Desperate transport operators sell vehicles below market value
TO make ends meet, some bus and van operators have resorted to selling their assets. And I may have to sell more vehicles if the situation does not improve soon, ” he said. For some operators, selling their vehicles is tough because of low demand. “It is rare to see people selling buses as most are still trying to pay their loans, ” he said. Thiagarajan urged bus and van operators not to sell their vehicles at too low a price.
Source:The Star
March 17, 2021 23:37 UTC
Blind couple return to work with renewed vigour
A PAIR of blind masseur and masseuse are excited that they are now able to return to work with the reopening of the sector under the conditional movement control order. “During the MCO and when we could not work, we had to be thrifty and ate more vegetarian food to save cost, ” said Saraswathy, who was grateful for the food basket aid. Its chief executive officer George Thomas hopes more donors will come on board to support the association’s food basket programme. “MAB is happy to note that we are confident in helping close to 3,800 blind individuals, with food baskets in the country. He added that over 1,500 of them had so far benefitted from the food basket programme with some 3,500 hot meals distributed in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, since January this year.
Source:The Star
March 17, 2021 23:32 UTC
Red-hot Westwood 'drained' but not ready to rest
"I'm a little bit tired, I must admit. I feel a little bit drained. My legs are feeling it a little bit," world number 19 Westwood said in a video conference from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, where the Honda Classic begins on Thursday. "I suppose I'm not expecting too much this week, but I'm not really -- I don't know what to expect from myself at the moment. Westwood played Augusta National this week with his son Sam, who will caddie for him at the Masters, and said the course was very challenging.
Source:The Star
March 17, 2021 19:30 UTC
Tokyo Games creative head resigns over derogatory remark
TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo Olympics creative head Hiroshi Sasaki said he has resigned after making a derogatory comment about a popular female Japanese entertainer, in the latest controversy over insensitive remarks towards women to hit Games organisers. "There was a very inappropriate expression in my ideas and remarks," Sasaki said in a statement issued through Games organisers early on Thursday. Sasaki said he had told Tokyo 2020 President Seiko Hashimoto late on Wednesday evening that he was stepping down. Sasaki was named head of the creative team in December as Olympic organisers looked to revamp plans for simplified ceremonies after the Tokyo Games were pushed back a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru and Chris Gallagher, Ju-min Park in Tokyo; editing by Ed Osmond/Peter Rutherford)
Source:The Star
March 17, 2021 19:26 UTC
Clear the air on compounds issue
Just how many other parties can issue such compounds? Aren’t these officers committing an offence if they are not legally allowed to issue compounds? It could also mean wasting the time of the health officers who could otherwise be dealing with more pressing matters pertaining to the battle against Covid-19. Issuing compounds to people who cannot afford to settle them could also create a problem in the government’s accounting system. Officers found to issue compounds indiscriminately should also be disciplined.
Source:The Star
March 17, 2021 18:41 UTC
Asean news headlines as at 7pm on Thursday (March 18)
Malaysia:Khairy first in the country to get Sinovac jabJunior cops linked to cartels trying to tarnish my image, claims IGPCovid-19: Cases up by 1,213, bringing total to 328,466 (updated daily)From April 1, spectators allowed at sports events subject to SOP, says Ismail SabriJohor Ruler urges govt to follow through with appeal over use of 'Allah' by non-MuslimsSingapore:Singapore makes largest cannabis haul in 14 yearsSingapore man posed as agent for 'sugar daddies' to dupe women into having sex with himMalaysia cargo drivers vaccinated in S'pore to get certificate, be exempted from daily on-arrival testsTaiwan says Singapore next in line for potential Covid-19 travel bubbleSingapore is 8th most attractive country to relocate to for work: SurveyThailand:Thailand launches campaign to boost global confidence in its food productsThai business group to buy Sinovac shots for private vaccination schemeThai sniffer dogs can detect Covid-19 in sweat, project showsNew Thai marine transport route set to connect EEC with Southern Economic CorridorProposal to rewrite Thailand's military-backed constitution failsShipping container crisis to be resolved by second half of 2021: CIMB Thai BankIndonesia:Indonesia hopes to reopen Bali to foreign tourists in JuneChinese bird's nest market ‘wide open’ to IndonesiaMRT Jakarta links arms with start-ups for greener commutingIndonesia reports 6,825 new Covid-19 cases, 162 new deathsPhilippines:Philippines secures US$14.29bil in loans, grants to fight Covid-19Philippine Central Bank must conserve bullets, says ex-deputyVietnam:Vietnam PM calls for study on reopening of airportsFormer Hanoi mayor faces new charge of abusing powerVietnam farmers hit hard by rise in animal feed pricesCambodia:Trafficked’ Cambodian teen seeks repatriation from ChinaCambodia's Covid cluster cases hit 1,025Myanmar:Myanmar’s Suu Kyi charged with bribery, faces 15 years in prisonCan Myanmar's civil disobedience movement restore democracy? : Daily Star contributorMyanmar faces growing isolation as military tightens gripLaos:New party chief to lead Vientiane city for next five yearsPreparations for Luang Prabang Mekong hydropower plant in Laos nearly completeBrunei:Brunei proposes BND5.86 billion budget for financial year 2021-2022Brunei hopes to reduce its imports
Source:The Star
March 17, 2021 18:21 UTC
Health Ministry looking into viral WhatsApp message of nurse's death after vaccine jab
PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry is investigating allegations in a viral WhatsApp message that a nurse had died purportedly after receiving a Covid-19 vaccine shot. The report claims that the 45-year-old woman had served at the Penang Hospital and had just received a Covid-19 vaccine jab on March 12. It further said that the woman had suffered sluggishness and breathing difficulties ever since. Since the Covid-19 vaccines have been made available in the world, they have been found to be generally safe. As of March 18, more than 390 million Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered worldwide.
Source:The Star
March 17, 2021 13:43 UTC
Serious problem with MySejahtera registration
I attempted to register my 74-year-old father's mobile number and IC in the app in late February to ensure he will be in line for the government’s Covid-19 vaccine. I followed the steps as required, got the OTP (one time password) through his mobile and appeared to have completed the registration process. However, when I tried to sign in to complete the vaccination registration, the app deemed his mobile number an "Invalid ID”. No human being seems to have read about the actual problem: The MySejahtera app’s database deemed my father's mobile number invalid moments after it had been successfully registered. I believe that this will eventually lead to many people being fined up to the maximum RM10,000 purely because no one seems to be in charge of attending to complaints about the MySejahtera app.
Source:The Star
March 17, 2021 09:35 UTC
Covid-19: The faster we're vaccinated the sooner our lives can return to normal, says Muhyiddin
PUTRAJAYA: Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has received his second Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine shot at the Precinct 18 Putrajaya Health Clinic here. The prime minister said he did not feel any pain or side effects 30 minutes after receiving his vaccine shot. "With this smart card, one can use it to show to, perhaps, a security guard, to prove that they have been vaccinated. Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah also got his second vaccine shot minutes after the Muhyiddin. Muhyiddin and Dr Noor Hisham were the first two people in Malaysia to be vaccinated for Covid-19 on Feb 24.
Source:The Star
March 17, 2021 08:37 UTC
Japan's Nishikori eyes top-five return in second chapter of career
(Reuters) - Japan's Kei Nishikori feels like he is in the second stage of his career after the last few years were interrupted by injuries but the 31-year-old says his goal remains to get back to the top echelons of the sport. "I try to think this is my second journey. He targeted a return at the 2020 U.S. Open but pulled out after testing positive for the novel coronavirus. "I've been playing well the last two weeks," Nishikori said. I have to step up little more but I've been enjoying the challenge these couple of weeks."
Source:The Star
March 17, 2021 08:24 UTC
Jalil: Nobody will spoon-feed your way to success
PETALING JAYA: Newly appointed Berjaya Corp Bhd (BCorp) CEO Jalil Rasheed said curiosity, hard work and networking are among the key factors that have shaped his career. Jalil said on Twitter yesterday that despite starting his career at a fund management firm, he had always been interested in how the business was run. Which is why I always encourage to start with small firm and learn as much as you can. https://t.co/tTf4YGiCXZ — Jalil Rasheed (@jalilword) January 17, 2021In a string of 25 tweets to explain his career, Jalil summarised that in charting a career path, hard work is important and that “nobody will spoon-feed your way to success”. BCorp has several listed subsidiaries in its fold, namely, Berjaya Sports Toto Bhd (BToto), Berjaya Land Bhd , Berjaya Food Bhd , Berjaya Assets Bhd and 7-Eleven Malaysia Holdings Bhd .
Source:The Star
March 17, 2021 07:28 UTC
Individuals completing vaccination will be issued Covid-19 badge, says health minister
PUTRAJAYA (March 17): Individuals who have completed their vaccine dosage will be given the My Covid-19 Vaccination Badge as proof that they have received the vaccine, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba. This is to certify anyone who has been vaccinated with the Covid-19 vaccine,” he said. “This is a very good achievement and the MoH is confident that the first phase [of the vaccination exercise], which will end at the end of April, will be implemented smoothly,” he said. He also said that about 5.7 million people had registered for the vaccination exercise via the MySejahtera application, with 12.6% being aged 60 and above and 19.6% of them having comorbidities. About 25.9% of the total registrants will be vaccinated in the second phase of the country's largest vaccination exercise, he said.
Source:The Edge Markets
March 17, 2021 07:18 UTC
Japan court: Not recognising same-sex marriage unconstitutional
TOKYO (AFP): A Japanese court ruled Wednesday (March 17) that the country's failure to recognise same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, in a highly anticipated verdict. More than a dozen same-sex couples filed lawsuits in 2019 seeking to force the government to recognise gay marriage. But the verdict seen by AFP said that the failure to recognise same-sex marriage is unconstitutional -- hailed as a step towards marriage equality by campaigners. Japan is the only nation from the Group of Seven countries that does not recognise same-sex unions, and its constitution stipulates that "marriage shall be only with the mutual consent of both sexes". The government says this means same-sex marriage is "not foreseen" in the constitution or civil law.
Source:The Star
March 17, 2021 03:52 UTC
US state campaign against porn marches on with phone filter plan
His spokeswoman, Jennifer Napier-Pearce, said only in an email that Cox “will carefully consider this bill during the bill signing period”. Combating porn is a perennial issue for Utah lawmakers who have previously mandated warning labels on print and online pornography and declared porn a “public health crisis”. But even more important is comprehensive sex education to counteract messages kids might get from porn, she said. And he said no existing filters are that sophisticated: “It’s not like you put a judge in your phone,” he said. The American Civil Liberties Union of Utah said the bill is an overreach that imposes the same standards on everyone.
Source:The Star
March 17, 2021 03:45 UTC
Michelle Obama stresses importance of family amid royal family row
Michelle Obama wants to see some good emerge out of the royal controversy. The former first lady stressed the importance of family to Access Hollywood after Meghan Markle and Prince Harry voiced their issues with the British palace during an interview with Oprah Winfrey that aired earlier this month. Photo: AFPThe Queen has since addressed the highly publicised interview with a statement through Buckingham Palace. "The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan, ” reads the statement released last week. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately.”Harry, 36, and Meghan, 39, are currently expecting their second child - a baby girl.
Source:The Star
March 17, 2021 02:00 UTC