Latest news with #Koen
Borneo Post
a day ago
- Business
- Borneo Post
Abg Jo: Sarawak explores strategic partnerships with Korean stakeholders to power clean energy transition
(From fourth left) Ahmad Zawawi and Dr Hazland in a group photo with members from Koen and Korean industry players. – Photo by Chimon Upon KUCHING (Aug 12): Sarawak is exploring a potential strategic partnership with Korean stakeholders in renewable technology that could accelerate the state's clean energy transition, said Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg. He said Sarawak has always welcomed strategic partnerships that will benefit the people, region, and nation. 'Our leaders welcome any opportunity to explore new ideas, technologies, and innovations. 'As such, we look forward to learning and exploring new approaches and innovations our Korean stakeholders will share with us in this event regarding hydrogen, smart grids, digital energy systems, and clean technology commercialisation which offer us real, scalable opportunities to enhance our regional capabilities and resilience,' he said in a speech for the opening ceremony of the Sustainable and Valuable Energy Conference (SAVE) 2025 here today. Deputy Energy and Environmental Sustainability Minister Datuk Dr Hazland Abang Hipni delivered the speech. Abang Johari, who is also Energy and Environmental Sustainability Minister, said the partnership would deliver value in various forms in line with the state's Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030. 'These include technology transfer in frontier sectors like hydrogen fuel cells, grid automation and carbon capture; joint ventures and investment facilitation to spur industrial collaboration and local supply chain development; capacity building through research and development, skills training and professional exchange; as well as pilots and demonstrators, to de-risk innovation and prepare for full-scale deployment.' He pointed out that Sarawak's energy transformation is driven by PCDS 2030, which calls for a diversified, sustainable, and inclusive economic model. 'Sarawak is already a leader in renewable energy. With more than 70 per cent of our electricity sourced from clean hydropower, we offer one of the lowest carbon electricity grids in Southeast Asia. 'But we know that we must do more and move faster,' he said. In line with PCDS, he said the state is expanding its portfolio to include utility-scale solar and floating photovoltaic (PV) projects; green hydrogen production for mobility and export; biomass and waste-to-energy technologies; and energy efficiency programmes across industries. On SAVE, Abang Johari said the conference reflected Sarawak's commitment to clean energy and green industry, while providing a strategic platform to strengthen policy implementation, drive green economic growth, attract sustainable foreign direct investments, accelerate technology transfer and localisation, enhance the state's global positioning, develop human capital, and promote inclusive rural development. SAVE 2025 brought together over 260 participants, including experts, policymakers, business leaders, and innovators from Malaysia and Korea to explore practical solutions for transitioning to cleaner, more efficient, and economically viable energy systems. The two-day conference, held in collaboration with Korea South-East Power Co (Koen) and leading Korean industry players, marked the first time Sarawak plays host. SAVE 2025 is part of a progressive energy event series, previously held in Putrajaya in 2023 and Puchong, Selangor last year. Among those present were Association of Professional Technicians and Technologist chairman Ahmad Zawawi Kasmin, Koen senior manager Soon Eon Kwon, and Malaysian Association of Engineers president Datuk Feroz Hanif Mohamed Ahmad. Abang Johari Korean stakeholders lead
The Citizen
6 days ago
- Automotive
- The Citizen
First responder injured in car accident
Frederick Koen, of NoJack Vehicle Tracking and a registered paramedic is in a stable condition, following a serious accident, on Fourth Avenue, Northmead, this morning (August 7). According to Anton Koen, Frederick's father and owner of the Benoni-based tracking and recovery company, the single vehicle accident happened at around 07:45. 'Frederick's passion is to be of service to others, pushed him to pursue qualifications as a paramedic before joining the company,' he said. 'Due to the unseasonal rain, a total of nine serious accidents were reported throughout the city and a call was put out to first responders to assist patients.' En route to an accident scene, it is alleged that Frederick, who was traveling in a marked white Audi Q5, swerved onto the pavement colliding head-on with a tree, in an effort to avoid a vehicle which had turned in front of him. Specialised hydraulic rescue equipment (Jaws of Life) were used to extract the injured Koen from the wreckage and he was transported to Life The Glynnwood Hospital for treatment. 'Frederick suffered head injuries which would require stitches as well as damage to his left hand,' said Anton. 'He is stable and conscious. We expect that he would be admitted for further treatment and observation.' Koen said that his son's actions are true to his endearing nature and willingness to assist where ever he is needed. 'Frederick is the embodiment of community service, often putting himself in danger,' said the shaken father. 'We thank everyone who came to his assistance in his time of need and for the outpouring for support.' ALSO READ: Young accident victim determined to honour his cousin every step of his recovery ALSO READ: Fatal N12 accident: Family of deceased says victim was humble and compassionate
IOL News
6 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
Understanding the Fair Pay Bill: A step towards salary equity in South Africa
While the Fair Pay Bill has been described as a step towards ending unequal pay, experts also highlight that it might pose some challenges for AI and technology companies, including start-ups and scale-ups that rely on flexible compensation structures. Image: Freepik The Fair Pay Bill, recently tabled in Parliament, has been described as setting the groundwork for creating a more equitable starting point for salary negotiations and career advancement by eliminating the consideration of past remuneration in hiring decisions, experts say. The Bill was tabled in Parliament as an amendment to the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998 (EEA). It aims to transform recruitment and remuneration practices to promote fairness, transparency, and equal opportunity in the workplace. However, there are concerns that a critical limitation remains in that the fair pay protections are still embedded within the Employment Equity Act's unfair discrimination framework, which means that, unlike jurisdictions with standalone equal pay legislation, employees must still prove unfair discrimination to successfully claim equal pay violations, rather than having direct equal pay rights. Dr Louis Koen, senior lecturer and Moot Court coordinator at the University of Johannesburg's Faculty of Law, said historically underpaid individuals, many of whom are black women or youths entering the labour market, will no longer be constrained by prior low earnings when applying for new positions. 'The requirement for employers to disclose the remuneration or remuneration range when advertising a position or recruiting candidates would increase transparency and reduce opportunities for subjective or biased wage-setting. It could empower job applicants to negotiate from an informed position and also create greater parity among employees performing similar work. 'The Bill, if passed, will provide employees with a better understanding of what other employees performing the same role can expect to pay. This may ease the burden of proving discrimination in pay,' Koen said. Compliance with the Fair Pay Bill is likely to be demanding, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises, which may not have formal job grading or remuneration systems in place, he said. 'These businesses will need to develop internal frameworks to determine and document remuneration ranges, train HR personnel to navigate the new restrictions on pay discussions, and adjust recruitment practices accordingly. One potential unintended consequence is that, to avoid scrutiny or legal risk, some employers may default to offering standardised mid-range pay within bands, thereby limiting flexibility in responding to market signals or recognising merit,' Koen said. He highlighted that several types of disputes may arise from the implementation of the Bill, where employees or applicants may allege that an employer failed to disclose an appropriate remuneration range or that the disclosed range was misleading. Others may claim that their past pay was improperly solicited or factored into a hiring decision, in contravention of Section 6B of the Bill. Professor Marius van Staden, associate professor at the Wits School of Law, said the Bill will significantly affect multinational tech and AI companies operating in South Africa through two key mechanisms. 'Firstly, the new Section 6A requires employers to disclose remuneration ranges when advertising positions and during recruitment, promotion, or transfer processes. This means companies with global pay scales will need to transparently communicate their South African compensation bands, potentially revealing disparities between local and international compensation levels. 'Second, Section 6B prohibits employers from enquiring into candidates' past remuneration information during recruitment. This prevents the common practice of using previous salaries to determine offers, which could be particularly challenging for companies accustomed to benchmarking against international compensation histories when relocating talent,' Van Staden said. He added that companies in the AI and technology sectors face unique challenges given the rapid evolution of roles and skillsets. 'The Bill's amendment to the definition of 'employment policy or practice' now explicitly includes 'determining the remuneration or remuneration range for a position' during job classification and grading. 'To ensure compliance with 'equal pay for equal work' or 'work of equal value' principles, companies should establish systematic job evaluation frameworks that focus on objective criteria such as required skills, qualifications, experience levels, and job responsibilities rather than subjective assessments. The Bill references the International Labour Organisation Convention No. 100 concerning Equal Remuneration, which emphasises work of equal value rather than just identical work,' Van Staden said. He stated that for emerging AI roles, companies should develop clear competency frameworks and regularly review job classifications as roles evolve, ensuring that remuneration ranges reflect genuine differences in skill requirements and responsibilities rather than historical biases or arbitrary distinctions. Several unintended consequences could impact the sector's growth and innovation. The mandatory disclosure of remuneration ranges may reduce companies' salary negotiation flexibility and could lead to wage inflation as employees benchmark against disclosed ranges. This might particularly affect start-ups and scale-ups that rely on flexible compensation structures, Van Staden said. He added that the prohibition on enquiring into past remuneration could make it more difficult for companies to assess appropriate compensation levels for candidates with unique or highly specialised AI skillsets, potentially leading to either over-compensation or difficulty attracting top talent. 'Most significantly, the continued embedding of fair pay rights within the discrimination framework may create legal uncertainty and compliance costs that disproportionately burden smaller tech companies without extensive HR and legal resources. There's also a risk that companies may become overly conservative in their hiring and promotion practices to avoid potential discrimination claims, which could slow innovation and talent development,' he said. How can digital law experts and legal advisors assist in ensuring compliance? Van Staden said digital law experts can assist with developing compliant recruitment processes that avoid prohibited enquiries into past remuneration whilst maintaining competitive hiring practices. This includes crafting job advertisements that include appropriate remuneration range disclosures and training hiring managers on permissible discussion topics. 'Legal experts can also help design remuneration transparency policies that comply with the new Section 6A requirements whilst protecting legitimate business interests. Additionally, they can develop internal audit mechanisms to identify potential equal pay violations before they become discrimination claims. 'Importantly, legal advisors can help companies understand that the fair pay provisions remain part of the unfair discrimination framework, meaning robust documentation of objective job evaluation and remuneration-setting processes will be essential for defending against discrimination claims,' Van Staden said. He added that while the transparency requirements align with trends in jurisdictions like California, New York, and the EU, South Africa's approach of maintaining fair pay within the discrimination framework (EEA) is increasingly outdated. Van Staden noted that South Africa's requirement to prove unfair discrimination for equal pay claims creates a higher burden of proof than in many developed jurisdictions, where equal pay violations can be established through statistical analysis without requiring proof of discriminatory intent. 'The Bill's prohibition on salary history enquiries does align with progressive practices, suggesting South Africa is adopting some best practices while maintaining a more conservative overall framework,' he said. Roger Solomons, spokesperson for Build One South Africa (BOSA), stated that mandatory disclosure will prevent lowballing, as employers will be required to provide a realistic and justifiable pay range, benchmark salaries to industry norms, and comply with non-discrimination provisions in the EEA. If a company consistently posts abnormally low ranges, it opens itself to reputational risk, public scrutiny, and intervention by the Department of Employment and Labour. More importantly, job seekers will be empowered to walk away from exploitative offers, which they cannot do when pay is hidden, Solomons said.
IOL News
01-07-2025
- Automotive
- IOL News
WATCH: IOL goes on exclusive aerial mission in SA's vehicle crime war
IOL went with Netstar to recover a hijacked vehicle, which was located successfully within an hour Image: Nicola Mawson It starts out as an exceptionally cold day – five degrees – when I arrive at Netstar's Global Fleet Bureau (GFB) in Midrand with the plan of going up in a helicopter on a mission to recover a stolen or hijacked car. The GFB contact center at Netstar's head office is the first point of call for people who have just been hijacked or come out of the shops and found their car stolen. Between verifying identities to ensure the call is legit and getting a response team on the ground or in the air, Contact Center Manager Rajan Algoppen, told IOL will take a maximum of 15 minutes in winter or at night, and that's because the bird needs to warm up. The recovery company reacts as quickly as possible while remaining securely within the boundaries of the law, such as complying with the Protection of Personal Information Act, and aspects such as air traffic control. Netstar's Global Fleet Bureau where calls are received Image: Nicola Mawson Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Calls coming into the contact center can vary from someone who has just been hijacked through to a stolen vehicle as well as people who are concerned about loved ones for a variety of reasons. Jeandre Koen, MD of Netstar SA, explained that it is increasingly seeing incidents of people being kidnapped. This, Koen said, is a bid by criminals to take the 'heat' away from them by having collateral. Ransoms, too, are on the increase, he said. Algoppen said that call center staff are specifically trained to help people deal with these sorts of difficult situations and they are also offered counselling so they can debrief. South Africans are being held for days, which also enables thieves to make best use of their smartphone banking app, pulling out the maximum cash, said Koen. He added that hijackers then dump people, usually naked and without a cellphone, somewhere very out of the way where the closest human can be as far away as a two-hour walk. 'They make it difficult to find your people.' The South African Police Service's (SAPS') crime stats for the period between October and December last year showed that there were 4 807 carjackings in those three months – 1 602 a month, although this a 20% decrease year-on-year. During the last quarter of 2024, there were 413 truck jackings. At the National Airways Corporation heliport close to Netstar's head office, a call comes in and the chase is on. Pilot Jaco spins up the blades on the Robertson R44 Raven 2, while airtracker Bongani starts tracking the car – a Kio Picanto. The car has been taken in Centurion and the helicopter is steered along its most likely escape route. Live agents back in the GFB, based on years of knowledge, help direct recovery efforts along likely escape routes. In the helicopter, Jaco pilots it north towards Centurion and the chase is on. While he's flying and liaising with various air traffic controllers such as at Midrand's Grand Central Airport, Bongani is checking the signal from the car and keeping an almost literal eagle eye out the windscreen and windows. The Kia is found a short while later, and the adrenaline rush is over barring the paperwork. Jaco explained that once the vehicle has been found, the chase is handed over to the ground crew who have also been tracking the car and liaising with the police. While the Kia was recovered, many other popular brands are taken for spare parts. Grant Fraser, Netstar Group MD, told IOL that, in addition to popular vehicles such as VW Polos, Toyota Fortuner and Hilux models as well as the Nissan NP 200 being stolen for replacements, 'we are starting to see the high value vehicles' being taken. Fraser noted models such as Land Cruisers and Prados were often used in cash in transit heists as they can force a security truck off the road. Other higher-end vehicles were also set to be shipped overseas or across Africa, added Koen. Grant Fraser, Netstar Group MD Image: Nicola Mawson Vehicle theft, said Fraser, is about economics. While patterns have changed in the past few years post Covid-19, the current trend the Altron unit has seen is that thefts often happen over weekends, while hijackings take place from Wednesday to Friday, said Koen – although this does vary. 'Crime goes to where people go,' Koen said. Koen also said that crooks sometimes used luxury cars as getaway vehicles after a cash-in-transit heist, with another option being for them to use something as innocuous as a Hilux, while 29 cases of cash-in-transit robberies were reported by the SAPS in the last quarter of 2024. Fraser added that the company, which also offers truck fleet management solutions, has seen an increase in theft of cargo such as cellphones, cigarettes, alcohol, as well as metals like copper. Netstar's Robertson R44 Raven 2 helicopter Image: Nicola Mawson Netstar, which recovers about 700 vehicles a month with a more than 90% recovery rate, tracks total vehicles movements that are equivalent to a road going to the moon and back 4.5 times every hour. Given the current landscape as well as the technology and data available to companies like Netstar, it has been accelerating innovation, said Fraser. He added that innovation 'is helping us to improve our recovery rate'. The company is also working with Business 4 South Africa to help build safe corridors, with new technologies being geared towards protecting drivers as well as what they are carrying in their vehicles. 'We save lives; that is the priority, and we do that every single day,' said Fraser. IOL
IOL News
01-07-2025
- Automotive
- IOL News
WATCH: IOL goes on exclusive aerial mission in SA's vehicle crime war
IOL went with Netstar to recover a hijacked vehicle, which was located successfully within an hour Image: Nicola Mawson It starts out as an exceptionally cold day – five degrees – when I arrive at Netstar's Global Fleet Bureau (GFB) in Midrand with the plan of going up in a helicopter on a mission to recover a stolen or hijacked car. The GFB contact center at Netstar's head office is the first point of call for people who have just been hijacked or come out of the shops and found their car stolen. Between verifying identities to ensure the call is legit and getting a response team on the ground or in the air, Contact Center Manager Rajan Algoppen, told IOL will take a maximum of 15 minutes in winter or at night, and that's because the bird needs to warm up. The recovery company reacts as quickly as possible while remaining securely within the boundaries of the law, such as complying with the Protection of Personal Information Act, and aspects such as air traffic control. Netstar's Global Fleet Bureau where calls are received Image: Nicola Mawson Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Calls coming into the contact center can vary from someone who has just been hijacked through to a stolen vehicle as well as people who are concerned about loved ones for a variety of reasons. Jeandre Koen, MD of Netstar SA, explained that it is increasingly seeing incidents of people being kidnapped. This, Koen said, is a bid by criminals to take the 'heat' away from them by having collateral. Ransoms, too, are on the increase, he said. Algoppen said that call center staff are specifically trained to help people deal with these sorts of difficult situations and they are also offered counselling so they can debrief. South Africans are being held for days, which also enables thieves to make best use of their smartphone banking app, pulling out the maximum cash, said Koen. He added that hijackers then dump people, usually naked and without a cellphone, somewhere very out of the way where the closest human can be as far away as a two-hour walk. 'They make it difficult to find your people.' The South African Police Service's (SAPS') crime stats for the period between October and December last year showed that there were 4 807 carjackings in those three months – 1 602 a month, although this a 20% decrease year-on-year. During the last quarter of 2024, there were 413 truck jackings. At the National Airways Corporation heliport close to Netstar's head office, a call comes in and the chase is on. Pilot Jaco spins up the blades on the Robertson R44 Raven 2, while airtracker Bongani starts tracking the car – a Kio Picanto. The car has been taken in Centurion and the helicopter is steered along its most likely escape route. Live agents back in the GFB, based on years of knowledge, help direct recovery efforts along likely escape routes. In the helicopter, Jaco pilots it north towards Centurion and the chase is on. While he's flying and liaising with various air traffic controllers such as at Midrand's Grand Central Airport, Bongani is checking the signal from the car and keeping an almost literal eagle eye out the windscreen and windows. The Kia is found a short while later, and the adrenaline rush is over barring the paperwork. Jaco explained that once the vehicle has been found, the chase is handed over to the ground crew who have also been tracking the car and liaising with the police. While the Kia was recovered, many other popular brands are taken for spare parts. Grant Fraser, Netstar Group MD, told IOL that, in addition to popular vehicles such as VW Polos, Toyota Fortuner and Hilux models as well as the Nissan NP 200 being stolen for replacements, 'we are starting to see the high value vehicles' being taken. Fraser noted models such as Land Cruisers and Prados were often used in cash in transit heists as they can force a security truck off the road. Other higher-end vehicles were also set to be shipped overseas or across Africa, added Koen. Grant Fraser, Netstar Group MD Image: Nicola Mawson Vehicle theft, said Fraser, is about economics. While patterns have changed in the past few years post Covid-19, the current trend the Altron unit has seen is that thefts often happen over weekends, while hijackings take place from Wednesday to Friday, said Koen – although this does vary. 'Crime goes to where people go,' Koen said. Koen also said that crooks sometimes used luxury cars as getaway vehicles after a cash-in-transit heist, with another option being for them to use something as innocuous as a Hilux, while 29 cases of cash-in-transit robberies were reported by the SAPS in the last quarter of 2024. Fraser added that the company, which also offers truck fleet management solutions, has seen an increase in theft of cargo such as cellphones, cigarettes, alcohol, as well as metals like copper. Netstar's Robertson R44 Raven 2 helicopter Image: Nicola Mawson Netstar, which recovers about 700 vehicles a month with a more than 90% recovery rate, tracks total vehicles movements that are equivalent to a road going to the moon and back 4.5 times every hour. Given the current landscape as well as the technology and data available to companies like Netstar, it has been accelerating innovation, said Fraser. He added that innovation 'is helping us to improve our recovery rate'. The company is also working with Business 4 South Africa to help build safe corridors, with new technologies being geared towards protecting drivers as well as what they are carrying in their vehicles. 'We save lives; that is the priority, and we do that every single day,' said Fraser. IOL
