PETALING JAYA: The Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) has opposed the idea of abolishing or reducing pensions for new civil servants, calling the proposal “absurd”. Its president Datuk Adnan Mat said this when commenting on former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin’s recent comment that pensions for politicians and new civil servants should be ended and that they be included in the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) scheme instead. Khairy also said the existing pension schemes are excessively generous. “If we do not recognise it (pensions) as a ticking time bomb which, if we do not do anything, it will squeeze the space for the government to build more schools, hospitals, clinics and others, I think we are in a denial syndrome.” Khairy added that Putrajaya forked out about RM30 billion for pensions in 2022, which made up nearly 10% of the government’s annual budget expenditure. He said former prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had said pension payments were expected to reach some RM46.6 billion by 2030. In response, Adnan said pensions are a form of recognition for the services of civil servants and their contributions over the years. “It is not a burden on the government,” he said, and disagreed with the comparison between civil servant pensions and those of MPs or ministers. He emphasised that civil servants often receive small monthly payouts despite long years of service. “Instead of targeting civil servants, the government should abolish pensions for MPs as a cost-saving measure. Cuepacs stands against any reduction in the privileges enjoyed by civil servants,” he said. Political analyst Amirul Syazwan Hamzah, who observes economic and geopolitical trends, said the debate surrounding the abolition or retention of pensions for politicians and civil servants is complex and multifaceted. While declining to comment on pensions for politicians, he said pensions for civil servants should be retained. “Abolishing civil servant pensions could address concerns about fairness, financial responsibility and accountability. oAbsurd to reduce or abolish post-retirement pay for new civil servants, says Cuepacs chief █ BY SIVANISVARRY MORHAN [emailprotected] TELLING IT AS IT IS ONMONDAY OCTOBER 2, 2023 No. 8362 PP 2644/12/2012 (031195) www.thesundaily.my The skyline of haze-shrouded Kuala Lumpur is barely visible in this picture taken at the Sungai Besi-Ulu Kelang Elevated Expressway at 4pm yesterday. – AMIRUL SYAFIQ/THESUN Take precautions to reduce health impact of haze, public advised KUALA LUMPUR: Data from the Air Pollutant Index (API) Management System showed that as of 4pm yesterday, six states in Peninsular Malaysia were experiencing unhealthy air quality. The affected areas include Seberang Jaya in Penang with an API of 130, Cheras in Kuala Lumpur at 144, Banting in Selangor with 122, Nilai in Negeri Sembilan at 152, Port Dickson with 151, Malacca at 121, Batu Pahat in Johor with 133 and Larkin in Johor recording 155. In light of the worsening conditions, the Meteorological Department has advised the public, particularly those susceptible to respiratory problems, to monitor the air quality in their respective areas. It urged the public to take necessary precautions to minimise health risks, including avoiding outdoor activities to limit exposure to unhealthy air conditions. In line with the National Haze Action Plan, it recommended that all outdoor physical activities be postponed when the API reading exceeds 100. “If going outdoors is necessary, it is advisable to use appropriate face masks and stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water, even if not feeling thirsty. “We also urge parents to monitor the health of young children and individuals with respiratory and heart diseases, as they are more vulnerable to the adverse effects of haze,” said a department spokesman. He added that individuals experiencing symptoms such as cough, cold, asthma, eye irritation and breathing difficulty are advised to seek immediate medical attention to prevent worsening of their condition. For comprehensive information on preventive measures to minimise the health impact of haze, he advised the public to refer to the Health Ministry website. – By Sivanisvarry Morhan “However, maintaining it ensures adequate compensation, attracts skilled individuals to the civil service and preserves trust in government institutions. “Civil servants such as healthcare professionals, armed forces personnel, teachers and many others often work long hours, navigate complex challenges and shoulder the weight of immense responsibilities,” Amirul Syazwan said. He added that retaining the pension system could ensure that highly skilled and talented individuals are attracted to public service careers. “Without this benefit, potential candidates might be deterred from working in the civil service, considering the potential income disparities between the private and public sectors. “Pensions serve as an incentive, ensuring that the government has access to experienced and capable individuals to efficiently govern and administer its departments and institutions. Turn to — page 3 INSIDE Tough going for inexperienced 3 graduates page Car park operators liable for damage 5 to vehicles page ‘Hands off pensions’
2 theSUN ON MONDAY | OCTOBER 2, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS Health, Education ministries to get major allocations IPOH: The Health and Education Ministries will continue to get large allocations under the Madani Bugdet 2024 to be tabled on Oct 13, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Anwar, who will be presenting the second Madani Budget as finance minister, said among the matters that would be given focus in the Health Ministry’s budget are the building of clinics and solving the congestion problem at government hospitals. “In the Madani Budget, health and education issues will continue to be given emphasis. Our main focus is healthcare facilities, including hospitals. “Some claim that since Anwar became the prime minister, most hospitals have become congested. This problem Anwar, flanked by Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa and Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad, at the event in Ipoh yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC oBuilding clinics, solving congestion problem at govt hospitals to be primary focus in boosting healthcare, says Anwar has long existed, so we will manage it properly,” he said when launching the national Madani Medical Scheme and Madani Afiat Programme 2023 yesterday. Anwar said subsidy rationalisation is necessary, including for treatment charges at government hospitals, to ensure that government subsidies benefit groups that truly need help. “We have to study it. If we want to continue with subsidies, there is no need to give to the 10% (high-income group). For example, hospital charges are low, even free in some cases, but we give to all. Is it wrong to impose higher payments on the richest group?” On the Madani Medical Scheme, he said it is an important initiative under the Malaysia Madani Policy to provide equitable access to quality health service for the B40 group. Anwar also conveyed his greetings to the local pharmaceutical fraternity in conjunction with World Pharmacists Day, which was celebrated on Sept 25. He praised Perak for implementing various initiatives to improve the dissemination of health information to the people, including the state-level Malaysia Health Month programme. Meanwhile, the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry has expressed hope that it would receive a higher budget allocation for next year to continue supporting entrepreneurs nationwide. Its minister Datuk Ewon Benedick said entrepreneurs across the country can definitely expect good news under the Madani Budget 2024. “We have proposed a larger amount for Budget 2024 compared with RM732 million this year after considering inputs from various stakeholders nationwide. “We have collected, summarised and submitted (the data) to the Finance Ministry. I am very confident that we will get a better amount than what was approved,” he said after officiating the National Institute of Entrepreneurship branch yesterday, Bernama reported. Ewon added that the ministry recently allocated RM10 million in special grants for Bumiputera entrepreneurs in Sabah and Sarawak under the Bumiputera Enterprise Enhancement Programme Plus. Earlier, in his speech, Ewon said the opening of the National Institute of Entrepreneurship campus in Sarawak would provide entrepreneurs with better access to programmes as it is equipped with training rooms that can accommodate 30 participants at a time. “The complete facilities provided play an essential role in creating a conducive environment for learning and entrepreneurial development and are cost-effective for conducting training and mentoring programmes. “Another advantage of the campus is its strategic location in the city, making it easily accessible to all entrepreneurs and programme participants from surrounding areas.” Medical scheme boon for B40 IPOH: The Madani Medical Scheme has benefited a total of 112,887 households in the B40 group since it was introduced three months ago. Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said the scheme had received a very positive and encouraging response from the group, with a total of 181,460 outpatient treatments provided so far. “Since its inception, a total of 1,587 private clinics have registered and provided services under this scheme. We will continue to improve the scheme by taking inputs and suggestions from various parties,” she said at the launch of the national Madani Medical Scheme yesterday. “Among the improvements made were adding more types of medicines that can be prescribed and increasing funding for cost of procedures and X-rays at private clinics.” – Bernama PM keen on development of arts, culture, tourism PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim wants Malaysian arts and culture to be empowered, in line with the country’s economic progress, with the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry being its prime driver. “This is why the ministry’s role is important, along with programmes that will be able to elevate arts, poetry, film and theatre as well as performances and dance. “Not many countries can showcase arts and culture with the Malays playing a central role, as with other ethnicities from Perlis to Sabah,” he said when officiating the Putrajaya Cultural Festival 2023 on Saturday. Anwar said Malaysia’s multiracial society must embrace differences as a point of strength rather than use them as reasons for conflict. “I believe rational people who love their country and respect human values, view the racial, ethnic and cultural differences as a strength because diversity makes our beloved Malaysia great.” Describing the tourism sector as an important contributor to the national economy, Anwar gave his assurance that the government will focus specifically on the sector in Budget 2024. He suggested that the Putrajaya Cultural Festival 2023, which is being held for the first time, be made an annual event in the ministry’s calendar. The festival, which ended yesterday, was organised by the ministry in collaboration with strategic partners, namely Putrajaya Corporation and Istana Budaya, with the aim of making local and international communities more aware of Malaysian cultural, arts and tourism activities and promoting various tourism products in the country. Among the interesting activities held during the four-day programme were the Putrajaya Culture Fun Run & Gathering, which featured a 5km run in traditional attire, as well as traditional and creative stage performances revolving around the spirit of independence, heritage food demonstrations, sales of handicraft and cultural, art and tourism competitions. Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing said in addition to attracting tourists, the festival could foster a spirit of unity in multi-ethnic and multi-religious Malaysian society. “Malaysia’s ethnic and cultural diversity has made the country a popular international tourist destination. The ministry will ensure that continuous initiatives and strategies are taken to promote interesting arts and cultural tourism destinations,” he said in his speech at the event. – Bernama New Zealand governor-general on state visit SEPANG: New Zealand GovernorGeneral Cindy Kiro has arrived in Malaysia for a four-day state visit at the invitation of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin AlMustafa Billah Shah. Kiro, accompanied by her husband Dr Richard Davies and senior officials, arrived at the KL International Airport at 9.50am yesterday on a commercial flight, and were greeted by Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh. She was accorded a ceremonial guard of honour mounted by the First Battalion of the Royal Ranger Regiment led by Kapt Nur Zhafran Ahamad. This is Kiro’s maiden visit to Malaysia and the Southeast Asian region since assuming office on Oct 21, 2021. The last state visit by a New Zealand governor-general was by Patsy Reddy, from Dec 5 to 8, 2017. Kiro’s visit reflects the importance of the long-standing Malaysia-New Zealand bilateral relations and multifaceted cooperation, officially elevated to the level of strategic cooperation in May. New Zealand is Malaysia’s second largest trading partner in the Pacific region, with total trade between the two nations reaching RM6.32 billion as of June this year, an increase of 15.3% from RM5.48 billion recorded in the corresponding period in 2022. Among the highlights of her visit are a state banquet at Istana Negara and an audience with the King. She is also scheduled to hold a meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. – Bernama ‘Be mindful of event timing’ SERI ISKANDAR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has directed all government departments organising official programmes not to ask guests to turn up too early as this can affect national productivity. “It is a waste of time to ask guests to be present way ahead of the dignitaries. The prime minister’s arrival is at 1pm, but the guests’ arrival is at noon. Why so early? “I arrived at 1.03pm, but the guests’ arrival time was an hour earlier, which is troublesome. Consider this an instruction. Ten or 15 minutes earlier, that is fine,” he said at a Madani gathering here yesterday. – Bernama
3 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON MONDAY | OCTOBER 2, 2023 Balance vital in decision process “However, the decision to retain or eliminate pensions should balance the need for fiscal responsibilities, fairness and the ability to attract talented individuals who are essential for sound governance.” Amirul Syazwan emphasised that the government should carefully evaluate the cost and benefits of the pension system, taking into account public sentiment, the economic context and the unique demands that public service entails. A government school teacher with 12 years experience, Nur Hezlin Jailani, said while she agrees with Khairy’s suggestion, not all pensions should be eliminated. “There are politicians who already enjoy substantial salaries and benefits. Granting them generous pensions on top of these privileges is quite unjust, especially when compared with what civil servants receive. “Equality dictates that no one should receive special treatment based solely on their government position. But civil servants should continue to receive pensions on account of our lower salaries compared with the private sector. “The government should focus on investing its funds to build hospitals, schools and hire more experts in related fields, which should be addressed immediately,” she said. Call for SST threshold hike to level competition KUALA LUMPUR: Tourism-related associations have expressed hope that the government would increase the Sales and Services Tax (SST) annual threshold for the hospitality industry from RM500,000 to RM1.5 million through Budget 2024. Malaysian Budget and Business Hotel Association president Dr. Sri Ganesh Michiel said this was necessary to ensure the sustainability of budget hotel operators affected by competition from unlicensed accommodation providers. “With SST, if the room price is RM100, it will increase to RM106 due to the 6% tax rate. If the room rate is higher, then the tax that customers have to pay also increases. “Although the room rates offered by these budget hotels are similar to that of unlicensed operators, they become more expensive due to SST and no longer attract customers.” Sri Ganesh, who is also Malaysia Tourism Federation secretary-general, said if the threshold is raised to RM1.5 million, customers, especially those in the B40 group, could enjoy affordable room rates without feeling burdened by the SST imposed by licensed hotel operators. He also expressed hope that the government would immediately enforce the Short-Term Residential Accommodation guidelines to ensure the sustainability of the hotel industry. According to him, the government has lost tax revenue due to unlicensed businesses, where the parties involved are not bound by legal regulations to pay taxes such as SST, Tourism Tax and the set tourism or hotel fees. – Bernama S’wak to have free tertiary education From front page PETALING JAYA: It is difficult for fresh graduates to get jobs as many employers prefer to hire those with experience compared with those who only have academic qualifications, said the Malaysian Employers Federation. Its president Datuk Dr Syed Hussain Syed Husman said while graduates have more knowledge due to their higher level of education, technology has evolved to the point that knowledge becomes outdated quite quickly. “Hence, working experience is crucial as one would have first-hand knowledge about a job. The only way we can improve systems and procedures to be more effective is through experience, and that is why most companies value experienced employees over those with just academic qualifications.” However, he said this should not stop employees from upskilling and gaining more knowledge because having up-to-date knowledge at one’s fingertips is important, as one must always seek more educational qualifications and skills to remain relevant. Syed Hussain said when an employee with the right knowledge and experience is hired, his performance would benefit the company and it would not need to spend extra time in training someone new to the field. “Companies will benefit by hiring employees with greater practical knowledge because due to their previous experience, they would know how to get around problems and find solutions. “This will increase the efficiency and productivity of the work being done by the employee.” Founder and managing director of a private company, Valliyammai Kulandai Velu, said apart from academic qualifications and working experience, she preferred to hire candidates who know how to prioritise their responsibilities. “If employees are given a task, they are accountable for finishing it and making sure it meets the standards that have been set. “Working with the management will be very tough if employees have the mindset of doing the job, just for the sake of it,” she said. On academic qualifications versus work experience, she said it did not matter at all. “We employ accountants who are fresh graduates with no experience. So in time, they can learn and improve their knowledge.” Valliyammai also said hiring employees with fewer academic qualifications or working experience was also not a problem, provided the person has the right attitude and is willing to learn on the job. “There are some employees who lack paper qualifications. Companies should help them work their way up the ladder through experience gained over the years. “But what is most important is these employees should be willing to put in the effort and learn along the way. They can also upskill by taking part-time courses to improve their prospects.” Tough going for inexperienced graduates oAcademic credentials aside, companies generally prefer to hire candidates with hands-on exposure: MEF █ BYRAVEEN AINGARAN [emailprotected] HAPPY CUSTOMERS ... Residents taking advantage of low prices to buy staple items during a Rahmah Sale at a supermarket in Labuan yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC SIMANGGANG: Free education at universities and higher education institutions owned by the Sarawak government for natives of the state is expected to be implemented in 2026, said Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Abang Openg. He said the annual projection of Sarawak’s income, which had shown an increase since 2020, has given him confidence to set the targeted timeline by the state government. “I can commit 2026 to provide free tertiary education because I have predicted that Malaysia will be stronger in 2026. If in 2022 the state’s income had increased to RM12 billion, my calculation this year is that it’s likely to break the income record of 2022,” he said at the closing ceremony of the 20th edition of the Tidal Bore Festival yesterday. He added that the intention of providing free higher education was to ensure that more Sarawakians were qualified and able to use new technology to drive the state’s development. On a separate matter, Abang Johari said an area between Samarahan and Sri Aman has been identified for large-scale rice cultivation using the latest technology. “This is a long-term approach to prevent Sarawak from facing a shortage in local rice supply,” he said. – Bernama KUALA LUMPUR: Panic buying has almost abated and local supply of white rice in the market is back to stable conditions this week, said Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Chan Foong Hin. “I found that at the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority operations centre, it has distributed as much as 400 metric tonnes of local white rice per month and an additional 1,100 for distribution through all networks to cater for public need,” he said after officiating at the 2023 World Rabies Day event yesterday. On the possibility of “unseen hands” taking advantage of the local white rice shortage, he reiterated that the issue should not be politicised, adding that hundreds of operations carried out by the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry revealed there were irregularities of such nature. “We should devote our energy to more specific issues such as logistics, distribution and local rice stocks that are more efficient and effective,” he said. – Bernama Supply of local white rice stable
4 theSUN ON MONDAY | OCTOBER 2, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS READ OUR HERE /thesundaily SCAN ME Or download app on the AppStore or Google Play ENJOY A SEAMLESS READING EXPERIENCE. Read our iPaper at https://www.thesundaily.my/ Boost for South Asian art promotion KUALA LUMPUR: Brahmal Vasudevan, the founder of Southeast Asia private equity firm Creador, and lawyer Shanthi Kandiah have made a significant contribution to Princeton University that aims to profile South Asian art and catapult global appreciation for the genre. The Princeton Board of Trustees announced a new professorship, the Vidya Dehejia Professorship of South Asian Art on Sept 22. oSignificant contribution by M’sian philanthropic couple prompts Princeton University to introduce new professorship █ BYJOSHUA PURUSHOTMAN [emailprotected] The contribution was made via the couple’s Alaka Holdings Trust, which supports philanthropic efforts in three main areas, namely education, healthcare and humanitarian relief and arts and culture. Detailing the reasons behind the contribution, Brahmal said while he and Shanti are Malaysians at heart, they have lived in Singapore, London, Boston, Palo Alto and New Delhi. “But we found that it was difficult to appreciate Indian art when you live in cities outside of India. With India increasingly becoming an important part of the global ecosystem, we believe more people will want to understand the rich and varied culture of that huge country.” After visiting the Chola exhibition in London and rediscovering their passion for South Asian art while living in New Delhi, the couple read many of Vidya Dehejia’s books on Indian art and admired her subsequent projects and lectures. Vidya is the Barbara Stoler Miller Professor Emeritus of Indian Art at Columbia University and was previously the university’s South Asia Institute director. She is the author of a catalogue on Chola Tamil bronzes, which was part of an international exhibition “Chola: Sacred Bronzes of Southern India,” presented by the Royal Academy of Arts in London in 2006. Shanti said: “We were particularly impressed with how Vidya had dedicated her career to the learning and disseminating knowledge of Indian art. The study of temples and certain monuments in India is quite controlled, and Vidya was undeterred in her study of them. “We felt it was important that her work be cemented in the academic world.” She said the perfect way to achieve this is to partner with a prestigious university on a professorship, as a complement to a liberal arts education. Hence, the couple’s decision centred on the idea that people should use their time in college to explore the field of study they were pursuing as well as other areas of interest. “Princeton has an amazing reputation in liberal arts and art history, and we felt it would benefit the most from a professorship in South Asian art. “The professorship creates a meeting point for a diverse group of talent working independently to come together to share ideas, which in turn opens doors to more cross-pollination of programmes and ideas between South Asia and the US. “We believe the evolution of South Asian art – from its initial religious roots to the vibrant contemporary art of today – is a metaphor for the growth of South Asia. “This professorship will not just promote a better understanding of South Asia’s history, but by giving a greater insight into the cultural and societal influences shaping the subcontinent, will enable a deeper understanding of the future,” said Brahmal. Rehda hoping for good news in Budget KUALA LUMPUR: The Real Estate and Housing Developers Association (Rehda) hopes the government would address the housing affordability issue in Budget 2024, as well as introduce measures to alleviate challenges developers continue to face. In its Budget wishlist, association president Datuk N.K. Tong said as housing affordability remained a major issue for the people and industry alike, it hopes for the reintroduction or introduction of incentives that would allow more Malaysians to buy a house to call their own. “These include incentives in the form of tax deductions, grants, as well as lower interest rates that will surely lessen the burden of future homeowners, particularly first-time buyers. “We also request for the Home Ownership Campaign to be continued, as its two iterations in 2019 and 2020-2021 have not only helped thousands of Malaysians own their dream home but also contributed significantly to the country’s gross domestic product,” he said in a statement yesterday. In the same statement, Rehda said other than the cross-subsidy method developers have to undertake to build affordable housing, another major factor contributing to the issue is the rising input cost for building materials, which correlates directly with rising house prices. It said the government’s intervention, such as temporary reduction or removal of import levy, will go a long way in mitigating the problem. Rehda noted in a recent interview, Employees Provident Fund chief strategy officer Nurhisham Hussein had stated for housing to be truly affordable, state finances should be overhauled. Nurhisham said 95% of state income was derived from some form of property tax, such as land conversion premiums, and therefore, reforming state finance is essential when discussing affordable housing. “As developers, we concur that should charges imposed by state governments and local authorities be reduced, house prices will most likely be reduced to levels that make home ownership attainable for more people,” said Tong. – Bernama Beach cleanup event in Port Dickson SEREMBAN: SWM Environment Sdn Bhd organised a beach cleanup drive on Saturday involving 361 volunteers along Saujana Beach in Port Dickson, in conjunction with World Cleanup Day and World Ozone Day. Its corporate general manager Mohd Norlisam Mohd Nordin said the initiative, in collaboration with Great Eastern Takaful Berhad (GETB) and the Negeri Sembilan Environment Department, aimed to raise public awareness of preserving the environment. He said volunteers from various agencies and educational institutions collected 10,651 cigarette butts, 636 plastic spoons and forks, 592 plastic bags, 203 plastic bottle caps and 178 plastic bottles. “Through collaboration with GETB and the department, the event signifies the success of our community coming together to protect the environment. Apart from cleaning up the beach, we also want to raise awareness of the importance of preserving the earth’s ozone layer,” Mohd Norlisam said yesterday. –Bernama UNIQUE DRAW ... Pahang food stall owner Wadi Kassim putting up decorative items that he crafts from discarded wood at his eatery in Kampung Chempaka, Kuantan. – BERNAMAPIC
5 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON MONDAY | OCTOBER 2, 2023 MACC adopts modern techniques to plug leakage PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) will focus its efforts on improving the country’s economy by reducing leakage and recovering the nation’s wealth, said its chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki. He said in line with changing times, MACC has adopted a modern and professional approach to combating corruption and reducing leakage, thus recovering government assets and funds. “MACC has devised a technique for investigating high-profile cases involving people in high positions or high-ranking individuals, using the Intelligence-Based Investigations (IBI) method. “It is used in cases where deep analyses of the subjects are conducted before proper investigations, starting with the identification of high-profile corruption perpetrators and subsequently asset recovery, in which assets are returned to the government. The IBI method is able to uncover grand corruption,” he said in a special interview in conjunction with MACC’s 56th anniversary at the its headquarters recently. Azam said the commission also conducted investigations using the Management Team-based Investigation (MTI) method to produce a more transparent and better quality investigation paper. He said the methods are used while taking into account the importance and urgency of a case, particularly when it involved organised criminal activities. “This is because when corruption and abuse of power happen, they involve a significant amount of leakage. But this does not mean that other (smaller) cases are ignored. It is MACC’s responsibility to help the country generate income to revitalise the economy.” Azam also said there were investigations, filing of charges and several other legal processes ongoing, and efforts to repatriate public funds were being actively pursued. He added that one of MACC’s success stories in using the methods was the recovery of assets and funds related to the 1Malaysia Development Bhd case. He said people should be made aware of the new methods for them to comprehend the advantages of implementing it. “They consider (filing) charges (in court) important. I do not regard them (the charges) as not important, but if we can save costs by having a shorter trial, that is also beneficial,” he said, adding that the approach was also adopted in developed countries such as the US, which MACC used as a reference. – Bernama Body found during search for missing tourist IPOH: The body of a man was found in a river near the Perak-Pahang state border at 3.40pm on Saturday. Cameron Highlands district police chief DSP Azri Ramli said the body could not be taken out due to rough terrain, that required helicopter assistance from the Air Operations Force. “The identification process and an autopsy will be performed as soon as the body arrives at the Sultanah Hajjah Kalsom Hospital in Cameron Highlands,” he said in a statement on Saturday. Azri said a press conference would be held after the autopsy and urged the public not to speculate on the incident. He urged those with information on the case to contact the operations room at 05-4915 999 or the nearest police station, while calling on the public not to share unverified information on social media. Earlier on Saturday, Azri said a search and rescue (SAR) operation initiated for a tourist from India, Nandan Suresh Nadkarni, 44, who went missing on Sept 22 while hiking in Gunung Jasar, Tanah Rata had been expanded beyond the Perak border. The search mission involved 101 officers and members from various agencies and NGOs. Nandan had checked in at the Hikers Sleep Port Guest House in Tanah Rata on Sept 19 and was supposed to check out on Sept 24. Based on closed-circuit television footage obtained from around the Tanah Rata area, he left the hotel alone on Sept 22 to hike up a trail on Gunung Jasar. – Bernama Car park operators liable for damage to vehicles PETALING JAYA: Which party is liable for damage caused to a vehicle when it is parked at a car park? The issue of liability was raised recently when a motorist, Preshila Karunagaran, 27, discovered that her car had been damaged after parking it at a car park near the Puchong Prima LRT station. Preshila, who works as a front desk receptionist at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur, said: “It’s disheartening, especially considering that I parked my two-month-old car in the car park on the assumption that it would be safe. I feel violated knowing that someone hit my car and ran away.” She said she had to deal with the inconvenience of sending her car to a workshop and paying for the repairs, adding that when she approached a car park attendant, he claimed that he was unaware of the incident and that the CCTV there was not functioning. oMotorists eligible to file claim as fees charged by company for use of facility █ BY SIVANISVARRY MORHAN [emailprotected] 8,000 summonses issued in traffic operation SEREMBAN: The Negeri Sembilan Road Transport Department issued 8,123 summonses after inspecting 28,586 vehicles in a month-long operation that began on Sept 1. In a statement yesterday, the department said the summonses were issued for various offences, including not having a driving licence, expired road tax and driving under the age of 16, with 827 motorcycles being seized. “There were 40 cases of individuals riding motorcycles under the age of 16. Parents are advised to pay attention to this issue as such teenagers are not eligible to ride motorcycles on the road, as it can endanger themselves and other road users. “Also seized were 126 motorcycles used by foreigners without a valid driving licence while riders aged between 17 and 35 committed the most offences.” The department advised motorists to ensure their driving licences and road tax are valid before starting their journey and check that their vehicles are in good condition and comply with regulations. “We view seriously the offences involving motorcyclists and will continue to carry out advocacy measures to raise awareness regarding road safety. “Enforcement action need to be implemented as a lesson so that they do not continue to commit offences.” – Bernama Drop in number of flood evacuees ALOR SETAR: The number of flood evacuees in Kedah dropped to 408 from 136 families as of 8am yesterday, compared with 437 involving 147 families on Saturday night. Kedah Civil Defence Force disaster management secretariat chief Mejar (PA) Muhammad Suhaimi Mohd Zain said all the evacuees were placed at three relief centres in the Kota Setar district. “The three relief centres still operating in Kota Setar are Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Taman Aman (274 evacuees from 93 families), SK Seri Gunung (91 from 29 families) and Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Alor Merah (43 from 14 families). “If the weather remains favourable, all evacuees may be allowed to return home,” he said in a statement yesterday. – Bernama AVIATION ATTRACTION ... Visitors crowd around a display of helicopters during the Malacca International Air Carnival in Batu Berendam yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC “I lodged a police report, but there was little they could do since there was no evidence of who damaged my car. “It’s unfair that I have to shoulder the cost for someone else’s misdeed. I wanted to file a claim with my insurance company, but that would take a few weeks to process. “In the end, I paid RM4,859 to change the windscreens, two pairs of tyres and so on,” she added. Lawyer Siva Ganish Sudrarajoo said car park operators can be held liable for damage to parked vehicles under contract law and the tort of negligence. He said individuals have legal options and remedies available to them, including filing a civil claim for monetary compensation based on the tort of negligence and breach of contract. “In Malaysia, the liability of car park operators under contract law is governed by the Contracts Act 1950. Their liability under tort is determined based on case law, with Donoghue vs Stevenson being the precedent followed by Malaysian courts,” he said. In a landmark case, the Court of Appeal in Euro Rent A Car Sdn Bhd vs Sunway Parking Services Sdn Bhd (2020) held that the car park operator could not rely on an exemption clause to evade liability since the motorist had paid a fee to park at the facility. Hence, the parking operator must be held liable for negligence. “When pursuing compensation for damage (to a vheicle) in a car park, it is important to be aware of the statutes of limitations. “Legal action based on contract or tort must be filed within six years from the date the cause of action is accrued, as stipulated by the Limitation Act 1953.” To strengthen a case against a car park operator, he emphasised that the factors and evidence taken into account when determining liability include both oral and documentary evidence. “Claims for losses and damage can be made directly against the car park operator or through the individual’s insurance company, provided the loss or damage is covered by the insurance policy. “Individuals should gather documentation such as a copy of the parking ticket or receipt to prove that they parked their vehicle at the operator’s car park. “Dashcam footage or pictures or videos of the car park surroundings may also serve as crucial evidence, especially in cases of theft or negligence,” he added.
6 theSUN ON MONDAY | OCTOBER 2, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS Indonesia to launch first bullet train in Southeast Asia JAKARTA: Indonesia is set to launch Southeast Asia’s first high-speed railway today, a delayed multibillion-dollar project backed by China that will cut travel between the capital and another major city by hours. The Chinese-made bullet train named “Whoosh” is built to take more than 600 people to and from Jakarta and the Javan city of Bandung in 45 minutes and is part of China’s Belt and Road infrastructure initiative. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has lauded the project for the fast ride it will provide oChina-funded high-speed railway to connect Jakarta and Bandung between the two cities on Indonesia’s most populous island Java, and he will inaugurate it today, according to local media reports, citing officials. “We will launch it on Oct 2, because on Oct 1, the president is busy,” Transport Minister Budi Karya Sumadi told reporters on Friday. The train can reach speeds up to 350kph and has cost a joint Chinese-Indonesian venture more than US$7 billion to build. It was built by PT KCIC, which is made up of four Indonesian state companies and Beijing’s China Railway International Co. The project was set to cost less than US$5 billion and be built by 2019 but delays due to construction issues and the Covid-19 pandemic saw costs spike. Authorities have been running public trials of the new high-speed journey of 142km before its opening. Chinese Premier Li Qiang rode the train with senior Indonesian minister Luhut Pandjaitan last month on his visit to Jakarta for a series of summits with Southeast Asian leaders. Pandjaitan told reporters on Thursday that Jokowi plans to welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping in the future to ride the train, without providing further details. – AFP GRIM CELEBRATION ... Women placing rice in alms bowls of Buddhist monks as they pray during the Pchum Ben festival (Festival of Death) at a pagoda in the Cambodian province of Kandal yesterday. The 15-day festival honours late family members with prayers, visits to temples and food offers to monks. – AFPPIC Surgeons find 150 items in man’s stomach NEW DELHI: Doctors in India removed buttons, earphones, and a zipper tag among 150 small household items from the stomach of a man who came to them complaining of pain. Doctors at the Medicity Hospital in Moga city of the northern state of Punjab conducted a three-hour-long surgery and said it was the first time they had come across such a unique case. A 40-year-old man was admitted to the hospital last Monday with complaints of fever, stomach ache and nausea, which had been ailing him for almost a month. The doctors suggested an ultrasound exam and found a variety of metallic items inside the man’s stomach. He was rushed to surgery and was later placed on life support, but eventually died on Thursday morning. During the laparotomy, the doctors managed to retrieve nearly 150 items, which included a safety pin, nuts and bolts, wires, thread, lockets, buttons, wrappers, hair clips, a marble, and a chain of beads. Director of the hospital Ajmer Kalra told The Independent that the metal items caused severe sepsis inside the stomach. “I’ve never seen such a condition in my years of practice. “It is not rare to find hair or minuscule things inside patients’ stomach but nearly 150 items is unprecedented.” The patient’s family told India Today that the man had been suffering from stomach issues for over two years but rarely mentioned it to them and it “made it difficult for us to understand the situation”. He was taken to several local doctors but they were unable to detect the cause of the stomach aches, they said. The man was eventually taken to the hospital once his symptoms worsened and he could not sleep, his family said. The family members said they have no idea how the man managed to ingest all the items. – The Independent Pro-China candidate wins Maldives presidency MALE: Maldives President-elect Mohamed Muizzu said he wanted to unite the Indian Ocean archipelago after divisive polls that saw the pro-Beijing leader vow to rebalance relations with New Delhi. “No matter their political affiliation, they are all Maldivian citizens in front of me,” Muizzu told supporters after his win on Saturday. “They are entitled to the same rights. They are entitled to equality in everything.” There was no immediate reaction from China to his win, but India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Muizzu yesterday. New Delhi is “committed to strengthening the time-tested India-Maldives bilateral relationship”, Modi said in a post on the social media platform X. The Maldives, a chain of atolls scattered 800km across the equator better known for its upmarket beach resorts, sits in a strategically vital position astride one of the world’s busiest east-west shipping lanes. Muizzu, 45, won 54% of the vote in the run-off contest, prompting incumbent Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to concede defeat shortly before midnight on Saturday. “He has started work on drawing up his team”, a source close to Muizzu said yesterday. “He wants a smooth, peaceful transition”. Solih, 61, who will serve as caretaker president until his successor is inaugurated on Nov 17, declared the usual working day of Sunday a holiday. Streets were quiet across the island capital Male yesterday morning. Muizzu told a meeting with Chinese Communist Party officials last year that his party’s return to office would “script a further chapter of strong ties between our two countries”. The result upends Solih’s efforts to revert the country’s diplomatic posture back towards New Delhi since taking office five years ago. There was no immediate reaction from Solih to Muizzu’s request to free his mentor and former president Abdulla Yameen from prison and confine him to house arrest in Male. Muizzu was a proxy candidate of Yameen, who is serving an 11-year sentence for graft when he was in power between 2013 and 2018. – AFP Man dies in Australia after whale strikes boat CANBERRA: A whale hit and flipped a boat off the coast of Sydney in “an absolute freak accident” that left a man dead and another injured. Human deaths caused by whales are rare but there have been reports of boats colliding with the aquatic mammals in the region. Police officials said two men, aged 61 and 53, were on a fishing trip at around 6am local time on Saturday when the mishap occurred. They were pulled unconscious from Botany Bay, off the coast of Sydney. However, the 61-year-old later succumbed to his injuries. “Attempts to revive him were unsuccessful and the 61-year-old was declared deceased,” police said in a statement. The other man was taken to the hospital and is now in a stable condition, police said. “A second male, aged 53, was assisted by witnesses. He was transferred to Foreshore Road Boat Ramp and treated by New South Wales (NSW) ambulance paramedics, before being taken to hospital in a stable condition,” the police said. NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley confirmed the incident. “A whale has been involved, whoever would have thought that that would have occurred, it’s terribly tragic.” It was “an absolute freak accident”, NSW Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib said. The 4.8m runabout boat “was likely to have struck or been impacted by a whale breaching, causing the boat to tilt, ejecting both men”, police said in their statement. Officials have not yet commented on the whale species. Australia’s coastline hosts 30 species of whales. – The Independent B R I E F SHANOI CONFIRMS ARREST OF THINK TANK CHIEF HANOI: Vietnam confirmed yesterday the arrest of an energy policy think tank director, the sixth expert working on environmental issues to be taken into custody in the last two years. A rights group reported last month that Ngo Thi To Nhien, executive director of the Hanoi-based Vietnam Initiative for Energy Transition, had been detained. Nhien is a researcher who has worked with a number of international organisations, including the World Bank, the European Union, the United Nations and the Asian Development Bank. State media said yesterday an arrest warrant had been issued for the director on Sept 20 on charges of “appropriating documents”. – AFP NEW ZEALAND PREMIER CONTRACTS COVID WELLINGTON: New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said yesterday that he had contracted Covid-19, testing positive at a key point in his flailing campaign for re-election. Hipkins said on his official social media feed that he would need to isolate for up to five days – less than two weeks before his country’s general election. The leader of the centre-left Labour Party said he started to experience cold symptoms on Saturday. Hipkins succeeded Jacinda Ardern in January. Just 27% of respondents in a poll this week said they would vote for Labour, while the centre-right National Party, led by Christopher Luxon, had 37% support. – AFP NORTH KOREA BLAMES U.S. FOR ‘TERRORIST’ ACT PYONGYANG: North Korea accused the America yesterday of letting a “terrorist” act against Cuba take place on US soil, saying a recent attack against the Cuban embassy in Washington was the result of “despicable anti-Cuban” intentions. The US has neglected to ensure the safety of the Cuban mission and was only keen to put countries it dislikes, such as Cuba, on its list of state sponsors of terrorism, a North Korea Foreign Ministry spokesman said. Along with Cuba, North Korea, Syria and Iran are on the State Department list. An assailant attacked the embassy on Sept 24 with two Molotov co*cktails. No one was hurt. – Reuters
7 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON MONDAY | OCTOBER 2, 2023 Last-gasp deal averts US govt shutdown WASHINGTON: The US Congress passed an 11th-hour funding bill on Saturday to keep federal agencies running for another 45 days and avert a costly government shutdown – although the deal left out aid to war-torn Ukraine requested by President Joe Biden. Three hours before the midnight deadline, the Senate voted to keep the lights on through mid-November with a resolution that had advanced earlier from the House of Representatives in a day of high-stakes brinkmanship on Capitol Hill. The last-ditch “continuing resolution” was pitched by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy as millions of public workers looked set to be sent home unpaid, upending government functions from military operations to food aid to federal policymaking. “Tonight, bipartisan majorities in the House and Senate voted to keep the government oNo blank cheque for Kyiv, says Republican speaker Turkiye claims terrorists set off bomb outside ministry ANKARA: Turkiye’s government said yesterday two terrorists carried out a bomb attack in front of the Interior Ministry buildings in Ankara, adding one of them died in the explosion and the other was “neutralised” by authorities there. An explosion was heard near the Parliament and ministerial buildings, Turkish media had earlier reported, and broadcasters showed footage of debris scattered on a street nearby. The blast was the first in Ankara since 2016, and comes on the day that Parliament was set to open a new session. Reuters footage showed soldiers, ambulances, fire trucks and armoured vehicles gathered at the ministry near the centre of Turkiye’s capital. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on social media platform X that two police officers were slightly injured in the incident at 9.30am. “Two terrorists came with a light commercial vehicle in front of the entrance gate of the General Directorate of Security of our Ministry of Internal Affairs and carried out a bomb attack.” He said one blew himself up and the other was “neutralised”, which usually means was killed. “Our struggle will continue until the last terrorist is neutralised.” In a statement, police announced they would carry out controlled explosions for “suspicious package incidents” in other parts of Ankara. Authorities did not identify any specific militant group. The blast comes almost a year after six people were killed and 81 wounded in an explosion in a busy pedestrian street in central Istanbul. Turkiye blamed Kurdish militants for that. During a spate of violence in 2015 and 2016, Kurdish militants, Islamic State and other groups either claimed or were blamed for several attacks in major Turkish cities. In March 2016, 37 people were killed in Ankara when a bomb-laden car exploded at a crowded central transport hub. Ankara’s chief prosecutor launched an investigation yesterday into what it also called a terrorist attack. Turkish media reported that authorities were carrying out checks of the Parliament after the blast at the ministry. – Reuters open, preventing an unnecessary crisis that would have inflicted needless pain on millions of hardworking Americans,” Biden said in a statement. But he berated McCarthy and the House Republicans for reneging on spending levels agreed with the White House months ago – a major reason for the shutdown near-miss – and for stripping out support for Ukraine. “I fully expect the speaker will keep his commitment to the people of Ukraine and secure passage of the support needed to help Ukraine at this critical moment,” said the president, who signed the measure on Saturday night, according to the White House. The shutdown crisis was largely triggered by a small group of hardline Republicans who had defied their own party leadership to scupper various temporary funding proposals as they pressed for deep spending cuts. The group of 21 hardliners had threatened to remove McCarthy as speaker if a stopgap measure they opposed was passed with Democrat support, and many Washington watchers were expecting the speaker to have to fight for his job in the coming weeks. One of the group, Lauren Boebert, declined to say after the House vote whether she and her colleagues would try to force McCarthy out, but she was clearly unhappy with the outcome. “There are too many members here who are comfortable doing things the way they’ve been done since the mid-1990s,” she told reporters. “And that’s why we’re sitting at US$33 trillion in debt.” McCarthy sought to convey confidence both about his own future and the prospects for securing a final agreement by the new mid-November deadline. “In 45 days we should get our work all done.” Arming and funding Kyiv in its war against the Russian invasion has been a key policy plank for the Biden administration and, while the stopgap is temporary, it does raise questions over the political viability of renewing the multibillion-dollar flow of assistance. McCarthy said Russia’s invasion was “horrendous” but insisted there could be “no blank cheque” for Ukraine. “I have a real concern of what’s going to happen long term, but I don’t want to waste any money.” – AFP Slovak populists opposed to Ukraine aid win election BRATISLAVA: A populist party that wants to stop military aid to Ukraine and is critical of the EU and Nato has won Slovakia’s election, results showed yesterday. The Smer-SD party led by former prime minister Robert Fico scored 23.3%, beating the centrist Progressive Slovakia on 17%, with almost all votes counted. Fico, 59, has vowed that Slovakia will not send “a single round of ammunition” to Ukraine and has called for better relations with Russia. Analysts predict a Fico government could radically change Slovakia’s foreign policy to resemble that of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Smer is set to clinch 42 seats in the 150-member Parliament and so will need coalition partners for a majority. The leftwing Hlas-SD, which emerged in 2020 when a group of Smer lawmakers quit Fico’s party, is one potential partner, with an expected 27 seats. Hlas is led by Peter Pellegrini, who became Slovakia’s premier in 2018 after Fico had to step down amid nationwide protests following the murder of journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee. Kuciak uncovered links between the Italian mafia and Fico’s government in his last article published posthumously. Slovakia has been one of Europe’s biggest donors to Ukraine as a share of its gross domestic product. – AFP Hundreds stranded on stalled train in Mexican desert MEXICO CITY: Migrants were stranded in northern Mexico’s harsh desert after the freight train they were riding on halted for 24 hours, though they were trundling towards the border again on Saturday. Around 1,800 people, mostly Venezuelans and Central Americans, became stuck overnight in the northern state of Chihuahua when the freight train they had hitched a ride on stopped without explanation in the Ahumada municipality on Friday. “All night, the cold didn’t let up, and during the day, (there was no relief) from the sun,” Venezuelan Jose Martin told AFP. These migrants are among many who ride on freight trains as a means of heading north, where they hope to cross into the US after fleeing poverty and violence in their home countries. “Not bus or car, nothing, nobody will take us, so we hopped on a train, because supposedly they (trains) don’t stop,” said Maria Fernanda Molina, also from Venezuela. “But look what happened to us.” In Mexico, where most railroads are more than 100 years old, freight trains often move slowly or stop altogether – sometimes for the very purpose of discouraging migrants. Just last week, the country’s largest railway suspended 30% of its operations due to being overwhelmed by the flow of foreign stowaways. In Ahumada, civil protection authorities and local residents brought food and water to the stranded passengers before the train began chugging along again on Saturday, bound for the border town of Ciudad Juarez. There, they will face another long delay as they wait their turn to make their cases to American authorities. – AFP B R I E F SSIX DEAD IN NIGHTCLUB FIRE IN SPAIN MADRID: At least six people have died in a fire in a nightclub in Murcia in southeast Spain, according to emergency services. The fire broke out yesterday morning in the Teatre nightclub, emergency services said on social media platform X. “Emergency services confirm six dead in the interior of the Teatre nightclub,” Mayor Jose Ballesta wrote on X, adding that they were working to establish the cause of the blaze. Firefighters and emergency teams were continuing to search for survivors yesterday evening. Murcia’s emergency services said four people had been injured and that the number of fatalities could rise. – Reuters U.N. MISSION ARRIVES IN KARABAKH BAKU: A United Nations mission arrived in Nagorno-Karabakh yesterday, Azerbaijan said, after almost the entire ethnic Armenian population fled since Baku recaptured the breakaway enclave. An Azerbaijani presidency spokesman said a “UN mission arrived in Karabakh on Sunday morning” – mainly to assess humanitarian needs. It marks the first time in about 30 years that the international body has gained access to the region. Armenian separatists, who had controlled the region for three decades, agreed to disarm, dissolve their government and reintegrate with Baku following a one-day Azerbaijani offensive last week. – AFP STREETS OF WATER .... Cars stuck in floodwater on the FDR highway in New York. Heavy rains in the northeastern United States have left parts of the financial capital waterlogged, partially paralysing subways and airports. – AFPPIC
8 theSUN ON MONDAY | OCTOBER 2, 2023 SPEAK UP Journey of self-discovery and bonding I N the dim glow of my screen, I embarked on a cinematic journey via Netflix, where a rich plethora of emotions and narratives intertwined. The movie was about a resplendent family lawyer who bore the weight of a past scarred by a traumatic incident in her teenage years – a tempest named rape. However, amid the flickering frames, a profound message etched itself into the corridors of my consciousness – the importance of dwelling in the moment’s embrace, forsaking the clutches of past and future. Within the fiery crucible of this film called Firebrand, the harrowing crusade of rape survivors unfurled like an epic saga. Physiological, emotional and psychological, the agonising marks etched upon the souls of these survivors were indelible, a heavy mantle they carried throughout their lives. In the annals of 2021, India bore witness to a staggering revelation where there were over 31,000 reported cases of rape, a sombre escalation from preceding years. However, this statistic, a mere fragment of the truth, concealed countless unspoken horrors. Rape, a spiteful spectre, continued to stalk the nation, its ominous presence casting long shadows, often culminating in public outcry. Strangely, the shame still clung to the victims, rather than the perpetrators. Nevertheless, an imperative beckoned, demanding that we as sentient beings don the mantle of ”move on” in the grand theatre of life. Our souls, often ensnared in the quicksand of past sorrows, must break free and savour the essence of the present moment. If we cannot relish the same jest twice, why do we persist in shedding tears over bitter bygones? In our arsenal of coping mechanisms, a recent revelation dawned upon me like the first rays of dawn: to embark on a road trip, a therapeutic elixir for the wounded scenery that unfurled outside the window became a living, breathing work of art, a testament to the beauty of the world that often escapes our notice in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. The act of navigating the open road, free from the constraints of rigid schedules and deadlines, allowed us to reconnect with our inner selves. It provided a platform upon which we designed our dreams and desires, a sanctuary where introspection and self-discovery became our trusted companions. The companionship of my fellow travellers fostered a bond that grew stronger with every mile. Conversations flowed freely and laughter became the soundtrack of the journey, knitting our hearts together with experiences, good and bad. We realised that road trips, such as this, can bring serendipity into our lives. Unexpected detours led to hidden gems, chance encounters with locals unveiled the soul of a place and the thrill of the unknown kept our senses alive and alert. In the simplicity of life on the road, we found solace. The absence of the superfluous allowed us to appreciate the essentials – a warm meal, a comfortable bed and the beauty of a star-studded sky. We learned to let go of material concerns and embrace the richness of the present moment. Ultimately, the road trip was a voyage of self-discovery, a pilgrimage into the reserve of one’s being. It reminded us that life is a journey, not a destination and that the therapeutic allure of the open road can heal our hearts and rejuvenate our spirits, leaving us with lasting memories and a renewed sense of purpose. Comments: [emailprotected] “A road trip can be a therapeutic elixir for the wounded spirit. It can bring serendipity into one’s life. Unexpected detours can lead to hidden gems, chance encounters with the locals can unveil the soul of a place and the thrill of the unknown can keep senses alive and alert.” Murder in beautiful British Columbia WHO murdered Canadian Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar? This crime, which occurred last June near Vancouver in British Columbia, has riveted Canada and put Ottawa on a collision course with India, now the world’s most populous nation. Canada’s amiable prime minister, Justin Trudeau, accused India’s intelligence service of being behind the murder. Governments rarely speak so candidly, and especially Canada which tries to be friends with the rest of the world and has long feared being squashed by the mammoth, 10 times larger than the US. However, according to key Ottawa sources, the inter-allied Five Eyes intelligence entente (the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Britain) identified India’s powerful intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), as the culprit in the killing of Hardeep. This accusation was based on electronic intercepts between New Delhi and British Columbia. The Indians appear to have been lax in their communications security. India denies any role in the murder. Sikhs are a warrior sect that counts for only 2% of India’s billion-plus population. Sikh farmers are among India’s most productive, growing much of the nation’s wheat crop. I have followed the Sikh struggle for an independent theocratic state called Khalistan for over 20 years. I met Sikh leaders and priests in Amritsar, Punjab, and was even received at the Sikh’s holiest site, Amritsar’s Golden Temple, shortly after it was stormed by Indian Army troops as part of the notorious Operation Blue Star. I interviewed the fearsome Sikh general KPS (Kanwar Pal Singh) Gill, who played a key role in crushing the Sikh struggle for independence. No other nations that I know of have recognised an independent Sikh state. Thousands of Sikhs were assassinated, tortured and jailed by India’s central government. Many sought refuge in British Columbia and in and around Vancouver. There, they enjoyed complete freedom and a sort of government in exile. Ottawa largely ignored these Sikh political activities but New Delhi was outraged and determined to finish crushing Sikh irredentism. India’s powerful intelligence agency, RAW made Canada a key target of its foreign operations just as an anti-Indian independence movement in neighbouring Kashmir was erupting, discreetly supported by Pakistan’s crack intelligence outfit, InterServices Intelligence (ISI). Beautiful British Columbia became a distant battleground for the two hostile intelligence services. RAW agents assassinated a number of Sikh leaders while Sikh nationalists killed Indian leaders and security officials. India made widespread use of torture in Sikh Punjab and predominantly Muslim Kashmir. Other nations avoided criticising India’s poor human rights record so as not to antagonise the increasingly powerful and commercially attractive India. Sikhs are well known for their intense rivalries and feuds. So, it is possible that Nijjar fell victim to Sikh assassins. However, as a long-time observer of intelligence affairs, Nijjar’s carefully planned murder and the vanishing of the assailants bore the fingerprints of a professional hit job orchestrated from India. This brazen attack affronted Canada, an ardently peaceful nation. It likely boosted the Indian prime minister’s standing with Hindu voters and was a warning to Kashmiri separatists. Many Indians asked how the Canadian government could allow violent Sikh separatists to openly operate out of British Columbia. Even more, Sikhs asked how New Delhi dared to commit a political murder outside Vancouver. What, they wondered, would Ottawa do? Given Ottawa’s dovish policies, probably not much. This would be too bad since Canada is one of the world’s calmest and most peaceful nations. Canada was shocked by the overt refusal of its closest allies, the US and Britain, to back its outrage against India. After all, the facts about Nijjar’s murder came to Canada from its “Five Eyes” intelligence service, a sort of white man’s intelligence agency that it shares with Australia, New Zealand the US and the UK. Violent extremists should not be allowed into Canada, which must avoid becoming an outpost for nasty foreign conflicts, such as Punjab, Bosnia and Palestine. Add Mali, the Sahara, Haiti, Iraq and similarly unhappy places. The writer is a syndicated columnist. Comments: [emailprotected] My recent escapade whisked me away to the shores of Port Dickson in Negeri Sembilan. – BERNAMAPIC █ BY ERIC S. MARGOLIS Conduct regular traffic enforcement THE recent joint exercise by the Road Transport Department and police to nab motorists for various traffic violations has been long overdue. It is a known fact that motorists tend to exercise caution only when enforcement measures are actively implemented. It is always a case of having to learn things the hard way. Many images depicting various traffic infractions have been widely circulated to educate the public about the severe penalties that can result from disregarding the rules. However, one significant omission among the many images shared via WhatsApp is the penalty for offences committed at zebra crossings. There are several of these black and white crosswalks along Dang Wangi Road and there are undoubtedly many more in Kuala Lumpur. Including this in the awareness campaign would be beneficial as it would help the public understand the gravity of such violations. It is imperative motorists show respect for and adhere to traffic regulations to reduce the frequency of road accidents. This exercise should not be a one-time operation but should instead be conducted regularly. Motorists need to comprehend that the days of evading consequences are in the past. Thiagarajan Mathiaparanam Kuala Lumpur LETTERS [emailprotected] @thesundaily FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM SCAN ME spirit. With no meticulous plans to tether us, my friends and I assumed the wheel, foot on the accelerator, and the open road became our canvas of boundless possibilities. The recent escapade whisked me away to the shores of Port Dickson – a day bathed in the warm embrace of camaraderie. Although I had traversed the lanes of Port Dickson on numerous occasions, this sojourn, shared with two kindred souls, unveiled a new facet of fulfilment. Without the burdensome baggage of overplanning and the liberty to allow expectations to meander like an unbridled river, this trip unveiled a rich mosaic of fulfilment and joy, immersing us in the present moment filled with wonderful emotions. On this nomadic odyssey, the burdens of daily life were left behind, replaced by a sense of freedom and liberation. The
9 SPEAK UP theSUN ON MONDAY | OCTOBER 2, 2023 Repositioning Malaysia globally MALAYSIA’S presence at the recently concluded United Nations (UN) General Assembly, brimming with optimism and anticipation for the nation’s economic and soft power resurgence, unfortunately, fell short of seizing a greater opportunity to demonstrate the country’s global resurgence in terms of its role, impact and influence. The UN is divided, and the world remains split along the economic, ideological and security lines. The UN is increasingly seen as losing relevance due to the impasse within the UN Security Council and the nonbinding nature of the UN General Assembly. The rise of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) and the emergence of the Global South, with various factions seeking to assert greater influence and control, have spurred the motivation for power alignment. From Brazilian President Lula da Silva to Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the tussle for the bloc leadership, challenging the Western hemisphere, has further eroded the efficacy and benefits of global multilateral mechanisms. As UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres pointed out in his address, the growing rift and the race for global power and supremacy, influenced by divisions between the North and South as well as the East and West, along with the separation of economic and security power blocs, continue to pose a challenge to ensuring sustainable peace. Malaysia is at a crossroads in its foreign policy and global standing intiatives, and the litmus test is whether our longstanding commitment to neutrality and nonalignment can effectively navigate the challenges posed by renewed power rivalries. Recent policy measures have indicated a tendency towards strengthening relationships with regional and long-standing partners and organisations. The question is whether the country will continue to hedge its bets on the Global South, Asean and the rise of middle powers, and capitalising on the best of both worlds in its neutral model or proven values-based approach for long-term assurance and normative framework espoused by the West. Reluctance to escape past dogma On one hand, Malaysia is trying to strategically navigate the bipolar rivalry and bloc divisions between Beijing-led East/South and Washington-led West/North but the strategy seems to have lost its lustre. Malaysia is now caught in the middle of a big transition and geopolitical shift, and how we position ourselves remains critical in shaping regional power and in ensuring our future economic resilience and security. Malaysia’s condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine during the address is a breath of fresh air. Although this condemnation is welcomed, the West realises that there will not be major changes in Malaysia’s orientation as Malaysia is reliant on Asean as a collective voice. By initiating a meeting with Iran and Iraq, and with closer ties with Ankara, Malaysia is seen to send a message to the West, China and the Global South. To the West, it implies that Malaysia still has fallback options in security and defence support and does not see the West as the only source of security. This gives Malaysia more options in dealing with China and the West. This also suggests that Malaysia still has considerable external deterrence and security support apparatus and bulwark, mechanisms and defences, apart from the Westernfocused security framework. The UN General Assembly sees a recurring trend of maintaining peace and the demand of developing nations to have equal representation in terms of international trade and financial system, singling out the West as the main root cause for the economic and security imbalance. Malaysia’s position on common progressive values, fairness, social justice and neutral stance in pushing for cooperation in regional and global prosperity has been well known. Reimagining soft power The theme for this year’s debate is “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity”, with a focus on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Malaysia has been a leading proponent for most of the SDGs, including green and digital economy, climate responsibilities, poverty eradication and socioeconomic targets. Malaysia needs to re-evaluate its approach to enhance its global position and leverage future growth indicators, especially in sectors such as palm oil, rare earth, semiconductors and other geographical advantages to play to our advantage. However, despite the various reiterations of Malaysia’s position and strategy to elevate our global reputation, we have yet to address the heart of the issue in presenting a clear, consistent and bold reform and transformation to attain these goals. Malaysia must be seen not just from the prism of institutional and balancing power trap. We cannot afford to remain under the architecture of a regional institution or a powerful neighbouring economic and security force and be confined to the role of a middle or small power. How we choose our next approach depends on how we balance our interests in the economic and security realm. It also depends on whether we have the conviction to break free from our conventional and entrenched policy measures of the past and face the reality of the future. One of the scenarios includes a setting where the current liberal global order of rules-based mechanism and the Western-led normative values will stand the test of growing autocratic practices and threats to peace that have safeguarded the UN Charter and ties among nations. This is where our actions in supporting this decadesold order directly and boldly will determine our legacy and progress. Democracy vs autocracy Minilateralism is being railed against, and the US has been called out for pursuing a bloc mentality and a minilateral and direct approach with targetted countries instead of a true multilateral engagement. Direct bilateral and minilateral approach is taking grounds with growing importance simply because the impact and efficacy of a multilateral platform have been dwindling for years. Asean and the UN remain the prime examples of how and why a multilateral platform has been dominated by certain powers or been trapped by an endemic perspective and policy affiliation. Minilateralism and certain regional and global institutions have long remained benign and ineffective, and have failed to adequately uphold the core principles and tenets they have been founded upon, being beholden to conventional dogma and influence-seeking activities of other powers. US President Joe Biden has urged the world to stand up to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine during his speech at the UN General Assembly and has consistently raised the urgency of the fate of democracy and freedom against the onslaught of oppression, autocracy and the mantra of might is right. How can Malaysia, as a participant, navigate its stance on this critical issue, especially considering its potential impact on global security? This remains the ultimate call for a bold adherence to justice, freedom and rights of all players to play by the same set of rules, and for a just, equal and peaceful global order. Wise and bold new positioning America and the West have been projected to decline, and the argument that it is now the dawn of the Asian century and the Chinese century has been the central narrative. For us to be influential and to regain our new standing, we need to have consistency and conviction in our stance. The Global South leadership will be contested among the small circle of elites, including Brazil, China, Russia, Turkey or the Middle Eastern states. In the OIC (Organisation of the Islamic Conference), rising powers, including Jakarta, Tehran Riyadh and Ankara, will be leading the new drive of influence. We are trapped by the dogma of our position, in finding our way either in regional organisations such as Asean, or to reclimb our position in bigger minilateral platforms. Growing internal tussle in the Global South and the East in using these platforms to leverage against Western dominance and in challenging the conventional global system has also been a growing risk to the states and remains a future threat to the rules-based order. How we face these new turbulences remains a critical factor, and the common sense approach is to be wary of any passionate jumping onto the bandwagon of perceived new trends and power shifts. Malaysia has been known for its rising influence in areas of politics, including cooperation in environment, socio-economic issues, common development and progressive humanitarian uplifting. Malaysia must have a clear and consistent stance, especially on the rule of law, rules-based order, human rights and freedom, and the sanctity of democracy and rights of all nations in respecting international norms and rules. Building understanding and connecting bridges in digitalisation, education and mobility of talent as well as in knowledge and skills training programmes in new sectors are crucial. We remain a sought-after nation by rival powers due to our growing strength and advantages in food and energy security as well as critical resources, including rare earth, chips industry and semiconductors, role in supply chain resilience and geostrategic offerings. These must be utilised well to secure our future global positioning, security and economic returns. The writer is a foreign affairs and security strategist at Universiti Malaya. Comments: [emailprotected] Malaysia has been known for its rising influence in areas of politics, including cooperation in environment, socio-economic issues, common development and progressive humanitarian uplifting. – REUTERSPIC COMMENT by Collins Chong Yew Keat “Malaysia must have a clear and consistent stance, especially on the rule of law, rulesbased order, human rights and freedom, and the sanctity of democracy and rights of all nations in respecting international norms and rules.
10 theSUN ON MONDAY | OCTOBER 2, 2023 MEDIA & MARKETING Contact theSun's Advertising & Marketing team to book your advertising space. 03-7784 6688 [emailprotected] Advertise with us on World Vegan Day on Nov 1, 2023 PUBLICATION DATE 1 NOVEMBER, 2023 (Wednesday) BOOKING DEADLINE 18 OCTOBER, 2023 (Wednesday) Celebrate World Vegan Day with us! Discover the myriad benefits of a plant-based lifestyle, from improved health to a lighter environmental footprint. Explore how adopting a vegan diet not only supports personal well-being but also contributes to substantial financial savings in healthcare costs. Integrated Medical Centre in Cyberjaya KUALA LUMPUR: Founded in 1993 by Datuk Lim Siow Jin, DXN marks a new collaboration with Malaysia Holistic and Herbal Organisation (MNHO) by signing a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with them to set up an integrated medical centre at DXN’s headquarters in Cyberjaya, DXN Cyberville. The Integrated Medical Centre will incorporate and integrate Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Traditional Malay Medicine (TMM), and Traditional Indian Medicine (TIM), including any other Traditional Tribal Medicine from local sources or any other countries. DXN has established itself as a renowned global player in the fortified food and beverage industry, specialising in the cultivation, manufacturing and marketing of premium products using Ganoderma Lucidum or Lingzhi, wellknown as the King of Herbs. Its product lines include fortified food and beverages, health and dietary supplements, personal care and cosmetics and other products and services, which have earned DXN widespread acclaim and recognition from various health and business organisations worldwide. DXN’s success oA collaboration for an integrated medical centre covering both Chinese, Indian and all forms of natural therapy Working towards the prevention of blindness PETALING JAYA: The Tun Hussein Onn National Eye Hospital’s (THONEH) CEO, Michael Goh, in collaboration with Rotary Club Bangsar (RCB), has donated RM50,000 or its equivalent for eye treatments at THONEH for the prevention of blindness. This is in line with the hospital’s mission, which is aimed at restoring vision and transforming lives in the local community. The responsibilities of RCB are to identify patients for eye check-ups in THONEH, and the targeted locations are mainly at retirement homes in Klang Valley. THONEH’s responsibilities are to arrange the day and time of the screening depending on the number of patients to be screened at THONEH, Petaling Jaya and the procedures will be held on Saturday. All eye assessments are to be handled by a medical officer, and upon the eye screening assessment, the patients that require cataract surgery will be allocated to the consultants on a rotation basis. THONEH has established a solid reputation as a centre of excellence for quality specialised eye healthcare, with knowledge in a wide range of sub-specialties and a focus on utilising cutting-edge technology and cutting-edge medical procedures available. THONEH has played an active role in various projects, especially in the prevention of blindness projects in Malaysia. The many examples of such projects are screening for refractive errors in school children, training of kindergarten school teachers for screening preschool children, screening for visual diseases in the poor community in urban and rural areas, visiting old folks home to screen and treat the elderly for eye diseases, screening of diabetics on a regular basis, screening for glaucoma during the glaucoma week, screening for eye diseases among the prisoners in Sungai Buloh prison, screening for eye diseases and treatment for the orang asli settlements (completed in Cameron Highlands), World Sight Day at the Hospital, Rotary Bangsar - THONEH cataract project launched in Aug 2023 and continuous medical education for prevention of blindness and eye diseases. The “Cataract Project” seeks to provide essential cataract surgeries and post-operative care to individuals who are visually impaired due to cataracts, as they are a leading cause of blindness, and the project aims to restore the vision of those affected, enhancing their quality of life. The collaboration exemplifies our dedication to addressing health issues, particularly in the field of ophthalmology, making it our mission to make a meaningful impact in the lives of Malaysians. over the years has fuelled its steady growth and established position as a pioneer in Ganoderma Lucidum products. MHHO was established in 2006 to assist in the development of traditional medicine in Malaysia and to seek new ways to improve and change the traditional medicine treatment module for the benefit of Malaysians. DXN’s non-independent executive chairman and founder, Lim, said he was pleased regarding the collaborative initiative with MHHO. Under his leadership, DXN has successfully unveiled numerous potential benefits of Ganoderma Lucidum and its impact on human health and he firmly believed the MOA would foster greater understanding and awareness of natural products, given MNHO’s experience in traditional complementary medicine treatments and services. This collaboration seeks to bridge the gap between modern healthcare solutions and the traditions of herbal and traditional medicine, leveraging the strengths of both organisations for the benefit of all communities. For more information, please visit https://.dxn2u.com/ The MOA signed by both DXN and MNHO to leverage the use of traditional forms of herbal remedies.
as well as offline,” he added. Adzim said that in the second half of 2020 until the first half 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic, Ninja Van experienced “accelerated e-commerce growth” and volume increased exponentially. “We saw the volumes double and triple over the course of a few months, as everyone was stuck at home ordering goods, and when everyone was working, people were constantly ordering. Volume went up, the number of merchants also went up.” However, he said, 2022 was a “correction year” for the company and “growth was muted” as the economy opened up and consumers deviated from e-commerce and started buying more on retail and travel. “Basically a lot of spend went back to normal things, last year was a bit of a crushing year for us, a little bit muted. But we’ve started to see signs as of this year that we’re now returning back to normalcy,” Adzim said. In terms of market share in Malaysia, he reckoned that the company is in top three in courier logistics for last-mile delivery, ranging from 20% to 30%. He is optimistic on the outlook of the ecommerce market as the economy recovers from the peak of the pandemic and returns to normalcy. “We know that the e-commerce penetration is going to increase because volumes are going to grow. Therefore, logistics demand will continue to increase for both domestic and cross border … and I’m starting to see the signs of the market picking up again,” Adzim said. The Ninja Van group has built a presence across Southeast Asia, mainly in Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines. owners to address vehicle repairs and settle payments later, offering installment plans ranging from three to 12 months. In a recent development, the company partnered with Petronas AutoExpert to introduce a fully digital car service installment plan, which is available at all 55 Petronas AutoExpert centres nationwide. Hui disclosed that the current percentage of loans over 60 days overdue, classified as non-performing loans, stands at less than 3% of the overall portfolio. “This, in my view, serves as evidence that we are likely on the right track at this moment,” he added. Looking ahead, Hui said Direct Lending intends to continue expanding its auto service financing, collaborating with industry players, and exploring opportunities for growth, both within Malaysia and across Southeast Asia. Direct Lending is open to fundraising and strategic partnerships to accelerate its mission of addressing the financial gap for the underserved in this segment unattended by mainstream banks and other existing players. “We see significant growth potential in the auto service segment based on the positive traction we’ve gained. With the right funding or financing, we can potentially accelerate its expansion,” he added. In addition to its auto service financing, Direct Lending provides SME micro loans/financing (Islamic or conventional) to support SMEs with business expansion and working capital needs. “Many car workshops are micro or small-sized businesses that require financing for growth and working capital. We have received inquiries from them, and we believe our relationships and insights can help them make their financing more efficient,” Hui said. On the outlook of the business, he said there are more opportunities, particularly in serving the underserved segments whether in emergency car repairs, medical bills, as well as supporting small businesses’ growth. “However, it is essential to manage risks carefully and avoid overleveraging households. As for financing for growth purposes, it is still uncertain due to recent increases in interest rates. We cannot predict the future, so we evaluate opportunities on a case-by-case basis, focusing on businesses and individuals needs. “Overall, we believe there is a lot of room for growth in our current position,” Hui concluded. KLCI 1,424.17 STI 3,217.41 10.42 HANG SENG 17,809.66 436.63 SCI NIKKEI 31,857.62 14.90 TSEC KOSPI CLOSED S&P/ASX200 7,048.60 23.80 MONDAY OCTOBER 2, 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 September 29, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (sen) +/– (sen) EMCC 195,099,300 42.5 +7.5 SAPNRG 91,357,800 5.5 UNCH HSI-CRT 88,054,400 14.0 UNCH WIDAD 57,052,500 51.0 UNCH EKOVEST 55,500,500 55.5 -0.5 EXCHANGERATES SEPTEMBER 29, 2023 Foreign currency Bank sell Bank buy Bank buy TT/OD TT OD 1 US DOLLAR 4.7630 4.6300 4.6200 1 AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR 3.0800 2.9590 2.9430 1 BRUNEI DOLLAR 3.4870 3.3890 3.3810 1 CANADIAN DOLLAR 3.5280 3.4350 3.4230 1 EURO 5.0410 4.8800 4.8600 1 NEW ZEALAND DOLLAR 2.8560 2.7530 2.7370 1 SINGAPORE DOLLAR 3.4870 3.3890 3.3810 1 STERLING POUND 5.8230 5.6430 5.6230 1 SWISS FRANC 5.1930 5.0770 5.0620 100 UAE DIRHAM 131.0600 124.3200 124.1200 100 BANGLADESH TAKA 4.4050 4.1190 3.9190 100 CHINESE RENMINBI N/A N/A N/A 100 HONGKONG DOLLAR 61.5200 58.4800 58.2800 100 INDIAN RUPEE 5.8300 5.4700 5.2700 100 INDONESIAN RUPIAH 0.0318 0.0288 0.0238 100 JAPANESE YEN 3.1950 3.0950 3.0850 100 NEW TAIWAN DOLLAR N/A N/A N/A 100 PAKISTAN RUPEE 1.6800 1.5700 1.3700 100 PHILIPPINE PESO 8.5300 8.0400 7.8400 100 QATAR RIYAL 132.2000 125.5000 125.3000 100 SAUDI RIYAL 128.5200 122.0100 121.8100 100 THAI BAHT 13.6100 12.0800 11.6800 Source: Malayan Banking Berhad/Bernama KL MARKET SUMMARY September 29, 2023 INDICES CHANGE FBMEMAS 10,582.20 -80.80 FBMKLCI 1,424.17 -15.94 CONSUMER PRODUCTS 552.62 -2.98 INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS 171.49 -1.17 CONSTRUCTION 184.62 +1.97 FINANCIAL SERVICES 15,918.10 -205.00 ENERGY 893.74 -5.07 TELECOMMUNICATIONS 573.23 -6.78 HEALTH CARE 1,667.69 -16.40 TRANSPORTATION 924.47 -1.38 PROPERTY 875.30 -1.38 PLANTATION 6,880.35 -10.80 FBMSHA 10,874.50 -47.20 FBMACE 5,175.24 +16.57 TECHNOLOGY 62.89 +0.32 TURNOVER VALUE 3.036 BIL RM2.435 BIL 5 TOP GAINERS September 29, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (RM) +/– RM MPI 39,100 27.46 +0.52 HEXTECH 800 24.84 +0.44 AEONCR 789,600 12.18 +0.38 KNUSFOR 3,475,400 0.915 +0.20 AYER 100 7.39 +0.19 5 TOP LOSERS September 29, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (RM) +/– RM NESTLE 253,200 126.50 -2.50 PETDAG 669,700 22.38 -0.32 PETGAS 1,354,100 16.84 -0.30 HLBANK 3,397,500 19.50 -0.28 UTDPLT 169,300 16.64 -0.26 Participation 23.7 38.7 37.6 100.0 Retail Institutions Foreign Bought RM m 615.8 941.2 878.7 2435.7 Sold RM m 538.5 944.9 952.3 2435.7 Net RM m 77.3 -3.7 -73.6 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) 29/9/2023 Ninja Van Malaysia wants to onboard more SMEs PETALING JAYA: Ninja Van Malaysia is focused on expanding its value-added services this year, driven by the positive expected macro trends for e-commerce growth. Ninja Van Malaysia CEO Adzim Halim (pic) said the core business is “quite stable” and its main focus this year is onboarding more shippers onto its value-added services, namely Ninja Direct, Ninja Mart, Ninja Fulfilment. “A lot of them will be smaller shippers, they will not be like big names … a lot of these value-added services will be focused around SMEs (small and medium enterprises),” he told SunBiz. He said the company aims to assist online sellers to expand their reach beyond Malaysia through cross-border logistics and offline via Ninja Mart. “Selling within Malaysia is really just the first step for a seller. You’d want to sell online cross-border because you want to expand your market. But what happens after you’re done with the whole online thing? You will start looking offline. “So we want to be there for sellers. We want to help these online sellers to expand to overseas through cross-border logistics █ BYGLORIA HARRY BEATTY [emailprotected] Direct Lending’s financing solution boon for car owners KUALA LUMPUR: Direct Lending Sdn Bhd’s auto service financing is experiencing rapid growth with more than 1,000 workshops onboarded and a tenfold increase in the number of car owners benefiting each month since the solution was launched 1½ years ago. Direct Lending founder Hui Yik Seong (pic) said the company is on the right trajectory in its mission to provide safe and accessible financing solutions for car repair needs. “We created auto service financing to address the common scenario where a car breaks down, and people may not have immediate financing to cover the repair costs. This is how we collaborate with workshops to offer a convenient product tailored to car owners’ needs. “It’s all powered by technology and data, simplifying the user experience, being inclusive by considering alternative data sources, ensuring syariah compliance, and maintaining transparency. Our technology enables us to serve customers from various locations across the country, from Peninsular Malaysia to Sabah and Sarawak,” he told SunBiz. The auto service financing enables car o‘Repair now pay later’ scheme sees rapid growth in number of workshops and beneficiaries █ BYHAYATUN RAZAK [emailprotected] CLOSED CLOSED 15.94
12 theSUN ON MONDAY | OCTOBER 2, 2023 SUNBIZ @thesundaily FOLLOW ON TWITTER SCAN ME PETALING JAYA: Micro and small businesses will continue to enjoy zero-cost transactions for accepting DuitNow QR payments, according to Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM). In a statement, BNM said major banks and selected non-bank financial service providers, which manage 75% of businesses currently accepting DuitNow QR payments, have agreed to the arrangement. In addition, the operator of DuitNow QR, Payments Network Malaysia Sdn Bhd, will allocate resources to help defray the costs incurred by acquirers that continue to offer full waivers to micro and small businesses accepting DuitNow QR payments. BNM said these measures will enable micro and small businesses to continue to enjoy DuitNow QR payment services at zero cost, while ensuring that QR payment services remain efficient, reliable and safe for all consumers. The statement comes on the heels of concern from the business community over the imposition of a transaction fee by some acquirers on businesses that accept DuitNow QR payments from yesterday, following the end of a temporary fee waiver introduced in 2019. For individual customers, the usage of DuitNow QR to make payments will not attract any additional charges. Echoing BNM, Hong Leong Bank (HLB) and Hong Leong Islamic Bank announced that they will continue to waive transaction fees and charges for all merchants accepting payments via the DuitNow QR until further notice. The waiver of transaction fees and charges includes DuitNow QR transactions where payments are made through current/savings accounts, e-wallets and credit cards. In addition, HLB does not impose any fees on the maintenance of the service, point-of-sales material and API/Interface Integration. By eliminating these fees and charges, these measures will encourage more businesses to adopt digital payment solutions. “This move not only benefits our valued merchant partners and customers but also contributes to a broader societal shift towards a cashless economy. By empowering businesses with cost-effective payment solutions, we are not only helping them remain competitive but also contributing to the economic growth of Malaysia,” said HLB managing director and CEO Kevin Lam. AirAsia X appoints Lavinia Louis as CFO PETALING JAYA: AirAsia X Bhd has appointed Lavinia Louis as chief financial officer effective yesterday. In a statement to Bursa Malaysia, AirAsia said Lavinia has almost 20 years of experience in business and finance under her belt. She spent eight years with international auditors, PricewaterhouseCoopers, in Malaysia, where she gained experience in project management, regulatory reporting and risk analysis. Lavinia later joined the AirAsia group as the financial controller of AirAsia Bhd. For the last 11 years, Lavinia has been instrumental in the reorganisation exercises within the AirAsia group among other groundbreaking initiatives. Lavinia graduated with a Bachelor of Business degree with distinction, majoring in accounting, from Monash University, Australia. She is a member of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants and Certified Practising Accountant, Australia. DuitNow QR facility free for small, micro businesses oOperator Payments Network Malaysia will help defray costs incurred by acquirers that continue to offer full waivers SUBSIDY reduction is the most important issue that is likely to be the focus in Budget 2024 if Malaysia is to work towards reducing its budget deficit. The “elephant in the room” when it comes to subsidies is the petroleum subsidies which are now available to everyone. Every dollar of increase in the price of crude oil will commensurately increase the subsidy given to the public. The government will announce measures to channel subsidies to targeted groups rather than the benefits being available to everyone. It is expected that development expenditure will be funded with borrowings. The only alternative to reducing borrowings will be through the introduction of new taxes and/or intensifying the enforcement of the existing tax rules. Both are painful remedies to reduce borrowings. New taxes Currently, there is no major exercise to review the country’s tax system or to reform the tax system on a totality basis. There does not seem to be an appetite to reintroduce the Goods and Service Tax (GST). The reintroduction of GST appears to be viewed as being regressive as the tax will have to be borne ultimately by consumers. Although this issue can be neutralised with the correct use of the zero-rating and the exemption system to focus on items which may affect the lower-income segment, the current political climate is not conducive to the reintroduction of GST. It is likely that the coverage of the current Sales and Service Tax (SST) may be widened to include more goods and services. New taxes appear to be on the horizon. The most likely tax that could be introduced is the capital gains tax on unlisted shares owned by companies, luxury tax, tax on lowvalue goods, imposition of minimum tax of 15% under Pillar 2 of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (this is part of the imposition of global minimum tax). Amplifying ongoing initiatives Currently, there is a self-voluntary declaration scheme available until May 31, 2024 for income tax cases. It is likely that the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) and the Royal Malaysian Customs Department will step up their campaigns to encourage taxpayers to enter this programme, which is effectively an amnesty. There is great effort put in by the IRB to promote e-invoicing, which will be implemented on June 1, 2024 for taxpayers whose turnover exceeds RM100 million. This will add to the government’s revenue as leakages in the system will be reduced and there will be greater transparency. Another initiative by the IRB is the Tax Corporate Governance Framework (TCGF). At the moment, this is at a pilot testing stage and, once it is over, it is expected that TCGF will be rolled out to medium-sized companies, which will lead to sustained tax revenues through improved compliance. Increased enforcement Increased tax revenue can also come from enhancing surveillance on the level of compliance of tax laws. There are many provisions in the Income Tax Act and the various indirect tax legislations which require timelines to be met. Any failure here could result in penalties which will add to the tax collection. Similarly, if the authorities are to comb through current taxpayers’ files, they are likely to find departures from compliance on technical and non-technical issues. This will also add to tax revenue. However, such actions must be carefully managed, otherwise this will lead to the perception that taxpayers are being harassed and their willingness to cooperate could evaporate. This article is contributed by Thannees Tax Consulting Services Sdn Bhd managing director SM Thanneermalai (www.thannees.com). Right place, right boss and right time How has your life experience made you the leader you are today? I have been super lucky in my career to date, having worked in London, Paris, Munich, Los Angeles and Sydney. And for the past three years, in Malaysia. I spent the first years of my career as an engineer making ice cream with Unilever, so the move into media was unplanned. After a stint running consulting projects at KPMG, my former boss who had joined Sky UK asked me to help solve some issues with the set-top box supply chain. From there, I gradually became more involved in operations, leading field engineers and contact centres before moving into technology and then to product, sales and marketing. In media, I have held senior leadership positions with Sky UK, Sky Germany, Fox in the US and as COO at Foxtel in Australia. I never applied for any of the roles. I’ve just been lucky to be in the right place, with the right boss when the industry was making step-changes. It’s these collective experiences that gave me a solid background to be able to join Astro as CEO of the pay TV business in 2020, right at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Earlier this year, I became the group CEO, leading the team that is busy building the New Astro. Having the opportunity to be part of global brands in diverse sectors, countries and industries has certainly shaped my drive for innovation and transformation at Astro. How do you think the industry you are in will evolve? The media landscape has changed drastically over the last 20 years. Two decades ago, Astro reinvented entertainment in Malaysia via satellite. Now we are pivoting from linear broadcasting to streaming, becoming the digital content provider of choice as we aggregate the best of international and local apps alongside Astro’s own content, all in one place, all on one platform. In content, there will always be demand for compelling, high-quality shows, for live signature events and for sports. Companies that thrive in future will be those with ecosystems that allow content creators to flourish, that provide simple and intuitive ways to discover an everincreasing amount of videos and that add value to the process with convenience and innovation. The ever-changing landscape of broadcasting means it is no longer just operating cameras in a studio environment. Technological advances have enabled the industry to be more efficient, and AI, augmented reality and machine learning will continue this process, democratising further the ability for creators to make great, highquality content. The future of media and entertainment lies in the power of streaming and accessibility at consumers’ fingertips. Customisable and engaging content will still reign supreme, and I am confident Astro is ahead of the curve. How has mentorship made a difference in your professional life? I am lucky to have what Tim Ferriss would call a “Tribe of Mentors”. One of the best ways I find to avoid tunnelthinking is to explain a situation, a challenge to one or more of them and then ask, “What am I missing?”. Sometimes this is in-person, but more often it’s an email or call. We all have biases and their perspectives are always helpful, either to help look at a problem from a different angle, or to support my own thought process. Most-admired business leader? Why? There are many, but I’d probably say Tim Smit. I’ve read his book Eden at least five times. His journey to create the Eden Project in Cornwall is a glorious tale about the power of holding to a bold vision through sheer bloodymindedness, incredible optimism, the development of an exceptional team and constant nurturing of likeminded stakeholders. How do you stay abreast of issues affecting your industry? By connecting and engaging with our content and technology partners, our customers and peers around the world for current trends. I follow a number of influencers as well as columnists online and have a host of local and international news apps on my mobile to keep me up to date. How do you expect policies on climate change to impact businesses in the future? Sustainability is no longer optional. Increasingly, businesses will need to integrate eco-friendly practices at every stage, be it in content delivery, technology infrastructure, or customer service. This needs to be a collective effort by all. As an example, Astro has committed to making our operations carbon neutral by 2040, which will require major changes in how we product and distribute our services. We aim to be ahead in all areas. Also, given the reach of our TV, radio and digital platforms, we have a responsibility to increase awareness and promote actions that will help to address climate change. What to expect in Budget 2024 SUCCESS: THE INSIGHT STORY k Astro Group CEO Euan Smith (pic) airs his views to SunBiz in this week’s column
13 SUNBIZ theSUN ON MONDAY | OCTOBER 2, 2023 THE shorter trading week resulted in a 37.8% week-on-week (w-o-w) decline in total warrants turnover. Warrants over the Hang Seng Index (HSI) still took up the largest percentage of turnover at 59.1%, followed by warrants over Malaysian shares at 38.9%, despite the 42% decline in weekly turnover following the boost in the previous week due to increased activity in warrants over property related stocks. Investors were largely focused on warrants over Ekovest and YTL Power as their underlyings fell 5.9% and 2.8% w-o-w, respectively. Various warrants over these underlyings recorded more than RM1 million in turnover each, with EKOVEST-C39 and YTLPOWR-C33 emerging as the top traded among their peers, recording a total turnover of RM4.7 million and RM2.8 million, respectively. Other than that, warrants over FBM KLCI, iShares China A50 ETF (A50CHIN) and S&P 500® Index also saw an increase in turnover last week. Among the advantages of trading warrants include providing investors with access to diverse markets via call and put warrants, allowing investors to gain leveraged exposures to both market directions without leaving Bursa Malaysia. Meanwhile, the HSI saw a generally bearish week, recording weekly losses of 1.4% though it rebounded 2.5% on the last trading day of September to 17,809.66, reversing Thursday’s 3.8% losses, as it tracked the overnight gains in the US market ahead of September’s manufacturing purchasing managers’ index data release. The call warrant HSI-CRT took the crown by a large margin, clocking in RM31.2 million or 237.9 million units traded. Bullish investors net bought over 45 million units of this call warrant earlier in the week as the HSI futures fell, then subsequently sold back about 33.7 million units of HSICRT which jumped 12.5% following its underlying futures’ rally on Friday. The Hong Kong market is closed today in conjunction with the replacement holiday for Hong Kong’s National Day, meaning there will be no market making for warrants over Hong Kong underlyings including the HSI, Hang Seng TECH Index, A50CHIN and Hong Kong shares. 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-CRT 31.2 Macquarie 21,000 28 Dec 2023 HSI-HNY 16.4 Macquarie 17,800 30 Oct 2023 HSI-CRN 9.1 Macquarie 20,400 29 Nov 2023 HSI-CRY 8.3 Macquarie 20,000 28 Dec 2023 HSI-HN8 6.4 Macquarie 18,200 29 Sep 2023 Ekovest and YTL Power in focus, M’sian issues account for 39% of turnover ECA Integrated’s nine-month net profit jumps more than twofold to RM10.8m PENANG: Automated manufacturing solutions provider, ECA Integrated Solutions Bhd, delivered robust growth with revenue surging 57.1% year-on-year (YoY) to RM30.9 million, up from RM19.7 million in the preceding year’s corresponding period (9M FY22). This was disclosed when the company announced its third quarter (Q3’23) and nine months financial results for the period ended July 31, 2023 (9M FY23). The improvement was primarily driven by increased deliveries of integrated production systems (IPS) and standalone automation equipment (SAE) to customers. Meanwhile, the group’s net profit grew by 123% y-o-y to RM10.8 million in tandem with the rise in revenue that is further augmented by better overall cost management. The performance represents a healthy 9M FY23 net profit margin of 35%. ECA’s effective tax rate is negligible as it has Pioneer Status till November 2027. ECA’s 9M FY23 revenue and net profit of RM30.9 million and RM10.8 million respectively have already exceeded its full-year FY22 reported revenue and net profit of RM27.5 million and RM7.8 million. For the quarter under review, Q3 FY23 revenue rose 8.8% y-o-y to RM10.9 million as compared to RM10 million in Q3 FY22. Net profit was broadly steady at RM3.1 million vis-àvis RM3.2 million earlier, chiefly due to increased administrative expenses. Executive director-cum-COO Chua Lye Hock said, “Despite the subdued economic landscape, ECA has demonstrated remarkable resilience and is well on our way to achieve a record-breaking year. Our 9-month top- and bottom-line have already exceeded our fullyear performance in FY22 thanks to the consistent and strong influx of orders from both our existing and new customers within the IPS and SAE segments.” Since going public in November 2022, he added, they are now strategically positioned to execute their expansion plans with the fresh funds raised. ECA Integrated Solutions is a certified ISO9001 company located in Penang that aims to deliver innovative automation solutions with superior machine performance, excellent quality and time to market. Yinson reports 42% growth in Q2 profit after tax KUALA LUMPUR: Yinson Holdings Bhd, a global energy infrastructure and technology company, in announcing its financial results for the second quarter ended July 31, 2023 (Q2 FY24) said the group reported a higher revenue of RM3.11 billion compared to Q1 FY24’s revenue of RM3.02 billion. The increase was mainly due to the maiden contribution from FPSO Anna Nery’s operations since first oil was achieved on May 7, 2023, which was partially offset by lower contribution from EPCIC ( Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Installation, and Commissioning) business activities (based on progress of construction). The lower contribution from EPCIC business activities mainly arose from lower reported progress for FPSO Agogo and FPSO Maria Quitéria. The actual progress of their projects under construction is in line with the group’s expectations. The group’s profit after tax for Q2 FY24 increased by 42% or RM81 million to RM275 million as compared to RM194 million in the preceding quarter. For the YTD Q2 FY24, revenue increased by 134% to RM6.13 billion as compared to RM2.63 billion in YTD Q2 FY23, which was mainly due to higher contribution from EPCIC business activities (based on progress of construction). In the current financial period, EPCIC business activities for FPSO Agogo had commenced subsequent to the execution of firm contracts with Eni Angola S.p.A. on Feb 27, 2023. On March 23, 2023, the board of directors recommended a final single-tier dividend of 1 sen per share for the financial year ended Jan 31, 2023. The proposed dividend was approved by shareholders at the Annual General Meeting held on July 13, 2023. The dividend, which amounted to RM29 million, was paid on Aug 30, 2023. In addition, the board of directors has declared an interim single-tier dividend of 2 sen per ordinary share for the financial year ending Jan 31, 2024, amounting to approximately RM58 million. The interim single-tier dividend entitlement date and payable date are Nov 30, 2023 and Dec 15, 2023 respectively. Capital A enters into strategic tie-up with Garuda Indonesia PETALING JAYA: Capital A, the holding company of AirAsia, and Garuda Indonesia Group – the national flag carrier of Indonesia, have formed a strategic partnership to support the strengthening of the global aviation ecosystem post-pandemic. The partnership between these two entities explores the network expansion across various business lines, including commercial airline services between AirAsia and Citilink, logistics services with Teleport and Garuda Indonesia Cargo, as well as Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) services with Asia Digital Engineering (ADE), owned by Capital A and Garuda Indonesia Group’s subsidiary GMF AeroAsia. Attending the MoU signing ceremony recently in Jakarta, Indonesia with Garuda Indonesia CEO Irfan Setiaputra, Capital A CEO Tony Fernandes said, “We are witnessing the blossoming of a meaningful partnership between two leading Asean brands that are loved by millions of people in this region, known for best value, quality and choice. Our relationship with Garuda began when Citilink joined our Superapp journey. We are excited to further elevate this relationship by pooling our strengths and resources to add more value to people’s lives.” Meanwhile Irfan said that this collaboration marks a significant milestone in the growing optimism within the aviation industry, which is progressing positively. “We believe that after the pandemic, collaboration within the aviation ecosystem is a necessity that should continue to be optimised. With this commitment in mind, our collaboration with Capital A is expected not only to provide a solid foundation for the Fernandes presenting an AirAsia model aircraft to Irfan after the MoU signing ceremony. oPartnership will explore network expansion across business lines including commercial airline, cargo and MRO services business outlook of both companies but also to strengthen our joint commitment to delivering added value in the best aviation services for the community,” he added. AirAsia Group CEO Bo Lingam stated, “We are thrilled about the start of this new journey for AirAsia, something I have believed is important for our next phase of growth, and we have the most ideal partner in Citilink, whose strong domestic connectivity and our international routes create a powerful synergy. Over the next few years you will be seeing some exciting tie ups like Citilink which will help AirAsia, its partners and of course our guests, in making the world a smaller place. I would like to also thank our partners at airasia MOVE (airasia Superapp) for bringing us together. The symbiotic relationship is creating very exciting opportunities for the AirAsia aviation group.” Citilink CEO Dewa Kadek Rai said that through the integration networks of both airlines, leveraging AirAsia’s strength in Asean routes and Citilink’s strength in domestic routes, it is hoped that the aviation industry can progress more effectively post-pandemic era. This collaboration, he added, also marks a significant milestone for Citilink in delivering added value to customers through broader connectivity. Discussions are also underway between Capital A’s aircraft maintenance provider Asia Digital Engineering (ADE) and Garuda Indonesia’s GMF AeroAsia to further explore opportunities for another strategic Press Release Draft partnership that will leverage on mutual strengths and efficiencies as well as Asean’s strategic location to deliver greater value-driven, low-cost MRO services to thirdparty airlines seeking maintenance support.
14 theSUN ON MONDAY | OCTOBER 2, 2023 SUNBIZ China’s factory activity recovery slows in September BEIJING: China’s factory activity expanded at a slower pace in September, a private-sector survey showed yesterday, with sluggish external demand weighing on the outlook even as output increased. The Caixin/S&P Global manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) fell to 50.6 in September from 51.0 in the previous month, missing analysts’ forecasts of 51.2. The 50 index point mark separates growth from contraction. The world’s second-largest economy is showing some signs of stabilising after a flurry of modest policy measures, but the outlook is clouded by a property slump, falling exports and high youth unemployment. The survey comes a day after China released its official PMI, which showed factory activity expanded for the first time in six months in September, adding to oEconomy showing signs of stabilising after policy measures, but outlook clouded by property slump, falling exports and unemployment the run of indicators suggesting the economy has begun to bottom out. According to the Caixin PMI, factory output and new orders remained in expansionary territory in September, however, external demand remained weak with export orders index contracting for the third month. “The economic recovery has yet to find a solid footing, with insufficient domestic demand, external uncertainties, and pressure on the job market,” said Wang Zhe, senior economist at Caixin Insight Group. Factory owners’ confidence for the year ahead hit a 12-month low. Producers of consumer, investment and intermediate goods all cut staff, the survey showed. Input costs rose at the fastest pace since January, due to rising prices of chemicals, crude oil and industrial metals. Chinese policymakers face a daunting task of reviving stalled economic growth with analysts calling for more aggressive steps on top of the piecemeal support of recent months. “The implementation and effectiveness of the economic stabilisation policies should be the next focus of attention,” said Wang. “More effort may be needed to increase employment and income.” To support growth, the central bank in September cut the amount of cash that banks must hold as reserves. “We do not anticipate substantial fiscal or monetary stimulus by Chinese authorities in the coming months,” said S&P Global Ratings in a research note. “While muted policy stimulus means more pain in store for corporates and banks, it also shows China continues to move away from unproductive debtfueled growth.” A separate PMI released by Caixin/S&P Global yesterday showed China’s services activity expanded at the slowest pace this year in September. – Reuters India’s private space sector skyrockets PARIS: When Indian entrepreneur Awais Ahmed founded his satellite startup in Bangalore in 2019, his country was still a year away from opening the space industry to the private sector. “When we started, there was absolutely no support, no momentum,” said Ahmed, who was 21 when he founded Pixxel, a Facebook owner Meta’s technology chief defends AI strategy MENLO PARK: Meta’s chief technology officer is quick to push back on assertions that the company has fallen behind rivals like ChatGPT in the explosive surge across the tech industry in generative AI. “The majority of the world’s population will have their first experience of generative artificial intelligence (AI) with us,” Andrew “Boz” Bosworth told AFP at the company’s recent Connect conference for developers. Meta unveiled AI-infused chatbots with personalities at the gathering, along with tools for creating images or written content using spoken prompts. The company that owns Facebook and Instagram has been seen as lagging rivals like Microsoft and Google, which have pushed out generative AI products and invested heavily in the technology seen as a force poised to shape the future. Bosworth was adamant that Meta is not behind, enhancing its global platforms with AI since before ChatGPT was launched to the public late last year. “There are lots of cool tools, like Stable Diffusion, for generating images,” Bosworth said of the buzz around AI offerings from other firms. But the executive was quick to point out that many of these new platforms take time and expert computer skills to master. Meta for now has chosen the more cautious approach when it comes to generative AI. Two weeks before the debut of ChatGPT in November 2022, Meta released a generative AI chatbot called “Galactica” that specialised in scientific research. Galactica could write articles and solve math problems, but at times fabricated answers. Meta quickly sidelined the tool, a move Bosworth told AFP he thought was a mistake. “If it had been up to me, I would have left it,” Bosworth said. “We had warned that our chatbot was capable of saying anything” and that users should proceed with that in mind. AI products by Meta rivals remained available despite the potential for bizarre answers referred to as “hallucinations” that brought the companies some ridicule. But after years of controversy about content moderation at its worldleading social media platforms, Meta will likely err on the side of caution when it comes to setting safety parameters for its own creations. As the other giants pushed out their AI products, Meta in the meantime improved its in-house AI model, releasing Llama 2 earlier this year as open source, meaning developers could tinker with it to create their own chatbots. – AFP B R I E F SAPPLE IDENTIFIES ISSUES CAUSING IPHONE 15 TO OVERHEAT BENGALURU: Apple on Saturday said it has identified a few issues which can cause new iPhones to run warmer than expected, including a bug in the iOS 17 software which will be fixed in an upcoming update. After complaints that the new phones are getting very warm, Apple has said that the device may feel warmer in the first few days “after setting up or restoring the device because of increased background activity.” “Another issue involves some recent updates to third-party apps that are causing them to overload the system,“ Apple said, adding that it is working with app developers on fixes that are in the process of being rolled out. Apple also said the issue is not a safety risk, and will not impact the phone’s performance. – Reuters S. KOREA EXPORTS FALL AT MILDEST PACE IN 12 MONTHS SEOUL: South Korea’s exports slowed their fall in September, in contrast to market expectations, marking the mildest decline in a yearlong downturn, a hopeful sign for the global economy from the bellwether industrial economy. Overseas sales by Asia’s fourth-largest economy fell 4.4% from a year earlier to US$54.66 billion (RM257 billion), trade data showed yesterday, compared with an 8.3% loss in August and a 9.1% decline tipped in a Reuters survey of economists. It was the 12th consecutive month of a decline in exports but the narrowest in the streak. – Reuters UK FINANCE MINISTER: NO NEAR-TERM TAX CUTS LONDON: Britain’s finance minister Jeremy Hunt ruled out near-term tax cuts ahead of a mid-year fiscal statement due on Nov 22, but said in a newspaper interview he wanted to avoid “a vicious circle of ever-rising taxes“. Many lawmakers in Britain’s ruling Conservatives want Hunt to deliver tax cuts before the next election. “We’re not in a position to talk about tax cuts at all,“ Hunt said in an interview with The Times newspaper. Throughout this year, Hunt has said his priority is to support Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s goal to halve inflation, rather than lower taxes. – Reuters TESLA UNVEILS UPDATED MODEL Y IN CHINA SHANGHAI: US automaker Tesla yesterday released an updated version of its Model Y in China, with minor changes to the vehicle’s exterior and interior. The changes include a new wheel design, according to a post by Tesla’s official WeChat account. The starting price in China for the Model Y, the company’s global best-seller, was unchanged at 263,900 yuan (RM169,700). Tesla unveiled a restyled Model 3 with a longer driving range, manufactured at its Shanghai factory, in China and other export markets in early September. – Reuters company deploying a constellation of Earth imaging satellites. Since then, the private space sector has taken off in India, joining a rapidly growing global market. There are now 190 Indian space start-ups, twice as many as a year earlier, with private investments jumping by 77% between 2021 and 2022, according to Deloitte consultancy. “A lot of Indian investors were not willing to look at space technology, because it was too much of a risk earlier,” Ahmed said in an interview with AFP. “Now you can see more and more companies raising more investment in India, and more and more companies have started coming up now,” he added. Pixxel makes hyperspectral imaging satellites – technology that captures a wide spectrum of light to provide details that are invisible to ordinary cameras. The company says it is on a mission to build “a health monitor for the planet”: it can track climate risks such as floods, wildfires or methane leaks. Pixxel had initially sought to use rockets from the state-run Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). “I remember having a conversation with someone in ISRO. We were trying to book a launch and they said, ‘Look, we don’t even have a procedure to launch an Indian satellite. But if you were a foreign company, then basically there’s a process’, which didn’t make sense when we started,” Ahmed said. Pixxel ended up having to hire US rocket firm SpaceX to launch its first two satellites. Prior to the 2020 opening up of the sector, “all Indian space activity was under the supervision of the ISRO space agency, which managed absolutely everything,” said Isabelle Sourbes-Verger, an Indian space sector expert at France’s National Scientific Research Centre. The ISRO budget remains relatively modest at US$1.9 billion (RM8.9 billion) in 2022, six times smaller than the Chinese space programme. Despite its limited resources, India’s space programme has made huge strides, culminating with the landing of a rover on the Moon’s unexplored south pole in August. The country also launched a probe towards the Sun at the start of this month and is preparing a threeday crewed mission into Earth’s orbit next year. Before the reform, private companies could only act as suppliers for the agency. “It was no longer tenable because there is too much to do,” Sourbes-Verger said. India deepened its reform of the sector in April, unveiling a new space policy that limits the ISRO’s work to research and development while promoting “greater private sector participation in the entire value chain of the Space Economy”. – AFP
2 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3 M O N D A Y Online gaming robbery on page 17 Two days of music boom on page 20 The game is on The game is on ESL One makes a comeback on page 16 Lana Del Ray takes on the Waffle House on page 18
16 GAMING & TECH theSun LYFE ON MONDAY | OCTOBER 2, 2023 /theSunMedia FOLLOW ON YOUTUBE SCAN ME ESPORTS tickets costing up to US$137 (RM644.21) are like gold dust at the Asian Games with desperate fans signing up multiple times through a lottery system in the hope of seeing their gaming heroes live. The unlucky ones have instead waited outside the gates of the futuristic-looking Hangzhou Esports Centre, craning their necks to look inside the official games buses passing through. ESports has made its debut as a medal event in the Chinese city, seen as a major step towards the Olympics one day, with renowned gamers such as South Korea’s Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok in action. Medals are up for grabs in seven gaming titles, including Arena of Valour, League of Legends and EA Sports FC Online. Underscoring just how popular it is, eSports is the only competition at the games where tickets were allocated through an initial online lottery before being opened up last week for direct purchase. Tickets run up to 1,000 yuan (RM643), making eSports one of the most expensive events to watch at the Asiad. “Getting tickets for this eSports competition was quite intense,” said Xu Kezhen, a 20-year-old fan. “I had to try five or six times before finally getting one. Everyone wants to come and support the Chinese team and their favourite players, so there is a rush to grab the tickets and show their support.” The hassle and expense did not deter Zhao Xiaohan, who signed up for all possible lotteries before eventually winning a prized spot. “It felt like quite a challenge to secure the ticket and luck played a role as well,” Zhao, 23, said. Another lucky spectator, Jiang Xinyou, 29, said: “I really wanted to see the Chinese team play but I wasn’t able to get tickets for those matches.” Those who made it inside the 4,500- capacity arena waved lightsticks and cheered as two-dimensional “heroes” fought onscreen, controlled by athletes furiously swiping on their phone screens. Games organisers, who have not said how many tickets they are releasing in total, require spectators to register their identification documents when buying tickets and show them when entering the venue in an effort to prevent scalping. - ETX STUDIO Esports quarterfinal game between Myanmar and China during the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games. Desperate eSports fans in ticket-grabbing frenzy at Asian Games ESL, a brand under the ESL Faceit Group, has announced the return of ESL One, powered by Intel, to Malaysia. This prestigious Dota 2 tournament will gather 12 of the world’s top Dota 2 teams to compete for a remarkable prize pool of US$1,000,000 (RM4.6 million). Unlike the previous three editions of ESL One powered by Intel, which were held in Genting, this year’s event will take place in Kuala Lumpur, with the playoff matches scheduled for Dec 15–17 at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC). This year’s ESL One KL is set to kick off with an exciting group stage from Dec 11 to 13. This stage will feature two groups, each comprising six teams, competing in a single round-robin format. The top six teams from the group stage will advance to the live playoffs that employ a double-elimination format. Details about the participating teams will be unveiled at a later date. ESL Faceit group director of game ecosystems for Dota 2, Shane Clarke, expressed the anticipation surrounding ESL One’s return, especially among Dota fans in Southeast Asia. He emphasised that this year’s event in Kuala Lumpur aims to be bigger and more accessible than ever, as it marks a significant transition from Genting to the Malaysian capital. The tournament promises to deliver a world-class esports experience at MITEC, and ESL is committed to continuing to bring top-tier live Dota 2 action and memorable experiences to the region. The first wave of tickets for this year’s ESL One KL tickets are already available for purchase starting on Sept 21. Ticket prices are starting at RM149, catering to a range of ESL One returns to Malaysia with high stakes oTeams are hoping to get the best hand in Kuala Lumpur The official poster for ESL One in Kuala Lumpur. – ESL ONE █ BYYASMIN ZULRAEZ fans. Those interested in securing their tickets can visit esl.gg/eslonemytickets. Throughout all stages of the tournament, fans can look forward to immersive artwork and references inspired by the event’s new theme, “Rise Above Fate.” ESL Faceit group senior marketing creative, Carolin Linden, elaborated on this innovative approach. This year’s theme draws inspiration from Kuala Lumpur’s mystic allure and rich folklore, inviting players and fans on a transformative journey guided by Nerif, the Oracle and the Great Foreseer. Nerif’s prophecies not only predict the future but shape it, making the tournament’s outcome uncertain. As teams clash in the grand battle for supremacy, fate itself hangs in the balance. This year’s ESL One KL will be broadcast live on the ESL Dota 2 Twitch and YouTube channels, as well as through dedicated broadcast partners. For the latest updates and information, fans can visit the official website and follow ESL Dota 2 on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. This event promises to be a spectacular celebration of Dota 2 and eSports in the heart of Malaysia. OG crowned the winner last year. – STEPHANIE LINDGREN/ESL ONE
17 GAMING & TECH theSun LYFE ON MONDAY | OCTOBER 2, 2023 Online robbery MODERN gaming adopting the “always-online” approach has always generated opinions ranging from apathy to outright scorn due to various factors, such as gamers not having access to a stable internet connection preventing them from playing the games and games being taken offline whenever there are server problems. This is most certainly the case with Payday 3’s tumultuous launch over the Sept 21 weekend. Part of the decadeold Payday co-op bank robbery franchise, Payday 3 is the first game in the series to be online-only, and upon launch, it immediately ran into problems ranging from incessant crashes to slow matchmaking and server disconnections. It was so bad that the game’s developer, Starbreeze Studios ceo Tobias Sjogren, issued a public apology on X (formerly Twitter). “We are so sorry that the infrastructure didn’t hold up as expected, and although it’s impossible to prepare for every Consumers should take a wait-and-see approach before purchasing games to avoid problems. - PIC BY DEEP SILVER oPayday 3 crashes and slow matchmaking █ BY MARK MATHEN VICTOR scenario, we should be able to do better,” said Sjogren. On Sept 18, the game provided “early access” to a select few gamers, which probably lulled the developers into thinking everything would be fine, but the massive influx of players several days later quickly broke the game. Every platform that the game is available on faces problems. Players on PC were caught in the “searching” limbo while looking for matches, while Xbox users were hit with unstable server connections and outright crashed. The PlayStation 5 users, on the other hand, had their own unique problem; their games launched with the wrong version. “PS5 players: For reasons out of our control, you are currently playing an older version of the game. Sony is working on rolling out the proper patch,” tweeted lead producer Andreas Hall-Penninger. A day later, the patch arrived, which was bad enough for those who bought the regular version of the game, but it was worse for those who bought the “Silver Edition” with US$30 (RM141) extra to play the game earlier. For affected players and observers, Payday 3’s swathe of launch problems is yet another indicator that always being online is more of a detriment than a boon. Star Wars Eclipse still going strong REVEALED two years ago without any significant updates, chatter around Star Wars Eclipse has resurfaced in Japan. In a recent IGN interview during the Tokyo Game Show, Quantic Dream marketing vicepresident Lisa Pendse explained that while Star Wars Eclipse is an action-adventure game, it will still have “all of the elements that you would come to expect and want from a Quantic Dream title”. This means Star Wars Eclipse will have branching narratives that adapt to players’ choices, similar to previous games developed by Quantic Dream. To those who are familiar with the studio’s games, this means something else. If someone dies, the story will just keep on going. “There’s no game over,” said Pendse. “Anyone can die, anything can happen, and the story sort of continues so that those signatures are still there.” This is not the first time a statement like this has been released by a Quantic Dream employee. In the lead-up to the studio’s release of Beyond: Two Souls in 2013, Quantic Dream founder David Cage was quoted saying, “I’ve always felt that ‘game over’ is a state of failure more for the game designer than from the player”. Quantic Dream developed a sort of notoriety with 2010’s Heavy Rain, which was further cemented after Detroit: Become Human was released in 2018. On top of being story-heavy, interactive games, its games tend to be unironically self-serious, to the point that they become unintentional absurdist comedies. In other words, the games by the studio tend to be train wrecks that are hard to look away from, so it will be interesting to see how Quantic Dream’s development ethos collides with the Star Wars universe. █ BY MARK MATHEN VICTOR Tokyo Game Show is back THE TOKYO Game Show is back in full swing after the pandemic and is one of the sector’s biggest trade fairs with 200,000 visitors expected over four days. AFP looks at the main trends at this year’s event, which throws its doors open to the public this weekend in a huge convention centre in Chiba, outside Tokyo. Mobiles to PCs Mobile games account for 60% of sales in Japan, the world’s third-largest market after the US and China, with revenues of almost US$14 billion (RM66 billion) last year. One in three Japanese are regular players on their phones, according to Kadokawa Ascii research, with the games’ popularity often attributed to long hours spent on public transport and a more mature market. This lucrative sector is made more profitable by in-game purchases known as “gacha”, popular throughout East Asia, that give players the chance to obtain a rare item or character. “To obtain characters, lots of people can spend thousands at one time,” said analyst Hideki Yasuda from Toyo Securities. The concept of gacha has failed to catch on a big way among Western consumers and “is essentially an East Asian phenomenon”. But with people stuck indoors during the pandemic, the PC market has also taken off, with sales soaring 43% in 2022, according to Kadokawa Ascii. “Over the last five years, Japan has been one of the fastest-growing major markets in the world,” said Erik Peterson from Steam, a platform for PC games. Homegrown dominance Japan’s biggest money-spinning mobile game in 2022 was Monster Strike, which combined role-play, strategizing, puzzle-solving, and collecting “Pokemon-style” monsters. Last year, the game made its Japanese developer, Mixi, almost US$600 million (RM2.82 billion). Already 10 years old, it has been adapted into anime films and features regularly in events and concerts. The Tokyo Games Show is now open to the public. Foreign games find it hard to make it big in Japan, where locally developed products dominate. Of the top 10 console games in 2022, there is only one non-Japanese title: Minecraft, the best-selling game in history. It was created by Mojang, a Swedish developer bought in 2014 by Microsoft, the company behind the Xbox console. For Hideki Yasuda, the game’s dominance is down to console, with Minecraft, like nine of the 10 leading games, available on Japanese giant Nintendo’s Switch. Switch dominates the Japanese market. Nintendo’s compatriot Sony only sells around 10% of its PlayStation 5 machines in its home market. “Japanese gamers don’t really accept too much of the Western style of art direction, design and narrative,” Serkan Toto from Kantan Games told AFP. “Japanese video game companies are much better at understanding Japanese values or expectations in games, or the mindset of Japanese gamers, and catering to them.” Blockchain Japanese firms like Square Enix, Bandai Namco, and Sega also stand apart from Western rivals by exploring the use of blockchain technologies, such as cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). NFTs can be used to represent characters, cards or objects that can be transferred, as well as bought and sold, between players within and outside of games. “Blockchain gaming might be the next big frontier and Japanese firms want to be the pioneers on that frontier; otherwise, we will get swallowed up by other game companies,” said Toto. “In classic games, objects that we have made or developed exist only in the game,” said Akari Oeda from Oasys, a blockchain developer working with major game firms. “But with blockchain, they become ‘assets’ owned by the player, who can use them even if the game no longer exists or even in another game,” she told AFP. Not everyone in the industry is keen, though. Last year, Mojang said that it would no longer allow NFTs within Minecraft, saying they “can create models of scarcity and exclusion” and conflict with the “spirit” of the game. - ETX STUDIO The game currently exists only as a trailer. - PIC BY QUANTIC DREAM
18 ENTERTAINMENT theSun LYFE ON MONDAY | OCTOBER 2, 2023 /thesundaily FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK SCAN ME Del Rey’s Waffle House job RECENTLY, renowned singersongwriter Lana Del Rey was spotted in a video and widely circulated images on social media, working at America’s renowned dining establishment, Waffle House. The viral video and images, taken by onlookers and shared globally, show the pop star rocking the restaurant’s uniform and interacting with fans, posing for pictures and taking selfies, as well as holding the vape that is her prominent possession. However, the 38-year-old artiste clarified during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that she was simply visiting friends in Florence, Alabama. During her visit, she visited the same Waffle House for several days in July, accompanied by her brother and sister. Del Rey explained, “We were on our third hour (that day), and the servers asked, ‘Do you guys want shirts?’” she said. “Hell yeah. We were thrilled,” Del Rey said before deciding to dress up as an employee and take selfies with fans in the standard-issue uniform. Eventually, the staff even created a The singer-songwriter with a fan. –TWITTER. o Video and images of artiste at diner go viral █ BYHAZIQUE ZAIRILL Actor Lee announces upcoming marriage IN a delightful turn of events, the celebrated actor Lee Sang Yeob has officially confirmed his forthcoming union in matrimony, sending waves of joy through the hearts of devoted K-drama fans. Lee has been engaged in a loving relationship with his non-celebrity girlfriend for a remarkable duration of three years. While the actor has traditionally maintained a discreet stance concerning their romance, he has recently begun to gradually reveal tidbits of information about their impending wedding. The couple is set to exchange vows in the enchanting city of Seoul, South Korea, in March of the coming year. The announcement regarding Lee’s impending nuptials was officially confirmed by his agency, UB Management Group, through a carefully worded statement. The statement reads, “It is true that Lee Sang Yeob is currently preparing for a wedding with his non-celebrity bride-to-be in March of next year. However, since they have just started preparing for the wedding, we ask for your understanding that we cannot provide detailed information. Once the specific schedule is confirmed, we will notify you again. Thank you.” Lee, whose acting journey commenced in 2007, has firmly established himself as a m u l t i f a c e t e d t h e s p i a n , leaving an indelible mark across the spectrum of dramas and cinema. His illustrious body of work includes Love Affairs in the Afternoon, “Good Casting, Once Again, On The Verge of Insanity, Shooting Stars, Eve, and the presently airing My Lovely Boxer. █ BYTHASHINE SELVAKUMARAN Swift and Kelce taking their time RECENTLY, there has been a buzz on the internet as pop superstar Taylor Swift was seen attending the game of the Kansas City Chiefs’ tight end, Travis Kelce, against the Chicago Bears at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri this past Sunday. As per a source quoted in People Magazine, Swift and Kelce are in the initial stages of getting to know each other. The insider mentioned, “They’re having fun,” highlighting that their relationship is in its early phases. Swift and Kelce had already met before her appearance at the game, as noted by the source. “This was Taylor’s first time meeting his mother and father, and everyone was enjoying themselves. She was super chill and low-key, hanging out with his friends and family,” the insider added. The 33-year-old Grammy-winning musician cheered on the Chiefs from Kelce’s suite, where he was joined by the athlete’s mother, Donna Kelce. During the game, the two were seen sitting close together, talking and laughing. Swift and Kelce left the venue together after his team’s 41-10 win. They drove away in the NFL star’s private collection car, which was on display at the Kelce Car Jam, 87 and Running’s charity event on Friday. Following the game, Kelce hosted an intimate gathering with his friends and family at a restaurant, which Swift also attended. According to a source, “They were cute Swift and Kelce’s mother at the Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday. –AFPPIX █ BYHAZIQUE ZAIRILL May helps NASA collect first asteroid sample LEGENDARY guitarist of British rock band Queen, Brian May, has played a significant role in the return of NASA’s first-ever asteroid sample from space. During an appearance on NASA TV on Sunday, the 76-year-old lead guitarist disclosed that he was part of the team involved in the collection of the sample from the asteroid Bennu and its journey back to Earth. According to CNN, May expressed his pride in being a member of OSIRIS-REx, whose spacecraft completed a flyby of Earth on Sunday. This mission continued the legacy initiated by the spacecraft seven years ago when it ventured into space to gather samples from Bennu. “Hello, NASA folks, space fans, and asteroid aficionados. This is Brian May of Queen, as you probably know, but I’m also immensely proud to be a team member of OSIRIS-REx”, May said in a clip released by NASA TV, as reported by CNN. According to the outlet, May assisted mission leader Dante Lauretta in identifying the collection point for the sample by creating stereoscopic images from the spacecraft’s data. The capsule, which contains pieces of the asteroid Bennu, was parachuted into the Utah Test and Training Range in Utah’s West Desert after reentering the Earth’s atmosphere, as reported by USA Today. The sample will now be transported to Houston’s Johnson Space Centre for further study. Guitarist May. –VOX █ BYHAZIQUE ZAIRILL name tag for her. Del Rey was also encouraged to pitch in and recalled serving one customer in particular. “This guy, a regular, comes in every day and orders two things, so they were like, ‘Just go get it for him.’ I brought him a co*ke. No ice. And an empty cup.” “For dip,” the singer of Born to Die added, referring to chewing tobacco. She then drew a humorous comparison between the frenzy around her spontaneous Waffle House internship and her 2023 album, Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd. “I wish my album had gone viral.” I woke up to, like, 10,000 texts the next morning — some from folks I had not heard from for 10 years. ‘Saw your picture at the Waffle House’ I was like, ‘Did you hear the new album?” she said. While Del Rey’s impromptu Waffle House escapade was not part of an elaborate plan, it seems that she appreciates life’s simpler pleasures. “I like getting a bagel down at Western Bagel with a hot coffee and just sitting on the street —checking in with myself,” Del Rey added. “If nothing’s going wrong, I feel great. At this point, I’m really happy.” and normal, just hanging out and chatting.” Regarding their future plans, a source mentioned, “They’re just hanging out, and there’s no pressure.” A few days prior to Swift’s attendance at the game, Kelce extended an invitation to her while appearing on The Pat McAfee Show podcast. During the podcast on Thursday, host Pat McAfee asked Kelce if he wanted to “expand upon” the rumours about him and Swift dating, which were “being talked about by the entire world right now.” While he did not confirm at the time whether he and Swift had met in person, he did mention that he had “thrown the ball in her court.” “I’ve seen you rock the stage at Arrowhead Stadium,” he told McAfee regarding his conversation with the singer. “You might have to come see me rock the stage at Arrowhead and see which one’s a little more lit.” “We’ll see what happens in the near future,” he added.
19 LIFESTYLE theSun LYFE ON MONDAY | OCTOBER 2, 2023 Shafique: This year, we are exploring “sustainable intelligence” as our theme. There will be diverse exhibits, workshops and forums, design installations and collaborations with different design disciplines revolving around the theme and Malaysian design culture. In today’s sustainability-focused era, how does KLDF integrate sustainable design practices into its programmes and exhibit innovative solutions in this aspect? Razif: Our festival event spaces are mostly located in restored buildings such as Rumah Tangsi, The GoDown, Muzium Telekom and RexKL. We believe it’s important to celebrate the meaning of Kuala Lumpur by connecting the older buildings with a unique perspective on being sustainable. Even in our programmes, we are trying to reduce the amount of printing and promote energysaving products in our showcases. We are trying to find the best possible way to run a design festival while at the same time providing comfort for the public in a way that educates them about the importance of sustainable living. It is a tricky preach, but it’s worth a try. Shafique: We are championing the cause via our chosen theme. The programmes curated will focus heavily on sustainability education and awareness. It is also reflected in our chosen venues that have an “adaptive reuse” approach. And we are also promoting the use of public transportation integration within the venues. From both of your perspectives, what do you hope KLDF 2023 attendees will learn, be inspired and appreciate design in their daily lives? Razif: What we truly want is to create a space for an open dialogue between government, the public and designers on how great design can be, if it’s taken seriously, to improve our environment and quality of life, and impact the economy. Shafique: This is just the beginning of what’s to come for an exciting Malaysian design and creative industry. I hope that it will not only give better inspiration, knowledge and insights, but also a deeper appreciation for the role of design in shaping our daily lives through the knowledge shared by our esteemed design panels. The imaginative design concepts can inspire attendees to think creatively about their own projects and endeavours. We also hope that the attendees will utilise the learning opportunities, as they can acquire new skills, gain industry knowledge, and learn about the latest design trends and technologies. Visit kldesignfestival.com for further information. THE much-anticipated Kuala Lumpur Design Festival (KLDF) is back for its second edition, slated to run from Oct 6 to 15. This time, the event will bring together local and international players in the design industry. This year’s festival will be hosted at the heart of Malaysia’s historical landmark, the iconic Dataran Merdeka, as well as the lively cultural district of Kuala Lumpur, including the River of Life in Jalan Benteng, Godown KL, Rumah Tangsi and the Telekom Museum. Founders Razif Nasruddin and Shafique Badril recently shared insights in an interview with theSun, clarifying the purpose of the event and the significance of design from their perspective. What distinguishes the local and international designers, exhibitors, and brands at the festival? What can attendees anticipate from their contributions? Razif: What sets the local and international designers, exhibitors and brands apart is that the locals are more inclined to be more authentic and usually simple in their technical approach, while the latter is more polished for global relevance. It lies in the marketing language, product behaviour, origin of the idea and quality finish. Shafique: (It will be) a showcase of a diverse range of talent, innovative design concepts and unique products. Attendees can expect to see the latest trends and products, network with industry professionals, attend workshops and forums, and gain insights into the world of design, of course with an incorporation of Malaysian context. How can the festival help Malaysia become a design hub? How will the festival showcase Malaysia’s design culture and unique contributions to global design? Razif: The creative direction that we are taking is, in some sense, a self-reflection period for us and local designers. The fact that our country’s economy is vibrant, from primary industries to manufacturing and to some extent, the service industry is unique. For any country to have that sort of leverage in today’s global economic climate, I think this year’s design festival wants our local designers and the public to have a sense of realisation that our unique cultural makeup, natural resources and manufacturing capabilities can push Malaysia (forward) as one of leading design nations. We just have to manifest that in this festival. Shafique: In my opinion, design festivals play a crucial role in elevating a country’s status as a hub for celebrating the importance of design in several ways. It serves to showcase local talent as design festivals provide a platform for local designers, artists and craftsmen to exhibit their work. This exposure not only highlights their creativity but also demonstrates the depth of talent within the country. Cultural exchange will take place as well. This cultural exchange allows for the sharing of ideas, techniques, and cultural influences, enriching the local design landscape. With the festival getting local and international media coverage, and the participation of global brands and designers, (the festival) raises the profile of the host country’s design scene on the world stage. In essence, design festivals serve as a platform to not o n l y 2023 KLDF seeks to foster design intelligence oKuala Lumpur Design Festival returns for its second year, with the intention of pushing Malaysia forward as leading design nation Official poster KLDF 2023. –PICS BY KLDF23 The previous KLDF 2022. █ BYHAZIQUE ZAIRILL celebrate local design culture but also to connect it with the global design landscape. It demonstrates a country’s commitment to nurturing creativity, innovation, and design excellence, ultimately enhancing its reputation as a design hub. Given the diverse design fields at KLDF (eg urban design, architecture, interior design, industrial and product design, graphic design and communication), how will the festival showcase Malaysia’s creativity in each? Are there specific themes or trends to be explored? Razif: Design is an international language for modern living. However, we set a theme titled Sustainable Intelligence as the guiding principle of the festival curatorial approach. We wanted local designers to start thinking about design from a sustainable and holistic perspective, focusing on how our multicultural perspectives help to present ideas and manifest them through facets like architecture, product design, interior design and visual communication. Founder Razif Nasruddin Co-founder Shafique Badril
20 LIFESTYLE theSun LYFE ON MONDAY | OCTOBER 2, 2023 Two-day music boom THE highly anticipated music festival, Hausboom Music 2023, held at the Sepang International Circuit on Sept 9 and 10, has thrilled local music enthusiasts with engaging performances by well-known singers and bands across the country. Attracting crowds of over 10,000 music enthusiasts spanning various genres, this music concert festival emerged as a dynamic celebration of musical talent, featuring an impressive lineup of 35 performances. As the event entered its third series, the renowned water brand Hausboom, in partnership with Affin Bank and with the support of CutiCuti Malaysia, kicked off the first day promptly at noon. The audience was treated to exhilarating performances by Orked A. Hizadin, Naratu, IamNeeta, Hyndia, and Akeem Jahat, all of whom captivated the crowd with their outstanding performances and talents. Despite the scorching heat, the show goes on to showcase the skagenre group Budak Nakal Hujung Simpang. During their energetic performance of Cari Tapak, the band’s lead vocalist, John Bear, “crowd surfed” to thrill the audience. The concert performance carried on seamlessly with follow-up shows by the beloved local pop band, Insomniacks, who delivered their well-known hits Reminisensi and Pulang to the delight of the audience. The crowd enthusiastically sang along with the band’s frontman, Iqie, embracing the moment and fully immersing themselves in the experience. Following that, Gerhana Ska Cinta graced the stage, showcasing a medley of their songs before swiftly transitioning into their crowd favourite, Ali Baba Bujang Lapok, just as the rain began. The rain stopped This year, Hausboom received a tremendous success. oHausboom Music 2023 delights local music enthusiasts with over 10,000 attendees and 35 outstanding performances █ BYHAZIQUE ZAIRILL Spider performing live at Hausboom 2023. –PICS BY CSTPRODUCTION Bunkface’s frontman Sam. No Good performing. Bringing together approximately 10,000 music fans from all genres. after about 20 to 30 minutes, allowing the event’s energy to endure as the Kuala Lumpur-based Kelantanese trio band, No Good, delivered an electrifying performance. The iconic band Exists then took the stage, and the audience gathered to see these legends perform live. Led by Ezad Lazim, Exist delivered their timeless hits, including classics like Mengintai Dari Tirai Kamar and Alasanmu, captivating the crowd with their outstanding performance. Wrapping up the first segment of day one, the crowd remained highly energised and entertained by Baby Shima, who presented a series of lively dangdut songs. Adding to the excitement, she featured her guest band, Himalaya (@himalayaproject) from Indonesia, performing alongside her on stage. As the evening progressed, the spotlight shifted to the renowned local hip-hop groups, namely ForceParkBois and ChronicalZ, captivating the audience with their riveting performances. Following them, Alif Satar and the Locos took the stage, further enhancing the musical experience of the event. The night escalated with a “rock and roll” vibe, commencing with the iconic band Spider, who bring most of their iconic songs, including the all-time hit Relaku Pujuk. The momentum continued with an energetic performance by Bunkface and was topped off with a powerful show by the country’s prominent band, Search, which ended the night with a bang. The second day of the concert began with stellar performances from Midnight Fusic, 53 STU, Luqman Podolski, and Iqbal M. Then, a highly anticipated act was Sekumpulan Orang Gila, featuring Shila Amzah, who graced the Hausboom Music stage. Favourable weather conditions on the second day heightened the excitement among the audience, with captivating performances from Salalmuzik and Toko Kilat. The afternoon slot’s closing act sees Kugiran Masdo energise the crowd with their action-packed singing and dancing to their melodic songs. As the evening progressed, the concert reached new heights of excitement with the appearances of renowned rappers. Mr President aka Joe Flizzow, along with SonaOne and Alyph, brought fan favourites like Havoc, Apa Khabar, and Satu Malam di Temasek. Flizzow’s performance was particularly remarkable, standing out as one of the best acts of the night. He added a unique element by collaborating with an orchestral classical musical band, adding an extraordinary touch to his already impressive set. Following that, Datuk M Nasir took the stage and delivered a high-energy performance, enchanting the crowd with renditions of his hit songs, including Mentera Semerah Padi, Gerhana, Apokalips, and Tanya Sama Itu Hud Hud. The energy was clear as thousands of fans in attendance passionately sang along, resulting in a vibrant environment. Ella, our nation’s cherished Queen of Rock, graced the stage as the concluding act for this edition of Hausboom Music. Despite the heavy rain that had fallen prior to her performance, she delivered a stellar show that the eagerly awaited audience thoroughly enjoyed. With unwavering enthusiasm, the crowd sang along while waving their hands as Ella performed iconic songs like Standing in the Eyes of the World. She concluded the concert on a high note with the beloved track Gemilang, leaving a lasting impression on all in attendance.
21 SPORTS theSUN ON MONDAY | OCTOBER 2, 2023 322 Notices 322 Notices 322 Notices IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF TW ASSOCIATES SDN. BHD. 200101001512 (537268-A) (Members’ Voluntary Winding-Up) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Creditors of the abovenamed Company which is being voluntarily wound-up, are required on or before the 29th day of October 2023 to send in their names and addresses with particulars of their debts and claims, and of any security held by them, and the names and addresses of their Solicitors (if any) to the undersigned Liquidator at Suite D23, 2nd Floor, Plaza Pekeliling, No. 2 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur and if so required by notice in writing from the said Liquidator, are by their Solicitors or personally required to write in and prove their said debts and claims at such time and place as shall be specified in such notice, or in default thereof they will be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made before such debts and claims are proved. Kuala Lumpur Dated this 29th day of September 2023 Yap Siew Cheng Liquidator Note: This notice is purely formal. All known creditors have been or will be paid in full. IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF TW ASSOCIATES SDN. BHD. 200101001512 (537268-A) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding-Up) At an Extraordinary General Meeting of the members of TW ASSOCIATES SDN. BHD. duly convened and held at Suite D23, 2nd Floor, Plaza Pekeliling, No. 2 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur on the 21st day of September 2023 the following special resolutions were duly passed:- That the Company be wound up voluntarily and that Yap Siew Cheng of Suite D23, 2nd Floor, Plaza Pekeliling, No. 2 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur be and is hereby appointed Liquidator of the Company. That the said Liquidator be authorised to distribute either in cash, specie or in kind amongst the contributors of the Company in accordance with their respective rights and interests therein. That the Liquidator be indemnified by the Company against all costs, charges, losses, expenses and liabilities incurred in or sustained by her in the execution and discharge of her duties as Liquidator and in relation thereto. Teoh Ah Ngoh Director 322 Notices 322 Notices NCM RESOURCES SERVICES SDN BHD (945665-W) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding Up) NOTICE OF FINAL MEETING NOTICE is hereby given that pursuant to Section 459(1) of the Companies Act, 2016 the final meeting of members in the abovementioned company will be held at No 9-2, Jalan sem*nyih Sentral 8, sem*nyih Sentral, 43500 sem*nyih, Selangor on 2nd November 2023 at 10.00 a.m. for the following purposes :- 1. To receive the Liquidator’s statement of account showing the manner in which the winding up has been conducted and to hear explanations that may be given by the Liquidator. 2. To determine pursuant to Section 518(3)(b) of the Companies Act, 2016, the manner in which the books, accounts and documents of the company and of the Liquidator thereof, shall be disposed of. Dated this 2nd October 2023. YONG SWEE LIN Liquidator DALAM MAHKAMAH TINGGI DI SHAH ALAM DALAM NEGERI SELANGOR DARUL EHSAN, MALAYSIA GUAMAN NO: BA-22NCC-73-06/2023 ANTARA CAHAYA SURIA ENTERPRISE SDN. BHD.(No. Syarikat: 591692-T) … PLAINTIF DAN 1. ONG WEE CHEE (No. K/P: 790730-03-5467) (Pekongsi-Pekongsi perniagaan “ZW HEBAT ENTERPRISE”) [No. Pendaftaran Perniagaan: 201503217499 (002460733-K)] 2. LONG KIM WYE (No. K/P: 810521-06-5315) (Pekongsi-Pekongsi perniagaan “ZW HEBAT ENTERPRISE”) [No. Pendaftaran Perniagaan: 201503217499 (002460733-K)] 3. YIP YOEK HEONG (No. K/P: 870117-06-5254) 4. CHONG LEE PING (No. K/P: 770602-06-5380) … DEFENDAN-DEFENDAN NOTIS KEPADA: CHONG LEE PING (NO. K/P: 770602-06-5380) No. 6A, Taman Ikan Emas, Jalan Cheras, Lorong Ikan Emas 4, 56000 Kuala Lumpur AMBIL PERHATIAN bahawa suatu tindakan telah dimulakan terhadap kamu oleh CAHAYA SURIA ENTERPRISE SDN BHD yang beralamat di No. 5, 8 & 10, Jalan Pak Sako 6, Bandar Seri Semantan, 28000 Temerloh, Pahang Darul Makmur di Mahkamah yang tersebut diatas melalui Writ Saman dan Pernyataan Tuntutan masing-masing bertarikh 12.06.2023 yang mana Plaintif memohon untuk Penghakiman terhadap Defendan Keempat untuk jumlah wang sebanyak RM1,149,349.12 bersama-sama dengan faedah pada kadar 5% setahun keatas jumlah RM1,149,349.12 dari tarikh pemfailan Writ (yakni 12.06.2023) sehingga penyelesaian penuh dan kos. DAN BAHAWA ADALAH diperintahkan penyampaian Writ Saman dan Pernyataan Tuntutan tersebut kepada kamu dalam tindakan tersebut diatas hendaklah dilaksanakan dengan menampalkan sesalinan Writ Saman dan Pernyataan Tuntutan tersebut bersama sesalinan Perintah Untuk Penyampaian Ganti bertarikh 19.09.2023 diatas Papan Notis Mahkamah Tinggi Shah Alam tersebut diatas dan dialamat penyampaian iaitu di No. 6A, Taman Ikan Emas, Jalan Cheras, Lorong Ikan Emas 4, 56000 Kuala Lumpur. AMBIL PERHATIAN bahawa kamu dikehendaki memasukkan Memorandum Kehadiran bagi Writ Saman ini dalam masa dua puluh lapan (28) hari dari tarikh penampalan dan jikalau kamu ingkar berbuat demikian penghakiman boleh dimasukkan terhadap kamu tanpa apa-apa pemberitahu. SILA AMBIL PERHATIAN, sekiranya Memorandum Kehadiran difailkan dalam tempoh tersebut, kamu dikehendaki hadir untuk pengurusan kes pada 27hb Oktober 2023 pada 9.00 pagi di Mahkamah Tinggi Shah Alam secara E-review. Bertarikh pada 27 September 2023. t.t --------------------------- Peguamcara Plaintif Tetuan WK Wong & Co NOTIS ini difailkan oleh TETUAN WK WONG & CO, peguamcara Plaintif yang beralamat penyampaian di K-3A-8, No. 2, Jalan Solaris, Solaris Mont Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur. [Tel No: 03-23893465 / Faks: 03-27268983] Email: [emailprotected]] [RW/HS/23/10191/LIT/CSESB/YYHCLP] 322 Notices 322 Notices 322 Notices IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF DAYA SYUKRA SDN BHD (IN LIQUIDATION) (199201001740 (233244-A)) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT the creditors of the above named Company, which is being wound up voluntarily, are required on or before 23 October 2023 to send in their names and addresses with particulars of their debts and claims, and the names and addresses of their solicitors (if any) to the undersigned, the Liquidators of the Company, and if so required by notice in writing from the said Liquidators, or by his solicitors or personally, to come in and prove their said debts or claims at such time and place as shall be specified in such notice, or in default thereof, they will be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made before those debts are proved. NOTICE OF FINAL MEETING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT pursuant to Section 459(1) of the Companies Act, 2016, a final meeting of the members of Daya Syukra Sdn Bhd (In Liquidation) will be held at Level 33, Menara 1MK, Kompleks 1 Mont’ Kiara, No. 1 Jalan Kiara, Mont’ Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur on 1 November 2023 at 11 a.m. for the following matters: 1) To receive the Liquidator’s Statement of Account showing the manner in which the winding up has been conducted and to hear any explanation that may be given by the liquidator; and 2) THAT, the books and records of the Company be destroyed three (3) months after the dissolution of the Company. Ngu Siow Ping & Goh Tan Cheng Liquidators Dated this 2 October 2023 The late Mr Cheah Hooi Seng (NRIC No. 341014- 07-5085) had executed a Will on 21.08.2000, which was witnessed by 2 solicitors based in Pulau Pinang. One of the signatures had a name ‘Joanna Teng’ written under it. Anyone who had witnessed the Will of the late Cheah Hooi Seng or has knowledge of anyone who witnessed the said Will is hereby requested to contact ‘K H Chong & Associates, Advocates & Solicitors’ at 03- 62019282 on an urgent basis. IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF TWJ ASSOCIATES SDN. BHD. 201501015068 (1140400-P) (Members’ Voluntary Winding-Up) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Creditors of the abovenamed Company which is being voluntarily wound-up, are required on or before the 29th day of October 2023 to send in their names and addresses with particulars of their debts and claims, and of any security held by them, and the names and addresses of their Solicitors (if any) to the undersigned Liquidator at Suite D23, 2nd Floor, Plaza Pekeliling, No. 2 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur and if so required by notice in writing from the said Liquidator, are by their Solicitors or personally required to write in and prove their said debts and claims at such time and place as shall be specified in such notice, or in default thereof they will be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made before such debts and claims are proved. Kuala Lumpur Dated this 29th day of September 2023 Yap Siew Cheng Liquidator Note: This notice is purely formal. All known creditors have been or will be paid in full. IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF TWJ ASSOCIATES SDN. BHD. 201501015068 (1140400-P) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding-Up) At an Extraordinary General Meeting of the members of TWJ ASSOCIATES SDN. BHD. duly convened and held at Suite D23, 2nd Floor, Plaza Pekeliling, No. 2 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur on the 21st day of September 2023 the following special resolutions were duly passed:- That the Company be wound up voluntarily and that Yap Siew Cheng of Suite D23, 2nd Floor, Plaza Pekeliling, No. 2 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur be and is hereby appointed Liquidator of the Company. That the said Liquidator be authorised to distribute either in cash, specie or in kind amongst the contributors of the Company in accordance with their respective rights and interests therein. That the Liquidator be indemnified by the Company against all costs, charges, losses, expenses and liabilities incurred in or sustained by her in the execution and discharge of her duties as Liquidator and in relation thereto. Teoh Ah Ngoh Director NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR VOLUTARY WINDING UP OF LIMITED LIABILITY PARTNERSHIP (Section 50(4)(a) of the Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2012) Notice is hereby given that PERMATA SWIMMING ACADEMY PLT [LLP No. 202204001225 (LLP0031501-LGN)] will be making an application to the Registrar of Limited Liability Partnerships for a declaration of dissolution pursuant to Section 50(2) of the Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2012 within seven (7) days after the publication of this notice. Any partner or creditor of the LLP desiring to object to the application may do so in writing to the Companies Commission of Malaysia within thirty (30) days from the date of this notice. 322 Notices 322 Notices 322 Notices 322 Notices 322 Notices Advertise with us & connect to our urban readers. KLANG VALLEY PENANG | KEDAH PERAK | PERLIS PAHANG | KELANTAN TERENGGANU MS. Shoba TEL: 03-7784 8888 FAX: 03-7784 4424 MALACCA MR. Rajah TEL: 012-628 2844 FAX: 06-764 2051 JOHOR BAHRU MS. Anne Lim TEL: 013-770 6699 FAX: 07-355 5549 Malaysian Tigress thump Singapore 8-1 THE national women’s hockey squad made amends for their loss to India on Friday by thrashing Singapore 8-1 in their third Group A match of the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games at Gongshu Canal Sports Park Stadium yesterday. The Malaysian Tigress, coached by Mohd Nasihin Nubli Ibrahim, drew first blood in the ninth minute through a penalty corner hit by Wan Norfaiezah Md Saiuti. Malaysia doubled their lead six minutes later through Siti Nur Arfah Mohd Nor’s penalty corner conversion before Nuraini Abdul Rashid put them three up with another penalty corner strike in the 29th minute. Malaysia scored again in the third quarter through Nurmaizatul Hanim Syafi in the 31st minute before Singapore reduced the deficit four minutes later through a field goal by Sardonna Ng Yu Xin. However, Malaysia continued their rampage when Nur Afiqah Syahzani Azhar netted a field goal in the 37th minute before Khairunnisa A Mohd Sharduddin scored their sixth goal from a penalty corner shot in the 48th minute. Hanis Nadiah Onn also scored for Malaysia in the 54th and 59th minutes to deepen Singapore’s misery. Mohd Nasihin said the victory would serve as a tonic for the team in their last group match against South Korea tomorrow. “We notched up a good score today, through field goals and penalty corner strikes,” he said. Nur Dhabitah-Wensy retain silver THE national diving camp bags another silver when the combination of Nur Dhabitah SabriWendy Ng emerged runners-up in the women’s 3m springboard synchronise yesterday in the final at Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Aquatic Sports Arena. Nur Dhabitah-Wendy started well in the first dive to be in second place but they were overtaken by South Korean pair of Park Hareum-Kim Suji after the second dive. Nonetheless, in the third dive, the Malaysians seized back their position with an overall of 152.40 points compared to 144.48 points by Park-Kim. Nur Dhabitah-Wendy then consistently defended their position in the fourth and fifth dives to present the national diving camp’s first silver in this edition after collecting a total of 270.27 points. The gold medal went to China’s world champion pair Chen Yiwen-Chang Yani with 335.73 points while the South Korean pair had to settle for bronze by collecting 253.56 points. False starts weigh Muhammad Azeem down AFTER a costly false start in his SEA Games debut in Hanoi last year, Malaysian sprint demon Muhammad Azeem Mohd Fahmi has found it tough to overcome the fear of repeating the same mistake in major competitions. The 19-year-old, who ended Malaysia’s 41-year wait for an Asian Games medal in the men’s 100m dash by bagging a bronze on Saturday, admitted that he was always worried about committing false starts, which leads to instant disqualification, in his races. It constantly affected his reaction to the gun, with Muhammad Azeem posting the slowest time among the first-round heat winners in Hangzhou Olympic Stadium and a reaction time of 0.178s in heat 3. However, the US-based runner managed to improve his reaction time in the semifinal to 0.147s, while in the final he reacted in 0.149s to secure bronze. “(False start) was what I feared most. I became more careful at the starting block especially in major meets as the sensor is quite sensitive. Muhammad Azeem admitted the final 20m was always his Achilles heel, adding that in the final, his posturing went slightly wrong in that stretch. “It is okay, at least we know what we have to work on after this,” he said looking forward to qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympics. ASIAN GAMES
22 theSUN ON MONDAY | OCTOBER 2, 2023 SPORTS 5699/2023 01/10/2023 (SUN) 5689 7642 6773 2949 9587 1965 5225 8954 5313 1010 0969 6862 8465 0168 6088 7893 4561 0079 9030 2884 3352 3804 0895 6,599,593.59 5689 5689 5689 6773 6773 7642 6773 6773 7642 7642 5689 7642 431,756.12 5689 7642 6773 DOG 33930 62438 2438 438 24618 3 8 8 2 026182 26182 6182 182 02618 0261 026 0 2 10,307,634.10 1,298,589.90 14 16 32 42 52 53 100,000.00 31 27 38 45 48 2 14 16 17 26 34 31,856,630.87 15 397 049 + DOG 791 330 +MONKEY 006 751 + RAT Draw Date: 01/10/23 (Sun) Draw No: 5646/23 Venue: PERAK TURF CLUB 7049 1330 6751 0380 + 2600 4920 + 0351 3651 + 3570 5748 + 0479 6541 + 6431 8895 + 1433 6721 + 2634 7494 + 9216 3978 + 2315 5254 + 4326 RM16,805,146.50 7049 + 1330 1330 + 7049 7049 + 6751 6751 + 7049 1330 + 6751 6751 + 1330 RM312,444.70 RM2,060,327.50 RM1,796,817.00 RM2,638,691.30 220 380 332 600 574 920 240 351 933 651 353 570 985 748 120 479 106 541 636 431 308 895 991 433 226 721 152 634 897 494 359 216 543 978 992 315 585 254 804 326 049 330 751 RM831,019.40 049 + 330 + 751 330 + 751 + 049 049 + 751 + 330 751 + 049 + 330 330 + 049 + 751 751 + 330 + 049 Follow us on FB (@DaMaCai88) for latest news & promotions. Real show who’s boss Bellingham on target again as Madrid punish Girona I NSPIRED by Jude Bellingham, Real Madrid showed both steel and class to beat high-flying Girona 3-0 yesterday and move back top of La Liga. Real Sociedad thrashed Athletic Bilbao by the same scoreline to win the Basque derby later on and rise to fourth. Girona headed into the weekend as unlikely leaders but champions Barcelona usurped them by beating Sevilla on Saturday, with Madrid then deposing their rivals at the league’s summit with a solid triumph on Catalan soil. Joselu and Aurelien Tchouameni’s first-half goals were enough to burst Girona’s bubble and after that the record 35-time La Liga winners kept the plucky upstarts at arm’s length. The stylish Bellingham netted with 20 minutes remaining to seal Madrid’s victory and continue his own sparkling run of goalscoring form. Bellingham performed his trademark celebration with his arms wide open which has now become iconic and revealed after the game that he does not recall why he started marking his goals in that manner. “The truth is that I don’t know exactly where it comes from,” Bellingham told RMTV. “I started doing it in Birmingham and from there I have continued… but there is no reason. It is a pride that children imitate me.” Madrid defender Nacho was sent off late in the match for an ugly high tackle on Portu, who went off injured. “Nacho wasn’t thinking clearly, he’s usually a player who does things right, he has said sorry,” said Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti, who praised his team’s display. “It was a solid performance, strong, we defended well, we knew they could hurt us with the ball, they play good football, so it was important to defend well in our half.” Nacho was dismissed in the final stages for his vicious foul on winger Portu, which sparked a brief brawl between the players. “Carlo said it was a tackle that was out of place, and said sorry to us,” Girona coach Michel Sanchez said. “No tackle of that style is understandable, but seeing the minute and the result at the time, even less so.” Madrid lead with 21 points from eight games, a point ahead of Barcelona, who are in turn a point ahead of Girona. In a later match, Real Sociedad climbed above rivals Athletic Bilbao, fifth, whom they beat 3-0 in San Sebastian. Robin Le Normand sent the hosts ahead in the first half with the electric Takefusa Kubo adding the second soon after the break, his fifth goal of the season. Mikel Oyarzabal extended La Real’s advantage on a fine night for Imanol Alguacil’s side, who have won three in a row in La Liga. “We play well, everybody knows that,” Kubo told Movistar. “If it’s not accompanied by hard work then in this league, you won’t beat anyone.” – AFP/Agencies Inter hit Lazio for four LAUTARO MARTINEZ scored all four goals as Inter Milan thrashed Salernitana 4-0 yesterday to stay top in Serie A, while AC Milan kept pace with their city rivals after overcoming Lazio. Inter rebounded from their first loss of the season midweek against Sassuolo thanks to a sensational second-half display from Martinez. “I’m happy because I helped the team, it’s all that counts. It was important to win after all the criticism aimed at us after our defeat on Wednesday,” said Martinez, who tops the Serie A scoring charts with nine goals. “I’m not thinking about the title for top scorer, I just want to help the team.” Inter are level on 18 points with Milan, who had briefly gone top earlier in the day after they overcame a struggling Lazio 2-0. Christian Pulisic gave Milan the lead on the hour at the San Siro when he slammed in a bobbling pass from Rafael Leao for his third goal since joining from Chelsea. Leao was again involved as Milan made sure of the points in the 88th minute, the Portugal winger bursting into the area before cutting the ball back for Noah Okafor to slide home. “I thought we put a lot of pressure on, it was just a matter of time, we finally opened it up and from there it was a really strong performance,” Pulisic told DAZN. “I haven’t been here a long time, there are a lot of new players, but we are really starting to gel well. I am really enjoying my time with the team.” – AFP Kane, Sane snatch draw for Bayern BAYERN MUNICH came back from two goals down to draw 2-2 at RB Leipzig yesterday as Harry Kane kick-started a second-half revival to prevent a first league loss of the season. Leipzig were 2-0 up and cruising at half-time thanks to goals from Lois Openda and Castello Lukeba, but Kane converted a penalty early in the second half to give his side hope. The goal, Kane’s eighth in six league appearances since moving from Tottenham, had the desired effect, spurring Bayern on and Leroy Sane equalised shortly afterwards. Bayern slipped to third, two points behind unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen, and captain Joshua Kimmich lamented his side conceding “dumb goals” while coach Thomas Tuchel said: “In the first half, we weren’t even here.” “The reaction in the second half was good,” Tuchel said, “and it was necessary.” Leipzig boss Marco Rose said his side had the better chances to score and said the win “showed we belong” among the top teams in the league. In an earlier match, Leverkusen continued their blistering start to the season, winning 3-0 at struggling Mainz to go top of the table. Leverkusen, who dropped their only points in the league this season in a 2-2 draw at Bayern, took the lead after 18 minutes as wing-back Jeremie Frimpong forced Mainz defender Sepp van den Berg into an own goal. Dead-ball specialist Alejandro Grimaldo doubled Leverkusen’s lead with a pinpoint free-kick before Germany winger Jonas Hofmann scored a third to round out another win. Hofmann toasted his team’s “extreme potential” after Leverkusen’s best start to a league season in their history, but said “it’s important to stay humble.” – AFP Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez celebrates completing his hattrick. – REUTERSPIX
23 * SPORTS theSUN ON MONDAY | OCTOBER 2, 2023 /thesuntelegram FOLLOW ON TELEGRAM SCAN ME Mediocre Devils Ten Hag concerned over United’s woeful home form after Palace defeat ERIK TEN HAG said he understood the supporters who booed Manchester United off after their 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace and admitted there was no excuse for the result. United suffered a fifth defeat already this season and a second in as many League games at Old Trafford after Joachim Andersen scored for Roy Hodgson’s team. And Ten Hag said: “I understand. When we played at home we play Crystal Palace, we have to win. “With all respect, I know every game in is very difficult, you have to play your best and I understand fans expecting a win and we didn’t win. We lost.” The United manager was reluctant to use mitigating factors to try and justify a disappointing result and their inconsistent start to the campaign. He added: “I can give you reasons but you will explain it as an excuse and there are no excuse. We need to win. “We have to be more consistent. The demand is we get a row of wins and we have to do better than we do now.” United were on a long unbeaten home run until Brighton won at Old Trafford two weeks ago and Ten Hag urged his team to project the image that Old Trafford is a fortress. He said: “We have to do better. That is definitely the case, and we have to show it in our body language that Old Trafford is a fortress and you can’t get anything here and the only thing you can go away with is a loss.” Ten Hag felt United’s decision-making in the final third was poor and a reason why they did not score. He explained: “We were often in the final part but we didn’t make the right decisions on and off the ball but we have to be more clinical and more determined. “I think we created many occasions in front of the goal and we have to net and we didn’t do and can only blame ourselves.” Former Blackburn striker Chris Sutton felt Manchester United did not do enough to deserve the three points, despite dominating possession. “We know that if Crystal Palace get their noses in front they are a very, very difficult side to break down,“ Sutton told the BBC. “ A fantastic strike from Andersen and a fantastic defensive display. “On the other hand Manchester United only forced Sam Johnstone into a few routine saves. There were a few good clearances from Palace defenders but aside from that they struggled to create. “A worrying afternoon for Erik ten Hag.” – The Independent/Agencies Arteta delighted with Arsenal’s ‘human qualities’ MIKEL ARTETA hailed the “empathy” of his Arsenal players after what he hopes was a game-changing goal from Kai Havertz in their win at Bournemouth. The £65 million (RM377m) summer signing from Chelsea had not registered a goal or assist in his first nine games for the Gunners but finally hit the target as he converted a penalty in a 4-0 victory at the Vitality Stadium. Arsenal were already two goals to the good through Bukayo Saka’s header and a Martin Odegaard penalty when an on-field decision handed responsibility for a second spot-kick of the afternoon to under-fire Havertz. He tucked away his chance to break his duck, as his teammates and the away end greeted the goal with jubilant celebrations. “I’m really happy for the win, but I’m even happier to be part of a team that shows the human qualities that they did today,” Arteta said. “Without me telling them nothing, to show that empathy to a player that has some question marks to resolve externally, they warmed me even more today. They’ve done it in a really natural way. “I’m delighted they made that decision. And so thankful as well to our supporters for the way they sung his name and made him feel today. If there’s a player who deserves that it’s Kai Havertz, so happy for him. “We have all tried to give him support and the right tools. He’s doing so many great things in the game. It was about that moment, that was the question that had to be resolved and today he has done it. “To show that level of empathy and understanding, worrying and caring for somebody is just great.” When asked what the goal could do for Havertz, the Spaniard said: “Probably it will change everything. “I think after everything he’s been through in the last few weeks that moment is worth all of it, so really happy for him.” – The Independent Cardiff continue winning run Cardiff continue winning run CARDIFF CITY claimed a fourth successive Championship win as goals from Kion Etete and Perry Ng saw off struggling Rotherham United. Etete headed home early in the second half before Ng swept in his first goal of the season late on to ensure Rotherham’s run without an away league win stretched to 18 matches. Cardiff have produced more fluent performances than this in the early stages of the season, but were worthy winners having shown more ambition than a Millers side who created little. The visitors were still in the contest after Etete’s opener, but could not complain when Ng scored on the rebound to end any chance of a comeback. The Bluebirds climb into the playoff places having continued their impressive start to life under Erol Bulut. “Today the opponent was staying tight. They tried not to allow many chances in the first half and it wasn’t easy to open the defence,” Bulut said. “But when we got the first goal it was much easier to find some other chances. I am satisfied with the performance of my team today. “It’s perfect to have four wins. Last four (league) games, it’s going really well. But we can’t stop. We have to continue to work hard. “I have said before, everything has to come together. It’s not easy to build something so quickly and we still have to work.” – Agencies ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: Aston Villa 6 (Watkins 14, 21, 65, Estupinan 26- og, Ramsey 85, Luiz 90+8) Brighton 1 (Fati 50), Bournemouth 0 Arsenal 4 (Saka 17, Odegaard 44-pen, Havertz 53- pen, White 90), Everton 1 (CalvertLewin 41) Luton 2 (Lockyer 24, Morris 31), Manchester United 0 Crystal Palace 1 (Andersen 25), Newcastle 2 (Almiron 14, Isak 76-pen) Burnley 0, West Ham 2 (Bowen 24, Soucek 37) Sheffield United 0, Wolves 2 (Dias 13- og, Hwang 66) Manchester City 1 (Alvarez 58), Tottenham 2 (Son 36, Matip 90+6-og) Liverpool 1 (Gakpo 45+4). P W D L F A Pts Man City 7 6 0 1 17 5 18 Tottenham 7 5 2 0 17 8 17 Arsenal 7 5 2 0 15 6 17 Liverpool 7 5 1 1 16 7 16 Aston Villa 7 5 0 2 18 11 15 Brighton 7 5 0 2 19 14 15 West Ham 7 4 1 2 13 10 13 Newcastle 7 4 0 3 18 7 12 Crystal Palace 7 3 2 2 7 7 11 Man Utd 7 3 0 4 7 11 9 Fulham 6 2 2 2 5 10 8 Nottm Forest 6 2 1 3 7 9 7 Wolves 7 2 1 4 8 13 7 Brentford 6 1 3 2 9 9 6 Chelsea 6 1 2 3 5 6 5 Everton 7 1 1 5 6 12 4 Luton 6 1 1 4 5 12 4 Bournemouth 7 0 3 4 5 15 3 Burnley 6 0 1 5 4 15 1 Sheff Utd 7 0 1 6 5 19 1 CHAMPIONSHIP: Bristol City 2 Stoke 3, Cardiff 2 Rotherham 0, Huddersfield 1 Ipswich 1, Hull 1 Plymouth 1, Millwall 0 Swansea 3, Norwich 2 Birmingham 0, Preston 0 West Brom 4, QPR 1 Coventry 3, Southampton 3 Leeds 1, Watford 2 Middlesbrough 3. Top 6 P W D L F A Pts Ipswich 9 7 1 1 18 11 22 Leicester 8 7 0 1 14 5 21 Preston 9 6 2 1 13 10 20 Sunderland 9 5 1 3 18 8 16 Hull 9 4 4 1 14 9 16 Cardiff 9 5 1 3 16 12 16 LA LIGA: Getafe 0 Villarreal 0,Rayo Vallecano 2 (A Garcia 4, Falcao 90+12- pen) Real Mallorca 2 (Muriqi 44, Sanchez 59), Girona 0 Real Madrid 3 (Joselu 17, Tchouameni 21, Bellingham 71), Real Sociedad 3 (Le Normand 30, Kubo 48, Oyarzabal 66) Athletic Bilbao 0. Top 5 P W D L F A Pts Real Madrid 8 7 0 1 16 6 21 Barcelona 8 6 2 0 19 8 20 Girona 8 6 1 1 18 11 19 Real Sociedad 8 4 3 1 16 10 15 Athletic Bilbao 8 4 2 2 13 9 14 SERIE A: Lecce 0 Napoli 4 (Ostigard 16, Osimhen 51, Gaetano 88, Politano 90+4- pen), AC Milan 2 (Pulisic 60, Okafor 88) Lazio 0, Salernitana 0 Inter Milan 4 (Martinez 62, 77, 85-pen, 89). Top 5 P W D L F A Pts Inter Milan 7 6 0 1 19 3 18 AC Milan 7 6 0 1 15 8 18 Napoli 7 4 2 1 16 6 14 Juventus 6 4 1 1 12 6 13 Atalanta 6 4 0 2 11 5 12 BUNDESLIGA: RB Leipzig 2 Bayern Munich 2, Wolfsburg 2 Eintracht Frankfurt 0, Mainz 0 Bayer Leverkusen 3, Cologne 0 Stuttgart 2, Bochum 1 Borussia Monchengladbach 3, Heidenheim 1 Union Berlin 0. Top 5 P W D L F A Pts Leverkusen 6 5 1 0 20 6 16 Stuttgart 6 5 0 1 19 7 15 Bayern Munich 6 4 2 0 20 6 14 Dortmund 6 4 2 0 12 6 14 RB Leipzig 6 4 1 1 16 6 13 FRENCH LIGUE 1: Clermont 0 Paris Saint-Germain 0, Monaco 3 Marseille 2. Top 5 P W D L F A Pts Monaco 7 4 2 1 18 10 14 Brest 6 4 1 1 8 6 13 Paris SG 7 3 3 1 14 6 12 Nice 6 3 3 0 8 4 12 Reims 6 3 1 2 11 8 10 RESULTS & STANDINGS Cardiff City’s Kion Etete celebrates after scoring against Rotherham United. – Cardiffcity.co.uk
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 PlayTM . Read iPaper at www.thesundaily.my Free access to iPaper PDF Download SCAN ME Reds fume Referees’ body (PGMOL) admit error as Liverpool left with only fury and frustration EVERYTHING keeps going Ange Postecoglou’s way, as Liverpool will argue everything went against them – not least Joel Matip’s 96th-minute attempt to divert Pedro Porro’s cross. That brought a 2-1 win for Tottenham Hotspur, who will doubtless say it came from the adventure they keep showing under the Australian. Something bigger is happening at Spurs, as could be sensed in the raucous atmosphere after another late victory – their biggest yet. Who would have expected that after the lukewarm response to Postecoglou’s appointment at the start of the summer. Liverpool might fairly say they would have been ahead of City had it not been for much smaller moments. Jurgen Klopp’s side endured two red cards – for Curtis Jones and substitute Diogo Jota – that they greatly disputed, as well as an offside call for a Luis Diaz finish that seemed the most borderline possible. Later, the referees’ body, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), admitted it was the wrong decision to disallow Diaz’s effort, blaming human error and “should have resulted in the goal being awarded through VAR intervention”. “PGMOL will conduct a full review into the circ*mstances which led to the error,” it said. Klopp dismissed the review as irrelevant to his team after the decisions contributed to his team’s defeat, while also making reference to an incident earlier in the campaign under the same referee, where Wolves were denied a late penalty when Andre Onana should have been penalised for a clear foul. That incident ended in referee Hooper being stood down immediately into the new season, but he has since returned for three Premier League games. “How’s the statement help now? We had the situation in the Manchester United game and did Wolves get points for it? No. And we will not get points for today,” Klopp said. “So it doesn’t help. Nobody expects 100% right decisions on-field. We all thought when VAR came in it might make things easier, but I don’t know why people in VAR… are they under that much pressure? “The decision was made really quickly. It changed the momentum of the game. I knew at half-time, in the first moment I saw it’s a clean onside. “With normal, normal pictures, easy to see, but pretty sure that whoever did that made a decision… didn’t do it on purpose.” Cody Gakpo had cancelled out Son Heungmin’s opener shortly before half-time, only for Matip to score an own goal deep into injury time to hand Spurs the points. Speaking after the match, Spurs boss Postecoglou reiterated that he is not a fan of VAR despite his team coming out on top. “I think I’m on record saying that I’ve never really been a fan of it (VAR) since it’s come in,” the Australian said. “Not for any other reason, I just think it really complicates areas of the game that I feel were pretty clear in the past. “But I can see at the same time why it was inevitable that the technology would come in. I guess we have to deal with it. “The biggest problem I think we have is that we seem to fail to grasp that no form of technology is going to make the game errorless. “We used to understand that errors were part of the game, including officiating errors. The game is littered with historical refereeing decisions that weren’t right. But we all accepted that as part of the game because we’re all human beings. “But I think people are under the misconception that VAR is going to be errorless. I think when you put such a high bar on something, invariably it’s going to fail. “If people were thinking that VAR is going to be something that is perfect at some point, that’s never going to happen.” – The Independent/Agencies PEP GUARDIOLA said Manchester City failed to properly execute their “process” and was keen to praise Wolves after his side’s 100% start to their Premier League title defence ended with a 2-1 loss at Molineux. City went into the contest looking to make it seven League victories at the start of a campaign for the first time. But the treble-winners were condemned to defeat by Hwang Hee-chan’s 66th-minute finish, eight minutes after an early Ruben Dias own goal had been cancelled out by Julian Alvarez’s free-kick. City boss Guardiola, who watched from the stands as he served a onematch ban for picking up three yellow cards, said: “Congratulations Wolves, they defended really well. “We had our moments. We didn’t do properly our process, to attack (with) a little bit more fluidity and that’s why we struggled a little bit. “And the transitions – (Pedro) Neto (who was key for the first goal) was better than us, so they beat us in that situation. “When they defend that well, (Mateo) Kovacic or Ruben has to attack central defenders of the opponents and we didn’t do it, that was why it was more difficult. “The opponent played really good, defended really well, and after, when they contact with the players up front, they had the ability to keep it and drive and dribble and drop you. They are so strong. “Today some details didn’t happen, because it’s football, because the players, it happens, maybe I apply bad some decisions, I don’t know.” City’s starting line-up included Matheus Nunes, signed from Wolves last month, with it reported that he had stopped training with the midlands outfit ahead of the move. The Portuguese was the subject of boos and chants from the crowd during the first half before being brought off at the interval for Oscar Bobb. Guardiola said, when asked why he had made the change: “I needed more dynamic. Oscar is really good to find in small spaces, the creativity he has. “That was the reason why – not because he wasn’t playing not good at all. It’s just because I thought Oscar could give us something different.” On having to watch from the stands, Guardiola said: “The view is perfect. The problem is when you are banned and you are in the hotel. But they allow you to be here… in the Champions League it cannot happen. “I spoke before the game, halftime and after the game. During the game you can be involved in something, but not much.” Wolves boss Gary O’Neil – whose side had four points from six games going into this one and are now up to 13th – said: “We worked hard on it for three days with the players and the game looked exactly as we’d prepped for really, which is helpful. “We sort of predicted Man City would use that structure they do quite often. “Of course you still need to ride your luck a little bit, they have some fantastic players, but in terms of the game looking exactly as we prepped for and the lads carrying out the gameplan perfectly – with discipline and understanding, some quality as well – I thought it was a really impressive from the boys.” When asked if it was the best result of his managerial career, he added: “I guess so. I think they all feel big at the time. “It’s just over a year that I’ve been doing it. If you beat the best team in the world, or possibly the best team ever, it’s obviously a big result. “But in terms of what it means for the team and the club, it’s just three points – an unexpected three points against the team that will probably win the league again, but it’s three points and we reset and need to get ready to go again.” – The Independent MONDAY • OCTOBER 2, 2023 █ PHIL MEDLICOTT City failed to execute their ‘process’ in defeat at Wolves: Guardiola Manchester City’s Nathan Ake’s (right) attempt at goal is stopped by Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa (left) during their Premier League match at the Molineux Stadium. – AFPPIX
