Starchild: Young reader Fu Rui Kai, 11, shares his creative writing piece, Moving House
His boss transferred him to take on a new job position in Kota Kinabalu. Kota Kinabalu is a popular tourism spot in Sabah. I was saddened that my little sister would not be joining us in Kota Kinabalu. We finally settled into our new home, and my little sister joined us the following year. It has been four years since I first planted my footprints here in Kota Kinabalu after being uprooted from Johor.
Source:The Star
June 05, 2021 03:56 UTC
In rural India, fear of testing and vaccines hampers Covid-19 fight
"A lot of people in my village don't want to take the vaccine. They fear that they will die if they take it," Kumari told AFP in Dhatrath, a collection of two-storey buildings in Haryana state with buffaloes wandering the streets. "One of the villagers was so angry that he beat up a (health) worker who was trying to convince him to take the vaccine. "Even after opening up a vaccine centre here, nobody is ready to take it," villager Rajesh Kumar, 45, told AFP. "Gradually they were convinced that even if they get corona after getting vaccinated, they won't need hospitalisation.
Source:The Star
June 05, 2021 02:48 UTC
Baby photographer makes healthy snacks to sell during pandemic
When the pandemic first started last year, baby and family photographer Asther Lau did not expect things to get so bad. Her household income was also impacted since her husband, who runs a handyman business, couldn’t go to clients’ homes during the pandemic. She decided to try making pet snacks and food – dehydrated pet treats, home baked pet cookies – to sell, and bought a dehydrator. Rather than having snacks that are processed with lots of sugar, salt, artificial flavouring and preservatives, Lau hopes to encourage people to have healthy snacks with no artificial flavouring, preservatives, no added salt or sugar. “Rather than having snacks that are processed with lots of sugar, salt, artificial flavouring and preservatives, I hope to encourage people to have healthy snacks with no artificial flavouring, preservatives, and no added salt or sugar,” she concludes.
Source:The Star
June 05, 2021 01:52 UTC
Why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut?
WE are currently in MCO 3.0 lockdown mode, and there have been calls by various parties for an automatic blanket moratorium, like what we had during MCO 1.0. Among the various measures through the Prihatin package, Bank Negara and the banking sector agreed to provide a six-month automatic blanket moratorium for all borrowers. In all cases, borrowers just need to choose what relief they need and automatic approval will be given upon application. Hence, why are we using a sledgehammer to crack a nut? A blanket moratorium will mean that banks will not receive loan repayments to lend to others, but must still pay the interest/profit to depositors.
Source:The Star
June 05, 2021 01:18 UTC
Football: Trent’s out!
LONDON: England defender Trent Alexander-Arnold will miss Euro 2020 with a thigh injury suffered in their friendly against Austria. Alexander-Arnold limped off in the closing stages of England’s 1-0 win after sustaining the injury while clearing the ball. “Trent Alexander-Arnold has been ruled out of UEFA Euro 2020, ” a Football Association statement said. “The Liverpool player sustained a thigh injury in the closing stages of Wednesday’s 1-0 win against Austria in Middlesbrough. He could replace Alexander-Arnold with another defender in Brighton’s White or Everton Godfrey, who both made their England debuts as substitutes against Austria.
Source:The Star
June 05, 2021 01:13 UTC
Ready to take on the world
OVER 2,000 graduates have now passed through the RCSI & UCD Malaysia Campus (RUMC) in Penang after the latest batch of 111 recited the Graduate’s Declaration in a virtual conferring ceremony. Established as the first accredited private medical institution in Malaysia, RUMC has since become a leading medical education provider. Its vast network of alumni practise medicine in various countries around the world. He revealed that discipline is the most important quality one needs to be a successful medical student and eventually a doctor. Also offering words of congratulations and encouragement were UCD dean and head of School of Medicine Prof Michael Keane and RUMC dean Prof Dr Premnath Nagalingam.
Source:The Star
June 05, 2021 00:45 UTC
Courageous 10-year-old’s virtual concert brings joy
Instead of letting fear and depression engulf her, Yu Qing from Pahang prefers to sing and dance to uplift people. Despite undergoing treatment, Yu Qing prepared for her concert with help from the organisation. In accordance with the Covid-19 SOP, Yu Qing’s concert was held in the safety of her home and attended only by her family. Her recorded concert is now available on the Make-A-Wish YouTube channel (Make-A-Wish Malaysia). Yu Qing’s wish, like many other children’s, was planned and executed by a team of Make-A-Wish trained volunteers.
Source:The Star
June 05, 2021 00:22 UTC
Let us be green problem solvers
The climate emergency, also referred to as the climate crisis, is nothing less than an emergency on a global scale. When human-wildlife conflicts arise, it is convenient to blame it on the wildlife instead of on land use development by humans. Or can a Dr Doolittle be appointed to lead animals to the replacement forest area that is gazetted? Let us make up for lost time and be an example of problem solvers for future generations to follow. Let us not be remembered as the problem makers in years to come.
Source:The Star
June 05, 2021 00:11 UTC
More support needed for M40 group
Among those criticising are politicians from both sides of the divide and a key contention is whether the loan moratorium should be extended to the M40 group. Experts agree that not all M40 individuals are affected by the crisis, but they feel that more measures are needed to support this income group in order to boost Malaysia’s economic recovery. Speaking with StarBizWeek, AmBank Group chief economist Anthony Dass says there is a need to focus on the M40 group, given that their living costs are much higher in the urban areas. Other support measures, for M40 suggested by Dass, include e-Wallet credit and raising the discount on electricity charges which is currently given at 10%. Permatang Pasir assemblyman Muhammad Faiz Fadzil concurs that there are some measures under the Pemerkasa Plus that would benefit the M40 group.
Source:The Star
June 05, 2021 00:01 UTC
MBPJ: Licence renewal can be delayed if sales down
A Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) spokesperson said the matter was discussed during council meetings and a decision was made to allow the businesses to delay licence renewal and tax payment. “They do not have to worry about not being able to get their licence back when they resume business after the Covid-19 situation ends, ” she said. The spokesperson said the licence fee was paid to MBPJ while the entertainment tax went to the state government. He called on local authorities to waive the entertainment licence fees and taxes as the outlets had not been able to open during the MCO. He was among the business proprietors who were sent a notice by MBPJ to settle his licence fee.
Source:The Star
June 05, 2021 00:00 UTC
China EV maker betting on cult status to sell a million cars
It’s an eyebrow-raising target, but even before the Hongguang Mini, Wuling had a track record for producing winners in a market that’s defining the new era of driving. The original Hongguang Mini comes in around 20 different base colors, which can be switched up, and buyers can customize the interior as well. Outside of Liuzhou, EV penetration in China is still only around 6% and competition is fierce. The basic Hongguang Mini starts at US$4,500, and even the new Macaron sells for under US$6,000. Pitching the Hongguang Mini not as a cheap car but a coveted accessory in brand-conscious China is brilliant, JSC Automotive’s Siebert said.
Source:The Edge Markets
June 05, 2021 00:00 UTC
Jogging, light exercise done individually in open spaces allowed
ONLY jogging and light exercising with adherence to physical distancing are allowed during the current lockdown. Meanwhile, almost all public parks in Selangor under the jurisdiction of local authorities will be closed. When contacted, local authorities in Shah Alam, Petaling Jaya, Subang Jaya, Kajang, Klang, Selayang, Sepang and Kuala Langat confirmed that public parks under their respective jurisdictions will remain closed. Subang Jaya resident Darren Lee said he had hoped that public parks would be open during this period. “My housing area is not conducive for jogging as the roads are narrow and there is just no comparison to jogging in a big open park, ” said the 32-year-old electrical engineer.
Source:The Star
June 05, 2021 00:00 UTC
‘Vaccination at malls, please’
“We are proposing one floor of the carpark to be designated as a vaccination centre, with drive-through function. Lim: Over 80% of tenants at malls managed by CapitaLand want to sign up for the vaccination programme for retail frontliners. “As our malls remain open during this period, the vaccination exercise will help protect the health and well-being of our shoppers, tenants and staff. Meanwhile, Bangsar Village 2 could be used as a vaccination centre for workers in the Telawi commercial area.Eng Lian Enterprise Sdn Bhd, which manages Bangsar Village 1,2 and 3 apart from some commercial lots in the area, has offered space for a vaccination centre. “We are ready to work with the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) and KPDNHEP to propose Bangsar Village 2 as a vaccination centre to speed up the national vaccination programme.
Source:The Star
June 05, 2021 00:00 UTC
Osaka’s boycott at French Open shows the times have changed
TENNIS player Naomi Osaka did not want any attention on herself at this year’s French Open. All these, of course, changed when the Badminton World Federation (BWF) also made it compulsory for players to attend press conferences. Most of our athletes are quite shy during press conferences but it’s easier to get them after the “official” session. The media world is no longer the same. Athletes are comfortable sharing their ups and downs on social media, they spend more time on different media platforms and have become little story-tellers of their own.
Source:The Star
June 04, 2021 23:51 UTC
They can be smashing too
It’s my hope that they will bring back a medal, ” said V Shem. On their future, V Shem said they are still unsure. Besides, there are no tournaments, ” said V Shem. Meanwhile, Wee Kiong is contemplating playing in the mixed doubles with Vivian Hoo. I will also have to discuss with V Shem on our future.
Source:The Star
June 04, 2021 23:15 UTC