PLUS: R&R in CMCO states to operate until midnight
KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): All rest and service areas (R&R) along PLUS Malaysia Berhad (PLUS)-operated highways in states that have been placed under the conditional movement control order will now be opened until midnight. PLUS managing director Datuk Azman Ismail, in a statement on Saturday (Feb 20) said the operating hours for R&R in states that are subject to the movement control order would remain from 6am to 10pm. "In line with the CMCO standard operating procedures, the revised operational hours and seating capacity will make it more convenient for highway customers who are travelling in groups to dine-in, ” he said. Azman said throughout the MCO and CMCO period, all surau and public restrooms at R&R and lay-bys would remain open for 24 hours, adding that regular cleaning and sanitising would be conducted at the premises. "PLUS advises customers to pre-order meals via the PLUS App or by visiting https://orderdisini.plus.com.my/ or PLUS Malaysia official Facebook page to get more information on the pre-order features.
Source:The Star
February 20, 2021 15:11 UTC
Be calm and do your best, Education Minister extends best wishes to SPM candidates
PETALING JAYA: Be calm and do your best, Education Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Radzi Md Jidin wishes Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2020 candidates. With just a day to go before the much delayed exams begin on Monday (Feb 22), he said it is normal to feel anxious and worried. Mohd Radzi was speaking during an interview session on DidikTV to address SPM 2020 students on Saturday (Feb 20). SPM 2020 candidates, he said, are a special group of students because of the challenges they faced due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and for sitting for a major exam amid the pandemic. A total of 401,105 SPM 2020 candidates will be sitting for the exams this year.
Source:The Star
February 20, 2021 13:07 UTC
Brady leaves Melbourne convinced a Grand Slam is within reach
The 22nd-seeded Brady suffered a heavy defeat in her maiden Grand Slam final on Saturday, falling to a 6-4 6-3 loss at Melbourne Park to Japan's Naomi Osaka. I think winning a Grand Slam is totally achievable. MAIDEN FINALBrady said she was nervous on court on Saturday but, despite her error-strewn performance, she enjoyed every minute playing in front of the fans during her maiden Grand Slam final and was confident it would not be her last. She felt a little sad finishing with the runner-up trophy but was "pretty happy" with her performance given the difficult buildup to the year's first Grand Slam. "I made my first Grand Slam final, so maybe if I wasn't in quarantine I would have won," she said, before breaking into laughter.
Source:The Star
February 20, 2021 12:45 UTC
Sotheby's to auction off artist Sir Peter Blake-labelled Macallan bottle
A one-of-the-kind bottle of whisky: Sotheby's will offer in March a 1967 vintage bottle of the Macallan single-malt whisky, which was created in collaboration with British artist Sir Peter Blake. Art enthusiasts are probably familiar with Sir Peter Blake, whose collage-style art ended up on the cover of The Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album. "Each collage is inspired by The Macallan history and heritage, one that respects time and craft, two essential components of my own creative process. I meticulously worked on each collage, pulling from The Macallan Estate's rich legacy to complete a collection that is a celebration of art and whisky," Sir Peter Blake commented. Some of the most memorable auctions included The Macallan Red Collection and The Macallan in Lalique Six Pillars Collection, which respectively sold for US$977,496 (RM3.9mil) and US$507,819 (RM2mil).
Source:The Star
February 20, 2021 11:26 UTC
Australian PM warns of "culture problem" after allegations of rape in parliament
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Saturday he was "sickened" by allegations of sexual assault in Parliament House, adding that there was a "culture" problem at the government building. Brittany Higgins said on Friday, in a statement reported by the Australian Broadcasting Corp (ABC), that the man had raped her two years ago in parliament. "I think we've got a problem in the parliament and the workplace culture that exists there," Morrison told reporters in Sydney on Saturday. Reuters was not able to reach the second woman or the man. The accusation by the second woman had not been referred to police, the liaison officer said.
Source:The Star
February 20, 2021 06:59 UTC
Cricket-Australia's Wade rues missed opportunities after test omission
(Reuters) - Australian batsman Matthew Wade said he was not looking for an explanation from the national selectors after being dropped from the test squad, knowing he had enough opportunities to keep his place in the team. Wade, 33, got several starts in the recent 2-1 home series defeat by India - with four scores above 30 - but failed to pass 50 in any of his eight innings. The Tasmanian batsman failed to make the cut for the South Africa tour, which has been postponed due to COVID-19 concerns. While he was overlooked for South Africa, Wade has a chance to impress the selectors on the Twenty20 tour of New Zealand, with the first game to begin in Christchurch on Monday. "If we are going to win the World Cup, we need to have a good squad depth.
Source:The Star
February 20, 2021 03:33 UTC
Petronas sees some respite but stays mindful of prolonged challenges
Oil prices are currently hovering at about US$60 per barrel. For the cumulative nine-month period, Petronas posted a net loss of RM19.89 billion versus a net profit of RM36.36 billion in the same period of 2019. "Oil price spiked to US$63 per barrel recently, perhaps due to optimism on the roll-out of vaccine programmes globally. We believe that oil prices will be lower than before in the long run. Despite the gradual recovery and prolonged market challenges, Petronas remained optimistic in pursuing its growth strategies, he added.
Source:The Edge Markets
February 20, 2021 02:16 UTC
Hokkiens tone down major celebration
IT was a different Thnee Kong Seh celebration to mark the Jade Emperor’s birthday this year at the Chew Jetty in George Town. All is quiet at the Chew Jetty this time around with the MCO in place compared with the scene last year. Kok Wah added that this was the first time he and his family prepared their own Thnee Kong Seh celebration. “Due to the movement control order (MCO), we only have a simple and small celebration. Meanwhile, Chew Jetty Association chairman Chew Choon Seng, 57, said this was the first time in 114 years there was no major celebration at Weld Quay.
Source:The Star
February 20, 2021 00:39 UTC
Sunway TES ICAEW students achieve No.1 in the world
Sunway TES ICAEW students once again make the nation proud by achieving Word Prizes in the December 2020 Exam sitting and being ranked as the top students among all ICAEW students in the world. The recent successes of two Sunway TES ICAEW students, proved that achieving “Top in The World” is indeed possible. Sunway TES part-time student Leong Kher Huey juggles an ICAEW qualification programme along with her accounting degree at Universiti Malaya. This collaboration between Sunway TES and UM allows UM accounting degree students to pursue an ICAEW programme concurrently, so students like Leong can reduce their study duration and achieve their professional qualification faster. STPM, A-level, pre-university, UEC and diploma students are also eligible for full ICAEW programme scholarship under a similar scheme.
Source:The Star
February 20, 2021 00:16 UTC
Distribute at fixed area, food donors told
TO avoid being fined, those offering free food to the homeless have been asked to distribute them only at the designated Laman Tun Sri Lanang outdoor carpark in Johor Baru. “Based on the data provided by the Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRCS), the number of food packets given out daily was 2,000, which is more than enough. “Due to the oversupply of food, MRCS took the initiative to distribute the food packets to the People’s Housing Projects (PPR) and flats nearby, to avoid wastage. “They come for the free food to save some money, ” she said after meeting with Insane Kasih volunteers who gave out free lunch in the area. NGOs and individual donors planning to make distributions to the homeless and jobless can get in touch with JKM at 012-799 9067 and MRCS at 018-768 5034.
Source:The Star
February 20, 2021 00:00 UTC
Inflationary expectations on the rise
In the 2010s, world inflation stayed stubbornly below 2% a year. Still, in Europe in particular, inflationary expectations are on the rise. Realistically, market expectations of inflation are on the rise. In the US and Germany, long-term inflation expectations have rebounded sharply. However, if the Fed keeps suppressing yields, inflation expectations can rise even more.
Source:The Star
February 19, 2021 23:37 UTC
Predators still on the prowl
“MALAYSIAN academics among the top in ‘fraudulent’ publications found in global database”, cried the headline of an online news portal recently. To their credit, Malaysian universities have taken significant steps to stem the practice, including rejecting the papers in the annual assessment of the errant academics. However, papers by Malaysian academics continue to appear in predatory journals, albeit on a smaller scale than before. Her professor told her to focus on doing the scientific work well rather than on the publication of half-baked science. I didn’t publish anything before my PhD viva voce at Cambridge University 40 or so years ago.
Source:The Star
February 19, 2021 23:37 UTC
RM10,000 reward for info on turtle eggs at reunion dinner
KOTA KINABALU: A turtle conservationist is offering RM10,000 to anyone who can provide information on people involved in serving endangered turtle eggs at a reunion dinner linked to a family member of a former assemblyman. Yee said he was pleased to hear the state government had ordered a full investigation into the claims that family members of the former assemblyman had served turtle eggs at a recent Chinese New Year reunion dinner. Having funded close to RM1mil so far for the conservation efforts, he said they have successfully released more than 40,000 baby sea turtles. Yee hoped that the reward will help motivate the public to assist the department in its probe into the dinner. The Facebook post of the reunion dinner has been taken down but screenshots of the purported turtle eggs laid out on the table have led various conservation groups to implore the state government to act firmly against those involved.
Source:The Star
February 19, 2021 23:03 UTC
A Little Help In Times Of Trouble
It looked like Chinese New Year was going to be a sombre affair for 67-year-old Chu Boy Ming and her family. But Carlsberg Malaysia in partnership with Star Foundation and MyKasih Foundation rolled out the Celebrate Prosperity, Cheers For Tomorrow food aid initiative to support 400 needy families nationwide amid current trying times. Carlsberg Malaysia and Star Foundation channelled RM200,000 to MyKasih Foundation which distributed RM500 each to these families in time for the Chinese New Year celebration. “I’m happy that they are helping people, ” said a grateful Chu who was among the recipients. “Now with Covid-19, her children in primary school are having trouble with their studies.
Source:The Star
February 19, 2021 22:52 UTC
Students not the only ones getting ready for SPM
PETALING JAYA: Preparations for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2020 exams are in full swing. Sekolah Menengah Islam IQKL, Kuala Lumpur started arranging their exam hall and isolation rooms on Feb 11. Its senior assistant (co-curriculum) Noorul Khatimah Tajul Aripin said the private boarding school has 46 SPM 2020 candidates. “It’s a small number of candidates so we are able to fit them in our exam hall, with enough room for physical distancing. SMK Puncak Alam 3, Bandar Puncak Alam’s 186 SPM 2020 candidates will be placed in one hall, which accommodates 54 candidates and 12 classrooms.
Source:The Star
February 19, 2021 22:44 UTC