COVID-19 VACCINE DEVELOPMENTSThe government of Japan has included Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin in the list of recognised vaccines to further facilitate travel from India, said the Indian embassy of Japan on April 7. Apart from Covaxin, Japan also recognises Pfizer’s Comirnaty, AstraZeneca’s Vaxzevria, and Covid-19 vaccines by Moderna and Janssen. Chinese scientists have designed a circular RNA (circRNA) vaccine that is able to induce effective neutralising antibodies against the dominant Omicron variants in animal testing. The European Union has accepted Malaysia’s Covid-19 vaccine certificates effective April 4. In a report, European Commission president Ursula Von Der Leyen said the EU had accepted Malaysia’s vaccine certificates in equivalence with the EU’s Digital Covid-19 Certificate.

KUALA LUMPUR (April 11): MIDF Research raised its target price (TP) for YTL Power International Bhd (YTLP) by 20% to 96 sen to reflect cash proceeds from the ElectraNet sale. Against a book value of A$258.2 million, the sale translates into a sizeable gain of RM2.2 billion, it added. The sale transaction values ElectraNet at a generous enterprise value of 1.6 times its regulated and contracted asset base,” it noted. YTLP shares are currently trading at 76 sen, down 1.5 sen or 1.94% from 77.5 sen at the close last Friday. Read also:YTL Power to dispose of entire stake in Australia’s ElectraNet for RM3 bil

Some are also justifiably concerned about the potential disclosure of the personal data of millions of MySejahtera users between private entities. In 2010, Malaysia passed the Personal Data Protection Act. Lesson #2: Do not disclose personal data of your customers/users to third parties without their consentRegardless of who legally owns the personal data, the more important question is this: Besides the government and KPISoft, who else had access to our personal data in MySejahtera? However, if it did have access and MySejahtera users had not consented to such access, it would be a breach of the PDPA. In short, tread carefully and seek expert advice, if necessary, whenever personal data is at stake.

A milestone in 1985 was the founding of the Institutional Shareholder Services and the Council of Institutional Investors in the US. In the 1990s, labour union pension funds replaced public pension funds as the main shareholder activism player, and mutual funds also jumped on the activism bandwagon. In Malaysia, minority shareholder activism is spearheaded by the Minority Shareholders Watch Group (MSWG). Additionally, Bursa may want to revamp the way the voting outcomes at shareholder meetings are announced by showing separately shares voted under the public float category, as the number of shares held by minority shareholders that voted at the AGM is a good indicator of minority shareholder activism. A hybrid shareholder meeting, with video streaming and availability of the minutes online, may further bolster the shareholder activism momentum.

MERSING: The search and rescue operation for the four missing divers who went missing off Pulau Tokong Sanggol on Wednesday (April 6) ended in tragedy when the fourth victim was confirmed dead. Johor Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency's (MMEA) director First Admiral Nurul Hizam Zakaria said that the rescue and search operation has ended after three of the victims have been found. "Three of the victims, Kristine Grodem, 35, from Norway, Alexia Molina, 18, from France and British national Adrian Chesters, 46, have been found. "However, another victim, Dutch national Nathan Renze Chesters, 14 is still missing and has been confirmed dead by his father (pic below)," he said. Earlier, three other divers who has been missing since Wednesday (April 6) has been found and is currently getting treatments at the KPJ Pasir Gudang and Mersing Hospital.

MELAKA: Out of love and responsibility, Awa Minhat, 79, has been taking care of her great-grandson for the past 18 years since he was a baby. The retiree also took four of his siblings under her wings after their parents went separate ways following a divorce. As long as I am alive, I will take care of them,” he told Bernama when met at her home in Bukit Piatu recently. Awa said she is raising all her great-grandchildren using her pension money and the RM200 that she received from the siblings’ mother every month. Asked about the children’s mother, Awa said the mother would ensure that her children’s schooling is taken care of such as handling their school registration and preparing for their school supplies.

Attorney General (AG) Tan Sri Idrus Harun told theedgemarkets.com this on Saturday when asked to comment on Ng's case in Malaysia following his conviction in the US on Friday. In Malaysia, Ng is facing charges under the Capital Market Services Act 2007 (CMSA). “We (Malaysia) will wait for the process of sentencing after which Roger [Ng] has the right to appeal against conviction and sentence,” Idrus said briefly. Although Ng is charged with abetment with Goldman Sachs, the charge against the US financial institution was dropped in September 2020 after it agreed to a US$2.5 billion financial settlement with Malaysia. Although the forfeiture was dismissed by the High Court last November, the prosecution is appealing the matter to the Court of Appeal.

Majored in mathematics at Columbia, did a summer internship at an investment bank that turned into a full-time analyst role. Crypto trading firms have done well since 2018, because they have the resources to invest in stellar talent whether market conditions are good or bad. SZ: To really get crypto, you must understand what it’s a reaction against and what it’s a movement toward. SZ: Investing in Deribit, the leading crypto options trading exchange, during the bear market. My commitment to that is an extension of the same ethos and philosophy that underpins my commitment to crypto.

Some of the stamps were from prominent companies such as Malaysia LNG Sdn Bhd, Petronas Gas Bhd, Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd, Petronas Methanol (Labuan) Sdn Bhd, Petronas Chemicals Methanol Sdn Bhd, Petronas Refinery and Petrochemical Corp Sdn Bhd, Petronas Chemicals Ammonia Sdn Bhd, Sarawak Shell Bhd, Petronas Chemicals LDPE Sdn Bhd, Exxonmobil Exploration and Production Malaysia Inc, Petronas Carigali (Turkmenistan) Sdn Bhd, Petronas Chemicals Derivatives Sdn Bhd, Sabah Shell Petroleum Co Ltd, Shell MDS (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, PRPC Utilities and Facilities Sdn Bhd and Shell Cyberjaya. Other findings include email exchanges between Serba Dinamik’s staff asking for purchase orders to be prepared under the names of Serba Dinamik’s local suppliers. Two of Serba Dinamik’s vendors under the VDP — Vibrant Victory Sdn Bhd and Technorette Sdn Bhd — had links either directly or indirectly to Serba Dinamik’s employees. Serba Dinamik International Ltd is a wholly owned unit of Serba Dinamik. There were also email communications between Lata and Serba Dinamik which suggest that Serba Dinamik was involved in preparing invoices for Lata.

KUALA LUMPUR (April 6): Transocean Holdings Bhd was on Wednesday (April 6) slapped with an unusual market activity (UMA) query by Bursa Malaysia following a recent sharp rise in its share price and trading volume. In Wednesday morning trade, Transocean's share price rose 27.27% or 75 sen to a high of RM3.50 before easing to RM3.29 at the noon break, still 54 sen or 19.64% up with some 1.05 million shares done. Based on that price, Transocean was valued at RM214.17 million. Bursa queried the transport and logistic company whether there was any corporate development, rumour or report relating to the group’s business and affairs — or any other possible explanation — that may account for the unusual trading activity. Full-year revenue grew to RM22.36 million from RM16.99 million for FY20.

Some countries were already in a governance crisis before Covid, and I would place Malaysia among them. In some ways, Malaysian politics survives on maintaining an unending sense of crisis, in one way or another. Whichever the case, the Covid crisis did come at exactly the same time that the country was already in a new self-generated political crisis. The Malaysian public believes that the way their country is organised is self-damaging, lackadaisical and irretrievably held captive by political games. Train and employ technocrats, enhance technocratic procedures in governance again, and balance them against the position of bureaucrats and politicians.

PETALING JAYA: To reduce congestion at airports, incoming travellers can now pre-book professional RTK-Antigen tests at private clinics, says Kooperasi Persatuan Perubatan Malaysia (KOOP MMA). KOOP MMA chairman Dr Thirunavukarasu Rajoo said private clinics are now offering the required professional Covid-19 Antigen Rapid Test Kit (RTK-Ag) testing service at their clinics. “The professional RTK-Ag testing service is available via pre-booking online for international travellers at www.traveller.emedasia.com. The professional RTK-Ag testing service at participating clinics via pre-booking online is priced at RM70 per test,” he said. For more information on the professional RTK-Ag tests for international travellers, visit www.traveller.emedasia.com.

There is a proposed project to demolish and rebuild Kapallorek Artspace in Seri Iskandar in Perak. “Lintas Batas is not directly connected with this project, but it instigated me to propose Lintas_Laut to Kapallorek. Founded by Fadly Sabran in 2014, Kapallorek is a non-profit, alternative platform for emerging/experimental artists and art researchers. Kapallorek, founded by Fadly Sabran in 2014, serves as a non-profit, alternative platform for emerging/experimental artists and art researchers. I believe new media art or cross-disciplinary art is something that is timeless.

PETALING JAYA: The Home Ministry is confident that there are enough passports to meet the expected surge in renewals following the reopening of borders. If we look at our estimated demand of over two million passports this year, we believe it will be enough,” he said. Easy-peasy: A Datasonic Technology staff member demonstrating the Passport Dispenser during Hamzah’s working visit at Datasonic Technology Sdn Bhd, in Petaling Jaya. On the Immigration Department’s counter services, Hamzah said they are running at full capacity to deal with visa and permit matters. Malaysia reopened its borders to international travellers yesterday after it imposed the movement control order on March 18, 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

PETALING JAYA: Sinovac recipients and those aged above 60 who have not received their booster doses and have contracted Covid-19 previously, will be given a three-month grace period to get their booster vaccine dose before losing their fully vaccinated status. However, MySejahtera, in a post on their Facebook page on late Thursday (March 31), encouraged those in this group to receive their booster doses to retain their fully vaccinated status. It added that recipients could choose the time and venue to receive their booster doses. Previously, the Health Ministry had said that Sinovac vaccine recipients and those aged 60 and above would lose their fully vaccinated status on April 1 if they do not receive a booster dose by March 31. In a statement on Wednesday (March 30), Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said that although the group would lose their fully vaccinated status on April 1, they would still be allowed to dine-in at eateries and enter malls.