Heart and Soul: Coach Guna – The untold story of a kampung hero
It’s been more than a month since the passing of a true kampung hero, Gunasegaran P. Sambosivam or coach Guna. Coach Guna or Guna Anna (big brother in Tamil) as he is fondly known, who celebrated his 65th birthday on April 6, 2021, breathed his last a month later. Guna’s proudest moment was when a small "kampung" football team achieved its greatest feat by emerging as the champions of the Selangor Super League in 2005. On behalf of Flames Football Club, all your Appa’s friends and even the strangers he had touched in one way or another, we extend our deepest condolences to you. Secretary of Flames Football Club
Source:The Star
July 06, 2021 06:56 UTC
Strong winds damage ten houses, topple electricity poles in Sabah
KOTA KINABALU: Strong winds blew the roofing off 10 houses and caused other damages in Beluran district on Monday (July 5) evening. One resident – Alsah Kasam – said that his roof and other parts of his house were also destroyed as the wind tore through the walls and broke windows. “My house was about 50% damaged following this incident, ” he said, adding that no one was injured. Beluran OCPD Supt Kasim Muda said the strong winds that swept through Kg Keniongan between 4pm and 5.15pm also resulted in power supply disruptions due to fallen electricity poles. Supt Kasim said local authorities and other government agencies have been notified of this matter for further action.
Source:The Star
July 06, 2021 06:00 UTC
My Say: Myths and lobbies block international tax cooperation
Too many have swallowed the myth that lowering corporate income tax (CIT) is necessary to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) for growth. Meanwhile, the World Bank’s highly influential, but dubious Doing Business Report recommended tax incentives without evidence. Consequently, IMF tax policy recommendations to Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries from 1998 to 2008 reduced corporate and personal income tax rates while promoting VAT. Evidence contradicts adviceWorld Bank research and surveys have long found that tax incentives do not really attract FDI inflows. A World Bank report found no strong evidence that tax incentives attracted non-resource “greenfield” or additional new FDI.
Source:The Edge Markets
July 06, 2021 05:26 UTC
Olympics-Boxer Mary Kom, hockey captain Singh named India's flagbearers
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Boxer MC Mary Kom and men's hockey captain Manpreet Singh will be India's flagbearers at the Tokyo Olympics later this month, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) said. A six-time women's world champion, 38-year-old Kom won flyweight bronze at the 2012 Games in London and she is hanging up her gloves after Tokyo. Hockey skipper Singh, who hopes to end India's 41-year medal drought in the sport, was delighted to be chosen alongside the boxer. "I think it's a huge honour to be named the flagbearer for the opening ceremony alongside the incredible Mary Kom," Singh said late on Monday. The sports ministry on Monday requested help from the external affairs ministry to help get second doses to seven athletes training overseas along with 17 support staff.
Source:The Star
July 06, 2021 04:52 UTC
Smart foam material gives robotic hand the ability to self-repair
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore researchers have developed a smart foam material that allows robots to sense nearby objects, and repairs itself when damaged, just like human skin. Artificially innervated foam, or AiFoam, is a highly elastic polymer created by mixing fluoropolymer with a compound that lowers surface tension. This allows the spongy material to fuse easily into one piece when cut, according to the researchers at the National University of Singapore. To replicate the human sense of touch, the researchers infused the material with microscopic metal particles and added tiny electrodes underneath the surface of the foam. "It can also allow prosthetic users to have more intuitive use of their robotic arms when grabbing objects," he said.
Source:The Star
July 06, 2021 03:45 UTC
Condivergence: A post-Covid-19 emerging-market economies policy framework
The pandemic exposed almost all the social, planetary, economic, political, military, technological and geopolitical cracks, deepening into canyons of polarisation. In short, it is as much an intellectual or mindset crisis as it is a social, political, economic or financial crisis. We cannot implement “rational” economic and social policies because there are huge emotional factors like race, religion, gender, class and regional issues that are rationally irrational. My diagnosis of post-pandemic economics is to think about economics as a complete system that comprises at least four major components:1. The pandemic has shown that all four aspects of economics play important roles in our next policy framework.
Source:The Edge Markets
July 06, 2021 03:33 UTC
SMILE permission letters dated June 1 still valid for logistics and transportation sector, says Transport Ministry
For sectors other than warehousing, loading or unloading activities are limited to companies named under the list of essential services of the EMCO. It said that the warehousing sector was not subject to the operational limits of essential goods only as it provided storage and unloading services of finished goods to the port. "The warehousing sector activities do not involve any manufacturing activities. As such, the warehousing sector can continue to operate without restrictions on the types of essential and non-essential goods,” it said. The ministry said the essential services permitted for the transportation and logistics sector included sea, air and maritime transport; goods and public transport, and ports and airports.
Source:The Star
July 06, 2021 00:56 UTC
Whither the value of academia?
The powers-that-be nowadays call this “contemporary” academic a “high impact contributor in academia” while the traditional academic will probably be referred to as just “an unfortunate troublemaker and an underachiever”. The strangest criterion for me in academia is book publishing. The highest marks for a book goes to what is known as a “research” book. What the hell is a “research book”? But in Malaysian academia, key performance indicators deem that popular books are “not as important” as a “research” book.
Source:The Star
July 06, 2021 00:33 UTC
Social media moved by patrol car driver's gesture in viral video
The Bentong police headquarters mobile patrol vehicle unit head said, he did not expect the spontaneous action to slow down when escorting the hearse at Kampung Janda Baik, Bentong on July 2, would go viral on social media. I thought this must be the deceased’s house and my immediate reaction was to slow down the car. "I was aware someone recorded the procession when the patrol car slowed down in front of the house,” he said adding that he only knew that the video had gone viral from a colleague at Temerloh police headquarters. "He asked if it was me on the loudhailer and informed me thousands had viewed the video clip. On Sunday (July 4), netizens were moved and impressed by the polite gesture of the patrol car driver, as seen in the one-minute video, which has since made its rounds on social media.- Bernama
Source:The Star
July 06, 2021 00:33 UTC
Senior citizen still searching for his biological family
BATU PAHAT: A 70-year-old man is hanging on to the hope of reuniting with his blood relatives even though he has been trying to locate his biological family for decades. “My adoptive father didn’t really like my mentioning my biological parents and refused to divulge much information,” he said in an interview. Ng said growing up, he and his adoptive parents moved from Kulai to Selangor before finally settling down back in Kulai where they ran a sundry store. While he furthered his studies and eventually started working in Kuala Lumpur, he still visited his adoptive parents regularly. “My biological parents, Chue Ah Kow and Tai Jok Boi, were of Hainanese descent and I tried searching for them through the Hainan Association in Johor and Kuala Lumpur but was unsuccessful,” he added.
Source:The Star
July 06, 2021 00:33 UTC
Taking my 80-year-old Ma on a memorable holiday in Langkawi
Once I returned to Kuala Lumpur, I made a few flight reservations and booked a chalet in Langkawi, Kedah for a holiday together in July 2019. The next day, the four of us (my brother, daughter, Ma and I) headed to the airport for our mid-afternoon flight to Langkawi. Once we got to the chalet, Ma decided to relax in the room while the rest of us went for a walk on the beach. Ma really wanted to visit the place as she had always seen the eagle on television and in pictures. On our last day in Langkawi, we spent most of the day in the water and taking lots of pictures.
Source:The Star
July 06, 2021 00:00 UTC
Some traders unclear on business SOP
Outlets selling electrical appliances, stationery, mobile phone repair shops and those selling telecommunication gadgets are on the careful side due to prior experiences. Another telecommunication shop owner who wished to be known only as Madam Toon, said she too faced similar problems with the Miti letter. Electrical appliances shop owner Tan Yin Ying, said the instructions provided were too general. “After getting a Miti approval letter yesterday morning, I quickly informed my staff to come to work. “Finally, yesterday, I managed to find an outlet that does repair work and hopefully his iPad will be ready before his work is due,” she added.
Source:The Star
July 05, 2021 23:15 UTC
Zii Jia grateful for good sparring session with indie shuttler
It’s imperative that Zii Jia has strong sparring partners to train with considering there wasn’t any tournament available to play in since March. Compared to his other rivals, Zii Jia did not have the luxury of having top-level sparring sessions. Zii Jia is not envious because for him the 33-year-old Daren, a bronze medallist at the 2018 World Championships, is just as good a sparring partner. “Together with my teammate like (Leong) Jun Hao, it’s good enough.”Meanwhile, Zii Jia also remains cool ahead of the competition draw on Thursday. Asked if he’s hoping for a favourable draw, Zii Jia responded: “I’m not thinking too much about the draw.
Source:The Star
July 05, 2021 22:52 UTC
Tennis-British teenager Raducanu's run over as she quits against Tomljanovic
LONDON (Reuters) - British teenager Emma Raducanu's fairytale Wimbledon debut ended in distressing circumstances as she was forced to retire against Australian Ajla Tomljanovic after suffering breathing difficulties in the fourth round on Monday. The 18-year-old wildcard, ranked 338 in the world, went toe-to-toe with the experienced Tomljanovic in a brutal first set full of intense baseline exchanges. "I am actually shocked because Emma must be hurt if she came to the decision to retire," the 28-year-old Tomljanovic said on court. She was made to wait until 8pm to start against Tomljanovic because of the preceding five-set men's singles match between Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alexander Zverev. With the roof closed because of rain the stage was set for the next thrilling instalment of Raducanu's adventure.
Source:The Star
July 05, 2021 20:50 UTC
BoE staff to work at least 1 day a week from office from September
LONDON (Reuters) - The Bank of England has asked its staff to work at least one day a week from its offices from September, an official said on Monday as Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced England was set to end social and economic COVID-19 restrictions from July 19. Many banks and other employers based in the United Kingdom are trying to work out how to manage the return of staff to their offices as coronavirus restrictions ease. Barclays has said it will adopt a hybrid working model, and will reduce its real estate footprint but maintain its main offices in London and New York. Johnson said on Monday the government was aiming to end restrictive measures in two weeks' time, dropping the instruction to work from home among other relaxations. (Writing by William Schomberg, Editing by William Maclean)
Source:The Star
July 05, 2021 19:54 UTC