Day: September 5, 2022

MELBOURNE— Malaysia’s Halal Development Corporation Bhd (HDC), through its Halal Apprentice Program (HAP) offered by Malacca Industrial Skills Development and Entrepreneurship Centre (Misdec) is expected to provide job placement for 200 halal-skilled and professional talents to be groomed and sent to Australia.

Misdec executive director Haiqal Syukri Jantan said Australia’s Islamic Coordinating Council of Victoria’s (ICCV) requires 150 to 200 halal-skilled and professional talents in two specialised fields, namely slaughtering and food technology.

“We have several discussions with ICCV during World Halal Business Conference Circuit 2022 (WHBCC) in Melbourne and through that meeting, the ICCV has expressed its interest in cooperating with Misdec for halal-skilled and professional talents,” he told Bernama.

Haiqal Syukri noted the ICCV will pay a visit to Misdec for further discussions.

He said ICCV’s interest has shown that Malaysia’s halal industry, including its halal-skilled and professional talents, is able to expand globally. HAP is a training development programme aimed at producing talent to work in the food and beverage, pharmaceutical, food technology and halal-related industries.

Meanwhile, ICCV quality manager Ibrahim Karadag said among the criteria needed from Malaysia’s halal-skilled and professional talents are in food science, food chemistry and food technology.

“Given that there are extreme developments happening within the halal industry and there are more technicalities which evolve as the day goes by with new food processing methods such as emulsification and extraction processes, so we need individuals who are well-equipped with understandings regarding these processes and further knowledge.

“I believe the technical side is the area which is needed the most, for the process, procedure and ingredient assessments. This is where we need the most individuals because as per the ISO standards, the technical auditor must possess at least five years experience. It is a commitment to a career, but it is definitely a very fruitful career,” Karadag told Bernama.

ICCV is the largest halal certification body in Australia and the only authority fully accredited by the Australian Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for export into all halal importing countries.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

SINGAPORE— Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong who arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday for a four-day working visit, started the ball rolling with a casual teh tarik (pulled tea) and guitar session with Malaysian Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz.

The teh tarik diplomacy in fact began when Wong took on Facebook on early Sunday (Sept 4) about his upcoming inaugural visit to Malaysia.

“It is always nice to have a cup of teh tarik while working. In fact, I will be heading to Malaysia very soon and look forward to meeting my counterparts and having a cup of teh tarik there too. Jumpa soon (see you soon),” said Wong pointing to his liking for Malaysia’s popular tea beverage teh tarik.

His posting was “welcomed” by Tengku Zafrul who replied by posting a video on his Facebook page as well.

“Hi Lawrence, I’m waiting for you with Malaysian teh tarik. Sekali cuba mesti mahu lagi (Once you have tried it, you definitely want more).”

When both met in Malaysia over dinner Sunday night, they broke the ice not only with a teh tarik session but also by strumming the guitar together.

“This is what happens when the Singapore and Malaysia Finance Ministers hang out together. We get to play some music, with guitars made on both sides of the causeway (I’m playing a Malaysian-made one and he’s playing one from Singapore)!

Wong appended his posting with a photo of him and Tengku Zafrul with their guitars.

“Many thanks Tengku Zafrul for the warm hospitality by you and your wife – the dinner was excellent and so was the teh tarik!

“Look forward to more discussions over the next two days, and opportunities to strengthen the links between both our countries!,” Wong updated his Facebook page Sunday night.

Wong, the republic’s fourth generation (4G) leader and earmarked as the apparent successor to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, is in Malaysia for a four-day working visit until this Wednesday (Sept 7).

This is his first official visit to Malaysia after being appointed as deputy prime minister in June 2022.

Wong was given a royal salute at the Arrival Hall of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport before inspecting a guard-of-honour mounted by 32 officers and personnel from the First Battalion of the Royal Ranger Regiment.

During his visit, Wong is also scheduled to have an audience with Malaysian King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah at Istana Negara.

He is also scheduled to call on Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, as well as meet Senior Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, and Bank Negara Malaysia (central bank) governor Nor Shamsiah Mohd Yunus.

Singapore is Malaysia’s second largest trading partner and the largest within ASEAN, with a total trade value amounting to RM267.11 billion in 2021, an increase of 25.2 per cent compared to the recorded value in 2020.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

JAKARTA— Indonesia AirAsia and Capital A Bhd are putting social responsibility, skill development and support to local communities in Danau Toba, North Sumatra at the top of their agenda.

The companies have entered memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with three local partners to empower the communities, a day after launching its inaugural flight from Jakarta to Silangit on Friday.

The partners, namely the Danau Toba Tourism Authority, Del Institute of Technology and community-based social entrepreneur company, Tobatenun.

The partnership aims to deliver a range of local training and knowledge-sharing initiatives in the aviation industry, technology and digital innovation upskilling, according to the company’s statement.

On Saturday, Capital A chief executive officer Tony Fernandes inked an MoU with Del Institute of Technology chancellor Dr Arnaldo Marulitua Sinaga in Danau Toba.

Del Foundation chairperson Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, who is also Indonesia coordinating minister for maritime affairs and investment, witnessed the signing of the agreement.

Both parties will collaborate in the fields of education, research and community service while offering outstanding Danau Toba students a chance to work at AirAsia.

Meanwhile, Indonesia AirAsia, an Indonesian airline unit of Capital A, signed an MoU with Danau Toba Authority Implementing Body to help develop tourism and creative economy as well as sell merchandise.

Indonesia AirAsia chief executive officer Veranita Yosephine Sinaga said the airline would assist the authority to develop the area into a World Class Super Volcano Geopark Destination.

Veranita also sealed an MoU with Tobatenun on the promotion of the latter’s products on board flights and across other platforms, including special branding in an aircraft livery.

Tobatenun’s operation started in 2018 with an aim of supporting the Batak garment weaving art, or in the Toba Batak language, referred to as “Ulos”.

Batak is an ethnic group predominantly found in the area.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

KUALA LUMPUR— The Malaysian Foreign Ministry (MOFA) with the cooperation of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and activists is coming up with a comprehensive status paper to ensure the Rohingya refugee children in Malaysia get proper education.

Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said the Rohingya children from Alternative Learning Centres (ALCs), whether run by their own community or NGOs, should have proper venues and teachers with certification.

“ALCs need to have permanency in terms of school venue…if you rent, it is up to the landlord…whether they like you or don’t, they will ask you to leave,” he told a press conference after visiting Rabbaniyah Educare, a school for Rohingya children here Monday.

The comprehensive status paper will also identify the need for a proper certification of ALCs and training for the teachers, who are part-timers and volunteers, besides looking at the resources and equipment at schools which are obviously lacking.

The minister said the other challenge faced by Rohingya children in getting proper education is that their parents do not see the importance of education because they themselves were uneducated.

Apart from that, the ALCs are facing inadequate space for the Rohingya children to undergo education as some of them are conducting two classes in a single classroom.

He said there is also a need to look into the transportation of Rohingya children who live 15-30 minutes away from the ALCs.

Saifuddin said there are 48 ALCs in Malaysia, set up by NGOs that could support the education of only 30 per cent of the refugees’ children. According to UNHCR, Malaysia hosts up to 200,000 Rohingya refugees.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

KUALA LUMPUR— Malaysia captured the men’s World Dodgeball Championships gold medal for the third time after beating Australia 10-5 at the Saville Community Sports Centre in Edmonton, Canada on Sunday (Monday morning Malaysian time).

The Malaysian men’s team, ranked world number one, had also emerged champions in 2017 and 2018.

In the 2019 championships held in Cancun, Mexico, Malaysia managed only the silver after losing to Canada in the final.

Led by the tournament’s men’s Most Valuable Player, Carlos Goonting, Malaysia topped their group with four wins and one draw and saw off Canada in the semi-finals en route to the final.

Malaysia, making their first appearance in the mixed foam event, also produced a superb display to win the silver medal after a 3-5 defeat to host Canada, while the women’s team, who were title winners in 2016 and 2017, narrowly missed out on a medal finish after losing to Australia 3-7 in the bronze medal playoff.

Malaysian Association of Dodgeball (MAD) president V. Radhakrishnan said it was a proud moment for the country as the title came just days after the nation had celebrated the 65th Independence Day.

“We are very proud of our teams achievements as we faced some of the world’s best teams. The team will be rewarded accordingly. I also want to thank our coaches for their excellent work on preparing our team. Syabas!

“We are also very proud that a player from the men’s team, Carlos Goonting was awarded the Most Valuable Player (MVP) title. I would like to thank The Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS), National Sports Institute (NSI), Berjaya Corporation, Black Box and all other sponsors for their undivided support,” said Radhakrishnan in a statement Monday.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Kazakhstan on Sept. 14, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry said on Monday, in what would be his first foreign trip since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Xi will meet Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and sign a number of bilateral documents, ministry spokesman Aibek Smadiyarov told a briefing.

Beijing, which gives little advance notice of Xi’s movements, has not confirmed a Kazakhstan visit by him, and China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Xi, who is expected to secure a precedent-breaking third leadership term at a congress of China’s ruling Communist Party starting on Oct. 16, has not left China since the country all but shut its borders to international travel under its “dynamic zero” COVID-19 policy in 2020.

Kazakhstan has close ties with China, supplying minerals, metals and energy to its eastern neighbor and transhipment of goods between China and Europe.

Last month, the Wall Street Journal reported that Xi was considering a trip to Central Asia to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other leaders at a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization set for September 15 and 16 in the Uzbek city of Samarkand.

Last month, a longtime adviser to the Indonesian president said that Xi and Putin will attend November’s G-20 summit on the resort island of Bali.

Xi and Putin have grown increasingly close, and shortly before Russia’s February 24 invasion of Ukraine, Beijing and Moscow announced a “no limits” partnership.

Xi made his first trip outside of mainland China since early 2020 when he visited Hong Kong on June 30 to mark the 25th anniversary of its handover from British control.

Source: Voice of America