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 June 20 till 26. Please check back throughout the week for more updates.

AICB Recognises 177 Bankers 

Kuala Lumpur, June 20:  The Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers (AICB) recent 5th Chartered Banker Conferment honoured and recognise 177 newly conferred Chartered Bankers who have successfully completed the internationally recognised professional banking qualification. 
The Chartered Banker qualification will equip them with the modern knowledge and future-ready skills to lead the transformation of the banking sector towards a more dynamic ecosystem driven by digitalisation, and responsible and sustainable banking.
This global banking professional certification will further help to future-proof the next generation of bankers in Malaysia and beyond, giving them the competitive advantage to excel in their careers and contribute to the nation’s position among the leading financial hubs in the region. 
“One of the core focuses of the banking industry is to strengthen public trust and confidence. Having a strong pipeline of Chartered Bankers who are competent and able to perform their duties with the highest standards of professionalism and ethics is crucial to the development, stability and growth of the financial sector and the broader economy,” AICB Chairman Tan Sri Azman Hashim said.
“As responsible and sustainable banking becomes the future, with greater emphasis on the environmental, social and governance (ESG) agenda in banking, the industry will need more Chartered Bankers who not only possess strong core skills in credit, lending, and risk management but a deep understanding of the ethical and social purpose of banking.”

Ride Along To HappyFresh’s Frequency Of Fresh

Kuala Lumpur, June 20: Seeking a new approach to promoting a healthy lifestyle through fresh ingredients, HappyFresh, the fastest-growing online grocery platform in Southeast Asia hosted an indoor spin cycle event at Publika over the weekend.
The event saw over 50 campaign winners and influencers cycling to the Frequency of Fresh tracks by HappyFresh, which featured sound bites of fresh produce alongside music to create a bespoke, high-energy beat that is perfect for exercising. 
From May 23 to June 9, HappyFresh organised the Spend Big, Win Big campaign whereby top spenders would have the opportunity to win an FLYCYCLE Ride and RM200 HappyFresh Supermarket vouchers.
Participants cycled away to HappyFresh’s latest fresh mix of Frequency of Fresh throughout the session.
The event also featured celebrities and influencers such as Sazzy Falak, Siu Lim, Nadia Anuar, and Linora Lim and was supported by HappyFresh brand partners such as UFC, Zespri Kiwi, HOMEBOY and Ben’s Independent Grocer. 

NexMind Introduces Digital Partner Program

Kuala Lumpur, June 21: Emerging martech firm NexMind AI Sdn. Bhd has introduced Digital Partner Program, a marketing partnership program designed for its enterprise SEO solutions including NexODN SEO optimization and NexWriter AI content generation.
The new program is set to attract consulting agencies delivering digital marketing, SEO, content marketing, and advertising services around the world.
Among the benefits of NexMind’s Digital Partner Program are partner-only subscription rates and first access to new product features when they become available. 
NexMind’s automated solutions were developed to improve the efficiency of digital marketing activities, especially for consultants overseeing large accounts with thousands of web pages to monitor for SEO purposes.
With this capability, partners can scale business while operating in a lean environment.

Aurelius Launches Hygiene Campaign 

Nilai, June 21: Aurelius Healthcare, the healthcare group behind Aurelius Hospital Nilai, has launched its Menstrual Hygiene Awareness Campaign to highlight the importance of menstrual hygiene among students and young adults.
In conjunction with Menstrual Hygiene Day which is observed globally on May 28, this campaign aims to break the silence and change negative social norms surrounding the topic of menstruation. 
The World Bank estimates that at least 500 million women and girls globally have limited access to adequate facilities for menstrual hygiene management.  
As part of efforts to address this, Aurelius Healthcare is hosting a series of activities designed to not only encourage proper menstrual health hygiene but also to bring this topic to light among the public and destigmatise menstruation in Malaysia.
With the approval of Jabatan Kemajuan Orang Asli (JAKOA), Aurelius Healthcare has partnered with Libresse to distribute pads and panty liners to over 500 women and girls from the Kampung Sungai Mahang Orang Asli village in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan.
The team was able to spend time with the community there and provide educational tips on how to maintain good menstrual hygiene. 

Uzbekistan Keen On Sabah

Kuala Lumpur, June 21: Uzbekistan is keen on working with tourism players in Sabah to learn more about the travel market and make it more likely for people from both sides to visit each other.
Uzbekistan’s ambassador to Malaysia Ravshan Usmanov believed Sabah’s stunning natural environment and ocean will stimulate the interest of Uzbek citizens, who are currently considering Langkawi as their preferred destination in Malaysia to visit.
“Uzbeks rely on Langkawi, but it’s time for Sabah to promote itself. The sea and landscape in Sabah are unique. The seafood is some of the best I’ve had in the country.
“We are a land country, which is why our people love the sea. That is what we need,” he told delegates from the Sabah Tourism Board and Malaysia Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA), here.
On Monday, Sabah Tourism, led by its chairman and Assistant Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Environment Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, and MATTA, led by its president Datuk Tan Kok Liang, paid a courtesy call to Usmanov at the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Malaysia.

La Niña Ends With Potential Return Later

Sydney, June 21: The Bureau of Meteorology has announced an end to the 2021-22 La Niña in the tropical Pacific, with the status changed to La Nina WATCH.
Whilst the 2021-22 La Niña has ended, there is around a 50 per cent chance of a La Niña event forming again during 2022.
Most of the observations and surveyed climate models of ocean temperatures and winds over the tropical Pacific Ocean indicate neutral El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) levels – neither La Niña nor El Niño – are likely to persist during the southern hemisphere’s winter.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s head of long-range forecasting, Dr Andrew Watkins, said the Bureau has been monitoring this trend of a weakening La Niña for several weeks.
“A La Niña WATCH does not change the outlook of above-average rainfall for most of Australia over coming months,” Dr Watkins said.

Carsome And Sunway iLabs Teams Up

Sunway City, June 21: Carsome and Sunway Innovation Labs (iLabs), the innovation arm of Sunway Group have launched the Carsome Mobility Lab programme to accelerate the growth of startups in the auto ecosystem through one-to-one mentoring, workshops, access to funding and partnership opportunities with industry leaders. 
Launching its very first of its kind auto ecosystem-focused accelerator, this 4-month programme is for seed to series A stage startups that are disrupting these key verticals – Financial Services, Sustainable Mobility, Blockchain & NFT, Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning (ML), Connected Automotive Ecosystem, Aftermarket Automotive Design and Hardware, and Vehicle Support Marketplaces and Providers. 
In this programme, startups will be shortlisted before the pre-accelerator programme and will be assessed throughout the pre-accelerator.
Only a selected number of startups will advance to the accelerator where the startups will be able to run pilots with Carsome and Sunway business units and tap onto the extensive funding funnel and ecosystem comprising Orbit Malaysia, SunSEA Capital, Gobi Partners and The HIVE SEA for further funding and investment opportunities.  
Startups that demonstrate use cases on the highlighted verticals are highly encouraged to apply and applications are open until July 4. To apply or for more information, visit here.

Spritzer Wins Platinum Award

Kuala Lumpur, June 24: Spritzer is pleased to announce that the Company has recently won the Reader’s Digest’s Trusted Brands 2022 platinum award under the Food & Beverage – Bottled Water category.
This year’s Reader’s Digest Trusted Brands 2022 award presentation ceremony was held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel Kuala Lumpur. The event also celebrated the 100th anniversary of Reader’s Digest, a global brand with 23 editions in 41 countries.
“I am deeply humbled to receive this important award from Reader’s Digest Trusted Brands 2022 on behalf of Spritzer. Spritzer has won this award, for 21 years,” Dr Chuah Chaw Teo, Research and Development Director of Spritzer Bhd said.
Reader’s Digest Trusted Brands 2022 was conducted independently by the leading market research company Catalyst Research. The award saw the opinions and votes of approximately 8,000 individuals from Asia based on the key attributes of Trustworthiness and Credibility, Quality; Value; Understanding of Customer Needs; Innovation and Social Responsibility.
Spritzer specialises in manufacturing and distribution of natural mineral water, sparkling mineral water, distilled drinking water, non-carbonated fruit flavoured drinks and fruit flavoured drinks. 

AICB Host Ethical Finance ASEAN 2022

Kuala Lumpur, June 24: The Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers (AICB) and the Global Ethical Finance Initiative (GEFI) are collaborating to host the inaugural edition of the Ethical Finance ASEAN 2022 Summit, following a successful Southeast Asia showcase at Ethical Finance Global 2021.
This virtual event is complimentary and will be held on 29 June 2022.
Themed “ESG in a Volatile World: Profit, Purpose or Politics?”, the Summit aims to elevate the financial industry’s role as a key player in advancing sustainability, responsible banking and the wider ESG agenda.
Sign up now while registrations are still open — visit here to register.

Empowering Small-Time Entrepreneurs

Sabah, June 24: Kraftangan Malaysia, an agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC), held a Junket Journalism program in the Semporna district of Sabah. 
This field media program is specifically to make publicity coverage of product production by entrepreneurs in Semporna District in Sabah. 
Through this program, craft entrepreneurs will be given coverage related to a personal profile, production of craft products, promotion and marketing of products including programs/initiatives developed by Kraftangan Malaysia to the local community. 
Also present at the event, Abd. Rahman bin Omar, Director of Malaysian Handicrafts Sabah Branch.

Air Busan’s Incheon-KK Now In Service

Kota Kinabalu, June 25: Korea is poised to become a key contributor to visitors’ arrival to Sabah with the resumption of Air Busan direct flight from Seoul to Kota Kinabalu.
Air Busan is the second Korean-based low-cost airline to resume direct flights from the Korean Capital to Kota Kinabalu post-COVID-19 pandemic after Jin Air on May 26.
The Air Busan BX 767 flight from Incheon International Airport with 196 passengers on board arrived at the KKIA at about 11.10 pm and was greeted with a water cannon salute
Sabah Assistant Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister cum Sabah Tourism Board chairman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai was on hand to greet the passengers, all of whom were Korean tourists.
“With the arrival of Korean airlines in Sabah, we are seeing a slight improvement in Korean arrivals. Koreans’ willingness and confidence to return to Sabah is a great indication for us.

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