UEM Sunrise narrows loss in Q2
KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama) -- UEM Sunrise Bhd has narrowed its loss to RM7.37 million for the second quarter (Q2) ended June 30, 2021, compared to RM94.66 million loss in the same quarter last year.Its revenue jumped to RM249.14 million from RM111.96 million recorded previously, it said in a filing with Bursa Malaysia today.In a statement, UEM Sunrise said the company recorded an improved revenue of RM502 million for the first six months of 2021 compared to RM308 million in the same period last year. "The performance was driven by higher construction progress and billings mainly from Residensi Solaris Parq in Dutamas, Aspira ParkHomes in Gerbang Nusajaya, Serene Heights in Bangi and higher sales of Estuari Gardens in Puteri Harbour. "We are unable to construct show units to feature our latest launch, KAIA Heights, the RM655 million gross development value high-rise development in Equine Park, Selangor. "Fortunately for us, our digitalisation efforts have been reasonably effective. The incentives offered under our sales programmes such as the partnership with Maybank Islamic’s HouzKEY programme and the Home Ownership Campaign have also helped our sales performance and we will continue to leverage on them," he said.
Source:The Star
August 25, 2021 12:33 UTC
Construction consulting firms in Phase 1 and 2 of PPN allowed to operate
KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 25): Construction sector consulting companies in Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the National Recovery Plan (PPN) have been allowed to operate from yesterday. The Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), in a statement today, said the permission applies to consulting services such as architecture, engineering, quantity surveying and other related services. However, all companies must comply with the set standard operating procedures (SOP) and all conditions, regulations and other SOPs currently enforced. “Applications to resume operations are only required for areas under Phase 1 and Phase 2. “The consulting companies can submit their applications through the Ministry of International Trade and Industry’s (MITI) Covid-19 Intelligent Management System (CIMS) at https://notification.miti.gov.my/, under the Construction cluster by choosing among the sectors listed,” the statement said.
Source:The Edge Markets
August 25, 2021 12:33 UTC
Longing for prayers at mosque, 101-year-old finally agrees to get vaccinated
KUALA NERUS (Bernama): His longing for congregational prayers at the mosque has finally driven 101-year-old Che Ismail Che Tahir to agree to getting vaccinated against Covid-19. "But we never gave up hope of persuading grandpa to get vaccinated in order to protect his health. We explained to him that after getting two doses of the vaccine, he would be able to join the congregational prayers at the mosque or surau. "He finally agreed to get vaccinated and coincidentally, I saw a post on Facebook two days ago that UniSZA is giving the opportunity to individuals who have not received the vaccine to come here for a walk-in vaccination. Hence, the UniSZA Integrated PPV also provides 20 tents, 400 chairs outside the hall and another 600 inside to accommodate the additional vaccine recipients.
Source:The Star
August 25, 2021 12:22 UTC
MBSB swings back to profit on writebacks
KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama) -- Malaysia Building Society Bhd (MBSB) recorded a net profit of RM403.41 million in the second quarter ended June 30, 2021 (Q2 2021), from a net loss of RM12.51 million in the same period a year ago, contributed mainly by writebacks on impairment.Revenue for the quarter, however, eased to RM664.94 million from RM886.35 million a year earlier mostly due to lower gain from sales of financial investments in Q2 2021.MBSB acting group president and chief executive officer Datuk Nor Azam M Taib said the results were mainly attributed to lower expected credit loss, which contributed to net writebacks for impairment following improvement of staging for its loans, financing, and advances. "This also denotes the efficiency on the enhancement of our business plan which we operated on diligently since the beginning of the year,” he said in a statement today.MBSB’s total assets for the quarter increased marginally by 1.8% quarter-on-quarter to RM50.84 billion in Q2 2021 from RM49.94 billion in Q1 2021, mainly in financial investments and net financing amount.The bank’s total assets saw a year-on-year increase by 4.63% from RM48.59 billion in Q2 2020.Meanwhile, deposits increased by 0.22% to RM35.68 billion in Q2 2021 against RM35.60 billion in Q1 2021 and 4.97% against RM33.99 billion in Q2 2020.On MBSB’s key financial ratios, cost to income ratio stood at 24.01% in Q2 2021, marginally lower quarter-on-quarter against 24.03% in Q1 2021.The common equity tier ratio dipped slightly quarter-on-quarter to 21.06% in Q2 2021 against 21.20% in Q1 2021.The group’s liquidity coverage ratio stood at 220.09% in Q2 2021 compared with 202.67% in Q1 2021, in compliance with Bank Negara Malaysia’s requirement.On MBSB’s expectations for the next quarter, Nor Azam said with the gradual reopening of the economy, its main subsidiary MBSB Bank Bhd is optimistic that it could further strengthen its position and explore new initiatives. "We hope to see an improvement in the political front as political stability impacts consumer sentiment,” he said.
Source:The Star
August 25, 2021 11:48 UTC
Armed Forces report over 3,600 cyber security incidents in the first four months of this year
KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): More than 3,600 cyber security incidents have been reported by the Malaysian Armed Forces in the first four months of this year, says Chief of Defence Force Gen Tan Sri Affendi Buang. "In line with this emerging danger, both the government and the Armed Forces have enhanced their cyber security capacities in predicting, detecting, deterring and responding to this threat. He said NACSA, in the Malaysia Cyber Security Strategy 2020-2024, had indicated that cyber threats would increase significantly. In addition, he said the government and security agencies would also prefer to retain cyber security measures within national boundaries to comply with national cyber security laws and strategies, to enable better control over its environment and infrastructure. As such, outsourcing cyber security might also expose vulnerabilities in our nation’s survival," he added.- Bernama
Source:The Star
August 25, 2021 11:26 UTC
Green Packet's OCIB gets LFSA conditional investment bank licence
KUALA LUMPUR: Green Packet Bhd said wholly owned Oasis Capital Investment Bank (OCIB) has been awarded the conditional investment bank licence from the Labuan Financial Services Authority (LFSA) today. With the conditional licence, OCIB will begin fulfilling operational conditions such as setting up the required processes and technology platforms in accordance with regulatory requirements. Green Packet said OCIB is eyeing to become "an innovative forerunner in Southeast Asia’s offshore neobank scene." Green Packet’s entry into the sector comes on the back of shareholders’ approval of Green Packet’s diversification of business into the area of investment at the recent EGM. We see tremendous potential in this space and will strive to help our clients to benefit from this transformational technology,” said Tan.
Source:The Star
August 25, 2021 11:26 UTC
Covid-19: Perlis trying to persuade 26 teachers yet to get vaccinated to do so
KANGAR (Bernama): There are still 26 teachers out of the 4,710 teachers in the state who are refusing the Covid-19 vaccine, says Perlis state executive councillor in charge of education, Rozieana Ahmad. She said they are being persuaded to get vaccinated before school reopens. The Pauh assemblywoman said school staffers need to get vaccinated but the 26 teachers are still not ready due to some reasons like a chronic illness. "I’m appealing to them to consider the students rather than themselves to prevent the children from falling behind,” she said. Rozieana said earlier there were 91 teachers who refused the vaccine, but after discussions, 65 agreed to get vaccinated.- Bernama
Source:The Star
August 25, 2021 10:52 UTC
Unprecedented consensus between govt, Opposition will help usher in new period of political stability, says Umno info chief
"This joint statement indicates that all parties beginning from the Prime Minister himself understand that it's important for the country and its economy that the political turmoil not be extended any further." Shahril expressed optimism over the joint statement by Ismail Sabri and the Opposition, as he hoped that this would usher in a new period of political stability. The rare joint statement came following an hour-long meeting at the Prime Minister's Office in Perdana Putra in Putrajaya on Wednesday afternoon. Ismail Sabri said he understood the recent political turmoil has caused public distress and stressed the importance of achieving political stability through the theme of togetherness and this includes cross-party cooperation. Ismail Sabri was appointed Prime Minister after the Bera MP secured the support of 114 MPs following Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's resignation as premier on Aug 16.
Source:The Star
August 25, 2021 10:52 UTC
Heineken posts RM25.2mil profit in Q2, sees negative impact from the full MCO
KUALA LUMPUR: Brewer Heineken Malaysia Bhd made a net profit of RM25.2mil in the second quarter, but warned that the 11-week business halt and the prolonged restrictions imposed on F&B outlets will impact its performance. The Full MCO (FMCO) imposed by the government on June 1 then resulted in the full suspension of brewery operations until the restrictions were eased effective Aug 16. "This has impeded the Group’s ability to conduct its normal business operations," he added. Heineken returned to the black in the three-month ended June 30 compared to a loss of RM18.2mil a year ago. "Despite the negative impact from the full MCO and continued market uncertainties, we will continue our initiatives to right-size the organisation and cost base to drive productivity and efficiency across the organisation," Bala said.
Source:The Star
August 25, 2021 10:07 UTC
Moccona creates coffee moments for absolute indulgence
Premium coffee beans, carefully cultivated and picked, are turned into sensorial experiences, promising a moment of elegance, indulgence and that precious "me time" that often eludes us in our hectic day-to-day life. A good cup of coffee is always a sensorial journey and the Moccona experience draws out each step in pleasing detail. Coffee is such an intensely personal pleasure and Moccona gives a nod to the individual connoisseur with a variety of roasting degrees. In the age of sustainability, they enjoy new life as reusable containers once the last of the coffee has been consumed. To find out more about Moccona, visit moccona.my or purchase your choice of Moccona coffee at our LazMall Flagship store: lazada.com.my/shop/moccona.
Source:The Edge Markets
August 25, 2021 09:56 UTC
U.N. sees massive drop in COVID vaccinations in Afghanistan after Taliban takeover
Since the Taliban takeover "there's been an 80% drop in people reached with COVID-19 vaccines," a spokesperson for UNICEF told Reuters. "The drop is understandable, as in situations of chaos, conflict and emergency, people will prioritize their safety and security first," the UNICEF spokesperson said, noting the U.N. agency has been calling on all Afghan healthcare workers, including women, to return to work. Nearly 2 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine delivered to Afghanistan, which is about half of the total so far, expire in November, the UNICEF spokesperson said. WHO data show that only 1.2 million doses had been administered as of Aug. 20 in Afghanistan, which has a population of 40 million. Gavi, which co-leads Covax with the WHO, said the programme has so far delivered over 4 million doses to Afghanistan.
Source:The Star
August 25, 2021 09:33 UTC
Cops seize RM20mil worth of untaxed smokes and beer
SEMENYIH: Police have seized three containers laden with untaxed cigarettes and beer worth about RM20mil in separate raids in Shah Alam and Klang. “In the first raid at 4.13pm Tuesday, two container lorries were stopped on a road in Section 33, Shah Alam. "Upon inspection, 87,150 cartons of cigarettes with the duty unpaid were found. “The unpaid tax on the seized cigarettes is estimated at RM12mil,” he told a press conference here on Wednesday (Aug 25). Zainal Abidin said further investigation led police to a warehouse in Kapar, Klang, at 5.18pm the same day where another container lorry laden with 1,295 cartons of beer worth RM1.4mil, with unpaid tax amounting to RM1.4mil, were found and seized.
Source:The Star
August 25, 2021 08:15 UTC
PAS defends Taliban, saying it has changed
PETALING JAYA: Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang (pic) has defended the Taliban, saying that they have changed. The PAS president said that the Taliban has among other things announced an amnesty for those who previously worked with the United States. “However, their latest step of negotiations with diplomats of the United States has shown their intelligence in facing the enemy. This is until they were able to take control of Kabul peacefully,” he said in a Facebook post on Wednesday (Aug 25). The Taliban seized control of Afghanistan on Aug 15, following the full withdrawal of US troops that had occupied the country since the Sept 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Source:The Star
August 25, 2021 08:03 UTC
Got WiFi problems?
Users may not realise that WiFi, if connected to many devices at once, will cause slow connection speed. The location of your WiFi router is also important for your connection speed. Do you know that your WiFi router usually offers 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz frequency channels? Mesh WiFi deviceAll the above-mentioned points will affect the user’s WiFi connection at home. One way to increase WiFi speed especially to devices that are not within the router’s proximity (such as in the rooms on the upper floor) is to use a mesh WiFi device, which will improve the WiFi connection in unreachable signal areas in your home.
Source:The Star
August 25, 2021 07:18 UTC
Musa Aman's son Hayssam died of Covid-19, not cancer, says family
KOTA KINABALU: It was a Covid-19 infection that took the life of Mohammad Hayssam, the youngest son of former Sabah chief minister Tan Sri Musa Aman (pic). Family members said Mohammad Hayssam, 34, succumbed to the viral infection on Tuesday (Aug 24) at the Gleneagles Hospital here. Mohammad Hayssam's father-in-law Datuk Gulam Haidar Bahadar clarified media reports that said his son-in-law had been battling cancer when in fact he was infected with Covid-19. Gulam said media reports about the cancer were not right. Mohammad Hayssam was laid to rest at his family hometown in Sabah's south-western Beaufort district.
Source:The Star
August 25, 2021 06:56 UTC