India malaysia free trade agreement notification

SINGAPORE - Trade associations and chambers (TACs) here can do more to help companies tap opportunities that arise from digitalisation and improve their capabilities, said Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing on Friday (Feb 12). They play a critical role in the national effort to introduce firms, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, to new technologies, and to help them adopt these, he added. He was speaking at the opening ceremony of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry's (SCCCI) live streaming studio at the Trade Association Hub in Jurong, on the first day of the Chinese New Year. The studio is an example of what TACs can do on this front, to help companies navigate challenges arising from the Covid-19 pandemic , added Mr Chan. SCCCI president Roland Ng said the studio expects to support live streaming for up to 50 activities in its first year, including trade associations' annual general meetings, product launch events and international ... » Learn More about Singapore trade associations play critical role in helping firms tap opportunities from digitalisation: Chan Chun Sing

Ipoh City Council (MBI) has plans to complete distributing about 23,000 free rubbish bins to residents by the end of the year. Mayor Datuk Rumaizi Baharin said the bins would be distributed in stages to allow ratepayers to properly discard their rubbish. The city council, he added, would distribute 8,000 bins in the city this year while Majuperak Utilities Management Sdn Bhd would give out about 10,700 units in Meru. “Majuperak Utilities Management has also given out about 5,000 bins to Manjoi folk. “We are distributing 1,150 bins to the people here in Bandar Baru Putra,” he told reporters after the presentation ceremony. Majuperak Utilities Management was appointed by Perak government to implement waste management services in Meru Raya in December last year. The company’s service includes providing wheeled rubbish bins installed with RFID chips to residents in the area. Rumaizi said he hoped people would place their rubbish bags in bins instead of leaving them out in the ... » Learn More about Council to give out free rubbish bins to residents

SINGAPORE: In March, ASEAN Economic Ministers discussed the possibility of launching a regional digital vaccine passport, reviving talk of an intra-ASEAN travel bubble. If successfully launched, the passport will help resuscitate the region’s flailing tourism industry that contributes a significant amount to the GDP of each ASEAN member state. This border-opening idea comes with several challenges, particularly data privacy ones, that ASEAN’s institutional structures are not presently well-suited to address. Without institutional changes, this timely proposal likely will become another tombstone in the graveyard of beneficial ideas that could not survive ASEAN’s structures and principles. The vaccine passport system is expected to store large amounts of personal data. If ASEAN is committed to successfully initiating the digital vaccine passport, it cannot ignore the longstanding absence of strong ASEAN agreements that allow for region-wide comprehensive data privacy ... » Learn More about Commentary: A digital vaccine passport could open up Southeast Asia travel bubble but some changes needed first

CAIRO: For Ramadan this year, Magdy Hafez has been longing to reclaim a cherished ritual: Performing the nighttime group prayers called taraweeh at the mosque once again. Last year, the coronavirus upended the 68-year-old Egyptian’s routine of going to the mosque to perform those prayers, traditional during Islam’s holiest month. The pandemic had disrupted Islamic worship the world over, including in Egypt where mosques were closed to worshippers last Ramadan. “I have been going to the mosque for 40 years so it was definitely a very, very, difficult thing,” he said. “But our religion orders us to protect one another.” Still, “It’s a whole other feeling, and the spirituality in Ramadan is like nothing else.” Egypt has since allowed most mosques to reopen for Friday communal prayers and for this Ramadan it will let them hold taraweeh, also with precautions, including shortening its duration. Ramadan, which begins this week, comes as much of the world has been hit by an ... » Learn More about Muslims navigate restrictions in the second Ramadan amid COVID-19 pandemic

WHILE some people are looking to help, especially in times of dire need like during this Covid-19 pandemic, they may not know how or where to start. Many local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) always welcome any extra hands they can get for their numerous charitable activities. SOLS Health Established in 2014 under SOLS 24/7 Foundation, SOLS Health is a community mental health centre in Kuala Lumpur that offers accessible individual, family and community services with an emphasis on trauma-informed care and combating the stigma around mental health in Malaysia. It needs volunteers for projects, centre management, human resources and research as well as advocacy teams. SOLS Health research and advocacy director Dr Arman Rashid said: “Volunteering was not only about helping communities we serve, but also improving our own mental health with a renewed sense of purpose, meaning and motivation during the Covid-19 pandemic.” The NGO recently embarked on a collaborative ... » Learn More about NGOs on lookout for volunteers in various roles

SINGAPORE - Technology firm Ascent Solutions has invested more than $1 million to develop a solution that aims to improve transparency in the transport of commodities. The company, which provides Internet of things (IoT) software to the logistics industry, spent about two years working on a "digital twin warehouse" service. The solution will allow its clients to track the movement and storage of goods in warehouses in real time using computer vision - an area of artificial intelligence. Mr Huang Yihang, Ascent's head of corporate strategy, said on Monday (April 12) the solution can create greater accountability in trade finance - financial instruments and products that facilitate international trade and commerce - and help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) secure funding to do business. "The solution will enable firms to ensure that what is supposed to be in the warehouse is really there, and it can help to create more visibility on the ground," he said, during a visit ... » Learn More about Tech firm develops solution for real-time tracking of warehouse goods

MELAKA: NCT Group of Companies (NCT Group) has signed up for 2,000 golf memberships with Ayer Keroh Country Club Bhd (AKCCB) to help boost the development of sports tourism in Melaka. Founder and group managing director Datuk Seri Yap Ngan Choy (pic) said with the ongoing development of NCT’s Ion Forte Green City (IFGC) at the Ayer Keroh Country Club, the partnership will enable buyers to enjoy complimentary golf membership with their property purchase. He said the signing up for the membership agreement with AKCCB will certainly complement the lifestyle and experience presented by IFGC. “The combination of luxurious, modern amenities and lush surroundings of IFGC, coupled with its strategic location, are essential components of its vision to create a wellness living concept for potential buyers. “We are pleased with the progress of the IFGC development thus far and we look forward to the launching of the next few phases, ” he said in a statement yesterday. The signing ... » Learn More about Melaka’s sports tourism sector gets a boost

IPOH: Ramadan bazaars are allowed in Perak, says state local government committee chairman Datuk Nolee Ashilin Mohamed Radzi. “Traders at the bazaars must strictly adhere to Covid-19 standard operating procedure. “All local councils will determine the locations for the bazaars and to ensure the SOP is followed, ” she said yesterday. Ipoh Mayor Datuk Rumaizi Baharin said 25 locations in the city had been earmarked for the bazaars. “There will be 1,065 trading lots this year, with each to be placed about 3m apart. “Traders must wear face masks and gloves and are also required to get anti-typhoid jabs and attend food-handling courses, ” he said. He added that the city council’s public health and council services unit and enforcement department would be monitoring the bazaars to ensure SOP compliance. “There will be mandatory body temperature check and hand sanitisers at the entry point, ” Rumaizi said, adding that cashless payments would be introduced at most locations to ... » Learn More about Perak, Negri and Melaka allow bazaars

GENEVA (Reuters) -Confusion and complacency in addressing COVID-19 means the pandemic is a long way from over, but it can be brought under control in months with proven public health measures, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday. "We too want to see societies and economies reopening, and travel and trade resuming," Tedros told a news briefing. "But right now, intensive care units in many countries are overflowing and people are dying – and it’s totally avoidable." "The COVID19 pandemic is a long way from over. But we have many reasons for optimism. The decline in cases and deaths during the first two months of the year shows that this virus and its variants can be stopped," he added, saying transmission was being driven by "confusion, complacency and inconsistency in public health measures." India has overtaken Brazil to become the nation with the second highest number of infections worldwide after the United States, as it battles a massive second ... » Learn More about Coronavirus pandemic ‘a long way from over’, WHO’s Tedros says