Themed Creating a Better Life, LG Electronics Malaysia unveils the curtains to its signature and award-winning OLED TVs, Super UHD TV, InstaView Refrigerators and TWINWash washing machine. Beginning today till 27 May 2018, customers can enjoy a 6% discount on selected LG products and enjoy promotions for its Signature OLED TVs, TWINWash washing machines and more, exclusively at Orange Concourse, Sunway Pyramid. At the same time, LG UK630 with AI function is retailed at RM2,798 and only 100 units will be available.

Kim Kyutae, Managing Director, LG Electronics Malaysia says, “When we strive for more than better, we start to innovate. By pushing past ‘better’, we became the recipients of 17 CES Innovation Awards for 2018 for Home Entertainment and Home Appliances. We can now serve our customers better with our advanced OLED and UHD TVs, soundbar and many other high quality technologies. Our theme of ‘Creating a Better Life’ compels us to bring human joys and memories that come with creating a better life.”

The next generation of LG OLED TVs feature the α9 Intelligent Processor that packs a punch, delivering improvements in noise reduction, sharpness, depth enhancement and color reproduction. As homeowners and entertainment enthusiasts crave for better viewing experience, the processor caters to those needs through noise reduction image enhancement, true color accuracy and a 4K high-frame rate. The 2018 LG OLED and Super UHD TVs feature Cinema HDR that delivers the filmmaker’s vision of what the true experience should encapsulate. Coupled with an impressive surround sound technology of Dolby Atmos, the line-up of TVs produces a true home cinema experience with premium content display.

Meanwhile, LG’s InstaView Door-in-Door refrigerator provides improved accessibility and assists with decisiveness when visiting the refrigerator with the Knock-On feature. LG’s Inverter Linear Compressor employs a linear piston drive instead of a conventional reciprocating drive, resulting in up to 32% energy saving, up to 25% less noise while providing greater reliability and durability.

The new LG TWINWash incorporates the TurboWash that trims the time of a regular wash program down to 59 minutes, reducing water and energy usage. It sprays water directly onto fabrics for approximately 120 seconds, making the already impressive rinse cycles even more efficient than ever before. The LG washers with the TurboWash and TWINWash enables customers to wash two loads of laundry of two different wash cycles at the same time.

Kim adds, “As we adopt these cutting-edge technologies and innovate in our products, the specific features within our home entertainment and home appliances, underpinned by our AI ThinQ and Smart ThinQ feature, customers can enjoy a better life that saves energy, time, promotes convenience.”

PETRONAS and Digi customers will now be able to head to Kedai Mesra in PETRONAS stations to enjoy selected services such as subscribing to a Digi line or credit reload, adding to the convenience of refueling, refreshing and reloading at PETRONAS stations.

Additionally, Digi pop-up booths will also be set up at selected PETRONAS stations to make it more convenient for motorists who want to perform these services prior to entering Kedai Mesra. These services can be completed as quickly as 20 seconds at the booths, enabled by Digi’s Mobile Sales app.  The move will strengthens Digi’s already widespread network of 15,000 customer touchpoints, and enables PDB to offer a wider range of services to Malaysians who patron their stations.  Beginning with PETRONAS Station Sri Hartamas, PETRONAS stations nationwide will also be vcash ready, offering Malaysians an easy, convenient and digital way to pay for goods and services at Kedai Mesra with their smartphones.

Beyond B2C, this Digi-PETRONAS partnership extends its benefits to businesses with a cross-marketing collaboration between Digi’s intelligent commercial fleet tracking solution iFleet and PDB’s corporate fleet card programme, PETRONAS SmartPay. PETRONAS SmartPay fleet card users who sign-up for iFleet services receive 10% off their subscriptions per month, per vehicle while iFleet customers receive an attractive discount per litre of PETRONAS’ quality fuel when they sign up for SmartPay. This partnership will also see Digi subscribe to PETRONAS SmartPay exclusively for its fleet management solution, providing it greater convenience, savings and value monthly.

Praveen Rajan, Digi’s Chief Digital Officer says, “We are focused on delivering great connectivity and digital services to our customers, made increasingly accessible through robust retail and digital channels, supported by a high-quality, consistent network experience across Malaysia. The partnership with PETRONAS enables Digi to connect with more Malaysians and fulfil our aim of providing digital services to all.”

Aadrin Azly, PDB’s Head of Retail Business Division says,” PDB is pleased to be able to partner Digi to enable such a wide-reaching digital marketing and solutions partnership. Ultimately this will not only improve the customer experience at our petrol stations but also aid in our own digitisation efforts as we strive to bring more digital products and services to them.”

Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in South East Asia and Taiwan, launches the Shopee Celebrity Squad. Selling products by local Malaysian celebrities, the Celebrity Squad is part of Shopee’s expansion plan for 2018. Ian Ho, Shopee’s Regional Managing Director says Shopee achieved a regional Gross merchandise value of US$ 1.9 billion in the first quarter , a year on year increase of 199.5% from US$ 648.3 million for the first quarter of 2017. Additionally, Shopee’s Gross orders for the quarter also increased year on year by 217.4%.

Ho says, “We know Malaysians adore their local celebrities, and with an increasing number of celebrities launching their own brands, we began to notice a rising demand among their users. Hence, we decided to launch the Shopee Celebrity Squad, a dedicated in-app space featuring celebrity brands, allowing shoppers to enjoy easy access to products sold by their favorite celebrities. As a zero commission e-commerce platform that provides free shipping nationwide, our commercial friendly trade terms allow for celebrities to tap on Shopee’s platform and features, dedicated support and extensive reach across Malaysia to further grow their online business.”

The first participation of the six top Malaysian celebrities include Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza with her skincare and cosmetics line Simply Siti,  Nora Danish with her Owl brand that offers a modern twist to traditional Muslim fashion,  Izara Aishah with her lip wear brand Madame Izara, Elfira Loy and Heliza Helmi with their brand EL and Heliza Guzel Hive selling traditional Muslim clothing and Emma Maembong with her skincare line EMBS. Ho adds Shopee aims to add more celebrities in the coming months.

Currently ongoing is also the Shopee Cahaya Raya campaign from May 3 to June 17. Users stand a chance to snag prizes worth more than RM1.5 million by participating in Shopee’s exciting in app games.

A workshop for some 100 participants comprising employees of Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) profiled how the advent of new technologies is increasingly crucial to promote resilient infrastructure and efficient power plants. A joint effort between TNB and Siemens Malaysia, the workshop also addresses solutions for Malaysia’s largest electricity utility company.

Siemens Malaysia President and CEO Indranil Lahiri says, “Siemens is ready to support our customers in Malaysia in making the digital leap and transformation a painless affair, whether in power generation or energy management which are the strengths of our business portfolio and the answer to urban growth.” He adds although the gradual uptake on digitalisation by businesses, organisations and industries is revolutionizing the way people work, the adoption of digitalisation is still at an infancy rate in Malaysia.

TNB Chief Corporate Officer Datuk Wira Roslan Rahman says TNB is capitalising on digitalisation and technological innovations to increase efficiency, enhance customer experience and deliver value to shareholders and other stakeholders. He says, ” We are taking advantage of these technologies for our generation and grid operations, as well as introduce products and services beyond the meter.”

This includes the introduction of  TNB’s Advanced Metering Infrastructure in Melaka at some 340 000 homes whereby TNB can now monitor the usage and problems of electricity for homes from their operation centers instead of going out to the ground. TNB also plans to invest in the smart grid system or Grid of the Future which will bring its digitalisation vision to a reality.

With Malaysia hosting CEPSI 2018 in September, Siemens is also announced as the Diamond Sponsor for the event.

Universal Robots is strengthening its partner network in Malaysia. The four new partners, industrial technology integrators, will provide SMEs and enterprises with robot automation solutions. Frost & Sullivan finds that the total automation and control market in Malaysia will be worth USD 409 million or RM1.636 billion by 2021.

Bizit Systems in Johor, Multitrade Asiapac and Servo Dynamics in Penang, and T. E. M. Engineering in the Klang Valley, join a growing network of UR channel partners in Southeast Asia to support increasing demand for collaborative robots or cobots in the region. In Malaysia, cobots are deployed in industries such as electronics, automotive, semiconductor, furniture and consumer products.

Shermine Gotfredsen, General Manager, Southeast Asia and Oceania at UR says, “Malaysia is an important market for Universal Robots due to rising demand for automation and strong government support for robotics. Our new partners have the technology expertise to assess, recommend and implement appropriate UR cobot solutions, notably for companies new to automation. They will also provide hands-on training to managers, technicians and workers. Cobots’ endless benefits and wide range of applications offer huge advantages for industries in Malaysia, enhancing productivity, quality and workers’ well-being.”

“Firms that have gone the automation route have increased production by as much as 300 per cent while reducing defects by 90 per cent and lifting profits by 20 per cent. Average automation levels within Malaysian manufacturing firms are still low—with 80 per cent automating less than 50 per cent of their processes. As businesses face rising costs for raw materials and a weak currency, investing in innovative automation technology is necessary to remain competitive. Those that have not done so must make the transition quickly,” she adds.

The International Federation of Robotics ranked Malaysia 29th globally for automation adoption with a robot density of 34 industrial robots installed per 10,000 employees in 2016, far below the world average of 74.

Malaysia Airports embarks on an initiative to enhance travellers’ experience at all its international airports by organizing a host of activities that are set to provide joyful moments, enriched with Malaysian culture and hospitality. Beginning 22 May until 24 June 2018, travellers stopping over or passing through the KL International Airport (KLIA), klia2, Langkawi International Airport, Penang International Airport, Kuching International Airport and Kota Kinabalu International Airport can look forward to exciting activities which have been designed to spread the spirit and joy of Ramadhan and the upcoming Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations.

Malaysia Airports senior general manager for commercial services Nazli Aziz says the Malaysia Airports 2018 Ramadhan & Raya campaign is part of Malaysia Airports’ continuous efforts to live up to its name as an airport of international stature.

He says, “We believe such thematic events help enhance the experience of travellers to Malaysia. This is very much in line with our objective to provide the best experience for all as part of our ongoing Total Airport Experience initiative. More importantly, we believe that our collaboration this year with the Malaysian Design Development Centre (DDEC) and e-wallet service provider Boost will contribute to the commercial revenue as well as reinforce the image of Malaysia Airports as a hub or destination not only for travel but also for retail, leisure and entertainment.”

Nazli adds, “We have seen a Year-on-Year sales growth of 10.25% as at March 2018. We registered a total of 23.85mil passenger traffic which is a 4.8% growth compared to  March 2017.”

Through a strategic collaboration with DDEC, Malaysia Airports has created a platform to support the country’s cottage industries and small entrepreneurs.

To provide even more value to travellers this Ramadhan, Malaysia Airports joins forces with e-wallet service provider Boost. The partnership supports the company-wide digitalisation efforts in its bid to transform itself into a service leader and thus enabling a more passenger-friendly journey.

Boost is a leading e-wallet application with over 2.4million users with online and offline merchants located in over 16,000 touchpoints. BOOST is offering a special promotion where shoppers are entitled to receive up to 50 per cent cashback on the next working day whenever they use the Boost Application to pay for their transactions at all participating Malaysia Airports retail and F&B outlets during the promotion period.

Christopher Tiffin, CEO of Boost says, “In line with building a digital nation, Boost is the only lifestyle e-wallet app that offers an easy and convenient way to pay for all your purchases while getting fantastic rewards and cashbacks at the same time. Our goal is to ramp up awareness of e-wallet and its benefits to not only Malaysians but our regional neighbours in line with our regional expansion plans for Boost in the future.”

McDonald’s Malaysia accords 25 teachers from across Malaysia the Anugerah Guru Inspirasi McDonald’s 2018, an annual award that is presented in conjunction with the national Teacher’s Day celebrations. This is the second time the awards programme is organized and the response was overwhelming with more than 3,000 nominations received – easily surpassing last year’s nominations by three times.

As a recognition of the overwhelming response, at least one teacher from each state was chosen, bringing the total number of deserving winners to 25 in comparison to last year’s six. McDonald’s Malaysia Managing Director and Local Operating Partner, Azmir Jaafar, says the award is aimed at recognizing and rewarding teachers who have performed their tasks as educators beyond the call of duty and positively impacted the lives of their students and the community.

“The teachers are recognized for their ability to inspire their students and make a difference in their lives. They have either managed to change the students’ mindset towards becoming better individuals, help improve their academic performance or raise their self-esteem and confidence level. The awards program is our way of showing our appreciation and recognition to the deserving teachers for going the extra mile and having been the beacons of hope to their students,” Azmir says.

Each of the 25 winners received RM5,000 in cash, a trophy, sash and certificate of recognition at a ceremony coordinated with their respective schools in conjunction with this year’s Teacher’s Day celebration. Nominators, mostly students, were also acknowledged for their contribution with RM200 worth of McDonald’s gift certificates.

Some of the criteria for selecting the winners include improving the academic performance of the students, employing innovative and out-of-the-box methods of teaching, going beyond the call of duty to assist students, and last but not least the impact the teacher has had on students. The winners were chosen meticulously by a panel of judges consisting of representatives from McDonald’s, the Ministry of Education, media and McDonald’s business partners

McDonald’s Malaysia is also hosting Teacher’s Day party at all of its 271 restaurants nationwide.  At the celebration, teachers are entertained with games, a photo session and refreshment. The purpose of the party is to recognise them of their dedication in nurturing our nation.

The outlook appears to be bright as 88% of ASEAN CEOs are confident about their company’s growth prospect in the next 3 years, a sentiment shared by CEOs globally.

However, according to the 2018 Global CEO Outlook report by KPMG International, this optimism is married with a healthy dose of realism as 77% of ASEAN leaders are predicting a cautious revenue growth of 2% or less over the next three years for their organization. More than half of CEOs in ASEAN also noted the need to hit growth targets before hiring new skills. Consequently, they expect headcount to increase by less than 5% over the next three years.

Datuk Johan Idris, Managing Partner of KPMG in Malaysia comments, “Across the board, CEOs are driving growth against a backdrop of significant demographic shifts, geopolitical volatility and the seemingly inevitable future cyberattacks. It’s clear that driving growth in 2018 and beyond will require CEOs to combine resourcefulness and realism in equal measure.”

The ever-present risk of a cyber security threat is rising on the radar; up from fifth to second place overall this year in terms of risks hampering future growth. Digital innovation can create significant value across business models, customer experience and operations. But greater connectivity brings increasing cyber vulnerability, and about half of all CEOs around the world say that a cyberattack is now a case of when, instead of if. And yet, many CEOs are concerned about the robustness of their defenses, only half of CEOs in ASEAN believe that their organization is well prepared for a cyberattack.

Two-thirds (66%) of CEOs in ASEAN are struggling to run parallel processes to transform the digital and non-digital aspects of their business, to a greater extent than their global counterpart (30%). Nevertheless, ASEAN CEOs are embracing the digital agenda like never before and taking personal ownership of data and trust. Instead of waiting to be disrupted, 70% of CEOs in ASEAN are actively disrupting the sector they are operating in, markedly higher than the percentage recorded at the global level (54%).

When it comes to sources of information ASEAN business leaders trust the most for strategic decisions, KPMG’s study found their trusted sources ranked as follows: social media (87%), independent secondary information providers (81%), open data from government agencies (71%), traditional media (65 %) and government commissioned research (51%).

The New BMW M5 is finally here in Malaysia.

Harald Hoelzl, Managing Director and CEO of BMW Group Malaysia says, “The fascination for BMW M has lived for more than forty years; its legacy carried on and renewed by people who express their passion for motorsports through the driving experience of these exceptional vehicles, and this is evident in the BMW M5 – which has long made history as a powerful premium business sedan. The BMW M5 still dominates the segment it competes in and is a statement of supreme engineering skill and innovative driving intelligence.”

Hoelzl adds that the New BMW M5 already has several accolades to its name, most notable is World Performance Car 2018 at the 2018 New York International Motor Show, making the win the seventh time BMW has received a World Car Award from the ‘World Car of the Year’ organisation.

“This new luxurious performance sedan has also set not one, but two Guinness World Records for the longest drift and the longest twin-vehicle drift. BMW instructor Johan Schwartz completed a sustained drift of 374.2 kilometres on a skid pad, setting a new world record for the longest drift in eight hours. Schwartz then collaborated with BMW Performance Centre Chief Driving Instructor Matt Mullins to perform a twin vehicle drift over a distance of 79.3 kilometres in one hour.” says Hoelzl.

For the first time, the  M5 powers through to new territory with the M xDrive all-wheel drive system with various modes customisable to suit the driver’s needs. The various M xDrive modes (4WD, 4WD Sport, 2WD) take the driving dynamics of the M5 to a whole new level. The 2WD mode even switches the car to rear-wheel drive for the ultimate driving experience.

The 4.4-litre V8 engine with BMW M TwinPower Turbo Technology is now more potent than ever, and the high revving power unit in the M5 delivers an exceptional output of 600 hp at 5,600 – 6,700 rpm, while the tremendous peak torque of 750 Nm is on tap from just 1,800 rpm and remains constant all the way up to 5,600 rpm.

The car’s impressive performance does not stop there. The M5 sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.4 seconds. A whole range of enhancements have also been implemented by BMW M engineers to endow the twin-turbo V8 with its phenomenal performance capabilities.

The M5 will be available at all authorised BMW dealerships nationwide from Friday, 1st June 2018. The retail price (on the road, without insurance) for the New BMW M5 is RM 942,759.86

FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp and the world’s largest express transportation companies, is awarded Best Logistics Service Provider for Road at the 2018 Asian Freight, Logistics & Supply Chain (AFLAS) Awards ceremony in Shanghai, China.

Consistently recognized at the AFLAS Awards every year since 2002, FedEx was also awarded Best Logistics Service Provider for Road last year while in 2016, FedEx was named Best Road Haulier.

Karen Reddington, President, FedEx Express Asia Pacific says, “At FedEx, we are committed to providing the best solutions and service excellence to customers in the region. This recognition clearly demonstrates our customers’ confidence in our operational capabilities and best-in-class service offerings.”

Organized by Asia Cargo News magazine, the awards honor organizations for demonstrating leadership as well as consistency in service quality, innovation, customer relationship management and reliability. The Awards is the only logistics awards in the region decided by votes from service users alone.  

Kenanga Investment Bank Berhad receives approval from Bank Negara Malaysia to commence negotiations to acquire the stockbroking business-related assets, liabilities and contractual arrangements of Inter-Pacific Securities Sdn Bhd.

Kenanga Investment Bank is one of the country’s leading investment banking, stockbroking and asset management companies, offering a wide range of financial services to a growing client base. Founded in 1973, Kenanga Investment Bank today operates through 32 branches nationwide and boasts the largest remisier network in the country.

Datuk Chay Wai Leong, Group Managing Director, Kenanga Investment Bank says, “Inter-Pacific Securities is a reputable and well-established independent stockbroking company, with a robust track record and strong retail focus. The potential acquisition will further strengthen Kenanga’s leading position in the retail broking space to become the top two largest stock broker in Malaysia, with a combined market share of over 10% and retail market share of about 25%.We are looking forward to a smooth and fruitful negotiation process, and aim to conclude within the next six months.”

Inter-Pacific Securities is an indirect subsidiary of Berjaya Capital Berhad, which in turn, is part of the conglomerate, Berjaya Corporation Berhad. Established in 1972, Inter-Pacific Securities has five branches across Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Johor Bahru and a paid up capital of RM250 million.

Sunway Berhad records revenue of RM1,308.4 million and profit before tax of RM160.9 million for the current quarter ended 31 March 2018 compared to revenue of RM1,088.8 million and profit before tax of RM151.6 million in the corresponding quarter of the previous financial year, representing a steady start for the Group.

The revenue in the current quarter was 20.2% higher due to higher contribution from all business segments, except property development. Profit before tax increased 6.1% mainly due to higher contribution from the property investment segment.

Chong Chang Choong, Sunway Berhad’s Chief Financial Officer says, “Our strong balance sheet and diversified portfolio puts us in a good position to capitalise on any opportunities which may arise. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Group is confident that it will continue to perform better in the next quarter.”

The property development segment posted a revenue of RM132.3 million and profit before tax of RM23.8 million in the current quarter compared to revenue of RM140.7 million and profit before tax of RM28.4 million in the corresponding quarter of the previous financial year, representing a decrease in revenue of 6.0% and profit before tax of 16.2%. Performance in the current quarter was lower mainly due to lower sales and progress billings from local development projects.

The property investment segment reported revenue of RM220.0 million and profit before tax of RM55.6 million in the current quarter compared to revenue of RM186.9 million and profit before tax of RM39.6 million in the corresponding quarter of the previous financial year, representing an increase in revenue of 17.7% and profit before tax of 40.6%.

The higher revenue in the current quarter was mainly due to higher contribution from Sunway Pyramid Hotel, which was operating at full inventory following its refurbishment exercise in 2016, and additional contribution from the new Sunway Velocity Hotel, which began operations in September 2017.

Revenue was also higher due to improvement in revenue contribution from Sunway Velocity Mall and the Group’s theme parks. The profit before tax was higher mainly due to better performance registered by Sunway Velocity Mall as compared to the initial period, as well as better contribution from the other operations in the current quarter.

The construction segment recorded revenue of RM443.7 million and profit before tax of RM40.1 million in the current quarter compared to revenue of RM316.8 million and profit before tax of RM40.5 million in the corresponding quarter of the previous financial year, representing an increase in revenue of 40.0% and decrease in profit before tax of 0.8%. Revenue in the current quarter was higher mainly due to higher progress billings from local construction projects and lower intra-group eliminations. The construction outstanding order book stands at RM 6.1 billion as at 31 March 2018.

FinTech Company of the Year, Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd turns one this month with over 12,000 clients, of which a little over 40% were first-timers to the equity broking market in Malaysia. Rakuten Trade, the country’s first completely digital equities broker, says this was a feat for the start-up and a clear testament to its first-in-market FinTech business model.

Rakuten Trade Managing Director, Kaoru Arai, says, “Our quantum jump in the industry demonstrates that the more digitally inclined investors in Malaysia are ripe for a fresh trading experience. Almost 80% of our clients are below the age of 40 and most of them are active traders. In addition to the growing number of clients, we are continuously experiencing healthy trading activities in terms of both volume and value.”

He adds the company’s growth was also due to the support received from both Kenanga Investment Bank Berhad, Rakuten Securities, Inc., local regulators, business partners and Rakuten Trade employees. It also attributes its client appeal on its Rewards Eco System, the first of its kind in Malaysia, that offers access to three of the country’s biggest loyalty points providers like AirAsia BIG, B Infinite and BonusLink under one platform.

Rakuten Trade is the result of a joint venture between Malaysia’s leading independent investment bank Kenanga Investment Bank Berhad and Japan’s Rakuten Securities, Inc. which is part of Rakuten Group, a global innovation leader. The Rakuten Group empowers society, while providing convenience to customers around the world with easy-to-use and innovative services.

Grab, announces a strategic partnership with Maybank to drive the acceptance and usage of Grab’s new cashless payment method, the GrabPay mobile wallet.

The announcement comes as Grab, which received its e-money license from Bank Negara Malaysia in December 2017, is set to launch its GrabPay mobile wallet in beta in the coming weeks. With the partnership and support of Maybank, Grab consumers will not only be able to use GrabPay mobile wallet at GrabPay merchants, but will also be able to eventually use their mobile wallet at Maybank’s key merchants thereby making GrabPay accepted at a wider network of merchants. Similarly, Maybank customers will also eventually have the option of paying via Maybank QRPay at GrabPay merchants.  

In addition, through the partnership, consumers will soon also have the added convenience of directly topping-up cash to their mobile wallet via Maybank2U, Maybank’s internet banking portal. Maybank customers who use GrabPay as a payment method for rides and other services on Grab will enjoy exclusive benefits and rewards. Grab and Maybank will collaborate to bring more merchants into the mobile payments network, where merchants can benefit from new marketing possibilities through the GrabRewards platform and easy new ways to track transactions through the GrabPay app.

Ooi Huey Tyng, Managing Director, GrabPay Singapore, Malaysia and Philippines, says, “This partnership underlines the strength of Grab’s collaborative approach. The whole industry needs to come together to make the cashless economy a reality in Malaysia. We are honoured to partner with Maybank which not only shares our vision of a cashless payments future, but also recognises Grab as ideally poised to help make this a reality. With GrabPay mobile wallet as the leading payment method on our Grab app, it will build an interconnected ecosystem of our services, thus making Grab an everyday app to complement consumers’ everyday lifestyle.”  

Group President & CEO of Maybank, Datuk Abdul Farid Alias says that the collaboration with Grab was part of Maybank Group’s ongoing efforts to provide customers with even more digital conveniences that would not only enrich their online experience but also enhance their lifestyles. 

Through the same Grab app, consumers will be able to access not just transport services, but other important everyday services such as ordering and paying for food and drinks, paying for items purchased at shops or making money transfers to friends. All payments made via GrabPay will also earn consumers GrabRewards which can be used to redeem discounted rides, or other lifestyle items in the GrabRewards catalogue.

In addition, through the GrabPay ecosystem, micro-entrepreneurs which include driver-partners and merchants can also go cashless and gain additional income as Malaysia moves towards a cashless lifestyle.

UPC Chemicals  (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd purchases 5 units of heavy-duty UD Quester through Edaran Setia Auto, Tan Chong Industrial Equipment Sdn Bhd (TCIE) authorized private dealer in the East Coast region. The new UD Trucks is the first and only truck brand owned by UPC Chemicals..  

Eddy Chan, Director, Sales and Marketing, UD Trucks Malaysia says, “The UD Trucks brand is highly notable for its Japanese craftsmanship and hands-on field approach which are key factors in creating reliable, durable, fuel-efficient and modern-looking trucks that are built to go the extra mile. The Quester truck was engineered with global technological know-how and safety principles to help customers stay ahead of the competition. With our long-time partner, TCIE’s extensive expertise in local sourcing and assembly, it allows the Quester to be an affordable heavy-duty vehicle that does not compromise on superior performance.”

Resonating Chan, Wong King Yoon, Chief Executive Officer, TCIE says, “I am confident that UPC Chemicals (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd is in good hands because Edaran Setia Auto already has TCIE’s full support in providing excellent UD Trucks aftermarket service and easily obtainable UD Genuine Parts through our vast service network. Our support will ensure that UD Quester trucks perform at their best and contribute to UPC Chemicals’ business by promoting uptime and maximising productivity.”

Founded in 1976 as a petrochemical products producer, UPC supports the development of specialty chemicals and logistics service businesses. With 7 manufacturing and logistics centers in China, UPC is expanding its business in the Asia Pacific and has been working closely with local raw material supplier BASF Petronas Chemicals Sdn Bhd to meet the demand of the rapidly growing ASEAN market.

Wu Weiting, General Manager, UPC Chemicals says, “To meet the fast-growing business, we know that we should be better prepared to handle more deliveries. We need trucks that are robust, reliable, fuel-efficient and affordable to transport our products to customers in all over Peninsular Malaysia. Together with Edaran Setia Auto, who has been very graciously meeting all our demands, we believe that the new UD Quester will definitely help us increase our business productivity.”

Tan Chong Industrial Equipment has an extensive network of 43 services centers and dealerships nationwide. Any purchase of UD trucks will be supported by UD Extra Mile Support services which includes UD Genuine Service and Parts, UD Driver Training, UD Telematics and UD Trust Service Agreements for customers.

Statistics from the recent PropertyGuru Consumer Sentiment Survey show that 92% of those polled would rather own the roof over their heads than to lease despite the rising perception that more Malaysians would choose to rent than to buy a home. Among those polled, about 33% were presently renting with 67% residing in their own homes. Own homes are regarded as homes that are owned by their dwellers or it could be a family home, staying with a sibling or relative and other non-rental residences.

The survey shows that the traditional aspiration of owning a home remains largely unchanged despite evolving property market trends and demographics.

For those who would prefer to rent, the majority cited a location that is close to their office or workplace as the most important criterion (71%), followed by family considerations (55%) and public transportation accessibility (52%) respectively. High-rise homes are the preferred option for renters with condominiums and serviced apartments being the top choice.

“It appears that despite rising living costs, higher loan rejection rates and price unaffordability, Malaysians including the younger generation still would make homeownership a key lifestyle aspiration. The desire is very strong perhaps due to family or peer pressure or due to the prevalence of traditional perceptions of owning a home as being a sound foundation for one’s future,” shares PropertyGuru Malaysia Country Manager, Sheldon Fernandez.

He adds, “Beyond providing a place to stay, a home to Malaysians still represents stability, security and continues to be a key asset class for wealth accumulation via capital appreciation and rental yields.” Fernandez says that the PropertyGuru survey also showed that even many of those who are presently renting also aspire to buy a home if they can afford it.

“We will continue to track rental data going forward. There may be changes as unaffordability, loan rejections and other factors influence buying sentiments. Our tracking of the rental market will provide further insights into the overall property market to help develop a more comprehensive perspective going forward,” added Fernandez.

Renters believe that RM501-RM800 monthly to rent a room was a realistic budget while those looking to rent a home would ideally wish to pay RM801-RM1100 per monthly. This of course, would differ from location, property type, unit size and other factors.

According to Dimension Data in its Executive Guide to the NTT Security 2018 Global Threat Intelligence Report, 2017 saw a worrying increase in ransomware and other cyberattacks targeting the supply chain, with the business and professional services sector receiving a significant increase of attacks, particularly in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, which saw 20% of all attacks targeting this sector. The businesses and professional services sector received 10% of global ransomware attacks, the third most targeted industry, behind finance and technology. It also ranked third in the Americas and was the most vulnerable sector in EMEA, receiving 20% of all attacks.

As ransomware-related outsourced incident response engagements against financial institutions declined, the business and professional services supply chain has clearly become a prime target for trade secrets and intellectual property theft, potentially exposing customer and business partner data.

Some highlights in the NTT Security 2018 Global Threat Intelligence Report include:

• Attacks on the APAC manufacturing sector have dropped to a mere 7%, because of the adoption of enhanced security governance and proactivity in raising cyber defenses.
• Attacks against the finance sector decreased from 46% in 2016 to 26% in 2017, but it remained the most attacked sector in APAC. This was caused by service-specific attacks.
• Increased attacks against education doubled: from 9% in 2016 to 18% in 2017.
• China was the top attack source for manufacturing cyber-incidents, accounting for 67% of hostile activities targeting the sector in EMEA.
• The technology and finance sectors account for 70% of all attacks in the Americas.  The US is a world leader in technology innovation while the finance sector collects and stores a vast amount of personal data which cyber criminals can monetise
• Education was the most attacked sector in Australia. With an open network model and collaborative environments that enable connectivity and research between students, campuses, colleges, and universities, this is a valuable target.

Despite the drop in outsourced incident response engagements, the finance sector remains the number one target for cyber criminals who carry out regular reconnaissance to spot potential infrastructure and application vulnerabilities.

Neville Burdan, General Manager for Security at Dimension Data Asia Pacific says, “There are numerous moving parts to supply chains and outsourcing companies, which often run on disparate and out-dated network infrastructures, making them easy prey to cyber threat actors. Service providers and outsourcers are also a prime target, due to their trade secrets and intellectual property. Businesses need to wise-up to the very real threats against them, and ensure all aspects of their operations are robustly and securely protected.”

Technology was the second most cyber-attacked industry in 2017, with a 19% attack volume, with business and professional services moving to third place. Interestingly, attacks on the government sector last year dropped to 5% from 9% in 2016.

In 2017, there was a massive 350% rise in ransomware, representing 7% of all global malware attacks, and is set to continue due to the popularity of cyber adversary campaigns.