produce their work. “Some common pitfalls include hindering the development of critical thinking skills and a deeper understanding of a subject matter. There may be a lack of conceptual understanding as well if students rely solely on AI-generated results without comprehending the underlying theories.” While considering academic integrity, Ahamad Tarmizi said plagiarism and academic integrity are significant concerns as well, as improper use of AI can lead to taking credit for the work of others without appropriate attribution. An AI chatbot user from the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, who wished to be known only as Sharma, said AI helps him to complete his assignments before the due dates. “After the mid-semester break, there are a lot of assignments and quizzes that we need to complete before the deadlines. AI is a life saver for many students, including myself. “It is essential as it enables us to balance our education with our professional and personal responsibilities. Yet, I don’t recommend that users depend solely on AI to complete their work. Instead, they can use it as a complementary tool for ideas to develop their assignments,” he said. While some students see the use of AI as valuable to improve their efficiency and grades, others consider it as a form of cheating and stealing future jobs. Zulaika Rashid, a part-time Master of Multimedia Studies student from Universiti Utara Malaysia, said the emergence of AI is a threat to the career prospects of new graduates. This is because using AI to generate concepts and replace traditional brainwork is becoming increasingly common. “AI offers personalised support to every user. This means we can get individual attention and assistance with the topics we are struggling with. “As AI becomes more advanced and capable of performing tasks such as photo and video editing, there may be less demand for human workers in these fields,” she said. “This has led to some employers opting to replace humans with AI technology to reduce costs and enhance efficiency. “There may be concerns about the ethics of using AI to manipulate or alter media content in ways that are not transparent or truthful.” Ahamad Tarmizi, who is also Southeast Asian Digital Art Association president, added: “The PETALING JAYA: An academic has warned students against using artificial intelligence (AI) to produce their assignments and theses, as it is tantamount to cheating and will cause diminished critical thinking abilities and a limited grasp of topics learned. Former dean of the Creative Technology and Heritage Faculty at Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Assoc Prof Ahamad Tarmizi Azizan, was commenting on growing interest in the use of AI among students to assist them in their academic tasks, particularly in completing assignments. A survey published by data provider Statista in the fourth quarter of last year revealed that 60% of Malaysian respondents were aware of AI, while a recent survey by Forbes magazine in the US indicated that 43% of college students use ChatGPT to complete their assignments, and the practice was considered cheating. Ahamad Tarmizi told theSun: “As an academician, I understand the concerns surrounding students using AI to complete their assignments. I neither strictly prohibit the use or practice of using AI in academic work, nor do I welcome it. The decision depends on the policy and guidelines set by the relevant academic institution, lecturer or educational supervisory body. “However, I fear that using AI extensively could result in inadequate comprehension of subject matter, especially if students solely rely on AI to oUsing AI to produce assignments and theses tantamount to cheating, says academician TELLING IT AS IT IS ONMONDAY JUNE 12, 2023 No. 8286 PP 2644/12/2012 (031195) www.thesundaily.my ALL REVVED UP ... Car enthuasiasts at the inaugural Tokyo Auto Salon Kuala Lumpur exhibition yesterday at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre, where dozens of specially modified cars from Japan were displayed. – AMIRUL SYAFIQ/THESUN No ChatGPT please implementation of AI technology has proven that many jobs will be replaced by it in the future. “Fields of work that are likely to be affected by AI include jobs in administrative and data processing, manufacturing, customer service, transport, agriculture, journalism and writing, healthcare, law and education. “In Western countries, several employers have already replaced their workers with AI technology in various fields such as character production, advertising creation, illustration, and more. “It may not be so obvious, but Malaysia is also normalising the use of AI.” █ BYSIVANISVARRY MORHAN [emailprotected] 7 Lima windfall for aviation firm -p2 7 M’sians grieve passing of charity body president -p3
2 theSUN ON MONDAY | JUNE 12, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS Lima windfall for country’s leading aviation company PETALING JAYA: The recent Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (Lima) exhibition has turned out to be a windfall for Airod Sdn Bhd. Airod, Malaysia’s leading aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) group, signed multi-million ringgit memorandums of understanding (MoU) with foreign partners in the fast-growing industry. The first MoU signed was with PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI), to explore collaboration on N219, an aircraft fully designed and developed by Indonesian engineers, marking its entry into the global market, said its president and director Gita Amperiawan. In a statement over the weekend, Airod said both parties would team up to explore potential synergies in several strategic areas of marketing and sales of N219 aircraft produced by PTDI in Malaysia, and to establish and develop MRO cooperation in the country. “PTDI is pleased to partner with oMulti-million ringgit deals signed with foreign partners during biennial exhibition █ BYAZMAN UJANG [emailprotected] Airod on the N219 aircraft, enhancing our complementary strengths and market presence in Malaysia. I am proud to say that N219 also belongs to Asean countries as a Southeast Asia indigenous aircraft product,” Gita said. Airod CEO Datuk Ismail Ibrahim said: “We truly appreciate the intention of PTDI in selecting Airod to partner in uplifting the aerospace and aviation sector, aligning it with industry and international demands. “We eagerly anticipate this strategic partner collaboration, with the vision of propelling the aviation industry to greater heights.” The statement said another MoU was inked between Airod and the Sri Lanka Air Force for cooperation on the maintenance of the latter’s fleet of C-130 aircraft. It was signed by the commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force, Air Marshall Sudarshana Pathirana and Airod senior vice-president Datuk Edron Hayata Ahmad. Edron said the deal would enable Airod to spread its MRO footprint globally and firm up its commitment to the Sri Lanka Air Force on flight quality and safety, which is paramount. He added that Airod would also support the Sri Lanka Air Force in its other programmes. Yet another MoU was signed with US-based International Air Response (IAR), which has been providing emergency oil spill response services to governments, oil and gas producers, shippers and refiners worldwide and in the last decade, in Malaysia and Singapore. The statement said Airod has been supporting IAR on an ad-hoc basis for the past decade by providing facilities, technical personnel and ground support equipment. The support services originally began in Singapore, but are now being carried out permanently at the Senai International Airport in Johor. The last MoU was signed between Airod’s parent company, National Aerospace and Defence Industries (Nadi) and Turkishbased Asfat Inc, a global player in improving operational excellence by developing facilities, capabilities and capacities of military factories and shipyards. It said the MoU would lead to the easing of export processes of defence industry products and the provision of innovative solutions to friendly and allied nations in design, manufacture, maintenance sustainment and training areas to create lasting public-private partnerships. “The signing shows the close relationship between Malaysia and Turkiye, and we at Nadi look forward to the collaboration with Asfat, especially for the life cycle management of the Airbus A-400M aircraft domestically and worldwide,” said Nadi president Datuk Rahim Abdul Rahman. Survey to assess unity level JOHOR BAHRU: The National Unity Ministry will carry out the National Unity Index Survey for the third time this year to assess the level of unity of the multi-racial communities in the country. National Unity Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang said a survey conducted last year with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Institute of Ethnic Studies showed an increase in the level of national unity to 0.62%, compared with 0.57% in 2018. “We found that there was an increase in the level of unity of the multi-racial societies in the country. Now, we also have a new slogan, which is ‘Unity Government’ and ‘Malaysia Madani’. So, we take the opportunity to enhance the unity of the people. “We have prepared a unity framework that focuses mainly on two aspects, culture and community. We will leave other aspects such as economy and legislation to other ministries.” He was speaking after officiating at the Ramah Tamah Uniti Kaamatan dan Gawai event at Dewan Taman Mawar in Pasir Gudang on Saturday. Aaron expressed hope that the survey, which would be carried out soon, would show that the level of unity is on the rise, in line with the establishment of the unity government led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. He said to achieve greater unity, the government would bring back various programmes such as Program Semarak Kenegaraan, Program Semarak Perpaduan and Program Semarak Rahmah. “Semarak Perpaduan is much like the ‘Unity Walk’ programme while Semarak Rahmah, at the level of the Rukun Tetangga Community, is aimed at bringing people of all races together to carry out activities.” – Bernama Aaron meeting children dressed in traditional costumes during the event in Pasir Gudang yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC Improve education standards based on core values: PM KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has urged Malaysians to focus on raising education standards based on good core values, to create knowledgeable individuals and academicians with strong virtues and noble principles. “No less important is the goal and meaning of education stressed by the current education minister, which is to draw strength from religion. “What we want to raise are people with confidence, values and virtues as the attempts by other countries have managed to inculcate such values in education,” he said after watching a play titled Cikgu Anda here on Saturday. Anwar added that he wanted the national language to be used as the official language and as a language of knowledge. “We also need to put effort in raising the discipline of knowledge so that we can compete (with other countries),” he said, adding that the focus should be a movement and not focused on any particular figure. The play Cikgu Anda was inspired by Anwar’s contribution to the field of education and was adapted to highlight Yayasan Anda Akademik, a private educational institution founded by a group of local university graduates and headed by Anwar in March 1971. In his speech at the event, Anwar also denied claims that he was using the country’s judiciary to seek political revenge against certain individuals. “If revenge was on my mind, or my intention, many would have been already sent to Sungai Buloh Prison. But I know the need to defend the principles of adhering to the law. “Who is to be investigated, charged, is not within my powers. My powers are limited to ensuring that the duties of institutions related to security and safety are being carried out without fear or favour.” Anwar said he cannot direct the attorney-general to charge anyone because charges must be accompanied with strong facts. “Instead, like what I have said in Parliament, I do not want to be a leader who uses power to suppress or oppress anyone.” He also stressed that for seven months as the country’s leader, he has not changed any appointments in the judiciary. – Bernama Govt to start pilot five-season padi farming project KOTA BHARU: The Agriculture and Food Security Ministry will carry out a padi farming pilot project in an area covering 30,000ha in September, said its minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu. He said the project would be carried out with the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (Mada). “The Mada area covers 100,000ha, but the five-season project would only involve 30,000ha for a start. To ensure its success, we will improve the irrigation system so that there will be water supply all the time, and with new technology as well as tested padi seeds, we will get better crop yields.” He was speaking after visiting the Permanent Farmers’ Market at the Tunjong Rural Transformation Centre here yesterday. Mohamad was commenting on a statement by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Saturday that the government was considering the “five seasons in two years” padi cultivation initiative as one of the efforts to improve rice output in the country. – Bernama Para games football squad commended KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has congratulated the national men’s cerebral palsy (CP) football squad for securing the gold medal at the recently concluded Asean Para Games (APG) in Cambodia. In a post on his Facebook page, Anwar said he met the squad yesterday and expressed hope that head coach Asnan Md Zuki’s team would maintain their excellent performance in the future. In the final match on Thursday, the men’s CP football squad ended Malaysia’s 10-year gold medal drought after beating Indonesia 3-1 on penalty kicks after the two teams were tied 1-1 at the end of full-time. Meanwhile, Anwar also praised the performance and achievements of the Malaysian contingent at the biennial games. “Congratulations to the Malaysian contingent for the excellent performance displayed throughout the APG.” At the Games, which ended on Friday, the national contingent won 50 gold, 38 silver and 34 bronze medals, surpassing the 33-gold target set by the Paralympic Council of Malaysia. – Bernama
3 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON MONDAY | JUNE 12, 2023 BALING: The government is identifying methods to help and encourage rubber smallholders to switch to producing latex from scrap rubber and crepe rubber. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said the change would help increase the income of smallholders as the price of latex in the market is higher than that of scrap rubber or crepe rubber. Fadillah, who is also plantation and commodities minister, said his ministry was examining a variety of issues in order to achieve the transition, including business models that could be introduced to smallholders with the cooperation of rubber industry players. “This can only be implemented with the cooperation of the industry, where we can involve them along with smallholders to help switch to latex production. “The cooperation may include industry players buying latex from smallholers at a better price,” he said after attending the Sembang Getah Warung programme in Kampung Charok Gorok here yesterday. – Bernama M’sians grieve over passing of charity body president PETALING JAYA: Malaysians across the country mourned the loss of Pure Life Society (PLS) president Mother Mangalam (pic), who died on Saturday after having served the statutory body for 72 years. She was 97. A well-known and respected member of society, Mangalam will always be known as a kind and compassionate person who was always there for the poor and needy. Geetha Madhavan, a member of the PLS editorial team, said Mangalam was a humanitarian who cared for people from all walks of life regardless of race. “That’s what she taught us. We don’t care about people’s backgrounds or where they come from. Anyone who comes to PLS is treated well. “She was also a perfectionist and her love for children was unbreakable. She ensured all things were done correctly and perfectly according to the standards she had set.” Born in 1926 in Singapore, Mangalam attended Raffles Girls’ School and Saradhamani Girls’ School. In 1948, she came to Malaysia for her teacher’s training and met Dr Swami Satyananda, who founded PLS. Its vice-president Datuk V.L. Kandan said growing up with Satyananda helped Mangalam to embody the spiritual and compassionate aspects of serving the poor and downtrodden. “Somehow, Mangalam and Satyananda met and jointly decided to build this sanctuary for destitute mothers and orphaned children who were victims of World War II, particularly as a result of the Siam-Burma death railway during the Japanese Occupation. “The motto for the institute was ‘One God, One World, One Race’. In other words, its ambition was to have a united people in a multi-religious, multi-racial and multifaceted Malaya. “Unfortunately, Satyananda passed away in an accident in 1961 and it was his choice for Mangalam to take over the position of president. “Mangalam epitomised PLS and PLS was Mangalam. She served a total of 72 years as its president before passing away due to complications caused by pneumonia and Covid-19,” he said. Kandan added that he learned many things from Mangalam. “She was a very patient woman. She taught me to have patience, humility and respect for others. When I was younger, I was always hotheaded and rash, but my time with her helped me mellow my emotions and made me a better person.” Kandan said Mangalam’s greatest achievement was nurturing over 2,500 children that were not born to her. “She looked after all of them for over 70 years and instilled in them good morals. Her greatest legacy is leaving behind a society that can continue raising the needy.” Marie Puspan, 60, an alumnus of PLS’s home and welfare section, was an orphan at PLS from the age of 11 to 17. One of the things she recalls the most about Mangalam is her discipline and style of teaching. “What I liked about her was that she trained children to be self-empowered and selfdedicated. She taught them to be whoever they wanted to be. She also taught all of us to respect all religions and races regardless of background because all people deserve love.” Marie said she was placed in PLS because she came from a home with parents who were divorced. “I never had the opportunity to engage in family activities, especially during the holidays, like other children. “But Mother (Mangalam) would bring us, the less fortunate, to her parent’s house to spend time like a real family. We would cook together during holidays such as Deepavali and it would give us a sense of love we rarely received outside of PLS.” Ministry probing factors for non-attendance of SPM candidates ALOR SETAR: The Education Ministry is studying the factors that contributed to the nonattendance of Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) students on examination day. Its minister Fadhlina Sidek said the move was taken to enable the ministry to take appropriate measures to ensure better student attendance in the coming years. “I think there are many factors that must be urgent to the extent that students have to miss the examination. So, the matter needs to be examined, which will require time and we will (draft out) appropriate measures. “Whether the matter is a concern or not, it depends on the findings we get … this is because we have various candidates, they are not only under the ministry’s schools, but also private candidates and so on,” she said when met after visiting Sekolah Menengah Jenis Kebangsaan Keat Hwa here yesterday. She was commenting on a report in a local daily yesterday which stated that a total of 14,858 or 3.8% of the 388,832 candidates who registered for SPM 2022 did not attend the examination. Based on the ministry’s analysis, there was a rise in the number of SPM candidates who did not attend the examination last year compared with SPM 2021, which had 10,681 or 2.7% of registered candidates absent. Meanwhile, Fadhlina said more than 90% of the candidates who sat for the SPM last year obtained their certificate, compared with only 80% the previous year. She added that the ministry is focused on further increasing the percentage of candidates obtaining the certificate. When asked about the proposed move to improve the History syllabus, Fadhlina said every subject taught in schools has its own cycle. “The school curriculum is monitored by experts ... as for now, it will remain as it is until the cycle ends and when the time comes, the ministry will look into all subjects, not only History.” – Bernama Fadillah trying his hand at tapping the bark of a rubber tree yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC █ BYETHAN YEO [emailprotected] Mother of student who scored 11As dies BACHOK: The mother of student Muhammad Syahril Saidi, 18, who obtained 11As in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination, died yesterday. Sekolah Menengah Ugama (A) Darul Iman principal Noor Ruziana Ismail, when confirming the matter, said Tuan Faridah Tuan Ismail, 53, breathed her last at about 8.45pm and the funeral prayers were held at Masjid al-Qudus, Kandis at 10am yesterday. “On behalf of the school, I wish to express our condolences to the family of Muhammad Syahril and insya-Allah, we will provide donations or assistance to him based on what he needs,” she said when contacted. The story of Muhammad Syahril went viral when he could not pick up his SPM results as he was caring for his bedridden mother who had been ill since 2019, and his teachers went to his home to deliver his outstanding results. Meanwhile, Muhammad Syahril’s grandaunt Zainab Othman, 58, said the sacrifices made by the late Tuan Faridah should be emulated because she was willing to raise her six children alone after her husband’s passing in 2012. “Muhammad Syahril lost his father when he was seven years old. Since then, his mother took over all the parental roles until he (Muhammad Syahril) managed to get excellent results in SPM. “My family and I are very impressed with his achievements and hope that Muhammad Syahril’s wish to continue his studies at Universiti Malaya can be fulfilled,” she said when met in Kampung Kandis, here yesterday. Zainab added that although Tuan Faridah’s family lives a simple lifestyle, it did not stop all her children from being strong and steadfast in caring for their mother until her last breath. – Bernama Govt to help smallholders earn from scrap rubber oMother Mangalam leaves legacy of love, forged from her dedication to helping people from all walks of life regardless of race, religion
4 theSUN ON MONDAY | JUNE 12, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS @thesundaily FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM SCAN ME Get a jump start today on creating a successful tomorrow! For the best in local and international higher education institutions, catch theSun's fortnightly Education Focus. FOCUS 2023 EDUCATION Contact us now for special deals on digital, video and print advertising. Ministry in talks on medical scholarships PORT DICKSON: Discussions are in progress between the Health Ministry and the Public Service Department on the department’s decision to stop sponsoring students in medicine, dentistry and pharmacy studies. Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said the ministry was also prepared to review a study conducted in 2019, which projected an oversupply of medical officers from 2026 to 2030. “We know there are changes, especially after the post-Covid-19, so there may be new things that need to be revisited. “Our worry is that the move may discourage students from pursuing studies,” she said after launching the Global Adults Tobacco Survey (GATS) yesterday. The event was also attended by Health Director-General Datuk Dr Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan and Acting Health Deputy Director-General (Education and Technical Support) Datuk Dr Fariza Ngah. It was previously reported that the department had decided to stop sponsoring students following the study by the ministry pertaining to the oversupply of medical officers. Health services are essential, therefore professions such as doctors and other positions in the medical scheme are necessary, she said. Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Functions) Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, said the ministry’s Health Indicators 2022 report showed a nationwide 1:420 ratio of doctor to population (across both public and private sectors), with a 1:400 ratio expected to be achieved by 2025. Meanwhile, on the GATS, Zaliha said it is a household survey conducted nationwide by the ministry in collaboration with the World Health Organisation and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Bernama reported. “The Public Health Institute will conduct the GATS for the second time. The first GATS was conducted in 2011. Data collection will be conducted from June 12 to July 22,” she said. Citing the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019, Zaliha said 4.8 million Malaysians aged 15 and above were active smokers. Gats aims to obtain up-to-date information on tobacco use and monitor the effectiveness of tobacco control interventions, she said, adding that the data obtained will be used to help the ministry to strengthen the tobacco control strategy. oDiscussions prompted by 2019 study that projected oversupply of doctors between 2026 and 2030 Sweet reward from hobby GUA MUSANG: What started as a hobby to satisfy his own craving for honey has turned out to be financially rewarding for vegetable seller Zolkefli Rashid. The 28-year-old trader said the difficulty in getting pure honey had also prompted him to venture into beekeeping, starting with four species of stingless bees – Trigona Itama, Trigona Torasica, Trigona Terminata and Trigona Canifrons. Zolkefli has been breeding bees at his home in Kampung Kundur for the past five years. “Initially, I kept only one log of beehive and harvested the honey for my own consumption. I learned the health benefits of drinking pure honey and the difficulty of getting it in the market. “I gradually expanded my farm and now have more than 20 logs of beehives behind my house,” he said. Zolkefli, who sells vegetables at Pasar Borong Gua Musang, said apart from seeking advice from other beekeepers, he also used social media to learn the proper methods of breeding in order to produce quality honey. “For sure, the venture comes with challenges. I have been cheated by people before and have unknowingly bought damaged beehive logs. The logs have also been attacked by frogs, lizards and ants. “But I get the satisfaction of collecting pure honey every month. The harvest can exceed two kilogrammes,” said Zolkefli, who earns almost RM1,000 a month. He sells his honey for between RM30 and RM180 per bottle. – Bernama Zolkefli inspecting a hive behind his house in Kampung Kundur, Negeri Sembilan. – BERNAMAPIC
5 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON MONDAY | JUNE 12, 2023 Ministry eyes better participation in future Special Olympics PETALING JAYA: Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh has expressed hope that more athletes with disability could get involved actively and be selected for future editions of the Special Olympics World Games. She said the Youth and Sports Ministry was actively looking for potential talent from the group to ensure Malaysia is strongly represented at the prestigious games. “The National Sports Council (NSC) and I will see what other help and support the ministry can give to coaches, especially because it is not easy to train athletes with disabilities,” she said yesterday. Earlier, Yeoh announced a total of 16 athletes with disability would be flag-bearers at the Games in Berlin, Germany from June 17 to 25. The Special Olympics World Games is a sporting event for people with disability, which features a total of 26 events, including badminton, athletics, bowling and cycling. Yeoh said NSC had previously channelled RM160,000 to help the national contingent prepare for Berlin. Separately, she said NSC and the Youth and Sports Ministry have completed the paperwork for the 2023 Tour de Langkawi race, scheduled for September. “It is a little unique this year as the revised budget was just submitted in April after Budget 2023 was retabled in February, but NSC is ready and we are working on it.” – Bernama Malacca to host Malaysia Poetry Day MALACCA: All states will take turns to host Malaysia Poetry Day starting this year, said National Poets Association (Pemuisi) president Datuk Dr Radzuan Ibrahim. He said Malacca was chosen to host the 3rd edition tomorrow, which will be officiated by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh at the Tun Seri Lanang Auditorium in Ayer Keroh. “We chose Malacca as our first destination because apart from its status as a state with a rich history, we have a network of movers who will continue this Madani movement in the future. “Moving Malaysia Poetry Day out of the nation’s capital is in line with the idea of preserving the Madani movement as a process of changing and inviting society to understand poetry in life.” Radzuan said the 3rd Malaysia Poetry Day celebration started this month with a poetry competition and poetry reading videos posted on social media. He said the results of the competition would be announced at the event in Malacca and prizes would be presented by Ab Rauf. Malaysia Poetry Day was declared on June 13, 2021 by then minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri at the Majlis Semarak Puisi poetry festival organised by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka and Pemuisi. – Bernama Ministry to expand Healthy City pilot project KUALA LUMPUR: The Local Government Development Ministry will expand the Healthy City pilot project to other locations in an effort to realise the development of healthy, sustainable and safe cities to support the Malaysia Madani agenda. Its deputy secretary-general (housing and community well-being) Suhaimi Ali said the latest location of the project is at Laman Rekreasi Tasek Tambahan in Ampang, oLatest inclusion to initiative in Ampang to focus on facilities upgrade and provision of gym equipment Body of infant found floating near water village KOTA KINABALU: The body of a baby, believed to be a newborn, was found floating near a water village here on Saturday. Kota Kinabalu district police acting chief Supt Kalsom Idris said the body of the baby, whose gender has yet to be identified, was discovered by villagers who were crossing a wooden bridge in the village at 6.30pm. “Preliminary investigations found that the baby is believed to have just been born, but there is no additional information about the incident. “The baby is believed to have been thrown into the sea after birth.” Kalsom urged anyone with information on the incident to contact the Kota Kinabalu district police headquarters or the nearest police station to assist with the investigation. – Bernama Boat users reminded to wear life jackets TAWAU: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) at the Tawau Maritime Zone has issued a reminder to those who use boats and other modes of sea transportation to wear life jackets. Its director Kapt (Maritime) Shahrizan Raman said the use of life jackets is important for safety, as well as reducing accidents while at sea. “We do not want another boat sinking tragedy like the one in the waters off Sungai Melayu near Sebatik Island on Friday, where passengers were not wearing life jackets. “This led to one individual failing to save himself and losing his life,” he said at the Maritime Awareness and Safety Day event yesterday. In the incident on Friday, Abdul Rahim Kasil, 56, went missing while his wife Nurlina Aripin, 52, survived, but she was injured in the leg after the boat they were on sank after it crashed into a submerged object. – Bernama involving an allocation of RM500,000, Bernama reported. “The project at this site will focus on upgrading existing facilities such as pedestrian and cycling paths, route markers, shared lane facilities for micro-mobility vehicles, the installation of gymnasium equipment and so on. “It is hoped that this project would benefit the local community and improve their health and quality of life,” he said at the launch of the Healthy City pilot project at Laman Rekreasi Tasek Tambahan yesterday. Suhaimi added that in the long run, the initiative will be expanded to include more local authorities to ensure a comprehensive implementation using a “whole-of-nation” approach. Earlier, three locations were selected for the Healthy City pilot project, which is part of Malaysia’s national public health agenda, namely at Jerantut in Pahang, Laman Rekreasi Tasek Tambahan Ampang in Selangor and Taman Tasik Putra Kulim in Kedah, involving a total allocation of RM1.5 million. Meanwhile, Ampang Jaya Municipal Council president Dr Ani Ahmad said the pilot project at Laman Rekreasi Tasek Tambahan, which started on Oct 8, 2021, was supposed to be completed on Jan 7 last year but was delayed due to the implementation of the movement control order. “This project was finally completed in May this year and for the first time, a remote control car competition was held at the purpose-built circuit here yesterday, There were 60 participants at the event. “It is hoped that with the facilities available, international level competitions can be held here in the future.” Poor compliance to Socso obligation in Terengganu KUALA TERENGGANU: The first month of the “Op Pemutihan” in Terengganu showed almost half of the employers checked had failed to contribute to the Social Security Organisation (Socso). Terengganu Socso director Farihah Che Husin said it involved 255 employers out of 585 inspections carried out by the agency throughout the state last month. “This year, Socso is carrying out operations nationwide for two months, from May 1 to June 30, unlike previous years, in which operations ran for only one month. “Inspections last month found that 255 employers failed to register and contribute to Socso. Various reasons were given for the failure to pay, including not knowing that Socso existed and not having the time to register.” She said a total of 14 people registered under the Self-Employment Social Security Scheme in May and contributed RM652.40. – Bernama A Socso officer checking records of a shopkeeper during an enforcement operation at Jalan Banggol in Terengganu yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC Cultural festival boon for tourism in Ipoh IPOH: The Pesta Budaya Nusantara@Ipoh will help to attract more visitors to Ipoh City, in line with the Visit Ipoh Year 2023 campaign, according to the state executive councillor in charge of tourism. Loh Sze Yee said Pesta Budaya Nusantara@Ipoh serves as an excellent platform for the promotion of culture and arts. “I was given to understand that Ipoh City Council is organising this event for the second time. Last year, it was held on a smaller scale with participation limited to several art groups from within the country. “But this time, we have delegations from friendship cities overseas, namely Medan in Indonesia and Nanning in China,” he said at the launch of the event on Saturday. Also present at the event were Ipoh Mayor Datuk Rumaizi Baharin and China’s consulgeneral in Penang Zhou Youbin. – Bernama
6 theSUN ON MONDAY | JUNE 12, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS Trump rallies supporters after explosive indictment WASHINGTON: Donald Trump on Saturday railed against the “corrupt” US justice system, lashing out a day after federal prosecutors indicted him on multiple felony charges in an explosive development in the 2024 presidential election race. The 37 counts of the indictment – released on Friday and focused on his alleged mishandling of classified materials – set him up for a far more severe legal reckoning than the charges of personal, political and commercial misconduct he has largely ridden out in the past. And it also sets the stage for a White House race like no other before it, with President Joe Biden’s Department of Justice pursuing the prosecution of the clear front-runner for the Republican nomination. Trump appeared before two state Republican conventions – first in Georgia and then North Carolina – and railed against what he called an unfair legal attack on him. “You’re dealing with crazy lunatics,” he said in his North Carolina appearance. “The baseless indictment of me by the Biden administration’s weaponised department of injustice will go down as among the most horrific abuses of power in the history of our country.” The two events came just days before Trump is due to appear in federal court in Miami to answer charges that he put national security “at risk” by wilfully retaining classified defence information, conspiring to obstruct justice, corruptly concealing documents, and making false statements. – AFP B R I E F S UK OPPOSITION DEMANDS ELECTION LONDON: UK opposition leader Keir Starmer yesterday demanded a general election as three MPs from the ruling Conservative Party, including Boris Johnson, quit Parliament following a probe into Covid lockdown-breaking parties. Labour leader Starmer tweeted that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak “must finally find a backbone, call an election, and let the public have their say on 13 years of Tory failure. This farce must stop. People have had enough of a shambolic Tory government and a weak prime minister no one voted for”. Johnson announced on Friday he was leaving as MP, claiming he had been forced out in a stitch-up by his political opponents. – AFP ‘UNABOMBER’ DIES IN AMERICAN PRISON WASHINGTON: Ted Kaczynski, known as the “Unabomber,” who terrorised Americans from 1978 to 1995 with his sporadic, anonymous bombing campaign, died in prison on Saturday. Kaczynski, 81, whose attacks killed three and injured two dozen, was found unresponsive at 12.25am local time at a federal prison medical centre in Butner, North Carolina. He was taken to the hospital, where he was officially pronounced dead later in the morning. The reclusive mathematician, whose targets ranged from academics to random civilians, had a self-professed goal of halting the advance of modern technology and society. – AFP Ukraine counter-offensive has begun: Zelensky KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that a counter-offensive against Russian forces was under way, while declining to give specifics on his troops’ operations. “Counter-offensive and defensive actions are taking place in Ukraine: at which stage I will not talk in detail,” he said on Saturday, commenting after Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that Kyiv’s operation was already failing. Russia has reported thwarting Ukrainian attacks in the east and south. “It’s interesting what Putin said about our counter-offensive. It is important that Russia always feels this: that they do not have long left, in my opinion,” Zelensky said. He added that he was in daily touch with military commanders, including armed forces chief Valery Zaluzhny, and “everyone is positive now, tell that to Putin!” On Saturday, Kyiv’s forces conducted counter-offensive operations in at least four front-line oRussia reports thwarting attacks in east and south areas, according to the Washington-based think tank, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). “Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian forces have tactical advantages in conducting assaults at night due to Western-provided equipment with superior night optics systems,” ISW said. To shore up that stockpile, Zelensky secured fresh pledges of military aid while meeting with visiting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over the weekend. Trudeau, 51, and Zelensky, 45, hugged and used each other’s first names as the Canadian leader made his second unannounced visit to Kyiv since full-scale war broke out in February last year. Canada has been one of Kyiv’s Four children found alive after 40 days in Amazon BOGOTA: Exhausted but happy, four Indigenous children who had been missing for more than a month in the Colombian Amazon rainforest were reunited with their relatives on Saturday, in a happy ending to a nerve-racking saga that gripped the nation. The siblings, who had been wandering alone in the jungle after surviving a plane crash that left their mother and two other adults dead, were discovered after an intense rescue operation involving sniffer dogs, helicopters and aircraft. Looking thin and frail, the children were transported by army medical plane to a military hospital in Bogota. Defence Minister Ivan Velasquez, who visited them in the hospital with President Gustavo Petro, said they are recovering, but cannot yet eat solid food. The youngest two children, now five and one, spent their birthdays in the jungle, as Lesly, the oldest at just 13 years old, guided them through the ordeal. “It is thanks to her, her courage and her leadership, that the three others were able to survive, with her care, her knowledge of the jungle,” Velasquez said. General Pedro Sanchez, who led the search operation, credited Indigenous people involved in the rescue effort with finding the children. “We found the children: miracle, miracle, miracle!” he told reporters. Members of the Huitoto Indigenous group, the children – aged 13, nine, five and one – had been lost in the jungle since May 1, when the Cessna 206 in which they were travelling crashed. The pilot had reported engine problems only minutes after taking off from a deep Amazon area known as Araracuara on the 350km journey to the town of San Jose del Guaviare. The bodies of the pilot, the children’s mother and a local Indigenous leader were all found at the crash site, where the plane sat almost vertical in the trees. Officials said the group had been fleeing threats from members of an armed group. “They are happy to see the family ... they have all their senses,” the children’s grandfather, Fidencio Valencia, told reporters. “They are children of the bush,” Valencia said, adding that they know how to survive in the jungle. They “survived at first by eating a little flour (which was on board the plane), then seeds”, he said. At the request of their father, Sanchez will be made the youngest child’s godfather. “For me, it is an honour,” the visibly moved officer said, placing his hand on his heart. – AFP key allies since the Russian invasion. It has provided Ukraine with significant military aid, trained more than 36,000 soldiers and adopted sanctions against Moscow. On Saturday, Trudeau pledged Canada would be part of the multinational effort to train Ukraine’s fighter pilots. Trudeau also urged international organisations to come to the aid of those in Russian-occupied territories after flooding from the breached Kakhovka dam forced thousands to flee their homes and sparked fears of humanitarian and environmental disasters. Ukraine accuses Russia of blowing up the dam, while Moscow says Kyiv fired on it. – AFP Fires intensify in Canada, could last ‘all summer’ OTTAWA: New and intensifying fires are forcing the evacuation of thousands across Canada as the country battled out-of-control blazes that a provincial minister warned on Saturday could last “all summer”. Nearly 17,800 square miles have burned since the beginning of the year, well above previous averages as the country warms quicker than the rest of the world amid climate change. The country’s west has been particularly hit. After several days of respite, fires intensified in Alberta, where on Friday night the town of Edson saw its second evacuation since May. “The fire is so out of control that some forestry crews have had to back off,” said Luc Mercier, chief administrative officer of Yellowhead County, where Edson is located. “They can’t fight this fire.” Speaking to broadcaster CBC, resident Hayley Waites said the evacuation of Edson took place in the form of an “enormous convoy” of people fleeing the town. In British Columbia, the 2,400 person town of Tumbler Ridge was largely evacuated as a fire approached within a couple of miles of the city. In the country’s east, Quebec Minister of Public Security Francois Bonnardel said the situation in the central and northwestern parts of the province remained difficult, with several towns threatened. Fires in northeast Quebec were considered “stable”. “This is a first in the history of Quebec to fight so many fires, to evacuate so many people,” Bonnardel said on Saturday. “We are going to have a fight that we think will last all summer.” – AFP A still image taken from video showing purported destroyed Ukrainian armoured vehicles at an unidentified location in southern Donetsk. – RUSSIAN DEFENCE MINISTRY/ REUTERSPIC
7 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON MONDAY | JUNE 12, 2023 Thousands evacuated as Philippine volcano spews ash, rocks MANILA: Thousands of people living near a Philippine volcano have taken shelter in evacuation centres as officials warned yesterday of health risks from ash and toxic gases spewing from the rumbling crater. Seismology researchers said they had recorded at least one volcanic earthquake in the past 24 hours and red-hot rocks were falling from Mount Mayon in the central province of Albay. More than 12,800 people have been moved to evacuation centres, the Philippine civil defence office said, most from farming villages at or near the foot of the volcano. “There is a concomitant health risk while being close to the eruption because of inhaling sulphur dioxide gas or the particulate matter of ashfalls,” Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa told a press briefing. Mayon, 330km southeast of the capital Manila, is considered one of the most volatile of the country’s 24 active volcanoes. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said rocks were falling from a disintegrating lava dome being pushed out of the crater by molten material below the earth. The rocks were raining down on areas up to two kilometres away and sulphur dioxide emissions had tripled on Saturday, said state volcanologists. A five-step alert system for the volcano was raised from two to three on Thursday, with authorities warning of possible respiratory illnesses from inhaling fumes. “With Albay in a state of calamity due to Mayon’s activity, we remind people to follow the recommendations and evacuation instructions of your local governments,” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Saturday. – AFP ‘China operating intel unit in Cuba for years’ WASHINGTON: China has been operating an intelligence unit in Cuba for years and upgraded it in 2019 in an effort to enhance its presence on the Caribbean island, a White House official said on Saturday. “This is well documented in the intelligence record,” the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said in confirming China’s intelligence presence. US media in recent days had reported that Beijing was planning to set up a spy base on the island, which is located just off American shores. When President Joe Biden took office in January 2021, “we were briefed on a number of sensitive PRC efforts around the world to expand its overseas logistics, basing, and collection infrastructure globally”, the administration official said, using an acronym for the People’s Republic of China. “This effort included the presence of PRC intelligence collection facilities in Cuba. “In fact, the PRC conducted an upgrade of its intelligence collection facilities in Cuba in 2019.” The Cuban government, which has already denied the presence of a Chinese spy base on its territory, slammed the latest development. “Slanderous speculation continues, evidently promoted by certain media outlets to cause damage and alarm, without following minimal communication patterns, and without providing data or evidence to support what they spread,” Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio said on Twitter. The developments come as Chinese President Xi Jinping has pushed a rapid expansion of the country’s security presence around the world. A base in Cuba, which lies 150km off Florida’s southern tip, would be viewed in Washington as a direct challenge to the continental US. – AFP B R I E F S HAILSTORMS LASH NORTHEASTERN CHINESE CITY BEIJING: Severe hailstorms lashed a city in northeastern China on Saturday, affecting some 7,000ha of farmland and causing an estimated loss of 200 million yuan (RM129 million), state broadcaster CCTV reported yesterday. Hailstones swept Wafangdian in the northeastern province of Liaoning, CCTV reported. A village on its outskirts received 48.1mm of rainfall in one hour, the highest across the province, the Liaoning Meteorological Service Centre said. Heavy rains have battered crops in central China’s Henan province in recent days, where about one-third of the country’s wheat is grown. These losses may lead to rising grain imports into the world’s biggest wheat consumer. – Reuters JAPAN KEEPS MISSILE DEFENCE ALERT AFTER DEADLINE TOKYO: Japan extended its alert on ballistic missile defences yesterday despite the expiration of North Korea’s deadline for launching a satellite had passed. Japan put its ballistic missile defences on alert last month and vowed to shoot down any projectile it deemed to threaten its territory, after North Korea notified Japan it planned to launch a satellite between May 31 and midnight on Saturday night. “Japan will keep its order regarding the ballistic missile defences for the time being,” the Defence Ministry said in a brief statement that did not provide a reason. North Korea last month informed the International Maritime Organisation of the schedule of its planned satellite launch. – Reuters Shootings reported at two Vietnam police stations HANOI: Several people were killed and wounded in shootings at two police headquarters in Vietnam’s Central Highlands yesterday, authorities said. Six people were arrested in connection with the shootings in Cu Kuin district of Dak Lak province, according to Public Security Ministry’s website. Investigators were searching for more suspects, it said. The attacks on the police headquarters of oSix arrested, several killed and wounded both Ea Tieu and Ea Ktur communes occurred on yesterday morning, according to the site. It said a number of people, including police, local officials and civilians were killed and wounded but did not provide exact figures. Police could not be immediately reached for comment. The Central Highlands, home to a number of ethnic minorities, is considered a sensitive area for Vietnam’s government and has long been a hotbed of discontent over issues that include land rights. Some tribes in the area – collectively known as Montagnards – sided with the US-backed south during Vietnam’s decades-long war. Some are calling for more autonomy, while others abroad advocate independence for the region. Several state media outlets withdrew their reports about the incident earlier yesterday before republishing them hours later. Gun violence is extremely uncommon in Vietnam, where it is illegal for citizens to own firearms and the black market for weapons is limited. Four people were shot dead at an illegal co*ckfighting betting ring on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh city in January 2020. In another rare shooting in 2016, two senior officials in northern Yen Bai province were killed by a colleague at their office before the gunman shot himself. – AFP South Korean police arrest dozens for corporate spying SEOUL: South Korean police have arrested 77 people involved in 35 cases of suspected industrial espionage discovered during a recent nationwide investigation, Yonhap news agency reported yesterday. Most cases only involved domestic companies, although eight were related to the leak of technology secrets to China or other countries, Yonhap quoted the National Police Agency as saying. The agency could not immediately be reached for comment. The number of international cases was double that of a similar probe conducted one year ago, Yonhap said, citing police data. One suspect was arrested for leaking confidential corporate information upon moving from a South Korean employer to a Chinese company, which promised hundreds of millions of won (hundreds of thousands of ringgit) to cover housing, schooling and living expenses in return for the information, the report said. – Reuters CELEBRATING CHILDREN ... Youths taking part in a parade during the Tadika Samphan Festival at Chulap*rn camp in the southern Thai province of Narathiwat. – AFPPIC
8 theSUN ON MONDAY | JUNE 12, 2023 SPEAK UP Or download app on the AppStore or Google Play ENJOY A SEAMLESS READING EXPERIENCE. Read our iPaper at https://www.thesundaily.my/ Strive to be university for the world I N September 2018, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim offered the following advice in his address to university students in Singapore: “You have to study hard and make sure you excel in your studies, but you must also know that you study not just to become successful professionals, you must also aim to serve. “You owe it to the community and it is this conviction that must stay with you. There are values in life beyond just making money and enjoying yourself. There are so many people who are being deprived, marginalised and oppressed here and elsewhere. Your duty as a student is to take this up.” And to the universities, he said they not only have to be excellent as an institution but must also have a heart. He added that they must also train students to think and reflect, and not only to understand and have adequate knowledge to succeed. That would fail education. Most of us accept that the main purpose of education is to help us attain a better life. This often means getting a good job. Employability holds a significant importance in higher education, and it is no secret that as universities, we measure success based on the generation of new knowledge and the ability of our graduates to secure employment. Nevertheless, the conventional educational system has frequently faced criticism for its institutionalised approach, which is believed to limit learning to narrow economic goals. The criticism surrounding this issue continues to amplify. Many argue that the role and practice of education in today’s volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world should undergo a transformation. Education should empower our youths to face the challenges of modern life, encourage their personal growth and enable them to contribute towards making the world a better place. How should universities react to such criticism? Do we need to reshape our educational approach to stay ahead of the curve? The answer becomes clearer when we try to understand the expectations of both present and future learners, whom universities will educate in the years to come. Rise of purpose-led generation Generation Z (Gen Z), the first generation of digital natives are people born between 1995 and 2010, spanning from 13 to 28 years old. In a study conducted by McKinsey in 2018, four core Gen Z behaviours were identified, all anchoring on one element: this generation’s pursuit for truth. Gen Z value individual expression and reject being defined by labels. They proactively engage in various causes and movements. Compared with previous generations, they demonstrate a heightened interest in human rights, issues concerning race and ethnicity, social justice and climate change. They believe profoundly in the efficacy of dialogue to solve conflicts and improve the world. The Deloitte Global 2022 Gen Z and Millennial Survey revealed that 76% of Gen Z advocated for a better world, who wants to see us “invest in visible, everyday environmental actions, where they have an opportunity to be involved”. Generation Alpha (Gen Alpha) are those born between 2010 and 2025. They will likely become a large segment of the global population, with approximately more than 2.8 million being born each week. It is anticipated that the total population of Generation Alpha will exceed two billion individuals by 2025. Gen Alpha will enter universities after 2026. Australian social researcher Mark McCrindle, who coined the term Gen Alpha, predicts that this group will become the wealthiest and most technologically savvy generation, who will also enjoy a longer life span. Generation Alpha is expected to have longer educational journeys, start earning years later and stay home with their parents for extended periods. They are likely to exhibit shorter attention spans, anticipate educational experiences that incorporate gamification and have an entrepreneurial zeal. Additionally, they seek opportunities to apply their learning in real-life scenarios beyond the confines of educational institutions. In essence, Gen Alpha will increasingly demand to see a high degree of equilibrium between the outside world and how they interact and learn inside the institution. Multiple studies by Ernst and Young and Pearson and McKinsey in 2020 and 2021 have confirmed a major shift in learner expectations about university studies. Learners today and in the future are likely to be more socially conscious, want to support a good cause and are more driven to make a positive impact on the world. Learners do not just want university credentials, instead, they seek out education infused with purpose and meaning that has a positive impact on communities and industries. They have a strong desire for personalised and meaningful learning experiences, aligned with their identity and purpose or passion. This shift in generational behaviour presents a remarkable opportunity for universities today, allowing us to seize a unique moment to redefine our value proposition to cater to the needs and aspirations of these learners. Apart from remaining relevant to learners, this is also an opportunity to not only produce highly employable graduates but a generation of youths, who are empowered to make a positive impact in the world. By doing so, we can rekindle the humanistic essence of higher education by expanding beyond narrow economic objectives and myopic focus on market value. Instead, we can foster a more profound cultivation of human values that recognise the inherent dignity of individuals and the world around us. Education will no longer be just about getting good grades and accumulating credentials to ensure high employability but serve to empower our youths to take a productive place as purpose-driven leaders in the global community. Purpose learning A purpose-driven university is one where education and research are purpose-led and impact-driven, and will align the staff and students’ passion, purpose and profession. By adopting a model similar to Ikigai (a Japanese concept meaning “a reason for being”), the aspiration will be for staff and students to live successful and meaningful lives. To do so, students and staff will need to do what they love, what the world needs, what they are good at and what they can be paid for. In a purpose-driven university, students will articulate their purpose through “I will” statements, which will help guide them to co-curate their study plans, with faculty members to focus on societal problems, understand the issues and craft solutions throughout their learning journey. Almost all university faculties today are organised by discipline. Yet, the challenges facing our world are so complex that no single discipline can effectively solve these independently. Hence, universities must establish Impact Laboratories (Impact Labs), which comprise solution-focused teams of academics, practitioners and students with a common purpose and committed to working together to make progress on societal problems, while being guided by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. They will bring together transdisciplinary expertise from across the university as well as partners from government, businesses, nonprofit organisations, philanthropic practitioners and beneficiary groups to generate new insights and creative approaches required to solve complex challenges. Staff and students can live their “I will” purpose through such labs, which will enable the integration of research, education and advocacy to deliver practical solutions. They will also shape new policies, practices or products that can contribute to people and the planet and towards its prosperity. Through Impact Labs, learning and research will become more meaningful as staff and students feel empowered to believe that they can live their purpose and make a positive impact on society. In conclusion, it may be harsh to label current approaches to educating our youth as a failure. These approaches may have just outlived their original purpose and relevance. We need to have a serious rethink about how we continue educating our youths, in light of the complex societal problems, and shift learner expectations. Imagine the powerful and positive outcomes that can be unleashed when thousands of youths, driven by their respective “I will” statements, undertake education projects infused with impact. Hopefully, we can start experiencing an endless list of contributions on issues of poverty, health, the environment, infrastructure, justice, renewable energy, governance, art, culture and many other areas. Perhaps, universities can move from aiming to be the “best in the world” to becoming universities that are the “best for the world”. The writer is Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer at Taylor’s University. He is also a multi-award-winning professor of Leadership and Innovation in Higher Education. Comments: [emailprotected] Many argue that the role and practice of education in today’s volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world should undergo a transformation. – AMIRUL SYAFIQ/ THESUN COMMENT by Prof Dr Pradeep Nair
9 SPEAK UP theSUN ON MONDAY | JUNE 12, 2023 theSun ONWEDNESDAY | NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSun ON WEDNESDAY | NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS THE OBJECTIVES TO achieve greater unity among Malaysians TO maintain a democratic way of life TO create a just society in which the wealth of the nation shall be equitably shared TO ensure a liberal approach to her rich and diverse cultural traditions TO build a progressive society which shall be oriented to modern science and technology RUKUN NEGARA: THE PRINCIPLES BELIEF IN GOD LOYALTY TO KING AND COUNTRY THE SUPREMACY OF THE CONSTITUTION THE RULE OF LAW COURTESY AND MORALITY THE OBJECTIVES TO achieve greater unity among Malaysians TO maintain a democratic way of life TO create a just society in which the wealth of the nation shall be equitably shared TO ensure a liberal approach to her rich and diverse cultural traditions TO build a progressive society which shall be oriented to modern science and technology RUKUN NEGARA: THE PRINCIPLES BELIEF IN GOD LOYALTY TO KING AND COUNTRY THE SUPREMACY OF THE CONSTITUTION THE RULE OF LAW COURTESY AND MORALITY THE recently concluded Lima, themed “The Nexus of Asia’s Maritime and Aerospace Trade”, achieved a significant milestone for the maritime industry. The event made a strong rebound after the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, gaining a status as the leading aerospace and maritime exhibition and trade show in the AsiaPacific region, garnering tremendous attention and participation from international players in the maritime and aerospace industries. The exhibition, which showcased state-ofthe-art technologies and defence systems, opened valuable opportunities for us to expand our know-how and charted new pathways for international collaboration. According to media reports, the event resulted in the signing of memorandums of understanding and commercial contracts worth a total of RM7.5 billion as well as attracting over 525 exhibitors. It is noteworthy that the technological advances and sharing of knowledge demonstrated in the maritime sector have significantly raised awareness about the crucial role of ports and shipping in establishing Malaysia as a prominent maritime nation. Being a trading nation, where over 90% of our trade is shipped through ocean-going vessels, the maritime fraternity feels that this sector should be well protected and enhanced in all manner. Taking cognisance of our capabilities, resources and geostrategic location, Lima paved the way and boosted Malaysia’s position as a regional hub in the maritime sector and created wider opportunities for the domestic sphere to flourish. Lima should be given further impetus to provide an excellent platform to showcase the newest maritime capabilities and advancements to an international audience. The exhibition that displays naval vessels, maritime assets, surveillance systems, technological innovations and cyber security measures will highlight the country’s commitment to maritime excellence. To further bolster our maritime realm and be a key regional player, the following measures can reshape the direction: 0 Attract foreign investment: Lima attracts participants from around the world, including defence contractors, maritime industry leaders and potential investors. The exhibition serves as a catalyst for foreign investment as it demonstrates the country’s potential, and creates opportunities for partnerships and collaborations. 0 Knowledge transfer and collaboration: It hosts conferences, seminars and forums on current issues, where industry experts and professionals gather to share knowledge, discuss challenges and explore solutions. These platforms facilitate knowledge transfer, allowing Malaysia to learn from global best practices and collaborate with international partners to enhance its maritime capabilities. 0 Boost tourism and economy: Lima’s international prominence attracts a significant number of visitors, including tourists and business travellers, to Langkawi. This influx of visitors contributes to the local economy, generating revenue for the hospitality industry, transportation services and local businesses. The exhibition should promote Langkawi as a tourist destination and boost its image as a regional maritime hub. 0 Human capital development: It can provide opportunities for Malaysia’s maritime professionals, students and researchers to interact with international experts and gain exposure to cutting-edge technologies. This exposure can contribute to the development of human capital in the maritime sector, fostering innovation, expertise and a skilled workforce in Malaysia. 0 International diplomacy and networking: It serves as a platform for international diplomacy and networking, bringing together representatives from various countries. Malaysia can use this opportunity to strengthen diplomatic ties, establish strategic partnerships and enhance its global maritime presence. The exhibition facilitates discussions on regional security issues, maritime cooperation and joint exercises, promoting peace and stability in the region. Succinctly, Lima strengthens Malaysia’s maritime sector by showcasing its capabilities, attracting foreign investment, facilitating knowledge transfer, contributing to defence and security, boosting tourism and the economy, fostering human capital development and promoting international diplomacy and networking. Its significance goes beyond the exhibition itself as it plays a crucial role in positioning Malaysia as a maritime leader in the region and beyond. Thewriter is a Senior Research Fellow at the National Institute of Public Administration. Comments: [emailprotected] Enhancing diversity, equity and inclusivity WORLD Environment Day passed in a whirlwind and with little fanfare, buried beneath heaps of empty rhetoric and glossy publications strewn across the vast expanse of the media landscape. However, let us pause for a moment to delve deeper into the significance of this day and explore the intricate connection between diversity, equity, inclusivity (DEI), and the grand fabric of sustainability. While the environment and its ties to sustainability are commonly debated and discussed, the pivotal role of DEI often remains obscured and relegated to the shadows. Yet, it is crucial to acknowledge that diversity and inclusion are not mere ornamental gestures but rather integral agents that fortify the foundation of a sustainable future. They transcend the realm of programmes or policies, serving as practical tools that construct a culture of global advancement. In our relentless pursuit of sustainability, it is paramount to embrace and engage diverse communities, for they bring forth unique voices, perspectives and experiences. By bridging the gaps that separate us and amplifying the positive influence of these varied voices, we can forge innovative strategies and foster a more inclusive approach. The strength of sustainability lies in the harmonious chorus of diverse voices, where the involvement of a wide array of stakeholders yields resolute outcomes. Moreover, by expanding the horizons of the DEI agenda, we can enhance collaboration by embracing a wide range of opinions and approaches. This will ensure that the benefits of sustainable actions are distributed more equitably among the communities they impact. By valuing diversity and promoting inclusion, we can fashion a world that is both fair and resilient. As we commemorate World Environment Day, let us not confine our focus solely to the preservation of our planet’s natural resources, the fight against climate change or the resolution of environmental predicaments. Instead, let us celebrate and embrace the wondrous beauty and diversity that our planet harbours. This year’s theme, “Preserving our Planet”, serves as a poignant reminder of the urgent need to safeguard the delicate balance of our ecosystems. It beckons us to foster unity among communities and transcend the artificial boundaries of ethnic differentiation with unwavering zeal. Today, let us strive for a world where sustainability and diversity intertwine seamlessly, where every voice is not only heard but also cherished, and where we collectively endeavour to safeguard the marvels of our planet for generations to come. Through our concerted efforts, by embracing diversity and promoting inclusion, we can construct a future that is both sustainable and harmonious. The time for action is upon us. We must adopt a proactive approach that encompasses every facet of our lives, from individual choices to collective endeavours. In this context, it is all too easy to underestimate the transformative power of individual actions. However, the choices we make can have far-reaching consequences, leaving a profound impact on the environment. Together, as a united community, we can channel our efforts towards a common goal and achieve greater strides. In this respect, the role of education cannot be understated. Education plays an essential part in shaping a sustainable future by nurturing communities that view diversity as a strength, blending efforts in myriad ways. Just as we hold deep affection for the environment, let us not forget to accord due attention to our fellow human beings. Sustainable change necessitates collective action. Governments, businesses, civil society organisations and individuals must collaborate wholeheartedly to effectively address environmental challenges. Governments must implement and enforce policies that champion sustainable practices, invest in renewable energy sources and safeguard biodiversity. Businesses must embrace eco-friendly strategies, curtail emissions and prioritise circular economies. Civil society organisations can ignite awareness campaigns, support conservation initiatives and advocate for environmental justice. And this should go beyond reports churned out for compliance purposes. As individuals, we can actively engage in community initiatives, lend support to environmental causes and foster dialogues that inspire change. Our planet’s biodiversity stands on the precipice of peril. Numerous species teeter on the brink of extinction and ecosystems face irreversible damage. World Environment Day stands as a solemn reminder of the need to protect and restore our natural habitats. Reforestation efforts, the protection of endangered species, and the establishment of sanctuaries assume paramount importance in preserving biodiversity. By recognising the interconnectedness of all living beings, we can construct a sustainable future that reveres and cherishes the natural world. In this light, the perennial question often arises: Can development and sustainability coexist? Academicians propose that this is indeed possible if development, including reclamation efforts, is undertaken responsibly. Technology and innovation possess the potential to revolutionise our sustainability pursuits, hand in hand with development. Scientists, researchers and entrepreneurs toil tirelessly to create cleaner energy solutions, sustainable agricultural practices and eco-friendly materials. World Environment Day serves as a moment for introspection and action. As we celebrate the splendour and abundance of our planet, let us always bear in mind our collective responsibility to protect and preserve it. Through individual actions, education, collaboration and innovation, we can effect tangible change and safeguard our environment. Let us embrace the winds of change, for it is through change that we can pave the way for a sustainable future – where our planet can flourish and future generations thrive in harmony with it. Meanwhile, amid our grand undertaking, let us not forget that DEI will enrich our shared goals of preserving the environment. Instead of indulging in endless debates and futile disputes over racial issues, let us channel our time and resources into fostering a more inclusive and sustainable world. Comments: [emailprotected] Propelling Malaysia as regional maritime hub COMMENT by Dr Periasamy Gunasekaran Lima resulted in the signing of memorandums of understanding and commercial contracts worth a total of RM7.5 billion this year. – BERNAMAPIC “It is crucial to acknowledge that diversity and inclusion are not mere ornamental gestures but rather integral agents that fortify the foundation of a sustainable future. They transcend the realm of programmes or policies, serving as practical tools that construct a culture of global advancement.
10 theSUN ON MONDAY | JUNE 12, 2023 MEDIA & MARKETING C Carlsberg Golf Classic 2023 ARLSBERG just hit a Hole-in-One with The Carlsberg Golf Classic (CGC) by introducing two digital golf legs to attract beginner golfers who prefer to play off-course in indoor simulators. They’ve cleverly rebranded it as #NEXTGEN. With approximately RM1.6 million in prizes and consumables as rewards, the new concept - CGC #NEXTGEN - is aimed to promote local golf entertainment while also continuing to strengthen traditional-golf growth at golf clubs nationwide. CGC has proven itself multiple times throughout the years as it continues to strengthen its position as the country’s largest and longest-running amateur golf series. It has been exactly three decades since the first tee-off in 1993, and even now, it is open to members of the nation’s most renowned and established golf clubs. From June to October, 30 prestigious golf clubs will host the CGC, which will have 25 legs in Peninsular Malaysia, three legs in Sabah, and two legs in Sarawak. CGC #NEXTGEN is anticipated to bring together more than 3,600 amateur golfers to celebrate golfing moments and to compete for the championship title at the national finals in the fourth quarter of this year. In addition to reinvigorating CGC for golf enthusiasts, the two #NEXTGEN digital-leg editions at MST Golf Arena, The Gardens Mall, and Golf X, Damansara City Mall, both in Kuala Lumpur, are expected to reaffirm the brand’s innovative approach in encouraging off-course golfers to participate in on-course tournaments, converting their interest into actual trials that will undoubtedly form a positive experience for everyone involved. “2023 marks a significant 30-year milestone as we upped the ante with Carlsberg Golf Classic #NEXTGEN, featuring digital legs for keen ‘newcomer’ golfers. This paves the way for a more inclusive and accessible entry point into the world of golf, (Centre) Stefano Clini, Carlsberg Malaysia’s Managing Director with Carlsberg Golf Classic 2023 sponsors at the launch event at MST Golf Arena, The Gardens Mall – CARLSBERG MALAYSIA oIn honour of its 30-year anniversary, the company is unveiling all-new digital legs █ BYYASMIN ZULRAEZ TAR UMT’s Open Day to be held daily from 8 June 2023 IN conjunction with its 2023 intakes, Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT) will have an Open Day at all its campuses (KL, Penang, Perak, Johor, Pahang, and Sabah), on 3 – 4 June 2023, and subsequently from 8 – 25 June 2023 (10am – 5pm), upon the release of SPM 2022 results. The levels of study offered range from Foundation to Postgraduate programmes. Parents and students are invited to visit TAR UMT’s campus and discover what TAR UMT can offer. This is also an excellent opportunity for visitors to meet with academic staff to gain more insight into their programmes of interest. Students who submit their application at the Open Day will receive a waiver on the processing fee. For more information, contact us at 03-41450100/23 ext 3478/3519, mobile at 011 – 1084 3326 or visit our website at www.tarc.edu.my. Follow our Facebook page @Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology for more updates. enabling us to celebrate quality beer and memorable golf moments with on- and offcourse golfers,” said Stefano Clini, Carlsberg Malaysia’s Managing Director, during the media launch at MST Golf Arena, The Gardens Mall. “The Carlsberg Golf Classic tournament has never been merely about swinging clubs and hitting a little white ball. It celebrates camaraderie, sportsmanship, and the pursuit of personal bests. At Carlsberg, we believe in inspiring these moments and creating unforgettable experiences because every moment is made ‘Best with Carlsberg’, and the Carlsberg Golf Classic #NEXTGEN epitomises our commitment to this belief,” Clini continued. This year’s National Finals will feature two Hole-in-One prizes courtesy of Mercedes Benz Malaysia, the A200 Sedan and E200, as well as the chance to win a TaylorMade Select Plus Cart Bag, a pair of ‘Adidas Dress Like a Pro’ outfit worth RM5,000, a TaylorMade Stealth Tensei Red Irons set, and a Garmin Approach R10 Golf Launch monitor. The Nett and Gross champions will each receive a Fenix 7 Sapphire Solar smartwatch and a stunning Garmin Marq GPS Smart Watch. It’s clear that Carlsberg is in it to win it, as their launch was an obvious success. In addition, the official partners of the Carlsberg Golf Classic #NEXTGEN 2023 are Mercedes-Benz, Adidas, TaylorMade, Garmin and SunPlay.
KLCI 1,376.08 1.44 STI 3,186.97 0.36 HANG SENG 19,389.95 90.77 SCI 3,231.41 17.82 NIKKEI 32,265.17 TSEC 16,886.40 152.71 KOSPI 2,641.16 S&P/ASX200 7,122.50 22.80 MONDAY JUNE 12, 2023 Editorial Tel: 03-7784 6688 Fax: 03-7785 2624/5 Email: [emailprotected] Advertising Tel: 03-7784 8888 Fax: 03-7784 4424 Email: [emailprotected] 5 MOST ACTIVES June 9, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (sen) +/– (sen) XOX 284,809,500 1.5 UNCH FITTERS-WC 144,451,500 0.5 UNCH BORNOIL 111,724,500 1.5 UNCH SAPNRG 105,022,100 3.5 UNCH HSI-CLZ 81,145,700 15.5 +0.5 EXCHANGERATES JUNE 9, 2023 Foreign currency Bank sell Bank buy Bank buy TT/OD TT OD 1 US DOLLAR 4.6740 4.5380 4.5400 1 AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR 3.1550 3.0290 3.0090 1 BRUNEI DOLLAR 3.4800 3.3790 3.3700 1 CANADIAN DOLLAR 3.4940 3.4000 3.4040 1 EURO 5.0490 4.8840 4.8490 1 NEW ZEALAND DOLLAR 2.8630 2.7560 2.7360 1 SINGAPORE DOLLAR 3.4800 3.3790 3.3560 1 STERLING POUND 5.8790 5.6940 5.6400 1 SWISS FRANC 5.1860 5.0650 5.0050 100 UAE DIRHAM 128.8100 122.0900 121.8700 100 BANGLADESH TAKA 4.3930 4.1200 3.9300 100 CHINESE RENMINBI 65.8000 63.3000 N/A 100 HONGKONG DOLLAR 60.3100 57.2900 57.0500 100 INDIAN RUPEE 5.7600 5.4100 5.2000 100 INDONESIAN RUPIAH 0.0325 0.0294 0.0244 100 JAPANESE YEN 3.3680 3.2610 3.2430 100 NEW TAIWAN DOLLAR 16.3000 N/A N/A 100 PAKISTAN RUPEE 1.6600 1.5500 1.3600 100 PHILIPPINE PESO 8.4700 7.9800 7.7700 100 QATAR RIYAL 129.7300 123.1600 122.8900 100 SAUDI RIYAL 126.0500 119.6600 119.4200 100 THAI BAHT 14.1000 12.5100 12.0300 Source: Malayan Banking Berhad/Bernama KL MARKET SUMMARY June 9, 2023 INDICES CHANGE FBMEMAS 10,151.90 +27.70 FBMKLCI 1,376.08 +1.44 CONSUMER PRODUCTS 547.33 -2.10 INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS 157.91 +0.23 CONSTRUCTION 161.50 +2.55 FINANCIAL SERVICES 15,139.90 +20.43 ENERGY 791.30 +12.49 TELECOMMUNICATIONS 598.62 +1.56 HEALTH CARE 1,801.73 -10.12 TRANSPORTATION 910.83 +3.41 PROPERTY 688.61 +2.44 PLANTATION 6,686.64 +41.64 FBMSHA 10,482.00 +31.83 FBMACE 5,050.83 +79.69 TECHNOLOGY 60.26 +0.54 TURNOVER VALUE 3.344 BIL RM1.486 BIL 5 TOP GAINERS June 9, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (RM) +/– RM BKAWAN 1,700 21.16 +0.84 MEITUAN-C19 700 0.70 +0.275 KLCC 20,100 7.08 +0.18 BPLANT 29,226,600 0.795 +0.155 EPMB 43,197,000 0.89 +0.145 5 TOP LOSERS June 9, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (RM) +/– RM RAPID 51,600 19.00 -1.00 PETDAG 161,300 21.46 -0.58 F&N 120,500 24.82 -0.18 HEXTECH 6,700 26.02 -0.18 HLBANK 707,200 18.66 -0.16 Participation 43.0 30.2 26.8 100.0 Institutions Retail Foreign Bought RM m 689.5 442.9 354.4 1486.8 Sold RM m 589.5 456.2 441.1 1486.8 Net RM m 100.0 -13.3 -86.7 0 % Preliminary stats (excluding trade amendments). For final data, please refer to www.bursamalaysia.com Source: Bursa Malaysia A Participating Organisation of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad A Trading Participant of Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Berhad S E C U R I T I E S S D N. B H D. 197201001092 (12738-U) 9/06/2023 Caution ahead of Fed meeting to influence ringgit KUALA LUMPUR: Cautious market sentiment is expected to influence the ringgit’s movement versus the US dollar this week, with external factors remaining as the main contributing factors. Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist and social finance head Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said investors will be closely monitoring the outcome of the US Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, to be held tomorrow and Wednesday, which will signal further direction for the greenback. Last week, the market saw the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Bank of Canada unexpectedly raising their policy rates by 25 basis points (bps) each. “So the perception is that the US Federal Reserve (Fed) might follow suit as some of the members are still leaning towards a hawkish stance. “In that sense, the ringgit versus the US dollar is likely to stay in a narrow range of 4.60 to 4.61 (this week) as market participants adopt a wait-and-see attitude while seeking guidance from the Fed in respect to the direction of the interest rates and whether the Fed is really open to the idea of higher-for-longer narrative,” Mohd Afzanizam told Bernama. Market consensus expects the US central bank to maintain its stance by raising the Fed Funds Rate by 25 bps. For the week just ended, the ringgit was lower versus a basket of major currencies over the four trading days. On a Friday-to-Friday basis, the ringgit weakened against the US dollar to 4.6115/6160 from 4.5745/5785. The local note also fell against the yen to 3.3022/3059 from 3.2957/2989 on the previous Friday, depreciated vis-a-vis the British pound to 5.7819/7875 from 5.7323/7373 last week, and declined versus the euro to 4.9611/9659 from 4.9254/9297. Address privacy, security risks when exploring AI use PETALING JAYA: As businesses explore the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) models such as ChatGPT to enhance service and drive innovation, it is crucial to address privacy and security challenges, according to Kevin Shepherdson (pic), CEO and founder of Straits Interactive, an Asean data governance solutions provider. Shepherdson said that if generative AI technology remains unregulated, it poses significant challenges related to privacy and security as well as ethics, bias and fairness. “From a privacy and security perspective, we can expect an increase in breaches committed by both organisations that adopt or deploy AI and cybercriminals who use AI in innovative ways, often combining it with existing technologies,” he told SunBiz. Shepherdson stated that the ease of deploying ChatGPT and interacting with business data through a chatbot will encourage many companies to adopt generative AI for various purposes, such as improving customer service and making recommendations. “Consequently, privacy leaks may become more common as companies deploy large language models (LLM) and use their own training data sets, which could potentially include personal data,” he said. He highlighted the potential risk of AIpowered chatbots being used for social engineering attacks by cybercriminals, as it can be used to create highly convincing messages tailored to individual targets. “As generative AI technologies advance and become more accessible, the potential for misuse by cybercriminals grows. They can harness the power of AI-powered chatbots like ChatGPT to create highly convincing social engineering attacks, customising them to individual targets and making it more difficult for people to detect such malicious activities,” he warned. Sheperdson explained, “Consider the oUnregulated landscape will pose challenges, including ethics, bias and fairness, says Straits Interactive CEO █ BY HAYATUN RAZAK [emailprotected] 623.90 30.31 following scenario: a social media chatbot from a new startup company may leak private information. Or imagine a cybercriminal copying your posts on Facebook and using ChatGPT to learn your writing style. This would enable them to adapt their phishing emails to match your style, making it easier for them to deceive your family members. “Or a cybercriminal reading your posts on Facebook and the date and destination of your next holiday. In Australia, this has enabled so-called “Hi Mum” scams, where criminals use messages such as the following to swindle victims: “Hi Mum, this is John, I’m in X and my wallet and phone have been stolen and I need cash urgently so please send (amount) to ....” Furthermore, he said, generative AI could be used to automate the creation of deepfake content, which allows malicious individuals to manipulate images, audio, or video in order to pretend to be someone else and spread false information, potentially leading to a rise in cases of identity theft, reputational damage, and financial loss. He added that these generative AI models have other limitations, highlighting that users should be aware that ChatGPT is trained only on content up to September 2021, and the quality of the responses depends on the questions asked, with the possibility of biases present in their outputs. “Due to the massive amounts of data ChatGPT has been trained on, it may also generalise if users do not provide a specific context, creating inaccurate content or a response too general to be considered useful,” Sheperdson said. He said distortion – the process of human mind-altering or modifying sensory input to create new interpretations, perspectives, or meanings – presents the biggest risk to users. “Ironically, ChatGPT mimics this unique human filtering process to the extreme – leading to what is now commonly known as ‘hallucination’. In this case, ChatGPT may make up its own facts and confidently proclaim the answers,” he added. During his review of the European Union’s upcoming Artificial Intelligence Act, Sheperdson asked ChatGPT for help with the analysis. In its response, it fabricated an article reference for the law, including a URL citation that didn’t exist. He said that this is a hard issue to solve as it has to do with how the data set is trained. “It’s thus important for users to learn to input the correct prompts to elicit more accurate answers. Many users are also unaware of the biases that may be embedded in their own conversational exchanges with ChatGPT.” He said current data protection models already incorporate rules or principles that govern how personal data should be collected, used, disclosed, transferred, stored or disposed of. These requirements, which also apply to AI systems, are reflected in data protection laws like the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) and the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). “The need to secure or protect personal data is a requirement under the PDPA, the GDPR and other data protection or data privacy laws. However, due to the advent of ChatGPT and generative AI, other obligations like consent, purpose limitation, and especially accuracy should also be applicable,” he said. Shepherdson stated that even if there is an AI law in place, it cannot account for every possible scenario. “We will have to rely on AI ethical principles, similar to the way we adhere to data protection principles, to ensure compliance and responsible use of the technology. “Before sharing any type of data with a generative AI provider, thoroughly review the provider’s privacy policy and terms of use. These documents outline the provider’s data-handling practices, data-retention policies, data-sharing agreements, and other critical aspects of their service,” he stressed.
12 theSUN ON MONDAY | JUNE 12, 2023 SUNBIZ /thesuntelegram FOLLOW ON TELEGRAM SCAN ME Malaysia, China should boost green economy cooperation: Miti PETALING JAYA: Malaysia and China, which are both committed to the global call for sustainability, should seek to deepen synergy between their green strategies by exploring further cooperation in the renewable energy sphere. According to the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (Miti), Malaysia is committed to pursuing the environmental, social and governance (ESG) agenda, by collaborating with China on green economy. More specifically, Malaysia noted that China has put in place a framework under the latter’s New Energy Automobile Industry Development Plan to strengthen its foothold in electric vehicle (EV) and new vehicle technologies by 2035. “Drawing upon each other’s experience and strength, Malaysia and China should seek to deepen synergy between our strategies by oMinistry says the two countries can deepen the synergy between their respective strategies █ BYGLORIA HARRY BEATTY [emailprotected] exploring further cooperation in the areas of renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy storage systems, as well as support services for EV, such as EV-charging stations, operations and maintenance,” Miti told SunBiz. Last year, Malaysia introduced the New Investment Policy, whereby it identified five key sectors that can attract more foreign investors to invest, either in research and development or manufacturing facilities using new technologies. The key sectors are electrical and electronics, pharmaceutical, digital economy, aerospace as well as chemicals. “Miti foresees the new and emerging sectors to drive long-term growth by building innovation capacity and attracting quality and sustainable investments that promote the creation of high value-added jobs,” the ministry said. In April, Malaysia secured a total of RM170.07 billion worth of committed investment from China, during Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s visit to the country. Furthermore, an additional RM2.44 billion worth of export potential for Malaysian products was secured. The investment comprises two components – committed investment worth RM100.33 billion from 36 prominent Chinese companies and 19 memorandums of understanding between Malaysian and Chinese companies in various investments and collaboration projects valued at RM69.74 billion. The ministry believes that Anwar’s visit has increased the confidence of Chinese investors and captains of industry in Malaysia’s policy direction and its business-friendly approach. Miti said its agency, Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida), is providing support and assistance to materialise these investment commitments and the progress depends on the complexity of the projects. At this point in time, the ministry “is unable to provide the detailed breakdown as the investment value for a specific company is bound by the private and confidentiality terms”. Meanwhile, Miti shared that many prominent Chinese companies have chosen Malaysia as their base for setting up manufacturing plants and their decision to invest “is purely business-driven”. Based on Mida’s records, the Chinese companies’ investments in the manufacturing sector are mainly in the petrochemical industry, glass products, metal products, solar products and the development of data centres as well as innovation centres. Moreover, some of these investment projects are established through joint ventures with Malaysian companies. On trade and business facilitation between both countries, Miti together with its agencies, Mida and Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation. have offices in China. They are assisting and facilitating Chinese investors and importers who have expressed their interest to invest in Malaysia and sourcing raw materials from Malaysia respectively. “Our agencies in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou will provide guidance and engage with the potential Chinese companies through direct discussions and consistent follow-up,” it said. In addition, Miti is working very closely with the Economic and Commercial Counselor’s Office from the embassy of China to facilitate the investments from China. It pointed out that China’s ambassador to Malaysia, Ouyang Yujing, has shown his support by encouraging highquality investments and business opportunities from China. SVDP 2.0 – the last chance to come clean IN A recent interview, Inland Revenue Board (IRB) CEO Datuk Mohd Nizom Sairi stated: “We are stating to them (non-compliant taxpayers) that after this, especially for those who have not been paying what is due, we will go out and enforce the full force of the law because opportunity was given but they did not come forward.” This is the final chance for taxpayers who have unreported or underreported income, overclaimed expenses, overclaimed reliefs or deductions, overclaimed capital allowances and incentives to come clean and report the correct income for the relevant tax years. This is also extended to cases involving Real Property Gains Tax where taxpayers have not declared the disposal of assets, and in the case of stamp duties, documents executed before May 1 2023. The big benefit here is the 100% waiver of the penalty/surcharge, and the assurance from IRB that the disclosure of information will be accepted in good faith. Although a review will be carried out for mathematical accuracy, IRB will not carry out an audit or investigation on the years of assessment relating to the income declared voluntarily. There is an assurance from IRB that it will not go back and reopen those years of assessment. It is interesting to note that despite the law requiring tax returns to be based on audited financial statements, under Special Voluntary Disclosure Programme 2.0 (SVDP 2.0), IRB is willing to accept such cases into the programme. If subsequently the audited accounts differ from the management accounts, the taxpayer has the responsibility to make the amendments without incurring any penalty. All taxpayers can participate, including non-residents and foreigners who are deriving income from Malaysia. This will include individuals, corporates, trusts, partnerships, estates of deceased persons, etc. There must be additional taxes to be paid for any taxpayer to enter into SVDP 2.0. If it is merely an adjustment without additional taxes or a claim for refund, SVDP 2.0 cannot be used. What is excluded Taxpayers under tax audits or investigations are excluded from SVDP 2.0. However, this is only confined to the years of assessment under audit or investigation. Taxpayer can still use SVDP 2.0 for years of assessment not covered under the tax audit or investigation. Employers, in respect of their employer obligations, such as the failure to comply with the monthly deductions, will be excluded. Do not wait any longer Taxpayers should quickly enter this programme because one never knows when you will be picked up for an audit. Once you are picked up for an audit, you have lost this opportunity. There will be a rush towards the end of the programme on May 31 2024. It will take time to prepare a proper SVDP application, and therefore the earlier you enter the programme, it will be to your benefit as it will give you time to answer any questions IRB may have after your submission. It is expected that IRB will focus its audit resources post SVDP 2.0 on taxpayers who did not enter the programme. Consequently, taxpayers who have entered the programme will effectively enjoy a “holiday period” from tax audits. Another big benefit of entering into SVDP 2.0 is that the taxpayer need not be concerned about keeping records relating to the years disclosed since there is an assurance from IRB that those years of assessment will not be audited. Please do not forget that you can request for instalment to pay your undeclared/underdeclared taxes as long as the outstanding taxes are settled before the end of SVDP 2.0 by May 31 2024. Please take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to come clean. This article is contributed by Thannees Tax Consulting Services Sdn Bhd managing director SM Thanneermalai. Is biometrics truly the key to securing Malaysia’s banking sector? PHISHING scams have been a pressing global issue for the banking industry, with Malaysia recording over 25,000 online fraud cases and RM850 million in losses in 2022. And with the emergence of ChatGPT, a cybersecurity storm may very well be brewing in our midst. Fraudsters are about to get even more sophisticated in their attacks – now being able to craft highly convincing phishing messages. It is worth highlighting that authorities around the world are realising that the SMS one-time password (SMS OTP) – which is susceptible to phishing attacks – is no longer fit for today’s fast-paced digital landscape, and swift action must be taken to implement robust security measures. This is especially evident in Malaysia, where its central bank is introducing new measures, including migrating away from SMS OTPs, to more secure forms of authentication, and requiring banks to detect and block fraud attempts immediately. Malaysia is certainly on the right path towards a more secure banking landscape. But if banks don’t implement the right technologies, these new regulations may unintentionally create more friction to the overall customer banking experience. Or, if other banks choose to prioritise the experience above all else, they may unintentionally choose technologies that are less secure in the long run. One can’t help but wonder – what’s the next course of action for banks? Is biometric technology truly mature enough to be the silver bullet that provides airtight security and seamless customer experiences that banks are aiming to achieve? While biometric verification is undoubtedly secure and convenient, it is imperative to understand that adopting such an authentication method, alone, is not a foolproof solution to cybersecurity. For instance, facial recognition without advanced liveness detection, which ensures that the picture taken is from a live person at the point of capture, is vulnerable to deepfake spoofing. A multifactor verification approach – which uses a combination of verification technologies when highrisk transactions are detected – can provide organisations with an additional layer of security that ensures the protection of their customers against cyberattacks without compromising on convenience. Setting up for success with multifactor authentication As part of their efforts to prevent the different types and levels of cyberthreats, financial institutions have understandably grown to check more than just documents for identity verification. As such, it has become common practice for organisations to layer countless risk signals such as user’s name, IP address, phone, and email. There is a problem with this, too, though. Countless layering leads to a lack of data integration that cuts across different solutions, which not only hinders the efficiency of cybersecurity checks, but increases the risk of non-compliance with Know-Your-Customer (KYC) and antimoney-laundering regulations. Partnering with multiple risk vendors can complicate the process of managing workflows as each vendor may have its own framework. This can result in a lack of seamless integration. Furthermore, relying on multiple solutions makes it difficult for organisations to scale the systems as it grows, thus increasing operational resources and costs. The onus, therefore, is on banks to implement the right technologies. To do so, banks can implement multifactor and risk-based authentication that orchestrates only the necessary risk signals and technologies for identity verification. In addition to this, financial institutions can consider implementing multimodal biometrics such as fingerprint and facial authentication that can be used for high-risk profiles or financial transactions above certain thresholds. This orchestration allows companies to provide a frictionless experience for legitimate customers and increase scrutiny for higher-risk individuals. It results in easier logins, better fraud deterrence and reduced cost on manual investigations. To enable this, banks can partner with experienced integrated identity verification providers to unlock access to a comprehensive range of online identity verification solutions and any necessary manual reviews. Furthermore, organisations can have the power to customise their identity verification and KYC compliance workflows based on the changing landscape and requirements, risk tolerance, as well as regulatory standards in the different markets. Most importantly, as these solutions don’t require any additional steps from the end user, a smooth onboarding process and frictionless customer experience can still be achieved. It is therefore critical for organisations to continuously tap on advanced technologies to prevent further instances of fraud in the banking landscape — securing a safer banking experience for everyone. This article is contributed by Frederic Ho, vice president of Apac, Jumio Corporation.
13 * SUNBIZ theSUN ON MONDAY | JUNE 12, 2023 READ OUR HERE /thesundaily SCAN ME OVERALL warrants turnover rose 8.4% week-on-week (w-o-w) to RM204.6 million despite it being the holidayshortened week in conjunction with the birthday of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Monday (June 5). The higher turnover was mainly contributed by the increased trading activity in warrants over the Hang Seng Index (HSI) with its trading value growing by 12.8% w-o-w to RM169.6 million and making up approximately 83% of the overall warrants turnover. The HSI futures kicked off the week on an upbeat note, extending its gains by another 0.7% on Monday to close slightly above the 19,000-level at 19,021 before retreating to 18,989, down 0.2%, the next day. Prices however rebounded by a sharp 1.2% to 19,217 on Wednesday and continued advancing for the next two trading days, rising by 0.7% in total and finishing at 19,361 on Friday to wrap the week up by 2.5%. The rally resulted in a surge in trading activity in the HSI warrants, with the call warrant HSI-COW (exercise level 20,600) maintaining its title as the top warrant by value, recording a total traded value of RM39.4 million. This warrant gained 21.3% w-o-w and had investors net selling a total of 6.4 million units out of 144.5 million units traded throughout the week. HSI-CLZ (+19.2% w-o-w) and HSI-HK7 (-54.3% w-o-w) were also in the spotlight as they recorded up to RM34.1 million and RM32 million in value traded and a collective trading volume of 522.6 million units. However, investors should note that these are short-dated warrants as they will be expiring soon on June 30, 2023 with their last trading dates on June 27, 2023. Investors should exercise caution when trading expiring or short-dated warrants because they experience a higher rate of time decay and may consider switching to longer-dated warrants. Elsewhere, on the local scene, call warrants ARMADA-C78 and MYEG-C4L were among active warrants last week with a total of 75.6 million units and 34.2 million units traded respectively, with their underlyings i.e. Bumi Armada and My E.G. Services declining by 25.2% and 1.2% w-o-w, respectively. To view the full list of structured warrants available on Bursa Malaysia, visit malaysiawarrants.com.my. Provided for Malaysian residents’ information only. This commentary has not been reviewed by the Securities Commission Malaysia. It is not an offer or recommendation to trade and is not research material. Past performance is not indicative of future performance. You should make your own assessment and seek professional advice. The warrants will not be offered to any US persons. WARRANTS WATCH Top warrants by value traded Warrant Value Issuer Exercise Expiry date name (RM’ mil.) level HSI-COW 39.4 Macquarie 20,600 30 Aug 2023 HSI-CLZ 34.1 Macquarie 20,300 30 Jun 2023 HSI-HK7 32.0 Macquarie 18,000 30 Jun 2023 HSI-HK9 16.6 Macquarie 18,800 28 Jul 2023 HSI-HNU 16.6 Macquarie 19,400 28 Jul 2023 Bumi Armada, MyEG calls see active trading CPO futures expected to trade range-bound ahead of MPOB data KUALA LUMPUR: The local crude palm oil (CPO) futures market is expected to trade range-bound with a downward bias this week ahead of the release of the palm oil industry’s data for May 2023. Palm oil trader David Ng said the data, which will be released by the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) today, would provide traders and investors with better clarity of the country’s palm oil stocks position and help determine their next move in the market. “We expect the market to trade between RM3,100 and RM3,500 a tonne,” he told Bernama. Previously, the Malaysian Palm Oil Association said the country’s palm oil production was estimated to jump 26.33% to 1.51 million tonnes in May compared to April. For the week just ended, CPO futures traded mixed, tracking soybean oil futures on the Chicago Board of Trade and on concerns over rising production going forward. On a weekly basis, the June 2023 contract rose RM62 to RM3,478 a tonne, July 2023 added RM2 to RM3,408 a tonne and August 2023 dropped RM14 to RM3,367 a tonne. The September 2023 contract fell RM13 to RM3,366 a tonne, October 2023 dropped RM5 to RM3,379 and November 2023 added RM5 to RM3,393. The total weekly volume inched down to 235,769 lots from 302,120 lots, while open interest advanced to 265,572 contracts from 244,934 contracts on Friday the week before. Bank Rakyat relaunches personal financing, investment initiatives KUALA LUMPUR: Bank Rakyat is bringing back its Personal Financing-i DivA and Investment-i Account Rizq Plus with new valueadd to its members. Acting chairman Datuk Mohd Irwan Mohd Mubarak said the launch of the initiatives is a proactive move in offering financial services that are comprehensive to appreciate and to build confidence of its members in Bank Rakyat. This time, the Personal Financing-i DivA offers a fixed profit rate as low as 2.99% with a maximum financing of up to RM400,000 and financing period of up to 10 years. Bank Rakyat CEO Mohammad Hanis Osman shared that he expects a competitive return of around 2.5% for the Investment-i Account Rizq Plus product. Through this investment account, the bank is offering a special draw amounting to RM69,000 for 69 winners in conjunction with Bank Rakyat’s 69th anniversary this year. This campaign runs from June 10 until Dec 31. Members also have the chance to participate in the Investment-i Account Rizq Plus draws together with other customers which are held every month offering overall prizes worth RM1 million and the half-year special draw amounting to RM100,000. – Bernama IBS brings shift in property development landscape ACCORDING to the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), the Industrialised Building System (IBS) adoption rate in government projects has increased to 84% in 2021 from 79.5% in 2020; whereas in private projects, it had tremendously increased to 60% in 2021 compared with 41% in 2020. A higher adoption rate in government projects is always understandable, as it is the result of mandatory requirement for government projects to achieve an IBS score of 70. In contrast, a high take-up rate from the private sector is rather “surprising,” given that IBS has not been gaining enough traction in the past despite it has long been introduced to the construction industry. This is because IBS is often associated with a higher construction cost compared with the widely used “cast-in-situ” construction method, owning to the involvement of skilled labour, additional lifting equipment/machinery, and transportation of manufactured components to the construction site. A “higher” IBS adoption in the private sector could be driven by the shortage of foreign labours during and after the pandemic, as well as the increased cost in conventional construction that makes it on par with the cost of IBS construction. However, it is more likely the result of: (i) the shift in the country’s property landscape towards high-rise development, and (ii) the widespread use of monolithic reinforced concrete structures in constructing high-rise buildings. The conventional construction method that involves “bricks and mortar” and “timber formwork” is no longer practical for high-rise construction. Nowadays, most of the high-rise developments are constructed by using reusable formwork system (i.e., steel or aluminum) with certain percentage of prefabricated components. This is a kind of “hybrid” construction method that leverages on the advantages of system formwork: (i) lower construction cost; (ii) good casting quality; (iii) speedier erection; and (iv) more recycle times. Since private projects worth RM50 million and above starting Jan 10, 2018 are required to have a minimum IBS score of 50, while system formwork is considered as a kind of IBS system, oWhile the adoption rate of Industrialised Building System in govt projects has seen a steady increase, it is the sharp rise in private projects that surprises many Housing type distribution by area (%), 2022. Source: Napic the use of cast-in-situ reinforced concrete frame structure combined with prefabricated internal wall such as interlocking block, lightweight block, precast wall panels, dry wall, cemboard etc, is the most preferable choice for current high-rise construction. Projects with such combination can easily achieve an IBS score of 50 to 60; which then, are considered as an IBS project; and will eventually lead to a “higher” IBS adoption rate in private sector. Furthermore, a survey conducted by Rehda Institute in 2021 among industry players (including developers, contractors, and consultants) revealed that the reasons that caused the private sector not keen in using IBS (mainly precast) are: (i) insufficient incentives, (ii) higher cost, and (iii) confident with existing construction method. Since construction cost forms the largest portion of a project’s GDV in Malaysia – which can easily reach up to 50% to 60% of the GDV – any small changes in construction cost could affect the project’s financial viability. The government should realize that developers – among the wide range of industry stakeholders – hold a very important position in ensuring the success of IBS adoption, as they are the project owner that determines the process of property development. This article was contributed by MKH Bhd manager of product research and development Dr Foo Chee Hung (pix).
14 theSUN ON MONDAY | JUNE 12, 2023 SUNBIZ Divided Fed expected to rally around US interest rate pause WASHINGTON: The US Federal Reserve (Fed) is widely expected to pause its campaign of interest rate increases on Wednesday to give policymakers more time to assess the economic impact of existing hikes and recent banking stresses. But members of the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) remain divided going into the meeting on June 13-14, with a minority still pushing for an 11th straight hike to fight inflation, which remains stubbornly above the Fed’s long-term target of 2%. The Fed has raised its benchmark lending rate by five percentage points since March last year, lifting it to between 5-5.25%. “I think there is enough support within the community for that pause,” EY senior economist Lydia Boussour told AFP. “But at the same time, the compromise will be that the FOMC will be keen on carrying on retaining that optionality, and really keeping the door open to further tightening,” she said. Senior officials including Fed chair Jerome Powell have indicated they may vote to hold the benchmark lending rate at the next meeting of the Fed’s powerful rate-setting committee, while leaving the door open to an additional rate hike in July if necessary. “Skipping a rate hike at a coming meeting would allow the Committee to see more data before making decisions about the extent of additional policy firming,” Fed governor Philip Jefferson said late last month. The data points to a mixed economic picture, with slowing growth, a tight labour market, and inflation still well above the Fed’s 2% target. Jefferson, who was recently nominated for the vacant number two spot at the Fed, added that “a decision to hold our policy rate constant at a coming meeting should not be interpreted to mean that we have reached the peak rate for this cycle.” But those pushing for a further hike, like Fed governor Christopher Waller, have indicated support for a more aggressive stance on inflation. “I do not support stopping rate hikes unless we get clear evidence that inflation is moving down towards our 2% objective,” Waller said last month. – AFP B R I E F STWITTER REFUSING TO SETTLE GOOGLE CLOUD BILLS: REPORT BENGALURU: Twitter has refused to pay its Google Cloud bills as its contract comes up for renewal this month, which could result in the social media company’s trust and safety teams being crippled, Platformer reported on Saturday. Before Elon Musk’s takeover of the social media platform last year, Twitter signed a multi-year contract with Google related to fighting spam and protecting accounts, among other things, the report said. The Platformer report did not give details on how the conflict between the companies could hinder Twitter’s trust and safety teams. The Information said Twitter has been trying to renegotiate its contract with Google since at least March. Twitter hosts some services on its server and houses others on the cloud platforms of Amazon and Google, Platformer said. In March, Amazon warned Twitter that it would withhold advertising payments because of the company’s outstanding bills to Amazon Web Services for cloud computing services, according to the Information. – Reuters CREDIT SUISSE CEO MEMO SIGNALS UBS DEAL TO CLOSE TODAY BENGALURU: Credit Suisse Group AG CEO Ulrich Koerner has indicated that the emergency takeover of the bank by UBS AG will close today, Bloomberg News reported on Saturday, citing an internal memo. “While Monday brings to an end this chapter in our history, it is also the beginning of a new and exciting future,“ Koerner said in a memo to employees. “Monday’s legal close is the next important step as we work to get you the answers you need as quickly as possible.” On Friday, UBS CEO Sergio Ermotti hinted the takeover of Credit Suisse would close today, the earliest expected date. Earlier on Friday, the Swiss government agreed with UBS to guarantee up to 9 billion Swiss francs (RM46 billion) of losses the bank may incur from the sale of its rival’s assets beyond 5 billion francs the lender is due to cover itself. – Reuters UNION ACTION SHUTS DOWN CARGO OPS AT PORT OF SEATTLE BENGALURU: The Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), which represents terminal operators, said in a tweet on Saturday that coordinated and disruptive work actions led by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) have shut down cargo operations at the Port of Seattle. “On the first shift today, the ILWU refused to dispatch any longshore workers to container terminals, the PMA said, resulting in the shutdown of the port. The ILWU, however, said the West Coast ports are open and accused the PMA of “leveraging one-sided information to influence the process.” Unions are seeking a pay increase that reflects workers’ contribution to the ocean shipping industry’s record profits from the pandemic cargo boom. – Reuters High inflation rattles UK home loan market LONDON: Britain’s retail lenders are withdrawing fixed home-loan products, as elevated inflation sparks fears of more Bank of England (BoE) interest rate hikes and worsens the cost-of-living crisis. UK banks mostly offer mortgages with a fixed interest rate for a set period – typically two to five years – but after expiry this becomes variable or a new rate is fixed in line with prevailing market conditions. However, recent inflation data sparked speculation that the central bank will ramp up its key interest rate even higher to contain stubbornly high inflation. That could further squeeze living standards and spell more gloom for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative government before a general election expected next year. oRetail lenders withdraw fixed-rate mortgages amid fears of more hikes by BoE “Mortgages are being pulled, and then coming back to the market at a higher rate,” said Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at stockbroker Hargreaves Lansdown. HSBC joined the fray on Thursday, suspending certain home loans as it also sought to cope with significant new demand but stressed there was no change for existing customers. Nationwide, one of the country’s biggest home loan providers, was among a growing number of banks lifting product rates. The total number of available mortgage products has meanwhile fallen by about 5% in just under one month, according to data provider Moneyfacts. “This has been going on ever since the news emerged a couple of weeks ago that core inflation had risen,” Coles told AFP. The BoE last month lifted its key Commute no more: US employees embrace telework WASHINGTON: Commuting to and from the office five times a week? “It’s just not what I want for my life,” said Claire, a consultant in her thirties living in Washington. Like Claire, millions of employees across the US have grown fond of telework since the Covid-19 lockdown and now companies are struggling to bring them back to the office. Before Covid-19, American workers had grown used to lessthan-friendly job conditions, such as short vacations and little or no maternity leave, but the experience of working from home left them wanting more. “All of these practices that workers had become accustomed to in the US before have now then kind of disrupted by the pandemic,” chief economist Nela Richardson with the ADP Research Institute told AFP. American offices are still halfempty compared to February 2020, according to a weekly average calculated by Kastle, which manages the entry badges of 40,000 companies around the country. There are also wide disparities between different regions and cities: offices in California’s Silicon Valley, for example, have only recovered a third of their prepandemic occupants, compared with around half in New York and Washington, and as much as twothirds in the Texas cities of Austin and Houston. “Collaborating and inventing is easier and more effective when we’re in person,” Amazon CEO Andy Jassy wrote in a memo to the company’s vast workforce back in February, ordering them to return to the office for at least three days a week. Many Amazon employees disagreed so strongly with the inperson working requirements that they took to the streets in front of the company’s Seattle headquarters last month to protest the move. “The world is changing, and Amazon needs to embrace the new reality of remote and flexible work,” the organisers of the demonstration said in a statement. Elon Musk, the billionaire boss of Tesla and Twitter, went a step further than Jassy, banning telework in the name of productivity and morality. “You’re going to (tell) the people who make your food that gets delivered, that they can’t work from home, the people that come fix your house, they can’t work from home, but you can?” he said in a recent interview. A third of employees in the US currently have complete freedom about where they work, compared with just 18% in France, according to a recent ADP study of 17 countries. “If I worked for an employer that required five days a week, I just don’t think that would be on the table for me,” Claire, the Washington-based consultant, told AFP. Claire, who requested anonymity to discuss her employment, goes to the office irregularly, usually once every two weeks, sometimes more often. And, given the upsides, she can’t see herself going back full-time. Despite the headlines made by chief executives like Elon Musk, not all managers are opposed to telework. Questions about “quality and lifestyle efficiency” have emerged, said Gayle Smith, CEO of the Washington-based anti-poverty NGO One, which has offices in cities around the world. “Raising kids became a bit easier if you didn’t have to commute every morning,” she told AFP. Teleworking has become “part of a cluster of benefits and options that companies can choose to offer workers,” said Nela Richardson from ADP. interest rate to 4.5%, its 12th increase in a row. Retail lenders tend to match the central bank’s increases to borrowing costs, sparking higher loan repayments, weighing on house prices and denting economic activity. Although UK inflation slowed to a 13-month low in April, it remains elevated at 8.7% as soaring food bills offset weaker energy costs – and is still more than four times the BoE’s 2% target. And core inflation, which strips out volatile energy and food, accelerated to 6.8% or the highest since 1992. That cemented expectations of another BoE rate hike, with some investors predicting it could reach 5.5% by year-end. The data also sent the UK government’s long-term borrowing costs – used as a reference for mortgage products – jumping. The yield on the 10-year UK government bond briefly rose not far from levels hit in October following unfunded tax cuts that Teleworking has become part of a cluster of benefits and options that companies can choose to offer workers. – UNSPLASH PIX sank the short-lived administration of Sunak’s predecessor Liz Truss. Average two-year fixed mortgage rates had hovered close to 2% in recent years, but rose sharply during the Truss premiership and before the BoE began lifting rates in December 2021. And they gained about 0.5 percentage points over the last month to approach an average 5- 6% according to Moneyfacts. That means that many Britons reaching the end of their current fixed home loans are forced to accept higher rates with far bigger monthly repayments. Hargreaves Lansdown estimates 16% of Britons are already struggling to meet monthly mortgage repayments. “Anyone whose deal comes to an end this year is set to see their monthly payments increase by an average of £192 (RM1,113), but almost two-thirds of people said this would cause them financial problems,” said Coles. Many Britons “may need to extend (the term of) their mortgage for it to remain affordable, which will keep monthly payments lower, but will mean paying more interest over the long run”. Coles added that “in extreme circ*mstances” some may need to consider “selling up and downsizing” and warned this would hit the property market. Consumers’ incomes will take a big hit as they struggle to refinance, according to AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould. – AFP
1 2 J U N E 2 0 2 3 M O N D A Y Dreamy Mont Saint-Michel THE Mont Saint-Michel, one of France’s most iconic landmarks, celebrates its 1,000th birthday this year. To mark the occasion, last week, President Emmanuel Macron visited the rock-top abbey-islet in Normandy, which is completely cut off by sea dozens of times a year. Here are five things to know about the site: 0 Bastille of the seas The first shrine on the granite island dates back to the 8th century when legend has it that a bishop, Saint Aubert, had a vision of Archangel Michael instructing him to build a sanctuary. In 966, a group of Benedictine monks founded a church there, with the extraordinary Gothic-style abbey perched on the pinnacle of the island following in 1023. Over the years the monument has served many functions – a fortress during the Hundred Years’ War between England and France, and as a prison during the French Revolution when it was known as the “Bastille of the seas”. 0 Bursting with tourists Mont Saint-Michel and its bay have been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1979. While it has long been a popular place of pilgrimage, it has also become a tourist mecca, packed with souvenir shops, restaurants and hotels. In 2022, the island attracted nearly 2.8 million visitors, with some 36,000 cramming into an area covering under 4 square kilometres on one day alone. 0 Splendid isolation When cut off by the sea, the citadel Mont SaintMichel and its bay have been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1979. – ETX STUDIO oExperience a fairytale holiday on this idyllic French islet (left) The castle at night. – NORMANDIE TOURISM A walk along the ramparts. – NORMANDIE TOURISM The ramparts of the castle. – NORMANDIE TOURISM (right) Historic cobbled streets. – NORMANDIE TOURISM looks to be afloat but that breathtaking spectacle was lost for over a century after a road linking the island to the mainland was built on a raised dyke in the 1870s. The silt that built up around the road held back the tide, preventing the island from being cut off. Between 2005-2015, around 230 million euros was spent on returning the site to the sea, including flushing out excessive sand and silt and replacing the road with a wooden footbridge. The investment paid off. Mont Saint-Michel is now surrounded by water between 50 and 90 times a year. 0 Shifting sands The tides in the bay of Mont SaintMichel are among the highest in the world and create shifting sands that are notoriously tricky to navigate. In 2022, tightrope walker Nathan Paulin trialled a new approach when he walked 2,200 metres along a wire suspended 114 metres above the bay, breaking the record for longest tightrope walk. 0 Eggs galore An inseparable part of Mont SaintMichel lore is La Mere Poulard (Mother Poulard) the inn founded by Anne Boutiaut, who devised a huge popular omelette soufflee that is still part and parcel of the tourist experience over a century later. Ernest Hemingway, Coco Chanel, Margaret Thatcher and Leon Trotsky are just some of the characters to have enjoyed its hospitality. – AFP
16 ENTERTAINMENT theSun LYFE ON MONDAY | JUNE 12, 2023 Jenna Ortega wants ‘Wednesday’ to be about Horror AS OF LATE, Wednesday has been a hot topic amongst everyone, especially with the upcoming and much anticipated Season 2 after the first season’s smashing success. With the new season, it’s been known that Jenna Ortega herself will be taking on a more hands-on approach, taking more ownership of the popular Netflix series. Ortega is an ambitious 20-yearold that’s now producing her own smash-hit Netflix series, and everyone is geared up to know what she has planned for the second season. During a recent Variety‘s Actors on Actors interview with Elle Fanning, she finally revealed some of her biggest priorities for the next season. “We’ve decided we want to lean Jenna Ortega becomes a firsttime producer for Season 2 of Wednesday. – VARIETY oJenna takes on producer role for Season 2 █ BYYASMIN ZULRAEZ Shannen Doherty reveals brain cancer going on in my life. I am fortunate as I have great doctors like Dr. Amin Mirahdi and the amazing techs at Cedar Sinai. But that fear…. The turmoil….. the timing of it all…. This is what cancer can look like.” After her initial diagnosis 2015, Doherty experienced a period of remission in 2017, offering a glimmer of hope in her battle against the disease. Unfortunately, in the winter Shannon Doherty reveals devastating update on her ongoing battle with cancer. – GETTY █ BYHAZIQUE ZAIRILL Doherty with the cast of Beverly Hills 90210.– GETTY Bollywood Epic Adipurush to be released this week FANS are gearing up for the release of the Hindi movie Adipurush, which is based on the Hindu epic Ramayana and stars actor Prabhas, who had acted in Bahubali 1 and Bahubali 2. Prabhas plays the main lead as Prince Raghava in the movie that has been in the news for good and bad reasons since it was announced, although people are excited to see the epic on the big screen. After weeks of public debates on social media on ‘who should not’ play the title role of Sita or Janaki in the movie, Heropanti 2 actress Kristi Sanon (who is recently rumoured to be dating the main lead actor) ended up being chosen to play Janaki, while Ravana is played by actor Saif Ali Khan. It seems like Khan who is no stranger to villain roles in many of his previous movies, fit the role of Ravana. The movie, with a high budget of INR 500 crore (RM279,657,152), is expected to be released on June 16. However, the movie’s first trailer release was mired with complaints. After the trailer’s release on May 9, fans were not happy with the “buffed up” look of the main star, including the actor playing the pivotal role of Hanuman. They claimed that the VFX was too poorly done in a country that is known as a technology hub, continuously producing a high number of skilled IT professionals. There is also a call for a boycott of the movie for several slightly unrealistic depictions in some scenes, resulting in the production house having to release a “final trailer” with amendments. Despite all the social media buzz around Adipurush, the public will still be the deciding factor on whether the upcoming epic will be a blockbuster hit or a miss. Adipurush movie poster. – IMDB █ BYS.TAMARAI CHELVI Wednesday become one of Netflix’s biggest hit shows in 2022. – NETFLIX SHANNEN Doherty, widely known for her role in the 90’s hit series Beverly Hills, 90210, made a heartbreaking revelation on June 6. She took to her personal Instagram account to share the devastating news that her breast cancer which she was diagnosed with in 2015, has unfortunately spread to her brain. The announcement came after Doherty had shared a video from the hospital on June 5, accompanied by a brief caption, “January 9, 2023.” In a subsequent video on June 6, the actress bravely disclosed the progression of her cancer and provided further context for the earlier video. “On January 5th, my CT scan showed Mets (brain metastases) in my brain. Yesterday’s video was showing the process of getting fitted for the mask which you wear during radiation to your brain,” she revealed on her Instagram post. Doherty continued in a caption, “January 12, the first round of radiation took place. My fear is obvious. I am extremely claustrophobic and there was a lot into the horror aspect of the show a little bit more,” Ortega told Fanning. “Because it is so lighthearted, and a show like this with vampires and werewolves and superpowers, you don’t want to take yourself too seriously.” She continues on with, “We’re ditching any romantic love interest for Wednesday, which is really great,” which refers to the Season 1 storyline that had Wednesday in a love triangle between Tyler Galpin (Hunter Doohan) and Xavier Thorpe (Percy Hynes White). In the past, Ortega has consistently commented that the plot was “outof-character” for Wednesday; an observation that many from The Addams Family fandom shared with her. Ortega was confident that the upgrade was natural despite her being a first-time TV producer. “We had already been throwing out so many ideas, and I’m somebody who’s very hands-on. I want to know what’s going on,” she said. “And with a character like Wednesday, who is so beloved and such a legend, I just really didn’t want to get her wrong. So I try to have as many conversations as possible. On set, with the writers and Tim [Burton], we all would get together and decide, ‘Okay, what works and what doesn’t?’ It was naturally already very collaborative.” “So in preparation for a second season, we wanted to get ahead of the curve and make sure that we could start the conversations earlier,” she continued. “And I’m just so curious. I want to see the outfits, new characters that are coming in, scripts, and they were gracious enough to let me put the producer hat on.” It’s clear from the interview that Ortega is adamant in her plans to steer away from the love triangle storyline in Season 1 and instead wants to focus on the horror aspect of the show, which is in agreement with the fans who praised her for it. For those that are still waiting on Season 2, you can still catch Season 1 of Wednesday on Netflix. of 2019, Doherty received the devastating news that her cancer had not only returned but had also metastasized, reaching stage 4. This news has left fans and wellwishers deeply saddened and concerned for Doherty’s well-being as she fights this formidable and distructive disease. Throughout her four-decade career, Doherty has amassed a remarkable list of over 80 acting credits. Apart from her gaining global popularity on Beverly Hills 90210 in the 90’s, she was also a main character on the supernatural fantasy-drama, Charmed, that ran from the late 90’s to the mid 2000’s. Starting out as a child actor, Doherty’s filmography includes playing roles in TV shows and movies like Little House on the Prairie (1982– 1983), Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (1985), Our House (1986–1988), Heathers (1989). She also had several guest roles on shows like 21 Jumpstreet.
17 ENTERTAINMENT theSun LYFE ON MONDAY | JUNE 12, 2023 THIS year, many films may be laying claim to the title of a summer blockbuster. Studios are counting on their big-budget franchises to breathe new life into a sector that has been in a slump since the pandemic. So which releases are audiences most eager to see? According to industry experts, American cinemas have practically returned to pre-Covid attendance levels. This summer, revenues from cinema ticket sales could reach four billion dollars in the United States, compared with 3.4 billion in 2022. The domestic box office has seen growth of 37% compared to the same period last year, says Morning Consult. June “will probably be the best month we’ve had at the box office since the theatres reopened,” Bruce Nash, founder of box-office tracking site The Numbers, told Morning Consult. And the lineup of films set to hit cinemas between May and August features a host of Alist stars, directors and franchises. The list includes the fifth feature film in the Indiana Jones saga, the new Mission: Impossible film, the latest Transformers title, the Barbie big-screen adaptation, and Christopher Nolan’s latest feature Oppenheimer. But which of these films are Americans most looking forward to? According to a survey conducted by Morning Consult, it’s the next instalment in the Indiana Jones saga. Fifty-one per cent of those surveyed said they would be interested in seeing Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny in theatres this summer. The cult archaeologist hero is followed by Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, the second most highly anticipated film among American adults (50%). Another superhero rounds out the top three, The Flash, which interests 44% of Americans polled, the same number interested in seeing the next instalment in the Mission: Impossible franchise, MI: Dead Reckoning Part One. It’s also worth noting that American audiences remain enthusiastic about horror films. Especially Generation Z moviegoers. According to the study, this demographic is looking forward more than any other generation to the films Insidious: The Red Door at 59% and The Nun 2 at 48%. Sixty-nine per cent of Gen Z indicated that they would be interested in going to the cinema to watch a horror film. Top films Americans are looking forward to seeing in movie theatres this summer 0 Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny - 51% 0 Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - 50% 0 The Flash // Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One - 44% 0 Transformers: Rise of the Beasts - 43% 0 The Little Mermaid - 42% 0 Haunted Mansion - 39% 0 The Equalizer 3 - 38% 0 The Boogeyman - 37% 0 Insidious: The Red Door - 36% 0 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem - 35% 0 The Nun 2 - 34% 0 Meg 2: The Trench // Gran Turismo - 30% 0 Barbie // About My Father - 28% 0Oppenheimer // Elemental // Joy Ride - 27% 0 The Machine - 26% Survey conducted from May 11 to 14, 2023 on a sample of 2,201 American adults. – ETX STUDIO The most hotly awaited film in the US this summer According to Morning Consult’s study, 47% of women surveyed would like to see “The Little Mermaid” at the cinema this summer - the film with the highest interest among female respondents. – GETTY superhero movie.” The Spider-Verse The film’s hero Morales was first introduced to comic books in 2011 but came to mainstream attention with Into the Spider-Verse, which won the Academy Award for best-animated feature in 2019. Morales shares a familiar backstory with Peter Parker – bitten by a radioactive spider, he quickly deploys his new powers to swing between Manhattan skyscrapers and fight crime. But his diverse ancestry and fondness for trendy sneakers and rap music set him apart from the “traditional” Spider-Man. It is all made possible thanks to the concept of a “multiverse,” in which different versions of the same characters exist in parallel dimensions – and occasionally interact – that has been used in comic books for decades. In recent years, the multiverse has become popular in Hollywood too, as movie studios feed audiences’ boundless appetite for more and more superhero films, and writers scramble to explain how they can possibly all fit together. “The thing that shocked us on the first movie was, there was no resistance to the idea of a multiverse – that the audience was completely on board and, like, not confused!” Christopher Miller, who co-produced both movies, told AFP. “It allowed this movie to go to even more spectacular places – to introduce more unusual characters.” The first Spider-Verse movie had a 1930s film noir-style private-eye Spider-Man and even a Spider-Ham pig character. This time, we meet a British punk rocker Spidey, and a dashing Indian version. Two-hour barrier Aside from the complexity of its dimensionhopping plot, the new film has raised eyebrows due to its length. While upcoming adult dramas such as Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer are set to top three hours, anything longer than two hours for a US animated feature is highly unusual. And Across the Spider-Verse is the first of two sequels, with Beyond the Spider-Verse to conclude events next year. But the creators shrugged off the notion that “a film that happens to be animated” must be brief, noting that “quiet” moments from the first film involving Miles bonding with his father and uncle were fan favourites. “The peaks don’t play as high if those lows don’t play as beautifully low as they do,” said codirector Joaquim Dos Santos. “Those are the moments you’re losing – the moments that actually make the film special in the first place,” added fellow director Kemp Powers, who also co-wrote Pixar’s “Soul.” “Of course, if it were six hours, that’s too long,” he joked. – ETX STUDIO NEARLY five years after the animated “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” won an Oscar with its innovative, biracial take on the beloved webslinger, a wildly ambitious sequel aims to further blur the boundaries between superhero films and arthouse cinema. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, out recently worldwide, picks up the story of halfBlack, half-Latino Miles Morales, again using an eye-popping blend of decades-old 2D comic book drawing techniques with the latest computer-generated visual effects. This time, the action takes place across several parallel universes, each one visualized in its own unique animated style, from a paintstreaked, grungy 1990s New York to a kaleidoscopic futuristic hybrid of Mumbai and Manhattan. The movie employed three directors, and more than 1,000 artists, and runs at two hours and 20 minutes – unusually long for an animated film. Its creators told AFP that the success of the first movie – which holds the highest-ever rating for a superhero movie on Rotten Tomatoes (97 per cent) – “gave us permission to just be even more daring on this film.” “I feel like we got the amazing opportunity as directors to make the world’s biggest independent film, basically,” said co-director Justin K. Thompson. “It’s an arthouse film, disguised as a oAnimated Spider-Man back with ‘arthouse’ sequel to Oscar winner “Across the Spider-Verse” is the first of two sequels, with “Beyond the SpiderVerse” to conclude events next year. – CTMG Swinging back into action
18 HEALTH theSun LYFE ON MONDAY | JUNE 12, 2023 UNDER flashing disco lights, residents at a Singapore care home held hands and danced to golden oldies as part of an initiative to help those with dementia. They grooved to hits from the 1940s to the 1980s for about an hour in a silent disco format, listening to the tunes via headphones. The playlist, curated to get them moving, featured tracks in English, Malay and Chinese dialects at the Apex Harmony Lodge, which specialises in taking care of people with dementia. “I don’t really know how to dance, I just mess around. I have thick skin,” 54-year-old Christine Chong, who has early-onset dementia, said cheekily. Another resident, Goh Kian Ho, 63, sang enthusiastically while tapping his foot and clapping his hands to a Hokkien number. “It’s very good that we can play and sing,” he said. When the group began to tire from the upbeat boogie-woogie, the DJ slowed the pace with legendary Taiwanese crooner Teresa Teng’s beloved 1970s track The Moon Represents My Heart. A facilitator led the group in waving their arms and swaying their bodies as they listened fondly to the timeless romantic ballad. Singapore, like many Asian countries, has been grappling with an ageing population and rising dementia rates. Singapore’s Ministry of Health estimates that 86,000 people – one in 10 aged 60 and above – have dementia, with the number expected to grow to 152,000 by 2030. Research has shown music therapy can be helpful for people with certain conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia, which begins with memory loss and can lead to difficulty with conversation and cognition. “We play old songs, and then they help to trigger the... emotions of our residents that are often associated with certain memories from their past, so this helps to provide a sense of familiarity and comfort for our residents,” said Grace Wong, an associate psychologist at Apex Harmony Lodge. Soundtrack to their lives The silent disco, which runs weekly, was inspired by similar ones in nursing homes in the UK and Australia. It was adapted to local musical tastes by Singaporean Johnson Soh, a former music executive who set up his own company offering music programmes for seniors. Soh started it after his father was diagnosed with dementia and music from his generation seemed to help. “He was my first guinea pig actually... his awareness was heightened,” said Soh. More than 10 establishments in Singapore have adopted the programme since it began in 2019, according to Soh. Dubbed ‘Return to the Tea Dance’, the initiative aims to evoke happy memories of Sunday afternoon dances that were popular with young people in 1960s Singapore. “Everybody has a soundtrack to their lives, so there’s always some music that would have impacted you sometime during your life,” Soh said. “It is inexplicable, I think music is something that really moves people.” Meanwhile, the dancing uncles and aunties continued their nostalgic sojourn as they loudly sang along to Doris Day’s Que Sera Sera. “Whatever will be, will be.” – AFP WHO seeks new Covid certification system Singaporeans heal from dementia with silent discos THE World Health Organization will use the European Union’s digital Covid pass as a basis for a global health certification system, according to a new partnership deal agreed Monday. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and EU health commissioner Stella Kyriakides signed what they described as a “landmark” agreement in Geneva. “The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the value of digital health solutions in facilitating access to health services,“ Tedros said at the signing ceremony. He said the EU’s Covid certificate would now be transformed into “a global public good”, as a first step in the creation of a global digital health certification network. The network will expand to include things like digitised international routine vaccination cards, he said. It will be aimed to help protect people from health threats, including possible future pandemics, and facilitate global mobility, the WHO and the EU said in a statement. This “will be an important part of our efforts to strengthen health systems and to support our member states to prepare for the next epidemic or pandemic,“ Tedros said. “The network could also play a crucial role in cross-border humanitarian situations by ensuring people have access to their health records and credentials as they move across borders due to conflict, the climate crisis and other emergencies.” – ETX Studio Research has shown music therapy can be helpful for people with certain conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. – AFP affects their health, but they feel they need cigarettes to cope with stress. This is what people experience every day when they smoke – they feel better afterwards. However, what people perceive are the benefits of smoking are the symptoms of withdrawal from cigarettes. While smoking gives a short-term benefit, smoking itself is the cause of the problems,” says study co-author, Professor Paul Aveyard. “Our study joins with others that show that when people stop smoking their mental health improves, whereas those who do not stop smoking have no improvement,” concludes Paul Aveyard. – ETX Studio CONTRARY to popular belief, quitting smoking may not worsen mental disorders, and could even be associated with improved mental health. So say British researchers, who found that stopping smoking improved stress and anxiety levels in people with and without psychological disorders. Do cigarettes really relieve stress, as many smokers seem to believe? In the collective imagination, tobacco is said to have calming effects, and even stress-relieving virtues. This is a widespread idea that prevents some people from giving up smoking, especially if they suffer from mental health disorders. But a new study by researchers at Oxford University’s Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences in the UK could put an end to this preconceived idea. The scientists looked into the impact of smoking cessation on mental health, using data from a randomised clinical trial conducted in 16 countries and 140 centers between 2011 and 2015. However, not all participants were included in the study, which was based solely on data from US-based participants, ie, 4,260 adult smokers with or without mental disorders – just over 55% had a history of mental illness. Published in the journal JAMA Network Open, their research suggests an association between smoking cessation and “significant improvements” in anxiety and depression levels. This observation was made between the ninth and 24th week of abstinence. In other words, smoking cessation did not aggravate mental disorders in the people concerned, and may even have proved beneficial to their mental health. “While we are seeing a large decrease of smoking rates over the years in the UK for the general population, this is not the case for people living with mental health conditions. The number of people smoking who also have a mental health condition has remained the same since 1993 (approximately 40%). We hope our results can help motivate policymakers and stakeholders to better support smoking cessation in people with mental health conditions,” explains researcher and lead author of the study, Angela Wu, quoted in a news release. Smoking may cause mental health problems It should be emphasised that this improvement in mental health was observed after at least nine weeks of abstinence. This does not mean that withdrawal does not induce symptoms such as stress, fatigue, irritability or sleep disorders, but that in the long term, stopping smoking can be beneficial in all these areas. “Many people who smoke cannot contemplate stopping smoking. They know it oQuitting smoking could be good for mental health too Quitting smoking can reduce anxiety and stress, research reveals. – ETX STUDIO Stop burning braincells
19 FASHION theSun LYFE ON MONDAY | JUNE 12, 2023 GONE are opera gloves, knee socks and heeled loafers, as summer fashion gets laid-back and fuss-free – albeit with a healthy dose of colour, lightness and even eccentricity. Forget riding the wave of quiet luxury or preppy chic, as shoppers seem determined not to take themselves too seriously, looking instead to fun, casual fashion. As a result, the beret is being upstaged by the bucket hat, ballet flats are being traded for flipflops, and oversized bags are being usurped by nature-inspired models as the most popular accessories of the summer. Fans of ‘quiet luxury’, ‘plazacore’ and other old-money inspired fashion trends may well be in for a shock when the vacation getaway arrives. It seems that many mere mortals have chosen to leave their most elegant accessories in the closet, or have revised their idea of what it means to be stylish. At least, that’s what the latest report from the global fashion search engine Stylight suggests, focusing on the trendiest accessories for summer 2023. According to the search and buying behavior of the platform’s 120 million annual shoppers, bucket hats will once again be riding high, as will raffia bags and sunglasses with tinted lenses, all of which are shaping up to be some of the most popular accessories for summer. Bucket hats are going nowhere Every summer, it’s the same old story. Just when you think the bucket might have fallen back into oblivion, here it is, propelled back to the rank of the season’s star accessory. And 2023 will be no exception. Once considered a has-been and totally outdated accessory, the bucket hat is now a must-have, from the catwalk to the street. Quite a comeback for this headgear that for years was subject to all manner of mockery. Today, it’s a favorite of fashion stars such as Chiara Ferragni, Emily Ratajkowski and even Kylie Jenner, who can’t seem to get enough of this hat du jour. The trend is such that last winter, a fluffy version proved particularly hot property, shoring up the bucket hat’s standing in the fashion sphere. Expect more of the same in summer 2023, with bucket hats lounging on the world’s most exclusive beaches – but not just any kind of bucket hat. This year’s go-to is the crochet bucket hat – embracing another trend revived during the Covid-19 pandemic. Stylight reports an increase of over 1,000% for this accessory category compared to the same period last year, representing a 13-fold increase in demand. Whether designed by a luxury label or homemade in DIY style, the crochet bucket hat will undoubtedly have pride of place in your suitcase this season. Crochet dresses are proving popular too, with a 24% increase in Google searches compared to last year. Bohemian vibes The bucket hat is not the only accessory set to accompany vacationers this summer. Bags made from raffia, an increasingly popular natural fiber, are also in demand, with clicks up more than 1,000% on last year, representing an 18-fold increase in interest. They come in all styles, and at all price points, with ultrasophisticated models offered by top luxury houses, including Longchamp and Celine, and with more affordable creations found in thrift stores or boutiques specializing in eco-friendly fashion. To complete this cool, boho look, what could be better than sunglasses with tinted lenses – especially orange – which have seen search interest up 87% over the past year. This season’s other star accessories include oversized sunglasses (+81%), canvas bags (+70%), three-dimensional rose details (+52%) – on dresses, accessories and jewelry – plus caps (+28%), and flip-flops (+23%), but in more sophisticated materials like leather, or with embellishments and straps to add a touch of elegance to summer outfits. *The report is based on an analysis of clicks across the 15 Stylight platforms for the period of March 1 to May 15, 2023, compared with the same period last year. Google Trends search data was analyzed over the same period. – ETX Studio Once considered outdated, the bucket hat is now the star accessory of the summer. – GETTY W Making sneakers greener HAT if the sneakers of the future were made from electronic cables, mattresses or vintage windbreakers? The idea might sound strange, but this alternate reality is taking shape under the aegis of designers keen to reduce waste and limit the use of new resources. Trash and other obsolete items are now slowly but surely replacing traditional materials, allowing sneakers to start going green. The textile industry, which includes clothing and footwear, is estimated to be responsible for generating four billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year, according to data published by France’s Agency for Ecological Transition (ADEME). It could even be responsible for more than a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 if no action is taken by the main players in the sector. Clearly, the entire industry needs to mobilise to change the situation by, for example, introducing more eco-responsible materials, making manufacturing processes more ethical, or democratising services and practices that encourage waste reduction. This includes upcycling, the art of repurposing materials and objects destined for the trash, which is steadily gaining ground in the fashion world. This is being seen in sneakers, which are being now made from totally unexpected materials, from mattresses to electronic cables to subway seats, to help reduce the mountains of waste that pollute soils and oceans around the world. From mattresses to ‘caviar leather’ Eco-responsibility and upcycling are the core values of a new sneaker brand called La Bise à Denise, created by Jonathan Maret and Christophe Segura, two designers based in Perpignan, France. The idea is to combine art, sustainability and eco-design, without ever compromising on style and comfort. This is achieved through upcycling, oSneakers are going green thanks to upcycling, a trendy technique that reduces waste and combats overproduction with every material used in the design of the sneakers otherwise destined for destruction or abandonment. This is the case for the leather scraps that come from several tanneries and make up the bulk of the sneaker uppers, but also for fish leathers – salmon, trout, sturgeon – derived exclusively from skins destined to be discarded. The sturgeon leather used in the ‘Galathéa’ model, again on the upper, for example, comes from companies producing French caviar, a rare and precious material that is repurposed so that it doesn’t end up in the trash. La Bise à Denise sneakers aren’t entirely upcycled – the outsole is made of rubber and the laces of cotton – but they do boast of being made mostly from waste or materials destined for destruction. The insole, for example, is made from recycled mattresses, and more precisely, from end-of-life foam and latex, a combination that gives rise to absorbent and insulating properties. All of which testifies to the infinite possibilities of upcycling. And in this field, a handful of designers have gone even further, turning to the most unlikely of objects to make sneakers that are as original as they are eco-friendly. From subway seats to USB cables The Sans les Plumes brand is focusing on the fate of Paris public transport seating textiles – from subways, trains and streetcars, for example – with the aim of transforming these technical fabrics into trendy sneakers. This gives rise to original collections of sneakers that are unlike any others, and usually only available in (very) limited e d i t i o n s , repurposing textiles that would otherwise be discarded when public transport is renovated. Avoiding waste is also a challenge taken up by brands like BIS* and Eugène Riconneaus. The former makes use of vintage windbreakers, while the latter repurposes marine waste – fishing nets, seafood, seaweed – to create all kinds of sneaker models. But it’s undoubtedly the young British-Nigerian designer, Tega Akinola, who has stood out the most, with sneakers – and a few pairs of pumps – made from electronic c a b l e s , o l d fleeces and used socks. It’s a feat that has catapulted this previously unknown creator to the status of coveted designer. Not only has she been supported by the APOC Store marketplace, but one of her creations has also featured in the ‘Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street’ exhibition at London’s Design Museum. All of which offers another artistic way of showing that upcycling is part of the solution to making the fashion industry greener. – ETX Studio Summer’s coolest accessories Your sneakers in the future could be made from electronic cables, mattresses or vintage windbreakers. – GETTY
20 ENVIRONMENT theSun LYFE ON MONDAY | JUNE 12, 2023 Swimming in plastic oGreek fishermen battle environmental tragedy THE fish market of Keratsini, west of Athens, is abuzz in the early morning, with trawlers disgorging crates of sardines and anchovies as trucks await nearby to be loaded. But on his family’s fishing boat, Lefteris Arapakis sorts out a different sort of haul – bottles, boots, plastic pipes and fishing nets, all dragged from the bed of the Aegean Sea. “We are swimming in plastic,” said Arapakis, whose family has fished for five generations. By 2050 “there will be more plastic than fish” in the sea, he warned, quoting recent reports. That morning’s plastic catch “weighs about 100 kilos,” said the 29- year-old economist and co-founder of Enaleia, an NGO that encourages fishermen to collect marine litter caught in their nets. Since its creation in 2018, it has worked with more than 1,200 fishermen in Greece to raise awareness over the degradation of the maritime environment. The seabed litter does not come only from Greece but from all over the Mediterranean, moving with the sea currents. Active in 42 ports throughout Greece, Enaleia provides fishermen with large bags for marine waste that they can deposit in dumpsters once back at port. For every kilo of plastic they deliver, they receive a small “symbolic” sum. The money is enough for a drink, said Arapakis, who was in Paris this week for global talks on limiting plastic pollution. UN plastic talks Representatives of 175 nations are meeting at the UNESCO headquarters with the aim of making progress towards reaching an agreement by next year covering the entire plastics life cycle. Since October, fishing crews affiliated with Enaleia have dragged out 20 tons of plastic and old fishing equipment each month. Nearly 600 tons have been collected over the last five years, the NGO said. The collected plastic is transported to a recycling plant in the industrial area of Megara near Keratsini, to be turned into pellets to make new products such as socks, swimwear or furniture. A sixth is fishing nets, according to Emalia. Next in line are high and lowdensity plastics (12.5% and 8% respectively). But nearly half of the total, 44%, is non-recyclable plastic. Recycling marine waste is a “challenge” because the plastic is degraded by its exposure underwater, said Hana Pertot, sales manager of the Skyplast recycling plant in Megara. Enaleia began as a fishing school created by Arapakis after he lost his job in 2016 during the Greek financial crisis. It was originally created to help his father recruit personnel for his trawler. The organisation is now also active in Italy, and this year began partnerships in Spain, Egypt and Kenya. Arapakis said he embarked on the Mediterranean Cleanup project after a trip to Greece’s Cyclades islands, where he saw fishermen throwing the waste gathered by their nets back into the sea. Part of the solution In 2020, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) awarded Arapakis its “Young Champion of the Year in Europe” prize. He is convinced that there has been a “mentality change” among Greece’s fishermen. Previously “we caught large quantities of plastic but we only kept the fish. All waste was thrown into the sea,” said Mokhtar Mokharam, the team leader on Arapakis’ family’s boat, the Panagiota II. There are also practical benefits for fishing boats. “In the past, the anchor often snagged on waste of all kinds, especially nets, and the engine would go out,” said Nikolaos Mentis, who works out of the island of Salamina opposite Keratsini, and has been an Enaleia contributor for the past five years. “Fishermen are mobilising, (it’s) a kind of democracy. Climate change mainly affects people on low incomes,” he said. “Fishermen were part of the problem before. Now they are part of the solution – which means that any citizen or politician can contribute.” – AFP Australia to build massive marine park AUSTRALIA plans to create a marine park almost the size of Spain around remote islands off its southeast coast, the government announced Sunday. Under the proposals, the existing Macquarie Island Marine Park will be tripled in size, bringing a total of 475,465 square kilometres under protection. That is an area roughly the size of Spain or Cameroon and much larger than Vietnam or Japan. The protections mean the area will be “completely closed to fishing, mining and other extractive activities”, according to Australia’s Minister of Environment Tanya Plibersek. Existing fishery operations targeting the Patagonian toothfish will be allowed to continue. Macquarie Island sits halfway between Australia and Antarctica and is home to royal penguins, fur seals and a subantarctic science hub. “Macquarie Island is an exceptional place. It’s a remote wildlife wonderland - a critical breeding ground for millions of seabirds, seals and penguins,“ said Plibersek. Environmental groups have backed the plan, fearing the area could be targeted for seabed mining and unsustainable commercial fishing. – AFP Indonesia braces for forest fires, crop loss INDONESIA is expecting a severe dry season from the impact of the El Nino weather pattern, threatening harvests and raising the risks of forest fires, the head of its weather agency said. “Looking at the data we have, El Nino started in June and will affect almost all of Indonesia and worsen until September,” said Dwikorita Karnawati, head of the BMKG, Indonesia’s meteorological, climatological and geophysics agency. She told a press conference El Nino would cause severe drought on the main islands of Indonesia, with some likely to see no rain or just 30% of the typical amount. “This will decrease the availability of groundwater that will impact agriculture and irrigation, harvest failure, as well as forest fires,” Dwikorita said, urging stakeholders to prepare to mitigate the risks, including by use of weather modification technology. “We have to be extremely careful,” she said. Indonesia experienced devastating forest fires in 2019 which blanketed the country and the region with haze and caused about US$5.2 billion (RM23.92 billion) of economic losses in the eight affected provinces, according to the World Bank. Early signs of El Nino are threatening food producers across Asia, with palm oil and rice production likely to suffer in Indonesia and Malaysia – which supply 80% of the world’s palm oil – and Thailand, according to analysts. – Reuters Hot, dry weather causing frequent forest fires. – REUTERS Macquarie Island Marine Park is said to be almost the size of Spain. – AFP Fishermen struggling to remove plastic waste from their waters. – AFP /theSunMedia FOLLOW ON YOUTUBE SCAN ME
21 * SPORTS theSUN ON MONDAY | JUNE 12, 2023 TAIWAN’S Pan Cheng-tsung opened and closed with back-to-back birdies to grab a two-stroke lead after yesterday’s third round of the US PGA Tour’s Canadian Open. Two-time defending champion Rory McIlroy and England’s Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood charged into the hunt but it was Pan, trying to end a four-year PGA win drought, who fired a 6-under 66 to lead after 54 holes at Oakdale on 14-under 202. Pan capped his second 66 in a row with birdie putts from just outside 10 feet at 17 and the par-5 18th. “That put me in a good spot, but I still got a lot of work to do,” Pan said. “I won’t do too much to change. “But you still have to play aggressive because this course, it’s a lot of rough, but if you hit it in the fairway you will have a lot of short irons in and create a lot of birdie opportunities.” A second-place pack included world No. 3 McIlroy, 2013 US Open champion Rose and Fleetwood, a two-time major runnerup chasing his first US PGA victory, plus Americans Mark Hubbard, Harry Higgs and Andrew Novak. McIlroy fired a bogey-free 66, including three birdies on the front nine and three in a row on the back nine on a putt from just inside 17 feet at the par-3 11th, a tap-in after reaching the green in two at the par-5 12th and a 30-foot putt at 13. “The key to this golf course is getting off to a good start,” McIlroy said. “I was able to do that and kept it going through the middle of the round. “Putter went cold over those last five holes. Feel like I could have squeezed a couple more shots out of the round but overall really pleased with how I played.” McIlroy only played nine holes on the unfamiliar layout before round one. “Sometimes ignorance is bliss on golf courses and not knowing where the trouble is and not having memories of where not to miss it,” he said. – AFP IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF IO DCB SERVICES SDN. BHD. REGISTRATION NO.: 201801025862 (1287883-M) (IN MEMBERS’ VOLUNTARY WINDING UP) NOTICE OF FINAL MEETING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to Section 459 of the Companies Act 2016, the Final Meeting of the abovenamed Company will be held at Unit 20-05, Level 20, Q Sentral, 2A Jalan Stesen Sentral 2, Kuala Lumpur Sentral, 50470 Kuala Lumpur, W.P. Kuala Lumpur on 13 July 2023 at 11.00 a.m. for the following purposes: 1. To receive the Liquidators’ Statement of Accounts showing the manner in which the winding up has been conducted and to hear any explanations thereof. 2. To determine by ordinary resolution the manner and period within which all the books and documents of the Company and of the Liquidators, shall be disposed of. Dated: 12 June 2023 CHEAH YOON KANG Liquidator Unit 20-05, Level 20, Q Sentral 2A Jalan Stesen Sentral 2 Kuala Lumpur Sentral 50470 Kuala Lumpur 322 Notices PERISYTIHARAN JUALAN DALAM MAHKAMAH TINGGI MALAYA DI SUNGAI PETANI PERMOHONAN UNTUK PERLAKSANAAN NO: KB-207-03/2023 Dalam perkara mengenai Seksyen 256 dan 257 Kanun Tanah Negara, 1965 Dan Dalam perkara mengenai Gadaian Perserahan No: 865/1999 (bertarikh : 12/05/1999), 285/2005 (Bertarikh : 24/01/2005) ke atas semua bahagian tanah yang dipegang di bawah Hakmilik sem*ntara No. H.S. (M) 307/1996, Lot No. 282, Seksyen 41, Mukim Kulim, Daerah Kulim, Kedah Dan Dalam perkara mengenai Aturan 83 Kaedah- Kaedah Mahkamah, 2012 ANTARA RHB BANK BERHAD (No. Syarikat : 196501000373 (6171-M)) ...PLAINTIF DAN ABD RAZAK BIN OTHMAN(KETUA PENGARAH INSOLVENSI MALAYSIA, PENTADBIR HARTA BAGI SI BANKRAP)(No. Kad Pengenalan : 560905025145) ...DEFENDAN Menurut Perintah Mahkamah Tinggi Malaya di SUNGAI PETANI mengenai Perintah Jualan dan Perintah bertarikh 29 Jun 2022 dan 10 Mei 2023, adalah dengan ini diisytiharkan bahawa Timbalan Pendaftar/Penolong Kanan Pendaftar Pusat Operasi e-Lelong di Kuantan AKAN MENJUAL SECARA LELONG AWAM Pada Hari Rabu, 12 Julai 2023, Pada Jam 9:00 pagi, SECARA ELEKTRONIK DI LAMAN WEB e-LELONG, PUSAT OPERASI e-LELONG, KOMPLEKS MAHKAMAH KUANTAN, PAHANG DARUL MAKMUR NOTA: Bakal pembeli adalah dinasihatkan aqar membuat carian Hakmilik secara rasmi di Pejabat Tanah dan memeriksa semua tanqqunqan, bebanan serta mengenal pasti dengan tepat hartanah tersebut sebelum jualan lelonqan dijalankan. Sila layari https://elelong.kehakiman.gov.my/bidderweb BUTIR-BUTIR HAKMILIK: No. Hakmilik : Hakmilik sem*ntara No. H.S. (M) 307/1996 No. lot : Lot No. 282, Seksyen 41 Mukim / Daerah / Negeri : Kulim / Kulim / Kedah Pegangan : Hakmilik Kekal No. Petak/No. Tingkat/ No. Bangunan : Keluasan Tanah : 1399.0000000000 kaki persegi 130.0000000000 meter persegi Pemilik Berdaftar : ABD RAZAK BIN OTHMAN Syarat Nyata : Rumah Teres Tanah yang terkandung dalam hakmilik ini hendaklah digunakan sebagai tapak untuk satu bangunan kediaman (rumah teres) sahaja. Sekatan Kepentingan : Tiada Bebanan / Lain-Lain : Kawasan Rizab : Lot Untuk Orang Melayu Kaveat : Kaveat Persendirian dimasukkan oleh IDA RAFISHAH BINTI ABU TALIB (No. K/P : 750418-08-6108) dengan Perserahan No. 926/2018 yang didaftarkan pada 26/08/2018 LOKASI DAN PERIHAL HARTANAH : Hartanah tersebut adalah Rumah Teres Dua Tingkat yang beralamat pos di No. 73, Jalan Camar 2, Taman Camar, 09000, Kulim, Kedah. HARGA RIZAB : Hartanah tersebut akan dijual atas “sepertimana sedia ada” tertakluk kepada satu harga rizab sebanyak RM 346,500.00 (RINGGIT MALAYSIA: TIGA RATUS EMPAT PULUH ENAM RIBU LIMA RATUS SAHAJA) dan kepada syarat-syarat jualan yang dilampirkan. Pembida yang berminat hendaklah mendepositkan 10% daripada harga rizab dalam bentuk Bank Draf di atas nama RHB BANK BERHAD 1 HARI BEKERJA sebelum tarikh lelong awam. Baki harga belian hendaklah dibayar oleh pembida yang berjaya kepada RHB BANK BERHAD dalam tempoh seratus dua puluh (120) hari dari tarikh jualan. Untuk butir-butir selanjutnya, sila berhubung dengan:- Firma Guaman : TOH THEAM HOCK & CO. Alamat : NO. 155, 1ST FLOOR MEDAN KIKIK SATU TAMAN INDERAWASIH, 13600, PG, MY No. Telefon : 04-3981917 No. Fax : 04-3981921 No. Rujukan : TTH/RHB/9/2017/0SY/INA IN THE HIGH COURT OF MALAYA AT KUALA LUMPUR COMPANIES (WINDING-UP) PETITION NO: WA-28NCC-464-08/2023 In the matter of Sections 465(1)(e) dan 466(1)(a) of the Companies Act 2016; And In the matter of Legamaju Engineering Sdn Bhd [Company Registration No. 201101014974) BETWEEN RONG MAH (KL) SDN. BHD. (Company No.: 199401026095) ...PETITIONER AND LEGAMAJU ENGINEERING SDN. BHD. (Company No.: 201101014974) ... RESPONDENT ADVERTIsem*nT OF PETITION NOTICE is hereby given that a petition for winding-up of the abovenamed company by the High Court was, on the 22 May 2023, presented by Rong Mah (KL) Sdn. Bhd., having its address at 19, Jalan SS 4C/5, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan. And that the said petition is directed to be heard before the Court sitting at Kuala Lumpur at 9:30 o’clock in the forenoon, on the 20th day of November 2023; and any creditor or contributory of the said company desiring to support or oppose the making of an order on the said petition may appear at the time of hearing by himself or his counsel for that purpose; and a copy of the petition will be furnished to any creditor or contributory of the said company requiring the same by the undersigned on payment of the regulated charge for the same. The Petitioner’s address is at 19, Jalan SS 4C/5, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan. The Petitioner’s solicitors is WONG LU PEEN & TUNKU ALINA, 21-6, Block B, The Boulevard, Mid Valley City, Lingkaran Syed Putra, 59200 Kuala Lumpur. sign .…............................... WONG LU PEEN & TUNKU ALINA NOTE: Any person who intends to appear on the hearing of the said Petition must serve on or send by post to the abovenamed solicitors, notice in writing of his intention so to do. The notice must state the name and address of the person, or, if a firm, the name and address of the firm, and must be signed by the person or firm, or his or their solicitor (if any) and must be served, or, if posted, must be sent by post in sufficient time to reach the abovenamed not later than twelve o’clock noon of the 17th day of November 2023 (the day before the day appointed for the hearing of the Petition). This Advertisem*nt of Petition is taken out by WONG LU PEEN & TUNKU ALINA, 21-6, Block B, The Boulevard, Mid Valley City, Lingkaran Syed Putra, 59200 Kuala Lumpur, solicitors for the petitioner abovenamed whose address is at 19, Jalan SS 4C/5, Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan Petitioner’s solicitors’ telephone no.: 03-22018378 File reference : L3 16060 Email : [emailprotected] | [emailprotected] 322 Notices 322 Notices 190 Shops to Let RETAIL SPACE FOR RENT / SALE! For Viewing Appointment, Contact Ms. Nadia/Sall 03-2072 2562 IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF BORDERLESS HIRE SDN. BHD. REGISTRATION NO.: 201801040201 (1302232-V) (IN MEMBERS’ VOLUNTARY WINDING UP) NOTICE OF FINAL MEETING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to Section 459 of the Companies Act 2016, the Final Meeting of the abovenamed Company will be held at Unit 20-05, Level 20, Q Sentral, 2A Jalan Stesen Sentral 2, Kuala Lumpur Sentral, 50470 Kuala Lumpur, W.P. Kuala Lumpur on 13 July 2023 at 10.00 a.m. for the following purposes: 1. To receive the Liquidators’ Statement of Accounts showing the manner in which the winding up has been conducted and to hear any explanations thereof. 2. To determine by ordinary resolution the manner and period within which all the books and documents of the Company and of the Liquidators, shall be disposed of. Dated: 12 June 2023 PAR HOW KUANG Liquidator Unit 20-05, Level 20, Q Sentral 2A Jalan Stesen Sentral 2 Kuala Lumpur Sentral 50470 Kuala Lumpur 190 Shops to Let 322 Notices IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF IO DCB SERVICES SDN. BHD. REGISTRATION NO.: 201801025862 (1287883-M) (IN MEMBERS’ VOLUNTARY WINDING UP) NOTICE OF FINAL MEETING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to Section 459 of the Companies Act 2016, the Final Meeting of the abovenamed Company will be held at Unit 20-05, Level 20, Q Sentral, 2A Jalan Stesen Sentral 2, Kuala Lumpur Sentral, 50470 Kuala Lumpur, W.P. Kuala Lumpur on 13 July 2023 at 11.00 a.m. for the following purposes: 1. To receive the Liquidators’ Statement of Accounts showing the manner in which the winding up has been conducted and to hear any explanations thereof. 2. To determine by ordinary resolution the manner and period within which all the books and documents of the Company and of the Liquidators, shall be disposed of. Dated: 12 June 2023 CHEAH YOON KANG Liquidator Unit 20-05, Level 20, Q Sentral 2A Jalan Stesen Sentral 2 Kuala Lumpur Sentral 50470 Kuala Lumpur 322 Notices PERISYTIHARAN JUALAN DALAM MAHKAMAH TINGGI MALAYA DI SUNGAI PETANI PERMOHONAN UNTUK PERLAKSANAAN NO: KB-207-03/2023 Dalam perkara mengenai Seksyen 256 dan 257 Kanun Tanah Negara, 1965 Dan Dalam perkara mengenai Gadaian Perserahan No: 865/1999 (bertarikh : 12/05/1999), 285/2005 (Bertarikh : 24/01/2005) ke atas semua bahagian tanah yang dipegang di bawah Hakmilik sem*ntara No. H.S. (M) 307/1996, Lot No. 282, Seksyen 41, Mukim Kulim, Daerah Kulim, Kedah Dan Dalam perkara mengenai Aturan 83 Kaedah- Kaedah Mahkamah, 2012 ANTARA RHB BANK BERHAD (No. Syarikat : 196501000373 (6171-M)) ...PLAINTIF DAN ABD RAZAK BIN OTHMAN(KETUA PENGARAH INSOLVENSI MALAYSIA, PENTADBIR HARTA BAGI SI BANKRAP)(No. Kad Pengenalan : 560905025145) ...DEFENDAN Menurut Perintah Mahkamah Tinggi Malaya di SUNGAI PETANI mengenai Perintah Jualan dan Perintah bertarikh 29 Jun 2022 dan 10 Mei 2023, adalah dengan ini diisytiharkan bahawa Timbalan Pendaftar/Penolong Kanan Pendaftar Pusat Operasi e-Lelong di Kuantan AKAN MENJUAL SECARA LELONG AWAM Pada Hari Rabu, 12 Julai 2023, Pada Jam 9:00 pagi, SECARA ELEKTRONIK DI LAMAN WEB e-LELONG, PUSAT OPERASI e-LELONG, KOMPLEKS MAHKAMAH KUANTAN, PAHANG DARUL MAKMUR NOTA: Bakal pembeli adalah dinasihatkan aqar membuat carian Hakmilik secara rasmi di Pejabat Tanah dan memeriksa semua tanqqunqan, bebanan serta mengenal pasti dengan tepat hartanah tersebut sebelum jualan lelonqan dijalankan. Sila layari https://elelong.kehakiman.gov.my/bidderweb BUTIR-BUTIR HAKMILIK: No. Hakmilik : Hakmilik sem*ntara No. H.S. (M) 307/1996 No. lot : Lot No. 282, Seksyen 41 Mukim / Daerah / Negeri : Kulim / Kulim / Kedah Pegangan : Hakmilik Kekal No. Petak/No. Tingkat/ No. Bangunan : Keluasan Tanah : 1399.0000000000 kaki persegi 130.0000000000 meter persegi Pemilik Berdaftar : ABD RAZAK BIN OTHMAN Syarat Nyata : Rumah Teres Tanah yang terkandung dalam hakmilik ini hendaklah digunakan sebagai tapak untuk satu bangunan kediaman (rumah teres) sahaja. Sekatan Kepentingan : Tiada Bebanan / Lain-Lain : Kawasan Rizab : Lot Untuk Orang Melayu Kaveat : Kaveat Persendirian dimasukkan oleh IDA RAFISHAH BINTI ABU TALIB (No. K/P : 750418-08-6108) dengan Perserahan No. 926/2018 yang didaftarkan pada 26/08/2018 LOKASI DAN PERIHAL HARTANAH : Hartanah tersebut adalah Rumah Teres Dua Tingkat yang beralamat pos di No. 73, Jalan Camar 2, Taman Camar, 09000, Kulim, Kedah. HARGA RIZAB : Hartanah tersebut akan dijual atas “sepertimana sedia ada” tertakluk kepada satu harga rizab sebanyak RM 346,500.00 (RINGGIT MALAYSIA: TIGA RATUS EMPAT PULUH ENAM RIBU LIMA RATUS SAHAJA) dan kepada syarat-syarat jualan yang dilampirkan. Pembida yang berminat hendaklah mendepositkan 10% daripada harga rizab dalam bentuk Bank Draf di atas nama RHB BANK BERHAD 1 HARI BEKERJA sebelum tarikh lelong awam. Baki harga belian hendaklah dibayar oleh pembida yang berjaya kepada RHB BANK BERHAD dalam tempoh seratus dua puluh (120) hari dari tarikh jualan. Untuk butir-butir selanjutnya, sila berhubung dengan:- Firma Guaman : TOH THEAM HOCK & CO. Alamat : NO. 155, 1ST FLOOR MEDAN KIKIK SATU TAMAN INDERAWASIH, 13600, PG, MY No. Telefon : 04-3981917 No. Fax : 04-3981921 No. Rujukan : TTH/RHB/9/2017/0SY/INA IN THE HIGH COURT OF MALAYA AT KUALA LUMPUR COMPANIES (WINDING-UP) PETITION NO: WA-28NCC-464-08/2023 In the matter of Sections 465(1)(e) dan 466(1)(a) of the Companies Act 2016; And In the matter of Legamaju Engineering Sdn Bhd [Company Registration No. 201101014974) BETWEEN RONG MAH (KL) SDN. BHD. (Company No.: 199401026095) ...PETITIONER AND LEGAMAJU ENGINEERING SDN. BHD. (Company No.: 201101014974) ... RESPONDENT ADVERTIsem*nT OF PETITION NOTICE is hereby given that a petition for winding-up of the abovenamed company by the High Court was, on the 22 May 2023, presented by Rong Mah (KL) Sdn. Bhd., having its address at 19, Jalan SS 4C/5, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan. And that the said petition is directed to be heard before the Court sitting at Kuala Lumpur at 9:30 o’clock in the forenoon, on the 20th day of November 2023; and any creditor or contributory of the said company desiring to support or oppose the making of an order on the said petition may appear at the time of hearing by himself or his counsel for that purpose; and a copy of the petition will be furnished to any creditor or contributory of the said company requiring the same by the undersigned on payment of the regulated charge for the same. The Petitioner’s address is at 19, Jalan SS 4C/5, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan. The Petitioner’s solicitors is WONG LU PEEN & TUNKU ALINA, 21-6, Block B, The Boulevard, Mid Valley City, Lingkaran Syed Putra, 59200 Kuala Lumpur. sign .…............................... WONG LU PEEN & TUNKU ALINA NOTE: Any person who intends to appear on the hearing of the said Petition must serve on or send by post to the abovenamed solicitors, notice in writing of his intention so to do. The notice must state the name and address of the person, or, if a firm, the name and address of the firm, and must be signed by the person or firm, or his or their solicitor (if any) and must be served, or, if posted, must be sent by post in sufficient time to reach the abovenamed not later than twelve o’clock noon of the 17th day of November 2023 (the day before the day appointed for the hearing of the Petition). This Advertisem*nt of Petition is taken out by WONG LU PEEN & TUNKU ALINA, 21-6, Block B, The Boulevard, Mid Valley City, Lingkaran Syed Putra, 59200 Kuala Lumpur, solicitors for the petitioner abovenamed whose address is at 19, Jalan SS 4C/5, Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan Petitioner’s solicitors’ telephone no.: 03-22018378 File reference : L3 16060 Email : [emailprotected] | [emailprotected] 322 Notices 322 Notices 190 Shops to Let RETAIL SPACE FOR RENT / SALE! For Viewing Appointment, Contact Ms. Nadia/Sall 03-2072 2562 IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF BORDERLESS HIRE SDN. BHD. REGISTRATION NO.: 201801040201 (1302232-V) (IN MEMBERS’ VOLUNTARY WINDING UP) NOTICE OF FINAL MEETING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to Section 459 of the Companies Act 2016, the Final Meeting of the abovenamed Company will be held at Unit 20-05, Level 20, Q Sentral, 2A Jalan Stesen Sentral 2, Kuala Lumpur Sentral, 50470 Kuala Lumpur, W.P. Kuala Lumpur on 13 July 2023 at 10.00 a.m. for the following purposes: 1. To receive the Liquidators’ Statement of Accounts showing the manner in which the winding up has been conducted and to hear any explanations thereof. 2. To determine by ordinary resolution the manner and period within which all the books and documents of the Company and of the Liquidators, shall be disposed of. Dated: 12 June 2023 PAR HOW KUANG Liquidator Unit 20-05, Level 20, Q Sentral 2A Jalan Stesen Sentral 2 Kuala Lumpur Sentral 50470 Kuala Lumpur 190 Shops to Let 322 Notices Shakira drop Hamilton relationship hint COLUMBIAN SINGER Shakira has dropped a relationship hint after she has been seen with Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton. Shakira attended the previous weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix and then went out for dinner with the seven-time world champion after the Brit finished second behind Max Verstappen. Rumours of their romance were fuelled further last week when Hamilton was spotted picking up the 46-year-old singer outside her Miami waterfront mansion in a speedboat. According to the Daily Mail the pair were joined by Hamilton’s close friend Miles Chamley-Watson. The People have reported that the celebrities are “growing closer”. A source who knows the pair told the publication: “They’re spending time together and in the ‘getting to know you’ stage. It’s fun and flirty.” Shakira has now provided a cryptic hint about their relationship. She told Mexican newspaper Milenio: “I’m rediscovering the material I’m made of and also wanting to find that.” “What I am enjoying most now at this point in my life is my children, the moments they give me, you have to think about the future, but with them it is always the present.” Dani keeps lead at ShopRite DANI HOLMQVIST of Sweden fired a 4- under 67 yesterday to remain atop the leaderboard after two rounds of action at the ShopRite LPGA Classic in Galloway, New Jersey. Holmqvist carded a first-round 64 to take an early lead and held on to it with seven birdies and three bogeys yesterday at Seaview Golf Club’s Bay Course. She now sits at 11-under 131 for the tournament, one stroke ahead of South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim, who posted a secondround 65. “Just try and do the same thing, as cliche as that sounds,” Holmqvist said of how she plans to handle the final round. “Just try and stay in my own bubble and picture the flights and just fall in love with those and just try and execute as good as I can.” Kim stayed in contention by racking up eight birdies against a pair of bogeys while South African Ashleigh Buhai was equally as impressive, notching seven birdies and a bogey en route to a 6-under 65 that kept her in third place. WHEN Australia’s Cameron Green pulled off what to the naked eye looked like a spectacular diving catch to dismiss Indian opener Shubman Gill in the World Test Championship final – a loud chorus of “wows” could be heard around The Oval. Within seconds, however, boos and shouts of “cheat, cheat, cheat” were ringing around the ground after video replays on the giant screens failed to make clear whether the ball had brushed the ground as Green fell to his side to complete the catch. “At the time, I definitely thought I caught it,” Green, who also pulled off a blinder of a catch at gully during India’s first innings to dismiss Ajinkya Rahane, told reporters. “In the heat of the moment, I thought it was clean and threw it up and obviously showed no sign of any doubt basically. And then it’s left up to the third umpire and he agreed.” A livid India captain Rohit Sharma was not convinced but his protests to the umpires fell on deaf ears. After Gill had trudged back to the pavilion, he tweeted a screen-grab off TV that appeared to show the ball was in contact with the ground and accompanied the image with two magnifying glass emojis. “It should have been checked better, zoomed in,” Indian pace bowler Mohammed Shami said. Alex Carey, who as wicketkeeper stood alongside Green when he took the catch, backed his teammate’s version of events. “I thought he caught it fair and square. It looked good from where I was, and he was really happy with it. The right decision was made,” he said. The moment that lasted a fraction of a second became the major talking point even though Australia ended day four requiring just seven Indian wickets to complete victory over the world’s topranked team. – Reuters Green under fire for acrobatic catch SHORTS Taiwanese grabs Canadian Open lead as McIlroy, Rose charge Sizzling-hot Pan Pan Cheng-tsung. – AFPPIX
22 theSUN ON MONDAY | JUNE 12, 2023 SPORTS in those few last games and finish it. “But Karolina really played well. It was a big challenge. I’m happy and really proud of myself that I did it. “This one, for sure, it was a little bit tougher in terms of injuries and the pressure, and also coming back to this tournament as a defending champion. “I’m happy that I finished the whole clay court swing so well and that I kind of survived. I guess I’m never going to doubt my strength again.” Swiatek is the first woman since Justine Henin in 2007 to successfully defend her title on the Paris clay and joins Naomi Osaka on four grand slam titles – veteran Venus Williams with seven is the only active player to hold more. Swiatek equals Osaka and Monica Seles, meanwhile, as the only women in the open era to win each of their first four slam finals. “I felt pretty confident with my game in the second set but I /thesundaily FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK SCAN ME 5649/2023 11/06/2023 (SUN) 1428 5656 3497 0333 3853 3915 5107 0171 2124 8101 8012 4469 3082 3875 6841 8523 8808 0810 8133 5352 6709 1185 7847 15,554,900.10 1428 1428 1428 3497 3497 5656 3497 3497 5656 5656 1428 5656 377,501.11 1428 5656 3497 GOAT 79284 25252 5252 252 99498 5 2 7 8 655778 55778 5778 778 65577 6557 655 6 5 6,857,675.34 3,887,282.19 2614 37 39 47 56 100,000.00 13 22 27 33 45 46 1 2 3 13 24 33 14,919,506.24 48 549 351 + RABBIT 828 165 + HORSE 536 470 + SNAKE Draw Date: 11/06/23 (Sun) Draw No: 5596/23 Venue: PERAK TURF CLUB 9351 8165 6470 3746 + 9019 8503 + 8702 4686 + 1050 0042 + 7217 8498 + 8060 0973 + 5853 2451 + 0124 3209 + 5972 7151 + 2800 6811 + 3996 RM5,521,043.70 9351 + 8165 8165 + 9351 9351 + 6470 6470 + 9351 8165 + 6470 6470 + 8165 RM120,485.10 RM2,308,335.70 RM1,466,527.70 RM2,376,754.20 543 746 599 019 328 503 118 702 834 686 521 050 230 042 817 217 468 498 118 060 150 973 045 853 452 451 010 124 623 209 805 972 057 151 632 800 936 811 443 996 351 165 470 RM694,209.30 351 + 165 + 470 165 + 470 + 351 351 + 470 + 165 470 + 351 + 165 165 + 351 + 470 470 + 165 + 351 HSSB 1+3DJP1 RM8,101,326 & 1+3DJP2 RM349,487 won on 10/6/23! Toast of Paris I’ll never doubt my strength again, I says French Open champ Swiatek GA SWIATEK gained new-found belief in her own strength after coming through an intense struggle to beat Karolina Muchova and complete her French Open hattrick. The 22-year-old Pole cemented her status as the best female player in the world, particularly on clay, with her third title in four years at Roland Garros. But this was by some distance the hardest of her grand slam finals, with unseeded Czech Muchova battling back from a set and 3-0 down to force a decider. Muchova twice led by a break in that but Swiatek refused to be beaten, eventually prevailing 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 after two hours and 46 minutes and crouching down on the clay in tears. “I’m feeling all these different emotions right now,” said Swiatek. “It’s pretty surreal, everything. But the match was really intense, a lot of ups and downs. “Stressful moments and coming back. So I’m pretty happy that at the end I could be solid also knew that it’s only one break,” Swiatek said. “So I needed to stay constantly aware and ready for everything, especially playing against Karolina, knowing that she’s come back from really crazy situations in this tournament. “In the third set I didn’t want to have any regrets about the second. I just kind of looked forward, and I said to myself, ‘OK, I’m just going to give it all. No thinking, no analysing, just play my game, use my intuition’, and that really helped.” Muchova was left with mixed emotions, saying: “The feeling is a little bitter, because I felt it was very close, a close match. “But overall, to call myself a grand slam finalist, it’s an amazing achievement, and for sure big motivation for me to work in the future and to get a chance again to play for these big titles.” – The Independent Alcaraz defends Djokovic for ‘controversial’ choices CARLOS ALCARAZ has leapt to Novak Djokovic’s defence after cramps derailed their highly-anticipated French Open match. The pair split sets before the Spaniard started cramping and he won just one more game after the issue set in. And Alcaraz said some just wanted to create controversy in response to Djokovic’s reaction as he took an off-court break and continued to celebrate while the 20-year-old struggled physically. The world No. 1 was asked whether the Serb’s toilet break at the end of the second set influenced his physical problems. Alcaraz was also quizzed over his thoughts on Djokovic continuing to celebrate winning points while the 20- year-old was visibly struggling but the Spaniard defended his rival. “Many people may want to create controversy and claim that Novak went to the bathroom to stop the game or break rhythm, but no, not in my case,” Alcaraz said in Spanish. “I don’t believe it influenced anything. “The stress from the first game of the match carried over into the second set, and the physical demands Novak placed on me had an impact. Ultimately, I couldn’t hold on physically.” The 10-time title winner also supported Djokovic continuing to celebrate despite his own physical woes, admitting he would do the same. Alcaraz added: “As for your second question, I don’t blame him for anything. “He had to close the match. Clenching your fists helps maintain intensity and allows you to close the match as quickly as possible. “The truth is, if I were facing someone who was injured or not playing at their best, and I experienced a slump, I would likely do the same. Closing a match is never easy.” – Express Newspapers Kyrgios laughs at women’s tennis NICK KYRGIOS laughed off the idea that women’s tennis wasn’t boring as Iga Swiatek won the French Open title for the third time in the last four years. The world No. 26 replied to Rennae Stubbs’ tweet suggesting that the women’s semifinals were more exciting than the men’s matches at the same stage. During the match, former pro-turnedcoach Stubbs slammed the idea that women’s tennis was boring and said both the semifinals and final were proof. The Australian tweeted: “Don’t tell me women’s tennis boring! The semis were better and now this final is fantastic! “Yes the 2nd set of Alcaraz Joker was amazing but the match was blah and the Rudd Zverev match was BLAHHH . Thank goodness for the ladies!” But Kyrgios appeared to make fun of her comment, replying with a cryinglaughing emoji. When Stubbs responded saying: “Tell me where I am wrong Nick?” he responded with the same emoji. But Kyrgios’ good friend and manager Daniel Horsfall clarified that the 28-yearold may have been responding to a different part of Stubbs’ tweet. “I think it’s more about the ‘blah’ in relation to men’s tennis,” he replied. Kyrgios himself is yet to start his 2023 season after undergoing knee surgery in January. – Express Newspapers Iga Swiatek poses with the trophy after winning the French Open. – AFPPIX
23 * SPORTS @thesundaily theSUN ON MONDAY | JUNE 12, 2023 FOLLOW ON TWITTER SCAN ME ‘My dream is in your hands’ K Walker’s pre-match pep talk to teammates ahead of Euro win YLE WALKER has revealed the sixword message he delivered to his Manchester City teammates ahead of their Champions League final victory over Inter Milan. City completed a historic treble but were made to work hard by Inter as it took a second half goal from Rodri to finally put them ahead at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul, before goalkeeper Ederson made a couple of wonder saves and the Italians hit the crossbar in pursuit of an equaliser. Pep Guardiola’s side eventually did get over the line however and a first Champions League trophy in the club’s history completed the holy grail, to add to their Champions League and FA Cup triumphs this term. Walker has been a key cog in the winning machine, most notably making a brilliant recovery tackle on Vinicius Jr at a key stage of City’s revenge win over Real Madrid in the Champions League semifinals. However, he was dropped for the final itself – although he was substituted on late in the game to help see it over the line – but, as a member of Guardiola’s leadership group, still delivered a message in the dressing room before the final. And he has revealed the six crucial words he said to inspire his teammates. The England defender told BT Sport after the game: “I said ‘my dream is in your hands’. It’s as simple as that. There’s no pressure!” Walker also described his emotions at winning the treble and how they interacted with his inevitable disappointment at not being selected to start the final. “I’m over the moon,” he said. “I’m very rarely speechless but my dream has come true, to achieve this with this club. “For everything they’ve done for every single one of us over the years. To achieve a treble is unbelievable. “It’s about being a leader. I’m always going to be disappointed when I’m not playing but I’m 33 now. My example sets on to the younger lads. “I made a speech before they went out. I was true to my words – it was emotional but this club means so much to me. To experience what I’ve experienced in football, I’m forever in debt. “You can’t say Inter deserved it more than we did or we deserved it more than they did. We’re both here by merit. Commiserations to them but there has to be a loser. “I said to the lads, we have to leave everything on that pitch. We can’t work as hard as we have done all season to throw it away. I thought the lads dug deep tonight.” Walker said the victory was all the more special given that City had lost to Chelsea in the 2021 Champions League final and that he was able to share it with his family in Istanbul. “Emotions played a part,” he explained. “The occasion is obviously going to get to you. I got a silver one (medal) last time so to get a gold one is fantastic. “I’m living the dream. My mum and dad are in the stands. From where I come from in Sheffield, it’s not easy. For them to be here, to experience my memories with them. “I remember when my mum didn’t have a pound for the ice cream van. To have this with them, I’m so thankful.” And with an inevitably huge party following the sealing of the treble, the 33-year-old laid out his intentions to enjoy the celebrations. He laughed: “I’ll drink anything in front of me. Put any drink in front of me, I’m destroying it!” – The Independent Grealish lets tears flow and hails coach JACK GREALISH produced an outpouring of emotion in his post-match interview after Manchester City beat Inter Milan to win their first Champions League yesterday. The City winger went weak at the legs as he burst into tears while hailing Pep Guardiola and describing his role in a historic treble triumph. Grealish struggled to make an impact at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium as Inter frustrated City’s star-studded attack. And though he acknowledged he wasn’t happy with his display after fulltime, he couldn’t contain his emotions as he expressed his delight. “It’s what you work your whole life for, isn’t it? I’m just so happy, man. I played so c**p today. Honestly, I was awful, but I don’t care,” he told BT Sport. “To win the treble with this group of players is so special. Anyone that knows me knows how much of a family person I am and how much I love football and stuff. This is what I’ve worked for my whole life. “You think back to all the people who have helped you along the way, and just seeing my family there in the crowd makes me emotional.” And he then directed his praise toward Guardiola, the coach who splashed a then-British record £100 million (RM540m) to sign him from Aston Villa in 2021. “He’s just a genius, isn’t he? I just said to him then, ‘I want to thank you because you’ve made this happen for me’,” Grealish explained. “He put so much faith in me, buying me for a lot of money. Even last year, when I was playing c**p, he stayed there with me (and) spoke to me. “And then this year, he’s given me that platform to go and perform. I just said thank you to him.” – Express Newspapers █ LUKE BAKER MANCHESTER CITY are European champions at last, having beaten Inter Milan 1-0 at the Ataturk Stadium to lift the Champions League trophy. As was expected to be the case, the Premier League team dominated play and created more chances, but their Serie A opponents fought relentlessly and kept them at bay for long stretches – only for Rodri to fire home the winner midway through the second half. Here are the player ratings from the Ataturk Stadium. MANCHESTER CITY Ederson (8/10): Poor footwork early on gave Inter a couple of openings but made a massive oneon-one save from Martinez on the hour. His biggest save came with just two minutes left though – a reaction save from Lukaku’s header. Manuel Akanji (7): Had a really good first hour but then inexplicably left the ball with nobody behind him to gift a chance. Ruben Dias (8): The most calm and assured of City’s deepest three, with stern challenges on Dzeko when needed and reliable passing out. Nathan Ake (7): Fairly calm and assured defensively, worked hard to close out spaces and was diligent with his passing. Did the job needed. John Stones (8): Frequently found himself the spare man in the middle with time to turn and space to move into. Really fine performance. Rodri (8): Excellent with his passing when City were in control, dominant tracking back to cover and win possession. Oh – and he was the one who netted the vital first goal. Bernardo Silva (8): His cross was half-cleared for the opening goal. Hard-working, fiesty and technically excellent all game. Ilkay Gundogan (7): Put in a very diligent shift without ever starring or being at his most dangerous in the final third. Kevin de Bruyne (6): Created a couple of openings and curled a shot on target, but hurt his hamstring doing so. Subbed before the break. Jack Grealish (6): Kept mostly quiet by Dumfries. Never really got into the game and was left frustrated. Erling Haaland (7): One real sight in the opening half hour and forced a save from a powerful shot. Mostly, though, played a support role. Subs: P. Foden (6), K. Walker (n/a). INTER MILAN Andre Onana (7): Had safe hands throughout – but no chance with Rodri’s fizzer into the corner. Kept his team in the game. Matteo Darmian (7): Positionally good and backed up Dumfries when Grealish tried to run infield. Francesco Acerbi (7): So aggressive at the back as usual, one of the first to make sure his teammates all kept to the plan. Alessandro Bastoni (7): Big in the air, won everything which went his way. Subbed when his team needed to go looking for a goal. Denzel Dumfries (6): Worked very hard against Grealish but never really delivered much in the final third. Nicolo Barella (6): As relentless as ever in midfield but lacked the quality on this occasion in his pass and shot. Marcelo Brozovic (6): Quiet, in truth. Directed play well and filled gaps defensively but didn’t really get matters under control. Hakan Calhanoglu (5): Game passed him by. Worked hard but never really had any impact. Federico Dimarco (8): A fantastic outlet all first half. So unlucky to not equalise, hitting the bar with a header. Lautaro Martinez (5): Spurned Inter’s big chance on the hour mark when allowed to run in one-onone. Just wasn’t up to the task. Edin Dzeko (6): Hard-working and filled in defensively but didn’t really get into the game and subbed after the break. Subs: R. Lukaku (4), R. Gosens (6), R. Bellanova (6), H. Mkhitaryan (n/a), D D’Ambrosio (n/a). The Independent PLAYER RATINGS █ KARL MATCHETT Man City’s Jack Grealish (centre) celebrates with his girlfriend and relatives after winning the Champions League final against Inter Milan at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul yesterday. – AFPPIX
theSun is published and printed by Sun Media Corporation Sdn Bhd (221220-K) of Lot 6, Jalan 51/217, 46050 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Tel: 03-7784 6688 Fax: 03-7783 7435 • Tel (Editorial): 03-7784 6688 Fax: 03-7785 2624/5 Email: [emailprotected] • Tel (Advertising): 03-7784 8888 Fax: 03-7784 4424 Email: [emailprotected] or download app from the App Store or Google Play TM . Read iPaper at www.thesundaily.my FREE access Interactive MONDAY • JUNE 12, 2023 Pep is one of the greatest managers ever, says Ferdinand FORMER Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand believes Pep Guardiola did not need to lead his side to a historic treble to put himself in contention for “the greatest” football manager of all time. Rodri’s 68th-minute strike in Saturday’s 1-0 Champions League final victory over Inter Milan was enough to secure the Spanish manager a 12th major trophy with City and anoint him as the first manager to secure two European trebles, having also accomplished the feat with Barcelona in 2009. Champions League winner Ferdinand heaped praise on the City boss using an unlikely artistic analogy to describe what he feels is Guardiola’s unmatched vision. He told BT Sport: “Does he need this game to be recognised as one of the greatest, if not the greatest? “We’re all I think in agreeance, he doesn’t even need it because of the way he sees the games. He has his teams painting pictures like we’ve never seen in my lifetime. (Like Picasso), Michaelangelo, however you want to do it.” Ferdinand was equally certain Guardiola’s men, who needed several spectacular stops from Ederson to secure the European title, would never be forgotten, adding they were now: “Immortal. Statues galore. “Listen, this team have played a brand of football that around the world is looked at, is admired. “This has been a project and a process for a long time, for many years now, Pep Guardiola coming in. “But these players have produced some football that is out of this world. Individually but as a collective this team will go down in history obviously. “They deserve to. A fantastic team and they’ve dug deep when they needed to, and they’ve been able to play both sides of the game. “I think that’s been the difference between this Manchester City team to past ones. “They can pass, they can play the fairytale football but also when need be they can dig in, roll their sleeves up and fight through games as well. Balance is everything in this team.” Ferdinand’s fellow pundit Joleon Lescott was part of the Manchester City side under Roberto Mancini that secured a club-first Champions League berth in 2011. He observed a change in Guardiola over the course of a Premier League season that saw City looking up at Arsenal in the table before securing a third consecutive title and the FA Cup at the campaign’s close. ”I think he’s been the most open and honest this season. I think it was the Spurs game when he came out and said he doesn’t recognise the team,” he said. “No one’s seeing this outcome in the first half of the season. No one’s seeing a treble. “Then he outed Kevin De Bruyne and wanted more, he did the same thing with Kyle Walker. “So the relationship you have with a group of players, you can only do that if you are so close and you are genuine about your connection with a group of players.” Cesc Fabregas, who played under Guardiola at Barcelona, recalled the days the City boss was untested in England, even drawing doubters who wondered if he could recreate his success in the English game. Since joining City in 2016 Guardiola has led the side to five Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups and a Champions League. Fabregas told the broadcaster: “He’s a very tough manager to play for because he demands the absolute best, but the day-to-day you have fun because he has a philosophy that every player dreams of. “We first thought, not me because I knew the way he worked first-hand, but that when he came to England he would find it difficult. Can he bring this type of play to the country? “And everyone doubted him. But he’s a very special man, a very special person, a very special manager and I am delighted for him.” – The Independent █ RACHEL STEINBERG ‘Written in the stars’ City treble-winners can be judged among the greats, says Guardiola PEP GUARDIOLA believes Manchester City have earned a place among the greats after finally winning the Champions League. City completed the treble on a glorious night in Istanbul yesterday as they beat Inter Milan 1-0 in a hardfought final with a 68th-minute Rodri strike. City have dominated the domestic scene under Guardiola, winning five Premier League titles in six years as well as two FA Cups and four Carabao Cups, but European success had eluded them. “You have to win in Europe to be considered a great team and we did it,” said Guardiola in his post-match press conference at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium. The challenge now for City will be to build on their triumph and establish a dynasty in European football. Guardiola said: “I don’t want to disappear after one Champions League. We have to work hard next season and be there. “There are teams who win the Champions League and disappear. We have to avoid that. “Knowing me it is not going to happen but it is a big relief to have this trophy.” Guardiola paid tribute to Inter for their dogged performance and to the City hierarchy for keeping faith in him after years of near misses in the competition. “For Inter, I must congratulate them for their performance,” he said. “I know what they feel because we felt it two years ago. “There are no words that can handle the pain but they are the second best team in Europe and that is incredible. “The second word is for my sporting director, CEO and chairman. Normally when you don’t win the Champions League after so many years you are sacked. How many clubs destroy the project? “It looks like this competition this year was in the stars. Now is time to celebrate. I am looking forward to Monday in Manchester on our (opentop bus) with three trophies.” City have become only the second English team, after Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United in 1999, to have won the treble of Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup in the same season. Guardiola said: “It is an honour from me to be alongside Sir Alex Ferguson. I got a message from him this morning and it is an honour.” Match-winner Rodri was thrilled by the achievement. The midfielder told BT Sport: “I’m emotional. This is a dream come true. “It wasn’t easy. What a team we faced – unbelievable they way they defended, the way they counterattacked. “They deserve credit because they are a great team but I don’t want to forget about my lads. We did everything. “Some of these guys are 20, 21, 22, some of them their first final, but we compete like animals.” Defender-cum-midfielder John Stones was proud to have played his part. Stones said: “It was the thing that we were missing and I feel so pleased. It’s a pleasure to be a part of this team, to create this history. It’s so special.” Inter coach Simone Inzaghi felt his team could hold their heads high. Inzaghi said: “We do have regrets because defeat is the worst thing in sport but at the same time, I have to congratulate my lads. “They are very sad, disappointed, but they must be proud of their campaign and the final they played. We didn’t deserve to lose but we played against a top team. “Manchester City deserve the Champions League considering what they have done in the past years. “Tonight they played against a great Inter who cornered them, but I congratulate Guardiola. “They have gone close to winning it many times but I would have liked them to wait a little bit longer.” – The Independent █ ANDY HAMPSON Man City’s Ilkay Gundogan (centre) holds aloft the trophy as they celebrate winning the Champions League final against Inter Milan at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul yesterday. – AFPPIX
