The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about significant changes when it comes to the role of managers in businesses. Image: Unsplash via AFP Relaxnews. Whether it’s managing workers remotely, rallying teams while lending an attentive ear to each individual, or juggling time spent in the office and time working remotely, COVID-19 has reshuffled the cards when it comes to the role of managers working in businesses worldwide. What if, in the coming year, lessons learned in the pandemic were taken onboard to make way for a more horizontal approach to management, drawing on the idea of permaculture in the workplace? Welcome to Episode 5 of ETX Studio’s “After Calendar” of incoming trends for 2021. “Before, managing was about motivating teams and moving forward together to achieve results. Today, you have to manage fragility. It’s new emotional territory in the workplace. At any time, you know that your troops can crack. And you yourself are shaken up by the context, the uncertainty. So ... » Learn More about 2021: The year of ‘perma-management’?
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Experts underscore need for getting more cybersecurity professionals in APAC
Experts discuss how cybersecurity policies and strategies are formed in the Asia Pacific during the 2nd Asia Pacific Online Policy Forum hosted by Kaspersky on Tuesday, March 2, 2021. MANILA, Philippines — Cybersecurity experts underscored on Tuesday the pressing need for building capacity and investing in education to make the cyberspace more secure. During the 2nd Asia Pacific Online Policy Forum organized by Kaspersky, Dr. Greg Austin, Professor of Cybersecurity, Strategy and Diplomacy at the University of New South Wales in Australia, pointed to the need to attract more cybersecurity experts. Attended by more than 1,000 participants including executive officers from various sectors and top government officials, the forum focused on how policies and strategies are shaped in APAC and how policymakers should act ahead of cybercriminals. “Globally, we are not making enough cybersecurity professionals,” Austin said. “Most countries are not prepared to make investments in ... » Learn More about Experts underscore need for getting more cybersecurity professionals in APAC
Work from home seen as another new normal in post coronavirus life – JobStreet
MANILA, Philippines – A job searching website believes that the COVID-19 pandemic, which has infected over two million people in the world, would introduce changes in labor practices, especially in the use of work-from-home schemes. According to Jobstreet, more employees would push for increased benefits and for possible work-from-home methods as it appears to be a more viable option even after the various lockdowns end. “Since the implementation of community quarantine, we have already seen drastic changes in the workforce […] JobStreet.com believes there will be many changes that are bound to stick as we take on learnings from this outbreak,” a statement from the site’s management said. “Remote work is the future — and we are seeing it now more than ever. Because of the mandatory home quarantine, most companies have been forced to shift their gears and adopt digital ways,” they added. Jobstreet also sees the outbreak as an opportunity for workers to seek mandatory health ... » Learn More about Work from home seen as another new normal in post coronavirus life – JobStreet
How leaders can carry our nation through this pandemic
For leaders in both the public and private sectors, this is our moment of truth. In a matter of weeks, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has completely eroded our notion of normalcy. Businesses are suffocating with ceased operations, disrupted supply chains, and an unprecedented surge or drop in demand for which nobody has adequately prepared. When our management team sat down to create EON’s COVID-19 business continuity plan in early March, the sheer scale and unprecedented nature of this crisis meant we had no one to look to who can say they have “been there, done that.” So we chose to rely on our human instincts and our expertise as communicators. We find ourselves grappling with a multitude of questions to which we don’t have concrete answers. How might we ensure business agility and productivity to survive this crisis? How might we play a more valuable role in our customers’ lives given the current situation? But also, how can we continue to provide ourselves, our ... » Learn More about How leaders can carry our nation through this pandemic
MACC: Ahmad Zahid received two cheques worth RM6mil
KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court heard that Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi received two cheques valued at RM6mil from Datasonic Group Bhd (DGB) deputy managing director Chew Ben Ben, which was then handed over to Messrs Lewis & Co. Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigating officer Mohd Hizar Farhan Abdul Razi, 32, said the cheques were handed over by Chew to Ahmad Zahid at the former deputy prime minister’s official residence in Seri Satria, Putrajaya, in 2017. The court had been told before this that Lewis & Co was the trustee of the Yayasan Akalbudi owned by Ahmad Zahid. Based on the 14th and 15th charge, Ahmad Zahid is alleged to have received bribes amounting to RM6mil from Chew as an inducement to appoint Datasonic Technologies Sdn Bhd (DTSB) to implement a five-year passport chip project or 12.5 million chips for the Malaysian passport polycarbonate biodata page for the Immigration Department through direct negotiations under the Home Ministry. Mohd ... » Learn More about MACC: Ahmad Zahid received two cheques worth RM6mil
MACC investigating officer: Ahmad Zahid received two cheques worth RM6mil
KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): The High Court was told on Thursday (March 4) that Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi received two cheques valued at RM6mil from Datasonic Group Berhad (DGB) Deputy Managing Director Chew Ben Ben, which was then handed over to Messrs Lewis & Co. Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Investigating Officer Mohd Hizar Farhan Abdul Razi, 32, said both cheques were handed over by Chew to Ahmad Zahid at the former deputy prime minister's official residence in Seri Satria, Putrajaya in 2017. The court had been told before this that Lewis & Co was the trustee of the Yayasan Akalbudi owned by Ahmad Zahid. Based on the 14th and 15th charge, Ahmad Zahid is alleged to have received bribes amounting to RM6mil from Chew as an inducement to appoint Datasonic Technologies Sdn Bhd (DTSB) to implement a five-year passport chip project, or 12.5 million chips for the Malaysian passport polycarbonate biodata page for the Immigration Department through direct ... » Learn More about MACC investigating officer: Ahmad Zahid received two cheques worth RM6mil
In ‘critical’ condition, hospitals struggle to decide who gets into ICU
Experts have urged hospitals to better manage the admission of patients, arguing that most of them were overwhelmed by the constant increase in COVID-19 cases. “Hospitals are in a critical situation. Several of my doctor friends in Jakarta and some other regions have revealed that their patients’ condition was worsening while the ICUs [intensive care units] were full, so they died. “Some of our health workers [who contracted the virus] have also experienced difficulties in getting a [hospital] room,” Joko Mulyono, a lecturer and researcher of Jenderal Soedirman University’s School of Medicine said on Tuesday as quoted by kompas.id. He went on to say that the common way to increase room capacity by converting regular rooms into isolation units and ICUs would require too much time to alleviate pressure on hospitals immediately. “Therefore, there is a need for ground rules on prioritizing patients [based on medical conditions] for ICU treatment,” said Joko, adding that ... » Learn More about In ‘critical’ condition, hospitals struggle to decide who gets into ICU
Unpad, Bio Farma team up in two COVID-19 candidate vaccines research
A joint research team of Padjadjaran University (Unpad) and state-owned pharmaceutical company PT Bio Farma personnel is researching two COVID-19 candidate vaccines. The research is expected to be complete in the next three years. Bio Farma’s project integration manager for research and development, Neni Nuraini, said the candidate vaccines were being developed in anticipation of another pandemic situation in the future. The research aims to develop two candidate vaccines. The first one is a wheat-based recombinant protein vaccine, while the second one, which is funded by the Indonesia Science Fund (DIPI), is a peptide-based recombinant vaccine. The wheat-based vaccine is targeted to be completed by 2022, while the peptide-based vaccine is set to finish in 2023. “Hopefully they’ll already become candidate vaccine prototypes by then,” said Neni, tempo.co reported on Tuesday, adding that the new research was separate from the Chinese-developed Sinovac vaccine. “This vaccine ... » Learn More about Unpad, Bio Farma team up in two COVID-19 candidate vaccines research
‘Bangkok Post’ snapper wins pic award
Bangkok Post photographer Wichan Charoenkiatpakul poses with his 'Safe Love' photo which won Best News Photo of the Year from the Isra Amantakul Foundation and the Thai Journalists Association, announced on Thai Journalists Day yesterday. (Photo by Nutthawat Wicheanbut) Bangkok Post photographer Wichan Charoenkiatpakul has won the Isra Amantakul Foundation and the Thai Journalists Association's (TJA) Best News Photo award for his Safe Love photo. The announcement was made yesterday during an event marking Thai Journalists Day. The photo shows a bride and groom and their family members wearing face masks while taking a group photo at a wedding at Bangkok's Priest Hospital in March last year. Accumulating more points from the committee than the other 49 pictures, Wichan won the prize, which included a trophy and 100,000 baht. Wichan, 27, has won four honourable mentions in the past three years in national news photo contests. The other pictures in this year's final round ... » Learn More about ‘Bangkok Post’ snapper wins pic award