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 Dec 6 till Dec 12. Please check back throughout the week for more updates.

Fintel’s Identifies Candidates For The Week Of Dec 5

New York, December 5: Fintel.io, a provider of advanced research tools for data-driven investors, has developed a mathematical model that provides investors and traders with data that identifies the most-shorted stocks by ranking companies on a number of factors such as relative short interest, borrow fee rates, trading volume, and others.
The Australian Short Interest Leaderboard provides a leaderboard ranking of companies with the highest short interest so traders can easily identify companies with the highest negative sentiment by institutional investors. The leaderboard is also useful for identifying potential short squeeze opportunities.
Below are the list of most-shorted Australian companies as of December  5, at 9:00pm ET:

• OBL / Oil Basins, Ltd. (97.27)
• COE / Cooper Energy, Ltd. (97.02)
• EML / EML Payments, Ltd. (96.44)
• FMG / Fortescue Metals Group, Ltd. (96.30)
• AGL / AGL Energy, Ltd. (96.21)

Short Squeeze Scores scoring model ranges from 0 to 100, with 100 being most likely, relative to its peers.
The Australian Short Squeeze Leaderboard also compiles data like Short Interest  per cent Float, Change in Volume, Change in Price, and Borrow Fee Rate into an easy-to-use leaderboard for investors to reference when making decisions.

Thousands Allocated To Families In Bandar Tun Razak

Kuala Lumpur, Dec 6: MARGMA Foundation has allocated RM500,000 to support 500 families in Bandar Tun Razak to receive weekly provisions of fresh food through Think City’s Bakul K2K platform.
Think City, an urban impact organisation dedicated to making cities more liveable, resilient and sustainable,  launched the Bakul K2K platform which retails fresh food baskets to selected low- income housing communities in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor at low and affordable prices.
MARGMA Foundation initiated a Healthy Food, Better Learning campaign after receiving numerous reports and findings on poor health and nutrition among public housing communities which can lead to long-term consequences.
To kickstart the launch of Bakul K2K, MARGMA and Think City organised a community programme called Hari Pengenalan Bakul K2K, officiated by Bandar Tun Razak
Member of Parliament Kamarudin Jaffar and attended by 50 families receiving the food baskets. 
Activities at the event, held on December 4, included a community engagement by Teach for Malaysia to raise awareness about their educational programme for children who need additional tutoring.

Obstacle Warrior National Championships Kicks Off

Kuala Lumpur, Dec 6:  Malaysians from across the nation put their strength to test to get one step closer to becoming a Malaysian obstacle warrior champion at the Obstacle Warrior 2021 National Championships. 
The practice rounds saw a performance of human strength and agility as contestants navigated their way through larger-than-life obstacles which proved very challenging.
With only a short window for each participant to complete the course, this clearly was not a brain versus brawn situation as contestants had to use both mental and physical abilities to finish in the shortest possible time.
Designed and developed in accordance with the international standard obstacle course, Escape Petaling Jaya showcased 18 different obstacles with various difficulty levels.
Set to take place across three weekends until December 19, this event is being held at Escape Petaling Jaya in Paradigm Mall, for the first time ever in a shopping mall. 
This competition is open for all to watch across the next two weekends, with the epic finale on Dec 19.

ASTEEL Group Bags The Bronze Award

Kuching, Dec 7: Home-grown Sarawak company, ASTEEL Group, bagged the Bronze Award for Excellence in Business Transformation at the recent HR Excellence Awards 2021, held at Sheraton Petaling Jaya Hotel recently, its first win that is timely as it celebrates its 25th anniversary in November.
Further, the ASTEEL Group emerged as the only Sarawakian company that was awarded for its remarkable achievement in Business Transformation.
“This is a significant milestone for us as it demonstrates the dedication of our Group that has remained steadfast in driving long-term sustainable growth, ensuring shareholders’ value creation, safeguarding our corporate reputation, and strengthening our investors’ confidence,” ASTEEL’s Group Managing Director, Datuk Seri Victor Hii Lu Thian said.
“More than ever, we are empowered to continuously improve the quality of our products, services and processes, driving high-performances enabled by digital technology and a customer-centric focus, in line with our vision as the leading building materials solution provider in Borneo and beyond.”
As part of its five-year master plan, ASTEEL Group has begun its Smart Manufacturing journey this year to support its long-term business sustainability and to continue producing quality and affordable products while reducing its carbon footprint.

MR. TOY Opens Its 50th Store

Putrajaya, Dec 7: MR. TOY, a subsidiary of MR D.I.Y. Group (“MR D.I.Y.”), announced the opening of its newest store at IOI City Mall, Putrajaya, bringing the total number of stores in the country to 50.
To mark the occasion, a grand opening event will take place at the new store from 10th – 12th December.
In addition, all 50 MR. TOY stores nationwide will be running an attractive promotion throughout this month, offering up to 30 per cent discounts on selected products.
Launched in 2019, MR. TOY is the country’s first homegrown toy store chain.
The brand currently offers a diverse range of good quality toys across nine categories — Vehicles & Remote Control; Pretend Play & Costumes; Craft & Activities; Sports & Outdoor Play; Action & Adventure; Building Sets & Blocks; Learning, Fun & Games; Party Supplies; and Infant & Dolls – all at low prices and great value for money.

FATBERRY.com Unveils Malaysia’s First COVID-19 Insurance

Kuala Lumpur, Dec 7: Fatberry.com has launched the country’s first COVID-19 coverage plan as a means to insure the public with extensive insurance coverage right from the moment a person is tested positive with the illness.
The recent pandemic has led the world through a lockdown for over two years resulting in business closures and “pandemic fatigue,” disrupted livelihoods and hefty out-of-pocket medical expenses for those found positive for COVID-19.
Recognising the gap in the market for affordable COVID-19 protection, Fatberry.com has partnered with Tokio Marine to introduce Malaysia’s first-ever COVID-19 coverage plan targeted at Malaysians within the age of 16 to 55.
Guaranteeing a cash allowance of up to RM1,500 after testing positive for COVID-19 and hospital allowances up to RM3,000 to the affected individual.
Affordable plans start from RM88 annually and at RM0.25 a day with benefits covering hospital, COVID-19 allowances and other related expenses.

Rising Standards As Underlined By AFC Associations Committee

Kuala Lumpur, Dec 7: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC)’s remarkable strides in ensuring its Member Associations (MAs) and Regional Associations (RAs) continue to uphold the highest standards of good governance was further emphasised by the AFC Associations Committee at its third meeting held virtually today.
Chairperson Hachem Haidar noted the vast challenges faced by the Asian football family during the pandemic and hailed the AFC’s MAs and RAs for their uncompromising commitment towards completing or finalising the revisions of their Statutes as part of efforts to raise the level of professionalism across the Continent.
“These are challenging times for all of us but together we are on the road to recovery and the willingness of the MAs and RAs to amend their Statutes proves that there is a desire to uphold good governance,” Haidar said.
“We have also seen the AFC utilise technology to attend the MAs and RAs’ Congresses and important meetings and we must continue to assist them with their important statutory tasks.”
At the same time, members of the Committee also acknowledged the ever strengthening spirit of partnership between the AFC and its MAs and RAs, with the AFC attending more than 75 MA and RA congresses, held both physically and virtually, since the Committee last convened on Sept 29 last year.

Aurelius Technologies Bhd IPO Shares Oversubscribed 

Kuala Lumpur, Dec 7: The shares of Aurelius Technologies Bhd has been oversubscribed by 20.27 times ahead of the Group’s listing on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad (“Bursa Securities”).
“We are extremely thankful for the trust that investors have in ATech, our business prospects and future plans. Our journey to be a one-stop solution for Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) provider has come a long way and has finally come to fruition,” Executive Director and Group CEO of Aurelius Technologies Berhad Lee Chong Yeow said.
“As an EMS provider, we are encouraged by the overwhelming response to the IPO as it indicates that the market sentiment is positive for economic growth momentum to continue, which is important for the overall outlook of the electrical and electronics industry.”
ATech is raising RM104.73 million from the IPO exercise.
From the proceeds, the Group will use RM40 million for the purchase of new machinery and equipment, RM29.52 million for the repayment of borrowings, RM28.13 million for working capital and RM7.09 million for the listing expenses.

Donors Make $3M Transformational Donation

Melbourne, Dec 8: The Faculty of Law at Monash University has received a landmark $3 million philanthropic gift towards the Monash Law Clinics.
The generous gift was made by private benefactors and is the largest donation ever received towards Monash Law’s Clinical Legal Education program.
The gift is transformative and represents a major milestone in the evolution of Monash Law Clinics, opening a new chapter in our ongoing commitment to provide vital community legal services and unmatched legal education.
For over 40 years, Monash Law Clinics has provided legal services to the most disadvantaged in our communities.
The legal service had humble beginnings, starting out in a single room in the Law Building in the 1970s. Since then it has grown into a world-leading Clinical Legal Education program that provides law students with the opportunity to gain invaluable legal experience while serving their local community. 
With many Victorians unable to obtain legal assistance, Monash Law Clinics continue to provide access to justice for people who would otherwise fall through the cracks. 

Sports Leaders Headline New Director Education Course

Sydney, Dec 8: Sport Australia has launched a free online resource to support sporting directors and develop stronger sporting communities. 
The ‘Start Line’ Director Education course aims to help directors at all levels govern successful sporting organisations and includes contributions from high profile sporting directors and governance experts including Kieren Perkins OAM, Liz Ellis AO, Margot Foster AM, Rob Scott, Michael Smith and Gabrielle Trainor AO. 
The Start Line was developed with input from across the sector including National Sporting Organisations, industry experts and State and Territory Agencies of Sport and Recreation. 
Australian Sports Commission (ASC) Chair Josephine Sukkar AM said the course was another way Sport Australia was helping to strengthen the sport sector. 
The course will help directors from community level to elite, improve their knowledge of the fundamentals of directorship and support their contribution and impact to their sport. 

School Wins ‘DIY Made Simple’ Competition

Kuala Lumpur, Dec 8: Students from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Iskandar Shah in Jasin, Melaka emerged as the proud winners of the 5th `DIY Made Simple 2021’ competition, jointly organised by Malaysia’s favourite home improvement retailer MR D.I.Y. Group (M) Bhd and Universiti Malaya’s Community & Sustainability Centre.
The winners of this national competition were announced at a closing ceremony held at Universiti Malaya today.
DIY Made Simple is an annual competition supported by the Ministry of Education (MOE) Malaysia .
It calls for secondary school students to find ways to improve their schools’ facilities through do-it-yourself projects using recycled materials. 
The winning school beat 105 other schools from 13 states in this year’s competition, themed, “Green School – Reimagining Plastic Waste For the 21st Century Classroom”.
The panel of judges comprised representatives from Universiti Malaya, MR D.I.Y. and the MOE.

Carsome Collaborates With Grab 

Kuala Lumpur, Dec 8: Carsome has tied up with Southeast Asia’s leading superapp Grab to launch the nationwide “Own Your Ride” campaign, which seeks to benefit over 100,000 Grab driver-partners and delivery-partners across Malaysia.
The campaign allows Grab driver-partners and delivery-partners to enjoy purchase discounts of up to RM600, trade-in discounts of RM1,000 and one-year after-sales service when purchasing Carsome Certified cars.
Carsome Co-founder and Group CEO Eric Cheng said that the collaboration is an extension of the company’s aim in helping people move forward with peace of mind in mobility solutions.  
The partnership augurs well with Malaysia slowly opening up its economy, whereby more people are heading out, subsequently increasing the demand for e-hailing services.
The COVID-19 pandemic has seen many people turning to become riders or drivers to deliver food and essentials, and the campaign is part of Carsome’s efforts in giving back to frontliners within the local communities.

AppsFlyer Teams Up With Intel 

Singapore, Dec 8: AppsFlyer announced it is collaborating with Intel to build the AppsFlyer Privacy Cloud.
The AppsFlyer Privacy Cloud allows multiple entities to safely bring their data together based on their own business logic, guidelines and privacy requirements while leveraging a privacy-preserving tech stack including Aggregated Advanced Privacy (AAP), Aggregated Conversion Modeling (ACM), Data Clean Rooms, privacy preserving cryptographic solutions, Predictive analytics, and others.
AppsFlyer is collaborating with Intel to leverage the hardware-enhanced crypto acceleration in Intel’s 3rd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable platform to significantly speed up computation for the Privacy Cloud’s high performance advanced homomorphic encryption (HE) applications.
AppsFlyer’s Privacy Cloud is a trusted open platform for innovation that enhances end-users experience while preserving their privacy when using any connected device, on any platform, app store, OS or browser.

Top Glove Shareholders Approve HKEX Listing Plan 

Shah Alam, Dec 8:  At the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) of Top Glove  Corporation Bhd held today, shareholders approved all  resolutions recommended by the board, in support of the Company’s dual primary listing on the Stock  Exchange of Hong Kong (HKEX).
The two resolutions approved during the EGM are the proposed issuance of new shares up to 793,500,000 new Top Glove shares, which included an additional 103,500,000 new Top Glove shares which may be issued under the Over allotment Option if  exercised in full and the proposed constitution amendments to facilitate the Proposed Dual Primary Listing in order to align the Constitution with the provisions of the relevant laws, listing rules and regulations in Hong  Kong.
With this, the Top Glove’s listing application will progress to the next stage, for the approval of HKEX.
The proposed listing is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2022, barring unforeseen  circumstances and subject to the relevant approvals being obtained.

Spritzer Bags Brand Of The Year Award

Kuala Lumpur, Dec 9: Spritzer Malaysia has won the national award for the water category of the World Branding Awards – Brand of the Year 2021-2022, a premier award recognition programme organised by the World Branding Forum.
The national award was presented to Spritzer on Nov 25in a virtual ceremony. 
“Spritzer is very delighted to have again won the prestigious World Branding Award,” Dr. Chuah Chaw Teo, Director of Spritzer Bhd said.
This achievement is a very powerful endorsement of the popularity and trust of the Spritzer Brand to our loyal and faithful consumer, and I want to take this opportunity to appreciate and thank you all for your very strong support. Without you, Spritzer would not have been where we are today,”
The 14th edition of the World Branding Awards – Brand of the Year 2021-2022 saw more than 5,300 brands from over 60 countries nominated across multiple categories, with 500 brands winning awards, of which there are three categories – global, regional and national.

JCB And Datachain Collab On New Platform

Tokyo, Dec 9: JCB Co Ltd and Datachain will build a “digital currency exchange platform” together.
Datachain and JCB will work on a demonstration experiment of interoperability between different blockchains to build a “digital currency exchange platform.”
The purpose of this demonstration experiment is to verify the technical usefulness of introducing a hub structure using IBC (*3) for interoperability between heterogeneous blockchains through the Relay method.By combining the assets and know-how of both companies, JCB and Datachain aim to continue to create innovative services and discuss widely with companies and projects responsible for the digital currency-issuing infrastructure for the practical application of interoperability between different blockchains.
Rather than blockchains verifying each other directly, verification will be executed between each blockchain and the exchange platform that serves as a hub, using a method that does not rely on the third-party trust by IBC.

Malaysia Healthcare Honours Media Frontliners

Kuala Lumpur,  Dec 9: The Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MTHC) celebrated excellence in medical travel journalism at the virtual Medical Travel Media Awards Presentation Ceremony 2021 (MTMA2021).
This year’s MTMA received 420 submissions, a 20 per cent increase from 2020 with entries coming in from countries such as Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Italy, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, the United States and Malaysia. 
“Media played an important role as our frontliners during the pandemic and continues to play an integral role in our post-pandemic recovery of the healthcare travel industry, putting us back on track through excellent journalism and storytelling,” Mohd Daud Mohd Arif, Chief Executive Officer of MHTC said.
Over the past few years, influencers have also gained strong prominence as healthcare brand advocates, leveraging content and multi-platform reach to share their experiences with healthcare particularly in Malaysia. 
In recognition of this, MT2021 introduced a new award category – Best Medical Travel Influencer of the Year to encourage influencers, bloggers, and freelance journalists to participate in this international awards event.

Jonetz by Don Don Donki Opens Second Outlet

Kuala Lumpur, Dec 9: Jonetz by Don Don Donki has opened its second outlet after Lot 10 at the Tropicana Gardens Mall.
In conjunction with the launch of the new outlet, shoppers can enjoy a variety of in-store promotions, exclusive member deals and gifts with purchase from Dec 10 to 12.
Shoppers will receive a limited Donpen tote bag with a minimum spend of RM200, enjoy an RM15 rebate on Grabpay with a minimum spend of RM150 and an RM20 gift voucher for UOB Bank Cardmembers who spend RM300 and above.
Shoppers are encouraged to download and sign up for a free membership on the DONKI mobile app which allows them to earn “dMiles” points, receive birthday surprise treats, redeem exclusive coupons and many other exciting benefits.
The Japanese specialty store is also running a year-end sale this 12.12 on Shopee with special discounts and vouchers up for grabs.

Work Health and Safety Guide Launched

Sydney, Dec 10: SafeWork NSW has launched its ‘Work Health and Safety Guide for the Road Freight Transport Industry’ to help keep thousands of workers and the community safe.
SafeWork NSW Executive Director of Compliance and Dispute Resolution, Tony Williams, said the Guide was developed following extensive consultation with key industry stakeholders including transport industry groups, unions, Transport for NSW and interstate regulators.
“The transport industry is an essential service provider for all Australians but unfortunately records a high rate of fatalities and serious injuries with major claims for injuries around 50 per cent greater than the average employment sector,” Williams said.
“The Guide provides transport operators and supply chain businesses with practical and tailored work health and safety information relating to working in and around vehicles.
The Guide can be found on the SafeWork NSW website here.

Search.io Launches Neuralsearch

San Francisco, Dec 10:  Search.io has launched Neuralsearch, an all-new artificial intelligence engine that delivers incredible search results.
The brand new, proprietary technology builds upon Search.io’s existing technology to serve e-commerce customers and site owners looking to build smart search and discovery experiences.
“E-commerce companies know that the customers most likely to convert are those searching,” Search.io Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder Hamish Ogilvy said. 
Neuralsearch is built on a new type of artificial intelligence algorithm and processing engine that utilises neural hashing, which combines the power of vector search with blazing fast performance and self-learning capabilities. 
Neuralsearch is available in beta today at no additional cost for companies and organisations who wish to get started with AI-powered search.

Mambu Raises €235M In Series E

Singapore, Dec 10: Mambu has raised €235 million in an EQT Growth-led Series E funding round, the largest financing round to date for a banking software platform.
The funding brings the company’s valuation to €4.9 billion post money, making it one of the highest-valued B2B SaaS companies founded in Europe.As consumers and businesses alike are increasingly demanding frictionless digital banking experiences, Mambu’s SaaS banking platform accelerates and simplifies the way financial products are built and deployed by financial institutions.
Powering both the creation of new fintechs as well as the migration of existing financial institutions onto more modern tech stacks, Mambu counts banks, lenders, fintechs and financial institutions as its customers, with over 50 million end users leveraging Mambu’s technology every day.
To date, the company has signed over 40 customers in 2021 to date, with more than 55 per cent of new customers now being won outside of Europe, and significant commercial deployments across the globe including N26, Raiffeisen Bank, BancoEstado and ABN Amro. 

EASI Joins Forces With UnionPay

Melbourne, Dec 10: Food delivery platform EASI has teamed up with UnionPay International creating an Australian-first partnership for the payment giant.
The arrangement with EASI is the first time UnionPay has taken the step to an entirely digital concept and the first with a delivery platform.
The move will allow EASI users to add UnionPay card to the digital wallet within the app and use it for both EASI services and as a general use debit card.
Users will be able to utilise the added benefits of the card’s links to other brands and platforms as well as receiving $100 worth of EASI vouchers when joining and any credit prepaid onto the card can be used on EASI services or any other products the user chooses to ‘tap’ their digital card for.
As of today, EASI users will see the option to launch the digital card within the app.

SMEs & Entrepreneurs Honoured

Kuala Lumpur, Dec 10: The SME and Entrepreneurs Business Awards (SEBA), an annual initiative organised by Yayasan Usahawan Malaysia that aims to recognise Malaysia’s most notable companies and entrepreneurs was just held recently with over 350 guests in attendance.
In partnership with Celcom, guests witness the unveiling of this year’s most outstanding entrepreneurs, SMEs and businesses.
A total of 42 prestigious awards were presented to various SMEs and entrepreneurs hailing from numerous industries, such as healthcare, telecommunications, security services, food and beverage, logistics and many more.
In line with the external challenges that many businesses have had to experience recently, this year’s event was themed, ‘Thriving the Waves’ SEBA believes this period of emergence from the pandemic is the best time for a celebration, to recognise businesses that have beaten the odds, thriving despite the many obstacles put in their path.
Among the recipients were Shahrul Anuar Zain who was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award in the Music Industry, and Leslie Gomez, from the Olive Tree Group was awarded with the title Excellence in Leadership. 

Top Glove Announces First Quarter Results 

Shah Alam, Dec 10: Despite challenging times, Top Glove Corp Bhd has recorded positive results at the first quarter of the financial year ending Nov 30.
The group achieved a revenue of RM1.58 billion and Profit After Tax of RM202 million, while sales volume (Quantity Sold) was flattish as it transitions closer to pre COVID levels,  compared with the previous financial quarter.
The group’s net cash position stood at RM1.06 billion. 
The softer performance was mainly attributed to normalising average selling prices (ASPs) and glove  demand following mass vaccine rollout on a global scale, while customers remained cautious on  replenishing orders.
In addition, raw material costs reduced at a much slower pace in comparison to glove ASPs, thereby impacting the group’s overall profit. 

It Is Going To Be A Green Christmas At The LINC KL

Kuala Lumpur, Dec 10: The LINC KL has initiated “A Green Christmas”, through a special collaboration with Plantonic – which gained noteworthy acclaim in Malaysia recently with the world’s first 4-in-1 plant-fertilising tonic.
The elixir is designed to be a non-toxic fertiliser and soil revitaliser, which also serves as a natural pest repellent, while preventing fungal infections, and boosting plant immunity, all with one product, using all-natural ingredients.
The collaborative initiative – which runs from December 9 to 31 – will put an atypical local spin on the traditional Christmas tree, by encouraging members of the community and the public at large, to bring their best decorated or designed potted plant to The LINC KL which they believe best embodies the spirit of Christmas.
These plants will collectively make up The LINC KL’s unique “Christmas tree”, which will be displayed for all to see throughout the duration of the initiative at Level 2 of the mall. 
After putting their plant up for display, participants will be required to snap a digital photo of their green pride and joy, before uploading it on their social media accounts (with their profiles set to “public”) with the hashtag #LINCxPlantonicChristmas. 

Top Glove’s Pledge

Shah Alam, Dec 11: In conjunction with Human Rights Day, Top Glove, the world’s largest manufacturer of gloves, recently pledged its support of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP BHR). 
In a ceremony on Wednesday, that involved the full participation of the Group’s Board of Directors, advisors and senior management team in person and virtually, the glove maker committed to uphold and demonstrate the best practices as articulated in the UNGP BHR, which includes the protection of human rights; to have and exercise corporate responsibility; and to provide greater remedies for victims of business related human rights abuse. 
The UNGP, endorsed by the UN Human Rights Council in June 2011, is a set of 31 principles for States and companies to prevent, address and remedy human rights abuses committed in business operations. 
Taking the pledge symbolises the Company’s commitment towards upholding the highest standards of international human rights, ensuring the welfare and wellbeing of its workforce of 22,000 people is taken care of.