Personal loans include credit card debt, car loans and other loans like education loans and renovation loans. Besides credit card debt, car loans also contributed to the rise in personal loans. Most personal loans, such as credit card debt and renovation loans, are unsecured loans not backed by collateral. In 2023, the average debt size of the individuals who sought CCS’ help was about S$95,409, while the median debt size was S$51,609. An average debt size that is bigger than the median debt size implies that there were some borrowers who owed much more than their peers.

KUALA LUMPUR: A 49-year-old businessman has lost almost RM180,000 in an online scam related to the purchase of motorcycles and special registration plates. Seremban police chief Asst Comm Mohamad Hatta Che Din said the victim had come across an advertisement on Facebook for the sale of foreign-made motorcycles with special plates. He was then instructed to bank RM179,375 into several bank accounts," he said in a statement. ACP Mohamad Hatta said the victim transferred the cash into the bank accounts via several transactions between May 24 and 28. ACP Mohamad Hatta advised the public to exercise caution when offered products online at unusually low prices.

WITH India's recently concluded general election results expected on June 4, speculation swirls about New Delhi's future foreign policy agenda. One key region in focus will likely be South-East Asia, with India's Act East Policy reaching its ten-year mark in 2024. Within Asean, Malaysia stands out as a crucial partner for India. India and Malaysia boast a rich tapestry of connections woven from historical, economic, and cultural threads. Economically, Malaysia is India's third-largest trading partner in Asean, with bilateral trade poised to reach US$25bil (RM117.7bil) in the next three years.

BANGKOK: Thailand has announced new measures to facilitate tourism, allowing Malaysian tourists to enter without a visa or obtain a visa on arrival, with a stay of up to 60 days. Thailand government spokesperson Chai Wacharonke stated that the cabinet has approved several visa facilitation measures to boost tourism. Effective June 1, visitors from 93 countries, up from the previous 57, can enter Thailand without visa requirements for stays of up to 60 days. For digital nomads seeking long-term stays and remote work in Thailand, visa validity will be extended from 60 days to five years, with each stay up to 180 days. Other measures include allowing foreign university students to stay for one year after graduation and relaxing insurance requirements for long-stay foreign retirees.

Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke on May 31 said that his country wants to strengthen cooperation with China in artificial intelligence (AI) with focus placed on education and training. Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke (Photo: nst.com.my)Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke on May 31 said that his country wants to strengthen cooperation with China in artificial intelligence (AI) with focus placed on education and training. He emphasised that the two countries can strengthen cooperation in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. China has offered many opportunities for our students to receive TVET training, and vice versa. China is promoting STEM education, particularly AI, cloud computing, data centres and emerging technologies.

LABUAN: Malaysia must adopt a rational approach in responding to calls from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to withdraw from a US-led maritime military exercise that includes the participation of the Israeli army. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim emphasised the need for thorough consideration of the matter and its potential implications. "Our stance is firm; no country is as vocal as Malaysia on the Israel issue... we protest every day. "Even during the previous Perikatan Nasional government, an Israeli ship docked at our port. Anwar stressed that the government’s actions should not compromise the interests of the people and trade.

TASHKENT: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's official visit to Uzbekistan, the Kyrgyz Republic and Kazakhstan in Central Asia last week yielded positive results not only in terms of economic cooperation and several other sectors but also in the mission to find more staunch friends. During the May 14-19 visit to Central Asia, however, it could be seen that the Prime Minister emphasised efforts to increase trade involving a larger amount of Malaysian exports; among other goals. Uzbekistan was Anwar’s last stop on his official visit to three Central Asian countries after the Kyrgyz Republic and Kazakhstan. The Prime Minister wants Malaysia to be more aggressive in marketing halal products across the entire industry, not just food and beverage products. However, international relationships and cooperation with developing countries are vital as Malaysia needs staunch friends to avoid being pressured by any powers.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Changing of the Guard ceremony resumed at Istana Negara after it was temporarily halted due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019. Watched by local and foreign tourists, the ceremony took place in the courtyard of Gate 1 of Istana Negara on Saturday. The 40-minute ceremony was accompanied by brass band units from the 1 RAMD Brass Band Platoon and RAMD Central Brass Band. According to Awis, the ceremony is conducted four times a year on dates approved by the King. He said the palace guards are tasked with ceremonial duties, such as during the King’s coronation and birthday celebrations, adding that the overall security of Istana Negara falls under the responsibility of the Royal Malaysia Police.

Additional locks, such as steering, pedal and gear locks could deter car thefts, it said. “Installing global positioning system (GPS) trackers in a vehicle is also a reliable measure of tracing a stolen vehicle,” the CID said in a statement to The Star. According to the CID, 73% of the 64,000 vehicles reported stolen were motorcycles followed by cars (22%) and the rest were heavy vehicles (5%). However, police also found that vehicle theft had declined sharply since 2020 when 21,575 vehicles were reported stolen. Even the gradual easing of the MCO had led to just a slight increase in car thefts cases in 2022.

In an era of digital disruptions and reduced attention span, everyone should learn this old journalistic adage: ‘Keep it short and simple’. THERE is a lesson for speakers in general – don’t bother to give a lecture, talk or sermon that is more than 30 minutes unless you are confident of holding your audience or you have a captive audience that is forced to listen to your monologue.

DOHA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been accorded an official welcome at the Amiri Diwan of Qatar in conjunction with his three-day official visit to the West Asian country. Anwar also met with his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who is also the Foreign Affairs Minister. This is Anwar's first official visit to Qatar after being appointed as Prime Minister on Nov 22, 2022. The special aircraft carrying Anwar landed at the Doha International Airport at 9.37pm local time. Also accompanying the Prime Minister in the delegation are Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz and Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir.

Their last meeting was during Anwar’s official visit to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, last month, where discussions also revolved around the conflict. They try to facilitate dialogue and talk and seek a path towards a lasting solution, which is a permanent ceasefire. “Their policy is based on dialogue and preventive diplomacy,” Zamshari said, emphasising Malaysia’s desire to see a resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, particularly through such negotiations. Anwar will embark on a three-day official visit at the invitation of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Hamad Al Thani, and participate in the Qatar Economy Forum 2024. Last year, bilateral trade between Malaysia and Qatar amounted to RM4.3bil, a figure expected to rise further following this visit.

KUALA LUMPUR: Eversendai Corp Bhd has been issued with an unusual market activity (UMA) query by Bursa Malaysia following a sharp rise in the price of its security. As at 12.30pm, the share of the construction firm was up 11 sen or 17.89% to 72.5 sen. It had risen to as high as 78.5 sen earlier in the day, representing a 27.64% increase over its reference price of 61.5 sen. Year-to-date, Eversendai's share price has more than quadrupled in value. The share nearly doubled in value to 40 sen a share in a single day of trading on volume of 130.42 million shares, its second highest on record.

IF I’m suffering from a life-threatening disease and laying helplessly on a hospital bed, it wouldn’t matter to me if the doctors and nurses trying to save my life were Type C, Type M or Type I – if that’s a new classification for races. I would just want the type of medical personnel who are competent and dedicated to their work. Basically, their race or religion bears no significance to me.

KUALA LUMPUR: Students and members of academia will have access to a vast network of information in just two weeks as part of the government’s effort to enhance Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the country. “We will ask the Digital Ministry, Communications Ministry and the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry to coordinate this in a simpler format. He added that it was important to anticipate threats from outside, which meant strengthening cybersecurity in terms of AI. He said the governance of the AI ecosystem needed to be systematic, with professional and skilled talent who can work with multinational corporations and the Malaysian Artificial Intelligence Consortium (MAIC). He also launched the AI Talent Roadmap 2024-2030 and Faculty of Artificial Intelligence (FAI) and MAIC.