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 Sept 5 till the end of the week.

Raiz Invest Announces Its Active Customers 

Sydney, Sept 5: Raiz Invest Limited announced its Australian, Indonesian, and Malaysian Active Customers and Funds under Management (FUM) update for the month of Aug 31.
“The majority of our Funds under Management (FUM) and Active Customer metrics experienced growth in August,” Raiz Invest Managing Director/Joint Group CEO George Lucas said.
“The gains were a good outcome in the context of recent bouts of volatility in stock markets in Australia and overseas, which were especially evident in the second half of August.
“Raiz’s Global FUM was up 1.7 per cent in August, taking it comfortably above the $1 billion benchmark. This is compared to the S&P/ASX 200 benchmark which finished the month 0.6 per cent higher. Global Customer Sign-Ups exceeded three million by month’s end, up 1.7 per cent on the July figure with FUM in Australia up 1.6 per cent.
“Although Australian Active Customers were little changed in August, FUM in both Australian Retail and Superannuation FUM continued to grow.”

AICB and ABM Jointly Host Conference

Kuala Lumpur, Sept 5: AICB, together with ABM, will be hosting the inaugural Malaysian Banking Conference themed “Banking on Change: Turning the ESG Momentum into Action” to discuss ESG-related issues centred on climate change and risk in Malaysia, giving a heightened focus to its issues, challenges, and opportunities.
Minister of Finance Senator Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz is set to deliver a special address at this conference, scheduled on Sept 13 at Shangri-La Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.
The conference presents a timely opportunity for discourse among key banking and financial industry leaders given the heightened focus on ESG and the need for a stronger collective commitment to expedite sustainable development toward a better and greener economy.
It is expected to attract over 500 delegates from local financial institutions.
The two-day programme from Sept 12 to 13 will entail a half-day Masterclass session on the first day, followed by full-day Plenary and Breakout sessions on the second day.
Go here to register.

Most Australians Shun Office Work

Melbourne, Sept 6:  Younger workers are more reluctant than their older colleagues to return to the workplace full-time as employers seek to encourage staff back into the office, the ADP Research Institute’s People at Work 2022: A Global Workforce View reveals.
In Australia, more than half (54 per cent) of 18-24-year-olds and nearly two-thirds (65 per cent) of 25-34-year-olds surveyed would consider looking for another job if their employer insisted on a full-time return to the workplace. This is compared to 46 per cent of the 45-54 age bracket and only 27 per cent of the 55 and over demographic.
The data suggest that extended COVID lockdowns have heralded a shift in work habits that is unlikely to be reversed in the long term.
Younger employees, according to the report, have vastly shifted expectations and hopes for the workplace of the future, including a greater expectation of flexibility. Travel time and surging travel costs are also acting as further detractors to full-time office work.
“After experiencing extended lockdowns in many states, remote and flexible working has become an expectation for many Australians. Returning to in-person work full time is a daunting proposition for workers, particularly the younger generations, and companies should consider their future workplace arrangements, ”Kylie Baullo, Managing Director, Australia and New Zealand, ADP said. 

Kenanga Investors Launches New Fund 

Kuala Lumpur, Sept 6: Kenanga Investors Berhad has announced the launch of the Kenanga Sustainability Series: World Quality ESG Fund (“Fund”).
The Fund seeks to provide capital growth by investing in the NT World Quality ESG Fund (“Target Fund”) managed by Northern Trust Asset Management.
The Target Fund aims to deliver long-term capital growth by investing in securities which exhibit quality and have favourable ESG characteristics and by excluding securities that do not meet certain ESG criteria.
“The Fund is one of the highlights of our 2022 roll-outs, and is something we have been working closely on with Northern Trust Asset Management for a substantial part of the year,” Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Ismitz Matthew De Alwis said.
“We are excited to expand our range of solutions to investors that can assist them in diversifying their investment risks and returns, thus allowing them to navigate various market conditions, all while investing responsibly.” 

RBA Raises Cash Rate To 2.35 per cent

Sydney, Sept 6: At its meeting today, the Board decided to increase the cash rate target by 50 basis points to 2.35 per cent.
It also increased the interest rate on Exchange Settlement balances by 50 basis points to 2.25 per cent.
The Board is committed to returning inflation to the two to three per cent range over time.
It is seeking to do this while keeping the economy on an even keel.
The path to achieving this balance is a narrow one and clouded in uncertainty, not least because of global developments.
The outlook for global economic growth has deteriorated due to pressures on real incomes from high inflation, the tightening of monetary policy in most countries, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the COVID containment measures and other policy challenges in China.

Positive Cambodia Retail Outlook

Cambodia, Sept 6: Cambodia’s retail outlook is looking stronger than ever going into 2023 with regional new players looking to expand into Indochina with Cambodia being one of the most attractive markets.
Prince Real Estate hosted MRCA’s trade mission delegations of 60 Malaysian entrepreneurs from over 40 companies led by Datuk Vincent Choo, the organizing chairman of the trade mission and vice president of MRCA, at the Raffles Hotel Le Royal.
During the event, the Group entered a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with MRCA and the Malaysian Chamber of Cambodia, witnessed by His Excellency Cheuy Vichet, Ambassador of Cambodia to Malaysia.
The MoU promotes investment into the Kingdom, specifically the retail industry, by facilitating Malaysian companies interested in expanding into Cambodia through knowledge sharing and providing data-driven insights.
The business matching event is part of Prince Real Estate’s efforts to strengthen its expansion strategies via inward investments in line with the Group’s vision to transform the retail industry in Cambodia by bringing in more regional brands to complement the local players.

Blackbixon Café Officially Debuts 

Kuala Lumpur, Sept 6: BlackBixon2Go Sdn. Bhd, a subsidiary of Ni Hsin Group Berhad has launched the first BlackBixon Café & Restaurant recently in a tastefully designed 3-storey bungalow house with a rooftop garden. 
The tastefully furnished café and restaurant with BlackBixon-themed wall graffiti and art pieces are located along a tree-lined street on Jalan Inai, off Jalan Tun Razak, filled with old bungalows interspersed with offices. The Cafe has a total area of 5,993 sq. ft. occupying two floors and can accommodate up to 200 pax while the rooftop garden opens up to a spectacular view of the Kuala Lumpur skyline.
The Café caters to families as well as office workers looking for nourishing and tasty Western classics such as freshly prepared bread and pastries to a wide selection of hearty and delicious breakfast, lunch and dinner favourites accompanied by speciality coffees and must-try BlackBixon signature drinks.
BlackBixon speciality coffees are brewed from premium arabica beans specially selected from the best plantations in Rwanda and Brazil.

MR D.I.Y On Massive Recruitment Drive 

Kuala Lumpur, Sept 6: Great news for Malaysians – MR D.I.Y. Group is hiring!
The country’s largest home improvement retailer is looking to fill more than 1,700 positions nationwide.  
To make it easier for applicants, the company will be hosting a three-day recruitment drive in Kuala Lumpur at MR D.I.Y PLUS, Mid Valley Megamall, from Sept 9 – 11, from 11 am – 6 pm daily. 
The retailer is looking to fill vacancies across a number of positions, ranging from senior and middle management hires to executives and officers at its headquarters in Seri Kembangan, Selangor, through to supervisors, assistant supervisors, cashiers, promoters and store assistants at its MR D.I.Y, MR. DOLLAR and MR. TOY stores nationwide.
Applications are also accepted online here or here.

DiviPay Unveils New Brand

Sydney, Sept 7: DiviPay, Australia’s leading spend management platform, has today announced it will operate under a new brand identity and name, ‘Weel’.
Weel is the financial tool helping small to midsize companies streamline spending and create a culture of trust through collective accountability.
The brand evolution comes at a momentous time for Weel as it saw its client base grow by 200 per cent in the last year alone, defying the fintech bubble burst that has seen many of Australia’s fintech fall to their knees.
Backed by some of the leading investors in SaaS, including ANZ Banking Group’s external innovation and venture capital partner 1835i and Global Founders Capital, Weel has taken on $20 million+ in funding and processed more than $250 million in business payments.
The new identity marks the genesis of Weel’s international expansion as it looks to support more businesses in the mid-market category, particularly as they contend with uncertain business conditions.

Data Shows How Tourism Has Dispersed 

Kuala Lumpur, Sept 7: As the travel rebound continues to unfold, the benefits of tourism are spreading across the Asia Pacific. Airbnb’s latest report, ‘Further Afield: Spreading the Benefits of the Travel Revolution,’ reveals that the resurgence in domestic and inbound tourism is empowering locals to earn a living and make ends meet.
With people continuing to embrace flexible new approaches to travel and living, communities that have traditionally missed out in the past are increasingly well-positioned to secure a bigger slice of the tourism pie.
New Airbnb data reveals that the last quarter saw Ipoh, Kuah, Semenyih, and Port Dickson emerge as trending Airbnb search destinations for long-term stays (stays longer than 28 days) outside major metropolitan hubs in Malaysia.
Across the Asia Pacific, Airbnb nights booked in non-urban areas have also increased.
Specifically in Malaysia, searches on Airbnb for Marang, and Terengganu almost doubled in Q2 2022, up from Q2 2019 pre-pandemic.

Mason Games Announces Acquisition

Kuala Lumpur, Sept 8: Mason Games Sdn Bhd, a mobile game development studio today announced that it has been acquired by Iglobsys Technology Sdn Bhd for US$1 million.
The acquisition, which took place one year after the establishment of Mason Games in July 2021, is to bolster the studio’s growth in various areas including embarking on their maiden blockchain game project.
In addition, the studio plans to set up a game development office in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in Q4 2022.
“It is exciting to start our journey with Iglobsys, a strategic partner that will help accelerate the growth of our young team,” Daryl Lau, CEO and Founder of Mason Games said.
“Iglobsys has vast experience in technologies and wide business networks throughout Asia which are beneficial as we try to carve out larger market footprints in mobile gaming, especially within Southeast Asia.”

SMCV Launches New Fertility Centre 

Kuala Lumpur, Sept 8: Sunway Medical Centre Velocity (SMCV) has recently launched its very own Sunway Fertility Centre.
Located on level three beside its Women and Children Centre, the 7.222.5 sq ft facility is equipped with comprehensive facilities such as consultation rooms for couples, operation theatre, treatment room, semen collection room, andrology lab, embryology lab, cryopreservation room, recovery room, daycare room as well as the latest technology and systems for various fertility and gynaecology procedures.
Led by Dr Farah Leong Rahman and Dr Ashley Chung Soo Bee, Consultant Obstetrician, Gynaecologist and Fertility Specialists from SMCV, the services available at SMCV’s fertility centre includes fertility assessment, intrauterine insemination (IUI), in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), preimplantation genetic testing (PGT), cryopreservation, endometrial receptivity analysis (ERA), laparoscopic surgeries and treatment for gynaecological conditions among others.
With the launch of this new fertility centre, SMCV can now provide an all-inclusive range of services related to fertility as well as women and children care under one roof and streamline the fertility journey for parents-to-be.
For more information or to enquire about Sunway Fertility Centre at SMCV services, contact +60 19-289 2390 (SMCV Fertility Careline). 

Alibaba.com Shines Spotlight On Halal Products 

Kuala Lumpur, Sept 8: Alibaba.com, a leading business-to-business (B2B)  platform for global trade recently announced the launch of its online Halal Pavilion, which will help Malaysian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) strengthen their foothold in the international halal market as halal product buyers are increasingly turning to e-commerce.
Held in conjunction with the 18^th Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) in Kuala  Lumpur, the launch ceremony of Alibaba.com’s online Halal Pavilion was officiated by Datuk Mohd Mustafa, Chief Executive Officer of the Malaysia External Trade Development  Corporation (MATRADE).
At its initial stage, the dedicated Halal Pavilion will shine the spotlight on certified Malaysian halal suppliers, making it easier for them to grasp demand from buyers in more than 190  countries on Alibaba.com, ahead of sellers from all other markets.
It will feature multiple product categories with a stronger emphasis on food and beverages. 

SEN And MyRacehorse Winning Chance

Sydney, Sept 9: SPORTS Entertainment Network (SEN) has partnered with MyRacehorse to offer its audience the chance to experience the thrills and excitement of racehorse ownership, all by simply using the Same Racer app.
With the Spring Racing Carnival around the corner, SEN has secured a four per cent ownership stake in the Grunt x Marquise Da Rossa two-year-old Colt, trained by Group One winning team, Anthony and Sam Freedman.
Given the pedigree of Grunt, a dual Group One winning horse having won the Makybe Diva Stakes and Australian Guineas, the Colt is one of the most exciting horses in the MyRacehorse stable.
SEN will be sharing this ownership opportunity with its audience. 
Ten micro-shares in the horse will be won each week by the ‘Punter of the Week’ – a punter with the most successful same-race mixtures in a given week while using SEN’s Same Racer app.

Perfect Corp And Colgate Partner Up

New York, Sept 8: Perfect Corp, the leading artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) beauty and fashion tech solutions provider, partners with Colgate for the launch of a specialized tooth whitening algorithm to bring the results of the brands’ Colgate Optic White Overnight Teeth Whitening Pen to life through AR simulation.
The AR tooth whitening experience was developed through extensive research and collaboration between Colgate experts and Perfect Corp.’s engineers.
The result is a specialized AR-powered tool that simulates tooth whitening results that may be achieved after using the Colgate Optic White Overnight Teeth Whitening Pen after two weeks of use.  
“Colgate believes everyone deserves a future to smile about. We are excited to partner with Perfect Corp. to make our whitening products easily accessible to people and provide them with the tools they need to visualize their whiter, brighter smiles,”  Bill Van De Graaf, VP of Marketing, North America said.
“The AR tool simulates results to help people make decisions as they shop online, and is another important milestone in Colgate’s vision to be the leader in teeth whitening, evolving and improving how people discover and buy our products online.”

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