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The Sun
16-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Prasarana signs MoU with UN agency to support SME vendors on sustainability
PETALING JAYA: Prasarana Malaysia Bhd is forging a partnership with the UN Global Compact Network Malaysia & Brunei (UNGCMYB), taking a step forward in the company's ongoing efforts towards achieving its Sustainability Blueprint 2023-2030 goals. 'Through this strategic collaboration with the UNGCMYB, we aim to further strengthen our commitment to responsible and sustainable business practices,' Prasarana president and group CEO Mohd Azharuddin Mat Sah said at the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) today. He said the partnership will be anchored on a three-pillar strategy – talent development, targeted enhancement and global and regional brand elevation – designed to drive impactful change across Prasarana's organisation and contribute meaningfully to broader sustainability goals. As part of the partnership, Prasarana will launch the Vendor ESG Hub, a dedicated digital platform that will provide more than 5,000 SME vendors with access to environment, social and governance training, tools and resources. The Prasarana Vendor ESG Hub, which is under the targeted enhancement pillar, is the second of its kind in Malaysia after Petroliam Nasional Bhd's. Beginning in July, Prasarana will conduct quarterly in-person training sessions aimed at helping SMEs understand ESG fundamentals and develop the capability to produce their own sustainability reports. 'Given that SMEs represent 96% of businesses in Malaysia, contribute over 30% to the nation's GDP (gross domestic product) and employ well over four million people, their role in advancing ESG practices is vital. 'This pattern is similarly observed across Apec economies, reinforcing the need to empower SMEs as a critical step toward driving national and regional sustainability progress,' Mohd Azharuddin said, referring to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum countries. Under the talent development pillar, Prasarana is introducing a structured sustainability training and certification programme for employees at all levels – from C-suite executives to frontliners. The initiative will kick off at the end of this month with the first cohort comprising approximately 250 staff, reinforcing its commitment to embedding sustainability competencies across the organisation. Under the global and regional brand elevation pillar, Prasarana's leadership in ESG has been internationally recognised through its invitation to represent Malaysia at the UN Private Sector Forum in New York, where it serves as a member of the UNGC advisory panel. In addition, Prasarana is actively engaging in roundtable sessions with government ministries, industry stakeholders, and global experts – including the International Association of Public Transport – to advocate for sustainable mobility. The insights and outcomes from these discussions will be documented in a co-branded roundtable report, strengthening Prasarana's voice in shaping the future of sustainable transport. Mohd Azharuddin said that in alignment with Prasarana's Sustainability Blueprint, which was launched in December 2023, the company remains committed to advancing ESG goals through a series of strategic and measurable initiatives. 'As part of our long-term vision, we aim to reduce carbon emissions by 45% through the electrification of our bus fleet, beginning with the rollout of 250 electric buses, with the first deliveries expected by the end of this year. Our target is to achieve 100% bus fleet electrification by 2037. 'In parallel, we are working to increase the use of renewable energy by 5%, supported by solar EV systems already generating approximately 300 MWh across more than 50 locations at our depots and stations. 'In line with our community outreach efforts, we have also sponsored 40 solar-powered streetlights in Kampung Kerdas, Gombak, demonstrating how our sustainability efforts extend beyond operations to benefit local communities,' he added. The MoU with UNGCMYB is a testament to Prasarana's role in pushing the industry forward and ensuring public transport continues to evolve as a sustainable and inclusive service for all Malaysians, Mohd Azharuddin said.
Korea Herald
14-05-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Actng president calls for future education based on trust, cooperation in AI era
Acting President Lee Ju-ho called Wednesday for efforts to advance education based on trust and cooperation in the digital era driven by artificial intelligence, casting the AI's emergence as a major shift in human civilization. Lee, the education minister, made the remarks as he attended the ministerial meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, a preparatory session taking place ahead of the APEC summit to be hosted by South Korea's city of Gyeongju later this year. "South Korea is a country that has achieved both economic growth and social development through the power of education," Lee said in the opening remarks at the plenary session of the 7th APEC education ministers' meeting on Jeju Island. "The advancement of digital technologies and the emergence of AI represent a civilizational shift," he said. "Based on trust and cooperation, we will prepare for the future and create a new vision." The education ministers' meeting kicked off Tuesday for a three-day run. It will be followed by a series of other high-level sessions, including the trade ministers' talks set for Thursday and Friday. (Yonhap)
Korea Herald
06-02-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Why does first lady Kim Keon Hee not visit Yoon Suk Yeol?
Detained president has been receiving visitors, but not first lady so far It has been a week since detained President Yoon Suk Yeol was permitted to receive visitors other than his lawyers. Groups of senior aides and political heavyweights from the ruling bloc made their way to visit him ― but not his wife, first lady Kim Keon Hee. On Monday, Seok Dong-hyeon, Yoon's close friend who recently joined the team of Yoon's legal representatives, said in a radio interview with YTN that Kim "does not plan" to visit Yoon while he is currently detained at the Seoul Detention Center over charges of insurrection and power abuse. Kim "will be inevitably grilled by political circles, media and civic groups" if she makes such a visit, Seok told YTN, adding that previous visits by Yoon's aides and ruling party lawmakers had already led to controversy. Kim has now been out of the public eye for over three months. She was last seen in public when the presidential couple received Poland's President Andrzej Duda on Oct. 24, 2024, on his state visit to South Korea. Kim's seclusion largely stems from backlash toward her, as she has faced threats of a special counsel probe into allegations of corruption. Yoon said in his last news conference in November ― before the martial law fiasco ― that Kim ought to limit her appearances if people "hate to see her." "If people love to see (Kim's public appearances), she will do them, if people hate to see (her), she will refrain," Yoon said at the time. The president added that Kim had already stopped making public appearances except for important diplomatic events. The news conference was followed by Kim skipping Yoon's trip to South America to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum and Group of 20 summit later in November. Yoon's office in November also announced the relaunch of the first lady's office, which he shut down upon his inauguration in May 2022. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, which controls a strong majority of seats in the National Assembly, has called for a probe into Kim's corruption allegations, including election meddling, involvement in illegal election predictions and leakage of confidential information to unauthorized people for their alleged financial benefit. The opposition also suspected that she was involved in stock manipulation that is speculated to have led to her financial gains in early 2010s ― a decade before she became the first lady. Since Yoon's inauguration, the main opposition has introduced four special counsel bills targeting Kim, all of which failed to override presidential vetoes. Now, the opposition is considering a fifth attempt to push for a probe into Kim, according to Rep. Kang Yu-jung, the Democratic Party's floor spokesperson, Tuesday. The first lady, a former entrepreneur, has been keeping her distance from the public as her scandals have continued to circulate, including a Dior bag scandal. In May, Kim made her first official public appearance after five months of seclusion at a ceremony to celebrate the return of 14th-century Buddhist relics to South Korea. Meanwhile, there were speculations that her health was deteriorating while she has stayed in the presidential residence in Yongsan, central Seoul. According to legal representative Seok on Jan. 28, Yoon told his lawyers during their visit that he was concerned about Kim's health. "Since I left the presidential residence on Jan. 15, I have not seen her face and I could not do so, so I was worried about her health," Yoon was quoted as saying by Seok.
