ACCA MALAYSIA WELCOMES 2,030 NEWLY QUALIFIED MEMBERS

As part of leading accountancy body worldwide, new members join acclaimed network of 227,000 finance professionals across 176 countries

 
KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 (Bernama) -- ACCA Malaysia’s annual celebration to welcome new members was doubly significant this year, as 2,030 Malaysians rejoiced in their achievement following a year that was marked by uncertainties and drastic change.

Having completed their ACCA qualifications, earning the right to call themselves ACCA-certified finance professionals, these new members of a global community were warmly welcomed by senior members of ACCA Malaysia which included Mark Millar, ACCA President; Edward Ling, Country Head of ACCA; ACCA Council Members; and Lim Fen Nee, Chairman of ACCA Malaysia Advisory Committee.

The ceremony was held virtually to ensure the safety of thousands of participants during this time of pandemic, marking their entry into a well-respected professional network. ACCA’s long and distinguished history opens the doors to many opportunities while providing a supportive environment that welcomes diversity at every level.

The global business environment is a cultural melting pot, with different voices and opinions being heard hence many organisations are coming to realise that success rests on embracing this diversity. Since its inception in 1904, ACCA has welcomed individuals from all walks of life who may otherwise have been barred from seeking professional qualifications.

“ACCA has always been dedicated to serving its members, both independently and with the support of our many partners. Even at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, which impacted our students and members, we took the necessary measures to serve the needs of all our members by offering online forums, webinars and developmental programmes, a virtual career fair, online hubs and much more,” said Edward Ling, Country Head of ACCA. “These efforts underscore our commitment to our members and our profession that we continually strive to improve ourselves in order to provide more valuable service to our peers, employers, and society as a whole.”

With this forward-thinking view and strong dedication towards its members and partners, ACCA has built an impeccable reputation for highly-skilled professionalism among employers, government and academia.

ACCA’s corporate pillars are based on the principles of inclusion, integrity and innovation. The strength of this reputation is only matched by the broad scope of resources made available to ACCA members, drawing from global and regional expertise as well as Malaysian insights. Carefully curated to be relevant, practical and informative, these resources support members’ continuing professional development, including free access to resources such as online hubs to provide current information on situations, wide range of member networks for peer support such as Young Members Network and many more.

The icing on the cake was a special webinar by Guest Speaker Vishen Lakhiani, Co-Founder and CEO of innovative learning platform Mind Valley, to share his insights on creating a more resilient mindset.

“In these difficult times, resilience is an important quality for individuals as well as corporations. As a professional accountancy body, we hope for our members and partners as well as our nation to be resilient and to persevere through whatever challenges we face in the coming months of recovery,” added Ling. “To all our new members, rest assured that we – your new family – will be right there with you to weather the storm and emerge stronger on the other side.”


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'STRENGTHENING SOCIAL SOLIDARITY ECONOMY POLICY IN ASIA - CAPACITY BUILDING WORKSHOP' ENDS TOMORROW

KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 (Bernama) -- The ‘Strengthening Social Solidarity Economy (SSE) Policy in Asia - Capacity Building Workshop' is being held from March 29 to 31.

It is co-hosted by the International Labour Organization (ILO), Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL), Republic of Korea, and the Korea Social Enterprise Promotion Agency.

According to a statement, the workshop involves 38 professionals including government insiders and social entrepreneurs from China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines and Korea.

It is a part of the ‘Strengthening Social and Solidarity Economy Policy in Asia’ Project conducted through a joint agreement on Sept 5, 2019 between the ILO and the MOEL.

ILO focused on the role and importance of decent job creation and SSE and signed a joint agreement with the MOEL, Korea.

The project continues from 2019 to 2021, consists of mapping (comparative) studies of six Asian countries, an international academic conference, and capacity building workshop.

The programme is for understanding the challenges of post-COVID-19 SSE by policy practices and cases in Asia particularly about the COVID-19, informal economy, and rural areas, boosting the stakeholder capacity and building a network.

Particularly, the workshop invites the policy stakeholders in the Philippines, where a national level of policy amendment is ongoing regarding the SSE. It is anticipated to be meaningful to develop the Asia SSE by sharing Korea's experiences.

-- BERNAMA

CITI ASIA PACIFIC WINS BEST BANK AND DIGITAL BANK OF THE YEAR FROM THE ASSET MAGAZINE

HONG KONG, March 30 (Bernama) -- Citi Asia Pacific was recently named Best Bank and Digital Bank of the Year by The Asset Magazine, recognizing Citi’s franchise in the region for its performance, resiliency, and acceleration of digital banking.  

 
In its Triple A Sustainable Capital Markets Regional Awards, The Asset named Citi Asia Pacific Best Bank, Best Corporate and Institutional Adviser, Best Equity Adviser and Best Healthcare/Pharmaceutical Adviser. 
 
The bank’s progress in accelerating digital banking and driving scale through digital partnerships was separately recognized by The Asset in its Triple A Digital Awards. Citi was named Digital Bank of the Year in Asia Pacific as well as Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Bahrain and the UAE.
 
“These awards represent exceptional recognition of our team’s focus on delivering solutions across Asia Pacific through a time of challenge. We thank our clients for the trust they place in us every day, and we are excited about continuing to support and grow with them” said Peter Babej, Chief Executive Officer, Citi Asia Pacific. 

On Citi’s Best Bank win, the publication said, “Citi Asia Pacific set a record for net new money in wealth management, exceeding US$20 billion for the first time in its history as at December 16 2020, exceeding the previous year’s total by 10%.”
 
“It made big strides in the equity capital markets business, arranging deals in multiple geographies amid increased market volatility due to COVID-19,” the magazine added, in reference to Citi’s Best Equity Adviser win. Citi arranged the first equity transaction in South Korea in 2020, a US$503 million block trade for Celltrion. 
 
Citi was also a joint global coordinator in the largest combined offering in Asia in the past decade – the US$3 billion placement and convertible bond for Bharti Airtel. In the last 12 months, Citi has helped raise over US$150 billion for Asia Pacific clients from international capital markets and advised on close to US$100billion in M&A involving Asian companies.
 
About Citi  
Citi, the leading global bank, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services and wealth management
 
Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com | Twitter: @Citi | YouTube: www.youtube.com/citi | Blog: http://blog.citigroup.com | Facebook: www.facebook.com/citi | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/citi. 

Source: Citibank Berhad 

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VIVOCOM - SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF ITS 45% EQUITY INTEREST IN V DEVELOPMENT SDN BHD

 

KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 (Bernama) -- On 29^th March 2021 marks the completion of the multiple corporate proposals undertaken by Vivocom Int’l Holdings Berhad. With the successful listing of the 164.25 million consideration shares and the 169.93 million private placement share on the ACE Market of bursa Malaysia, marks the completion of the Group’s foray into the property development sector, together with the fund raising exercise under taken by the Group.

 
Vivocom Int’l Holdings Berhad Group CEO Dato Seri Chia Kok Teong’s voluntary self-imposed three-year moratorium serves as testimony to his strong belief that the Group is on its way to an even brighter future, and that he is in for the long haul to create prosperity for all long term shareholders.
 
To recap, in an announcement to Bursa Malaysia on 4 November 2020, the company had announced that, amongst others, Dato Seri Chia had committed that he would not dispose of his personal stakes in Vivocom  for the next three years.
 
Dato Seri Chia explained that the key objective of his self-imposed moratorium is to give confidence to the investing public on his longterm plans for the group and transforming Vivocom into a formidable company in the years to come. Even our placee for the private placement exercise has a moratorium of the next 12 months on his stakes.
 
“I promise you that I will do all I can to create success and prosperity in return for your faith in me, my Board and Management. With my self-imposed 3 year moratorium, I’m totally committed to delivering on my promise,” added Dato Seri Chia.
 
“We will all be working tirelessly and relentlessly to transform the Vivocom Group into a behemoth Conglomerate within the next 10 years to create wealth for all concerned.”
 
The Company has recently made a spate of corporate announcements and press releases which should provide or instil more confidence to the public in the foreseeable future of Vivocom as these are value enhancing corporate moves as Dato Seri Chia charts the course forward for the Group.
 
Bonus Warrant 1:3
Amongst these corporate announcements made are the 1:3 Bonus Warrant Issuance which would:-
 
i. Reward existing shareholders without incurring any costs; and
ii. Allow shareholders to benefit from potential capital appreciation from their Warrants.
The bonus warrants actually reflects the Board’s rising confidence in the Group’s robust and exponential growth prospects in the foreseeable future, making rewarding its shareholders top priority.
 
Private Placement of New Shares Comes With Moratorium Imposed
The Company had also announced a private placement exercise of 10% of its share capital potentially raising funds of up to RM100M. The private placement comes in three different tranches with a minimum of 6 months, 8 months and 10 months moratorium imposed.
 
“I have received many calls from high net-worth individuals and institutions that have expressed a keen interest to subscribe to the private placements. I have explained to them my Self- Imposed Moratorium (SIM) of 3 years, and would also require the placees to undertake a minimum of 6 months moratorium,” Dato Seri Chia elaborated.
 
“There is no point if they just subscribe to the shares at a 6 % to 10% discount and dispose of the shares in the market immediately, no value added.”
 
Game Changer Sand Deal
At the end of February, Vivocom also announced it had secured a lucrative sand contract worth RM3.79B that could potentially soar to RM6B. This is a massive win and represented a Game Changer for the Group as it would contribute significantly to earnings for the next few years.
 
“The first of the sand shipment shall commence by the early May, as our K2 export permit will be ready soon. There have been some delays caused by the MCO. Samples of sand have been despatched to Hong Kong and should arrive there soon for testing and ascertainment if they are the correct type sought by the client. Meanwhile the client is in the midst of preparing an irrevocable DLC (Documentary Letter of Credit) for us.”
 
“Let there be no doubt that this sand contract is a real and genuine a business contract as time will prove.”
 
“The market for sand export is extremely humongous and will fuel the Group’s rapid growth for the next several years. The RM3.79 billion Win is the first of many more to come,” Dato Seri assured.
 
Sands from Malaysia are very much a sought after commodity worldwide.The quality is uncontaminated with volcanic ashes or other impurities. Our silica sand, marine sand, river sand and river-mouth sand are amongst the best in the world.
 
The Vivocom Group’s core businesses today are property development, construction, aluminium and telecommunications.

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Tomorrow: China’s Wuxi outstanding young talents public selection

KUALA LUMPUR, March 26 — The six-month Public Selection for outstanding young talents in China’s Wuxi comes to the final competition tomorrow.

According to the Wuxi Municipal People’s Government in a statement, although less than 1/30 of the contestants got selected, the organisers embraced more with the greatest enthusiasm with the rest of contestants.

‘Let the hearts of talents stay in Wuxi’, a related person from the organisation said.

This year, more than 10,000 qualified young talents participated in the competition.

Through the preliminary assessment, nearly 1,000 people came to Wuxi for the final competition, and only 270 people eventually became ‘selected talents’.

But even if not selected, after the evaluation, the local organiser invited 88 Wuxi-owned enterprises, institutions, and leading enterprises to provide 1,359 positions, which are generally well paid.

The Wuxi epidemic prevention and isolation point also set up a test centre for participants returning from overseas and still in the isolation period having a fair chance to compete.

In addition, young talents who cannot come to the scene can also run for suitable positions through online channels.

This public selection activity lasted for three years. The number of places has risen from 40 to 280 last year, and 270 this year.

Wuxi has been advocating culture and education since ancient times. Talents will be intensively cultivated in their careers in Wuxi. More importantly, the locals will create a sense of belonging like home for young talents globally.

The 2022 Public Selection will start in the second half this year.

— BERNAMA

ACCA CHAMPIONS SUCCESS WITHIN ITS GLOBAL COMMUNITY OF WOMEN IN FINANCE IN A NEW REPORT

ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) publishes inspiring personal journeys of several women in finance from around the world in the new Leading Inclusion: Simple Steps and Significant Leaps, report.

KUALA LUMPUR, March 26 (Bernama) -- Detailing a unique mix of experiences from members and future members, this latest report highlights the opportunities and obstacles they have faced in their pursuit of success. The individual stories shared highlight career milestones and offer food for thought with reflections on a range of topics from balancing family life to job promotions. Given the real threat of inequality in the profession, the stories provide much needed career motivation to aspiring finance professionals everywhere.

The report specially focusses on the distinctive views of professionals in Malaysia with stories from student Looi Pui Mun on moving away from home and Siti Fatimah on finding a mentor in the workplace.

Although still a student in Malaysia, Looi Pui Mun has already achieved a great deal. She comes from a small city; she has set her sights on a career in strategy consulting. Her view of accountancy has really changed towards the ACCA Professional Qualification, not just about accounting but has a lot to do with the advisory role. She is leaning towards that now.

Siti Fatimah story shows how a shy girl from a poor background used her accounting qualifications to transform her life and even her personality. Living in a big family, education is important and enable to change her whole life, simply because of poverty.
 
Helen Brand OBE, chief executive of ACCA said: ‘The stories shared in this report provide inspiration for any finance professional looking to succeed, as the accounts encourage those already in the profession and help them be alive to the opportunities around them. No one is immune to struggles but through sharing experiences we can all learn from each other and approach circumstances more confidently. The pandemic has intensified the challenges that many people face with inequalities seemingly intensifying. So this is the time to tell our own stories, learn lessons from each other and all play our role in building a fairer profession for all.’
 
Report author, Clive Webb, ACCA head of business management said, “ACCA has had inclusion and access to all as a core value since it’s foundation in 1904. The Leading Inclusion: Simple Steps and Significant Leaps report discusses the relevance of this agenda to accountancy and finance professionals. through presenting several stories from ACCA members and future members from around the world, people see that what may, at times, seem unachievable can in fact be attained. This compilation of stories is truly a global testament to this.
 
Nobody said that life would be easy. There is no royal road to success and the pandemic has intensified the struggles that many people face. Inequalities may seem more pronounced and social justice further from being attained. But this is not the time to give up, rather it is a time to tell our own stories, learn lessons from others and play our role in sustaining the community.

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E-COMMERCE ACCOUNTS FOR HALF THE GLOBAL RETAIL GROWTH BY 2025

KUALA LUMPUR, March 25 (Bernama) -- By 2025, e-commerce will expand by an additional US$1.4 trillion, accounting for half the growth in the global retail sector, according to Euromonitor International. (US$1 = RM4.133)

In a new webinar, Retail in Transition: Capitalising on Future E-Commerce Opportunities, Euromonitor delves into how the e-commerce market has transformed due to Covid-19, future tech investment areas and countries with unmet e-commerce potential.

According to the webinar, 16 per cent of goods were bought online last year - double the ratio of 2015 - with the growth expected to continue to accelerate in the next five years.

Based on a statement, the United States, China and Mexico are forecast to achieve the highest absolute value growth between 2020 – 2025 at US$386 billion, US$361 billion and US$77 billion, respectively.

“One of the most pronounced impacts from the global pandemic is the expanding influence of tech. Retailers and brands are prioritising tech investments, which range from optimising supply chain operations to improving user experience,” said Euromonitor International senior head of the digital consumer research, Michelle Evans.

“Companies in Latin America, for example, have been making bigger digital investments, and the region is forecast to reach the highest growth of retail value of all regions by 2025.

“However, the rapid digital transformation has brought challenges towards traditional business models and physical stores into greater focus, and it is vital to re-evaluate strategy for businesses to stay competitive in the ever-growing digital sphere.”

-- BERNAMA

LEDDARTECH ANNOUNCES PARTICIPATION AT MULTIPLE MAJOR DIGITAL EVENTS FOCUSED ON ADAS AND AD IN APRIL 2021

 QUEBEC CITY, March 23 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LeddarTech^®, a global leader in Level 1-5 ADAS and AD sensing technology, will participate in several global digital events in April as an exhibitor, presenter, as well as sponsor. The company will showcase its comprehensive end-to-end technology platforms that enable customers to solve critical sensing and perception challenges across the entire value chain of the automotive and mobility markets. These featured solutions include the LeddarVision™ sensor-fusion and perception platform and the cost-effective, scalable LiDAR development platform based on patented LeddarEngine™ technology.

“LeddarTech continually seeks opportunities to bring our customers, partners, and other industry organizations together to share our unique platform business model as well as network on new developments and solutions to address today’s ADAS and AD opportunities,” stated Daniel Aitken, Vice-President of Global Marketing, Communications, and Product Management. “Our participation in these major digital forums is a reflection of this philosophy, and we look forward to the opportunity to meet customers and organizations who are also committed to driving autonomy and the increased safety aspects that it provides,” concluded Mr. Aitken.

ADAS Sensors 2021 Online – April 6-8 (Detroit, USA)

Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) require numerous sensing modalities and advanced sensor data fusion and perception capabilities to accurately perform constant assessments through detection to respond safely to driving situations that may arise. The ADAS market is expected to reach $84 billion in 2025. What is driving this growth, and what technology demands will shape the subsequent developments? Join LeddarTech at ADAS Sensors Online 2021 to find out.
 

• Featured presentation: “Sensing Modalities, Perception, and Fusion Technology Trends for ADAS Applications,” by Pierre Olivier, LeddarTech’s Chief Technology Officer, April 6 @ 11:50 a.m. -12:20 p.m. ET
 

• Virtual booth: LeddarTech will showcase its market-defining sensing and perception solutions for ADAS and AD applications, including the LeddarVision platform and various sensing components and software. Also on display will be STMicroelectronics’ MEMS mirror-based scanning solutions for LiDARs. Our technical representatives will be available online throughout the event.
 

• Register here
 

Hannover Messe Digital Edition – April 12-16 (Hannover, Germany)

This year, the illustrious Hannover Messe expo and mega-conference will be digital. LeddarTech will be a co-exhibitor at the Quebec pavilion in association with Investissement Québec, whose mission is to play an active role in Québec’s economic development by spurring business innovation, entrepreneurship, and business acquisitions, as well as growth in investment and exports. LeddarTech can be found at the Kiosque Entreprise for the duration of the event.

Register now at hannovermesse.de/en/conference/

AutoTech Council - Innovation Review on Connected Cars – April 15 (North America)
 

• This Autotech Council event will focus on the new technologies and innovations that enable the connected cars of today and the future and introduce attendees to entrepreneurs that are making this future a reality. Join OEMs, suppliers, startups, and VCs to discuss hot topics such as 5G, embedded vs. tethered connectivity, personal data and privacy, big data analytics, value-added services, and much more. Pierre Olivier, LeddarTech’s Chief Technology Officer, will participate in the panel discussion taking place April 15 from 8:55 a.m. to 9:25 a.m. PT.
 

• Register here
 

6^th Automotive Sensors and Electronics Summit – April 28 (Munich, Germany)

The Automotive Sensors and Electronics Summit is an annual event that consistently attracts key decision-makers across various industry sectors. This event has an outstanding reputation in the automotive sensors and electronics community to highlight emerging technologies and support valuable networking opportunities.
 

• Case study presentation: “Sensor-Fusion and Perception Solutions for Key ADAS and AD Applications,” by Michael Poulin, Vice-President, Strategic Partnerships and Corporate Development, April 28, 2021 @ 4:30 p.m. CET
 

• Featured e-book: LeddarVision Sensor Fusion and Perception Technology
 

• Register here
 

About LeddarTech

LeddarTech is a leader in environmental sensing platforms for autonomous vehicles and advanced driver assistance systems. Founded in 2007, LeddarTech has evolved to become a comprehensive end-to-end environmental sensing company by enabling customers to solve critical sensing and perception challenges across the entire value chain of the automotive and mobility market segments. With its LeddarVision™ sensor-fusion and perception platform and its cost-effective, scalable, and versatile LiDAR development solution for automotive-grade solid-state LiDARs based on the LeddarEngine™, LeddarTech enables Tier 1-2 automotive system integrators to develop full-stack sensing solutions for autonomy level 1 to 5. These solutions are actively deployed in autonomous shuttles, trucks, buses, delivery vehicles, smart cities/factories, and robotaxi applications. The company is responsible for several innovations in cutting-edge automotive and mobility remote-sensing applications, with over 95 patented technologies (granted or pending) enhancing ADAS and autonomous driving capabilities.

Additional information about LeddarTech is accessible at www.leddartech.com and on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

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LIQUID INSTRUMENTS UNVEILS BACKPACK ENGINEERING LAB, MOKU:GO

KUALA LUMPUR, March 24 (Bernama) -- Liquid Instruments has launched Moku:Go, a complete, portable platform designed to bring the engineering lab anywhere and usher in a new era of scientific and engineering education at universities worldwide.

According to the innovator in precision software-defined instrumentation in a statement, the new software-enabled hardware platform is an engineering lab that can fit in a backpack.

It was designed for maximum portability, flexibility and durability, to take not just electrical engineering students, but physics, bioengineering, chemical engineering and other majors through all four years of their education and even beyond.

It starts with eight proven, powerful instruments including an oscilloscope, PID controller, logic analyser, arbitrary waveform generator, data logger and spectrum analyser.

The platform also features full connectivity with a Wi-Fi hotspot and USB-C, robust hardware features and electrical protection to ensure that students can explore new projects without putting themselves or their equipment at risk. 

The unique integrated power supplies are user programmable with high voltage and high current options for any project.

Liquid Instruments is bringing the user experience out of the flip-phone era and has designed intuitive Windows and Mac interfaces that are inviting and powerful for students. 

It offers remote access capabilities and clearly diagrammed views of the signal processing chain, which makes it easy for students to learn difficult concepts whether they are in person or remote.

Moku:Go starts at US$499 and can be customised to match school colours, with volume purchasing for educational institutions. (US$1 = RM4.133)

More details at https://liquidinstruments.com 

-- BERNAMA

AM BEST AFFIRMS LIG CHINA'S CREDIT RATINGS

KUALA LUMPUR, March 24 (Bernama) -- AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of ‘a-’ of LIG Insurance (China) Co Ltd (LIG China) China.

According to a statement, the outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

The ratings reflect LIG China’s balance sheet strength, which the global credit rating agency assesses as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.

United States-headquartered AM Best assesses LIG China’s balance sheet strength at the very strong level, supported by its risk-adjusted capitalisation at the strongest level, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio.

LIG China has generated net profits consistently over the past five years, derived mainly from stable investment income generated by its conservative investment portfolio.

The company’s underwriting performance has been marginal, with a volatile loss ratio due to its small net earned premium base albeit partly offset by a low operating expense ratio thanks to its favourable reinsurance commission income.

Going forward, the company projects net profits for the next three years, and AM Best expects its investment performance to continue to be the major driver of the company’s overall earnings, although its underwriting results can be volatile across years.

As a foreign-owned insurer focusing on servicing Korean Interests Abroad business, LIG China intends to maintain a stable underwriting book over the short term consisting of commercial property, construction and engineering, cargo, liability and accident, and health lines of business.

-- BERNAMA

ALPHAWAVE IP-ENSILICA PARTNERSHIP TO EXPAND CAPABILITIES IN UK, EUROPE

KUALA LUMPUR, March 17 (Bernama) -- Alphawave IP, a leader in multi-standard connectivity IP solutions, has entered into a partnership agreement with EnSilica, to expand both companies’ capabilities in the United Kingdom (UK) and Europe.

Under the agreement, the companies will work together to leverage Alphawave’s advanced connectivity solutions together with the broad capabilities of the EnSilica ASIC team, to service the needs of high-end customers.

“EnSilica is a market leading ASIC design house and we are excited to be working with them as a partner,” said Alphawave Co-Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer, Tony Pialis, in a statement.

“This partnership will allow us to support a wider range of customers that need our high-end connectivity solutions and a trustworthy and recognised ASIC partner like EnSilica to deliver turnkey ASICs.”

Meanwhile, EnSilica Managing Director, Ian Lankshear said: “Alphawave has some of the best connectivity IP in the world which features in the most advanced technologies. We see tremendous opportunities to work with this compelling technology to service the needs of our high-end customer base.”

The announcement comes after an exciting 2020 for Alphawave, which was a record breaking year for the company in bookings, revenue, gross margin, and EBITDA.

 “This is just the beginning of our commitment to the UK and to Europe in 2021. It’s our privilege to work with a great British company like EnSilica in 2021 and beyond,” said Pialis.

-- BERNAMA

MORIA TOKEN LAUNCHED ON IDEX INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE

KUALA LUMPUR, March 17 (Bernama) -- Moria Token (MOR), the world’s first ERC-20 compliant token sponsored by a US-based gold mine, announced its launch on the trading platform IDEX.io, one of the world’s most advanced de-centralised cryptocurrency exchanges. 

According to a statement, members of the international community who register as IDEX customers can now trade Moria Token (MOR) on the IDEX international exchange.

“We’ve been very impressed with IDEX’s customer support, platform ease of use, their forward-looking innovation, and growth potential. We believe this will provide an avenue to liquidity for our international investors,” said GS Mining Company chief executive officer, Deborah King.

The Moria Token (Moria) symbol MOR, representing an interest in certain royalties generated from each of the Bates Hunter Mine, the Clay County Mine, the Becker Bates, the Gregory-Bates, the Black Eagle Mill, and the Golden Gilpin Mill in Colorado and any additional mines or mills purchased or developed by GS Mining Company LLC.

Moria is the world’s only royalty paying token based on production revenue by a mining company operating a gold mine in the United States, offering holders the opportunity to gain from the trading value of the Tokens themselves, as well as in royalties generated from the gold mining revenue.

Each Moria Token (MOR) is entitled to its pro-rata share of royalty payments equal to the greater of 10 per cent of annual gross revenues generated by the Company, or a minimum of US$0.20 per token annually. (US$1 = RM4.113)

More details at https://gsminingcompany.com/moria-token.

-- BERNAMA

HALLIBURTON AWARDS MULTIMILLION DOLLAR GRANT TO MALAYSIAN UNIVERSITY

Provides students with access to leading E&P software and mentoring opportunities to engage and prepare them for future careers

KUALA LUMPUR, March 17 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Halliburton Company (NYSE: HAL) today announced it awarded a multimillion dollar software grant to Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) to support the education and development of students pursuing careers in the oil and gas industry. The three-year donation provides access to Halliburton Landmark’s DecisionSpace^® suite of exploration and production software so students can bridge the gap between academic coursework and practical application.

The grant also facilitates the Halliburton Science and Technology for Exploration & Production Solutions (STEPS) program which offers students the opportunity to conduct a research project while receiving industry-relevant training and mentorship. Two UTP graduate students will participate in the program and have access to the latest software to better understand real-world data and create a dynamic learning environment.

“Halliburton is proud to offer this opportunity to UTP students to enable the development of important technical skills and relationships that are critical to future success,” said Rao Abdullah, vice president of business development and NOC’s in Asia Pacific. “We believe learning is most effective when students collaborate with experienced practitioners and utilize cutting-edge technologies to broaden their knowledge and cultivate new skills.”

In addition, Halliburton will deliver adjunct lectures for undergraduate and master’s degree students on a variety of topics including drilling, production, field development and data science. The donation is delivered through Halliburton Landmark’s University Grants Program, which contributes renewable software licenses to qualified academic institutions worldwide.

"It is a privilege for us to receive this software grant from Halliburton. The software program will enable students to practically apply scientific and theoretical principles to real-world scenarios. This will greatly benefit students in the realm of practical experience and prepare them well for careers in the oil and gas industry. It is also perfectly in sync with UTP’s commitment to produce industry relevant and industry ready graduates,” said Professor Ts. Dr Mohamed Ibrahim Abdul Mutalib, UTP Vice Chancellor.

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AEON DONATES HOMECARE BOXES FOR PANDEMIC HIT INDUSTRIES

KUALA LUMPUR, March 16 (Bernama) -- In a continuing effort to support the household needs of families affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, the AEON Group of Companies through its foundation in Malaysia, contributed homecare boxes to members of the aviation industry, one of the hardest hit, as part of its 2021 community support programme.

The BersamaAEON project launched last month was initiated to help ease the financial burden of households affected by reduced earnings or job losses through the supply and delivery of monthly groceries to families throughout the nation.

At the handover ceremony on 12 March to ground handlers at AeroDarat, Datin Yasmin Ahmad Merican, the President of the Malaysian AEON Foundation said: “As a community driven organisation, AEON’s focus continues to be on the wellbeing of the many communities who have supported AEON’s growth here in Malaysia not just in the past, but also today, and into the future. Launching these pandemic relief programmes at the start of the Covid-19 outbreak with early support for healthcare workers at hospitals, our objective in 2021 is to redirect assistance towards households within badly affected industries. In so doing, it is our hope that these small and hopefully timely contributions, will bring smiles to more families as they financially recover.”

The six-month project of personalised monthly homeboxes to families is being implemented through the efforts of AEON employees, business partners and foundation volunteers where doorstep deliveries to recipients are facilitated by AeroDarat in collaboration with AEON Malaysia.

The Malaysian AEON Foundation is the charity arm of the AEON Group of Companies in Malaysia. Established in 2004 as a tax-exempt Foundation, it strives to fulfil its mission of contributing and sharing with those in need through environmental, community and wellness programmes with customers, partners and all stakeholders associated with its business operations in Malaysia.

Source: AEON CO (M) SDN BHD


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DR MONICA GOSTISSA JOINS TACONIC BIOSCIENCES’ SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY BOARD

KUALA LUMPUR, March 16 (Bernama) -- Taconic Biosciences, a global leader in providing drug discovery animal model solutions, announced Monica Gostissa, PhD, has joined its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB).

According to a statement, she joins existing board members: Frank Sistare, PhD; Andrew Goodman, PhD; David Hill, PhD; and Robert Rosenthal, PhD.

The SAB collaborates with Taconic management, providing scientific insight and guidance to expand the company’s product and service portfolio.

Taconic Biosciences chief executive officer, Nancy J. Sandy said: “We welcome Dr Gostissa to our team. She will provide valuable expertise and direction as Taconic continues developing the best animal model solutions to inform human clinical outcomes.”

Dr Gostissa's extensive career in the immunology and immuno-oncology fields brings new expertise to the board and complements Taconic’s leadership in these research areas.

The SAB members’ expertise in microbiome, oncology, neurobiology, and toxicology spaces mirror Taconic’s focus on innovation in these research areas.

Dr Gostissa is the Senior Director of In vivo and Ex vivo Sciences at Jounce Therapeutics, where she leads a multidisciplinary team with capabilities spanning in vivo pharmacology, ex-vivo 3D model development, and histopathology.

During her 20-year career in basic research, Dr Gostissa obtained extensive expertise in developing and interrogating complex mouse models of hematological and solid malignancies.

She obtained her PhD in molecular genetics from the International School for Advanced Studies in Trieste, Italy, and completed post-doctoral studies at Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School.

-- BERNAMA

SCANDINAVIA HEADS GLOBAL SUSTAINABLE TOURISM RANKING

KUALA LUMPUR, March 15 (Bernama) -- Scandinavia is leading by example in its engagement and progress towards sustainable travel, with Sweden ranked first, followed by Finland, Austria, Estonia and Norway. 

This is according to a new report, ‘Top Countries for Sustainable Tourism’, released by global market research company, Euromonitor International.

These findings extracted from the new Sustainable Travel Index, developed by the company, assess 99 country destinations through the lens of environmental, social and economic sustainability, country risk as well as sustainable tourism demand, transport and lodging.

“Sweden is a pioneer in lifecycle assessment research which is critical to understand the full impact of consumer behaviour and consumption patterns,” said Euromonitor International head of travel, Caroline Bremner in a statement.

The country is highly engaged with the Sustainable Development Goals and preserves the Arctic ice and permafrost to help stop climate change, aiming to achieve net zero emissions by 2045.

Other countries also show good progress in sustainable transport and lodging. Just outside the top 20 – featuring other European countries for the most part, such as Germany and France – there are New Zealand, Bolivia and Canada.

The report also revealed that global consumers (66.4 per cent) want to have a positive impact on the environment through their daily actions in 2021. Download the report at https://bit.ly/38369oW 

-- BERNAMA

MFPC AND GREAT EASTERN LIFE ASSURANCE ESTABLISH COLLABORATION AGREEMENT

KUALA LUMPUR, March 15 (Bernama) --  Malaysian Financial Planning Council (MFPC) and Great Eastern Life Assurance (Malaysia) Berhad (GELM), have signed a collaboration agreement that will further support the knowledge of GELM agents in advocating insurance planning amongst consumers in Malaysia.
 
The Council hopes this joint effort will expand and strengthen the Life Planning Advisor (LPA) programme at GELM, in concrete terms, with a firm commitment to enhance the knowledge of their life planners. The participants are expected to be able to compute a full financial insurance need analysis and present a more in-depth advice to enable a client’s personal financial well-being based on the client’s financial needs which follows from this collaboration agreement. As consumer needs have significantly been altered in the last few years, it will be a positive move for an agent to undertake a certification offered by GELM. The Council also commends in advance GELM life planning advisors who will step forward to complete this programme and for their enthusiasm and commitment to professionalise their practice; and at the same time putting themselves in an upper-hand position to serve their clients better.
 
The major leap of the collaboration agreement is to promote mutually beneficial cooperation between the MFPC and GELM in the areas of insurance knowledge through the Registered Financial Planner (RFP) Module 2: Risk Management & Insurance Planning and RFP Module 5: Estate Planning and the participants will be recognized as associated members by attending the said programme. At the same time, the Council sees that it will encourage the nurturing of GELM’s talents to be able to earn further respect and trustworthiness from customers and distinguish themselves from competitors. This agreement also exhibits a close linkage between the life insurance industry and academia which is critical to the development of society in general, and will particularly contribute to efforts to further enhance peoples’ financial well-being. Harnessing the life planning advisors’ capabilities to apply and help clients out there is the fundamental reason why this programme is important. The life insurance industry is no different from many other industries in being constantly in a state of change, and being impacted by the continuous flow of new and innovative protection solutions.
 
Being an independent body, MFPC has worked towards developing the financial planning profession through its professional education programmes and introducing several initiatives and projects to raise the financial literacy of Malaysians from all walks of life. The RFP and Shariah RFP designation is an approved designation by Bank Negara Malaysia as a professional qualification for the application of the Financial Adviser License and Financial Adviser Representative License, and by the Securities Commissions Malaysia for the application of the Capital Markets Services Representative’s License.

Source: Malaysian Financial Planning Council (MFPC) 

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NTHU RESEARCH TEAM DEVELOPS VACCINE PROTECTION AGAINST INFLUENZA

KUALA LUMPUR, March 15 (Bernama) -- The National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) research team led by Professor Wu Suh-Chin of the Department of Medical Science has developed a vaccine providing protection against all strains of influenza.

According to a statement, the vaccination can be administered in the form of a nasal spray instead of an injection.

The team's innovative research has been published in scientific journals, and was awarded the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Future Tech Award in 2019 and 2020.

Since the prevalence of influenza and the strains involved differ from year to year, deciding on which vaccines to prepare for the next influenza season is challenging, and a wrong guess can lead to a low vaccine efficacy.

“This is mainly because the hemagglutinin of the influenza virus is constantly changing, making it difficult for our immune cells to recognise it,” noted Wu.

The hemagglutinin antigen is mainly composed of a globular head and a stem region, and it is the globular head which makes each strain of a virus unique.

Wu’s team has used genetic engineering to make the globular head grow a layer of carbohydrates; these mask its unique features, thereby refocusing the immune cells to make antibodies to whatever type of influenza virus they encounter.

The team has already used the self-adjuvanting vaccine platform, now patented in Taiwan and the United States, to develop a vaccine for avian flu, and initial experiments have confirmed that chickens which inhale the mucosal vaccine produce neutralising antibodies in their serum.

Spurred on by the encouraging results, the team is currently planning to develop a mucosal vaccine providing protection against COVID-19.

-- BERNAMA

Sophi.io finalist in 5 categories of INMA Global Media Awards

KUALA LUMPUR, March 12 -- Sophi.io, The Globe and Mail’s artificial intelligence-based optimisation and prediction engine, has been named a finalist in five categories of the Global Media Awards by the International News Media Association (INMA).

The categories are namely Best Product and Tech Innovation; Best Initiative to Register Users; Best Initiative to Acquire Subscribers; Best Use of Data To Drive Subscriptions, Content, or Product Design; and, Best Use of Data to Automate or Personalise.

The nomination in the Best Product and Tech Innovation category is shared with Naviga for Naviga Publisher powered by Sophi.io, and Agderposten, a regional daily newspaper that serves over 25,000 readers in print across Norway.

Sophi provides cutting-edge AI/ML technology that, along with Naviga Publisher, fully automates the end-to-end print production workflow that lets editors prioritise stories and press a button to automatically generate a print laydown without any templates.

According to a statement, Agderposten was the first customer to use the automation technology.

This year’s competition drew 644 entries from 212 news brands in 37 countries. The judges consist of 44 media experts from 22 countries focused on breakthrough results, unique concepts, strong creativity, innovative thinking, and winner synergies across platforms.

The first place winners will be announced on June 3.

Sophi is an artificial-intelligence system that helps publishers identify their most valuable content and leverage it to achieve key business goals.

More details at https://www.sophi.io.

-- BERNAMA

THE STEVIE AWARDS LAUNCHES 4-DAY SUCCESS SERIES WEBINARS FOR ALL AWARD RECIPIENTS

KUALA LUMPUR, March 12 (Bernama) -- The Stevie® Awards is leveraging its world-class business awards programme, helping past, current and prospective award recipients reach their goals and stay ahead of the curve with a new webinar series, ‘The Stevie Awards Success Series’.

The Stevie® Awards is hosting a four-part informational webinar series, from March 22 to 25 for professionals from all industries and organisations to learn from the best and brightest Stevie Award winners and judges, industry experts, and business leaders.

The series will involve How to Excel at Corporate Storytelling (March 22), Award-Winning Tips and Q&A from Stevie Awards Judges (March 23), What Does it Take to Win a Stevie Award? (March 24) and Leveraging Your Award for Future Success (March 25).

According to a statement, attendees will learn about effective corporate storytelling, get a behind-the-scenes look at the Stevie Awards judging process, discover how to leverage a win for future gains, and more.

The Stevie Awards created this series for its award recipients working in PR, Communications, Marketing, and beyond who are looking for innovative ways to remain agile and succeed in a competitive business environment.

The speakers are CEOs, founders, and business professionals from consulting agencies to household names including Cisco, Ford Otosan, IBM, Microsoft, and others. 

Registration will remain open through March 25. Each registration allows up to five individuals to attend the series, meaning each person will have own profile in the Stevie Awards virtual platform.

-- BERNAMA

TAIPEI COMPUTER ASSOCIATION LAUNCHES ASIA’S FIRST OPEN DATA PORTAL

KUALA LUMPUR, March 11 (Bernama) -- The Taipei Computer Association has launched Asia's first, official open data portal, in conjunction with a data application workshop organised by Asia Open Data Partnership (AODP) at Open Data Day 2021.

Asia Open Data Portal offers a single point of access to open data, published by institutions, agencies and organisations in a growing number of Asian member states, signalling a new era of data democratisation across Asia.

The portal currently features over 73.1 thousand datasets, organised into 20 catalogues and 12 categories, which can help to solve problems such as pollution in cities and the sourcing of PPE. 

According to a statement, data is collected from a growing number of AODP member states, including South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and India.

Challenges facing the project include the diversity of Asian languages and data formats used by the different states' public and private sectors, which AODP is overcoming with the use of machine translation and diplomatic efforts toward data standardisation.

Asia Open Data Portal was initiated by the Organization for Data-driven Application (Taiwan) in 2017, modelled on the EU Open Data Portal, and officially approved by the AODP member states in 2019. 

The goal is to bolster Asia’s industrial development across all sectors and emerging technologies, such as AI and IoT.

-- BERNAMA

USC Solutions ExOne's authorised channel partner in Singapore,Malaysia, Indonesia

 KUALA LUMPUR, March 8 -- The ExOne Company, the global leader in industrial sand and metal 3D printers using binder jetting technology, has announced USCSolutions is now an authorised channel partner to sell ExOne industrial solutions in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. “We’re excited to have the experienced team from USC Solutions represent us. We look forward to leveraging their reputation of providing solutions in the local manufacturing market,” said ExOne Vice-President, Asia, Ben Leung. “ExOne continues to grow in Asia and we expect USC Solutions to play a key role in strengthening our network for this ongoing expansion.” According to a statement, USC Solutions is the latest in a growing number of distribution partners in the ExOne network across Asia. Binder jet 3D printing is increasingly recognised as the technology that will accelerate the adoption of additive manufacturing for high-volume production because of its high speed, material flexibility, and low waste and cost. ExOne’s patented binder jet 3D printing process transforms powdered materials — metal, sand or ceramic — into highly dense and functional precision parts or tooling at high speeds. Creating a solid part one thin layer at a time as an industrial printhead selectively deposits a binder into a bed of powder, the technology is viewed as a sustainable production method with high levels of recyclability, low waste, and the ability to consolidate and lightweight parts for shorter supplier chains and more fuel-efficient applications. More details at www.exone.com --BERNAMA

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LOUD AND CLEAR: MALAYSIAN DEAF STUDENTS BAG ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AWARD

KUALA LUMPUR, March 8 (Bernama) -- Malaysian branch of Austrian medical technology company MED-EL recently organised the industry’s first Academic Excellence Award to support the global event of World Hearing Day.

The award encouraged hearing-impaired or deaf students from as early as pre-school up to university to show their individual skills made possible by their MED-EL hearing implants, with Malaysian deaf university student Lavinia, 20, as among the winners.

Lavinia, detected with hearing loss at age four, is now using the Cochlear Implants.

According to a statement, more than 60 contestants took part presenting activities unique to their capability including giving speeches, singing, dancing and playing musical instrument.

Twelve of them will be awarded as winners of four award categories (pre-school, primary school, secondary school, and tertiary level), and be invited to the Austrian Ambassador’s residence to personally receive trophies and cash prizes from him.

The award aimed to shed light on achievements of hearing implant users in their academic, co-curriculum involvement, and overall performance.

Each year, World Hearing Day is held to raise global awareness on the widespread topics of hearing loss and deafness. Themed ‘Hearing Care for All’, this year’s event called for action to address not only hearing loss but also ear diseases across the life course.

MED-EL Medical Electronics, a leader in implantable hearing solutions, is driven by the mission to overcome hearing loss as a barrier to communication. 

-- BERNAMA

MEGAZONECLOUD, HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY LAUNCH NEW MEDIA SERVICE PLATFORM ON CLOUD

KUALA LUMPUR, March 8 (Bernama) -- MegazoneCloud, a cloud-managed service provider based in South Korea has collaborated with Hyundai Motor Company, launching a new media service platform, ‘Channel Hyundai’.

According to a statement, ‘Channel Hyundai’ provides a new digital customer experience and communication channel amid global pandemic.

Hyundai Motor designed the platform as a cloud-optimised architecture and shifted away from the legacy media platforms and partnered with MegazoneCloud, which provided the expertise in both cloud and digital media services.

The two teams significantly reduced the time to market and delivered a multi-platform service that can stream dynamic content to a growing number of global audiences.

Last Sept 15, Hyundai Motor Company unveiled Channel Hyundai, an interactive app for smart TVs, featuring multimedia content that allows customers to experience the brand via a digital interface. 

The app provides three categories — Live, TV and Models with more features to be added in the future.

With this channel, Hyundai Motor will be able to deliver hundreds of its high-quality branded video content enhanced digital experience to customers worldwide.

“We’re very pleased to help Hyundai Motor Company to launch a global video streaming service platform on AWS with the much reduced service launch timeline and increased values to the global customers,” said MegazoneCloud chief executive officer, Willy Cho.

-- BERNAMA

AG&P RECEIVES NOTICE TO PROCEED WITH PHILIPPINES LNG TERMINAL DEVELOPMENT

KUALA LUMPUR, March 8 (Bernama) -- Atlantic Gulf & Pacific Company of Manila Inc (AG&P) has been issued the Notice to Proceed (NTP) by the Philippines’ Department of Energy (DOE) for its LNG import and regasification terminal development.

According to a statement, the terminal is located in Batangas Bay on the main island of Luzon, called the Philippines LNG (PLNG).

PLNG will store LNG and dispatch natural gas to power plant, industrial and commercial customers and other consumers, opening up a new era of clean, efficient fuel and doing its part for the Philippines to compete for and win investment and jobs in the upcoming years.

PLNG will have the initial capacity to deliver up to 3.0 MTPA of regasified LNG, with additional capacity for liquid distribution.

On day one, PLNG will have a scalable onshore regasification capacity of 420mmscfd and almost 200,000cbm of storage that will ensure high availability and reliability of natural gas for its customers. 

AG&P has already completed its pre-development work for PLNG, which is expected to be commissioned by summer 2022.

The DOE approved AG&P’s NTP application in line with its commitment to make the Philippines a regional LNG hub in Southeast Asia.

AG&P President (LNG Terminals & Logistics), Karthik Sathyamoorthy said the terminal was a landmark development for the country that would accelerate industrialisation, create jobs, lower pollution and trigger overall economic and social progress. 

-- BERNAMA