BIGSPRING ANNOUNCES SUDHA BALA AS VICE PRESIDENT, CUSTOMER SUCCESS AND LUKE MCNEAL AS VICE PRESIDENT, SALES

_{Sudha Bala, Vice President, Customer Success at BigSpring (Photo: Business Wire)}

SINGAPORE, March 30 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- BigSpring, the provider of a mobile learning and productivity platform enabling lifelong skilling with measurable ROI, today announced the appointments of Sudha Bala as Vice President, Customer Success and Luke McNeal as Vice President, Sales, bolstering its leadership team. As Vice President, Customer Success, Bala will be responsible for global customer advocacy, ensuring the customer is at the heart of BigSpring’s growth strategy. As Vice President, Sales, McNeal will continue to grow BigSpring’s strong presence in Asia and propel its global expansion, strengthening existing partnerships and adding to its customer base, that now includes Uber, United Technologies, Oyo, Tata Steel, and others.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200329005026/en/

BigSpring provides employers with measurable value, empowering learners of any stripe with skills training that for the first time also provides real-time, on-the-job performance and productivity measurement, ensuring business goals are met. Learners engage with online communities comprised of peers and coaches to apply learning on-the-job and receive meaningful feedback.
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AM Best affirms credit ratings of LIG Insurance (China)

KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 -- AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of ‘a-’ of LIG Insurance (China) Co Ltd (LIG China) China.

According to a statement by AM Best, the outlook of these ratings is stable.

The ratings reflect LIG China’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best described as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.

The ratings also reflect the wide range of support the company receives from its parent, KB Insurance Co Ltd, in areas including business development, reinsurance and investment.

LIG China’s balance sheet strength is supported by its risk-adjusted capitalisation at the strongest level, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio.

Due to its small capital base and underwriting of large commercial accounts, the company’s risk-adjusted capitalisation is exposed to volatility in the event of large losses.

 Despite low acquisition costs contributed by its direct distribution channel and reinsurance commission income, LIG China’s overall technical results have remained volatile because of its fluctuating loss ratio and high management expense ratio due to its small net earned premium base.

As a foreign-owned insurer focusing on servicing Korean Interests Abroad business, LIG China has a defensible competitive advantage in this niche market, despite accounting for a small market share of the overall domestic non-life market.

-- BERNAMA

ALIGN TECHNOLOGY FOUNDATION COMMITS US$ 1 MILLION DONATION FOR COVID-19 RELIEF EFFORTS

ALIGN TECHNOLOGY FOUNDATION COMMITS US$ 1 MILLION DONATION FOR COVID-19 RELIEF EFFORTS

Conagen develops unprecedented critical lactoferrin protein produced via fermentation

KUALA LUMPUR, March 25 — Biotechnology company, Conagen has announced the discovery and development of a sustainable proprietary lactoferrin protein that mirrors the nutritional properties of lactoferrin from breast milk.

According to a statement, this is the first-of-its-kind natural lactoferrin protein produced via fermentation process at commercial-scale.

Mother’s milk is the best nutrition because it is the ideal way to bind and deliver iron for infant nutrition, but it is not sourceable at large-scale. Yet, lactoferrin is necessary as it plays an important role in the newborn immune system and contributes to healthy infant digestion and nutrition.

Lactoferrin found in cow’s milk has been useful for producing certain specialised infant formula in many countries, but its performance is not optimal as it takes more time for the protein to bind with iron than breast milk, and it is not sustainable.

The nutritional needs of an infant could be even better met with proteins that more closely match those in breast milk, like Conagen’s lactoferrin.

Another supporting factor for Conagen’s lactoferrin is an increased consumer awareness of nutritional benefits in food, which is carrying over to the global infant formula market as manufacturers are embarking on designing formulations that closely replicate breast milk composition.

To meet both consumer demands and manufacturer quests, Conagen has produced a lactoferrin by advanced fermentation for the use in infant formula and other nutritional products that can now be fortified naturally and sustainably worldwide.

Conagen’s lactoferrin will give infant formula manufacturers a more scalable, sustainable and lower cost-in-use solutions than sourcing from cow’s milk. The powerful protein may also be used in pharmaceutical and dietary supplement applications, too.

More details at https://conagen.com/


— BERNAMA

FASHION AND MANGA EXHIBITIONS TO BE HELD IN NATIONAL ART CENTER, TOKYO, DURING SUMMER 2020

TOKYO, Japan, Mar. 26, 2020 /Kyodo JBN-AsiaNet/ --

- Enjoy Whole Day in Stunning Glass Building in Roppongi -

The National Art Center, Tokyo (NACT) has announced its exhibition schedule during summer 2020, including exhibitions on "Fashion in Japan 1945-2020" and  "MANGA -- TOKYO."

Photos: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/release/202003117936?p=images

Boasting one of the largest exhibition spaces in Japan, NACT is a popular art museum drawing over two million visitors from around the globe every year, with diverse exhibitions ranging from worldwide modern and contemporary art to manga, architecture, and fashion.

In addition to the exhibitions, NACT offers ample ways to pass the time with three cafes and a restaurant, as well as a shop with an extensive selection of goods. The photogenic building with its wavelike "curtain wall" of glass, designed by architect Kisho Kurokawa, is an attraction in and of itself. Despite being in the center of the city, the interior is suffused with light and the green of trees, allowing visitors to experience the concept of "an art center surrounded by green spaces."

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10 more Asian nations to receive medical supply donations from Jack Ma, Alibaba foundations

KUALA LUMPUR, March 23 -- The Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation have announced plans to donate much-needed medical supplies to 10 more countries in Asia to fuel the global fight against COVID-19.

The governments of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will receive a donation totalling 1.8 million masks, 210,000 COVID-19 test kits and 36,000 pieces of protective clothing.

Essential medical equipment and supplies that include ventilators and forehead thermometers will also be donated, according to a statement.

“Go Asia! We will donate emergency supplies to 10 more countries across Asia. Delivering fast is not easy, but we’ll get it done!,” said Jack Ma, who announced the latest foundation pledges through his Twitter account.

Delivery of the donations will leverage the robust capabilities of the Electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP) to overcome the significant logistical and transportation challenge presented by the vast number of countries and their geographical remoteness.

Earlier, the two foundations announced donations of medical supplies to Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines that also leveraged eWTP’s strong logistics capability for speedy and reliable transportation and delivery.

--BERNAMA

LEDDARTECH ENHANCES MANAGEMENT TEAM WITH THE APPOINTMENT OF 4 EXECUTIVES WITH EXPERTISE IN STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS, PRODUCT MANAGEMENT, PRODUCTION AND SUPPLY CHAIN

QUEBEC CITY, March 24 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LeddarTech®, an industry leader in LiDAR technology who provides the most versatile and scalable auto and mobility LiDAR platform in the market, is pleased to announce the addition of four executives to the corporation. In keeping with the growth and vision of LeddarTech, these individuals will each be leading a division and adopting a charter that will enhance product vision and development, manufacturing, supply chain and strategic partnerships.

Stéphane Rousseau, a seasoned professional with over 25 years of experience, has been appointed Vice President of Global Operations. Mr. Rousseau is responsible for overseeing manufacturing, production engineering, project management, quality & standard conformity, IT and Supply Chain.

Dr. David Cheskis was appointed Vice President of Product Line Management.  He brings over 20 years of experience in semiconductors, optoelectronics, and RF technologies, product definition, technical marketing and product management expertise to the role. Dr. Cheskis will oversee system-on-chip (SoC), software and LiDAR module product lines for automotive and mobility.

Michael Poulin, who has been with LeddarTech for the past ten years, has been appointed Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Corporate Development. Mr. Poulin previously held the position of Vice President of Product Line Management. In his new role, his key responsibilities will be strategic partnerships and the Leddar™ Ecosystem. The mandate is to maximize the benefits to all parties who are working collaboratively in support of the automotive and mobility LiDAR platform based on LeddarTech’s LeddarEngine™ technology. Mr. Poulin will also lead corporate strategic planning and other growth initiatives towards strengthening LeddarTech’s position as a market leader in sensing technology.

David Moon joins LeddarTech as Director of Automotive Products within the Product Line Management team. Mr. Moon has over 25 years of experience in the semiconductor industry with extensive expertise in optical sensing products. Mr. Moon will be responsible for managing the team responsible for the automotive LiDAR SoC products including software platforms and collaboration with the sales and marketing teams to support our automotive customers and their development needs.

“I am pleased to welcome this leadership team to LeddarTech”, stated Mr. Frantz Saintellemy, president and COO of LeddarTech. “These experienced professionals will maximize our ability to support our near-term revenue growth expectations while enabling us to further enhance support to our customers’ needs”, Mr Saintellemy concluded.

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UNIVERSAL PROTOCOL ALLIANCE LISTS USD, EURO STABLECOINS AND UPT ON BITTREX GLOBAL

UNIVERSAL PROTOCOL ALLIANCE LISTS USD, EURO STABLECOINS AND UPT ON BITTREX GLOBAL

NETSFERE OFFERS FREE SECURE ENTERPRISE MESSAGING SERVICES FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS AND FIRST RESPONDERS DURING COVID-19

CHICAGO, March 20 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NetSfere, an award-winning, global secure mobile messaging service and a collaboration platform from Infinite Convergence Solutions, Inc., today announced its secure enterprise messaging services are offered free of charge to hospitals, healthcare providers, first responders and government entities world-wide in an effort to offset the impact of COVID-19, effective immediately.

This offer applies to new customers only. Free services will be offered through June 30th, 2020 and this offer is valid globally. To inquire about NetSfere’s offer of free enterprise messaging services contact COVID-19Support@netsfere.com.

NetSfere’s cloud-based platform includes end-to-end encryption that complies with HIPAA and other global regulatory requirements such as GDPR, providing healthcare providers, first responders and government workers with a secure communication option that offers the immediacy of instant messaging across multiple devices. Doctors, nurses and other medical professionals are able to communicate and consult with one another simultaneously regarding patient diagnoses or test results while streamlining communications and operations.

“Healthcare providers and first responders are currently on the front lines protecting the safety of people across the world during the COVID-19 global pandemic and we felt the need to offer them assistance any way we can,” said Anurag Lal, president and CEO of Infinite Convergence. “We hope that by offering our enterprise messaging services free of charge to these healthcare providers it will help improve internal communications, eliminating any existing pain points and enabling them to perform their jobs more efficiently.”

NetSfere’s enterprise messaging plan includes global cloud-based service availability, industry-leading security algorithms that support device-to-device encryption, location-based features, administrative controls and collaboration tools including high definition one-to-one and group voice calling, video streaming and screen sharing.

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SEABORN AND EDGEUNO ANNOUNCE FREE IP OFFERING FOR ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS IN THE AMERICAS IN SUPPORT OF COVID-19 RESPONSE

BOSTON and SAN FRANCISCO, March 19 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Seaborn Networks, a leading developer-owner-operator of transoceanic subsea fiber optic cable systems (Seaborn), announced today that Seaborn is supporting EdgeUno and together they are enhancing their IP and Infrastructure Partnership to offer 90 days of free Internet connectivity across their respective Americas networks to non-profit/not-for-profit organizations, educational programs, state and municipal governments, public health care providers, and non-government organizations.

This free internet connectivity is offered during the next 90 days to help these qualifying organizations accelerate remote learning, work-from-home, governance, support, medicine and research. This offering is available within the EdgeUno-Seaborn partnership network, which includes the countries of Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Argentina and Peru.  The 90-day free Internet connectivity has no obligation for the customer to extend beyond the free period.

“Providing free Internet connectivity is our way of supporting communities in the Americas to quickly implement government-recommended social distancing guidelines,” said Mehmet Akcin, CEO of EdgeUno.  “Access to high capacity Internet will hopefully help local, state and regional institutions in this challenging environment.”

“By alleviating this particular financial constraint in the provision of IP, we hope to reduce the strain on these organizations to enable them to execute on their respective missions during this health crisis,” said Seaborn’s CEO Larry Schwartz.

For more information on obtaining this free service as a qualifying organization, please contact people.first@seabornnetworks.com

For all media enquiries, please contact Kate Wilson
media-relations@seabornnetworks.com

About Seaborn Networks
Seaborn Networks is a leading developer-owner-operator of submarine fiber optic cable systems, including Seabras-1 between São Paulo and New York. Seabras-1 is the only direct POP to POP system between São Paulo and New York metro, offering the lowest latency route between the B3 exchange in São Paulo and the trading exchanges of New Jersey. Seaborn’s industry leading service delivery and performance combined with our new IP and Ethernet service offerings broadens our solutions driven approach and commitment to always exceeding the service expectations of our customers. For more information please visit www.seabornnetworks.com. Follow us on Linked In.

Media Contact:
Kate Wilson
media-relations@seabornnetworks.com

About EdgeUno:
Co-founded in Silicon Valley by former Microsoft, Yahoo! and Terremark executives, EdgeUno provides unparalleled datacenter and managed cloud services focused in Latin America. EdgeUno entered the market in 2019 by acquiring major Colombian service provider RedUno with the goal of making it simpler to deploy and operate infrastructure across Latin America. EdgeUno has recently expanded its footprint to Brazil, Argentina and Chile.

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Nippon Express (Malaysia) completes Shah Alam Logistics Center construction

KUALA LUMPUR, March 18 -- Nippon Express (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, a local subsidiary of Nippon Express Co Ltd has completed construction of the Shah Alam Logistics Center at the Shah Alam Industrial Park in Selangor.

Having begun operations on March 9, the centre is Nippon Express Group's most extensive single-structure multifunctional logistics warehouse outside of Japan.

According to a statement, the location is near key consumption areas and an international seaport and airport are leveraged to meet a full range of logistics needs.

Its bonded warehouse functions enable non-resident inventory to be stored, allowing the centre to serve as a hub for Asia and the Middle East.

The centre plans to obtain halal certification in anticipation of future growth in the Muslim population, forecasting to exceed one-fourth of the world's total population by 2030, and a consequent expansion of the global halal market.

Accordingly, an area for ritually cleansing trucks and cargo containers has been established within the facility.

In addition, the centre intends to obtain certification for Good Distribution Practice, standards for proper distribution of pharmaceutical products.

A rise in Malaysia's national income has driven remarkable growth in personal consumption, and the increased distribution of consumer goods has led to expectations of growing needs for more sophisticated domestic logistics and warehousing services.

More details at http://www.nipponexpress.com/

-- BERNAMA

CSOP TO BRING CSOP CSI 500 ETF (STOCK TICKER: HKD COUNTER 3005.HK/ RMB COUNTER 83005.HK) TO HONG KONG INVESTORS

CSOP CSI 500 ETF (Photo: Business Wire)

HONG KONG, March 18 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- CSOP Asset Management Limited (“CSOP”) is proud to announce the listing of CSOP CSI 500 ETF (stock ticker: HKD counter 3005.HK/ RMB counter 83005.HK) on Hong Kong Stock Exchange, enabling global investor to get access to the China A-shares benchmark reflecting the performance of small-mid capitalization stocks. With listing price at approximate HKD 16 per unit, trading lot of 200 and management fee of 0.99%, CSOP CSI 500 ETF will start to trade on March 19, 2020 as the only ETF tracking CSI 500 Index (“CSI 500”) in China offshore market. Upon inception, CSOP CSI 500 ETF received USD 100mn initial investment.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200318005196/en/

Same as the FTSE China A50 Index (“China A50 Index”) and CSI 300 Index (“CSI 300”), the CSI 500 is a China A-shares benchmark. Different from the China A50 Index and CSI 300 tracking performance of large capitalization stocks, CSI 500 aims to reflect the overall performance of small-mid capitalization stocks. Consisting of the 500 stocks after the largest 300 stocks in terms of market capitalisation and liquidity from the entire universe of listed A-Shares, the CSI 500 had a total free-float market capitalisation of RMB 8,520.9 billion as of Dec 31, 2019.¹ Considered as one of the most important China onshore equity market benchmarks, the total size of China onshore ETFs tracking CSI 500 was around RMB 70bn and the largest ETFs in onshore China is also tracking CSI 500 with broad and solid investor base.<sup>2

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GMAC adds Portugal's Nova School of Business & Economics to membership

KUALA LUMPUR, March 12 --  The Graduate Management Admission Council™ (GMAC™), a global association of leading graduate business schools has announced the addition of Nova School of Business & Economics (Nova SBE) into its membership.

Nova SBE is one of Portugal’s top business schools. The addition brings GMAC’s total membership to 229 institutions, according to a statement.

GMAC member schools go through an invitation-only process governed by the organisation’s board of directors.

Nominees then participate in a comprehensive application process that addresses the sustained commitments to supporting GMAC’s mission: providing the tools and information necessary for schools and talent to discover and evaluate each other.

Nova SBE considers itself a community of world citizens. Sharing GMAC’s vision of diversity, the institution strives to stay at the forefront of innovation while preparing executives and entrepreneurs of tomorrow to contribute to a more open, sustainable and inclusive world.

Financial Times has ranked the school 22nd for its International Master's in Management worldwide; 21st for its International Master’s in Finance worldwide; and, among the top 30 Business Schools in Europe.

To be considered for membership in GMAC, schools complete an application process and must maintain a selective admissions process and actively support GMAC’s mission and use GMAT exam or other GMAC assessments as part of admissions and enrollment processes.

More details at www.gmac.com.

-- BERNAMA

Asian Beach Games Sanya 2020 to go ahead as scheduled

KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 -- The 6th Asian Beach Games due from Nov 28 to Dec 6 in Sanya, China will be held as scheduled, according to the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) recently.

“The OCA has been in regular contact with the Chinese Olympic Committee and the organising committee of the Sanya Asian Beach Games since the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Wuhan, central China,” read the OCA email.

According to local health authorities on Sunday, the last patient infected with COVID-19 in Sanya has been cured and discharged from hospital.

“This is encouraging news for the OCA, for our 45 National Olympic Committees and, of course, for the people of Sanya city and Hainan province,” said OCA Director-General Husain Al-Musallam in a statement.

“As far as the OCA is concerned, it is now full steam ahead. We will continue to support our partners in China and work shoulder to shoulder in the coming weeks and months,” he added.

Sanya has reported no new confirmed cases for 25 consecutive days. As of March 8, Sanya had 54 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with one death and 53 discharged cases.

-- BERNAMA

PSAV® to align portfolio of companies under new master brand

KUALA LUMPUR, March 4 -- PSAV, a global leader in event experiences will align its portfolio of companies under a new master brand and assume the name, Encore. 

According to a statement, the move will unify the brands to more accurately depict the combined companies’ industry leadership, end-to-end event capabilities and service excellence.

“Encore is a strong brand in our family of companies and adoption of its name will better reflect the full suite of event capabilities we provide,” said chief executive officer, Mike McIlwain.

“Together, the brands in our portfolio provide creative, production, advanced technology and staging services to customers all around the world. We are very excited to begin this transition that strongly supports our mission to connect and inspire audiences.”

With a global footprint reaching more than 20 countries, PSAV has recorded tremendous growth in recent years extending the solutions it provides customers to create event experiences.

It has built a strong portfolio of event experience capabilities with the recent acquisitions of Encore Event Technologies and other leading brands such as Hargrove, Hawthorn, KFP, FMAV and Eclipse.

The new brand will be launched later this summer with an entirely new brand identity. Over the coming months, the migration strategy for the complete portfolio of companies will be defined, beginning with Freeman AV Canada, which will adopt the new brand name on March-end.

More details at www.psav.com.

-- BERNAMA

MANULIFE INSURANCE BERHAD LAUNCHES NEW MANULIFE BUSINESS ACADEMY TO BOOST SUPPORT TO AGENTS

KUALA LUMPUR, March 2 (Bernama) -- Manulife Insurance Berhad (MIB) today launched its Manulife Business Academy (MBA) located at Centrepoint, Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya.

MBA is the company’s commitment to equip its agency force with holistic knowledge and skills to boost their productivity and professionalism. This ultimately benefits customers, while also propelling agents forward in their careers.

This institution of learning aims to be a hub for MIB’s agency force to advance their skills and expertise in the life insurance and financial services business. MBA consists of four faculties of learning that encompasses a holistic coverage of the knowledge and skills needed by agency members to thrive in this business. The four faculties are: products and technical, sales and financial planning, leadership and agency management, as well as digital.

“This latest set-up in Manulife solidifies our commitment of providing high-quality training programmes for our agency members. Agents are the life blood of our industry and we recognise that the acceleration of our business highly depends on them.”

“Our learning programmes are designed to benefit both our business and agents. Through our investment in career-long training, our agents will continue to help our customers make their financial decisions easier and their lives better,” said MIB Chief Executive Officer, Lee Sang Hui, during the launch.

With MBA in place and together with MIB’s team of trainers, the company looks forward to boosting its recruitment goals for the year, while progressing towards its bold ambition of becoming the most digital, customer-centric global company in the industry.

About Manulife Malaysia
Manulife Holdings Berhad is part of Canada-based Manulife Financial Corporation. Through its subsidiary companies, Manulife Malaysia offers an innovative range of financial protection, health and wealth management products and services to meet different customer needs. Manulife Malaysia currently serves the needs of over 270,000 policyholders and wealth management customers. Manulife Holdings Berhad has been listed on the Main Board of Bursa Malaysia since 1984. As at 31 December 2019, its assets under management were over RM11 billion. To learn more about Manulife Malaysia, visit: www.manulife.com.my.

About Manulife
Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services group that helps people make their decisions easier and lives better. With our global headquarters in Toronto, Canada, we operate as Manulife across our offices in Canada, Asia, and Europe, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States. We provide financial advice, insurance, and wealth and asset management solutions for individuals, groups and institutions. At the end of 2019, we had more than 35,000 employees, over 98,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving almost 30 million customers. As of December 31, 2019, we had $1.2 trillion (US$0.9 trillion) in assets under management and administration, and in the previous 12 months we made $29.7 billion in payments to our customers. Our principal operations are in Asia, Canada and the United States where we have served customers for more than 100 years. We trade as 'MFC' on the Toronto, New York, and the Philippine stock exchanges and under '945' in Hong Kong.

SOURCE: Manulife Insurance Berhad 

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MYIX OPENING NEW POINTS OF PRESENCE (NODES) FOR NETWORKS TO EXTEND REACH WITH IMPROVED LATENCY

KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 (Bernama) -- Having recently completed its network refresh to 100 Gps port capabilities, the Malaysia Internet Exchange (MyIX) is now in the process of opening two new nodes for more networks to join its internet exchange.

According to MyIX chairman Chiew Kok Hin, these new nodes serve to extend MyIX’s reach while increasing its presence points throughout the country.

Currently, MyIX operates two additional nodes which are located in Iskandar Puteri, Johor and Kuching, Sarawak to complement the main nodes located at the AIMS Data Centre and CSF Building in Cyberjaya, Selangor.

These two new nodes are set to be opened in two locations in Cyberjaya next month, and in April, respectively. These will be operated in partnership with IPSERVERONE SOLUTIONS SDN BHD and VADS BHD.

These nodes are essentially access switches located at various alternative sites; thereby enabling members and peering partners to connect to internet service providers (ISPs), other members and content hosted by MyIX.

Chiew explained that, since ISPs and content distribution networks (CDNs) are spread across various data centres, these nodes serve to provide additional exchange points for ISPs and CDNs to better connect with one another, especially useful when connecting from remote locations.

“The nodes also ensure improved latency for interconnectivity with other networks,” he added. “They would be instrumental in further enhancing the stability and performance of internet connections, lowering connection costs while minimising traffic ‘bottlenecks’.”

MyIX is an initiative under the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). Today, MyIX is the country’s only non-profit national internet exchange body operated by industry.

“Due to Malaysia’s fast growing digital economy, there is now greater demand for faster and more reliable internet traffic performance,” said Chiew.

And since MyIX facilitates to keep the domestic internet traffic within Malaysia, data always travels through the most optimised route to the end user. This results in improved broadband service quality for ISPs, which translates into a better experience for end users when they access local content.

“Data also travels at an optimised distance with fewer ‘hops’ to reach the intended recipient through direct peering with MyIX. This poses a significant cost benefit for smaller ISPs, which can reduce their dependency on costly international bandwidth links,” explained Chiew.

Chiew is also encouraging international ISPs and CDNs to invest further in Malaysia.

“By having foreign ISPs and CDNs setting their regional networks here, it will reduce the network charges of consuming international content,” he concluded.

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Entegris' manufacturing facility in Kulim receives NCOSH safety excellence award

KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 -- Entegris has received a safety excellence award from the Malaysian National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (NCOSH), the highest safety award a company can receive in Malaysia.

According to a statement, the award was presented after a six-month evaluation process and it was received by Entegris Malaysia managing director, Derek Ong.

“Together, we keep our focus on continuous improvement through weekly management meetings, safety Gemba walks to celebrate successes and identify areas for improvement, employee safety training, two-minute safety briefings during every shift and safety promotional campaigns,” said Ong.

Over 950 employees work in the Kulim, Kedah facility, developing systems and products to ensure the clean and safe delivery of the microelectronic components used in semiconductor manufacturing processes and other high technology industries.

It is Entegris’ largest manufacturing site and a part of the company’s Advanced Materials Handling (AMH) Division.

According to AMH vice-president of operations, Mike Lloyd, among the aspects that received recognition from NCOSH were senior management’s involvement in all safety matters, substantial commitment of resources to fund health and safety programmes, system to track incidents and proactive reporting metrics.

In addition, the company has a recognition programme that rewards employees who make suggestions for safety improvements, demonstrate good safety behaviour, address safety issues and coach other employees on safety issues.

Employees also engage in a community outreach programme that promotes health and safety for children that includes First Aid training.

-- BERNAMA

BluJay Solutions acquires Australian customs, forwarding technology provider

KUALA LUMPUR, March 2 -- BluJay Solutions has acquired Expedient Software, expanding its customs and forwarding technology offerings, along with its presence in the Asia-Pacific region.

Based in Melbourne, Expedient is a leading provider of customs and forwarding software for the logistics market in Australia and New Zealand.

“This region, Australia and New Zealand in particular, represents a significant market for global trade,” said BluJay Solutions chief strategy officer, Doug Surrett.

“Joining forces with Expedient not only expands our customs connectivity in these countries but also demonstrates our commitment to serving multi-national companies and domestic forwarders in this region.”

According to a statement, Expedient will integrate with the global BluJay team, which has Asia-Pacific offices in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, China and India.

BluJay Solutions is a provider of supply chain applications, networks and data solutions, helping global companies to achieve excellence in logistics and trade compliance.

-- BERNAMA

MTCC RECOGNISES OUTSTANDING STUDENTS IN FORESTRY-RELATED STUDIES

KUALA LUMPUR, March 5 (Bernama) -- Year 2020 sets the fourth edition of the Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC) Academic Award on Sustainable Forest Management & Timber Certification (MTCC Academic Award) – a mark of recognition for academic excellence among students of forestry-based studies at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM).

This year, MTCC presented the awards to two graduating students from the Faculty of Forestry for their overall academic performance and final year projects related to environmental aspect and the country’s furniture industry. Muhammad Iqbal Ishak received the award for his thesis titled “Soil Erosion on Deforested Land in Cameron Highlands”, while Tan Xu Chee was given the recognition for his research on “Labour Composition, Productivity and Skill Developments in the Malaysian Furniture Sector.” Each recipient received RM1,000 in cash and a certificate from MTCC.

MTCC Chief Executive Officer Yong Teng Koon said the MTCC Academic Award is a joint effort between MTCC and UPM’s Faculty of Forestry since 2016.

“The objectives of the award are to motivate and inspire students at the university level to strive for excellence in their education as well as engage them to care for the forests and their sustainability. As we know, forestry education is very significant in helping to ensure the sustainability of our forests and shape a sustainable future.”

“The award is not only aimed at boosting academic excellence among university students from the forestry field. Most importantly, it is meant to engage and inspire these young generation to love and care for our forests and make them realise that they can make an impact from what they learn to build a sustainable future. We hope that with this award, we can instil an awareness in their eager minds that the future of our forests lies in their hands,” he added.

SOURCE :  Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC)

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SmartStream, ZILLIONe provide reconciliations solution to Sri Lankan bank

KUALA LUMPUR, March 4 -- ZILLIONe, the internationally networked enterprise solutions provider, recently completed the implementation of the latest reconciliation software by SmartStream for a bank in Sri Lanka.

The Transaction Lifecycle Management (TLM®) solution has been deployed for the People’s Bank of Colombo, enabling the bank to have a consolidated view for all electronic transactions.

According to a statement, SmartStream’s reconciliation solution offers an agile packaged approach that addresses the operational challenges faced by financial institutions.

Its high degree of automation incorporated into a seamlessly integrated exceptional management solution gives a consolidated view of operational processes in one scalable platform.

This enables enterprises to identify exceptions as they occur so that it can be escalated and resolved immediately.

As one of the leading financial institutions of the country that handles millions of transactions daily, the enhanced system further improves the bank’s bid to offer seamless service to its customers.

SmartStream chief executive officer, Haytham Kaddoura said: “We are confident that People’s Bank now have greater visibility into their reconciliations processes and outstanding positions with a pre-emptive approach to managing exceptions as they occur throughout the lifecycle.”

-- BERNAMA

Japan's life insurance industry has stable outlook - AM Best

KUALA LUMPUR, March 4 -- The outlook of Japan’s life insurance industry is stable, according to AM Best, a United States-based credit rating agency.

AM Best in a statement said the stable outlook was due to insurers’ solid mortality/morbidity profits, a steady investment yield backed by well-diversified bond portfolios and its solid risk-adjusted capital position.

The new Best’s Market Segment Report, titled ‘Market Segment Outlook - Japan Life Insurance’ states that Japan’s life insurance segment grew by 2.9 per cent last year, in terms of total annualised premiums from policies in force.

Overall, life insurers in Japan are likely to continue delivering robust operating results over fiscal-years 2019/20 and 2020/21, driven by solid mortality/morbidity profits despite potential volatility in investment spreads.

AM Best expects mortality/morbidity margins – this segment’s bread and butter – to remain large and relatively stable, which would help support the steady emergence of core profit.

The agency also expects the exposure to re-investment risk of most life insurers to be limited, given the expected maturity of their investment portfolios.

Despite potential challenges, AM Best believes that most of Japan’s life insurers maintain very strong levels of capitalisation and are capable of withstanding adverse market conditions.

-- BERNAMA

NIPPON EXPRESS BEGINS "NEX-FORWARDING GIBRALTAR LINER" CROSS-BORDER TRANSPORT SERVICE TO MOROCCO VIA PARIS

TOKYO, Mar. 4, 2020 /Kyodo JBN-AsiaNet/-- 

Nippon Express Co., Ltd. has launched "NEX-Forwarding Gibraltar Liner," a cross-border transport service offering consolidated air cargo transport from Japan to Casablanca and Tangier in Morocco.

(Logo: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/img/202003027514-O2-vm40NHCv)

In the "NEX-Forwarding Gibraltar Liner" service begun on Tuesday, February 25, cargo is flown from airports in Japan to Paris and, once forwarding procedures have been completed, transported and delivered by truck to Nippon Express business locations in Morocco (Casablanca and Tangier) within six to ten days.

Nippon Express, as the only Japanese forwarder with business locations in Morocco, makes all arrangements for transport between Paris and Morocco, providing customers with reassuring support at both origin and destination.

(Image: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/
M103866/202003027514/_prw_PI1fl_T20n6qnH.jpg)

Service features
- Utilizing space on one of the many regular flights to Paris makes possible more reliable scheduling than that available with the relatively few direct flights to Morocco.
- Transport costs are lower than for conventional direct air transport to Morocco.
- The small number of direct cargo flights to Morocco makes the country a difficult destination for oversized cargo, but the problems associated with transporting such cargo can be resolved by combining one of the many flights to Paris with heavy truck shipping from Paris to Morocco arranged by Nippon Express.

Nippon Express website: http://www.nipponexpress.com/

Official LinkedIn Account: NIPPON EXPRESS GROUP
https://www.linkedin.com/company/nippon-express-group/

SOURCE: Nippon Express Co., Ltd.

EMQ stamps mark in Southeast Asia, enhances digital payment ecosystem coverage

KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 -- EMQ, a global financial settlement network is augmenting its footprint across Southeast Asia with direct connectivity to Singapore’s Fast and Secure Transfers (FAST) network and extensive bank coverage across Malaysia.

This initiative will provide global businesses with enhanced coverage for the growing digital payment ecosystem in the region, according to a statement.

“Our new expansion across Singapore and Malaysia will further complement our capabilities in Southeast Asia and we are well-positioned to offer businesses direct payment access to international markets,” said EMQ co-founder and chief executive officer, Max Liu.

Powered by EMQ's global financial settlement network, businesses can now have instant access to 19 banks under Singapore’s FAST and extensive bank coverage across Malaysia under one single API integration.

EMQ’s Connect API integration platform is designed to streamline the complexity of making cross-border payments by providing solutions that can scale to meet the needs of businesses with high transaction volumes, enabling them to control workflows for a seamless user experience.

Businesses on EMQ’s platform can also benefit from greater security and comprehensive compliance to meet local regulatory requirements without the need to manage complex network infrastructure.

The latest developments come on the heels of a recent series of plans to bolster EMQ’s network infrastructure globally, which currently spans across Europe, UK, Singapore, Malaysia and China, among others. In the coming months, it will expand across Africa and the Americas.

More details at www.emq.com.

-- BERNAMA

Juniper Networks to power world-class, tech-enabled healthcare in India

KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 -- Juniper Networks has been chosen by the Dr D.Y. Patil Hospital & Research Centre in Pune, India to deliver world-class, technology-enabled healthcare with zero downtime.

Juniper Networks was selected for its ability to deliver a resilient, secure and highly automated architecture that could operate round-the-clock with 100 per cent uptime, while still allowing for scalability alongside the growth of the institute.

This solution framework was crucial for significant improvements in treatment and recovery time, without negatively impacting the performance and availability of other critical healthcare applications.

According to a statement, since the Juniper Networks deployment, D.Y. Patil Hospital & Research Centre has seen 100 per cent availability and an increase in network performance by over 60 per cent. 

With Juniper’s proven network automation capabilities, the entire institute is now managed by only two engineers who supervise over 5,000 IT users across the campus.

The state-of-the-art, multi-specialty hospital stretches across 725,000 square feet, with provision for over 2,000 beds, 13 basic outpatient departments (OPD), eight super-specialty OPDs and 31 operation theatres.

-- BERNAMA

Coronavirus: China's Hangzhou introduces QR code system to 'scan' health condition

KUALA LUMPUR, March 2 -- China’s Hangzhou recently launched a health QR code system as a regional ‘traffic permit’, ensuring systematic population flow during the novel coronavirus outbreak.

According to the Hangzhou Municipal Government in a statement, the health QR code is the city’s latest digital efforts to fight the epidemic.

Based on related laws and rules, residents have to declare their conditions online via third-party platforms and government service apps. In turn, they will be assigned codes marked by green, yellow or red based on the information they offer.

Only residents with a green code are allowed to move around the city freely. Those with yellow and red codes must quarantine for certain days.

Holders of yellow and red codes are required to log in every day during quarantine before their codes can turn green.

The health QR code can be used in production and daily life once declared, enabling scientific, accurate and efficient epidemic prevention and control as well as the safe resumption of work and production for enterprises.

In Hangzhou, people returning to work are subject to classified and targeted epidemic management and control, which cuts the approval procedures of enterprises and avoids the inconveniences brought by ‘one-size-fits-all’ measures.

Therefore, the speed of work resumption of enterprises is significantly accelerated. Data showed that about 94.9 per cent of the city's enterprises are in normal operation.

-- BERNAMA

​AM BEST AFFIRMS CREDIT RATINGS OF TUGU INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED

HONG KONG, March 2 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B+ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “bbb-” of Tugu Insurance Company Limited (TIC) (Hong Kong). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is negative. The ratings reflect TIC’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best categorizes as strong, as well as its marginal operating performance, limited business profile and marginal enterprise risk management. On a going-concern basis, the company’s strongest level of risk-adjusted capitalization, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), remained supportive of the balance sheet strength. Over the past five years, net underwriting leverage has trended downward and remained low while capital and surplus has exhibited volatility, driven by investment property revaluation gains in 2017 and fluctuations in operating earnings. The balance sheet strength is offset partially by the high asset concentration in a small number of investment properties and a high degree of uncertainty and sensitivity to actuarial assumptions in net reserves, partially attributed to the small net retained book of business. The negative outlooks reflect the strategic uncertainty over TIC’s capitalization over the short to intermediate term, following the public disclosure of its parent, PT Asuransi Tugu Pratama Indonesia Tbk, of its intention to sell its shares in TIC. In regard to operating performance, TIC’s underwriting results have been volatile over the past five years, mainly due to significant reserve movements and volatile claims experience in its commercial lines-focused portfolio. Fixed costs remained high due to the small-sized and shrinking net underwriting portfolio. Investment results continued to benefit from the income stream from rental properties, and bond and equity investments. TIC is a small insurer in Hong Kong’s highly competitive and fragmented non-life market. The company applies basic tools in risk management, such as investment and underwriting guidelines. Positive rating actions are unlikely in the near term. Negative rating actions could occur if there is a material decline in the company's risk-adjusted capitalization or liquidity, for example, due to adverse reserve movements or a significant decrease in its capital position. http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=36856

Hillstone Networks to launch Intelligence squared at RSAC 2020

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 25 -- Hillstone Networks is set to unveil its Intelligence squared campaign at the RSA Conference 2020 in San Francisco.

With this year’s theme being the Human Element, RSAC is the ultimate venue for the newest developments in cybersecurity.

Intelligence squared is based on Hillstone’s vision that AI and humans are better together as Intelligence squared.

According to a statement, it is a force multiplier, continually growing, adapting and defending enterprise.

“Intelligence squared expresses our commitment to our customers to stand with them to protect their organisation from the legions of ever-smarter attackers,” said Hillstone Networks’ CTO and Co-founder, Tim Liu.

“With Hillstone solutions, our customers will force multiply their security defences and protection. We are excited to share with the RSA audience the latest developments in Hillstone’s solution suite.”

Hillstone was recently recognised as a 2020 Gartner Peer Insights Customers’ Choice for Network Firewalls.

-- BERNAMA

MANULIFE INSURANCE BERHAD PROVIDES SPECIAL COVID-19 FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR CUSTOMERS

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 28 (Bernama) -- Manulife Insurance Berhad (MIB) has announced that the company is providing a special financial assistance to customers diagnosed with COVID-19.

This financial assistance is on top of the company’s recent announcement on 31 January 2020 stating that customers who are seeking treatment related to COVID-19 within Malaysia will be covered by the company’s medical plans. The company will also waive the 30-day waiting period for medical policies issued or reinstated before 30 January 2020 and extend the grace period to 90 days for policyholders who are diagnosed with COVID-19.

MIB’s enhanced protection benefits support the Malaysian government’s effort in dealing with the evolving COVID-19 situation.

Starting from 26 Feb 2020 until 30 June 2020, MIB customers who are diagnosed with COVID-19, and kept in quarantine in any Ministry of Health Malaysia’s designated hospitals will be provided with daily benefit of RM200 per day for up to 30 days. In the case of loss of life due to COVID-19, an additional lump sum amounting to RM10,000 will be provided. The lump sum amount given due to loss of life is offered to customers and their immediate family members (parents, spouse & children up to age 18).

MIB appreciates the high risk medical personnel face amidst a public health outbreak. An additional RM5,000 lump sum will therefore be given on top of the RM10,000, if the loss of life due to COVID-19 happens to a medical staff who works in a registered hospital in Malaysia.

More information on this special financial assistance is made available in our website, www.manulife.com.my.

“As a company that is committed to doing the right thing and helping make decisions easier and lives better for our customers, we will continue to monitor the situation closely and look for ways to further support our customers,” said Manulife Insurance Berhad Chief Executive Officer, Lee Sang Hui.

About Manulife Malaysia
Manulife Holdings Berhad is part of Canada-based Manulife Financial Corporation. Through its subsidiary companies, Manulife Malaysia offers an innovative range of financial protection, health and wealth management products and services to meet different customer needs. Manulife Malaysia currently serves the needs of over 270,000 policyholders and wealth management customers. Manulife Holdings Berhad has been listed on the Main Board of Bursa Malaysia since 1984. As at 31 December 2019, its assets under management were over RM11 billion. To learn more about Manulife Malaysia, visit: www.manulife.com.my.

About Manulife
Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services group that helps people make their decisions easier and lives better. With our global headquarters in Toronto, Canada, we operate as Manulife across our offices in Canada, Asia, and Europe, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States. We provide financial advice, insurance, and wealth and asset management solutions for individuals, groups and institutions. At the end of 2019, we had more than 35,000 employees, over 98,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving almost 30 million customers. As of December 31, 2019, we had $1.2 trillion (US$0.9 trillion) in assets under management and administration, and in the previous 12 months we made $29.7 billion in payments to our customers. Our principal operations are in Asia, Canada and the United States where we have served customers for more than 100 years. We trade as 'MFC' on the Toronto, New York, and the Philippine stock exchanges and under '945' in Hong Kong.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=36848

JAPAN RAIL CAFE AT TOKYO STATION TO BECOME TRAVELLERS' INFORMATION HUB

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 28 (Bernama) -- East Japan Railway Co (JR East) will open ‘JAPAN RAIL CAFE’ at Tokyo Station on March 5 as a site where overseas visitors can interact with one another and gather seasonal travel information on Japan.

JAPAN RAIL CAFE will help visitors share the seasonal charms of Japan as ways of enjoying trips are being increasingly diversified, according to a statement.

The cafe will provide inbound tourists with up-to-date information ‘only now’ and ‘for yourselves only’ on various areas of Japan, which cannot be obtained from guidebooks or online, as well as travel support in one-stop service.

With ‘Talk about trips, meet new friends’ concept, the cafe will help foreign travellers interact with one another and talk about areas they should visit now as well as the charms of their hometowns, thereby exchanging hints about trips in Japan.

JR East will establish a tourism information and travel consultation counter at the cafe to propose specific travel plans in Japan in conjunction with tourism promotion campaigns underway in various parts of the country.

Visitors can exchange their vouchers for Japan Rail Pass and other specially planned tickets for visitors from overseas as well as selling JR tickets and ‘Welcome Suica’ IC cards for inbound tourists.

The cafe will also sell seasonal Japanese food and drinks, ‘ekiben’ box lunches and special food products made exclusively for the cafe under the supervision of Japanese tea producer-dealer, ‘Senchado Tokyo’.

A large 140-inch screen will be installed to allow visitors to have virtual experiences of travel in Japan. Visitors can also use digital signage content ‘Wall SHOP’ which utilises the fruits of Internet research by the Rakuten group, to enjoy searching for travel information.

More details at http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/japanrailcafe/tokyo/

-- BERNAMA