Author: Web Desk

KUALA LUMPUR— The Malaysian government, through the Ministry of Health (MOH), on Thursday signed a letter of undertaking to purchase the antiviral drug, Molnupiravir as an additional choice in the innovative treatment against COVID-19.

 

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said through the agreement with Merck Sharp & Dohme, the government agreed to procure the package of 150,000 patient courses of the medication.

 

“This decision was made in preparing us for the transition to the endemic phase to enable us to live with the virus by having additional choices in new innovative treatment as a weapon against COVID-19, apart from using other vaccines and taking public health actions,” he said in a statement on Thursday.

 

Khairy had previously announced that Malaysia had already started the discussion to procure the antiviral drug from Merck Sharp & Dohme, in boosting the treatment efforts during the transition period while living with COVID-19.

 

He added that based on studies conducted by the company, using Molnupiravir could reduce the rate of admission to the wards by 50 per cent.

 

“It is also effective against the more aggressive COVID-19 variants such as Gamma, Delta and Mu.

 

“However, I wish to state here that although Molnupiravir is effective, it does not mean that vaccines are no longer required in reducing infections and preventing a worse outbreak.

 

“The Molnupiravir drug cannot prevent infection. It is only useful for those already infected,” he added and stressed that the government needed both methods to reduce the burden brought by COVID-19 and for the infection prevention and control efforts to have a bigger impact.

 

Khairy said the MOH would continue monitoring the developments involving medications used in treating COVID-19 patients across the world to ensure that Malaysia was not left behind in providing the best treatment for its people.

 

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

KUALA LUMPUR— Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology and intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group, has been appointed as a cloud service provider (CSP) for the Malaysian government to help accelerate Malaysia’s cloud adoption and digital transformation.

 

It said Alibaba Cloud would further help boost cloud adoption and migration as well as fulfil cloud-first strategy, especially among the government and public sectors in Malaysia.

 

“Alibaba Cloud will provide an advanced and comprehensive suite of cloud products and services ranging from elastic computing, database service, networking, security, middleware, to analytics and digital intelligence services powered by the two local data centres,” it said in a statement today.

 

It said these services are part of Alibaba Cloud’s long-standing commitment since its presence in 2017 to strengthen local partnerships and build a sustainable ecosystem while developing technical talents and promoting innovation and entrepreneurship.

 

Alibaba Cloud said the appointment was made with the release of the “Guidelines for Information Security Management through Cloud Computing in the Public Service 2021” by the Chief Government Security Office (CGSO) of Malaysia earlier this year.

 

“Alibaba Cloud aims to continue building the partnership ecosystem in the local market in order to accelerate the cloud adoption as Malaysia move into establishing itself as a fully digitalised nation,” it said.

 

It added that Alibaba Cloud has built collaborations with several local organisations and associations in Malaysia including CIMB, Touch N Go, Genting and Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation Berhad (SDEC), to name a few.

 

 

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

KUALA LUMPUR— ASEAN countries will benefit from China joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), said Nation-Building Institute (Thailand) chairman Prof Dr Kriengsak Chareonwongsak.

 

The CPTPP is a free trade agreement (FTA) between 11 countries around the Pacific Rim, namely Mexico, Canada, Peru, Chile, New Zealand, Australia, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, and Vietnam.

 

On Sept 16, 2021, China formally submitted a request to accede to the CPTPP, which was very much welcomed by Malaysia.

 

“When China is in both the CPTPP and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), we (ASEAN) can leverage both blocks, and eventually, we can merge.

 

“China is a big player, the more they join in (trade pacts), it would cause the competitive advantage paradigm to shift in every block,” he said during an online panelist discussion at the 2021 ASEAN Leadership & Partnership Forum today.

 

The forum, themed “Rebuilding ASEAN Towards Sustainable Recovery”, was co-organised by the KSI Strategic Institute for Asia Pacific and Economic Club of Kuala Lumpur.

 

Chareonwongsak also said ASEAN will be able to gain strength in a comparative advantage with China in both blocks.

 

“However, if we can pull the United States in (CPTPP) at the same time, it will be revolutionary,” he said.

 

Initial trade negotiations for what was then simply the Trans-Pacific Partnership went on for five years, from March 2010 until Oct 5, 2015.

 

The US was party to the talks, however, the presidential election of Donald Trump in 2016 led to the country’s withdrawal from the agreement before its ratification.

 

The remaining 11 nations amended the text of the agreement and the renamed CPTPP was signed in March 2018.

 

Malaysia is currently on track in ratifying the CPTPP, pending a detailed and clear mandate from the cabinet, Bernama quoted the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) as saying recently.

 

Malaysia has an FTA with China via the ASEAN-China FTA.

 

 

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

ULAANBAATAR, MONGOLIA— Provincial-level consultations under the 30th anniversary commemoration of the Asian Development Bank (ADB)–Mongolia partnership continued in the northern region, with governors discussing implementation of green development policies and issues requiring urgent action, including environmental degradation, pollution, and natural disaster risk.

 

The event—ADB’s fourth out of five regional consultations—covered five provinces with diverse and active economic landscapes: Bulgan, Darkhan-Uul, Orkhon, Selenge, and Khuvsgul.

 

“These discussions will help guide many future dialogues on how ADB can best support Mongolia to achieve inclusive and sustainable development,” said ADB Country Director for Mongolia Pavit Ramachandran. “ADB’s newly launched country partnership strategy for Mongolia highlights strengthening rural and urban linkages as one of the priority areas of operation. Development of larger secondary cities like Darkhan and Erdenet will help decongest Ulaanbaatar and drive competitiveness and diversification across the country, as we heard from provincial governors today.”

 

The event started with virtual site visits to education, infrastructure, and trade facilitation projects which have demonstrated economic, social, and environmental benefits. Following the project visits, high-level representatives of project executing agencies reviewed impacts and lessons from development projects supported by ADB and expressed commitment to replicate successful projects in other regions and provinces.

 

In the second part of the event, representatives of central and local governments discussed promoting economic diversification in the region to support creation of jobs and income opportunities for local residents. Panel discussion focused on the government’s green development vision for the region, implementation of priority investment projects, and ADB’s role in advancing rural development. Participants noted that while increasing productivity is key to successful implementation of the green development policies, environmental degradation, pollution and natural disaster risk also require urgent attention.

 

The northern region of Mongolia features rich arable land fed by big rivers, scenic landscapes accommodating big herds and native lifestyles, and the largest freshwater lake in the country. Province centers of the region have the infrastructure and urban service base that provides an advantage to business development. A number of higher and technical and vocational education institutions help prepare the skilled work force necessary for the agricultural and heavy industries operating in the region.

 

ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members—49 from the region.

 

 

 

 

Source: Asian Development Bank

Team Youth Forward walks away with the Regional Champion trophy and prize money of US$1500.

 

Team Youth Forward from Saint Joseph Convent School crowned as ASEAN Data Science Explorers Regional Finals Champion 2021

ASEAN Data Science Explorers has equipped more than 32,000 youths and educators with essential digital skills since 2017

SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) and the ASEAN Foundation are pleased to announce that three teams from Saint Joseph Convent School, Kirirom Institute of Technology, and Sunway University have emerged as the winners in the ASEAN Data Science Explorers (ASEAN DSE) Regional Finals 2021 which took place from 5 to 7 October 2021 virtually.

 

The three teams came out on top for their insights and data-driven solutions that support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), highlighting the importance of climate action and sustainability. Below are the details of the winners:

 

Team Youth Forward, comprising Rada Prapaikornkiet and Kanjaree Suppawittaya from Saint Joseph Convent School, Thailand, emerged as the first winner. Their presentation was focused on empowering farming towards a sustainable future of the ASEAN Community covering SDG 2 – Zero Hunger, SDG 4 – Quality Education, and SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth

Team Sprinkle, comprising Chakriya Suy and Serei Neath Reasey, from Kirirom Institute of Technology, Cambodia, took the first runner-up position. Their presentation was focused on recycle centers as the solution for waste management covering SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth and SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities

Team Brain Drain, comprising Ryan Kok Lam Liew and Jia Hui      Ng, from Sunway University, Malaysia, secured the second runner-up place. Their presentation was focused on prioritising e-waste covering SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production.

“The ASEAN Data Science Explorers competition, the ASEAN Foundation’s flagship programme, has proven ASEAN’s commitment to preparing our youth to be future-ready. This initiative plays a vital role in igniting students’ creative minds in tackling problems with innovative, creative, and sustainable solutions,” said The Honourable Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Hamzah, Minister of Education, Brunei Darussalam.

In a three-day virtual event, ASEAN Foundation and SAP organized a series of engaging activities for the regional finalists to build connections, strengthen their future-ready skills and grow their appreciation for being a citizen of ASEAN. The activities include team building and networking sessions on the first day, storyboard presentations and winners’ announcements on the second day, and sharing sessions with the ASEAN Secretariat, Permanent Mission of Brunei Darussalam to ASEAN, alumni of ASEAN DSE, and social enterprises on the final day.

Amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, ASEAN DSE continues to equip youth from across the region with essential digital skills by organising key activities, such as enablement sessions and data analytics competition in a hybrid model – virtually and in-person, wherever possible. As 2021 marks the fifth-year milestone for ASEAN DSE, the programme has a renewed focus on UN SDGs that target climate and sustainability. In addition, the programme also collaborates with Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in ten ASEAN member states (AMS) to deliver online and in-person enablement sessions to youth, including those with limited access to technology and youth with disabilities. The collaboration with IHLs and NGOs made it possible for the programme to deliver SAP Analytics Cloud training to 11,782 students and lecturers in 2021, with females making up 53% of the youth beneficiaries. These figures mark a 158% increase compared to 2020 (4,563 youths and lecturers). Furthermore, this year saw 714 students from ten ASEAN countries across the region compete to represent their country in the National Finals.

 

“The ASEAN DSE initiative sets the foundation of a digital world where our ASEAN youth are inspired and motivated to create and solve challenges through technology. This will also cultivate digital inclusion by imbuing youths and lecturers with data analytics skills and nurturing and deepening a pool of homegrown talents in the region to build the workforce of the future,” said Verena Siow, President and Managing Director of SAP Southeast Asia.

 

“Through our collaboration with the ASEAN Foundation, we aim to empower the diverse ASEAN community to be the world’s economic powerhouse, be at the forefront of innovation, and drive sustainable economies,” added Siow.

 

“ASEAN Foundation and SAP aspire to help young people in the region to be future-ready by nurturing their 21st-century skills. Aligned with the theme of Brunei’s ASEAN Chairmanship 2021 ‘We Care, We Prepare, We Prosper,’ this programme also allows youth to better understand the shared challenges the region must overcome together and fosters a deeper sense of belonging towards the ASEAN Community. We also hope that the collaboration between ASEAN Foundation and SAP can inspire more public-private partnerships in the future to support the development of our future generation,” said Dr. Yang Mee Eng, Executive Director of ASEAN Foundation.

 

“Judges are challenged to decide the winning teams because all teams did equally well. However, all judges evaluated the teams objectively and considered the data presented as an essential element to evaluate team proposals. We also assessed if the teams deeply researched the existing initiatives or programmes implemented by the governments and any other relevant stakeholders. Most importantly, we evaluated if the teams were able to fill the gap to these initiatives through their proposals,” said Dr. Vong Sok, Head of Environment Division, ASEAN Secretariat.

 

“We are so surprised, excited, and honored to be the ASEAN DSE Regional Finals Winner! We didn’t expect this at all. This journey has been memorable and life-changing for us. We learned so many new skills from this competition. Lastly, here is our message to ASEAN’s youth: Go for it! Don’t hesitate to join ASEAN DSE and your voices will definitely be heard, as our slogan: Let’s grow together as one ASEAN community that harmonizes in one vision, one identity, and become the remarkable changemakers of ASEAN’s future!” said Team Youth Forward.

The ASEAN DSE Regional Finals 2021 was live-streamed on the ASEAN Foundation’s Facebook channel, attracting more than 2,200 views. The live stream videos can be accessed through this link: https://bit.ly/aseandsefinals2021

 

ASEAN DSE is a regional programme by the ASEAN Foundation and SAP that aims to catalyse activism and critical thinking among university students in ASEAN. Since its inception in 2017, the programme has equipped more than 30,000 youths and 2,000 educators from over 700 institutes of higher learning with data analytics skills. ASEAN DSE engages youth to develop data-driven solutions that highlight six Sustainable Development Goals namely Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6), Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12) and Climate Action (SDG 13), by harnessing SAP’s Analytics Cloud software. Learn more about ASEAN DSE from our website (www.aseandse.org) or the Facebook Group.

 

ASEAN Foundation and SAP share the common objective of continuing the implementation of ASEAN DSE 2021 as a way of transforming our youth into agents of change that can bring about sustainable impact to communities across the region, and supporting the theme of Brunei Darussalam’s ASEAN Chairmanship, which is “We Care, We Prepare, We Prosper.”

 

 

Source: ASEAN Foundation