The Sun Daily-03052023 - Flip eBook Pages 1-24 (2024)

TELLING IT AS IT IS ON WEDNESDAY MAY 3, 2023 No. 8260 PP 2644/12/2012 (031195) www.thesundaily.my ACT OF PIETY ... A devotee cleansing a miniature statue of Buddha at the Malaysia Ban Foo Buddhist Organisation in Petaling Jaya yesterday in preparation for Wesak Day tomorrow. – ADIB RAWI YAHYA/THESUN PETALING JAYA: Any proposal to increase the employer’s share of Employees Provident Fund (EPF) contributions should not be implemented as it will increase the cost of doing business, said Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) president Datuk Dr Syed Hussain Syed Husman. “Furthermore, it is unfair to increase contributions from the employer alone as the pension fund savings is a collective responsibility involving the employee too.” He also stressed that the proposed increase to the employer’s share of the contribution would kill many businesses, especially micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME). Syed Hussain was giving his views on recent comments by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim that the Cabinet will discuss the proposal from Uni Malaysia Labour Centre (Uni-MLC) to increase employers’ EPF contribution to 20% from the current 13% for those earning RM4,000 and below. However, Anwar stressed the proposal has not been raised at the Cabinet level yet. “We need to discuss the matter first. This is a policy decision, so it will have an impact on the economy,” Anwar said. Syed Hussain added that many MSME have either shut down or are going to do so as operating costs were too high and profit margins were getting smaller and while large companies may not have such huge issues, MSME face them daily. “Any increase in EPF contribution rates has to be gradual so that all parties can adjust and █ BYRAJVINDER SINGH [emailprotected] 3 International honour page for grand run event INSIDE There will be no publication tomorrow on the occasion of Wesak Day. Please visit thesundaily.my for the latest news. EPF rate poser absorb it as part of their costs.” He said the real issue was not in the amount of EPF savings but the manner in which the funds are managed, adding that too many withdrawals have been made, to the point that many individuals have almost nothing left for their retirement. Syed Hussain also said increasing the employer’s share of EPF contributions without addressing the core problems would not help anyone. “The government must look at other ways it can contribute to the people’s retirement savings. The bigger issue is how to reduce people’s hardship, which has forced them to use their retirement savings to cover living expenses. “More needs to be done to reduce the cost of living so that people can live within their means. The government must also help create entrepreneurship as without businesses, there will be no employees. “Let’s look at the issues from the MSME (perspective) and not those of large companies because we need detailed discussions and consultations with industry players before moves such as increasing EPF contributions can be implemented.” Syed Hussain said MSME comprise more than 98% of all businesses and there are more than 650,000 micro-enterprises, adding that the government should focus on assisting them to get back on their feet and help them sustain their businesses through 2023, which is expected to be challenging. He also said an increase of 7% in the employer’s share of EPF contributions will cause cash flow problems, especially for MSME. Syed Hussain added that the 2019 Global Investment Competitiveness Survey suggested that among the most important reasons multinational corporations invested in Malaysia were its macroeconomic and political stability, business-friendly legal environment and skilled labour force. However, Universiti Utara Malaysia economics professor Dr K. Kuperan Viswanathan disagreed with Syed Hussain. He said the idea to increase the employer’s share of EPF contributions is a good idea because of the low savings among the majority of contributors. “Malaysia has no social security system other than the EPF, and employers can use the increase in EPF contributions to claim tax deductions. “There is a need to change the mindset of employers by having higher wages and contributions. Salaries have remained low and workers are suffering. The tactic of using cheap foreign labour to keep wages low needs to be reviewed. “A higher EPF contribution will be good for the government too as it can borrow from the high savings for development purposes when it needs to,” Kuperan said. He added that increasing the employer’s contributions for those earning RM4,000 and below is a good start, but even those earning RM5,000 are finding it hard to make ends meet. “Employers are sure to reject the proposal to raise their share of EPF contributions to 20%. But Anwar could use the 20% proposal as room for compromise.” oMEF and economist split over proposal to raise contributions by employers to retirement savings fund

2 theSUN ON WEDNESDAY | MAY 3, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS Selangor Sultan receives RM56m for religious staff KLANG: The Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah graced a ceremony yesterday for the presentation of a RM56 million allocation from the federal government for allowances for imams and other religious staff, including Al-Quran and Fardhu Ain teachers in Selangor for this year. The presentation was made by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar to the Sultan at the ceremony held at Istana Alam Shah. The Sultan’s private secretary Datuk Mohamad Munir Bani said in a statement that the Ruler thanked the federal government for providing the allocation. Mohamad Munir added that previously, the payments of allowances for imams, bilal, siak, oRuler thanks federal govt for allocation meant for imams, bilal, siak, takmir and Al-Quran and Fardhu Ain teachers takmir and Al-Quran and Fardhu Ain teachers in the states were sent to the menteris besar. “However, when the chairmanship of the National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs (which was previously held by the prime minister) was taken over by the Ruler, the Islamic Development Department Malaysia coordinated the delivery of allowances for imams, bilal, siak, takmir teachers and Al-Quran and Fardhu Ain teachers in the states through the respective Rulers as the Head of Islamic Religion, to be channelled to the state’s Islamic Religious Department.” He expressed hope that the latest method of handing over of the funds for allowances would smoothen the process and prevent it from being politicised. Earlier, Mohd Na’im in his speech at the ceremony said the federal government had allocated a total of RM56.4 million to Selangor for this year, and the funds would be channelled to the Selangor Islamic Religious Department through the Islamic Development Department Malaysia. He said the allocation covered the remuneration for 752 imams at the rate of RM850 per month and the allowance of takmir teachers at the rate of RM900 per month involving 242 teachers, Bernama reported. The allocation includes a special one-off payment of RM600 and a Social Security Organisation contribution of RM232.80 per year for a total of 2,482 individuals comprising imams, bilal, siak and takmir teachers. The provision also involves an allowance payment of RM1,261.35 per month as well as a special oneoff payment of RM600 to 2,800 AlQuran and Fardhu Ain teachers. Anwar made scouts association chief PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was yesterday proclaimed as “Presiden Agung” (president) of the Malaysian Scouts Association. Acting National Chief Scout cum National Chief Scout Commissioner Mej-Jen (R) Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Zin Bidin made the proclamation at the Prime Minister’s Office here. At the same event, Anwar was also conferred the association’s highest award, the Anugerah Bintang Semangat Padi Emas, which is an exclusive award bestowed only on national and state leaders. Also present were National Scout Council deputy president Datuk Ahmad Shazily Ismail Bakti and treasurer Tan Sri Abdullah Taib. Mohd Zin said the proclamation can take the association’s image to greater heights and strengthen its role as the nation’s largest informal educational organisation. “It is also hoped that the proclamation will attract more youths at university and school levels to join the scouts association as we already have a solid training system.” – Bernama Anwar being congratulated by Mohd Zin at the event in Putrajaya yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC Sugar supply in East Coast restored SEPANG: The sugar supply shortage in the East Coast, which was caused by the temporary closure of the MSM Malaysia Holdings Bhd sugar mills in Johor and Prai, Penang, has been addressed, said Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub. He told a media conference yesterday that the factories were temporarily closed for Aidilfitri, but had resumed operations on April 25. He said the ministry is now working closely with two local sugar manufacturers, namely MSM Malaysia and Central Sugars Refinery Sdn Bhd, to overcome the shortage. “The issue of sugar shortage in the East Coast has been addressed. I hope residents in affected states will not panic and be deceived by claims of a possible increase in the price of sugar.” He added that new sugar supplies would be distributed to wholesalers and retailers from today. Based on media reports, residents in Kelantan claimed there was a sugar shortage in the state since April 22. On Monday, Kelantan Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry director Azman Ismail said 250,000kg of sugar are being distributed to several supermarkets in the state. “The sugar is being distributed in stages, including to wholesalers and retailers. We expect the problem to be resolved within two days.” In another development, Salahuddin said the maximum retail price for palm oil in 2kg, 3kg and 5kg bottles will remain at RM13.30, RM19.60 and RM30.90 per bottle, respectively from May 8 to June 7. “In general, there was an increase in the price of crude palm oil in April compared with the previous month, which exceeded RM4,000 per tonne. This increase led to a rise in the retail price of cooking oil. “However, so as not to burden the people and consumers, the government has agreed to maintain the price during the stipulated period.” – Bernama S. Korean foreign minister calls on PM PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim discussed, among other things, efforts to strengthen bilateral ties with South Korea when its Foreign Minister Park Jin made a courtesy call on him here yesterday. The hour-long meeting at Perdana Putra was held as part of Park’s two-day working visit to Malaysia beginning Monday. Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir was present at the meeting. The Foreign Ministry, in a statement yesterday, said Park’s visit coincided with the 40th anniversary celebration of Malaysia’s Look East Policy. Park is making his first visit to Malaysia since being appointed as foreign minister in May last year. “This visit will be a platform for both sides to upgrade bilateral ties to another level, based on the principle of common interests, mutual trust and people-topeople relationships,” the statement said. In 2022, South Korea was Malaysia’s eighth largest trading partner with trade totalling RM114.21 billion (US$25.94 billion), a 29.3% increase compared with the figure for 2021. South Korea is also Malaysia’s seventh biggest foreign investor in the manufacturing sector with implemented projects worth RM33 billion (US$9.25 billion). – Bernama Zambry on working visit to New Zealand PUTRAJAYA: Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir will make his maiden working visit to New Zealand from May 2 to 4 at the invitation of his counterpart, Nanaia Mahuta. New Zealand will be the first Pacific country visited by Zambry since his appointment to the post in Dec 2022. During the visit, he is scheduled to meet Mahuta when both ministers will discuss the progress of existing bilateral relations, as well as exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual concern, according to a statement by the Malaysian Foreign Ministry yesterday. Both ministers are also scheduled to jointly witness the signing of the Malaysia–New Zealand Strategic Partnership document by senior officials of the Malaysian Foreign Ministry and the New Zealand Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry, that aims to elevate the existing close bilateral cooperation to a higher level. – Bernama ‘No move to topple govt’ KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional (BN) has denied that its MPs are involved in efforts to topple the government as alleged by certain parties, said its deputy chairman Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan. He said BN would not bring down the existing government as it had promised to form a stable government needed to manage the country, and the government was built on the cooperation of various parties. “To bring down the current government would be difficult. The anti-party hopping law is in effect and any MP who wants to support another party has to resign for a by-election to be held. “The current government has a pretty big majority of 148,” he said at a media conference during the Defence Ministry’s Aidilfitri Open House at Kementah Camp here yesterday. He was rebutting Bersatu supreme council member Muhammad Faiz Na’aman’s claim that Perikatan Nasional had obtained the support of 126 MPs. Mohamad also voiced BN’s full commitment to ensuring that the government remained strong and stable, pointing out that the country had lagged behind for almost five years after the 14th general election as the government that was established did not have a strong majority. – Bernama Move to reduce traffic congestion PUTRAJAYA: Public transport services must be used efficiently to reduce traffic congestion in city centres, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. He said local authorities should also add more special routes for bus services and expand the use of contra lanes in certain areas, especially around the Klang Valley. “This means increased promotion of public transport use that will reduce cost, or are low-cost with more destination routes,” he said at a media conference after chairing the Cabinet Committee Meeting on Traffic Congestion. – Bernama

3 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON WEDNESDAY | MAY 3, 2023 Grace period for Socso registration KUALA LUMPUR: The Social Security Organisation (Socso) is giving a two-month amnesty period, from May 1 to June 30, for employers to voluntarily register their employees for protection. Socso chief executive Datuk Seri Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed said this is the first time the agency is giving a two-month amnesty period, instead of only one month previously. “The purpose is to give more time for employers to voluntarily register their employees for Socso protection. Hence, Socso calls on all employers who have not registered and contributed (for their employees) to immediately do so voluntarily either online through the ASSIST Portal or at any of the 54 Socso offices nationwide or by contacting Socso Careline at 1-300-22-8000,” he said yesterday. He said employers who voluntarily register their workers during the amnesty period would be exempted from compounds and prosecution even after the given grace period expires. Mohammed Azman added that an operation, Ops Kesan 2023, would be launched against errant employers after the amnesty period. “Ops Kesan aims to ensure that all employers who employ at least one employee (regardless of the amount of salary) register their companies and employees under the provisions of sections 4 and 5 of the Employees’ Social Security Act as well as sections 14 and 16 of the Employment Insurance System Act.” He said more than 500 officers would be deployed under the operation to identify employers who fail to register and contribute to Socso. – Bernama PH, BN agree to avoid clashes in state polls GEORGE TOWN: Penang Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) have come to a consensus to avoid contesting against each other in the upcoming state elections. Penang PH chairman Chow Kon Yeow said negotiations between the two coalitions held yesterday focused solely on the 15 Malay-majority seats and several agreements were achieved. “Both parties agreed to avoid any clashing of candidates and all would ensure a huge win in the elections,” he said yesterday, adding that as the negotiations was only on Malay-majority seats, BN also agreed to handle internal matters, including other component parties within its coalition. Chow also said although both parties agreed in principle that incumbents would be given the chance to defend their seats, consideration would be given depending on criteria as necessary. As it was the first time the coalitions have held negotiations, Chow said there were many other matters to discuss before the elections and that everything agreed upon at the discussion would be taken back to the respective parties for further refinement. – Bernama Village plagued by overflowing garbage GUA MUSANG: Garbage that overflowed from a dumpsite near the Orang Asli settlement in Kampung Pasir Linggi at Pos Lebir has caused the area to be filled with a foul odour, according to villagers. Kampung Pasir Linggi headman Harun Ismail said they have complained to the authorities several times about the piles of rubbish that were almost blocking the main road. “This problem of garbage piles does not only occur after festive seasons but also on normal days. I took photos of the situation last February, but it still continues to this day,” he told reporters when met at the disposal site in Kampung Sungai Sam at Dabong yesterday. The villagers said rubbish from the 20-year-old dumpsite had overflowed into the middle of the road. A 42-year-old resident, Jamal Alias, said apart from the stench and unsightly garbage on the road, villagers also had to bear with air pollution due to open burning at the dumpsite. “The piles of plastic bottles and food waste also attract stray dogs and wild boars. The place is also full of flies and maggots,” he added. Meanwhile, Paloh state assemblyman Amran Arifin said his office would help to clear the rubbish on the road and trim bushes in the area for the convenience and safety of road users. “Bulldozers will be used for the cleanup on the 9km stretch. The operation will begin tomorrow and is scheduled to be completed in three days,” he said. – Bernama ‘Vital for army to remain credible’ KUALA LUMPUR: The army must continue to be a credible force in protecting the country’s sovereignty and national interests, said its chief Jen Datuk Seri Mohammad Ab Rahman. He said the need has now become increasingly pressing, especially with the fragile situation of the complex demarcation of international boundaries and the position of Malaysia’s two mainland regions separated by the South China Sea. Mohammad said the army must be in line with the future force profile outlined in the Defence White Paper and the country’s military strategy. “It is based on six characteristics, which are jointness, interoperability, technology-based, being able to operate simultaneously in two theatres, mission-oriented and logistical efficiency. “In addition, the army will continue to support the Armed Forces’ aspirations in generating joint war capabilities based on cross-domain synergy to ensure the country’s security, sovereignty and prosperity are protected,” he said in his inaugural address at Dataran PTD at the Perdana Sungai Besi military camp yesterday. Mohammad also said the army was taking steps towards the formation of a credible force through the “Army 4NEXTG” (For the Next Generation) strategic capability development plan. – Bernama International honour for prestigious run event KUALA LUMPUR: The Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon (KLSCM) has been awarded the “Road Race” label by governing body World Athletics, making it the first running event in Malaysia and only the fifth in Southeast Asia to receive the recognition. Registration of KLSCM was officially launched on April 28 by Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. The event, which will take place at Dataran Merdeka on Sept 30 and Oct 1, had more than 40,000 participants in its 2020 edition, which only took place late last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. KLSCM project director and director of Dirigo Events Rainer Biemans said KLSCM has attracted almost 7,000 participants through its priority registration, which opened on April 18. “We are delighted to receive the Road Race label from World Athletics, which is a stamp of approval that would give runners added confidence that they are registering for an internationally recognised event. “The priority registration closed on April 27. At the moment, we have about 33,000 From left: Biemans, KLSCM past winner Loh Chooi Fern, Muhaizar, Yeoh and Mak at the ceremony last Friday. – ADIB RAWI YAHYA/THESUN oStatus of Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon receives boost with ‘Road Race’ recognition by world governing body █ BYTHARANI NAIR [emailprotected] slots open for public registration,” he said. Biemans thanked the charity beneficiaries – Standard Chartered’s Futuremakers, Hospis Malaysia, Dignity for Children Foundation, Kechara Soup Kitchen and Reef Check Malaysia. “Run For A Reason (RFAR), an individual run charity programme, is also an important part of KLSCM to bring positive social change for the betterment of communities. RFAR has benefited and improved the lives of thousands of Malaysians by raising more than RM7 million over the last 15 years.” Rainer said participants who are new to the marathon and need guidance could join the running clinics organised for KLSCM, which will start on May 21. Standard Chartered Malaysia CEO Mak Joon Nien said the characteristics of KLSCM is aligned to the bank’s values and allow one to reach out to many people in significant ways and help uplift communities. “We are privileged to have this partnership of 15 years with Malaysia’s premier marathon and it is an honour for me to be here and see how it has flourished over the years, from 13,500 runners in 2009 to 51,000 at its peak in 2021. “Last year’s marathon was a particularly memorable one for me, as it was my first time running in the 10km category with my wife and son. The experience gave me a greater perspective on the event, and I distinctly remember the energy and euphoria felt by all the runners, especially at the final stretch before the finish line. “I look forward to seeing more memories made and cherished at the marathon’s 15th anniversary,” he said, adding that there will be several campaigns held for the event. “One of the campaigns will be for the Race from KL to Taipei. For this campaign, we will be sponsoring plane tickets for the winners to participate in the Standard Chartered Taipei Marathon and will give away 1,000 running passes for KLSCM. The campaign starts from April 28 to Sept 30.” Yeoh also expressed admiration for KLSCM’s inclusivity. “It is gratifying to know that the KLSCM committee and Dirigo Events are dedicated to developing the sport of distance running, and organised a world-class event with over 40,000 participants from Malaysia and around the world. “I understand that KLSCM previously uncovered the talents of runners such as Muhaizar Mohamad, who won bronze medals in the 2017 and 2019 editions of the SEA Games as Malaysia’s sole representative in the Full Marathon category, as well as Sheela Samivellu, who holds the national record for Women’s Half Marathon since the 2016 KLSCM edition. “What is especially heart-warming about KLSCM is that although the event has a serious and competitive element, it also caters to participants of all levels with its shorter distance categories for beginners and special categories for kids,” she said.

4 theSUN ON WEDNESDAY | MAY 3, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS Measures planned to address CIQ congestion woes JOHOR BAHRU: The Johor government and the Home Ministry will implement several initiatives to address congestion at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex at the Sultan Iskandar Building and the Sultan Abu Bakar Complex in Iskandar Puteri. Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said the state and the federal government are committed to improving the existing system and easing congestion on the land route between Malaysia and Singapore through the Johor Causeway and the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link. He said among the new initiatives discussed to address issues at Sultan Iskandar Building were the installation of closed-circuit television cameras for counter monitoring, merging of counters, modification of e-gate, Automatic Land Barrier, installation of additional roof at MBike, and maintenance of air-conditioning system. “At the Sultan Abu Bakar Complex, the initiatives include installation of additional roof at MBike, roof improvement at passenger lounge, placing better direction signage, and review on the need to provide shuttle bus service from rest and recreation areas to the complex to prevent vehicles from entering the bus route. “To address the staffing problems at both locations, the work shift during peak hours will be reviewed, and efforts will also be made to solve the problem of shortage of immigration staff,” he said on his Facebook post yesterday. He added that administrative issues such as overtime allowance of staff would also be looked into. – Bernama Move to seek support for Health White Paper GEORGE TOWN: The Health Ministry is hoping that the Health White Paper, which is deemed the start of a journey to achieve a more sustainable and competitive Malaysian health system, will get full support from the government and all levels of society. Health Director-General Datuk Dr Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan said the Health White Paper is expected to be tabled in Parliament in June to get bipartisan support from MPs before steps towards its implementation can be carried out. “Conceptually, it is complete and encompasses all aspects of health, but we need to start optimising strategies and planning from now. “We hope it will receive full support as the effort does not only involve the ministry. “It also requires comprehensive efforts of the society and the government to make the Malaysian health system more efficient,” he said after attending the Health White Paper town hall session for the northern zone here yesterday. Muhammad Radzi said among issues raised during the town hall session were improvements in health services such as over-crowding issues, especially at the emergency department and health clinics. The ministry is also striving to change society’s approach when seeking treatment by promoting preventive measures. He added that the Health White Paper will also focus on healthcare financing constraints as drastic increase in demand for health services, and the rising cost of healthcare have threatened the sustainability of healthcare funding. – Bernama Buddhist community all set for Wesak Day celebrations PETALING JAYA: The Buddhist community will be celebrating Wesak Day tomorrow to commemorate the birth, enlightenment and passing of Gautama Buddha. Malaysia Ban Foo Buddhist Organisation has invited the public to join the Wesak Day celebration on Sunday at its headquarters in Jalan SS 23/15, Taman Sea here from 8am to 4pm. Its spokesman, Yap Lee Kean, said this year’s theme, “Unity ignites, wealth and strength arise, together we stand, a nation so wise”, highlights the importance of unity and collective strength in fostering spiritual growth and compassionate action. “Our theme this year is inspired by and aligned with the theme set by the Malaysian Buddhist Association for the Wesak Day celebrations. We chose this theme to symbolise our unity as Buddhists,” she told theSun. Yap said Wesak Day is the most important Buddhist festival, as it emphasises the importance of oSpecial events to be held on Sunday for devotees to seek spiritual growth and strengthen sense of unity █ BYTHARANI NAIR [emailprotected] COOLING OFF ... Students keeping themselves hydrated outside their school in Jempol, Negeri Sembilan yesterday after the Meteorological Department issued a hot weather alert. – BERNAMAPIC Three-day music workshop at UM KUALA LUMPUR: Universiti Malaya (UM) music department will host a three-day workshop from May 24 to 26 with music education expert Dr Jeremy Dittus from the US, who will be teaching the “Dalcroze method”. This is a rare opportunity for music teachers in the country to further develop their education and teaching skills. Department senior lecturer and organiser Dr Poon Chiew Hwa said Dittus has many years of teaching experience specialising in the Dalcroze music education approach. He has been involved in the field for many years, working as a pianist, theorist and a Dalcroze education specialist. “In this workshop, he will share about the Dalcroze education method, which is one of the three major teaching methods in the field of music education. “Unlike traditional static music teaching methods, Dalcroze advocates using movement to learn music through active listening,” she said. Those interested can register at https://forms.gle/arBMV5WdLpdQ MApx9. The deadline for registration is on May 15. Selangor targets RM1b GDV for property projects SHAH ALAM: The Selangor State Development Corporation is targeting a gross development value (GDV) of about RM1 billion for six new housing and real estate projects by the end of this year. However, its deputy chief executive officer (management and entrepreneurship) Suhaimi Kasdon said the projection is subject to current market conditions. “This year’s projects involve more than 5,000 housing units in several locations, including in Shah Alam, Kota Puteri, Kuala Selangor and Antara Gapi, Rawang,” he said after launching the Discover PKNS 2023 Campaign here yesterday. Suhaimi said the campaign will be implemented in five locations starting this Saturday until Oct 29. They are at Kota Puteri, Antara Gapi, Selangor Cyber Valley, Cyberjaya; PKNS Complex and closing at the Shah Alam Convention Centre. “The campaign acts as a platform to promote the corporation projects that involve local community as well as strategic partners participation. “It is also to attract public’s involvement through activities as well as act as a platform to attract the interest of potential buyers,” he said. – Bernama compassion, being mindful, and the interconnectedness of all beings. “It serves as an opportunity for Buddhists to recommit to the teachings of Buddhism, deepen their understanding of the dharma (teachings of universal truth), and engage in practices that cultivate wisdom and compassion. “By participating in Wesak Day celebrations, Buddhists reaffirm the core values of Buddhism and strengthen their sense of community, unity, and spiritual growth.” She said the Buddhist philosophy for Wesak Day focuses on the “Three Jewels of Buddhism” that is the Buddha, the dharma, and the sangha (community). “It is a day for reflection, cultivation of wisdom, ethical conduct, and mental discipline to achieve enlightenment and liberation from sufferings.” Yap said the celebration starts with Buddhist hymns to promote the dharma with pleasant melodies. “We will chant sutras and pray for blessings of our wellbeing, share inspirational stories and teachings to allow participants to experience the solemnity and dignity of our culture. “For our participants who are having doubts in life and seeking guidance, they can draw divine lots at our divination stall,” she said. Yap added that the celebration will feature various religious and cultural activities such as light offerings, bathing the Buddha ceremony, charity sales and free health checkups. “There will be about 60 stalls on site offering vegetarian food such as sweet and savoury dumplings and pastries, beverages, daily necessities, speciality products and handicraft items, among others.” Yap said the organisation has invited medical consultant Dr Steve Pang Chan Fu to conduct medical checkups for guests and devotees at the celebration. “Our checkup includes dermatoglyphics (the scientific study of fingerprint lines) as well as blood pressure and blood sugar tests to encourage our guests, especially the elderly, to pay attention to their physical and mental health.” Yap said participants can express their devotion and respect through light offerings where they will light a lamp and place it on a shelf as a sign of extending life and increasing blessings and wisdom. There’s also a bathing ceremony to pray for family safety and career success. “The bathing ceremony is the symbolic bathing of the Buddha statue, representing the purification of one’s body, speech and mind. “Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in the bathing ceremony as, besides symbolising inner purification, it is believed that the act of bathing the Buddha can help with the purgation of sins,” she said.

5 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON WEDNESDAY | MAY 3, 2023 Retired serviceman finds new fortune in printing business KUALA LUMPUR: When Wan Mohd Zamri Wan Abu Bakar retired in 2010 after serving in the army for 22 years, the only thing he could bank on to carve a successful life for himself and his family was his propensity to work hard. He was only 42 years old then and considered setting up a business offering graphic and printing services. Fortunately for Wan Mohd Zamri, 55, who held the rank of warrant officer 1 at the time of his retirement, he had the opportunity to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills in graphics and printing by attending a course organised by the Ex-Serviceman Affairs Corporation, which is based in Sungai Buloh, Selangor. Today, he is the proud owner of Galaksi Wany Enterprise. His office and printing press are located in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan and his company generates a net profit of between RM30,000 and RM40,000 a month. The Ex-Serviceman Affairs Corporation offers various three to 18 month long vocational, technical and entrepreneurial courses to oEntrepreneur says he owes his success to ‘lots of hard work, perseverance and grit’ armed forces personnel who are up for mandatory retirement to improve their socioeconomic prospects upon retirement, Bernama reported. “Before I retired in 2010, some of my colleagues and I were offered a choice of skills-based courses that we could take. I had an interest in the multimedia field, so I chose to pick up graphic design skills and learned to use Adobe Illustrator, InDesign and the Photoshop software.” Wan Mohd Zamri said he owes his success to “lots of hard work, perseverance and grit”. “Thanks to the Ex-Serviceman Affairs Corporation, I was able to learn new skills and set up my own printing company. My perseverance came from my experience while I was stationed with the Royal Air Defence Artillery Unit at the Sungai Besi camp in Kuala Lumpur. “My work taught me what patience, mental and physical resilience were all about. “It required me to be skilled in using all types of cannons such as the Oerlikon 35mm as well as memorising their names and functions. “After 10 years, I was made a trainer and had to (teach new recruits) on all aspects of artillery, military radar and the designs of aircraft, including the Sukhoi and Mikoyan MiG-29.” “I’ve been making use of the invaluable experiences and qualities I gained throughout my career to build up my company brand.” He added that his success has helped to counter the misconception that armed forces personnel become unsociable and stop serving society after their retirement. Wan Mohd Zamri, who hails from Tanah Merah in Kelantan, said he has been giving back to society through his firm by helping small businesses in Negeri Sembilan, Malacca and Kuala Lumpur. “Before I started my printing company, I noticed many petty traders, especially those operating along the beach in Port Dickson, needed help to promote their businesses. “Many of them didn’t have signboards to promote their products. That’s when I got the idea of starting a printing firm and offering them reasonably priced printing services,” he said, adding that his clientele has grown since then and now includes restaurants, polytechnics and well-known Port Dickson hotels such as Hotel PNB Ilham Resort, Hotel Klana Beach Resort and Hotel Seri Malaysia. Although Wan Mohd Zamri’s company is making a profit now, it has not been a smooth ride for him to get to where he is. “Printing machines are very sensitive and are the (heart) of my company. Repairs are expensive. It can cost up to RM7,000 to get a printing machine repaired.” CASE EXHIBITS ... Selangor Police Chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan (second from left) showing a picture of a vehicle believed to have been used during the murder of a health clinic chain owner, whose body was found in a gorge in Hulu Langat. Five suspects have been arrested. – BERNAMAPIC Senior couple robbed in front of residence MALACCA: An elderly couple were traumatised when two men on a motorcycle smashed the windscreen of their car and robbed them in front of their house at Taman Muhibbah on Jalan Pantai Emas in Klebang Besar here on Saturday. Gan Chuei Lan, 66, said she and her husband, Gue Boon Guan, 65, had just arrived home in their car at 10.45pm. “My husband then got out of the car to open the gate, while I waited in the car when I heard a man shout the word ‘bag’ and smash the car windscreen with a wooden stick. “Glass shards from the windscreen hit my face and in a state of panic, I shifted to the driver’s seat to get out of the car and then hurled my handbag into the house compound, while shouting for help,” she said while recounting the incident during a visit by Klebang assemblyman Datuk Lim Ban Hong at her residence yesterday. Gan said the other man then climbed over the gate and took her handbag. “He also hit my husband with a baseball bat on the left leg and grabbed his wallet before fleeing on a motorcycle,” she said, adding that they were robbed of about RM400 in cash. Gan said her husband then lodged a report on the incident at about 11.30pm the same day. She also said the robbery was not the first in the area as her son had been robbed in front of their house before and several of the houses in the neighbourhood had also been broken into. Lim said he had requested police, particularly personnel at the Batang Tiga police station to increase patrols in Taman Muhibbah and nearby areas to curb such crimes. He also advised residents to be more vigilant and to immediately lodge a report with police on the presence of suspicious individuals in the area. – Bernama Plaintiff allowed to serve writ on ex-minister via newspapers KUALA LUMPUR: An egg importing company, J&E Advance Tech Sdn Bhd, has been granted permission by the High Court to serve a writ of summons to former International Trade and Industry minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali via local newspapers. Its lawyer Elyse Ng said High Court deputy registrar Rozana Husin allowed the application by her client when the matter came up for case management on Friday. “The company was unable to serve sealed copies of the writ of summons and statement of claim on Mohamed Azmin personally to date despite numerous attempts. As such, we applied to the court on April 24 to serve the cause papers on him via substituted service. “Following that, we were instructed by the court to serve the cause papers on him by publishing the notice in a local newspaper. The next case management was fixed on May 16,” she said. The company filed the suit against Mohamed Azmin on April 12 for alleging that the company had obtained a contract via direct negotiations with the government to import eggs from India. The suit was filed through Law Chambers of Han and Zi at the High Court, naming Mohamed Azmin as the sole defendant, claiming that he had defamed the company in a political talk titled “Ceramah Perdana: Solidariti Menentang Kezaliman” at Taman Melewar in Gombak on March 11, and his words were published by the print and electronic media, including on YouTube. – Bernama Tanjung Buloh drowning victims laid to rest KOTA TINGGI: The remains of two sisters, who were found drowned at the Tanjung Buloh public beach in Kuala Sedili yesterday, were buried at the Batu 4 Muslim Cemetery in Jalan Lombong here yesterday. The remains of Siti Rabiah Johari, 13, and her sister Siti Nursalina, 10, were buried together in one grave at 11.15am. Earlier, post-mortems were conducted by the Kota Tinggi Hospital forensic unit before the remains were brought to the An-Nur Mosque in Kampung Batu Ampat for funeral rites. Kota Tinggi district police chief Supt Hussin Zamora said the family of six was on an outing at the beach in conjunction with the Labour Day holiday when the two sisters drowned. Hussin said the body of Siti Rabiah was found about 50m from the shore at 4pm, while the body of her sister was found 15 minutes later about 15m away from the location where she was last seen. – Bernama Woman, granddaughter killed in road crash MACHANG: A 67-year-old woman and her granddaughter died after the car they were travelling in crashed at Km42 on Jalan Kota Bharu-Kuala Krai yesterday. Machang district police chief Supt Mohd Adli Mat Daud identified the deceased as Che Hasnah Jusoh and Nurin Damia Mohd Nizam, 14. He said Che Hasnah’s son Muhammad Asyraf Abdul Manap, 26, who was driving the car, suffered leg injuries in the 5.10am incident. “They were travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Kampung Bunut Tok Mak Teh Labok in Machang, Kelantan when the car crashed into the railings on the left side of the road.” Mohd Adli said firefighters had to be called to extricate the two passengers from the mangled car. “Nurin Damia suffered head injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, while Che Hasnah died at 8.30am while being treated at the Machang Hospital.” – Bernama

6 theSUN ON WEDNESDAY | MAY 3, 2023 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS /thesundaily FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK SCAN ME US, Philippines recommit to security alliance WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden told his counterpart Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Monday that the American commitment to the defence of its ally was “ironclad”, including in the South China Sea where Manila is under pressure from Beijing. Marcos, on the first White House visit by a Philippines leader in 10 years, stressed the importance of the United States as his country’s sole treaty ally in a region with “arguably the most complicated geopolitical situation in the world right now”. The two countries reaffirmed their decades-old security alliance in a trip that marks a dramatic turnaround in US-Philippine relations as both countries seek ways to push back against what they see oBiden and Marcos Jr urge peace, stability across Taiwan Strait Australia to ban recreational vaping CANBERRA: Australia said yesterday it will ban recreational vaping and tighten other aspects of e-cigarette laws in the biggest crackdown on the tobacco industry in more than a decade to try to stop an alarming rise in teenage vaping. The government aims to ban all disposable vapes, which often comes in fruity flavours, ban the import of non-prescription vapes and limit nicotine levels, aiming for the sale of vapes to be confined to helping smokers quit. “Just like they did with smoking, Big Tobacco has taken another addictive product, wrapped it in shiny packaging and added flavours to create a new generation of nicotine addicts,” Health Minister Mark Butler said in a speech at the National Press Club. Vaping, widely seen as a safer alternative to smoking cigarettes and useful for helping smokers quit, involves heating a liquid that contains nicotine in what is called an e-cigarette and turning it into a vapour that users inhale. But studies have shown the potential of long-term harm from the addictive e-cigarettes. Under the new rules, vapes will be sold only in pharmacies and require “pharmaceutical-type” packaging. Disposable vapes popular with young people will also be banned. Though a prescription is needed to buy nicotine vapes in Australia, lax border enforcement and a thriving illegal market mean they are readily available in convenience stores and other outlets. Butler said vaping had become a recreational product in Australia, mostly sold to teenagers and young people, who are three times as likely to take up smoking. “This is a product targeted at our kids, sold alongside lollies and chocolate bars. “Vaping has now become the number one behavioural issue in high schools. “And it’s becoming widespread in primary schools as well.” About 22% of Australians aged between 18 and 24 have used an e-cigarette or vaping device at least once, data showed. – Reuters B R I E F SU.S. CLIMBER DIES ON EVEREST KATHMANDU: A US mountaineer has died on Everest in the fourth fatality on the world’s highest peak this climbing season. Jonathan Sugarman, 69, was on an acclimatisation rotation at 6,400m when he died on Monday, his expedition organiser said. “He was feeling unwell and passed away at Camp 2. Efforts are under way to bring (back) his body,” said Pasang Tshering Sherpa of Beyul Adventure. “We are trying to send a helicopter but it is snowing and the weather is not favourable,” he said. Last year, Sugarman reached Camp 3 on Everest before abandoning a climb. This year’s spring climbing season on Everest had a tragic start last month with the death of three Nepali climbers when a block of ice fell and swept them into a deep crevasse. – AFP KISHIDA TO VISIT SOUTH KOREA TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will visit South Korea next week, Japan’s Foreign Ministry said yesterday, as the two US allies pursue warmer ties. Kishida will hold talks with President Yoon Suk Yeol on the first trip to South Korea by a Japanese premier since 2018. It comes after the leaders agreed to end tit-for-tat trade curbs at a March summit in Tokyo, de-escalating a bitter dispute over Japan’s use of wartime forced labour. Japan’s Foreign Ministry and the South Korean presidential office both confirmed the May 7 and 8 trip. Kishida called the visit “a good opportunity to hold a candid exchange of opinions over accelerating Japan and South Korea’s relationship. – AFP China stepping up use of exit bans: Group BEIJING: China has prevented increasing numbers of people from leaving the country as part of efforts to tighten controls under President Xi Jinping, a human rights group said yesterday. Since 2018, Beijing has passed five new or amended laws expanding its ability to impose so-called exit bans, bringing the total to 15, according to Madrid-based rights group Safeguard Defenders. “Since Xi Jinping took power in 2012, China has expanded the legal landscape for exit bans and increasingly used them, sometimes outside legal justification,” the group said in a report. Between 2016 and 2020, there was an eightfold-increase in the number of cases where exit bans were mentioned in the Chinese Supreme Court’s legal database, the report said. “Many are unaware of their exit ban until they are at the border attempting to leave the country.” Local laws governing the use of exit bans are “vague, ambiguous, complex and expansive”, it said, noting they were often “impossible” to appeal. While stressing that a lack of official data made specific figures hard to come by, the report estimated that tens of thousands of Chinese nationals were under exit bans at any one time. The rights group said anecdotal evidence from “rights lawyers and human rights defenders in China” also suggested that “the problem of politically-targeted exit bans has been growing worse over the past five years”. It also said dozens of foreigners had been prevented from leaving China in recent years. Among those targeted have been lawyers, journalists and foreign business executives, the report said. A study published last year cited by Safeguard Defenders also found that 128 foreigners – including 29 Americans and 44 Canadians – were slapped with exit bans between 1995 and 2019. – AFP Korean student eats US$120,000 banana artwork SEOUL: A South Korean student, who ate a US$120,000 (RM535,000) artwork consisting of a banana taped to a wall, said he was hungry after skipping breakfast. Comedian, by Maurizio Cattelan, was on display in Seoul’s Leeum Museum of Art as part of an exhibition by the Italian artist. Noh Huyn-soo took the banana off the wall and ate it before reattaching the peel to the wall using the same tape. Asked by musem authorities about his actions, the Seoul National University student said he had skipped breakfast and was hungry. In an interview with local broadcaster KBS, Noh said “damaging a work of modern art could also be (interpreted as a kind of ) artwork”. “Isn’t it taped there to be eaten?” The fruit is replaced every two to three days on the direction of Cattelan, who reportedly said there was “no problem at all” over the incident. The artwork has been eaten before. In 2019, performance artiste David Datuna ate the banana after Comedian sold for US$120,000 at Art Basel in Miami. “It’s very delicious,” he said. Datuna also defended his decision to eat the installation by calling it art performance and not an act of vandalism. – The Independent as China’s increasingly aggressive actions near Taiwan and in the South China Sea. US officials said the leaders would agree new guidelines for stronger military cooperation, as well as stepped up economic cooperation. “The US remains ironclad in our commitment to the defence of the Philippines, including the South China Sea,” Biden told Marcos in the Oval Office. A joint statement said this meant that any armed attack on Philippine armed forces, public vessels or aircraft in the Pacific, including in the South China Sea, would invoke US mutual defence commitments under a 1951 Mutual Defence Treaty. Washington sees the Philippines as key to any effort to counter an invasion of Taiwan by China, which claims the self-ruled island as its own territory. Manila recently agreed to allow the US access to four more of its military bases under an Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement, but the two sides have not said what American assets will be stationed there. The joint statement said the leaders “affirm the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of global security and prosperity”. Under Rodrigo Duterte, Marcos’ predecessor, US relations soured as he turned the Philippines sharply away from its former colonial ruler and built closer ties with China. US officials said the new guidelines focused on military coordination across land, sea, air, space and cyberspace. “It is only natural for the Philippines to look to its sole treaty partner in the world to strengthen and to redefine the relationship that we have and the roles that we play in the face of those rising tensions that we see now around the South China, Asia Pacific and Indo-Pacific region,” Marcos said. The Biden-Marcos joint statement did not name the Chinese government. Experts said the US considers the Philippines a potential location for rockets, missiles and artillery systems to counter a Chinese amphibious assault on Taiwan. – Reuters FOUND AT LAST ... Debris suspected of being the wreckage of a Japan Ground Self-Defence Force UH-60JA helicopter are pulled out of the water by a work boat off the coast of the city of Miyakojima yesterday. The aircraft, with 10 people on board, had been on a reconnaissance mission when it went missing on April 6, in what the military described as an ‘aerial accident’. – AFPPIC

7 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS theSUN ON WEDNESDAY | MAY 3, 2023 Sudan mass exodus feared as truce violated KHARTOUM: Fierce fighting between rival generals raged on in Sudan yesterday despite the latest truce, as warnings multiplied of the potential for a “catastrophic” humanitarian crisis with hundreds of thousands of refugees. Bloodshed has gripped Sudan since April 15 when tensions erupted into armed exchanges between regular army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy turned rival, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Hundreds have been killed and thousands wounded as air strikes and artillery exchanges have gripped swathes of greater Khartoum sparking the exodus of thousands of Sudanese to neighbouring countries. Many more cannot afford the arduous journey to Sudan’s borders, and have been forced to hole up inside the city of five million people with dwindling supplies of food, water and electricity. “We are hearing some sporadic gunfire, the roaring of a warplane and the anti-aircraft fire at it,” said one resident of south Khartoum. In a Monday briefing, UN humanitarian coordinator in Sudan Abdou Dieng warned that the situation was turning into “a full-blown catastrophe”. Kenyan President William Ruto said the conflict had reached “catastrophic levels” with the warring generals declining “to heed the calls by the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development, the African Union and the international community to cease fire.” In a virtual meeting with senior UN officials, Ruto said it was imperative to find ways to provide humanitarian relief “with or without a ceasefire”. Burhan and Daglo, who fell out after carrying out a 2021 military coup which derailed Sudan’s transition to elective civilian rule, have flouted multiple ceasefires, the latest a 72-hour extension agreed late on Sunday. Foreign governments have scrambled to evacuate their citizens. Over the past 10 days, thousands of foreigners have been brought to safety by air or sea in operations that are now winding down. UN humanitarian affairs chief Martin Griffiths arrived in Nairobi on Monday on a mission to find ways to bring relief to the millions of civilians trapped inside Sudan. Refugee agency UNHCR said it was bracing for “the possibility that over 800,000 people may flee the fighting in Sudan for neighbouring countries”. – AFP US authorities hunt killer of five neighbours WASHINGTON: A vast search was under way in the US state of Texas on Monday for the man suspected of shooting dead five neighbours, including a nine-year-old boy, after they asked him to stop firing his rifle in his yard late at night. The FBI said more than 250 law enforcement officers from a dozen agencies were “actively searching” for 38-year-old Mexican national Francisco Oropesa. Oropesa is accused of attacking his neighbours on Friday night in the small town of Cleveland, in southeastern Texas, after they allegedly asked him to stop shooting his semi-automatic AR-15 because the noise was keeping a baby awake. Texas Governor Greg Abbott offered a US$50,000 (RM223,000) reward for information leading to the capture of Oropesa, who he said was “in the country illegally.” The short statement by Abbott, a Republican, also referred to the suspect as having “killed five illegal immigrants”, sparking immediate criticism on social media over his focus on the victims’ immigration status. “Five human beings lost their lives and Greg Abbott insists on labelling them ‘illegal immigrants’,” tweeted Julian Castro, the former Democratic mayor of the Texas city of San Antonio. The victims were originally from Honduras. CNN reported that Oropesa had been deported from the US at least four times since 2009, citing a source from immigration authorities. The news channel said his current immigration status was unclear. – AFP ‘Godfather of AI’ warns of technology’s dangers WASHINGTON: A computer scientist often dubbed “the godfather of artificial intelligence” has quit his job at Google to speak out about the dangers of the technology, American media reported on Monday. Geoffrey Hinton, who created a foundation technology for AI systems, told The New York Times that advancements made in the field posed “profound risks to society and humanity”. “Look at how it was five years ago and how it is now,” he was quoted as saying in the piece, which was published on Monday. “Take the difference and propagate it forwards. That’s scary.” Hinton said competition between tech giants was pushing companies to release new AI technologies at dangerous speeds, risking jobs and spreading misinformation. oScientist says average person ‘will not be able to know what is true anymore’ Six dead in crashes involving nearly 100 vehicles WASHINGTON: At least six people died on Monday after a dust storm caused visibility to plummet along a US highway, leading to crashes involving nearly 100 vehicles. Some 40 to 60 passenger vehicles, along with 30 commercial vehicles, crashed in the Midwestern state of Illinois “due to excessive winds blowing dirt from farm fields across the highway,” police said in a statement. Two semi-trucks caught fire as a result of the late-morning crashes, which occurred along a two-mile stretch of Interstate 55, it said. The highway is a major thoroughfare, connecting major cities such as Chicago and St Louis. More than 30 people were taken to the hospital with injuries ranging “from minor to life threatening”, police said. Victims ranged from ages two to 80. Images published from the scene showed firefighters in the dusty, hazy aftermath, in some cases in near zero-visibility conditions as smoke – and sometimes fires – rose from vehicles, some of which had careened off the highway. Eight people died in a similar accident in Utah in 2021, when a sandstorm caused a series of crashes ensnaring 22 vehicles. – AFP FLAMES OF DISCONTENT ... French riot policemen reacting to a petrol bomb during May Day protests in Paris. – QG MEDIA/ LUC AUFFRET/ REUTERSPIC B R I E F STWO FIREFIGHTERS MISSING IN CANADA OTTAWA: Two firefighters were missing after being swept away by floodwaters on Monday near Baie-Saint-Paul in Canada’s Quebec province, as heavy rains swelled rivers across the region. A Quebec provincial police spokesman told AFP the two men were “trying to help residents who were trapped by floodwaters” when they were carried off by rushing waters from the Gouffre River just before 2pm local time (2am yesterday in Malaysia). A search for the pair continues, she said. A severe downpour caused the river to jump its banks. Flooding cut off several roads and bridges, stranding residents of the town, about 100km northeast of Quebec City. – AFP ELECT PRESIDENT, LEBANESE MPS URGED WASHINGTON: The United States on Monday called on Lebanon’s Parliament to elect a new president, as the country marks six months without a leader at the helm. “The US calls on Lebanon’s political leadership to move expeditiously to elect a president to unite the country and swiftly enact the reforms needed to rescue its economy from crisis,” said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller. A caretaker Cabinet with limited powers has been at the helm since May last year after legislative polls gave no side a clear majority. Former president Michel Aoun’s term then expired in October. Numerous parliamentary votes have been held since, but no candidate has garnered enough support to succeed Aoun. – AFP “It is hard to see how you can prevent the bad actors from using it for bad things,” the scientist told the newspaper. Last year, Google and OpenAI – the start-up behind the popular AI chatbot ChatGPT – started building systems using much larger amounts of data than before. Hinton told the Times he believed that these systems were eclipsing human intelligence in some ways because of the amount of data they were analysing. “Maybe what is going on in these systems is actually a lot better than what is going on in the brain.” While AI has been used to support human workers, the rapid expansion of chatbots like ChatGPT could put jobs at risk. AI “takes away the drudge work” but “might take away more than that”, he told the Times. The scientist also warned about the potential spread of misinformation created by AI, telling the Times that the average person will “not be able to know what is true anymore.” Hinton notified Google of his resignation last month, the Times reported. Google AI lead scientist Jeff Dean thanked Hinton in a statement to US media. “As one of the first companies to publish AI Principles, we remain committed to a responsible approach to AI. “We’re continually learning to understand emerging risks while also innovating boldly.” In March, tech billionaire Elon Musk and a range of experts called for a pause in the development of AI systems to allow time to make sure they are safe. An open letter, signed by more than 1,000 people including Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, was prompted by the release of GPT-4, a much more powerful version of the technology used by ChatGPT. Hinton did not sign that letter at the time, but told the Times that scientists should not “scale this up more until they have understood whether they can control it”. – AFP

8 theSUN ON WEDNESDAY | MAY 3, 2023 SPEAK UP E-scooter safety on the streets ELECTRIC scooters (e-scooters) are contentious wherever they are found. They could either be allowed on the streets or banned. On April 2, Parisians voted to ban them from being used in their city, with 89% of voters favouring the proposed ban and 11% opposing it. Following this, the contracts of three companies operating e-scooter rental services in Paris will not be renewed upon their expiry on Sept 1. Globally, the business of bicycle rental had gone bust while the popularity of e-scooters continues to surge. Eight years ago, I was a panellist in the SPAD Land Public Transport Symposium 2015 and spoke during the session titled “The First and Last Mile Connectivity: How Do We Make It Better?” Then, battery-powered personal mobility devices were still very much a novelty. I showed the audience pictures of an electric unicycle and hoverboard, which is similar to a skateboard but battery-powered in that it could move forward, reverse or turn simply by leaning towards the direction, but many found it difficult to stay balanced on it and suffered bad falls. Hoverboards are the most compact of such devices and could easily be carried on board a bus, train or aircraft, but was later banned by airlines as the powerful batteries were fire hazards. Later, e-scooters, with a handle to steer and could only move forward, became hugely popular. Back then, I called on the authorities to allow the public to use single- or double-wheel battery-powered personal mobility devices on public roads to bridge the gap for first and lastmile connectivity to encourage people to use trains and buses in promoting public transport. I also took the opportunity to propose the return of minibuses as part of the last-mile connectivity solution especially to and from LRT, KTM and MRT stations. These proposals were published under “Bring back mini bus” by theSun on Nov 18, 2015. Much water has flowed under the bridge, but first and last-mile connectivity remains an issue and this is not lost on the Petaling Jaya City Council. It is allowing a company that specialises in micro-mobility services to offer e-scooter rentals at selected locations in the city. During the recent launch at Taman Jaya LRT station in Petaling Jaya, Bukit Gasing assemblyman Rajiv Rishyakaran was reported to have said: “We want to facilitate movement from LRT and MRT stations to nearby commercial and residential areas.” “It is hard for some people to get to their destinations from public transport hubs and it can be very expensive at times. Commuters will find it more convenient and affordable to get from one location to another with this service.” The situation is very much the same in many cities and urban centres across the country, with some choosing to ban e-scooters out of expediency instead of making efforts to control their usage for the safety of riders and other road users, particularly pedestrians. Unlike normal vehicles using internal combustion engines that could be distinctly heard, the only sound produced by batterypowered cars, motorbikes, bicycles and escooters is by the tyres, which may not be audible or drowned out by other noises in the vicinity. As a safety feature, all types of electric vehicles should emit a recognisable sound for the safety of others. If this is not incorporated in e-scooters for hire, then there should be a built-in horn for riders to warn people nearby, especially when passing pedestrians from behind. If e-scooters can be safely used, they could be an added attraction for the destination. My teenage granddaughter, who lives in Australia with her parents, lists riding on an escooter in Penang as the highlight of her lengthy tour of Malaysia that covered many cities and towns. YS Chan is a master trainer for Mesra Malaysia and Travel and Tours Enhancement Course as well as an Asean Tourism Master Trainer. He is also a transport and training consultant and writer. Comments: [emailprotected] COMMENT by YS Chan Balancing kindness with accountability KINDNESS, is it an over-rated or under-rated practice in the workplace? Increasing research has shown that kindness can have a significant impact on employee satisfaction, productivity and overall organisational success. Creating a culture of kindness in the workplace involves several key components. These include actively listening to and addressing the concerns of coworkers and colleagues, recognising their perspectives and contributions, involving them in decisionmaking processes that affect them and, most importantly, showing respect for their humanity. Simple but consistent acts of kindness, such as greeting others with a smile and a warm greeting, giving them your full attention, refraining from interrupting when they speak and using polite language such as “please” and “thank you”, can go a long way in fostering a culture of kindness. Edie Weinstein vouches for this in her book The Kindness Revolution: How Company Culture Can Change the Power Game, that a kind workplace culture leads to increased employee engagement, decreased turnover rates and a more positive company reputation. Herein lies the role of the leadership in modelling such traits in creating a culture of kindness within the workplace. Small gestures and thoughtfulness of the leadership in encouraging employees to take breaks when needed, providing support for mental health and well-being, and promoting work-life balance would go a long way. However, striking a healthy balance between kindness and assertiveness is pivotal in ensuring it aligns with the organisation’s overall goals while creating a healthy work environment. It should not be prioritised above all else. In fact, leaders must be mindful of potential issues that may arise when implementing a culture of kindness, particularly among employees with low emotional intelligence or those who may take advantage of kindness. It is important to also understand the repercussions of practising kindness excessively which can also bring about unintended consequences due to different mental capacities of employees, lack of maturity, personal values and dynamics of the work culture in the organisation. Hence, the tendency to be perceived as weak or indecisive resulting in a lack of respect and authority, which some employees may take advantage of and become entitled or demanding. Moreover, excessive kindness can lead to complacency among employees, inhibiting their drive to achieve their full potential as the focus is solely on accommodating coworkers instead of exploring the potential to strive for greater success and stifling innovation within the organisation. Practising kindness should not compromise the importance of having difficult conversations and feedback which requires employees to be responsible for their actions and address issues that arise. When kindness is prioritised above all else, it can also result in a one-size-fits-all approach that fails to consider these differences. This may lead to a lack of diversity and inclusion within the organisation which hinders appreciating differences in perspective, experiences, ideas and possibilities. While having an element of kindness creates a positive work environment where employees feel valued and supported which in turn leads to increased engagement and productivity, kindness alone is insufficient to ensure high performance in an organisation. It has to be paired with a culture of accountability. In her book, Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts, Brené Brown argues that creating a culture of accountability requires clear expectations, feedback, and consequences for actions. Accountability assures employees that the work they do is impactful to the overall success of the organisation, leading to a sense of purpose, accomplishment and pride in their work. Additionally, when employees feel accountable for their actions and contributions, they are more likely to deliver high-quality work and take steps to avoid mistakes hence creating a culture of continuous improvement in the workplace. Admittedly, striving for a balance between kindness and accountability in the workplace can be challenging. For instance, accountability involves setting clear expectations and holding individuals responsible for meeting those expectations. This often requires providing critical feedback and setting consequences that can be perceived as harsh or punitive. Thus, it is essential to find a middle ground between being supportive and holding individuals accountable for their performance. Implementing kindness with accountability can be challenging as it requires finding a balance between empathy and clear expectations, which can be difficult to achieve without compromising one or the other. However, by doing so, organisations can create a workplace culture that values the wellbeing of employees and the success of the organisation. Dr Treesna Nadira Johar P. Veni Muthusamy Bukit Kiara LETTERS [emailprotected] “The situation is very much the same in many cities and urban centres across the country, with some choosing to ban e-scooters out of expediency instead of making efforts to control their usage for the safety of riders and other road users, particularly pedestrians.

9 SPEAK UP theSUN ON WEDNESDAY | MAY 3, 2023 Light of Wesak on nation’s future WESAK Day tomorrow commemorates the birth, enlightenment and death of Lord Buddha. Celebrated with much less fanfare than Aidilfitri and Christmas, this is nevertheless a day worth reflecting upon a highly relevant Buddhist teaching for the nation and humanity. Buddha is the last person anyone should suspect of wanting to shake your religious faith, for he stated: “If you find truth (in any religion, philosophy or science, then accept that truth without any prejudice).” This quotation is taken from Treasure of the Dhamma by Dr K. Sri Dhammananda and it is regarded to be a summary of a long passage in the scripture Anguttara Nikaya. That passage, in Part 3 Chapter 7, describes a dialogue with a group of town leaders wherein the Buddha is asked for his opinion about the abuses that religious men throw at each other because of conflicting teachings. The Buddha advised against being misled by traditions, scriptural proficiency, mere logic or inference, acceptance of a theory or the authority of a religious man. Rather, abide by what is profitable for the cleansing of moral impurities and control of your mind, what is blameless, free of censure, praiseworthy and conducive to happiness. On many other occasions too, the Buddha warned against engaging in theological arguments that lead a disputant to claim that the religious concepts he believes in are the most excellent, whereas concepts that are different are wretched. “Because he sees in himself a good result, with regard to what has been seen or heard, virtue and holy works or what has been thought, therefore, having embraced that, he looks upon everything else as bad” (Paramatthaka Sutta). The Buddha warned of the harmful effects of religious prejudice. “A view can be one-sided. If one is strongly attached to a view, one is bound to defend it and consider other views as wrong. Thus disputes arise and they impede the proper understanding of things and the development of wisdom” (Mahaviyuha Sutta). Do not be narrowly focused on just the truth in your own religion. In Pasura Sutta, the Buddha said: “Here they maintain purity, in other doctrines, they do not allow purity; what they have devoted themselves to, that they call good and they enter extensively upon the single truths.” In Majjhima Nikaya, the Buddha advised: “One should avoid coming to the conclusion, ‘This alone is the truth, all else is falsehood.’ In this way, you safeguard the truth.” The hardening of religious identities has become standard practice in many Asian countries and it will keep Asia engulfed in sectarian conflicts. In Myanmar a decade ago, the dominant community developed a sense of religious besiegement and began treating the adherents of minority religions violently as their rising numbers were seen as a threat. India is witnessing sporadic outbreaks of mob violence against the followers of two minority religions because some hardline right-wingers see them as threats to their nationalist ideology. In Pakistan, religious minorities often face discrimination, harassment and violence with reported incidents of forced conversions. Ancient feuds between Catholics and Protestants – two rival branches of Christianity – in Northern Ireland and between Sunnis and Shiites – two rival branches of Islam – in Iraq, continue to sap humanity. These feuds originated from leadership disagreements that spilt over to doctrine. How you may ask, can religious people inflict violence upon one another? Researchers have found that hostile emotions may suppress activity in the lateral orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), a region of the brain that steers individuals away from violent behaviour. When the OFC’s function is impaired by chronic hostility between communities, individuals who normally live righteous lives no longer feel restrained from inflicting violence on others. It is thus heartening that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has urged Muslims to learn from the example of Cambodia, a predominantly Buddhist country that holds minority Muslims in high regard. The prime minister said, “This is a lesson because sometimes when we are the majority, we feel so highly of ourselves thinking that other groups do not deserve respect”. A year ago, Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said in the Dewan Rakyat that Muslims, being the majority, had a responsibility to safeguard the rights and interests of minorities. “Don’t do to others what you don’t want others to do to you,” said Nazri. However, it is so common for religious groups to violate this Golden Rule ethic by claiming world supremacy for their respective founders. If every religion crowns its founder as world supremo, religious disputation becomes inevitable. The Buddha made it clear that such a claim of matchless supremacy is not an absolute teaching but is only relatively and contextually valid. If you read some verses in isolation – “Having broken the eggshell of ignorance, I alone in the world am fully awake to unsurpassed and complete awakening” (Anguttara Nikaya), “Victorious over all, omniscient am I ... A teacher supreme am I” (Majjhima Nikaya) – it would seem that the Buddha also made a claim to matchless supremacy. Although he referred to himself as the “Perfect Buddha who is now”, the Buddha also mentioned the “Perfect Buddhas who have passed” and the “Perfect Buddhas yet to come.” (Anguttara Nikaya). “From time to time, a fully awakened one is born into the world, abounding in wisdom and goodness, with knowledge of the worlds, unsurpassed as a guide to mortals willing to be led” (Tevigga Sutta). “There have been in past times, a teacher so glorious, a proclaiming of the truth so glorious, a making known such glorious avenues to distinction, and there will be also in future times a teacher so glorious, a proclaiming of the truth so glorious, a making known such glorious avenues to distinction.” (JanaVasabha Sutta). Hence, it is unwise for any religion to claim possession of the final truth because no one can tell what lofty degree of spiritual enlightenment may arise among human beings 5,000 years from today. There can be no finality in the search for truth because there is no finality of existence. Even the universe has no boundaries and we know from cosmology that it may be just one in an infinite series of universes. The Buddha informs us that all the Exalted Ones teach Dharma. What is Dharma? It is defined as the law of truth and righteousness that is not only for humans but also “for beasts and birds” (Cakkavatti-Sihanada Sutta). “Live with the Dharma as your refuge, taking no other as your refuge.” Ponder this advice to live with truth as your refuge, along with his admonition that being one-sided and narrowly focused on single truths will impede the proper understanding of things. There is a hidden but implied warning conveyed in these verses. In Malaysia, we are developing a silo mentality that confines religious followers within the boundaries of knowledge acceptable to the authorities of their respective faiths. Besides dismissing any truths in other religions, scientific facts such as evolution are also being rejected. But we know from sociological studies that an open mind and knowledge sharing are the key drivers of all human progress, close the door to wide learning and the nation will regress. The writer champions interfaith harmony. Comments: [emailprotected] LETTERS [emailprotected] “On many other occasions too, the Buddha warned against engaging in theological arguments that lead a disputant to claim that the religious concepts he believes in are the most excellent, whereas concepts that are different are wretched. Support the Generational Endgame Bill NO one said vaping is a safe alternative to smoking. So why are we now legitimising vaping when we are taking steps to introduce an anti-smoking law? Currently, the law regarding the possession, distribution, and advertisem*nt of electronic smoking devices (ESD) is too loose, allowing underage citizens to freely buy the products either at physical stores or online platforms. Youths and children are easily attracted to ESD, commonly known as vapes, as they perceive the device as “the lesser evil”, cool and “harmless”. Data has shown that ESD contains hundreds of harmful substances, mainly nicotine, vegetable glycol, propylene glycol, heavy metals, volatile organic compounds, artificial colourings and flavourings. Nicotine can cause severe addiction after the first few puffs. This poisonous substance has now been transferred to the Food Act, which was recently announced by the health minister. Implementing the Generational Endgame Bill is the most effective method for smoking and vaping prevention among children and teenagers. The government introduced this Bill in Parliament to ban smoking for life for anyone born after 2007. Although the Bill has been deferred pending a review by a committee because some lawmakers considered its enforcement provisions too draconian, its need was not in question. In accordance with the Child Act 2001 (Act 611), every child has the right to the best healthcare and safety, thus they must be protected from the harmful effects of smoking and vaping. The anti-smoking bill is meant to help those who are now in their teens and future generations enjoy a healthy smoke-free lifestyle while also helping to cut down on the government’s healthcare costs. Concerns raised by people regarding harsh punishments for teenagers found vaping from the previously tabled Bill do not apply anymore as it was revised recently to a milder and more educational approach, which will open the hearts and minds of our younger generation to the fact that the Bill is meant to protect them. The ban on the sale of e-cigarettes has been in place by many of our neighbouring countries such as Brunei, Singapore and Thailand or even Qatar, contradicting the statement recently made by the prime minister saying that no country in this world is able to ban the use of e-cigarettes. When vaping is concerned, the government is now imposing an excise tax of 40 sen per ml on ecigarettes or gel-containing nicotine from April 1. It was also reported that half of the excise duty revenue collected from nicotine products would be channelled to the Health Ministry “to improve the quality of health services”. E-cigarette use is linked to oral cancer such as tongue cancer and dentists around the world have raised concerns that we may observe oral cancer as early as a person in their 30s if they begin vaping during their adolescent years. Obviously, the 50% revenue from the tax imposed on ESD would not be enough to treat a person with oral cancer. Vaping is also associated with seizures and cardiovascular and mental illnesses that will need almost a lifetime of follow-up treatment. This would further exacerbate health care costs for the government. Long-term effects of vaping include asthma, lung scarring and other organ damage. The excise duty imposed on vaping is not a deterrent for those who are and could be addicted to vaping. Furthermore, isn’t prevention better than cure? If vaping is banned as it is in Johor, isn’t that better than collecting taxes to overcome its harmful effects? It is a known fact that the aerosol produced by e-cigarettes which users inhale and exhale can contain potentially harmful substances, with people around vapers also at risk from second-hand smoke as the chemical exhaled is not merely “water vapour”, but contains similar chemical contents when a vaper inhales them into their lungs. Legitimising vaping will result in the existence of many outlets offering similar services that could tempt and distract our youths, leading to some harmful habits. If a demographic study is conducted on those who indulge in vaping, it would reveal that those in the B40 group would be the most susceptible, followed by the M40 group. This situation would be detrimental to the economic growth of the country and reduces the productivity of the nation. Malaysians should be aware of the advocacy and prevention programmes that have been done over the past years. In a recent secondary school advocacy programme for preventing smoking and vaping, students reported they could easily access vaping products without having to show their identification cards. To make matters worse, they are mixing more illicit narcotics and even road tar into the e-cigarette fluid to get a “high” effect. Nonetheless, these teenagers are pleading to get help to stop vaping as they are aware of its disastrous effects on their physical and mental health, and their future. We must listen to their plea for help. We should help wean them away from this harmful vaping habit and help them lead healthier lifestyles. After all, we want this age group to eventually become part of the healthy ageing population and become responsible role models for their offspring. So, let’s support the Generational Endgame Bill to be approved by Parliament this year and not later as the tobacco industry has proposed. Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye Kuala Lumpur

10 theSUN ON WEDNESDAY | MAY 3, 2023 MEDIA & MARKETING Get a jump start today on creating a successful tomorrow! For the best in local and international higher education institutions, catch theSun's fortnightly Education Focus. FOCUS 2023 EDUCATION Contact us now for special deals on digital, video and print advertising. RHB Investment Bank Berhad (RHB Investment Bank) is providing free access to recordings of its highly successful RHB Investment Lab webinar series to the general public to further promote retail investment activity. The RHB Investment Lab webinar series comprises a total of 13 sessions, which were specially designed to enable a deep dive into comprehensive and specific investment tools. This includes sharing sessions on technical, fundamental and sector analysis incorporating elements of fund flow study, futures trading, call warrants, seasonal effects, as well as macro study. Ganesh Sabaratnam, Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director of RHB Investment Bank Berhad, said: “Within a short period, we have observed a notable increase in overall wealth accumulation amongst participants of our RHB Investment Lab webinar series. This underlines the effectiveness of the programme in delivering an ‘investment edge’ in navigating the challenging market environment and making informed investment decisions. “In general, first-hand access to the information shared in programmes such as this is limited to selected participants. However, we feel that the investing public would also benefit from viewing the RHB Investment Lab webinar series, especially given the proven success of our participants. “RHB Investment Bank is proud to be amongst the few local investment banks to provide free access to information of this nature to the general public. We will continue delivering useful investment tools through various channels to a wide range of investors. “This would include the sharing of knowledge, experience and expert insights to help investors uncover new opportunities and in managing investment risk towards achieving their investment goals.” Coinciding with the free access to the RHB Investment Lab webinar series, RHB Investment Bank is promoting higher retail investor activity through its ‘Electrify Your Trades’ campaign, which is currently ongoing until Dec 31, 2023. Through this, participants stand a chance of winning a MINI Cooper Electric Vehicle and other prizes worth up to RM250,000. For more information on the RHB Investment Lab series, please visit bit.ly/RHBinvestment-lab and to participate in the ‘Electrify Your Trades’ campaign, please visit bit.ly/electrify-your-trades-2023. LIMKOKWING University, one of Malaysia’s leading institutions of higher education, has announced that it will provide financial aid to students from three Middle Eastern countries recently impacted by devastating events. As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, the university will waive outstanding fees for students from Turkey, Syria, and Iran. On Feb 6, 2023, Turkey and Syria experienced a devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake with its epicentre in the large south-eastern Turkish city of Gaziantep. This was the most powerful earthquake to strike these two countries since 1939, resulting in over 5,000 casualties across the region and an official death toll of 53,000 people. Iran meanwhile has faced widespread civil unrest and protests, which have taken a significant toll on its citizens. The unrest has deeply affected Iran’s economic situation, leading to increased costs of food, fuel, and utilities, which have been especially burdensome for the population. To help ease the burden of affected students, Limkokwing University will provide financial relief to the following students from the affected countries: 0Nurettin Sakalli from Turkey (PhD in Management) 0Ali Alfraih from Syria (PhD in Management) 0Radwan Khshefati from Syria (Bachelor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering) 0Danial Nowzari from Iran (PhD in Management) 0Alireza Vaezjavadi from Iran (PhD in Management) 0Daryoush Bana Khojasteh from Iran (Bachelor of Civil Engineering (Hons)) The acting CEO of Limkokwing University Peter Ling, presented the letters of relief to the students on March 23, 2023 at the university’s Plaza. Ling expressed the university’s empathy and commitment to supporting the affected students, stating, “We cannot forget our students. They’re very important to us. We wish we could do more. We understand the immense challenges our students and their families face during these trying times.” He added that Limkokwing University is committed to ensuring that the affected students can continue their education and pursue their dreams without financial burden. Daryoush Bana Khojasteh expressed his gratitude for the aid, saying: “This financial aid comes as a great relief and will enable me to focus on my studies.” Nurettin Sakalli also expressed his appreciation, saying: “I am also very grateful. I am deeply touched by the university’s generosity and support. It means a lot to me. I was stressed about my outstanding fee, so I’m just really happy that the university came up with this aid at the perfect time of need.” Nurettin also added that he’d been a student at Limkokwing University since starting his bachelor’s degree in 2012. Limkokwing University has consistently demonstrated a solid commitment to supporting its student community, particularly during times of need. The decision to offer financial aid to students affected by the recent devastating events is a testament to this dedication. The university understands that such challenging circ*mstances can severely impact students’ emotional well-being and academic progress, and it strives to offer assistance beyond academics. Limkokwing University will continue exploring various ways to help students in need, whether through financial service, emotional support, or academic accommodations, as part of its ongoing CSR initiatives. By fostering a compassionate and inclusive environment, the university aims to empower its students to thrive in their studies and personal lives, even amidst adversity. Electrify your trades Offering timely relief oLimkokwing University supports students from Turkey, Syria and Iran amidst crisis Limkokwing University’s Acting CEO Peter Ling, presents the relief letter to Daryoush Bana Khojasteh from Iran (top, extreme left) and Nurettin Sakalli from Turkey (above, extreme left), as Deputy VC Haslinda Hassan proudly witnesses the momentous occasion.

KLCI 1,426.11 10.16 STI 3,281.99 11.48 HANG SENG 19,933.81 39.24 SCI NIKKEI 29,157.95 67.20 TSEC 15,636.48 57.30 KOSPI 2,524.39 CLOSED S&P/ASX200 7,267.40 22.86 WEDNESDAY MAY 3, 2023 Editorial Tel: 03-7784 6688 Fax: 03-7785 2624/5 Email: [emailprotected] Advertising Tel: 03-7784 8888 Fax: 03-7784 4424 Email: [emailprotected] 5 MOST ACTIVES May 2, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (sen) +/– (sen) HONGSE 26,513,800 12.5 -0.5 HSI-CL 11,809,200 22.5 -1.5 VINVES 79,637,400 20.5 UNCH FITTER 74,299,900 5.0 +0.5 MYEG 73,595,800 82.0 +3.0 EXCHANGERATES MAY 2, 2023 Foreign currency Bank sell Bank buy Bank buy TT/OD TT OD 1 US DOLLAR 4.5270 4.3920 4.3800 1 AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR 3.0170 2.8960 2.8640 1 BRUNEI DOLLAR 3.3870 3.2870 3.2820 1 CANADIAN DOLLAR 3.3360 3.2460 3.2220 1 EURO 4.9770 4.8140 4.8170 1 NEW ZEALAND DOLLAR 2.8050 2.7010 2.6750 1 SINGAPORE DOLLAR 3.3870 3.2870 3.2820 1 STERLING POUND 5.6620 5.4840 5.4540 1 SWISS FRANC 5.0390 4.9210 4.9070 100 UAE DIRHAM 124.7300 118.2300 117.9800 100 BANGLADESH TAKA 4.3380 4.0690 3.8660 100 CHINESE RENMINBI N/A N/A N/A 100 HONGKONG DOLLAR 58.2800 55.3800 55.1500 100 INDIAN RUPEE 5.6300 5.2800 5.0800 100 INDONESIAN RUPIAH 0.0319 0.0289 0.0240 100 JAPANESE YEN 3.3010 3.1960 3.2250 100 NEW TAIWAN DOLLAR 15.8000 N/A N/A 100 PAKISTAN RUPEE 1.6200 1.5200 1.3200 100 PHILIPPINE PESO 8.2800 7.8000 7.5700 100 QATAR RIYAL 125.5300 119.1700 118.9400 100 SAUDI RIYAL 122.0400 115.8500 115.5700 100 THAI BAHT 13.8200 12.2600 11.8900 Source: Malayan Banking Berhad/Bernama KL MARKET SUMMARY May 2, 2023 INDICES CHANGE FBMEMAS 10,455.00 +58.61 FBMKLCI 1,426.11 +10.16 CONSUMER PRODUCTS 579.88 +2.65 INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS 172.44 +0.99 CONSTRUCTION 162.35 +0.53 FINANCIAL SERVICES 15,602.70 +83.18 ENERGY 845.82 -1.55 TELECOMMUNICATIONS 633.81 -0.57 HEALTH CARE 1,763.84 +24.60 TRANSPORTATION 914.03 -2.05 PROPERTY 701.14 +2.03 PLANTATION 6,792.94 -24.40 FBMSHA 10,797.80 +61.01 FBMACE 5,316.62 -51.70 TECHNOLOGY 61.51 +0.09 TURNOVER VALUE 2.905 BIL RM1.527 BIL 5 TOP GAINERS May 2, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (RM) +/– RM F&N 450,200 26.86 +0.34 APB 4,714,600 1.51 +0.32 PETGAS 590,100 17.22 +0.32 TIMECOM 3,304,100 5.69 +0.20 CARLSBG 13,600 21.32 +0.18 5 TOP LOSERS May 2, 2023 STOCK VOL CLSG (RM) +/– RM HEXTECH 426,400 22.82 -0.58 DIN045801028 10 103.50 -0.50 KLK 412,600 21.10 -0.40 HSTECH-CR 1,775,000 0.04 -0.24 UTDPLT 444,400 15.32 -0.24 34.77 Cagamas concludes RM499m equivalent sukuk, bond issuances KUALA LUMPUR: Cagamas Bhd has concluded the issuances of an aggregate RM499 million equivalent worth of sukuk and bonds in the domestic and international markets, bringing the total funds raised by the company to date in 2023 to RM6.34 billion. The issuances comprised RM200 million in two-year Islamic medium-term notes (IMTNs) and S$90 million (RM301 million) in three-year Singapore dollar fixed-rate medium-term notes, the national mortgage corporation said in a statement yesterday. President and CEO Datuk Chung Chee Leong said Cagamas was pleased with the issuances as demand for high-grade papers continued to gain traction amid uncertainties in the US banking sector, coupled with expectations of further rate hikes albeit at a softer pace. “Proceeds raised from the issuances will be used to fund the purchase of housing loans and house financings from the domestic financial system, reflecting the continued provision of liquidity by the company to the domestic banking system,” he said. Chung said the conclusion of the Singapore dollar issuance brought the total cumulative year-to-date Singapore dollardenominated issuance to S$470 million while the two-year IMTNs were priced via a private placement exercise. – Bernama HOMA2u secures funding from Singapore investors KUALA LUMPUR: HOMA Sdn Bhd (HOMA2u), a Malaysian marketplace for renovation and interior design materials, has secured US$875,000 (RM3.87 million) in its pre-series A funding. The investment round was led by Quest Ventures Asia Fund II, an early-stage venture capital fund managed by Quest Ventures Pte Ltd, a leading Singapore-based venture capital firm. The investment round also includes Worldwide Management Solutions and Qhazanah Sabah Bhd, the strategic investment arm of the Sabah state government. This is Quest Ventures Asia Fund II’s second cheque for HOMA2u. The funds will fuel HOMA2u’s regional expansion plans to capitalise on a fastgrowing market, accelerate product development and expand its market capitalisation value, all while striving to promote a circular economy within the renovation and interior design industry. HOMA2u will also channel the funds to help more people amplify their commitment to environmental, social and governance (ESG) sustainability as well as help them meet their ESG goals through their Yellow Boxes and online platform. Yeoh (left) and Lim. oUS$875,000 raised will fuel its regional expansion plans, accelerate product development MAB Engineering Services now fully under MAG’s wings SEPANG: Effective May 1, MAB Engineering Services (Mabes ) has been reorganised as a wholly owned entity of the Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) to explore and capitalise on its current strength and future potential in the global maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) market. Under MAG’s new target operating model implemented earlier in the year, Mabes will sit under the purview of the aviation services profit centre which is responsible for overseeing the cargo, ground handling and MRO operations, as well as the training academy for the group. The portfolio will be overseen by Mohd Nadziruddin Mohd Basri as the CEO of aviation services and supported by Eke Nazri Rahim as the COO of Mabes. Previously, Mabes operated as a subsidiary under Malaysia Airlines Bhd (MAB). The move aligns with MAG’s Long-Term Business Plan 2.0 (LTBP 2.0) as it seeks to fulfil its aspirations to become Asia’s leading travel and aviation services group, focused on delivering highly customised end-toend travel solutions. With a renewed focus on growth and innovation, Mabes will continue to strengthen its capabilities in providing third-party MRO services, while maintaining the highest levels of quality and safety. MAG’s group managing director Captain Izham Ismail said, “As part of the MRO operationalisation plan, we have devised strategic initiatives which have yielded positive results in our MRO revenue performance and clientele base, allowing Mabes to strengthen its position as a onestop MRO solutions provider in the region. With new capacity, capabilities, and services – the reorganisation of Mabes will allow us to compete effectively in the thirdparty MRO market and lead the growth of the MRO business in Malaysia. “Mabes remains committed to continue providing exceptional MRO services to its global customers, while also expanding its offerings to meet the evolving needs of the aviation industry, in line with MAG’s LTBP 2.0.” HOMA2u is working towards growing the business threefold and will be focusing its efforts on opening a total of 18 Yellow Boxes throughout Malaysia and Singapore. Touted as Malaysia’s first unmanned interior product showrooms, the Yellow Boxes are mobile pop-up outlets that offer offline-toonline purchase services for visitors. HOMA2u is looking to establish the first Yellow Box in Singapore as early as Q3 2023. “The building, construction and renovation industries have traditionally been characterised as oligopolistic markets, making them near-impenetrable. HOMA2u has innovatively broken the market entry barriers and levelled the playing field using digital capabilities and data interoperability as ammunition. This has enabled them to offer their solutions to the masses around the clock, creating impact at every turn. This is the very fabric of the digital economy we espouse at Asia Fund II which is encapsulated as digital disruption without leaving anyone behind,” said Jeffrey Seah, Asia Fund Partner at Quest Ventures. The investment will also be used to support HOMA2u with its growth acceleration and scaling plans to realise its goal of becoming an RM100 million annual revenuegenerating company before 2025. HOMA2u founder and CEO Pennie Lim shared that the fresh funding is a positive sign of health for HOMA2u – considering the wider context of economic pessimism that the property market is currently experiencing. This investment will be part of HOMA2u’s push to ensure added value and elevated convenience for customers as they renovate their homes. HOMA2u’s co-founder and chief strategy officer James Yeoh added, “Sustainability is ingrained into the work that we do and the solutions we offer. We champion reducing, reusing and repurposing. This strategy includes acquiring building materials and interior finishing products from unused renovation materials, discarded materials and ageing stocks from merchant brands that are refurbished. This gives our customers a worry-free approach to sustainable renovation. This investment will allow us to tap a wider market, enabling us to make our footprint in Singapore and create environmental impact regionally.” In 2021, HOMA2u secured a series of funding amounting to RM2.4 million from Warisan Quantum Management as well as ScaleUp Malaysia with investment partner Quest Ventures Pte Ltd where HOMA2u emerged as one of the top 10 startups in the ScaleUp Malaysia’s Accelerator programme Cohort 2. Participation 45.5 31.9 22.9 100.3 Institutions Retail Foreign Bought RM m 717.4 465.0 345.2 1527.6 Sold RM m 672.2 510.1 345.3 1527.6 Net RM m 45.2 -45.1 -0.1 0 % Preliminary stats (excluding trade amendments). For final data, please refer to www.bursamalaysia.com Source: Bursa Malaysia A Participating Organisation of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad A Trading Participant of Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Berhad S E C U R I T I E S S D N. B H D. 197201001092 (12738-U) 2/05/2023

12 theSUN ON WEDNESDAY | MAY 3, 2023 SUNBIZ Beware – threat actors on the prowl in the clouds PETALING JAYA: As Malaysia’s cloud migration rate is expected to continue to surge under the MyGovCloud Initiative, Palo Alto Networks has warned that threat actors are exploiting common issues in the cloud environments. Palo Alto Networks said that threat actors are on the lookout to exploit common issues that arise in cloud environments such as misconfigurations, along with weak credentials, lack of authentication, unpatched vulnerabilities, and malicious open-source software packages. As the MyGovCloud Initiative, part of Malaysia’s Digital Economy Blueprint (MyDigital), aims to drive Organisations should expect the cloud-native attack surface to expand as threat actors find new ways to target cloud infrastructure misconfigurations, APIs, and software supply chains. – AFPPIX oCybersecurity firm says key findings from the report show most security alerts come from users repeating the same mistakes digital transformation in the public sector by targeting 80% storage usage of cloud computing this year, the rate of cloud migration is expected to continue to surge. Palo Alto Networks Regional vice-president for Asean, Steven Scheurmann said, that the complexity of managing hybrid and multicloud environments, paired with the fast evolution and growth of cloud workloads, continues to create significant opportunities for adversaries to gain a foothold in the cloud. “As organisations store and manage more data in the cloud, the attack surface grows exponentially, often in unknown or improperly secured ways. Threat actors have become adept at exploiting common, everyday issues in the cloud, which is why, unlike previous reports that examined a single threat, this report zooms out to look at the bigger, more expansive problem,” he said in a statement. Some of the key findings from the report include: cloud users repeat common mistakes, which trigger most security alerts, security alerts take too long to resolve, sensitive data in the cloud is at risk, leaked credentials are pervasive and central to cloud breaches, MFA is not enforced for cloud users, attacks on software supply chains are on the rise, managing code dependencies is challenging, and unpatched vulnerabilities are a low-hanging fruit for attacks. Organisations should expect the cloud-native attack surface to expand as threat actors find new ways to target cloud infrastructure misconfigurations, APIs, and software supply chains. To enhance security against these threats, the industry will see a shift towards cloud-native application protection platforms (CNAPPs) that provide comprehensive capabilities throughout the application development process. This prediction is underscored by Gartner, which reported a 70% jump in client inquiries regarding CNAPPs from 2021-2022. Scheurmann added that cloudready security measures such as the Zero Trust approach must be implemented to help businesses identify and neutralise threats in real-time. “As cloud usage increases in Malaysia and around the world, threat actors take advantage of undiscovered weaknesses and vulnerabilities in this technology to attack organisations,” said Scheurmann. KUALA LUMPUR: Standard Chartered Malaysia was ranked third in Malaysia in Forbes’ World’s Best Banks 2023 market survey, which was derived from customer feedback. This recognition highlights the bank’s continued commitment in delivering excellent customer service experience whilst providing innovative and seamless banking solutions that meet clients’ evolving needs. In developing its 2023 ranking, Forbes collaborated with Statista, a renowned market research firm to conduct surveys of more than 48,000 bank customers across 32 different countries. The approach required participants to provide a rating of their banks based on general satisfaction, trust, terms and conditions, digital services, customer service and financial advice. Standard Chartered Malaysia’s CEO Mak Joon Nien said, “We are truly honoured to have received this meaningful and prestigious recognition as it underscores our commitment to be the most trusted, fearlessly innovative and borderless digitally led bank. We would also like to thank our clients for placing their trust in us and for their continued support over the years. As Malaysia’s first and oldest bank for 148 years, we continue to be committed towards keeping the client experience at the heart of our value offering, best-in-class banking services, and providing sound financial advice to all.” Standard Chartered has been at the forefront of digital banking innovations through building and leveraging on existing partnerships and transforming its core to provide clients with innovative products and services. The bank was one of the pioneers in Malaysia to introduce Apple Pay to provide easy, secure and contactless payments to its clients. The bank also introduced SmartStocks, an award winning onestop online share trading platform, bringing clients the convenience of trading on 12 exchanges across seven global markets via one account on any web-enabled or smart device. Most recently, Standard Chartered Saadiq Malaysia, the bank’s Islamic banking arm was also recognised as the Best Islamic Bank in Malaysia 2023 by Digital CX Awards. Leform’s subsidiary accepts RM2.89m subcontract to build interchange KUALA LUMPUR: Leform Bhd yesterday announced that LF Engineering Sdn Bhd, a 60%-owned subsidiary of Leform, has accepted a letter of acceptance and executed a RM2.89 million subcontract agreement from Prebore Piling & Engineering Sdn Bhd (Prebore P&E). Prebore P&E is one of the contractors appointed for the construction of Section 2 of South Klang Valley Expressway (SKVE) Interchange to Shah Alam Expressway (SAE) Interchange. The subcontract is to undertake amongst others, the supply and installation of guardrails for the project. The commencement date of the subcontract is July 1 and is expected to be completed by Oct 10. Leform’s managing director Law Kok Thye said, “We believe that this opportunity provided to us from the main contractors of a major expressway in Malaysia shows their strong confidence in our group. With this, we have no doubts in executing our expansion plan, which includes the construction of a new warehouse storage facility to scale up our storage area and operational efficiency while allowing us to expand our product variety to include thicker gauge steel pipes.” “Given the positive outlook for the construction industry, with the government’s support through various initiatives such as initiating public infrastructure projects and providing policy support, it is expected to bring a positive impact to us in the near future as demand will be bolstered. With this, together with our other projects in the pipeline, we are confident we are wellpositioned for our growth.” The subcontract is expected to contribute positively to the revenue, earnings and net assets of Leform for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2023. Bursa launches campaign to boost investments in ETF KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia Bhd kicked off the ETF Rewards Campaign 2023, a six-month campaign aimed at encouraging the investing public to invest in Bursalisted Exchange Traded Funds (ETF). The campaign, which runs from May 1 to Oct 31 in three Investment Window periods (Investment Window), offers eligible retail investors the opportunity to win fully paid trips for two individuals to Langkawi, Bali and Tokyo by way of lucky draw. Commenting on the campaign, Azhar Mohd Zabidi, director of origination & listing said, “The launch of this campaign is part of Bursa Malaysia’s ongoing efforts to grow the ETF market by equipping investors with knowledge and understanding of ETF as well as access to a diverse range of ETF available on the exchange. At Bursa Malaysia, we believe educating investors is crucial to help them obtain a greater understanding of investing in ETF, which is an asset class that offers creative solutions and diversity to their many investment portfolios.” He added that Bursa-listed ETF hold tremendous opportunities, much of which remains untapped. “Investing in ETF is incredibly easy and hassle-free, as investors can use their existing trading accounts with brokers. We hope that the exciting prizes presented in this campaign will serve as further incentives for investors to begin or grow their ETF investments, enhancing their trading journey,” said Azhar. Investors interested in participating in the ETF Rewards Campaign 2023 can learn more about the campaign, as well as the full terms and conditions at https://www.bursamarketplace.com /rewards/. Matrade appoints Reezal Merican as new chairman PETALING JAYA: With immediate effect, former minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican has been appointed as the ninth chairman of the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade). Reezal has an extensive track record in the government service, having served as the Minister of Housing and Local Government (2021-2022), Minister of Youth and Sports (2020-2021) and Deputy Foreign Minister (2015-2018). Additionally, he chaired Amanah Raya Bhd from 2013 to 2015. In accepting the appointment, Reezal expressed his gratitude at the opportunity to serve as Matrade’s newest chairman. Meanwhile, Matrade said that it is confident that his appointment will contribute to the growth and diversification of Malaysia’s exports in new and existing global markets. Standard Chartered ranked among Top 3 in Malaysia in Forbes’ World’s Best Banks survey

13 SUNBIZ theSUN ON WEDNESDAY | MAY 3, 2023 OCBC, RHB collaborate on sustainability-linked solutions PETALING JAYA: OCBC Bank and RHB Banking Group have collaborated on a two-year S$150 million (RM500.2 million) sustainability-linked loan and cross-currency swap between the Singapore lender and RHB Bank Malaysia, and a S$100 million sustainability-linked loan to RHB Bank Singapore. These solutions will add to OCBC Bank’s sustainable financing portfolio, which stood at S$44 billion as at end-2022. They also demonstrate RHB Banking Group’s commitment to integrate sustainability in its business and operations and to lead by example towards nurturing its clients in adopting sustainable financial services. The two transactions are structured in a way that promote and drive impactful sustainable business practices as they allow RHB Banking Group to enjoy better rates if it meets the agreed sustainability performance targets in two key metrics. The cross-currency swap will be used to hedge the currency oSingapore, Malaysian lenders in two loan transactions, one of S$150m and the other S$100m, and a cross-currency swap risk coming on the back of the underlying S$150 million sustainability-linked loan with RHB Malaysia. This is OCBC Bank’s first sustainability-linked derivative (SLD) transaction with a financial institution from Malaysia. However, the SLD transaction is the second for RHB Banking Group following its structuring of Malaysia’s first green crosscurrency swap in 2021. This facility will allow RHB Malaysia to convert its Singapore dollardenominated (SDG) proceeds into US dollars (USD) at a competitive rate and, at the same time, hedge USD/SGD currency exposure for the duration of the swap arrangement. Tan Yuen Siang, head of global financial institutions, global commercial banking, OCBC Bank, said: “We are glad to support RHB Banking Group with their sustainability goals while providing a competitive swapped USD rate, expanded funding choice by tapping on the liquid SGD bank market, and the ability to hedge foreign currency exchange risk with a crosscurrency swap. “As we strengthen our foothold in Asean, which is expected to continue to register economic growth in 2023 despite global headwinds, we will continue to expand our suite of innovative product offerings to support our regional customers’ evolving business needs and sustainability ambitions.” Angus Salim Amran, group treasurer of RHB Banking, said: “We are delighted to collaborate with OCBC Bank on these two sustainability-linked transactions. “This collaboration further reinforces RHB Banking Group’s commitment in providing end-toend sustainable financing solutions for our customers, as well as increase the depth and breadth of the ESG funding and derivatives market in both Malaysia and Singapore.” Propel Global posts higher Q3 revenue of RM24.7m PETALING JAYA: Propel Global Bhd, a provider of oil and gas (O&G) services as well as downstream specialty chemicals to the O&G industry, yesterday reported a 12.3% increase in revenue to RM24.7 million for the third quarter ended March 31, 2023 (Q3’23) compared with RM22.0 million in Q3’22 with the expansion of its range of services. While quarterly profit before tax (PBT) for the O&G and the technical services segments improved from Q3’22, higher corporate administrative expenses affected profitability and the group recorded a 28.1% decrease in PBT to RM900,000 for Q3’23 compared with PBT of RM1.2 million in the same quarter of 2022. For the nine months ended March 31,2023 (9M’23), Propel Global recorded an increase of 14.3% in revenue to RM67.4 million compared with RM59.0 million in M’22. The group’s PBT for 9M’23 increased by 2.5-fold to RM6.8 million compared with RM2.0 million in the nine months of FY22. PETALING JAYA: MMC Port Holdings Sdn Bhd (MMC Ports), via wholly owned subsidiary Andaman Port Sdn Bhd, has carried out its maiden ship-to-ship (STS) transfer operation at Yan Port in Kedah. The STS operation was carried out smoothly on April 25 and 26 at one of the 10 approved berths within Yan Port limit, located five nautical miles from the coastline of Pulau Bunting. MMC Ports is developing Yan Port as a hub for STS transfer operations and is committed to providing safe and efficient STS operations in Yan Port. It is strategically located along the international shipping route at the northern section of the Strait of Malacca and is generally free from traffic congestion compared with other major ports in Malaysia. The approved berth areas have water depths of up to 30 metres, fit for all types of vessels including VLCC and Q-Max. This marks the first STS operation within Yan Port’s limit and was carried out adhering to high levels of safety standards without compromising the environment. This STS operation underlines the solid collaboration between MMC Ports and federal and state authorities, including the Ministry of Transport, Marine Department, Kedah government, as well as various government agencies to promote maritime activities in the state. MMC Ports via its subsidiaries operate five major ports in Malaysia with a track record of handling various types of cargoes and expertise in the provision of marine services. To date, MMC Ports has received steady bookings for STS transfer operations in Yan Port and is expected to carry out STS transfer of oil, LNG and LPG cargoes from Middle East, China and Korea in the next quarter. MMC Ports completes maiden STS transfer at Yan PETALING JAYA: Foreign investors continued to net sell Malaysian equities on Bursa Malaysia for the second consecutive week at RM187.8 million, according to MIDF Research. In its weekly fund flow, the research house said that every trading day last week was a net selling day by the foreigners. They have been net sellers for 11 out of 17 weeks with a total net outflow of RM2.12 billion. The top three sectors that saw net foreign inflows last week were consumer products and services (RM44 million), property (RM12.9 million) and transport and logistics (RM6.4 million). The top three sectors that saw net foreign outflows were financial services (RM85.9 million), technology (RM52.5 million), and industrial products and services (RM34.6 million). “Local institutional investors turned net buyers to the tune of RM166.6 million last week after they briefly net sold RM7.3 million worth of equities the week prior. Every trading day last week was a net buying day by the local institutional investors, with the heaviest net inflow recorded on Thursday at RM86.9 million. Year-to-date, they have been net buyers for 12 out of 17 weeks with a total net inflow of RM1.99 billion,” it said in a statement yesterday. Meanwhile, MIDF said that Malaysian equities saw continued net buying from local retailers for the second consecutive week, totalling RM21.2 million. In terms of participation, there was an increase in average daily trading volume among foreigners by 3.9%, while among local institutions and local retailers, there were declines of 18.3% and 11.5% respectively. Foreign funds continue to net sell, outflow of RM187.8m last week AmBank offers special financing for Penang tech park end-buyers PETALING JAYA: AmBank Group will offer special financing packages to end-buyers of Penang Technology Park in Bertam. The sustainable industrial park, which is partly financed by AmBank, comes with solar energy specialist services for all factory buildings and incorporates a rainwater and waste water management system in the 880- acre development. AmBank Group’s business banking, managing director Christopher Yap said, “It is an honour to support this project by Ideal Property Group, as they have an impeccable track record of being one of Penang’s established developers. We are also excited to be the first bank to provide this distinctive end-financing package to Ideal Property Group’s customers as more companies are looking to achieve resource efficiency and adopt sustainable business practices.” Ideal Property Group executive chairman Tan Sri Alex Ooi Kee Liang said: “Ideal Property Group is committed to creating exceptional spaces that meet the needs and exceeds the expectations of our customers. “Penang Technology Park@Bertam is a testament to our unwavering commitment to excellence, innovation and sustainability. This partnership with AmBank helps us to achieve our shared goal of driving economy growth and promote sustainable development in the region.” Yap (sixth from left) and Ooi (fifth from right) with other executives from AmBank and Ideal Property at the signing ceremony.

14 theSUN ON WEDNESDAY | MAY 3, 2023 SUNBIZ READ OUR HERE /thesundaily SCAN ME HONG KONG: HSBC Holdings said yesterday its profit tripled in the first quarter, beating expectations, as rising interest rates boosted the lender’s income and helped it pay a first quarterly dividend since 2019. HSBC CEO Noel Quinn said the results showed its strengths in a rising rate environment, and played down the risks of further contagion for the banking sector. “We do not believe there is a global banking crisis on the horizon. We do not see a negative impact on our business as a consequence of First Republic Bank’s rescue,” he told a conference call. HSBC posted a pre-tax profit of US$12.9 billion (RM57.5 billion) for the quarter ended March, versus US$4.2 billion a year earlier. The profit was much higher than the US$8.64 billion average estimate of 17 analysts compiled by the bank. Hong Kong shares of HSBC rose 3.3% in afternoon trading. HSBC’s headline profit was boosted by a reversal of a US$2 billion impairment it took against the planned sale of its French business, reflecting the fact that the deal may not go through. It had warned last month that its France disposal could be in jeopardy over regulatory capital concerns for the buyer. The London-headquartered bank also reported a delay in the time frame for the completion of the sale of its Canada business, a key part of its strategy to shrink in slow-growing Western markets where it lacks scale. The bank said the planned US$10 billion sale, originally slated to be completed by the end of this year, will now only likely go through in the first quarter of 2024. HSBC has tried recently to accelerate its pivot to Asian markets, in part to head off calls from its biggest shareholder, Ping An Insurance Group Co of China, to spin off the Asia unit to boost shareholder returns. Shareholders will vote at the bank’s annual meeting on May 5 on two resolutions filed by a Hong Kong investor and supported by Ping An, calling for higher dividends and a regular update on strategic proposals such as the spin-off plan. HSBC, which has opposed the resolutions, criticised the spin-off proposal again yesterday. The British lender announced a dividend of US$0.10 per share and flagged the first of a new cycle of buybacks of up to US$2 billion. “With the good momentum we have in our business, we expect to have substantial future distribution capacity for dividends and share buybacks,” Quinn said in the results statement. – Reuters oUK lender’s profit for first three months triples to US$12.9b Australia’s central bank stuns markets with 25-point rate hike SYDNEY: Australia’s central bank yesterday stunned markets by raising its cash rate 25 basis points when traders had looked for an extended pause, saying inflation was way too high and warned that even further tightening may be needed to bring it to heel. The unambiguously hawkish policy stance sent the Australian dollar soaring and bond futures tumbling as markets quickly lifted the peak for interest rates. Wrapping up its May policy meeting, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) raised rates to 3.85% and said “some further tightening” may be required to ensure that inflation returns to target in a “reasonable timeframe”. The cash rate now sits at its highest since early 2012, bringing the total RBA hikes in its price battle to a whopping 375 basis points since May last year – the fastest tightening campaign in the nation’s modern history. Markets, as well as a majority of analysts, had been wagering heavily on a steady outcome given core inflation had eased a little more than expected and the RBA had said at its previous policy meeting that the full pain of the past tightening was yet to be felt in the economy. The Australian dollar shot up by 1.3% to US$0.6715, while three-year futures dived 15 ticks to 96.770. Futures slid as the market priced in the new 3.85% rate and implied around a 60% chance rates could reach 4.10% by August. “Inflation in Australia has passed its peak, but at 7% is still too high and it will be some time yet before it is back in the target range,” said RBA governor Philip Lowe, nothing the upside risks in services inflation and rising labour costs. “Given the importance of returning inflation to target within a reasonable timeframe, the Board judged that a further increase in interest rates was warranted today.” The much-watched first quarter consumer prices data last week confirmed that inflation was easing from 33-year highs. However, even after taking into account yesterday’s hike, it is still projected to return to 3% – the top of the RBA’s target band of 2-3% – in mid-2025, according to the central bank’s latest forecasts. Inflation is now expected to slow to 4.5% this year, compared with the previous forecast of 4.75%. – Reuters SINGAPORE: DBS Group posted record first-quarter profit, with Singapore’s biggest bank saying it had benefited from inflows from depositors seeking a safe haven amid the global banking turmoil, and uncertainty over the world economy and geopolitics. Results released yesterday showed the bank’s January-March net profit rose a stronger-than-expected 43% to S$2.57 billion (RM8.57 billion) from S$1.8 billion a year ago, beating a mean estimate of S$2.44 billion from five analysts polled by Refinitiv. But DBS said it expected a gradual decline in margins as rate hike cycle nears an end. “We delivered a record performance and benefited from safe-haven deposit inflows during a quarter marked by increased market volatility,” DBS chief executive pfficer Piyush Gupta said in a statement. Customer deposits rose 2% in constantcurrency terms to S$529.2 billion during the first quarter from S$519.7 billion in the yearago period. The quarterly rise in deposits came on the back of a 5% surge in 2022. The Southeast Asia’s largest lender by assets however said its net interest margin likely peaked in the first quarter and there would be a gradual decline as Gupta said the rate hike cycle was “pretty much done”. DBS reported a net interest margin, a key gauge of a bank’s profitability, of 2.12% for the first quarter, up from 1.46% in the same period a year earlier. And the bank expected full-year net interest margin of between 2.05% and 2.10%. DBS, which earns most of its profit from Singapore and Hong Kong, declared a dividend of 42 Singapore cents per share for the first quarter. – Reuters B R I E F S BP BACK IN THE BLACK FOR FIRST QUARTER LONDON: British energy giant BP yesterday reported a net profit of US$8.2 billion (RM36.5 billion) for the first quarter, recovering from a record loss a year earlier as it ended operations in Russia after the Ukraine invasion. BP chief executive Bernard Looney called this year’s first-quarter performance “strong” as the group focuses “on safe and reliable operations”.The company added that it would return $1.75 billion to shareholders. BP also revealed that underlying profit dropped by one fifth to $5 billion, reflecting lower energy prices compared with one year earlier. – AFP HONG KONG GDP GROWS 2.7% IN JANUARY-MARCH HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s economy grew in the first quarter of 2023, the city’s leader said yesterday, ending a disastrous year-long spell in which the finance hub was effectively closed for business over pandemic restrictions. Chief Executive John Lee said at a press briefing the city’s gross domestic product had grown 2.7%, reversing contractions in the previous four quarters, including a 4.2% drop in the last stretch of 2022. “A series of largescale promotional events have boosted tourism and consumption and improved the economy,” he said . – AFP IMF raises Asia’s economic forecast on China recovery TOKYO/HONG KONG: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) raised Asia’s economic forecast yesterday as China’s recovery underpinned growth, but warned of risks from persistent inflation and global market volatility driven by Western banking-sector woes. The reopening of China’s economy will be pivotal for the region with the spillover to Asia seen focused on consumption and servicesector demand rather than investment, the IMF said. “Asia and Pacific will be the most dynamic of the world’s major regions in 2023, predominantly driven by the buoyant outlook for China and India,” the IMF said its regional economic outlook report. “As in the rest of the world, domestic demand is expected to remain the largest growth driver across Asia in 2023.” Asia’s economy is expected to expand 4.6% this year after a 3.8% increase in 2022, contributing around 70% of global growth, the IMF said, upgrading its forecast by 0.3 of a percentage point from October. China and India will be key drivers with an expansion of 5.2% and 5.9%, respectively, though growth in the rest of Asia is also expected to bottom out this year, the report said. But the IMF cut next year’s Asian growth forecast by 0.2 of a point to 4.4%, and warned of risks to the outlook such as stickier-thanexpected inflation, slowing global demand as well as the impact of US and European banking-sector stress. “While spillovers to the region from stress in US and European financial sectors have been relatively contained thus far, Asia remains vulnerable to tightening financial conditions and to sudden and disorderly repricing of assets,” the IMF said. And while Asia has strong capital and liquidity buffers to fend off market shocks, the region’s highly leveraged corporate and household sectors are “significantly” more exposed to a sharp increase in borrowing costs, it added. The IMF also urged central banks in Asia – excluding Japan and China – to keep monetary policy tight to bring down inflation, which could remain stubbornly high due in part to robust domestic demand. “The costs of failing to bring inflation below target are likely to outweigh any benefits from keeping monetary conditions loose,” the IMF said. “Insufficient tightening in the short term would require disproportionately more monetary tightening later to avoid high inflation becoming ingrained, making a larger contraction more likely.” While China will be a key driver of the region’s growth, the country’s property sector remains a risk that policy makers need to address to ensure an even recovery in the sector, the IMF said. Recent moves by the government to ease financing to developers had largely benefited bigger developers. Still, regions in China with smaller, weaker players had yet to show signs of a recovery, said Thomas Helbling, deputy director of the Asia and Pacific Department at the IMF. “While the government’s (recent) effort has stabilised the market, it should proactively support the restructuring of weaker developers which are still suffering,” he said at a media briefing in Hong Kong. China’s policymakers have been trying to stabilise the sector that accounts for a quarter of national GDP after a string of defaults among developers and a slump in home sales. “For regions with weaker housing markets the recovery has yet taken place. We need further policy measures to limit potential risks,” said Helbling. – Reuters DBS posts record Q1 earnings, expects margins to decline HSBC rewards shareholders with buyback, dividend Scene at a shopping mall in Beijing on Sunday, the second day of a five-day Labour Day holiday. The IMF says China and India will be key drivers of Asia’s economy this year. – AFPPIC

3 M A Y 2 0 2 3 W E D N E S D A Y itasha owners. He draws up a design in consultation with the owner and checks if they are happy with it, then prints it onto vinyl stickers that he applies to the car. Lining up the lettering and other intricate details makes it a painstaking process that can take up to 10 days. Imai said that simply slapping a character’s picture on a car “doesn’t look cool”, and he uses his design sense to create something that exudes a particular ambience. More owners nowadays are drawn to itasha because they “want to stand out”, he said. “In the past, itasha owners put stickers on their cars just because they liked it,” he added. “Now they want strangers to think their cars look cool.” Seeing the finished product can be an emotional moment for owners such as Ryosuke Nakano, who took his customised Nissan Skyline to Imai’s shop for a full body wrap. Nakano had dabbled in small window stickers before, but nothing approaching the scale of Imai’s design, which splashes massive gun-toting Lycoris Recoil characters on the front and sides of the car. “When I had window stickers, it would only be the people behind me who could see it, so I’m a bit scared of how people will react when they see this from the front,” said the 29-yearold. “But I don’t care. This is what I like.” – AFP YOSUKE TAKAHATA doesn’t care what people think of his “itasha” car, which has his favourite anime character – a sexy, red-eyed horse-woman – emblazoned across both sides. For him and other owners around Japan, plastering cartoon pictures all over their vehicles is just another way of paying homage to their two-dimensional true loves. “Itasha” means “cringeworthy car”, reflecting the misfit image the vehicles had when they first started appearing on roads around 20 years ago. But perceptions have begun to change, with anime and other hobby subcultures gaining a new mainstream acceptance in Japan. It’s all the same for Takahata, a 31-year-old car shop employee, for whom looking cool is not the point. “It’s the character that I like, and that’s all that matters,” he told AFP, holding an umbrella to keep the rain off his defiantly unfashionable mullet. Driving around with the buxom Daiwa Scarlet from the manga and anime series Uma Musume Pretty Derby on show means he can “always be with the character”, he said. After all, if he worried about others judging his fully customised Jaguar XJ sedan, he “wouldn’t be able to drive anywhere”. Itasha owners can spend thousands of dollars pimping their rides with huge vinyl stickers, turning their cars, motorbikes or even caravans into a canvas. Shota Sato, who works at another car shop, describes owning an itasha as “an extension of having a character’s picture on your phone”. The 26-year-old and his friends have all decorated their cars with different cute characters from the anime Lucky Star, and they often go for drives together. No two are the same Owners also get together for events such as Itasha Tengoku, an annual show held in Tokyo that features up to 1,000 vehicles. The cars on display are a riot of colour and imagination, upstaging even the neon wigs and outlandish costumes of the visitors who come dressed in cosplay. Many of the vehicles also have customised frames, wheels, engines and interiors that cost eye-watering sums even before adding the artwork. The culture grew naturally among young people interested in cars and anime, said event organiser Kenichi Kawahara, who also publishes a magazine for itasha enthusiasts. “More than 99 percent” of owners are men, who use itasha to “express their feelings for the things they like”, he said. “There are 1,000 itasha here today, and no two are the same.” Having an itasha can be hard on the wallet though, and a full car wrap can cost up to 1 million yen (RM32,707). Some owners save money by sending their designs to a printing company and applying the stickers themselves, but most take their cars to a specialist shop. Looking ‘cool’ to strangers Naoya Imai runs a car-wrapping business in Tokyo that gets plenty of business from Anime my ride oJapan’s ‘cringeworthy’ cartoon cars make image U-turn Many of the vehicles also have customised frames, wheels, engines and interiors that cost Visitors looking at cars lined up during the Odaiba Itasha Heaven 2023 festival (Itasha Tengoku). eye-watering sums even before adding the artwork. Cars decorated with various images and characters from anima and manga. – ALL PIX VIA AFP For Japanese fans, plastering cartoon pictures all over their vehicles is just another way of paying homage to their favourite characters.

16 ENTERTAINMENT theSun LYFE ON WEDNESDAY | MAY 3, 2023 /theSunMedia FOLLOW ON YOUTUBE SCAN ME THE state of Star Wars seems to be in a really weird place; the last film to be released by Disney and Lucasfilm was Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and that was back in 2019. Since then, the films in the franchise have taken a backseat to the television front, where both animated and live-action series are being constantly pumped out on Disney across the last four years since Episode IX, with the media conglomerate adopting a largely “throw it at the wall and see what sticks” approach in choosing the projects that get greenlit. For this Star Wars Day (May 4), let’s take a look at the main films that came, and what will come. Original Trilogy The original trilogy that started a global cultural and entertainment zeitgeist, which began with creator George Lucas essentially ripping off Akira Kurosawa’s The Hidden Fortress to make 1977’s Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. A riveting “It’s a Western but in space” story buoyed by breakout performances by Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, the late Carrie Fisher, and the voice of James Earl Jones, Star Wars was an instant hit with basically everyone from children to adults. The first film also set up a unique science-fiction universe that, though similar to our own, was vastly different; instead of the narcissistic belief that humans were at the centre of the universe, Lucas’ Star Wars made us a microscopic part of that universe. The later films in this trilogy also make it clear, that while they remain excellent and timeless four decades, Lucas was basically winging it and making things up as he went along. Like the controversial on-themouth kiss between Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa in Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, which was ignored in the next film (Episode VI) due to Lucas deciding to make them blood-siblings instead. Prequel Trilogy By the time the “Prequel Trilogy” began with Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace – 16 years after Episode VI – the children and teenagers that were introduced to the franchise with Episode IV were now full grown adults The hype for Episode I at its 1999 release was at critical mass; those that were alive during that time would remember the daily long queues for cinemas Everyone went into the film expecting something similar to the Original Trilogy, but instead came out after experiencing something very different, from the focus on Jake Lloyd’s child Anakin Skywalker to Jar Jar Binks. If there was a way to genome sequence the toxicity of modern day Star Wars fans and trace it back to an origin, it would probably lead to Episode I. See, though the film was a box office breaking hit, people quickly realised that the film was not that good. There are hours of videos on Youtube that dissects how the first Prequel Trilogy film – and the second – drop the ball from its sloppy writing, bizarre directing, and superficial action direction. Instead of laying the blame for the film’s faults on Lucas, fans instead targeted the cast – a continuing tradition to this day. Lloyd – who was around nine to 10 years old at the time – faced so much bullying and harrassment that he quit acting. As no one wanted to hold Lucas accountable, the second Prequel Trilogy film was written and directed with Lucas’ ego at thermonuclear levels; Episode II, for many years since its 2002 release, is considered by many to be the worst film in not just the Prequel Trilogy, but the entire “Skywalker Saga”. It would only be dethroned 17 years later by Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker. The third film in this trilogy, Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, is considered the best among the three, as it features a more focused compelling story, hefty moments of genuine emotion, good performances and some of the best scoring by John Williams. Sequel Trilogy The Original Trilogy was consistently good, while the Prequel Trilogy was only two thirds bad, the Sequel Trilogy is easily the most inconsistent in quality; like a rollercoaster, the latter goes from good in the first film, to mediocre then slightly decent in the second film, and eventually, outright terrible in the third. Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens’ success – whether critically or commercially – is owed to how much director and co-writer J. J. Abrams milks the nostalgia factor from previous films – particularly the Original Trilogy, from the return of Han Solo’s Millennium Falcon, Ford’s return as Solo, Peter Mayhew’s return as Chewbacca, Fisher’s return as Leia Organa, and of course, (yet) another Death Star. The second film, written and directed by Rian Johnson, is the more subversive film in the franchise, as Johnson takes the term “subversion” too literally; the entirety Episode VIII - The Last Jedi is unpredictable. When you think it couldn’t get worse, it happens; Episode IX is released, and quickly became the worst box office and critically performing film in the Sequel Trilogy. Once again written and directed by Abrams, if there was anything Episode IX achieves, it is that it ties up the trilogy with a conclusive end, even if the way the ribbon is tied is abominable. Tying back to the first few paragraphs, the Star Wars film slate is in a state of flux; there are films “in development”, but nothing is truly confirmed. Recently, it was revealed that Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s untitled Star Wars movie will see the return of Daisy Ridley’s Rey, who will create a new Jedi Order 15 years after the events of Episode IX. Where the future Star Wars films go is a mystery, but the quality for the television shows should be an indicator of what’s to come. May the Fourth be with you oIn honour of Star Wars Day on May 4, we take a look at the Star Wars cinematic universe The Original Trilogy films - despite coming out in the early 80s - still hold up to the test of time. – ALL PIX BY DISNEY Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith is widely regarded as the best of the Prequel Trilogy. Despite its inconsistency, Star Wars: The Last Jedi has an excellent fight sequence unlike any other Star Wars film. The Empire Strikes Back was the first introduction of fan favourite Boba Fett. Star Wars: The Attack of the Clones is regarded as the worst of all the films. █ BY MARK MATHEN VICTOR Star Wars: The Force Awakens brought the world a new generation of characters.

17 ENTERTAINMENT theSun LYFE ON WEDNESDAY | MAY 3, 2023 Flawes drop new single FRESH from making a big impression as guests on Tom Grennan’s European tour and gracing the cover of FAULT Magazine, alt-pop trio Flawes share their brand new single Satellite. It arrives as the June 9 release of their new album One Step Back, Two Steps Forward approaches and follows the band’s recent singles Tears Won’t Show, Is It Any Wonder and Don’t Blame Me. In Satellite, vocalist Josh ‘JC’ Carruthers’ delivers the purest of love songs with a very personal touch. Fittingly, a song about a love that stretches to the stratosphere and beyond also stands out due to a space-inspired sonic motif, a pulsating synth which sounds like a space shuttle’s radar. It creates an enticing off-kilter edge to the song’s brooding, alt-pop balladry, which presents a different sound to the zesty tracks which have preceded it. JC says: “Satellite is probably the most straight-up love song that we’ve ever written, it even references my proposal to my now wife in the second verse. With the production, we wanted to create an atmosphere that felt like you’re listening out in space and used manipulated experimental guitars in the intro to achieve that.” Satellite was written by Flawes with SHELLS and the track’s producer Toby Scott (Ella Henderson, Felik Jaehn). The single provides further evidence that Flawes have levelled up with One Step Back, Two Steps Forward. Its maximalist style unites the creative synths and bass-heavy rhythms beloved of alt-pop. But it’s also rich with time-honoured songwriting that brims with melody, high-rise hooks and sheer motion as well as the undeniable musicianship of a band with a background as session musicians for name artists. It’s energisingly direct too, as the band make each moment matter, heightened the immediacy of every song with a lean, straight-to-thepoint attack. With almost 20k monthly streams, Flawes is set on growing their fanbase in Asia – currently, Indonesia and Thailand are among their top 30 streaming markets worldwide. Flawes’ podcast Meet At The Hotel Bar has been attracting plenty of attention since launching last month. Each fortnight, the boys invite fans to listen in on a conversation with a friend from the world of music to unveil the larger-than-life, outrageous or simply unbelievable experiences that come with a life spent on tour. Next Monday’s episode features Thom Powers from The Naked and The Famous, while future guests include Natti Shiner of Fickle Friends and Rhino of Status Quo. Saving the day ... again S ALMAN KHAN’S hero character has a fight scene against the villain’s henchmen less than five minutes after the movie begins, and it’s all too obvious how everything will end. Salman is introduced in a superstar style and its no less than a grand entry with action stunts, along with his long hair (or is it a wig?) flying stylishly, before he delivers cheesy dialogue and fights the bad guys, who work for the villain Mahavir (Vijender Singh). Salman’s character Bhaijaan has three ‘brothers’. Originally orphans, Bhaijaan saved them all from a fire at the orphanage where they grew up. Since then, they vowed to support each other, and to never get married because they believe women would ruin their relationship. Bhaijaan kept the promise, but the others did not. They have all found themselves beautiful girlfriends but they are afraid to tell Bhaijaan. So, they come up with a funny plan to find Bhaijaan a girlfriend, which would make it easier for him to accept their relationships. Enter Bhagya (Pooja Hegde), who falls for Bhaijaan, very quickly. Salman Khan with his questionable new look for the movie. oSalman Khan’s latest film, Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ka Jaan (someone’s brother, someone’s love) is all about comedy, love stories, and the battle between good and evil █ BY S. TAMARAI CHELVI The heroine Pooja Hegde and Salman during the musical scenes. (from left) Ram Charan, Salman Khan and Venkatesh. Salman does clean up eventually. 0Director: Farhad Samji 0Cast: Salman Khan, Pooja Hegde, Venkatesh, Jagapathi Babu E-VALUE 4 ACTING 3 PLOT 2 Bhagya’s brother, Balakrishna Gundamaneni (Venkatesh) and the rest of her family live in South India. Her brother hates violence but he has an enemy, Nageshwar Kodathi (Jagapathi Babu), who wants to take revenge against Bhagya and the entire family. Kodathi eventually seeks the help of Mahavir in Mumbai to eliminate Venkatesh and his entire family, but Bhaijaan saves Pooja. Mahavir and Kodathi soon join hands after realising they have a common enemy: Bhaijaan. From here on, the movie is filled with blood, action, and comedy scenes, with a number of songs and dances. It’s pretty much what you can expect from Salman Khan. A lighthearted movie, a family drama with lots of comedy, upbeat songs, choreographed dances, stunts, action, revenge, and more simply put, it’s a ‘masala movie’, and so it has a bit of everything. In terms of storyline, there is nothing extraordinary or unexpected to look forward to. A few action scenes will make you sit up and notice, but no particular scene is really outstanding. The love story between Bhaijaan and Bhagya is quite funny, and perhaps songs like Yentamma and Balle Balle are worth listening to. It’s sufficient to say that it’s another run-of-the-mill kind of movie. Some parts of the story eem like they have been taken from, or inspired by, other Hindi or South Indian movies. As per his acting, Salman is in his usual element. Comedy and action scenes are his ‘forte’. In some parts, the 57-year-old actor even looks good. Satish Kaushik – a comedy actor who recently passed away – is funny, and Jagapathi looks stylish and played the villain character well. Venkatesh’s role has a little surprise element at the end; Pooja looks lovely, but none of the other roles have anything really interesting to talk about. A surprising feature was when actress Bhagyashree (popular in the 1990s) made a special appearance as Bhaijaan’s previous girlfriend. Movie clips from Salman’s blockbuster movie released in 1989, Maine Pyar Kiya, in which the two co-starred, are shown. Another part that gives us a little surprise (if you did not watch the song on YouTube) was when actor Ram Charan (who starred in the RRR movie) appears at the tail end of the Yentamma song. In conclusion, it’s just a belowaverage movie. If you are a Salman Khan fan, then you would love this movie; otherwise, you could give this a miss. Oh, there is one more thing! When the credits roll, a song is played with the cast dancing in South Indian attire to a song. The strange part is that the lyrics are taken from children’s rhymes, from Twinkle, twinkle little star to Mary had a little lamb. All the lyrics are in English except for the chorus in Indian language. This makes me wonder. Why on earth would anyone write a song with such lyrics? Did the songwriter run out of ideas? They could have written lyrics in either Hindi or Telegu, as some of the actors are from the Telegu film industry. It was just a bad idea!

18 BEAUTY theSun LYFE ON WEDNESDAY | MAY 3, 2023 DRAWING on eyeliner isn’t necessarily easy, inevitably requiring a certain amount of dexterity. But this doesn’t faze TikTok users, who are always on the lookout for the right tips and tricks to improve their beauty routines. The latest hack is to apply eyeliner not with a brush, but with a finger, for greater precision. This ‘finger eyeliner’ technique has been tried and tested by millions of users. Optimize your beauty routine while saving money and using the most natural ingredients and products possible. That’s the idea behind many of the tips that can be found on the Chinese social network, TikTok, despite some advice that is decidedly more dangerous, if not totally crazy. Most of the time, users are content to revamp age-old tricks that they might remember from childhood, or to propose ingenious, accessible and affordable tips. This is the case with ‘finger eyeliner,‘ a technique that requires only an eye pencil, a finger, and no more than a minute of your time. Great precision Unlike foundation, lipstick and even contouring products, applying eyeliner can be tricky for some. A shaky hand, sagging skin or drooping eyelids are all constraints that can hinder the tracing of a perfect line. But that need no longer be the case, thanks to one user who shared her knowledge with the entire Chinese social network. Followed by nearly 600,000 people, @bexcxmpbell has undoubtedly changed the beauty routine of many thanks to ‘finger eyeliner’, a trick that’s as simple as it is accessible. This technique helps you draw a foolproof line every time to get perfect flicks in a flash. All you need is a simple eye pencil in the colour of your choice. Instead of applying it directly to the corner of the eye, you have to put a little bit of product onto your index finger. Once you’ve done that, just place your finger at the outer corner of your eye, “where you feel the pressure”, says the user, then move your index finger outward to draw the flick. And that’s it. Particularly appreciated, this beauty hack has been seen more than five million times and is the subject of much praise in the comments. – ETX Studio TikTokers are using the ‘finger eyeliner’ trick to make light work of eyeliner flicks. – GETTY Foolproof eyeliner is at your fingertips Brown is beautiful UNDER the glow of a ring light in the spare bedroom of a Mumbai high-rise apartment, Indian makeup maven Debasree Banerjee has found fans across the world with a simple philosophy: brown is beautiful. Banerjee’s audience includes women from as far afield as the Middle East and the United States who also have a deeper complexion but have historically been overlooked by the cosmetics industry. “I actually have a lot of followers who are outside India, and I feel like it’s probably because our skin tones match,” Banerjee told AFP. “They can see how the product looks like on my skin tone, how the lipstick applies on my skin tone, and just have that sense of belongingness.” Banerjee, 34, began experimenting with make-up videos in her spare time a decade ago, after graduating from university and moving to Mumbai to work in sales. She is now a full-time beauty and lifestyle influencer, teaching more than half a million followers how to beautify themselves on Instagram and YouTube. Early inspirations included British beauty content creators Tanya Burr and Fleur De Force – both white and with millions of followers between them. But Banerjee said she had found no role models who resembled her. She credits Rihanna for the seismic shift towards greater inclusiveness in the cosmetics industry. In 2017, the pop superstar launched her make-up line Fenty Beauty, which offered 40 shades of foundation and turned her into a billionaire. “Fenty Beauty really, really changed the game,” Banerjee said. “I think that’s when people knew that this is important.” While other international brands have tried to keep up, many still have “miles and miles to go” before they can be considered truly inclusive, she added. “I still see products being Social media beauty and lifestyle influencer Debasree Banerjee does her make-up while going live on her YouTube channel in Mumbai. – AFP oIndia’s ‘brown beauty’ make-up influencers go global launched in three shades, in four shades, calling them ‘universal’. And it’s just ridiculous,” Banerjee said. “In India, everywhere you go ... you see our features changing, our language changing, our skin colour changing. So it’s very, very important to have more inclusive make-up.” Learning to love ourselves Cheap internet data, rising income levels and the world’s largest population of young people have fuelled an explosion in India’s beauty and personal care market. The industry is now worth US$15 billion (RM66.9 billion) nationally each year, with Euromonitor projecting that figure will double by 2030. Homegrown e-commerce platform Nykaa – which helped make global cosmetic brands easily available to Indians for the first time – was one of India’s most-anticipated IPOs in 2021. “People thought brown skin is not pretty,” Faby, another beauty influencer living in Mumbai, told AFP. “But now we’ve started learning to love ourselves.” Faby has nearly 900,000 Instagram followers and has established herself as one of India’s top cosmetic stylists, recently teaming up with top Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone to promote a skincare line. Almost her entire apartment has been refashioned into a studio with professional lights, camera equipment and retractable backdrops to stylise her regular online tutorials. The work can be taxing, with some daylong shoots lasting until well after midnight, but the money Faby makes from brand collaborations is enough to comfortably support both herself and her mother. “It has been difficult, but now I can have my own Dior bag, I can have whatever I want,“ said Faby. “It’s all because of the followers who are watching.” Look more beautiful India’s government belatedly recognised the explosive growth of online content creation last year, announcing a 10% tax on promotional gifts worth over 20,000 rupees (RM1,088). That move brought part of the country’s US$120 million influencer market under the tax net – chiefly those advertising products beyond the purchasing power of the vast majority of Indians. A single lipstick by a prominent international brand can cost around 2,000 rupees (RM107) locally – more than what half of India’s households pay for their weekly groceries, according to British market research firm Kantar. But the gap between material desires and means has proven to be fertile ground for other Indian influencers showing their audiences how to keep on-trend without breaking the bank. “There are many people who cannot afford expensive products, so my DIY shows them how to look more beautiful,” Kavita Jadon, 34, told AFP. From her home a couple of hours’ drive from the capital New Delhi, the housewife and mother-of-two makes videos showing how to make ersatz concealers out of moisturiser and coffee grinds, at a fraction of the cost of name-brand products. Despite filming from a cheap phone, editing with free software, and lacking Banerjee and Faby’s elaborate studio setups, Jadon has amassed more than 169,000 followers on Facebook. Many of her homemade product ideas are the result of painstaking trial and error, with her audience eagerly sharing their own ideas or petitioning her with requests. “Using products from big brands is not essential – it’s possible to use local products and create beauty products at home too,” she said. “That’s why my page has grown so significantly.” – ETX Studio

19 FEATURE theSun LYFE ON WEDNESDAY | MAY 3, 2023 I T can be difficult to make new friends. Finding individuals you connect with is a difficult task, whether you’ve recently relocated to a new area or are trying to widen your inner circle. Fortunately, the internet can help with that. There are a tonne of fantastic applications available that make finding a friend easy, much like there are dating apps for love relationships. Similar to how internet dating transformed how people could meet their future spouses, friendship apps have taken over as the preferred method of quickly making new friends. Bumble BFF Bumble BFF is essentially the same idea as Bumble for dating – just it’s for platonic pals. Nonetheless, you create a profile with a few pictures, write a brief bio, and then swipe right on your favourites. You may include information about your job, interests, profile questions, and relationship status, just as in most dating profiles. The distinction is that neither of you must initiate a conversation before the match expires because the timeframe is unrelated to gender. Meetup Meetup enables you to quickly create a large number of new acquaintances. Find organised groups of people who share your interests. Basically everything you are required to start interacting with Friendship is probably the most significant predictor of happiness – 123RF oThere is an app for almost everything █ BYTHASHINE SELVAKUMARAN Bumble BFF. – BUMBLE Meetup. – MOBILE APP DAILY Yubo. – FASHION NETWORK Peanut. – THE DOTS others on Meetup is sign up and look for an activity or group that interests you. There are both in-person and online alternatives available. You can also search for organisations that are pursuing the same objective. Wink You can swipe left or right on potential pals since only those who share at least one trait with you are displayed to you. You may talk either within the app itself or by going directly to Snapchat. Making true relationships on a friendship app is much like having a face-to-face chat in terms of social skills: you have to show real interest in the other person! Ask plenty of questions and avoid small chat since people prefer to talk about themselves and want to feel like you’re engaged in what they have to say. Yubo One community on Yubo is for teenagers ages 13 to 17, while the other is for adults ages 18 and up. You can communicate with other users through group chats, live streaming, games, and video calls. On the basis of common interests, you may also join communities. This social networking site doesn’t need having followers, so you can stop worrying about amassing a large number of followers and focus on being yourself. Peanut In essence, Peanut is a femalefocused app that focuses on making new relationships as well as pregnancy and childbirth. The app is quite popular among mothers and expectant women since it allows users to ask questions, offer ideas, and even obtain professional advice on any topic they may be curious about. However, you do not have to be a mother to participate. Different groups, real-time audio calls, and opportunities to meet local ladies in person are all provided. LMK Beyond merely sending a fast message, LMK enables you to connect with people who have similar interests: You may join group chats in talk-based Audio Rooms with LMK and share audio messages. Additionally, you may view YouTube videos with friends using LMK. Friender Due to the fact that it also employs the swipe feature, Friender is quite similar to dating applications. Additionally, you are not given random profiles. You have a variety of activities to pick from while building your profile. The software connects you with others who share your favourite pastimes using the data obtained. With a shared interest, you are more likely to engage in m e a n i n g f u l discussion with a potential buddy. By using the p r e m i u m service, you can access useful features like limitless swipes and a higher frequency of appearance at the top of the search results. All of these applications are free, easy to use, and have received good ratings. Try many applications rather than just one or two for better results. If you don’t have a lot of interesting chats, try not to become discouraged. Finding a connection with someone could take time. Making friends and dating are similar in many ways. You may have come to the realisation that preadulthood is rife with friendships of circ*mstance, which might lead you to believe that your poor social skills are to blame for every adult friendship that doesn’t work out. Most likely, you weren’t intended to be closest friends with that person, and that’s good. Finding friends requires patience, and unfortunately, some matches don’t work out. All the best! Wink. – GETWINKAPP Friender. – FRIENDER 7 best apps to make friends

20 TRAVEL theSun LYFE ON WEDNESDAY | MAY 3, 2023 @thesundaily FOLLOW ON TWITTER SCAN ME Island of the Gods BALI has been a byword for tropical paradise for decades, visiting by tourists from around the world, including Malaysia, looking for the perfect place to relax and unwind. It’s somewhere that offers all the magazine island cliches: world-class diving, metronomic surf breaks, viridian rice terraces and cliff-top temples, not to mention gorgeous spas and beach clubs. Like many places, the destination has struggled with overtourism, yet Bali boasts a rich and unique culture, and is a gateway to Indonesia’s 17,000 or so other islands – two solid reasons seek out the island’s serene heart. TOP REGIONS & CITIES Ubud Ubud is Bali’s spiritual and cultural capital. Bali’s ongoing tension between sybaritic and spiritual is evident here: it’s home to both the island’s fanciest fine dining and its best vegan food. Between temples, yoga, arts classes, rice field walks and cycles, Ubud is a wonderful place to recharge, with some spectacular (and some expensive) retreats perched above the gorges north of town. Seminyak Seminyak sits between Kuta (incredibly popular with Australians) and Canggu (Southeast Asia’s answer to Tulum) along Bali’s west coast. The beaches deliver thermonuclear Indian Ocean sunsets and some of the island’s kindest surf for beginners. The indie fashion boutiques and design stores make for great window shopping, while Eat Street (Petitenget) houses a worldclass restaurant scene. Uluwatu Rapidly developing Uluwatu sprawls along the cliffs of south Bali’s Bukit Peninsula, centred on the cliff-top temple that bears its name and the epic wave that breaks below it. Give knees a workout descending hundreds of steps to hidden beaches through macaque-filled forests – or take the easier option and ride a funicular to a decadent beach club. At sunset, the temple hosts a traditional kecak dance performance. Sanur Uncharitably known as “Snore” due to its popularity with retirees, this east coast beach district is Bali’s smartest choice for parents with young children thanks to its flat, current-free waters and villagey pace of life. Stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, yoga and cycling the lovely beachfront path are draws here. Amed Idling along a mellow coast, where swooping hills embrace volcanic sand coves, Amed’s main attractions lie underwater. It’s best known for the USAT Liberty shipwreck, but snorkellers, free divers and scuba junkies will find everything from artificial reefs to dramatic coral walls. It’s also an easy drive from two of east Bali’s star attractions: the Tirta Gangga Water Palace and Lempuyang Temple (known for its “Gates of Heaven”, which frame the sacred Mount Agung volcano). Bali is Indonesia’s famed holiday isle. – ALL PIX FROM THE INDEPENDENT oBali remains the benchmark for glorious escapism. Here are the best things to do, from days on the beaches to exploring rice paddies and volcanoes Find something to take home in Ubud’s markets. Uluwatu’s cliff-edge temple is considered one of the holiest places in Bali. There’s no shortage of impressive temples on Bali. UNDERRATED SPOTS Nusa Penida The largest of a trio of islands perched off Bali’s east coast is popular for day trips but actually merits several days. Hike down rugged cliffs to perfect crescents of sand, dive with manta rays and maybe even sunfish, descend through a barely visible hole into a vast cave temple, or chill out in Crystal Bay or Ped. Bedugul An open fire in the tropics? Yes! Bedugul sits at the heart of Bali’s central highlands, so cool and rainy that vendors sell l o c a l strawberries by the roadside. A vast botanical garden rolls down to a lake that reflects the beautiful Danu Beratan Temple. It’s a popular stop for day trippers but merits at least an overnight stay. Menjangan This island, with its grazing deer and surprisingly temperate-feeling forest, sits within West Bali National Park and offers dramatic views across the narrow strait to Java’s marching line of volcanoes. It’s not possible to overnight on Menjanga, although a boat trip is a must because this is where to find probably Bali’s best snorkelling. A handful of hotels let you stay inside the park and rattle along the forest tracks in modified safari vehicles. Sidemen With rice terraces forming natural amphitheatres to showcase Mount Agung, Sidemen feels like the Bali that time forgot, an ideal place to hike, pedal through the rice fields or get stuck into a good book. Tirta Gangga, a former royal palace, is an easy day trip, while the local arak – a traditional alcohol made from fermented rice – is Bali’s best. Balian North of the CangguSeminyak-Kuta madness of Bali’s west coast, Balian offers two Bali signatures – surfing and yoga – on a ruggedly beautiful volcanic beach set on a tranquil river estuary. Cows still graze amid the guesthouses and hotels on tranquil back streets, and the pace of life harks back to gentler times. THINGS TO DO Climb Mount Batur Bali’s third highest volcano, with a smouldering crater and frozen lava flows, is the island’s signature hike. The sunrise views from the crater rim more than repay starting off in the wee hours; on a good day, you can see the Rinjani volcano on neighbouring Lombok. Boiling eggs for breakfast in the geothermally heated soil is great fun, while hot springs are the perfect salve for tired muscles. Dive the Liberty Wreck Indonesia is one of the world’s top scuba destinations. If you fancy breathing underwater, Bali’s coral reefs and warm water are a wonderful place to give it a go. The USAT Liberty, a World War II transport ship, is one of vanishingly few shipwrecks that’s shallow enough for beginners; there’s nothing quite like watching a turtle swim through the porthole of a sunken ship. Visit the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival Each October, Ubud hosts the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival, southeast Asia’s top literary festival, bringing local and international fiction and non-fiction talents to the stage and a welter of special events. Speakers have included the likes of Irvine Welsh, Yotam Ottolenghi, and Eka Kurniawan, whose book Man Tiger was the first Indonesian novel nominated for the Man Booker Prize. WHEN YOU’RE THERE Getting around Bali’s infrastructure can present difficulties. There’s a lack of public transport, roads can get choked, and boat safety varies widely. Ridesharing apps such as Gojek and Grab fill some of the gaps, with two-wheel and four-wheel taxis on demand. Hiring a private driver for the day – or even the whole holiday – is cost-effective. Companies such as Perama run tourist shuttles between popular destinations. Riding a motorbike without the correct licence for the power of the bike and an Indonesian IDP will invalidate your travel insurance. Money-saving tip Eat like a local a at warung, the small cafes and shops you’ll easily find. A feast of babi guling (Bali’s signature sucking pig dish) with rice, soup, veggies and all the trimmings will cost around 25,000 Indonesia rupiah (£1.50) while a plate of rice with five or so delicious vegan toppings will cost around 15,000 rupiah (around RM4.55). Deep-fried stuffed tofu, spicy rujak fruit salad or banana fritters cost pennies from carts. – The Independent Wake up early for the best Mount Batur experience. Relax and unwind on the beach at Crystal Bay.

21 * SPORTS theSUN ON WEDNESDAY | MAY 3, 2023 Fiery Kohli fined again INDIAN cricket star Virat Kohli was fined yesterday for the second time in this IPL season after a post-match altercation with former national teammate Gautam Gambhir. Both were docked their entire match fee, the Indian Premier League said, while Naveen-ul-Haq was fined 50% of his for breaching the league’s code of conduct. Kohli, who has often run into trouble with his aggressive approach, had to be restrained by opposition batsman Amit Mishra during the match. Bangalore eventually won by 18 runs. Afterwards, Lucknow’s Kyle Mayers had to be led away from an exchange with Kohli before other players tried unsuccessfully to stop a visibly furious Gambhir, Lucknow’s team mentor, from confronting him. Kohli took to social media yesterday with a cryptic Instagram post quoting a famed Roman emperor and philosopher: “Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth. – Marcus Aurelius.” This was Kohli’s second offence this season after he was fined 10% of his match fee for his conduct during Bangalore’s loss to Chennai Super Kings last month. Rizwan unhappy PAKISTAN’S Mohammad Rizwan said he is not happy with being pushed down the order to No. 5 for the first two One-Day Internationals against New Zealand and the wicketkeeper-batsman wants to move back up a slot. The 30-year-old has made the No. 4 slot his own since 2019, scoring both his ODI hundreds at that position, but Shan Masood and Abdullah Shafique have been given the place in the opening two games of the five-match series. While Rizwan has excelled in the finisher’s role at five, helping his team win both games, he said he did not want to stay there. “If you ask me honestly, I am not happy batting at No. 5 (in ODIs), because I want to bat at No. 4,” he told a news conference yesterday. “But it is not important that I get what I want. “The captain and coach will do what they like. It is my own wish to bat at No. 4. But I have not complained to anyone.” Rawalpindi hosted the first two ODIs but the series now switches to Karachi for the remaining three. The teams are scheduled to resume the series with game three today. IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF PENG HONG HARDWARE SDN. BHD. Reg. No. 198101003757 (69871-H) (IN MEMBERS’ VOLUNTARY WINDING-UP) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to Section 439 of the Companies Act 2016, that the Special Resolutions set out below were duly passed by the Members of the Company on 01 May 2023. 1. THAT the company be liquidated by way of members’ voluntary winding up pursuant to Section 439(1)(b) of the Companies Act 2016 (“the Act”). 2. THAT Chan Eng Mat of 4-5-3A Kompleks Kantonmen Prima, 698 Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, 51200 Kuala Lumpur be appointed as Liquidator to act for the purpose of winding-up the company’s affairs and distributing its assets to the members and to exercise the powers of the Liquidator as set out in Section 456 of the Act. 3. THAT the Liquidator be indemnified by the company against all costs, charges, losses, expenses and liabilities sustained by him in the execution and discharge on his duties as liquidator and in relation hereto. TAN KOK BOON Director Dated: 03 May 2023 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the creditors of the abovementioned Company, which is being wound up voluntarily, are required on or before 03 June 2023 to send in their names and addresses and the particulars of their debts or claims and their names and addresses of their solicitors (if any) to the undersigned, the Liquidator of the said Company, and if so required in writing from the said Liquidator, are by their solicitors or personally, to come in and prove the said debts or claims at such time and place as shall be specified in such notice, or in default thereof, they will be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made before such debts are proved. CHAN ENG MAT Liquidator 4-5-3A Kompleks Kantonmen Prima, 698 Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, 51200 Kuala Lumpur Dated: 03 May 2023 DALAM MAHKAMAH TINGGI MALAYA DI SHAH ALAM DALAM NEGERI SELANGOR DARUL EHSAN, MALAYSIA DALAM PERKARA KEBANKRAPAN NO: BA-29NCC-3131-12/2022 PER: LOUIS SANDANASAMY A/L BENDICT (No. K/P: 620825-08-6425/7105516) ... PENGHUTANG PENGHAKIMAN EX-PARTE: PLATINUM VICTORY PROPERTY SDN BHD (No. Syarikat: 200401029670/668178-V) … PEMIUTANG PENGHAKIMAN NOTIS (Dalam perkara Notis Kebankrapan yang dikeluarkan pada 20.12.2022) Kepada:- LOUIS SANDANASAMY A/L BENDICT (No. K/P: 620825-08-6425/7105516) No. 16, Jalan SS21/35 Damansara Utama 47400 Petaling Jaya Selangor AMBIL PERHATIAN bahawa satu Notis Kebankrapan telah dikeluarkan terhadap kamu dalam Mahkamah ini oleh PLATINUM VICTORY PROPERTY SDN BHD (No. Syarikat: 200401029670/668178-V), yang beralamat di Lot 129, Jalan Cendana, Off Jalan Sultan Ismail, 50250 Kuala Lumpur dan Mahkamah telah memerintahkan supaya Notis Kebankrapan termeterai bertarikh 20.12.2022 dan Permintaan Mengeluarkan Notis Kebankrapan bertarikh 20.12.2022 (selepas ini dirujuk secara kolektif sebagai “Notis Kebankrapan tersebut”) disampaikan kepada kamu secara penyampaian ganti dengan menampalkan sesalinan Notis Kebankrapan tersebut itu bersama dengan sesalinan Permintaan Untuk Mengeluarkan Notis Kebankrapan bertarikh 20.12.2022, sesalinan Perintah Melanjutkan Keesahan Notis Kebankrapan bertarikh 17.03.2023 dan sesalinan Perintah Penyampaian Ganti bertarikh 17.03.2023 diatas Papan Notis, Mahkamah Tinggi di Shah Alam dan alamat terakhir kamu yang diketahui di No. 16, Jalan SS 21/35, Damansara Utama, 47400, Petaling Jaya, Selangor dan memasukkan satu pengiklanan dalam satu akhbar tempatan “The Sun” dan bahawa penyampaian tersebut menjadi penyampaian yang sempurna dan cukup ke atas kamu selepas tamat tempoh tempat belas (14) hari selepas tarikh penampalan atau pengiklanan yang terakhir tersebut yang mana lebih lewat. Jika kamu berniat untuk menentang dan/atau membela diri, kamu mestilah dalam masa TUJUH (7) HARI dari tarikh penampalan dan pengiklanan tersebut menjadi sempurna, memohon kepada Mahkamah untuk mengenepikan Notis Kebankrapan tersebut dengan memasukkan satu afidavit bagi maksud tersebut di Mahkamah ini. Jika tidak, suatu Petisyen Pemiutang boleh dikeluarkan terhadap kamu. Notis Kebankrapan tersebut boleh diperiksa oleh kamu melalui permohonan kepada Mahkamah ini. Bertarikh pada 17 Mac, 2023. .................................... Penolong Kanan Pendaftar Mahkamah Tinggi Malaya Shah Alam Selangor NOTIS ini difailkan oleh oleh Tetuan GS Kavitha, peguamcara bagi Pemiutang Penghakiman yang mempunyai alamat penyampaiannya di M-4-1 (Phase 3), Pantai Hillpark, Jalan Pantai Dalam, 59200 Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03-2202 2720 Fax: 03-2202 3720 E-mel: [emailprotected] [Ruj Kami: GSK/LIT-BN/1144/Louis/2022] 322 Notices IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF WALKY STAR SDN. BHD. 201501040582 (1165900-M) (Members’ Voluntary Winding-Up) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Creditors of the abovenamed Company which is being voluntarily wound-up, are required on or before the 3rd day of June 2023 to send in their names and addresses with particulars of their debts and claims, and of any security held by them, and the names and addresses of their Solicitors (if any) to the undersigned Liquidator at Suite D23, 2nd Floor, Plaza Pekeliling, No. 2 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur and if so required by notice in writing from the said Liquidator, are by their Solicitors or personally required to write in and prove their said debts and claims at such time and place as shall be specified in such notice, or in default thereof they will be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made before such debts and claims are proved. Kuala Lumpur Dated this 3rd day of May 2023 Yap Siew Cheng Liquidator Note: This notice is purely formal. All known creditors have been or will be paid in full. IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF WALKY STAR SDN. BHD. 201501040582 (1165900-M) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding-Up) At an Extraordinary General Meeting of the members of WALKY STAR SDN. BHD. duly convened and held at Suite D23, 2nd Floor, Plaza Pekeliling, No. 2 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur on the 25th day of April 2023 the following special resolutions were duly passed:- That the Company be wound up voluntarily and that Yap Siew Cheng of Suite D23, 2nd Floor, Plaza Pekeliling, No. 2 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur be and is hereby appointed Liquidator of the Company. That the said Liquidator be authorised to distribute either in cash, specie or in kind amongst the contributors of the Company in accordance with their respective rights and interests therein. That the Liquidator be indemnified by the Company against all costs, charges, losses, expenses and liabilities incurred in or sustained by her in the execution and discharge of her duties as Liquidator and in relation thereto. Cheong Siew Kin Director IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF JITAI ENTERPRISE SDN. BHD. (In Members’ Voluntary Winding Up) [Registration No. 200001032640 (535247-M)] NOTICE OF FINAL MEETING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to Section 459 of the Companies Act, 2016 that a Final Meeting of Members of the Company will be held at 184A, Jalan Raja Uda, 12300 Butterworth, Penang on the 6th day of June, 2023 at 11.00a.m. for the following purposes: 1. To receive an account from the Liquidator showing the manner in which thewinding up has been conducted and property of the Company disposed of and to hear any explanation that may be given by the Liquidator. 2. To resolve that under Section 518(3)(b) of the Companies Act, 2016, the books, accounts and documents of the Company and the Liquidator be destroyed three (3) months after the Company has been dissolved. Dated this 3rd day of May, 2023 TANG YIN KHAM Liquidator THE ATLAS ICE COMPANY BERHAD INCORPORATED IN MALAYSIA Registration No. 191201000003(1302-W) LOST STOCK CERTIFICATES NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the following certificates have been reported lost:- THE ATLAS ICE COMPANY BERHAD [191201000003(1302-W)] NAME OF STOCKHOLDER STOCK CERTIFICATE NUMBER NO. OF STOCKS NOTICE IS ALSO HEREBY GIVEN that if within fourteen (14) days from the date hereof no claims or representations in respect of the aforesaid certificates are made to the Directors they will proceed to deal with the application for replacement certificate and the original certificate will be deemed duly cancelled and void. TSC Corporate Services Sdn. Bhd. [199901012656(487556-H)] 1B, Level 1, Wisma Tan Cheng Tiong, No. 1A, Jalan Tun Sri Lanang, 75100 Melaka. MELAKA, 3rd day of May 2023. GOH KEK ENG TAN KIM LWI AGNES 585 224 592 BS.340 BS453 634 4,032 8,010 1,344 8,010 48,060 64,080 IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016 AND IN THE MATTER OF GREENLEAP SDN. BHD. Company No. 201401017903 (1093990-X) (In Members’ Voluntary Winding Up) NOTICE OF FINAL MEETING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to Section 459 of the Companies Act, 2016, a Final Meeting of the abovenamed Company will be held at L8-02, 8th Floor, Brem Mall, Off Jalan Kepong, 52000 Kuala Lumpur on 6th June, 2023 at 11:00a.m. for the following purposes: - 1. To receive and consider the Liquidator’s Statement of Accounts showing the manner in which the winding up has been conducted and to hear any explanations thereof. 2. To determine pursuant to Section 518(3)(b) of the Companies Act 2016, the manner in which the books, accounts and documents of the Company and of the Liquidators thereof, shall be disposed of. Kuala Lumpur Dated this 3rd May, 2023. Yeap Woon Heng Tan San Li (f) Liquidators 322 Notices 322 Notices Advertise with us & connect to our urban readers. KLANG VALLEY PENANG | KEDAH PERAK | PERLIS PAHANG | KELANTAN TERENGGANU MS. Shoba TEL: 03-7784 8888 FAX: 03-7784 4424 MALACCA MR. Rajah TEL: 012-628 2844 FAX: 06-764 2051 JOHOR BAHRU MS. Anne Lim TEL: 013-770 6699 FAX: 07-355 5549 ’Special’ Jaiswal From homeless to IPL hero HE once lived in tents and sold street food to pursue his cricketing dream. Now, sizzling talent Yashasvi Jaiswal is the toast of the Indian Premier League. On Sunday the Indian 21-yearold smashed 124 off 62 balls for Rajasthan Royals in front of a huge crowd in Mumbai, the city he moved to as a child from a poor family in Uttar Pradesh. “What a story, what a special talent. Yashasvi Jaiswal is a superstar in the making,” former Australia batsman and ex-IPL coach Tom Moody tweeted. “He has got real talent. The kind of domestic season he has had, he has taken that form into IPL. Good for him, good for Indian cricket and good for RR as well,” India’s allformat captain Rohit Sharma said. The left-hander’s maiden IPL century was not only the highest score of the current season – it also put him on top in the league’s 2023 batting rankings. With a strike rate of 159.70, he has now racked up 428 runs, ahead of South Africa’s on-fire Faf du Plessis (422 – Royal Challengers Bangalore) and New Zealand opener Devon Conway (414 – Chennai Super Kings). Jaiswal moved to Mumbai – without his parents – when he was just 11. “I used to sleep in a dairy and then stayed at my uncle’s place but it wasn’t big enough and he asked me to find a different place,” Jaiswal told AFP in an interview in 2020. “I then started to stay in a tent near Azad Maidan (a Mumbai sports ground) and would play cricket there during the day. “I sold pani puri (popular street food in India) at night, to help earn some money for food,” he said, referring to a popular street snack. Jaiswal also did some cricket scoring and fetched balls in club games to help finance his career before being noticed by coach Jwala Singh, who became the boy’s legal guardian. “I saw in Yashasvi a younger me and thought God is giving me another chance to play well in my second innings of life,” Singh, who played state-level credit, told AFP in 2020. Jaiswal won a place in the Mumbai state team in 2019 and became the youngest batsman, at 17 years and 292 days, to score a domestic one-day double century. His big break came when the youngster was snapped up by Rajasthan for US$338,000 (RM1.5 million) in the 2019 auctions of the world’s richest T20 tournament. In 2020, Jaiswal was the leading scorer for India’s under-19 team, and player of the tournament at the 2020 under-19 World Cup. His first three IPL seasons were ordinary, but this year he has formed a fearsome opening pair with England white-ball captain Jos Buttler. His sparkling innings on Sunday was in a losing cause, with Mumbai Indians winning with three balls after Australian axe-man Tim David blasted three sixes in a row in the final over. But Jaiswal was still named player of the match and was typically humble afterwards, even after his innings with 16 fours and eight sixes. “I want to follow my dream and work hard for it. (I will) work on my process and the result will follow,” he said. Veteran cricket journalist Ayaz Memon tweeted that Jaiswal “seems destined for bigger things”, while former India cricketer Virender Sehwag called the innings “one of the finest hundreds you will see”. His name was also trending on social media, with users comparing his knock to former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum’s unbeaten 158 for Kolkata Knight Riders in the first match of the league in 2008. “This year he has taken his game to a new level,” Rohit said. “I asked him where all that power is coming from because last year I didn’t see so many sixes and he was timing it so nicely. He says ‘I have been spending a lot of my time in the gym’.” – AFP SHORTS Rajasthan Royals’ Yashasvi Jaiswal watches the ball after playing a shot during his team’s IPL match against the Mumbai Indians. – AFPPIX

22 theSUN ON WEDNESDAY | MAY 3, 2023 SPORTS NAPLES woke up on Monday still digesting the disappointment of Napoli not sealing their first Serie A title in over three decades, but knowing glory is just a few more days away. Everything was set up for Napoli to win their third Scudetto a record-breaking six matches before the end of the season on Sunday when their closest challengers Lazio collapsed late on at Inter Milan, leaving Luciano Spalletti’s side needing a win over Salernitana to seal the deal. And when Mathias Olivera headed Napoli into the lead the city exploded in celebration, with blue smoke ingulfing the Stadio Maradona and fireworks being let off outside with the rapidity of machine gun fire. However all that joy had has to be bottled back up, ready to be unleashed at Udinese on Friday (2.45am in Malaysia), after Boulaye Dia’s superb equaliser six minutes from the end spoiled the party and pushed Salernitana further towards safety. Fans were not too downhearted however, hardcore supporters marching back from the Stadio Maradona into central Napoli with flares lit and in fine voice, the festivities in the city only dampened by a Spring downpour later in the evening. “From my point of view we’ve just postponed the party, I’m very comfortable with where we are in the league,” Spalletti told DAZN with a wry smile. “All it’s doing is lengthening the party.” To say that Napoli are close to their goal of emulating he 1987 and 1990 triumphs led by Diego Maradona would be an understatement. Spalletti’s team, who are at Udinese on Friday, need just one more point from their final matches to be crowned champions. And even though results have dipped, and the ferocious attacking play which bewitched Europe has become more stilted, since the March international break it is borderline impossible that Naples does not get its long-awaited party. A 17-point lead on Lazio means Napoli could even win the league without kicking another ball, as the capital city club must beat Sassuolo tomorrow (3am) in order to mathematically stay in the fight. But in reality the Scudetto has been a nearcertainty for months, as Italy’s traditional big three have failed to keep up with the runaway leaders’ blistering form in the run up to and aftermath of the World Cup. Between the start of September and end of February Napoli won 19 of 20 league matches, a run which left soon-to-be-dethroned champions AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus trailing way off in the distance. That trio are now involved in a six-team battle for the three remaining available Champions League positions, with six points separating Lazio from seventh-placed Atalanta. Inter currently hold the final spot in fourth ahead of their trip to survival-seeking Verona tomorrow (3am), but only lead Milan and Roma on goal difference with potentially seasondefining fixtures coming up over the next fortnight. Saturday is a repeat of this weekend’s clash between the cities of Rome and Milan as Roma host Inter and Lazio travel to the San Siro for the second time in seven days, while Atalanta host third-placed Juve who have collected just one point from their last four league fixtures. The two Milan clubs then have to prepare for the biggest derby for a generation in the first leg of their blockbuster Champions League semifinal. Roma, who drew 1-1 with Milan on Saturday despite Tammy Abraham opening the scoring in the 94th minute, also have their Europa League last four clash with Bayer Leverkusen next week with a raft of injuries complicating their run-in. Jose Mourinho’s Roma travel to Monza tomorrow (3am) without defenders Rick Karsdorp, Chris Smalling, Diego Llorente and Marash Kumbulla, while Netherlands midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum and Andrea Belotti are also sidelined and Nemanja Matic is suspended. – AFP /thesuntelegram FOLLOW ON TELEGRAM SCAN ME Title glory close Napoli to shake off title blow with one more point to go Horner calls Verstappen an elephant and expects revenge on Russell GEORGE RUSSELL may be left looking over his shoulder for the rest of the season after Max Verstappen issued a worrying threat at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. After the pair clashed in Saturday’s sprint race, Verstappen warned Russell to “expect the same” in future battles. Lando Norris poked fun at the suggestion on Sunday, joking with Russell that he “looked forward” to seeing the outcome. However, this may not be good news for the Mercedes star with Verstappen likely to hold a grudge. Even Red Bull team boss Christian Horner claimed that retaliation could be on the cards. He explained: “[Verstappen] is like an elephant, he’ll remember and bank that for a while.” History has shown the Dutchman is not one to forget after sparking up previous feuds with teammate Sergio Perez and former title rival Lewis Hamilton. Last season, Verstappen refused to let Perez pass in Sao Paulo despite the Mexican’s championship position being up for stake. After going against the team order, Verstappen passionately claimed he had “reasons” for refusing the move. When pushed on the issue, the reigning champion accepted it was because of “something that happened in the past”. Although Horner decided to keep the cause under wraps, it is expected it was down to an incident at the Monaco Grand Prix. Perez crashed in qualifying at the Principality which denied Verstappen a chance to take pole and hampered his chances in the race. Earlier this year in Saudi Arabia, tensions appeared to rise again with Perez approaching Verstappen for talks after he stole the 33-year-olds fastest lap. Afterwards, Verstappen criticised the team’s reliability and stressed he was “not here to finish second”. Verstappen and Hamilton also enjoyed a fierce relationship in 2021 which should worry Russell. After securing the title in controversial fashion, the 25-year-old admitted the two title protagonists had “hated each other”. He explained: “You look each other in the eye. You don’t say a lot but you do relate a lot and you really appreciate the fight. Sometimes we did hate each other, but that’s fine.” Karun Chandok suggested Verstappen “got his elbows out” more against Hamilton than other stars. And all of that means it’s bad news for Russell, who can expect a fierce wheel-to-wheel duel with Verstappen the next time they meet on track. – Express Newspapers BEAMING in the aftermath of a perfect weekend in Azerbaijan, Sergio Perez could not help but be reflective. Despite two wins from two – with Sunday’s impressive drive to first following victory in the Saturday sprint – and a mammoth 33 points from one race weekend, the so-called king of the streets is still six short of teammate Max Verstappen in the Formula 1 world championship. Rueful memories from a month ago in Australia loom large. A qualifying session from hell: stone cold last on the grid. A recovery drive to fifth was respectable. But in a season where Red Bull are in a league of their own, imperfect weekends can be few and far between. Ultimately, at 33 years of age, Perez knows he will never have a better opportunity to claim a shock world title than this year. So often the bridesmaid amid Verstappen’s dominance in the last two years, there is no acceptance to acquiesce this time around. Since 2018 – and arguably even earlier – Verstappen has been Red Bull’s No. 1. Daniel Ricciardo took note and left. Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon were no match for the Dutchman. Perez stepping in at late notice made him the de facto No. 2. He knew it, everybody knew it. His work in the unforgettable 2021 season in aiding Verstappen, most memorably in Abu Dhabi when defending from Lewis Hamilton, made him a hero to the masses and among his team. Perez has started to appreciate the uniqueness of his situation. By means of a utterly dominant car, he is Verstappen’s primary contender for the title. You may have noticed, but Verstappen is far from satisfied at the moment. In fact, he is quite vexed. Changes to the sprint format – an aspect of Formula 1 he strongly dislikes – have irritated him. His angry reaction to a collision with George Russell on Saturday and rumblings focused on his long-term dedication to the sport point to a man out-of-tow with a sport thriving in interest and popularity. All of this is why Perez must take advantage now. So a return to the streets of Miami, circling around the Hard Rock Stadium, are pivotal for Perez’s championship hopes. After Miami there are just two street circuits – Monaco and Montreal – before the summer break in August. By contrast there are six traditional racetracks, where Verstappen will feel all the more at home than his teammate. As 1996 F1 world champion Damon Hill stated over the weekend, Perez simply needs to hang on in there this season. Perez must tot up maximum points before the return of the traditional European swing if he is real about being a title contender deep into the season. – The Independent Perez can take advantage of Max to win World Championship █ KIERAN JACKSON Girona inflict Sevilla’s first defeat under Mendilibar GIRONA beat Sevilla 2-0 at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan in La Liga yesterday to give themselves hope of European football next season. Juanpe sent the visitors in front in the first half and Taty Castellanos doubled their lead early in the second to inflict Sevilla’s first defeat in the eight games since Jose Luis Mendilibar took over in March. The Andalucian side are in the Europa League semifinals where they take on Juventus, are 11th in La Liga, 10 points above the relegation zone. Girona, eighth, have 44 points, and are five behind Real Betis in sixth, a Europa Conference League qualifying spot. Castellanos continued his good form after hitting four against Real Madrid last week at Montilivi as Girona routed the champions 4-2. Athletic Bilbao, seventh, snatched a late 1-1 draw against mid-table Mallorca with Inaki Williams converting a spot-kick in the 96th minute. Wrexham to play LA Galaxy II in July friendly NEWLY promoted Wrexham are taking a trip to tinseltown in July, building on their American fanbase with a friendly fixture against Major League Soccer (MLS) reserve team LA Galaxy II. The Welsh club acquired by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney in November 2020 got the Hollywood finish they craved last month as they returned to the English Football League as fifth-tier champions with a 3-1 win over Boreham Wood. Wrexham have attracted plenty of attention in the famously soccer-ambivalent United States thanks to their Alist owners’ star power and their popular docu-series “Welcome to Wrexham.” “We’ve enjoyed meeting supporters who have travelled over from America to visit us this season, and it will be a fantastic occasion to play against American opposition in front of more of these new fans,” manager Phil Parkinson said in a statement referring to the July 22 match. Two other US fixtures had already been confirmed, with Wrexham set to take on Chelsea in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and Manchester United in San Diego, California, on July 19 and 25, respectively. SHORTS Salernitana’s William TroostEkong (left) comforts Napoli’s Victor Osimhen at the end of their Serie A match. – AFPPIX

23 * SPORTS @thesundaily theSUN ON WEDNESDAY | MAY 3, 2023 FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM SCAN ME Miss of the season Calvert-Lewin was guilty of missing a sitter for Everton in their draw at Leicester EVERTON’S Alex Iwobi rescued a 2-2 draw against relegation rivals Leicester, but it was the Foxes who climbed out of the Premier League’s bottom three after yesterday’s pivotal showdown. Iwobi scored a second half equaliser at the King Power Stadium after James Maddison wasted a chance to put Leicester 3-1 up when his penalty was saved by Jordan Pickford. Dominic Calvert-Lewin put Everton in front with an early penalty, before Leicester hit back with goals from Caglar Soyuncu and Jamie Vardy. Leicester, who have won one of their last 12 league games, moved out of the relegation zone on goal difference. The Foxes, Premier League champions in 2016, are fighting to avoid playing in the Championship for the first time in nine years. “We missed a penalty for 3-1, but also in the first half we were second best for long periods,” Leicester boss Dean Smith said. “We knew the result today would not define what happens. We came out of the bottom three, but there are still four games to go.” Everton, who last played in the second tier in 1954, remain in 19th place. Sean Dyche’s side are one point from safety with four games left for each of the bottom five clubs. Everton narrowly escaped relegation last season under Frank Lampard, but their struggles again this term led to Dyche’s appointment in January. The Toffees beat Arsenal and Leeds in two of Dyche’s first three games, but have won just one of the 11 games since then, sparking furious fan protests against the club hierarchy. “We held our nerve, kept trying to create things and overall it’s a good performance, although we didn’t get the three points,” Dyche said. “I didn’t come here for a walk in the part. I knew it was going to be a challenge. The only crime tonight was two really soft goals, but the mentality is what we want.” Calvert-Lewin committed arguably the miss of the season yesterday. The England forward somehow missed from a couple of yards out before the Foxes almost scored a third through Jamie Vardy just seconds later. Former Leicester striker Alan Smith was on co-commentary for Sky Sports said: “How has [Calvert-Lewin] missed? I think it’s come off his ankle bone or his heel. He certainly didn’t get a clean connection. “Well it could easily have been 2-2, it could easily have been 3-1. He’s a yard out virtually, Calvert-Lewin. It just gets a nick off the defender and he just doesn’t catch it. Incredible. “After that does he take one touch too many Jamie Vardy? He certainly gets too much on the dink. Everton have been let off the hook. It looked for all the world that the Leicester No. 9 was going to get that. “Well if Everton end up losing this, CalvertLewin will be having nightmares about his miss, underneath the Leicester crossbar virtually. He just doesn’t open up his foot, that’s all he needed to do. [Vardy] just gets too much on this 15 seconds later.” – AFP/Express Newspapers Blackburn’s playoff hopes hanging by a thread BLACKBURN’S hopes of qualifying for the Championship playoffs are no longer solely in their own hands following a 1-1 draw at home to Luton yesterday. Hayden Carter headed in his first Rovers goal four minutes from time at Ewood Park and the hosts almost snatched a win late on when Sammie Szmodics volleyed against the crossbar. Wales international Tom Lockyer had given third-placed Luton, already in the playoffs, the lead from Carlton Morris’s cross shortly after halftime. Blackburn must now beat Millwall in their final game of the regular season to have a chance of a top-six finish, but they would still fall short if either West Brom or Sunderland won as well. Earlier, Rotherham guaranteed their Championship survival with a 1-0 win over 10- man Middlesbrough. The Millers had been relegated in each of their previous three second-tier campaigns. But Hakeem Odoffin’s second-half winner ensured their safety with one game to spare. Rotherham cannot be caught by third-bottom Reading who, following their six-point deduction, currently hold the final relegation spot. The Royals can now only leapfrog Huddersfield, who are three points above them, have a game in hand and a better goal difference. Fourth-placed Middlesbrough have already secured a playoff berth but were hoping to pass Luton. Instead, Michael Carrick’s team lost Anfernee Dijksteel to a straight red card just before halftime and could find no way back once Odoffin netted three minutes into the second half. – AFP TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR will always cherish memories of injury-time drama and Lucas Moura. Just not from the 94th minute at Anfield in 2023. Next Monday will mark the fourth anniversary of arguably Spurs’ greatest moment of the 21st century, the 96th-minute, hattrick strike against Ajax in Amsterdam that sent Mauricio Pochettino’s team into the Champions League final. Four years on, it came down to the Brazilian again. This time, Moura was in his own half. This time, he lost his nerve. As Alisson punted the ball forward, an ersatz wing-back tried to cushion a pass to Cristian Romero, instead picked out Diogo Jota and saw a substitute score. Liverpool 4 Tottenham 3 and, in a season when Moura has not scored, he has arguably cost Spurs three points in two April cameos on Merseyside. They were leading 1-0 at Everton before a needless, dangerous challenge saw him sent off and his team draw. His return from suspension came at Anfield. In a different way, it went just as badly. Maybe Moura should never visit Liverpool. He will leave in the summer and this season has been a sad coda to his Tottenham career. There were 15 goals in 2018/19, none now. Four years on, a team has fallen apart: there are tales of decline, some due to ageing, some fast-tracked. Tottenham may have the worst kind of closure to the Pochettino era when, instead of welcoming back their most beloved manager for many a decade, they may see him appointed by Chelsea. If the 2019 team stood on the brink of greatness, their individual fates help tell a tale of where it has gone wrong for Tottenham in what feel like four wasted years. Dele Alli left Spurs on a free transfer and languishes unwanted at Everton, with Besiktas ending his loan early. Others have faded fast. At 32, Danny Rose is already retired. At 31, Victor Wanyama has spent the last three years playing for Montreal. Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen were already in their thirties in 2019. Now Spurs don’t have a defender as reliable as either was in his prime, while they are back in their homeland. So is Moussa Sissoko, now of Nantes. Hugo Lloris may be nearing the end, too. Kieran Trippier, sold to Atletico Madrid in 2019, is a far better rightback than any of those Tottenham bought to play in his stead. Christian Eriksen left for a cut-price fee in January 2020 and Spurs have no creativity in midfield now. Some of it feels like financial mismanagement. Spurs will get no money for Moura when his contract expires, just as Alli, Rose and Vertonghen left on free transfers. Son Heung-min has had a troubled season but was terrific at Anfield. He has 78 goals since the Champions League final. Harry Kane, who missed the Ajax semifinal and was semifit for the final, has 111 in the same time. Moura’s exit will come laced in nostalgia, but the loss of another of the class of 2019 would harm the team rather more now. – The Independent Moura sums up Tottenham’s decline █ RICHARD JOLLY ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: Leicester 2 (Soyuncu 22, Vardy 33) Everton 2 (CalvertLewin 15-pen, Iwobi 54). CHAMPIONSHIP: Blackburn 1 Luton 1, Rotherham 1 Middlesbrough 0. LA LIGA: Real Mallorca 1 (Kang-in 58) Athletic Bilbao 1 (Inaki Williams 90+6-pen), Sevilla 0 Girona 2 (Juanpe 23, Castellanos 55). LEEDS UNITED are considering appointing former West Ham and Everton boss Sam Allardyce, who had one game in charge of England, to succeed Javi Gracia as the club’s manager. ARSENAL manager Mikel Arteta wants to hold talks with West Ham’s England midfielder Declan Rice, 24, as soon as the season ends. THE Gunners are also considering a move for Crystal Palace’s England defender Marc Guehi, 22. CHELSEA are moving closer to appointing former Tottenham and Paris St-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino as the club’s next permanent manager. INTER MILAN are willing to sell Argentina forward Lautaro Martinez, with the 25-year-old a target for Manchester United. MAN UNITED sent scouts to watch Roma striker Tammy Abraham, 25, last weekend as the club considers alternatives to Tottenham and England striker Harry Kane, 29. UNITED are pushing to sign Eintracht Frankfurt’s France forward Kolo Muani as they attempt to beat Bayern Munich in the race to sign the 24-year-old. ASTON VILLA have opened talks with England striker Ollie Watkins about extending the 27-year-old’s contract with the club. FEYENOORD boss Arne Slot has emerged as a serious contender, alongside Julian Nagelsmann, to become Tottenham’s next permanent manager. TOTTENHAM and Newcastle United are among the clubs waiting to see what price Southampton will set for England midfielder James Ward-Prowse, 28, should they be relegated. MAN CITY will not deny Portugal midfielder Bernardo Silva, 28, a move away from the club if he decides he wants to leave in the summer. ARSENAL forward Folarin Balogun, currently on loan at Reims, will hold talks over his future with his parent club in the summer, amid interest in the 21-year-old from Paris St-Germain. RESULTS TOUCHLINES Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy (right) shoots at goal and hits the cross bar during his team’s match vs Everton. – REUTERSPIX

theSun is published and printed by Sun Media Corporation Sdn Bhd (221220-K) of Lot 6, Jalan 51/217, 46050 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Tel: 03-7784 6688 Fax: 03-7783 7435 • Tel (Editorial): 03-7784 6688 Fax: 03-7785 2624/5 Email: [emailprotected] • Tel (Advertising): 03-7784 8888 Fax: 03-7784 4424 Email: [emailprotected] THE Roynaissance has come at a cost. Not to Crystal Palace or Roy Hodgson but to his captain in his last game at a World Cup. Nine years after Frank Lampard led England in a stalemate against Costa Rica to ensure Hodgson’s team left the tournament with a solitary point, he finds himself at the helm of another side facing a historic low. Crystal Palace’s win over West Ham demoted Chelsea to the status of the sixth-best team in London, at least if the standings are to be believed, and puts them 12th in the table. End the season now and it would be their worst finish since 1994. Yet that was before Chelsea were in the elite, before the era of the superclub. Now such clubs can only fall so far, protected by their greater resources and talent. As a general rule, they bottom out in eighth place. Liverpool are set for a 61st consecutive topeight finish, Manchester United for a 33rd in the top seven; even amid the seeming disaster of some seasons since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, they never actually finished eighth, let alone below that. Arsenal had twin years that ended in eighth under Mikel Arteta, falling as far as 15th during the 2020-21 campaign, but have not ended up any lower since 1995. Since being supercharged by Sheikh Mansour’s investment, Manchester City came fifth in the 2009-2010 campaign and in the top four ever since. Tottenham gravitated more organically to the higher bracket but even traumatic campaigns have ended in the top eight. So Antonio Conte, in a mischievous fit, coined a term for a year so bad it stood out: ‘the Mourinho season,’ when Chelsea came 10th in 2015-16. It transpires ‘the Todd Boehly season’ may be even worse. “We’re not in a great moment, are we?” asked Lampard rhetorically. “I’ve been able to live this now for a few weeks and I also lived maybe 10 years of incredible success here and saw that continue. “I think it can be pretty normal, if you look at the history of all of the top clubs in the league, of moments, of tough periods.” Yet the scale of this underachievement is abnormal, even before the £600 million (RM3.3 billion) outlay on players renders it still more embarrassing. Two years after winning the Champions League, 15 months after lifting the Club World Cup, Chelsea are standing out from everyone else for a very different reason. If their campaign has often posed the question of whether it can get any worse, the answer has always arrived in the affirmative. Now the fixture list comes laced with peril. Chelsea’s last six fixtures include four against the top four; their diabolical record against the sides in the upper half includes a solitary point and a lone goal against the quartet who look bound for the Champions League, while they have already been beaten three times by City this season. Then there is Saturday’s trip to Bournemouth where, unless they beat Arsenal, defeat would leave them below Gary O’Neil’s team. Only a home game against a Nottingham Forest team with the worst away record in the country offers respite. Otherwise, it might be logical to predict their year would end with six more losses. Since Lampard returned, they have lost five successive games for the first time since 1993. They scored one goal in seven matches in April in all competitions. They took one point in the month. If they are safe from relegation, it may only be because Thomas Tuchel won three of their first six games before, in a fit of genius, Chelsea sacked him. Arteta won a battle of young managers fasttracked to the top job at their former clubs; his and Lampard’s careers have gone in different directions since then. Arteta’s Arsenal have been top for 247 days and the Spaniard insisted the title race is not over. End up second and he has still taken a seismic step forward. “From the coaching side, it’s great to see a club stick with a manager when maybe at another club they may have changed a manager two or three times,” said Lampard; including caretakers, Chelsea are on their fourth manager of the current campaign. The more people involved, the worse it seems to get. Lampard described his team, perhaps unintentionally cuttingly, as “low on confidence and also low on performance”. They are scarcely short on players, given the surfeit at Stamford Bridge, but there will be a patched-up look: Mason Mount and Reece James are out for the season, Kalidou Koulibaly may be and Marc Cucurella is sidelined for two weeks. But Kai Havertz is back and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could make a first return to the Emirates since being exiled by Arteta. The quest for goals may yet involve him; Aubameyang twice scored 22 in a Premier League campaign for Arsenal whereas Chelsea have only scored 22 since Tuchel’s September sacking. “The reality of football is, your career will not be full of successes,” argued Lampard, though his playing days were stacked full of achievements. But now Chelsea are simply trying to mitigate failure, to stop testing the theory of how bad it could get. – The Independent or download app from the App Store or Google Play TM . Read iPaper at www.thesundaily.my FREE access Interactive WEDNESDAY • MAY 3, 2023 Chelsea hey are beginning to stand out from the crowd with how historically bad their season is LIVERPOOL boss Jurgen Klopp faces punishment from the Football Association after another fiery clash with referee Paul Tierney. Klopp conceded that he and his side have a “history” with the official after the Reds’ dramatic 4-3 win over Tottenham. What has caused Klopp’s relationship with Tierney to suffer? Here are seven flashpoints over the years. Solanke handball, Dec 2017 Klopp’s first run-in with Tierney happened a little over a year into his Liverpool tenure. Dominic Solanke thought he had scored a late winner for the Reds in a goalless draw with West Brom, only for it to be chalked off for a handball by the striker. Klopp confronted Tierney at fulltime to ask about the decision. Tierney snaps back, July 2020 One of the more intriguing elements of behind-closed-doors football were the conversations between those involved in the game – which have often been difficult to hear when fans are in the stadium. On one occasion, Tierney was heard snapping back at Klopp’s complaints. The referee could be heard bluntly telling the Liverpool boss to “get over” one alleged mistake he had made. During a 2-0 win over Aston Villa, Tierney said: “I missed it Jurgen. I’m like players, I’m going to make mistakes. I missed it. Get over it.” A non-penalty, Dec 2020 During a draw with Newcastle later that year, Sadio Mane had rather honestly stayed on his feet despite clearly being infringed by goalkeeper Karl Darlow. Having not gone down, Mane was not awarded a penalty by Tierney. Henderson speaks out, Jan 2021 Tierney also faced the wrath of Liverpool in a clash with Manchester United a month later. The referee blew for halftime just as it appeared that Mane was racing through on goal. Captain Jordan Henderson said the incident was: “Strange. Very strange. As you can imagine, we weren’t happy about that. I think he’s through on goal if the referee doesn’t blow the whistle.” Klopp’s dig at Tierney, Dec 2021 The first time Klopp’s temper at Tierney appeared to boil over came in December 2021. In another illtempered match against Tottenham, Andy Robertson was sent off, although Liverpool were fuming that Harry Kane did not see red for a poor challenge on the leftback. At the end of the game, Klopp raced over to Tierney and declared: “I have no problems with referees, only you.” Robertson-Hatzidakis clash, April 2023 Less than a month ago, Tierney was the man in the middle for another tense game between Liverpool and Arsenal. Although it was not the Manchester-born official who was at the centre of attention – instead, it was his assistant, Constantine Hatzidakis. After Robertson appeared to grab the official to get his attention at halftime, Hatzidakis raised his elbow and caught the Scot square in the face. Some called for the assistant referee to be punished, but it was clear that the action was a genuine error. Klopp’s yellow card vs Spurs And so it came down to Sunday’s clash, where Spurs had staged a remarkable comeback to drag the score back to 3-3. Only for Jota to latch onto Lucas Moura’s error and score a late winner. Klopp celebrated by approaching fourth official Brooks and was shown a yellow card by Tierney. The Liverpool boss alleges that Tierney made an inappropriate comment which the referee denies. Express Newspapers Klopp’s feud with Tierney explained as Reds boss faces FA punishment █ RICHARD JOLLY Mason Mount (left) and Thiago Silva. – REUTERSPIX Dismal Blues