Latest news with #Naeem
Express Tribune
30-07-2025
- Express Tribune
Two arrested for robbing trans victims
Kacha Khoh police arrested two armed robbers just 20 minutes after they looted a car and Rs147,000 in cash from two transgender individuals near Hussaina Chowk. The suspects were captured following a brief exchange of gunfire, and the stolen property was successfully recovered. According to police, Preeti and Naeem — both members of the transgender community — were traveling in a car when they were intercepted by two armed suspects, later identified as Taseer and Naqi. The suspects held them at gunpoint, physically assaulted them, and fled with their vehicle and cash toward Abdul Hakim. After receiving the complaint, Station House Officer (SHO) Kacha Khoh, Shaiban Goraya, initiated an immediate response. Checkpoints were established, and police teams launched a rapid pursuit of the fleeing robbers. Within 20 minutes, police intercepted the suspects and engaged in a brief shootout.
Express Tribune
20-07-2025
- Express Tribune
Forgery gang busted in Abbottabad
In a crackdown on document fraud, the Abbottabad police arrested a group for illegally obtaining Pakistani identity cards for the Afghan nationals. According to police sources, the arrested suspects were identified as Saqib, a resident of Islamabad; Naeem, from Kehal; Sami, an Afghan national; and Jaleel. These individuals were allegedly involved in forging documents to help Afghan nationals fraudulently acquire Pakistani national identity cards. A case has been registered against the accused under Sections 419, 468, and 471 of the Pakistan Penal Code, as well as Section 14 of the Foreigners Act. Police said that further investigation is ongoing to uncover additional links and accomplices.
New Straits Times
09-07-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Randstad: Pay and perks gap tops employee concerns
KUALA LUMPUR: "Salary and benefits" remains the biggest gap between what employees expect and what they believe their employers deliver, according to Randstad Malaysia's latest 2025 Employer Brand Research report. While pay and perks consistently rank as the top employer value proposition (EVP) when Malaysians evaluate an ideal employer, this factor drops to eighth place when they rate their current workplace. Fahad Naeem, country director at Randstad Malaysia, noted that this gap, coupled with rising living costs and rapid market expansion, is driving more Malaysians to seek better-paying opportunities elsewhere. Interestingly, respondents said they value their employers' convenient office locations for cutting commute times. However, when choosing an ideal employer, location ranks far lower than flexibility. As remote and hybrid work become more common, convenient office locations are losing importance to flexible work arrangements. The study, which gathered responses from 2,588 Malaysians, also found that employees in Malaysia who feel less engaged at work are 23 per cent more likely to consider changing jobs. The survey shows that employees in sales and marketing, technology, administration, secretarial, and human resources roles value manageable workloads, work-life balance, and flexibility as the main drivers of engagement. In comparison, engineering professionals pointed to job security and meaningful recognition as their top priorities for staying motivated. Across all industries, limited career growth opportunities and dissatisfaction with pay emerged as the leading reasons for declining engagement levels. Naeem said that while offering competitive pay is vital, it is not enough on its own to attract and retain talent. "Employers must also prioritise providing a good work-life balance to their employees by providing flexible work arrangements, fostering a positive culture, and ensuring workloads are both manageable and stimulating for growth. While achieving this balance can sound challenging, today's talent is looking for an employee experience that empowers and fulfils them," he said. The report also highlights Malaysia's growing adoption of artificial intelligence (AI). This year, 33 per cent of respondents said they use AI at work, up 11 percentage points from last year. Meanwhile, the share of employees who have never used AI fell by 13 per cent. Sentiment towards AI is improving too, with slightly more employees feeling positive about its impact on job satisfaction and fewer fearing it will replace their jobs. These shifts show Malaysia's workforce increasingly sees AI as a valuable tool and collaborator, not a threat, Naeem said. "Fostering interest in AI among employees is especially important to many companies as it directly supports their digital transformation. Effective AI training programmes not only drive these business goals, but they also equip employees to complement and integrate critical and logical thinking with AI capabilities. It is also important for employers to leverage AI tools while ensuring compliance with data protection regulations and a strong grasp of ethical AI practices." Looking ahead to 2025, two in three Malaysian employees said they feel more engaged at work thanks to a strong work-life balance and better workplace relationships. However, 12 per cent reported feeling less engaged, mainly due to salary dissatisfaction and limited opportunities for advancement.
The Star
29-06-2025
- Health
- The Star
WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO CLEAR THE AIR?
HIS love for his baby daughter was fierce—but not fierce enough to break his addiction. Each time Desmond Lee, 41, held her, she would grimace and fuss, turning away from the smoky scent clinging to his breath and clothes. Yet every attempt to quit cold turkey left him trembling, sweating and on edge—trapped between love and addiction. Lee's struggle mirrors that of millions of smokers around the world, caught in a cycle they long to escape but find impossible to break. For many, quitting altogether feels out of reach. Recognising this, Philip Morris International (PMI) is deepening its commitment to a smoke-free future by investing in science-driven innovation, building retail partnerships and aligning closely with evolving regulatory frameworks. PMI Malaysia and Singapore managing director Naeem Shahab Khan reaffirmed the company's long-standing global ambition to phase out combustible cigarettes by harnessing science and technology for a cleaner future. 'There are nearly a billion smokers worldwide, and approximately 5.2 million in Malaysia alone. The most harmful way to consume nicotine remains through combustion—the act of burning tobacco. If you don't smoke, don't start. If you smoke, quit. If you don't quit, change,' said Naeem during the IQOS ILUMA i launch held at Heritage Valley, Kuala Lumpur recently. Science-based approach PMI's transformation into a science-led business has involved more than US$14bil in research and development investments to date—and that figure continues to grow year-on-year. 'We have over 1,400 scientists as well as research and development experts dedicated to this work. To date, we've published nearly 542 peer-reviewed studies, all of which are publicly available,' Naeem said. These efforts, he added, are part of PMI's long-term strategy to reduce public health harm by eliminating combustion. 'Our extensive research shows that exposure to harmful chemicals can be reduced up to 95% compared to traditional cigarettes when combustion is taken out of the equation. The ill of smoking is in the smoke—when you remove burning, you drastically reduce harmful exposure,' he explained. The company's findings are backed by a growing body of scientific evidence and international regulatory validation, including the US Food and Drug Administration's Modified Risk Tobacco Product (MRTP). Hinging on regulatory partnership Naeem applauded Malaysia's Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act (ACT 852)—which provides a clear regulatory framework aimed at youth access prevention and combating illicit trade. He called it a 'key enabler for future progress'. 'This law offers much-needed clarity in terms of product definitions, quality control and age restrictions. It also places stronger emphasis on youth access prevention, which we fully support.' Meanwhile, PMI Malaysia Commercial operations director Mazlan Jala Musa noted that the company has introduced internal compliance measures and retail guidelines, all of which strictly adheres to regulatory requirements. These include regular age-verification training for retail partners, in-store compliance checks and continuous education on product categories. 'We work closely with partners including convenience stores and independent retailers to help them understand the differences between products, and most importantly, to ensure they are not selling to minors,' said Mazlan. On market competition, Naeem said PMI does not view other market players as rivals. Instead, he sees them as potential allies in shifting awareness away from combustible cigarettes. 'We define leadership not just by market share, but by how effectively we can reduce smoking prevalence. Anyone aligned with that goal contributes to the bigger picture,' he said. Smoke-free potential Armed with the strong belief that a smoke-free future is within reach, Naeem remains optimistic about Malaysia's potential to transition away from traditional cigarettes—but only through joint effort. He called for continued collaboration between government, civil society, media and the private sector to provide smokers with accurate information—without targeting non-smokers or encouraging uptake. 'The elephant in the room is still cigarettes. That's where most of the harm lies. If we are serious about reducing the health burden of smoking, we must create the right environment to move adult smokers away from combustion. 'If we can pull our efforts together and create a regulatory framework that encourages cigarette smokers to switch to smoke-free alternatives, that is the only way, in my view, Malaysia can become smoke-free,' said Naeem.
Daily Express
25-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
Philip Morris International Launches New IQOS ILUMA i in Malaysia to Accelerate the Achievement of a Smoke -Free Future
Published on: Wednesday, June 25, 2025 Published on: Wed, Jun 25, 2025 Text Size: Naeem and MJ presenting the new IQOS ILUMA i. Kuala Lumpur: Philip Morris Malaysia Sdn Bhd (PMM), an affiliate of Philip Morris International (PMI), today announced the launch of IQOS ILUMA i, the latest and most innovative addition to its growing portfolio of smoke-free products for adults who would otherwise continue to smoke or use nicotine products. Today, this range of smoke-free alternatives to cigarettes includes multiple generations of IQOS, the No.1 tobacco-heating system1 . 'As the global smoke-free champion, we strive to deliver science-based, smoke-free alternatives to all adult smokers who would otherwise continue smoking. We leverage science, world leading brands, and commercial capabilities to provide better alternatives to our consumers. This innovation provides an opportunity for us to renew our smoke-free vision and our ambition for over two-thirds of our total net revenue to come from smokefree products by 2030,' said Naeem Shahab Khan, Managing Director of Philip Morris Malaysia & Singapore. 'Two years ago in Malaysia, IQOS ILUMA disrupted the category by introducing induction-heating technology that heats tobacco from within, with no tobacco residue and no need to clean the device. Today, we take IQOS to new heights, with the launch of IQOS ILUMA i – the latest innovation in our smoke-free portfolio, offering a range of advanced features for a clean, seamless, and more flexible experience.' Over the past 10 years, PMI's portfolio of scientifically backed smoke-free alternatives, led by IQOS, has created a positive impact on millions of adult smokers and those around them by accelerating an end to cigarettes. Advertisement Within 10 years, IQOS became the number one heated tobacco brand and accelerated the decline of cigarettes in many countries. In Japan, for example, more than one-third of adult smokers are using IQOS2 since heated tobacco was launched. Based on the PMI's 2025 first-quarter results, the smoke-free business accounts for 42% of the total net revenues. Today, there are 95 markets where PMI's smoke-free product are available. 'IQOS ILUMA i is our most innovative offering to date and the new flagship in our portfolio of scientifically substantiated, heat-not-burn smoke-free systems,' said Oggie Kapetanovic, President Heat-Not-Burn Platforms at PMI. We are proud that consumer feedback continuously fuels our innovation, and IQOS ILUMA i is a testament to that.' PMI's studies to date have found that IQOS generates no combustion and no smoke. Like previous IQOS devices, IQOS ILUMA i emits, on average, 95% lower levels of harmful chemicals compared with cigarettes. Importantly, this does not necessarily equal a 95% reduction in risk and IQOS ILUMA i is no risk-free5,6. Naeem added: 'We have been investing heavily in research and development to provide adults who smoke with better alternatives to cigarettes based on cutting-edge science. But for change to be effectively enacted, government and society at large must play their part. It is important that others – like government authorities and regulators – embrace the opportunity offered by innovation and science to benefit the world.' New features of IQOS ILUMA i The IQOS ILUMA i series offers three devices in Malaysia: IQOS ILUMA i PRIME, IQOS ILUMA i and IQOS ILUMA i ONE. All IQOS ILUMA i devices bring a range of adaptable new features. It already delivers an experience that is clean and seamless, thanks to PMI's bladeless SMARCORE INDUCTION SYSTEMTM in a variety of designs to meet the diverse preferences of consumers. The new touch screen on the device's holder allows users to see experience-relevant information quickly and easily. To personalize the experience, IQOS ILUMA i introduces a new Pause Mode. By swiping up or down on the touch screen, users can pause and resume their experience with the device where they left off7 . The new IQOS ILUMA i additionally includes smart features like FlexBattery that help prolong the lifespan of the holder's battery8. Like the previous series of IQOS ILUMA, these devices use induction-heating technology in a range of innovative designs to allow adult users to select the device that best suits their needs and preferences. IQOS ILUMA i devices are available on the IQOS website and at authorized stores throughout Malaysia, including East Malaysia, as well as selected convenience stores and petrol marts. Adult nicotine users looking for more information on features and usage, visit * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
