News In Brief

Welcome to our ‘News In Brief’ column in which we digest all the news releases for you in no more than five paragraphs. Below are snippets of all the media releases that we received from Nov 8 till the end of the week. Please check back throughout the week for more updates.

Winners Of The Clean + Conscious Awards 2021 Announced

Sydney, Nov 3: Australia’s independent Clean + Conscious Awards announced the 2021 winners which include products from a diverse range of categories including Skincare, Makeup, Body, Baby, Kids, Home, Zero Waste, Fashion, Food & Drink and Fitness. 
The Gold, Silver and Bronze winners of the Clean + Conscious Awards 2021 have been announced. 
Over 250 exceptional products have been awarded across the categories of Skincare, Makeup, Body, Baby, Kids, Home, Zero Waste, Fashion & Fitness and Food & Nutrition. 
Now running in their third year, the Clean + Conscious Awards celebrate exceptional products that work in perfect harmony with our bodies, our environment and our society. 
To view the full list of 2021 winners, please visit cleanandconscious.com.au/directory

NTT Defines Strategic Framework To Drive Sustainability

Petaling Jaya, Nov 8: NTT Ltd has announced a series of commitments to reduce its carbon footprint and create a connected future that is both more sustainable and inclusive for all.
NTT will work to achieve net zero emissions across its operations by 2030 and its value chain by 2040.
It is also driving towards powering its Global Data Center Division – an operation of almost 600,000m2 across 20 countries and regions – with 100 per cent renewable energy by 2030 as an urgent priority.
Additionally, NTT has also joined the United Nation’s Race to Zero campaign.
NTT Ltd is part of NTT Group, which is committing to zero emissions across its entire group and subsidiaries by 2040.

Barnardos Launches Survey On Domestic Violence

Sydney, Nov 8: Barnardos Australia has announced today the release of its national research survey into the effects of domestic and family violence during childhood.
Australians aged 18 years and over are invited to take part in a survey to explore their experience of being exposed to domestic and family violence as children and young people and the impact this has had on their day-to-day life.
Participation is voluntary, responses are anonymous, and the survey takes only 8-10 minutes to complete.
The results of both research projects will be compiled and released by Barnardos in 2022.
Find out more about this important and unique research here.

Epson Earns A Platinum Rating For Sustainability From EcoVadis

Kuala Lumpur, Nov 8: Seiko Epson Corporation has earned its second successive platinum rating for sustainability from France-based EcoVadis. 
The platinum rating, which was established in 2020, indicates that Epson was ranked among the top one percent of companies in the industry.
Epson had received a gold rating the previous three years. 
The platinum rating was awarded in recognition of Epson’s global sustainability initiatives.
In the four themes assessed by EcoVadis, Epson received high scores for the environment, sustainable procurement, labor and human rights, and ethics, putting it in the top one percent of companies in the industry.

Pan Pacific Hotels Group Launches Its Next Sustainability Icon

Kuala Lumpur, Nov 8: Pan Pacific Hotels Group is taking the iconic biophilia of its PARKROYAL COLLECTION hotels beyond the shores of Singapore with the launch of PARKROYAL COLLECTION Kuala Lumpur in June 2022.
This will be followed by the opening of Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Kuala Lumpur in October 2022, yet another first with the Group’s signature Pan Pacific flag in Malaysia.
Located in the heart of Bukit Bintang, both properties will open in a mixed-use complex owned by the Singapore-listed UOL Group Limited, Pan Pacific Hotels Group’s parent company and one of Asia’s most established hotel and property companies with a portfolio of investment and development properties. 
Following the successful launch of Pan Pacific Hotels Group’s PARKROYAL COLLECTION brand in January 2020, the 535-room PARKROYAL COLLECTION Kuala Lumpur will inject a new breath of eco-chic living in the beating heart of Bukit Bintang. 
Come October 2022, the complex will welcome 210 well-appointed luxury suites with Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Kuala Lumpur, offering long-staying guests the conveniences of the city coupled with the sincere and gracious service of Pan Pacific.

Cristian Nannucci Appointed Pan Pac Complex General Manager

Kuala Lumpur, Nov 8: PARKROYAL COLLECTION Kuala Lumpur and Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Kuala Lumpur has appointed Cristian Nannucci as its Complex General Manager.
A 30-year hospitality veteran, with experience in several hotel groups, Cristian held a number of positions across three continents in Europe, Asia and Middle East with working experiences in City Hotels, Beach Resorts, Multi-Integrated Luxury and Boutique Hospitality Business Models. 
With a background in Rooms Operations and Sales & Marketing, Cristian is a seasoned hotelier specialising in Food and Beverage and business restructuring.
He most recently served as General Manager of Shangri-La Mactan Resort and SPA in Cebu, the Philippines.
He brings 10 years of industry experience within Malaysia, leading the formulation and implementation of strategies to deliver product and service excellence. 

TA WIN Announces Land And Factory Purchase

Kuala Lumpur, Nov 8: Ta Win Holdings Berhad, an integrated Malaysian manufacturer of copper products, has announced the purchase of land and factory assets from BRB Properties Sdn Bhd through its wholly-owned subsidiary Ta Win Innotech Sdn Bhd.
The acquisition is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2022.
Strategically located in the industrial area of Port Klang, Malaysia’s largest and one of the world’s busiest ports, the factory occupies four acres and a total build-up area of 150,000 square feet and enjoys convenient global access situated on the Strait of Malacca and at the nexus of several key highways in the country, while also improving economies of scale and cost efficiency.
The factory will provide new jobs at Ta Win, and existing property and jobs at Ta Win are unaffected by the purchase. 
The land and factory purchase announcement comes just a week after Ta Win announced securing a three-year contract with South Korea’s POSCO International as an exclusive supplier of copper wires, rods and other products for the production of electric vehicles around the world.

Talkwalker Adds TikTok Analytics

Kuala Lumpur, Nov 9: Talkwalker, a leading consumer intelligence company, announced today that it is now providing TikTok data in its Consumer Intelligence Acceleration Platform.
Talkwalker analyses millions of short videos from any TikTok account, allowing businesses to discover critical insights on how consumers are interacting with their brand on the social media platform.
With 63 percent of TikTok’s users under 30, these insights enable brands to connect with an audience that is growing in both size and significance.
Brands will also be able to use Talkwalker’s proprietary image recognition technology to identify logos, objects, and scenes within posts, enabling them to understand how consumers are interacting with their brand in real time.

Bigo Live Remains Committed to Ensuring Content Safety 

Kuala Lumpur, Nov 9: Bigo Live, a global live streaming platform, has  pledged that it remains committed to ensuring content safety and improving content moderation for its users on the platform.
Bigo Live’s latest commitment comes off the back of a successful series of campaigns organised in Malaysia as part of the platform’s ongoing  efforts to bring local communities closer together during the COVID-19 pandemic-induced Movement Control Order (MCO).
Bigo Live uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a foundation to create a more engaging, world class immersive interactive experience for its users.
The platform uses a proprietary AI online  content management system (CMS) that enables automatic review and management of user generated content.
This technology allows Bigo Live to filter inappropriate and illegal content  based on localised sensitivities within 60 seconds. 

Epsilon Expands Bilateral Partnership with SEAX 

Kuala Lumpur, Nov 9: Epsilon, a global connectivity provider, has expanded its partnership with SEAX, a neutral ICT infrastructure provider, owner, operator and partner, to boost its presence across Southeast Asia.
The expansion enables Epsilon’s customers and partners to seamlessly connect to Indonesia’s rapidly growing market, as well as between SEAX points of presence (PoP) located in Singapore and Malaysia.
“Working with SEAX helps us to take our regional connectivity to new places and provide our partners and customers with seamless interconnection between Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia through Infiny,” Warren Aw, Managing Director, Asia-Pacific at Epsilon said.
With growing customer demands for connectivity to Indonesia, Epsilon is extending its reach for customers, as well as enabling SEAX’s customers to gain access to an evolving ecosystem via its Network as a Service (NaaS) platform Infiny.
SEAX’s infrastructure connects Southeast Asia with a fiber backhaul network and subsea cable system including the SEAX-1 cable, as well as onward connectivity with over 30 subsea cables across Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.

Business Leaders And Employees Disagree On Future Of Work

Petaling Jaya, Nov 9: NTT Ltd, a global technology and business solutions provider, today releases the 2021 edition of the Global Workplace Report, providing vital insight into the future of work as businesses around the world prepare for a post-pandemic reality.
The report finds that business leaders are significantly more satisfied with how they have adjusted to new working norms than their employees are, and points to the need for clearer organisational insight into how employees have reevaluated what they need from their workplace.Conducting 1,146 (430 in APAC) interviews across 23 countries, NTT found near-universal agreement that remote working has introduced difficulties, with 82 percent of respondents saying that it has challenged organisational performance and 81 percent saying that it has been challenging for employees. 63 per cent of CHROs, meanwhile, say that employee wellbeing has deteriorated over the course of the pandemic.Broad awareness of the issue is not always translating into a realistic assessment of organisational capability, however.
Compared to operations staff, CEOs are 20 percentage points more likely to believe that their organisation is very effective at managing working hours, 28 points more likely to believe that they are effective at preventing burnout, and 41 points more likely to be very satisfied with their organisation’s employee experience (EX) capabilities.

Hatten Land Forms Renewable Energy JV with Nestcon Berhad

Singapore, Nov 10: Hatten Land Limited announced today it will form a joint-venture company with Bursa-listed Nestcon Berhad to pursue renewable energy activities including installing over 6,000 solar panels on the roof of Melaka’s largest mall.
SGX Catalist-listed Hatten Land wholly-owned subsidiary, Hatten Renewable Energy Sdn Bhd has signed a joint-venture agreement with Nestcon Sustainable Solutions Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nestcon.
The JVA follows the Group’s announcement in September that it had formed a strategic partnership with Nestcon for solar energy activities.
The JVA is part of a strategic pivot undertaken by Hatten Land to re-purpose its malls in Malaysia for digital and blockchain activities including cryptocurrency mining enabled by renewable energy.
Upon completion of the project in 2022, the project will generate approximately 3,900 MWh per year, the equivalent of powering more than 1,100 three-room flats for an entire year.

Sophos 2022 Threat Report

Kuala Lumpur, Nov 10:  Sophos, a cybersecurity company, has published the Sophos 2022 Threat Report, which shows how the gravitational force of ransomware’s black hole is pulling in other cyberthreats to form one massive, interconnected ransomware delivery system – with significant implications for IT security.
The report, written by SophosLabs security researchers, Sophos Managed Threat Response threat hunters and rapid responders, and the Sophos AI team, provides a unique multidimensional perspective on “Ransomware thrives because of its ability to adapt and innovate,” Chester Wisniewski, principal research scientist at Sophos said.
“For instance, while RaaS offerings are not new, in previous years their main contribution was to bring ransomware within the reach of lower-skilled or less well-funded attackers. security threats and trends facing organisations in 2022.
To learn more about the threat landscape in 2021 and what this means for IT security in 2022, read the full Sophos 2022 Threat Report.

Tapway Introduces VisionTrack For Manufacturers

Kuala Lumpur, Nov 10: Tapway Sdn. Bhd has introduced VisionTrack, an artificial intelligence (AI) Vision solution that helps manufacturers to improve product quality inspections. The new solution is an end-to-end visual inspection platform which allows anyone to train and deploy an AI Vision solution that can tackle the unique Quality Control (QC) requirements currently only possible by human inspectors.
It helps QC managers do their job more efficiently by automatically identifying defective products and/or performing product classification before the products escape the production line.
By using VisionTrack, manufacturers can eliminate laborious tasks typically done manually.
The VisionTrack platform is currently available directly from Tapway.

Nippon Paint’s New Improved Anti-Viral and Anti-Bacterial Range

Kuala Lumpur, Nov 8: Malaysia’s No. 1 total coatings solution provider Nippon has launched two additional antiviral and anti-bacterial coatings solution with improved formula that are proven effective in preventing the spread of infectious diseases including COVID-19 (SARS-Cov-2).
The upgraded products are part of the group’s continuous efforts in #KeepingEveryoneSafe while improving the overall health and wellness of Malaysians.
The coating range includes a spot-less plus, an excellent low sheen indoor stain repellent paint and vinilex fresh plus, a smooth matt finishing paint with low odour and good washability properties ideal for interior walls.
The product’s addition will complement the existing VirusGuard mid sheen paint, that resists mold and fungus growth and provides ultra-low VOC, superior washability and long lasting colours.
For more information on Nippon Paint’s antiviral and anti-bacterial coating range, please visit your nearest Nippon Paint Colour Creations Outlet to confirm your colour choices, or browse www.nipponpaint.com.my.

Seniors Living In Smart Homes Project Wins IoT Award

Melbourne, Nov 11: Monash University’s Emerging Technologies Research Lab (ETLab) has been recognised by the Internet of Things (IoT) Australia for research highlighting how modern technology can support older adults.
The Intelligent Home Solutions for Independent Living project – a collaboration between Monash’s ETLab, McLean Care, and Deakin University, and funded by the Australian Government Department of Health – received the IoT Australia award for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Action earlier this week.
ETLab Director Professor Sarah Pink says the award, added for the first time this year, showcases the importance of considering older adults in technology design.
“Seniors are often forgotten about in smart technology design. Winning the IoT’s inaugural award for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Action recognises that it is essential for us to engage with seniors to understand and enable their relationships for technologies in ways and places that work for them,” Professor Pink said.
“This knowledge is crucial for the design of the right technologies for ethical human futures that we will really want to live in.”

AIS Launches Landmark Study Into Pregnancy And Sport

Sydney, Nov 13: The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) has launched a major study into the impacts of pregnancy in high performance sport, with the research aiming to better support and increase career longevity for female athletes.
The comprehensive ‘Mum-Alete’ study will survey athletes to determine the physical, mental, financial, and social impacts that pregnancy and post-pregnancy have on an athlete’s decision to remain in sport.
The ‘Mum-Alete’ study is aligned with the AIS Female Performance and Health Initiative (FPHI), which was established in 2019 to improve knowledge and resources for athletes, coaches and health professionals.
Federal Minister for Sport, Richard Colbeck, said it was another example of the national sport sector leading the way in vital research to benefit athletes at every level.
“We want our female athletes to succeed in competition and beyond it,” he said.

Kindness In Leadership Initiative Recognising Asia Pacific Leaders  

Singapore, Nov 13: Three Malaysians have been nominated for the Asia Pacific Kindness & Leadership 50 Leading Lights in conjunction with World Kindness Day held today. 
They are Dr Kuldip Kaur Prem Singh from Hospital Director, Sungai Buloh Hospital, Rejina Rahim from Advisor, Nomura Asset Management and Shentel Lee, Founder of Kuching Food Aid, The Playground Borneo and Bowerhaus.
“It is tremendously exciting to announce 50 Leading Lights, across both the UK and Asia Pacific regions,” Women of the Future (WOF) Programme founder Pinky Lilani said.
“By placing a spotlight on phenomenal leaders who are harnessing the power of kindness to make a significant impact and to effect positive change, we collectively place kindness at the centre of the leadership debate.” 
By shining a light on kindness, the initiative, which began in the UK in 2018, has shifted the leadership conversation demonstrating a genuine and powerful connection between kind leadership and good business.

World Diabetes Day 2021 Media Forum

Kuala Lumpur, Nov 14: The current National Health and Morbidity Survey has reported an increasing prevalence of diabetes, affecting one in five adult Malaysians.
Ministry of Health Malaysia director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the discovery from the survey has led the government to look at ways to combat the disease from spreading.
“The government is well aware of this issue – in the 12th Malaysia Plan we have developed strategies to intensify efforts to combat non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, by increasing awareness programmes and screening efforts as well as macro-level initiatives and policies.  
“We hope that policies such as the extension of the sugar tax announced in the 2022 Budget can help Malaysians better manage our current high consumption of sugary beverages,” said Dr Noor Hisham.
The forum, organised Novo Nordisk, a leading global healthcare company, together with the Non-Communicable Disease Section of the Disease Control Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH) and themed “Access to Diabetes Care in A Century of Insulin Discovery,” discussed the local diabetes care landscape and policy, reflecting on the past achievements and present progresses in the prevention and management of diabetes.