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 July 4 to 10. Please check back throughout the week for more updates.

Risk Of Floodings Remains

Sydney, July 4: The East Coast Low is expected to weaken today along with easing rainfall, but the risk of major flooding remains across parts of New South Wales. 
Major flooding is occurring along the Hawkesbury and Nepean rivers at Menangle, Wallacia and North Richmond with major flooding expected at Windsor and Lower Portland this afternoon and Wiseman Ferry on Tuesday. 
With significant rainfall totals over many catchments in the past three days, some areas are expected to approach or exceed flood levels of recent events in March 2021, March 2022 and April 2022. 
Severe weather warnings for damaging winds and hazardous surf are current for New South Wales and there remains the risk of flash flooding and landslips. 
Communities are encouraged to keep up to date with the latest Bureau forecasts and warnings through the Bureau’s website and BOM Weather app and follow the advice of emergency services. 

Merck First Quality Control Summit

Kuala Lumpur, July 4: Merck, a leading science and technology company, recently hosted the first Quality Control and Compliance Monitoring Summit in Malaysia that aimed to provide Quality Control (QC) professionals with the most updated regulations and techniques in the industry. The summit was also a platform to discuss challenges, as well as hands-on training to improve laboratory skills, troubleshooting methods, and data analysis.
Regulations, policies, and criteria related to QC undergo rapid changes as market sentiment and customer requirements evolve resulting in QC professionals often facing difficulties in getting up-to-date information. In support of QC professionals, the Life Science Business of Merck organized this first-of-its-kind summit, where regulatory agencies, market leaders and QC professionals came together to exchange information and tackle QC challenges.
The two-day seminar and workshop attracted close to 300 participants from diverse industries including Food & Beverage, Agriculture, Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology, Testing labs, Academic institutions and governmental agencies, Water & Wastewater Industry and Chemical Producers.

IPC Shopping Centre Celebrates Swedish Midsummer

Kuala Lumpur, July 4: IPC Shopping Centre celebrates its Swedish roots by hosting the famous Midsummer festival with an array of activities for shoppers to re-discover the magic of play and fun with loved ones.
From now until July 31, shoppers can visit the family-oriented shopping centre to experience the Swedish fun-filled festival first-hand and win exclusive merchandise through accumulated purchases. 
Throughout the festival, shoppers can look forward to Instagrammable Swedish midsummer decorations including the iconic 10-foot maypole display as well as a Swedish-inspired playground for their kids and parents to enjoy. 
On weekends, children can take part in free Kid Arts & Craft workshops and interact with the fun Små Club Buddy mascot accompanied by a Swedish Maiden who will be handing out goodies. 
“Bringing joy and creating memories has always been at the heart of IPC. We want to leverage on our Swedish roots and give Malaysians the opportunity to enjoy the Swedish midsummer festival, further showcasing a Swedish cross-cultural experience without the need to travel,” Mark Tan, Marketing Manager of IPC Shopping Centre said.

Major Flooding Occurring In NSW

Sydney, July 5: Several major flood warnings remain current for parts of New South Wales including the Hawkesbury-Nepean catchment and major flooding is expected today and tomorrow at Wollombi Brook, Macquarie River and Tuggerah Lake.
Minor to moderate flooding is also occurring along the Paterson, Cooks, Georges, Woronora, Macquarie and Shoalhaven rivers and the St Georges Basin.
Moderate to heavy rainfall continued overnight in Sydney, Central Coast and the Hunter and is easing today, with the coastal trough moving north bringing rain to the Mid North Coast on Wednesday.
The risk of flash-flooding and landslips, in addition to the ongoing risk of riverine flooding, continues in many parts of New South Wales.
The Bureau continues to regularly update its flood warnings for NSW as information about rainfall is received and the upstream river levels are confirmed.

Spread Love and Hope With NKF

Petaling Jaya, July 5: The Mid-Autumn Festival essentially marks a traditional harvest celebration, but it’s also the start of mooncake mania! Once again, The National Kidney Foundation of Malaysia (NKF) together with the Oversea Group of Companies is going above and beyond to raise funds for NKF’s underprivileged kidney failure patients with NKF’s Annual Mooncake Charity Project.
Great for gifting or indulging in at home, Malaysians can purchase the NKF mooncakes from now until Sept 3− with the assurance that all funds raised will be donated directly to NKF Malaysia.
These locally crafted mooncakes are 100 per cent halal certified and this year, the mooncake selection comes in three available sets: Set A: This box includes four pieces of baked skin mooncakes; Lotus with Single Yolk, Assorted Fruits and Nuts, Red Bean and Shanghai with Single Yolk for RM 78 per box.
Set B: This box includes four pieces of baked skin mooncakes; Golden Emerald, Royal Fairy with Single Yolk (Lotus Paste & Mung Bean), Golden Starlight with Single Yolk (Pandan Lotus Paste & Mung Bean) and White Lotus with Single Yolk for RM 78 per box.

ASEAN Financial Leaders Convene 

Kuala Lumpur, July 5: The Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers (AICB) and UK-based Global Ethical Finance Initiative (GEFI) jointly organised the inaugural Ethical Finance ASEAN 2022 (EF2022) summit virtually on June 29, featuring financial leaders from Southeast Asia, the wider APAC region and beyond. 
This year’s theme, “ESG in a Volatile World: Profit, Purpose or Politics?,” focused on the crucial role of the ASEAN region in the current global ESG agenda, and the financial industry’s role as a key player in advancing sustainability, responsible banking and the wider ESG agenda in the region. EF ASEAN 2022 attracted over 1,000 delegates from over 90 countries. 
The esteemed line-up of speakers comprised, among others, leading financial and corporate leaders, academicians, analysts and policymakers from various institutions, including Standard Chartered, United Nations, Sime Darby Plantation, BNP Paribas, HSBC, United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative  (UNEP FI), Space Intelligence, SME Bank, UOB, Maybank, Bank Negara Malaysia, CIMB Group, the University of Edinburgh and more, which gave their views on how to finance the vital transition to a just, sustainable economy in one of the most biodiverse regions in the world.
Additionally, the summit saw the launch of the Guide for Malaysian Banks Supporting SMEs in the Sustainable Recovery from Covid-19, produced by organisers GEFI on behalf of UNEP FI. The Guide provides actionable steps for banks in Malaysia — and other countries — to finance SMEs and enable them to transition towards sustainability.
The final keynote was delivered by Mahmoud Mohieldin, United Nations Special Envoy on Financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and ex-Minister of Investment for Egypt, who called for a holistic approach to dealing with climate change and invited the ASEAN countries to contribute their valuable perspectives to the upcoming COP27 climate summit, to be held in Egypt.

ShopeePay Jointly Organise ‘Celik Jenayah Siber’ Forum

Kuala Lumpur, July 5: ShopeePay Malaysia and Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) jointly held a forum today to raise awareness for the public as a way to address and combat the rise of online scams and e-commerce-related crimes.
This initiative is designed to educate consumers on how to identify online scams and advisory on how to navigate online platforms safely and securely.
The panel members reminded Malaysians to always perform checks in official channels before making any decisions when contacted by anyone who claims to be a government officer or bank Representative.
“ShopeePay is proud to support and work closely with PDRM to educate our users. Some programmes that we have initiated include the ongoing Fraud Awareness Program,” Alain Yee, Head of ShopeePay Malaysia said.
“The Fraud Awareness Program is an in-app microsite with online shopping safety tips and guidelines to avoid getting scammed.”
“In order to constantly protect our users, ShopeePay sends out notifications to users on a monthly basis with updates such as the latest scam tactics and how to avoid getting scammed,” he added.
ShopeePay closely collaborates with the authorities by promptly responding to PDRM’s official request to assist their investigation. Information that ShopeePay provided has proven to track down perpetrators. ShopeePay also constantly carries out social media monitoring and surveys to gauge customers; understanding.
Shopee and ShopeePay are committed to providing users with a safe and secure online shopping experience.

Major Flooding Possible For Hunter River  

Sydney, July 6: Heavy rainfall will continue across the New South Wales Mid-North Coast and parts of the Northern Tablelands, with rain expected to ease over the next few days.
A major flood warning has been issued for the Lower Hunter River and Wollombi Brook at Bulga, Wollombi, Maitland and Singleton. 
While rain has eased over Sydney and Illawarra, major flooding continues in many NSW river catchments, including Hawkesbury-Nepean, Macquarie, Bell, Wollombi Brook and Lower Hunter and Tuggerah Lake.
Rivers will keep rising for many days as the water from the heavy rain from the past few days flows through the catchments. The extent of future rain and continued intermittent showers for the rest of the week over NSW will also mean flooding will take longer to subside.
Communities are encouraged to stay up to date with the latest Bureau forecasts and warnings via the Bureau’s website and BOM Weather App and follow the advice of emergency services.

 Genomics to Offer First-Ever Sports-Based Tests

Petaling Jaya, July 6: Malaysian Genomics Resource Centre Berhad’s wholly-owned subsidiary, MGRC Therapeutics Sdn Bhd (“MGRCT”) will collaborate with Rinani Genotec Sdn Bhd to offer sports-based genetic tests.
Genotec, a biomedical technology firm focusing on stem cell treatment and genetic testing, now offers a direct-to-consumer sports and fitness DNA test which enables individuals to better understand their genetic profile in sports and fitness-related areas. The test result includes categories such as energy metabolism and utilisation, muscle performance, response to cardiovascular training, weight management, nutrient metabolism, bone and joint health, and mental ability and performance. The information can then be integrated by individuals into their lifestyle in order to improve their daily sports and fitness performance.
The collaboration will see both parties consult and collaborate on sports-based genetic profile testing and the marketing of these services. In addition, Genotec will also work closely with MGRCT on the marketing of Malaysian Genomics’ full range of Dtect genetic screening tests. 
Founders of Genotec, Julian Koay and Watson Chung, are the first certified DNA-based trainers in Malaysia, offering a unique programme combining knowledge of individuals’ genetic profiles with a fitness or training regime that enhances the effectiveness of the fitness or training programmes.

Philippines AirAsia Keen On More Routes To Sabah

Kota Kinabalu, July 6: Philippines AirAsia intends to create more direct flights to Sabah and will likely establish a hub in Sandakan as part of these expansion ambitions.
The direct routes to Kota Kinabalu they plan to study are Puerto Princesa and Davao.
A probable connection between Zamboanga and Sandakan is also on their list of possible direct routes.
State Tourism, Culture, and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin said that Sabah welcomes the plan.
“We are looking into the prospect of opening a new destination in Sandakan, which has one of the highest Filipino populations in Sabah, as part of our expansion plan,” he said.

UNO Digital Bank builds on AWS

Manila, July 7: Singapore-headquartered financial technology company UNOAsia announced it has built the UNO Digital Bank in the Philippines in less than one year using Amazon Web Services (AWS), an Amazon.com company.
With AWS, UNOAsia’s technology is cost-effective and scalable to bring innovative, future-looking digital banking services to customers in the Philippines.
Building the UNO Digital Bank on AWS enables UNOAsia to meet the highest and most recent security and compliance standards set by local regulators and government bodies.
UNO Digital Bank adopted the AWS Migration Acceleration Program (MAP) to rapidly establish a comprehensive cloud environment.
The MAP is a comprehensive and proven cloud migration program based on AWS’s experience in migrating thousands of enterprise customers to the cloud.

Malaysia Leadership Summit 2022 Returns to KL

Kuala Lumpur, July 7: The Malaysia Leadership Summit will return to Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, 21 July 2022 at the Setia  Convention Centre.
The all-day summit themed ‘The Future of Work: Innovate,  Influence, Inspire’, will examine how the world of work has changed, and how businesses and individuals can reinvent, reimagine, and revitalise the workplace to thrive in a post-pandemic era. The MLS is part of the Asian Leadership Series and is organised by Leaderonomics, a global social enterprise, in partnership with Together We Can Change the World (“TWCCTW”), an organisation dedicated to empowering and educating women and children in Southeast Asia. All proceeds derived from ticket sales will benefit NGOs and communities in need across Southeast  Asia.
Visit https://bit.ly/mls_2022 for more information about the Malaysia Leadership Summit and to reserve your seat today! 

The Rise Of Payroll Jobs 

Sydney, July 7: Payroll jobs rose 0.1 per cent in the month to June 11, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
“Payroll jobs continued to grow more slowly in 2022 than in 2021, apart from a short-term rise in jobs around the federal election in the Public administration and safety industry in May,” Bjorn Jarvis, head of labour statistics at the ABS said.
“The slower growth in payroll jobs over the month to mid-June continues to reflect the ongoing impacts of COVID-related disruption and short-term employee absences, particularly for people without paid leave entitlements.”
The latest monthly increase of 0.1 per cent compared with a 0.4 per cent fall a year earlier, during Victoria’s fourth lockdown in late May and mid-June 2021.

edotco Launches Inaugural Sustainability Blueprint 

Kuala Lumpur, July 7: edotco Group, a leading integrated telecommunications infrastructure services company in Asia, launched its Sustainability Blueprint to fulfil its commitment to connecting the world equitably and sustainably.
Outlined in the company’s inaugural Sustainability Report, titled Sustainable & Equitable Access for All, the Blueprint illustrates the Malaysia-born organisation’s mission to become a Top 5 Global telecommunications tower company (“TowerCo”) through sustainable and responsible growth,  focusing on achieving carbon neutrality by 2030 and aligning with its stakeholders’ sustainability ambitions. 
Launched by Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz,  Minister of Finance of Malaysia, the report is a compendium of the company’s sustainability efforts to date.
It catalogues the company’s efforts along its sustainability journey, as it aligns its growth with key Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) fundamentals, in Malaysia and across its markets of operation. The reporting period ran from Jan 1 to Dec 31  with a scope that encompasses all edotco’s operations and its subsidiaries. Locations included edotco’s Corporate Centre and National Tower Companies (NTCs) across eight countries  (Malaysia, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Cambodia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Laos). 

 F&N Capital’s Ratings Affirmed

Kuala Lumpur, July 7: MARC Ratings has affirmed its AAA/MARC-1 ratings for F&N Capital Sdn Bhd’s Islamic Medium-Term Notes (IMTN) and Islamic Commercial Papers (ICP) programmes, which have a combined limit of up to RM3 billion.
The rating outlook is stable. F&N Capital is the wholly-owned treasury company of Fraser & Neave Holdings Bhd (F&NHB).
The affirmed ratings are a reflection of F&NHB’s strong revenue generation from its well-established dairy and beverage lines in Malaysia and Thailand, as well as its very low leverage and high liquidity positions, with very low borrowing levels of only RM1 million outstanding versus cash holdings of RM319.9 million.
Additionally, the rating takes into consideration that group revenue increased by 1.8 per cent y-o-y to RM2.2 billion in the first half of the financial year ending September 30, 2022 (1HFY2022), despite a volatile global environment with sharp increases in raw material prices and packaging costs. 
F&NHB is a Malaysian company listed on Bursa Malaysia’s Main Board with expertise and prominent standing in the Food and Beverage business. F&NHB has 2,500 employees in Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand and Indochina, and is a constituent of FTSE4Good Bursa Malaysia (F4GBM) and FTSE4Good Bursa Malaysia Shariah Indexes for its strong commitment to responsible business practices on environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters. 

MR D.I.Y. Latest Raya Campaign

Kuala Lumpur, July 7: With Hari Raya Aidiladha just around the corner, Malaysians are looking forward to celebrating the occasion with loved ones without burning a hole in their pockets.  And thanks to Malaysia’s iconic home improvement retailer, this is now possible!
MR D.I.Y. has just launched the eighth edition of its ever-popular “Poket Selamat” campaign, which is running right through the month of July. 
The campaign offers customers popular and best-value products with attractive discounts of up to 30  per cent off at MR. D.I.Y. stores nationwide, as well as on the retailer’s e-commerce website, mrdiy.com.my.   
Through this campaign, Malaysians from all walks of life can enjoy discounts on a specially curated list of products that includes household items, electrical products, hardware, car accessories,  sports equipment, as well as toys. 
The “Poket Selamat ” campaign runs from July 1-31. 

Kenang Growth Fund Wins 

Kuala Lumpur, July 7: Kenanga Investors Berhad (Kenanga Investors) has announced that its funds the Kenanga Growth Fund Series 2 (KGFS2) and the Kenanga Shariah Growth Opportunities Fund (KSGOF) have won the Sector Equity – Malaysia Focused award and Sector Equity – Malaysia Small to Medium Companies (Islamic) award respectively at the FSMOne Recommended Unit Trust Awards 2022/2023 (Awards). 
Both are equity growth funds that seek to provide investors with long-term capital growth. KGFS2 follows a diversified strategy, where up to 30 per cent of the fund may be invested overseas with the balance invested in Malaysia.
For KSGOF, the fund primarily invests in Shariah-compliant securities with a focus on small-capitalization segments of the market.
Underpinning the funds’ success is Kenanga Investors’ long-standing bottom-up stock picking strategy which identifies undervalued stocks with strong fundamentals and sustainable earnings. 
The fund house’s preferred method of market research is through corporate management interviews to gain a deep understanding of the business model, management quality, sustainability of growth and earnings while identifying key risks in the business cycle, industry, and companies that it invests in.

Shop With Astro Go Shop’s ‘Go Giler Sale!’

Kuala Lumpur, July 8: Go Shop, Malaysia’s home shopping and e-commerce platform is offering great discounts and exciting deals this month with their ‘Go Giler Sale!’ campaign, alongside another curated sale for shoppers in Malaysia.
Customers can enjoy discounts of up to 76 per cent from a wide range of product categories, such as digital electronics, appliances, home and living, furniture and bedding, health, and beauty. Among some of the brands offered are Huawei, Primada, Vivo, Haier, Kinohimitsu and many more.
Throughout the campaign, customers can use the codes GG18, GG40 and GG75, to get RM18, RM40 and RM75 off* respectively when they shop on Go Shop.
Go Shop is also having a special online offer ‘Tick Tock Thursday.’
For more information, go to www.goshop.com.my or download the Go Shop app from Google Play and App Store.

Whispir Powers Australian-first Reporting Tool 

Sydney, July 8: Whispir Limited, one of the world’s fastest-growing Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) communications workflow platforms, is now powering Victoria Police’s ‘STOPIT’  initiative.
Launching today on all trains throughout Victoria, STOPIT aims to combat unwanted sexual behaviour on public transport by empowering people who experience or witness it to notify police discreetly and instantly.
To initiate the service, commuters simply text ‘STOPIT’ to a dedicated phone number. Users will then receive a text with a link to a form asking for details of the incident,  including the form of transport, direction of travel, offender description, and supporting images.
Users can also indicate if they have video footage.
Using Whispir’s technology, each notification is sent directly to the police for intelligence gathering and investigation purposes.
STOPIT has been guided by the success of a similar UK initiative, ‘Report It to Stop It’.  

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