral)

Semi-final Man City 3-2 (neutral)

THOMAS TUCHEL feels his Chelsea side have a “clear mindset” going into the FA Cup final against Liverpool after a convincing win over Leeds. The Blues came into the game against Leeds in need of a win to pick up some form ahead of the trip to Wembley tomorrow. Saturday’s draw against Wolves meant Chelsea had won just one of their previous five League matches. But they were back to top form against relegation-threatened Leeds with Mason Mount the star of the show. The England international scored early with a brilliant curling finish from the edge of the box before providing the assist for Christian Pulisic after the break. Romelu Lukaku rounded things off with his third goal in two games to further secure their top-three status. Focus now quickly turns to tomorrow with Chelsea travelling to Wembley for the FA Cup final against Liverpool (11.30pm Malaysian time). Tuchel’s side will be looking for revenge after their dramatic penalty shoot-out defeat to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final. And the German coach admits his side are in a good place with the FA Cup final just days away. “We needed a performance like that. We deserved to win,” Tuchel said. “That’s the best message. “We were excellent right from the start and kept our focus and high intensity. “We cleared the air after the late equaliser against Wolves. We knew what was waiting. We had a lot of reason to trust ourselves. The players delivered. Full credit to them. “We arrive (to the FA Cup final) with a clear mindset because we did what we needed to do this week. Good news.” There was worrying signs midway through the first half when Mateo Kovacic went down clutching his ankle after a horror tackle from Dan James. The Leeds winger was quickly sent off by referee Anthony

Taylor with Kovacic initially coming back on to continue. But he was back down on the pitch minutes later asking for medical attention before hobbling off. And Tuchel has stated that he doesn’t hold out much hope the Croatian will be fit in time to face Liverpool. “He has a swollen ankle and is in a lot of pain,” Tuchel said. “For me, like I say, I’m not a doctor and we need to wait for the examinations, but it’s very unlikely that he can play. “It’s absolutely bad news for us on our perfect evening. If he misses it I’m very disappointed because he was a clear starter.” James is the second Leeds player to be shown a straight red card for a rash challenge in as many matches following teammate Luke Ayling’s dismissal in Sunday’s defeat at Arsenal. “I did not see the challenge live, I was focused on something else,” Tuchel said. “I saw it from a distance on the iPad and I’m not good at looking at these situations because it hurts me physically to watch it.” Leeds’ third straight defeat left them in the bottom three, level on points with Burnley who have a game in hand, and have two games left – at home against Brighton and at Brentford on the final day – to salvage a calamitous season. Boss Jesse Marsch said James “felt terrible” about his costly 24th-minute dismissal, but refused to point the finger at his player. “One thing is for sure, I’m not going to sit here and blame anyone,” the American said. “We have to be aggressive against the ball. We have to try to win balls and sometimes now we’ve been a little too aggressive in certain situations and that has cost us. “I think the situation with the table has something to do with it, has everything to do with our situation right now. “We want to be aggressive, but certainly not cross the line.” – Express Newspapers/The Independent

Star of the show De Bruyne left wanting more City goals despite netting four against Wolves

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ANDY HAMPSON

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EVIN DE BRUYNE hailed a special night but felt he should have scored five after netting four times in Manchester City’s thrashing of Wolves. De Bruyne was the star of the show as City ran out 5-1 winners at Molineux to restore a threepoint lead at the top of the Premier League. With just two games to play and a goal difference plus seven better than second-placed Liverpool, City are closing in on a fourth title in five seasons. De Bruyne began the rout after just seven minutes, completed a left-footed hattrick inside 24 and then added a fourth on the hour. He went close to a competition recordequalling fifth when he hit the post in the closing moments. The Belgian told Sky Sports: “It was pretty nice. When you score four goals it is always something special. It should have been five to be honest but I think we played well. “We could have scored even more and to do

that against a Wolves team who are defensively sound was really impressive.” De Bruyne’s stunning performance came just a day after City announced they had agreed a deal to bolster their attack with the prolific Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland next season. De Bruyne appeared to offer a nod towards the club’s stunning capture by celebrating his third goal with arms outstretched in the manner of Haaland, but he insisted that was just coincidence. “I did a couple of interviews and they said (it was like) Haaland, but I didn’t even know,” he said. “I just did it because I scored three and that never happens.” After thrashing Newcastle 5-0 at the weekend, City have scored 10 goals since their heartbreaking Champions League semifinal loss at Real Madrid. “The feeling is still not nice, but you need to move on. We try to now win the title and whatever happened unfortunately happened and you have to move on,” De Bruyne said.

Raheem Sterling added City’s fifth goal late on and Phil Foden also hit the post in a dominant display. Manager Pep Guardiola said: “I’m so pleased for the performance and the result and the goals. We could have scored much much more. It was a brilliant performance from all the players.” On De Bruyne’s performance, Guardiola added: “I am disappointed for him because he missed the fifth goal, the post! “He is always so generous and has the sense to make an assist but I think this season he also has the sense to be prolific and score goals. He has been decisive in scoring goals – this is what the greatest do. “I am very pleased for him, scoring four goals in the decisive part of the league is so important.” The downside for City was the loss of centreback Aymeric Laporte with a knee injury while Fernandinho, deployed as a makeshift defender, also felt a niggle. With Kyle Walker, John Stones and Ruben Dias sidelined and Nathan Ake not fully fit, City are running out of defensive options.

“Apparently it doesn’t look good – some muscular problems for Fernandinho. Ayme had a tough knock in his knee and it will be difficult for Sunday,” Guardiola said. The Spaniard also gave his reaction to the signing of Haaland. “Big congratulations to the club,” he said. “He is a young talented player. I’m very pleased he decided to come and join us.” Wolves were swept aside but did briefly peg City back at 1-1 with a Leander Dendoncker goal. Fitness coach Carlos Cachada, filling in for the absent Bruno Lage following the manager’s positive Covid-19 test, said: “I think it’s a fair result. “We were good in spells and responded quite well with a few counter-attacks but they’re a strong team. “There’s nothing to say about it, it was a fair result and congratulations to Man City. “You plan the things to stop them as a collective but then guys come and score four goals.” – The Independent

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