Headlines:
- Fate of Malaysia Airlines to be known soon
- Malaysia, Britain, Australia and Singapore join growing list of countries grounding Boeing’s 737 MAX after fatal crashes
- Bett Asia highlights next frontier in education technology
- South Korean President in Malaysia for state visit
- Malaysia to seek international arbitration if Singapore does not renegotiate water deal
Malaysia to decide fate of Malaysia Airlines soon
Prime Minister Tun Mahathir Mohamad said the government is considering whether to shut, sell or refinance national carrier Malaysia Airlines (MAB). Asked to comment on suggestions that the airline should be shut down, he said the government was studying options and would make a decision soon. Malaysia Airlines The airline been trying to transform its operations and return to profitability by 2019 as it recovers from two disasters in 2014, when flight MH370 disappeared in what remains a mystery and flight MH17 which was shot down over eastern Ukraine. Sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Bhd, which took MAB private in 2014, said the government needed to decide on its investment in, and level of support for, the struggling airline. The fund also said that it was waiting for MAB to present a review of its business strategy.
Malaysia bans all Boeing 737 MAX 8 flights into and out of country
The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) has suspended any Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft flying to or from Malaysia and transiting in Malaysia until further notice. “For Malaysia, we clarify that none of the Malaysian carriers operate the Boeing 737 MAX 8” a CAAM statement said. Britain, Australia and Singapore have also joined the growing list of countries banning the 737 MAX from their national airspace as confidence in Boeing’s remake of its bestselling plane was destroyed by two disastrous crashes involving the aircraft. More countries and airlines in the Asia-Pacific region have temporarily grounded their own 737 MAX fleets or are preventing other airlines still flying the plane from using their airspace, following China’s unprecedented move on Monday to impose such restrictions on domestic carriers.
Bett Asia highlights next frontier in education technology
Bett Asia, the region’s leading education technology summit and expo opened in Kuala Lumpur today. The event brought together over 2,000 attendees comprising policy makers, leaders and experts in education and technology sectors around the world. Currently in its fifth edition, Bett Asia 2019 features a specially curated programme of over 100 influential speakers transforming education and over 50 companies, showcasing cutting-edge products and solutions in Education Technology. The 2-day event is themed “Building a change culture to deliver 21st century learning. Malaysia’s Education Minister, Dr. Maszlee Malik, delivered his keynote that focused on the importance of STEM education and integrating it into social and emotional learning to foster a holistic approach to education for our students.
South Korean President in Malaysia for state visit
South Korean President Moon Jae-in arrived in Kuala Lumpur today for a three-day state visit. President Moon will have a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad tomorrow to discuss various bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest, Wisma Putra said in a statement. Both leaders will also witness the signing of four memorandums of understanding (MoUs) involving industrial cooperation relating to the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0), cooperation in the field of transportation and the development of a Smart City in Malaysia, as well as cooperation in the halal industry. In 2018, bilateral trade between Malaysia and South Korea recorded an upsurge of 7.2 per cent to reach US$17.98 billion compared to US$15.76 billion in 2017. South Korea was Malaysia’s eighth largest trading partner globally and the 13th largest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) investor in 2018. Malaysia, on the other hand, was South Korea’s 14th largest trading partner in the same year.
Malaysia to seek international arbitration if Singapore does not renegotiate water deal
Foreign Minister, Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said Malaysia would seek international arbitration if Singapore does not renegotiate the 1962 Water Agreement. Datuk Saifuddin was speaking in Parliament in response to a comment by his Singapore counterpart, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan criticising Malaysia for its attempts to renegotiate the deal. The 1962 Water Agreement, which expires in 2061, entitles Singapore to draw up to 250 million gallons a day of water from the Johor River. Singapore pays 3 sen per thousand gallons of raw water and sells treated water back to Johor at 50 sen per thousand gallons, a fraction of the cost of treating the water.
