Author: Isaam Jamaal

Today, representatives from The Labour Ministries and Social Security agencies of ASEAN Member States, employers’, workers’ and civil society groups concluded the second consultation workshop to develop an ASEAN Guidelines on the Portability of Social Security Benefits for Migrant Workers. Officials from Timor-Leste also joined as observers. The guideline is being developed upon the initiative of the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training of Cambodia with the support of The International Labour Organization (ILO), through the TRIANGLE in ASEAN programme, and The ASEAN Secretariat. It aims to provide guiding principles and practical steps to ASEAN Member States considering a bilateral…

The Philippines jumped so high, why didn’t China panic? Russian experts put it bluntly: China is very smart For several months, the tense confrontation between my country and the Philippines in the South China Sea has continued. With the support of the United States, the Philippines has carried out a series of provocative actions against China. The United States even recently sent warships into the waters near China’s Second Thomas Shoal, further escalating the situation. However, the Chinese government behaved quite calmly in this incident. While the Philippines and the United States have become increasingly aggressive, China has acted with restraint,…

Singapore’s regulator imposed a penalty against Credit Suisse over misconduct by its relationship managers in the city-state. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has imposed a civil penalty of S$3.9 million ($3 million) on Credit Suisse for its «failure to prevent or detect misconduct by its relationship managers», according to a statement. According to the MAS, Credit Suisse’s relationship managers had provided clients with inaccurate or incomplete post-trade disclosures resulting in spreads for 39 over-the-counter (OTC) bond transactions being charged above agreed rates. Civil Penalty Settlement Credit Suisse has admitted liability for its failure to prevent or detect the misconduct and…

Financial services are undergoing a digital revolution. As economies become increasingly digital, consumers expect their financial interactions to keep pace, demanding seamless, secure and rapid payment solutions. The digital payments market is thus growing rapidly across countries, fuelled by the increasing adoption of contactless payments, e-wallets and e-commerce. In today’s real-time digital economy, customers and businesses need access to payment systems that are fast, affordable, accessible and reliable. Thailand and Singapore have been at the forefront of linking domestic fast payment systems across borders. Their PromptPay and PayNow systems now enable instant, low-cost mobile transfers between the countries using just a recipient’s phone number.…

KUCHING (Dec 8): Police here have to date received 556 phone scam reports for the year. Kuching police chief ACP Ahsmon Bajah said this was an over 50 per cent jump compared to the 367 phone scam reports in the district for the whole of last year. He called on the public to be extra vigilant against such scams. “Last year, we had recorded losses amounting to RM12 million, while this year, the recorded cases has reached RM29 million,” he told a press conference here today. Among the cases were investment scams where the scammer would direct the victims to…

KUCHING (Nov 20): All government online services related to business sectors are to be enabled with SarawakID Corporate by 2024, said Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg. He said SarawakID Corporate is available for corporate entities to sign-on and access government online services. He also said that all digital government services shall be accessible through a single sign-on using Sarawak ID. “Currently, more than 957,000 users are registered to access government services,” he told the august House at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) Sitting here today. He added that the government is also introducing SarawakPass, which will…

VNAT collaborates with Lao Cai Department of Tourism for the application of ASEAN tourism standards to enhance regional competitiveness. Understand the impact on tourism quality and stakeholder responsibility. Tourism Information Technology Center (TITC) and Hospitality Industry Management Division (Vietnam National Authority of Tourism – VNAT) coordinated with the Lao Cai Department of Tourism to organize the training program and guidance on implementing ASEAN tourism standards in 2023. Ms. Nguyen Thanh Binh – Hospitality Industry Management Division (VNAT) Nearly 100 delegates were officials of the Culture and Information Divisions of districts, towns and cities; tourism officials; accommodation establishments, tourist areas and sites in Lao Cai province…

Thailand’s Trade Representative Nalinee Taveesin recently met 30 Hong Kong-based business entities keen on establishing production and logistics ventures in Thailand. This initiative aligns with Hong Kong’s aim to expand its presence in Asean. Nalinee also exchanged valuable trade-related insights with Ronald Ho, regional director of Southeast and South Asia at the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. Forming a collaboration with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council will open up opportunities for Thai businesses, particularly SMEs and start-ups, to boost their product distribution and refine their skills. This partnership will also place a strong emphasis on promoting products through e-commerce,…

KUCHING: Sarawak aims to complete the takeover of MASwings Sdn Bhd within the next three months, says Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg. This comes after the state Transport Ministry, state-owned Hornbill Skyways Sdn Bhd and Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the management of rural air services by acquisition of shares in MASwings here yesterday. MAG is the parent company of MASwings. Abang Johari said the MoU paved the way for due diligence and detailed discussions between the state and federal transport ministries on the takeover. “I give them about three months. If…

KOTA KINABALU: When Kudat-born Poong Ka Vui first came to the city to have his car air-conditioner repaired a few years ago, he tried searching the Internet to find a reliable and affordable workshop that could do the job. He saw a few with high ratings given by past customers, so he went to one. However, when he arrived, the price quoted was unexpectedly high and so he had to call some friends to get better recommendations. “That took a while and honestly, it was quite troublesome, because some of these friends had to ask other friends before they could…