News In Brief

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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 April 18 till 24. Please check back throughout the week for more updates.

MAH And DOC2US Make COVID-19 Testing Easy 

Kuala Lumpur, April 18: The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) has collaborated with DOC2US, to provide travellers and guests at member hotels of MAH with a one-stop solution for COVID-19 testing requirements through DOC2US’  virtual RTK Intelligent System (RTKis).
Launched in July 2021, the AI-powered RTKis (pronounced as  Ar-Tee-kis) verified by licensed doctors, is the first-ever virtual RTK-Ag screening solution in Malaysia.
Currently, more than 20 MAH member hotels have signed up and are in the process of adoption.
When booking a hotel room at MAH participating member hotels, travellers can now opt to add RTKis, which will be given to them upon check-in.
The RTKis tests are supervised by professional healthcare providers, and the results are uploaded to the Public Health Laboratory Information System (SIMKA) integrated with MySejahtera where travellers are also able to access the free Virtual Health Advisory services provided by DOC2US.

Bethesda Health Care To Implement Microsoft Cloud 

Perth, April 19:  Bethesda Health Care has announced its new mental health clinic in Cockburn will be the first medical facility in Australia to install Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare as its Patient Administration System, with Velrada – Microsoft’s growth partner of the year – as its implementation partner.
Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare harnesses the power of the Microsoft cloud by bringing together capabilities from Microsoft Azure, Dynamics 365, Microsoft Power Platform and Microsoft 365 to transform the healthcare journey through a more secure and connected patient experience.
Bethesda can leverage the features and functionality of these platforms to explore new care models through innovation and digitisation, where the consumer is in control of their care and, with consent, provide clinical staff with a full history of the care and support given and proposed.     
According to Bethesda Chief Executive Officer Dr Neale Fong, adopting Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare comes at a critical time for West Australians, with demand for mental health support rising across the state.
“Having the cloud-based system allows an incredible amount of important data to be exchanged from multiple operational and clinical sources, creating more connected consumer experiences, where the consumer is in control of what is shared and who it is shared with,” Dr Fong said. 

IncentiaPay Signs Second Major Agreement 

Melbourne, April 19: IncentiaPay Ltd (ASX: INP) an Australia and New Zealand’s Premier Entertainment,  Lifestyle and Rewards Platform, has signed a second major agreement for its Seamless Rewards  B2B2C business with OpenSparkz.
OpenSparkz is a leader in loyalty and rewards innovation and its platform enables enterprises and financial institutions to speed up innovations that power customer acquisition and engagement. 
OpenSparkz provides its technology to several industry-leading institutions globally and the agreement gives IncentiaPay access to a large end-customer base.
This agreement with OpenSparkz follows IncentiaPay’s first major agreement with Verrency  Australia Pty Ltd, a leader in digital payments innovation, in March this year.
As a result of the two deals, IncentiaPay now has access to a large audience of end customers for its  Seamless Rewards business.

Five Steps For BNPL Success

Kuala Lumpur, April 20: Deloitte and cloud banking platform Mambu have identified the five steps merchants and fintech need to embrace in building a successful Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) offering. This is part of a new report exploring the implications of the fast-growing sector for banks and retailers.
The report comes amid booming demand for BNPL services, with the global market projected to be worth US$3.98 trillion by 2030 – growing at a CAGR of 45.7 per cent.
Exceptional growth is predicted in BNPL in Malaysia this year, with BNPL payments expected to grow by 109.5 per cent to reach US$601 million in 2022.
Consumer demand for convenience and affordability is one of three factors driving this growth according to the report, with recent data from Deloitte showing that more than half of consumers (56 per cent) cite the ability to test a product before making a payment as a key driver for using BNPL.

ICAEW And KAPLAN Upskills Officials 

Kuala Lumpur, April 20: ICAEW Malaysia, in collaboration with KAPLAN, had recently worked on upskilling 20 accounting staff with the Accountant General’s Department from various ministries – including the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation – to undertake the ICAEW Data Analytics certification to provide opportunities to more business and finance personnel at the government to master technology and data. 
The ICAEW Data Analytics course is specifically tailored around advanced approaches to interrogating and understanding data and allows the learner to play a pivotal role in combining commercial acumen and business knowledge with data analytics expertise.
The entire course can be taken online and hence provided flexibility for working adults to schedule sessions around their busy work schedules.  
In a recent certificate awards ceremony witnessed by Deputy Accountant General, Rozaimi Idris and the Directors of various units in the AG’s Department, the 20 accounting staff were presented the ICAEW Data Analytics certificates (after completing a three-month intensive course) by Loh Wei Yuen, Head of Malaysia, ICAEW and coordinated by Zaiti Waddell of KAPLAN.
Now, these staffs are certified and have the ability to analyse larger datasets and better equip themselves to provide evidence-based insights and assurance in making decisions. 

Rainforest World Music Festival Returns

Kuching, April 20: The most awaited music festival in Malaysia, the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF), is back once again, celebrating its 25th anniversary as a hybrid event for the first time since the beginning of the music festival in 1998.
This year, the music festival themed “Legendary Rainforest Celebration” being held from June 17-19 will take on a hybrid format, with the physical concert taking place at Sarawak Cultural Village while viewers can also Livestream it from their homes via rwmf.net.
With the objective of bringing the world back together with music, RWMF will be welcoming back a host of international performers from Canada, India, USA, Finland, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, Japan, Australia, Mexico, New Zealand, China, Bhutan and Seoul among others, with Majlis Seni Sarawak mixing traditional Sarawakian music with international flavours opening the three-day show in a first-time musical collaboration with Sarawak Tourism Board.
The Rainforest World Music Festival 2022 will also feature the sounds and rhythms of Sarawak, showcasing musical elements from the diverse ethnic groups of Sarawak through exhilarating performances that will elevate Sarawak’s unique tribal flavours onto an international pedestal.
The announcement of Sarawak’s highly anticipated and iconic event was made by Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, the Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, along with Puan Sharzede Datu Haji Salleh Askor, Chief Executive Officer of Sarawak Tourism Board and Capt Nasaruddin A. Bakar, Chief Operating Officer of MASWings representing the Malaysia Aviation Group.

BTC To Reach $81,680 This Year

Sydney, April 21: Bitcoin (BTC) is set to crack $80,000 and hit a new all-time high this year, according to Finder.com’s latest Bitcoin Price Predictions report.
Finder’s panel of 35 fintech and cryptocurrency specialists believe that BTC will peak at $81,680 on average in 2022 before dropping to $65,185 by the end of the year. 
Morpher CEO, Martin Fröhler, gave one of the most bullish end-of-2022 forecasts and says “political uncertainty, inflation, and an ever-increasing desire to own non-government-controlled assets will propel Bitcoin to new all-time highs.”
On the other hand, CoinJar CEO Asher Tan predicts BTC will peak at $60,000 before dropping slightly to $56,000 by the end of the year.
“There’s still plenty of uncertainty about the short-term Bitcoin outlook. Given the macroeconomic headwinds, it would not surprise me to see Bitcoin spend the whole year bouncing around between US$30-60k – the sort of conditions that are terrible for traders, but rewarding for accumulators with a multi-year timeframe,” he said.

Borneo Jazz Festival Is Back In June 

Sarawak, April 21: One of Southeast Asia’s longest-running international jazz festivals – Borneo Jazz festival (BJ) – is back once again, bringing musicians of diverse cultural backgrounds together to celebrate jazz music and empower the local community.
Themed “Jazz in The Jungle”, the Borneo Jazz festival will be held from June 24 to 26 June in a hybrid format to reach out to the greater jazz-loving community worldwide. 
The physical concert will take place at Coco Cabana, Miri while viewers will also be able to live stream one-hour blocks of their performances from home.
With musical content curated by No Black Tie Presents, Malaysia’s foremost jazz promoter, music lovers can expect a spectacular mix of jazz and hip-hop, tribal vibes, world beats and electro-jazz grooves during the 17th edition of the Borneo Jazz festival.
Sarawak Arts Council’s band Sarawak Symphony Orchestra (SONS) will also be taking to the Borneo Jazz stage for the first time in continued collaboration with Sarawak Tourism Board, with the aim to lift Sarawak’s local music scene.

Reducing Household Insurance Claims

Sydney, April 21: New research conducted by Honey Insurance reveals the value of home insurance claims made by Australians last year totalled AU$4.9 billion, with these claims leaving individuals around AU$1,000 out-of-pocket per claim.
Honey is Australia’s latest Insuretech on a mission to disrupt the AU$10 billion insurance industry, currently dominated by a  small number of traditional players.
Introducing smart sensor technology and proactive solutions in response to the rising cost of insurance premiums.
Founded by entrepreneur Richard Joffe, the co-founder and CEO of US-based Park Assist and Stella.ai, Honey launched in Australia in 2021 with AU$15.5 million in financial backing from its underwriting partner RACQ and other institutional investors.
Surprised by Australia’s “nascent” insurtech industry, Joffe believes Australians “deserve a sweeter deal,” which is why he has named it Honey Insurance.
“Honey is making home insurance  as easy as ordering an Uber or finding a show on Netflix.” 

 MR DOLLAR Hari Raya Promos

Kuala Lumpur, April 21: With Hari Raya Aidilfitri just a couple of weeks away, customers around the country are gearing up to ensure their families and loved ones have a memorable celebration after two years in lockdown.
Ensuring they have all the festive essentials they need without burning a hole in the family budget is MR DOLLAR, the value retail store known for their “Always RM2 or RM5” prices.
MR. DOLLAR, a subsidiary of MR D.I.Y Group (M) Berhad is inviting Malaysians to “stretch” their ringgit further this Hari Raya Aidilfitri with its ‘Raya Kami Termurah’ campaign. 
On offer are Ambi Pur car gel perfumes for just RM2 each with any two purchases of clothes detergents, frozen food such as french fries at RM2 and Ramly burger (beef or chicken) patties at RM5, and a range of useful items including household cleaning products, travel accessories, as well as a wide range of festive baking and food ingredients.
In addition to its promotion, customers who spend a minimum of RM30 at MR. DOLLAR stores nationwide will receive a complimentary pack of Raya Packets, while stocks last.

NexMind Introduces NexWriter 

Kuala Lumpur, April 21: NexMind AI Sdn Bhd, an emerging enterprise SEO developer has introduced NexWriter, an AI-powered content generation software for users to generate SEO-driven and human-like text within minutes.
The new software is suitable for generating both short and long content, particularly advertising copy, web page headers, company and product information, and blog articles.
It currently supports English and Arabic, and the company will add Japanese later this month. 
It is marketed to in-house marketing executives and digital marketing consultants looking to generate content for clients to boost website visibility.
It is available on a subscription basis.

Zoho Celebrates #CreatorForACause APAC Week 

Kuala Lumpur, April 22: Zoho Corporation’s #CreatorForACause APAC week will begin from 20-28 April 2022.
Through this event, the company is looking to enable the digital transformation of non-profit organisations (NPO) in the region to work better, faster, and more efficiently using  Zoho Creator, the proprietary low-code, no-code platform.  
The #CreatorForACause week will see NPOs being invited to pitch their ideas for compelling causes using low code, no code technology to achieve their objectives and stand a chance to become a Creator-powered organisation with a Zoho Creator subscription. 
“As a result of the digital transformation acceleration these last two years for both profit and non-profit organisations in the region, technology has become a strategic imperative in today’s highly dynamic environment,” Gibu Mathew, Vice President & General Manager APAC, Zoho said.
“At Zoho, over the years, we have witnessed more than 500 non-profit organisations engendering social change across the world using Zoho Creator.” 

Xiaomi Explores Life In Southeast Asia 

Kuala Lumpur, April 21:  Xiaomi brings together four visual storytellers across Southeast Asia to share their passions and stories with the latest Xiaomi 12 Series.
The campaign ‘Proactive Action’, is produced by National Geographic Creative Works for Xiaomi, documents and raises awareness of causes that are close to the hearts of the storytellers, in an effort to create interest and preserve their existence.
The stories are told through the eyes of a celebrated photographer from each country reflecting their local perspective – Annice Lyn from Malaysia, Gab Mejia from the Philippines, Sirachai “Shin” Arunrugstichai from Thailand, and Linh Pham from Vietnam. 
Proactive Action will feature a series of photos and a short video to highlight the different themes chosen by each explorer, where the Xiaomi 12 Pro will put in tests of its triple 50MP pro-grade camera lenses, highlighting especially new features such as ProFocus and Ultra Night Video. 
The global technology leader had also organised a workshop called the Xiaomi Photography Academy in Malaysia, where participants were taken through the journey of experiencing masterpieces that were created and shot on Xiaomi 12 Pro by Annice Lyn, who visually documents stories that resonate with topics of critical importance.

Top Glove Partners With Shizen 

Shah Alam, April 22: Top Glove Corporation Bhd, the world’s largest manufacturer of gloves has entered into a 20 year Power Purchase Agreement with  Shizen Malaysia Sdn Bhd, the group company of Japan-based, Shizen Energy Inc, for the healthcare manufacturer’s solar power system. It is especially meaningful that the signing ceremony marking the partnership took place today, Earth Day, when the world comes together to act boldly, innovate broadly and implement equitably to effect positive change for the planet. 
Through this partnership, Shizen Malaysia will install, own, and operate a 10-megawatt peaking grid, and Top Glove will purchase the electricity generated by Shizen Malaysia for 20 years.
This newly inked partnership builds on previous collaborations between Top Glove and the renewable energy developer that started in November 2021.
The initial collaboration on the rooftop solar power plant enabled Top Glove to generate clean and cost-competitive renewable energy for its factories, reducing the Company’s average electricity cost while lowering its carbon footprint. 

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