Highlights:
- Law on political funding soon
- Business sentiments in Malaysia remain buoyant in Q3 2018
- Malaysia to host a gastronomic journey to the acclaimed avant garde chefs from across the globe
- Arcadis to pioneer drones in the construction sector in Singapore
- Day 2 of Thai cave rescue operation
Law on political funding soon
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said a law on political funding that does not give any personal gain to the donors will be enacted soon to curb corruption. He said the government would study the system of political funding in other countries to find the best practices in the implementation of the law. “In some countries, the government provides the funds to political parties. That is done, I think, in Germany. We will study whether that is something that we can do. “But, on the other hand, we see the United States which has a system of lobbyists and they are paid to influence the government to do certain things for the people who paid the money. “That, to us, is corruption. We will not allow that in Malaysia,” he said after chairing a meeting of the Special Cabinet Meeting on Anti-Corruption in Putrajaya. Tun Dr Mahathir said political funding was necessary for political parties, especially during elections when a lot of money was required. However, he said, it was quite difficult to determine if a political donation was a bribe or not.
Business sentiments in Malaysia remain buoyant in Q3 2018
Malaysian business confidence has hit a 3-year high for Q3 2018. According to Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) Malaysia’s Business Optimism Index (BOI) study, overall BOI increased from +12.58 percentage points in Q1 2018 to +13.17 percentage points in Q2 2018. On a year-on-year basis, BOI jumped significantly from +3.40 percentage points in Q3 2017 to +13.17 percentage points in Q3 2018. The six business indicators under the quarterly BOI study include volume of sales, net profits, selling price, inventory level, employees and new orders. For Q3 2018, the manufacturing sector has emerged as the most upbeat sector while the construction and transportation sectors are least optimistic.
Malaysia to host a gastronomic journey to the acclaimed avant garde chefs from across the globe
The Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), together with Professional Culinaire Association (PCA) will be serving up the best Malaysia has to offer to delegates attending the Worldchefs Congress & Expo (WACS) 2018. The biennial event is expected to welcome around 1,000 delegates with 70 percent representing arrivals from 105 countries in Kuala Lumpur from 11th to 14th July 2018. “Economically, the high traffic in arrivals is slated to bring an estimated RM 14.7 million in economic impact to the country,” said Datuk Zulkefli Hj. Sharif, Chief Executive and will include topics that addresses new chefs in the world of restauranteurs, creativity and a sustainable future. To make the event more ‘appetizing’, a cooking challenge will be thrown to chefs from various countries. Hosting WACS 2018 is the ideal platform for Malaysia to further showcase its unique cuisine influences and expertise to the world. “We are looking beyond the benefits of having just this one business event for Malaysia. I am confident that after WACS 2018, Malaysia will not only be a destination that is known for our own culinary experience, but will also be catapulted as a hub,” Datuk Zulkefli pointed out. The Congress is organised internationally by The World Association of Chefs’ Societies or Worldchefs. The association is a dynamic global network of more than 100 chefs’ association representing culinary experts at all levels and across specialities.
Arcadis to pioneer drones in the construction sector in Singapore
Arcadis, the leading global Design & Consultancy for natural and built assets, is launching its latest drone deployment services in construction. Arcadis is one of the first companies in Singapore and Southeast Asia to invest in industrial-grade drones in the construction sector, leading the way in the commercial use of drones. Drones can help to address a wide range of challenges that clients typically face on large-scale construction projects. Key benefits delivered on real-life projects include improved accuracy and quality of design work, significant cost savings and reduced overall time for projects. It can also enhance health and safety as drones are able to reduce the need to access hazardous areas, such as working at height or over water. They can also be fully automated through artificial intelligence and have the capability to identify potential construction risks, unsafe working environments and practices through surveillance.
Day 2 of Thai cave rescue operation
An operation to evacuate 12 Thai boys and their football coach from the flooded Tham Luang cave complex in northern Thailand entered its second leg today after a pause overnight to replenish oxygen tanks. Eight more boys and their 25-year-old coach remain in the cave complex, where they have been trapped since Jun 23.
