SINGAPORE: Many Malaysians were caught off guard on Tuesday (Jan 12) morning as they commenced yet another work day. The Palace released a press statement, in which the Malaysian king proclaimed a state of emergency in the federation until early August, more than half a year from now. This was followed shortly by a television address – a second one in less than 24 hours – by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who explained his Cabinet had advised the king to make the declaration to provide his government with powers to curb the coronavirus pandemic more effectively. Indeed, after having improved significantly in the second half of last year, the pandemic situation in Malaysia has taken a turn for the worse over the last month, with daily new infection cases hovering around the 2,000 to 3,000 range , with scarcely any sign of lowering. READ: What you need to know about the state of emergency and tightening COVID-19 curbs in Malaysia AMBIVALENCE TURNED INTO RELIEF ... » Learn More about Commentary: A convenient state of emergency amid challenging times in Malaysia
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2 opposition MPs pledge support for Malaysia PM Muhyiddin, restoring majority
KUALA LUMPUR - Two opposition lawmakers have left Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and pledged support for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, raising speculation that more defections will take place as Malaysia's premier seeks to cement his position before Parliament next convenes. In a post on his Facebook page, Tan Sri Muhyiddin said he received on Sunday (Feb 28) statutory declarations (SD) from Julau MP Larry Sng Wei Shien and Tebrau MP Steven Choong Shiau Yoon stating their support for his Perikatan Nasional government. The declarations were handed over after a gathering of the Cabinet in administrative capital Putrajaya to mark the one-year anniversary of the PN administration. "Today, I received the SDs from two opposition MPs stating their support for the PN government," Mr Muhyiddin said on Sunday. "This support will certainly strengthen the PN government in its efforts and planning to manage the Covid-19 pandemic and revive the country's economy," he added. The move comes ... » Learn More about 2 opposition MPs pledge support for Malaysia PM Muhyiddin, restoring majority
E-sports: 14 teams confirmed for the March 27-April 4 One Esports Dota 2 Singapore Major
SINGAPORE - The first 14 teams that have booked their place at the March 27-April 4 One Esports Dota 2 Singapore Major Presented by PGL were announced by One Esports on Wednesday (March 3). Europe's Team Secret, Alliance, Nigma and Team Liquid will feature in the US$500,000 (S$665,470) closed-door event at Fairmont Singapore, along with the Commonwealth of Independent States' Virtus.pro, Natus Vincere and AS Monaco Gambit. South-east Asia's Fnatic, Neon Esports and T1 will also be participating in the 18-team tournament, which is organised in partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). Evil Geniuses - where one of Singapore's top e-sports players Daryl "iceiceice" Koh plies his trade - and Quincy Crew are the North American teams that will make an appearance, while South America's Beastcoast and Thunder Predator have also qualified. The final four teams, all from China, will be determined in the middle of March. One Esports chief executive Carlos Alimurung said: "We ... » Learn More about E-sports: 14 teams confirmed for the March 27-April 4 One Esports Dota 2 Singapore Major
South China Sea: Avoid siding with US or China, Malaysia urges ASEAN
Malaysia on Wednesday warned that the South China Sea dispute that has emerged as a key proxy battle between the US and China could split the Asean bloc if countries gave in to the superpowers’ “narratives and pressure” over the row. The comments by Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein came days after his ministry sent an unusually terse diplomatic note to the United Nations rejecting Beijing’s sweeping maritime claims as part of its “nine-dash line”. That move by Kuala Lumpur was preceded by Washington in July ratcheting up its position against China over the dispute. But Hishammuddin told lawmakers in parliament that Kuala Lumpur’s position on the sea dispute was independent of the views of outside powers. Malaysia is one of five member states of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) that are directly affected by the row and reject China’s claims . The US is not a party to the dispute but has long backed Southeast Asian claimants, saying China’s ... » Learn More about South China Sea: Avoid siding with US or China, Malaysia urges ASEAN
Which investment brokerage in Singapore is best? Here’s how to decide
So you’ve read up enough about how to start investing and you’ve triple-checked your emergency fund, and you’re finally ready to rake it in on the stock market! But now what? The next step is to pick an investment brokerage which allows you to buy your first shares. Easier said than done, though. From bank brokerages like DBS Vickers and UOB KayHian, to independent brokerages like Saxo Markets and POEMS, the sheer number of brokerages can be overwhelming. So how do you decide which investment brokerage is best for you? Here are 3 main factors you need to look out for when choosing the best brokerage firm for you: Commission fees: How much it costs to buy or sell your investments Account type: Whether it’s a CDP or custodian account Trading platform: How user-friendly the brokerage is 1. Investment brokerage commission fees Investment brokerage firms charge a commission fee for every transaction on the stock market. When you buy shares, you get charged. When you sell ... » Learn More about Which investment brokerage in Singapore is best? Here’s how to decide
Indian farmer protests a daunting challenge for Modi government: Daily Star columnist
DHAKA (THE DAILY STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - The biggest political challenge that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government faces right now is the agitation on the outskirts of Delhi by farmers coming mainly from Punjab, Haryana and western part of Uttar Pradesh. The protest by thousands of farmers has already entered its third month, and there is no sign of a resolution even after eleven rounds of talks between the protesters and the government. Both sides are firmly entrenched in their respective position on the fate of the three new contentious agricultural laws piloted by the Modi government as one of its bold reform initiatives. While the farmer unions insist on total repeal of the laws, the government has offered to make changes in the legislation to address their concerns, an offer that the unions lost no time in rejecting. What's more worrying for the government is that the farmers are intensifying their agitation and have threatened to block highways across India ... » Learn More about Indian farmer protests a daunting challenge for Modi government: Daily Star columnist
Changes to definition of ‘critical illness’ in life insurance policies
The definition of “critical illness” in life insurance policies is set to change from August 26, 2020. In short, the definitions have been tightened to provide greater clarity. In August 2019, the Life Insurance Association (LIA) of Singapore announced that changes will be made to the definition of critical illness in life insurance policies. This is to take into account the advances in medical treatment and technology which may impact how certain critical illnesses can be treated, managed or mitigated. All member companies of LIA Singapore and the General Insurance Association of Singapore will adopt the new standardised set of revised definitions. Policyholders with existing critical illness policies will not impacted by the new definitions. However, all critical illness products based on definitions used from 2014, when the last update was done, may no longer be sold in Singapore from 26 August 2020. “Especially with the rapidly ageing population and rising incidences of ... » Learn More about Changes to definition of ‘critical illness’ in life insurance policies
Golf in 2019: Tiger roars back into spotlight
U.S. team player and captain Tiger Woods holds up the trophy after the U.S. team won the President’s Cup golf tournament at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Melbourne, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2019. The U.S. team won the tournament 16-14. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill) Tiger Woods completed one of sport’s greatest ever comebacks by winning his 15th major title at the Masters in April, before ending the year as a winning Presidents Cup captain. Ireland’s Shane Lowry won the first British Open to be held in Northern Ireland since 1951, while a potential rivalry between Brooks Koepka and Rory McIlroy started to emerge. Here, AFP Sport looks at five talking points from 2019 in golf: Tiger roars again — The most memorable moment of the year came back in April at Augusta National when Woods tapped in to seal his first major championship victory since the 2008 US Open. The now-43-year-old has since had to battle personal problems, injury woes and a shocking loss of form. He surprised the golfing ... » Learn More about Golf in 2019: Tiger roars back into spotlight
First week in office: Muhyiddin has hands full with Cabinet line-up, political coalitions and COVID-19
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has been in office for less than a week, but the 72-year-old already has a lengthy to-do list. Having been sworn in after the uncertainty of Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s resignation and the collapse of Pakatan Harapan (PH), Mr Muhyiddin’s urgent priority is to steady the ship and steer Malaysia back on track. Among the issues he has to confront is how to strike a balance among various parties’ interests in his Cabinet line-up. The leadership change also reconfigured the political alignments in parliament. Now, both the Perikatan Nasional and the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalitions claim that they have a simple majority out of the 222 lawmakers. Mr Muhyiddin was appointed by the king last Saturday (Feb 29). A palace statement said the king has found that Mr Muhyiddin likely commanded the support of the majority of members of parliament (MPs). However, PH is insisting that Dr Mahathir still commands the support of 112 ... » Learn More about First week in office: Muhyiddin has hands full with Cabinet line-up, political coalitions and COVID-19
In Malaysia, power struggles, pandemic woes mar Muhyiddin’s first year in office
Malaysia ’s Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on Monday reiterated his promise to hold elections after the coronavirus pandemic was under control, saying the government’s main focus now was “to steer this country clear of the double whammy of health and economic crises”. The embattled leader, speaking in a televised address to mark his first year in power, focused on summing up the government’s achievements and pointedly avoided reference to the power struggle that had dominated his time in office. In the past year, he has fended off challenges from rivals while working to consolidate support from coalition members amid internal bickering. Muhyiddin said he would advise the nation’s king Sultan Abdullah to dissolve Parliament once the pandemic was over. “Until such time, my colleagues in Cabinet and I will continue to carry out our duties and responsibilities to the best of our ability. When the election is held, of course, we will leave it to the people to decide whether [this] ... » Learn More about In Malaysia, power struggles, pandemic woes mar Muhyiddin’s first year in office