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The Star
13-05-2025
- Health
- The Star
Using detailed data to drive growth
Chief statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir—ONG SOON HIN /The Star Reporter TEH ATHIRA KUALA LUMPUR: The lifestyle and behaviour of Malaysians will come under the microscope with comprehensive data being collected to drive 'real transformation' among the population. As part of efforts to gain a more complete picture of the country's development, the Statistics Department is planning new surveys to capture more detailed information, including how much coffee Malaysians consume, their dietary habits and how they spend their time. While economic and industrial performance remain important, the department's chief statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin (pic) said greater attention must now be given to social indicators such as eating habits, hygiene practices and use of time. 'We need to understand how people spend (their time and money), live, and behave, to drive real transformation,' he told The Star. Caregiving roles will also be a key area for study and data collection, especially with more grandparents actively helping to raise their grandchildren nowadays. Malaysia has already taken steps to expand its data collection in this direction, he said, adding that the 2020 Population and Housing Census contained a new module which, for the first time, focused on the elderly. Through the census, elderly respondents were asked about the challenges they faced. One surprising finding was the high level of loneliness among seniors. Sharing how a survey respondent was shocked to discover that their mother had ticked 'loneliness' as a major issue, Mohd Uzir said her children didn't know that she had been feeling so isolated. The department, he added, has also started tracking the regularity of communication between neighbours, with data showing the frequency of people engaging with their immediate community. These community interactions and social well-being indicators are already being examined by the department to provide a more complete picture of national happiness and quality of life, he said. The department is also gathering behavioural statistics on hygiene and transportation habits, such as how often Malaysians wash their hands, and carpool. In January, Economy Minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli said the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), a five-year roadmap for the country from 2026 and 2030, will focus on policies to facilitate behaviour change that can create beneficial societal and economic shifts. To formulate effective policies, Mohd Uzir said rich behavioural data, which includes not only what people eat or drink, but also how they live and how much time they devote to different activities, would be required. Malaysia previously had to rely on aggregate data (to formulate policies) as we did not have detailed behavioural data of Malaysians from all walks of life. In addition to behavioural and lifestyle statistics, Mohd Uzir said Malaysia is working on improving data collection on health indicators, including the nation's Life Expectancy Index. An updated and accurate Life Expectancy Index is crucial for planning future healthcare services, eldercare policies and pension systems as Malaysia's population continues to age, he said. The country's Happiness Index is also being updated with the new report to focus more on the communities' state of happiness. The report, he said, will be based on the perceptions of the people about themselves, rather than personality-based studies typically done by local councils. 'Statistics is social science. It is not rocket science. It does not require flying to the moon, but it requires sharpness and diligence,' he added.
The Star
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Creative industry can strengthen Malaysia-Indonesia relations, says ambassador
A press conference with the stars of the Viu series Bidaah. The series has the potential to be another important platform for enhancing cultural ties with Indonesia. - ONG SOON HIN/The Star JAKARTA: Malaysia's creative industry, particularly in film and drama, has the potential to become a new bridge for strengthening cultural ties with Indonesia, according to Malaysia's Ambassador to Indonesia, Datuk Syed Mohamad Hasrin Tengku Hussin. Speaking during a courtesy call by renowned Malaysian director Erma Fatima, whose real name is Fatimah Rahmad, and her delegation, he said that the power of storytelling and the shared cultural values between the two countries could help deepen bilateral relations. "Once upon a time, Malaysia and Indonesia had a cultural exchange programme known as Titian Muhibah, organised by Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM), Televisi Republik Indonesia (TVRI), and Radio Republik Indonesia," he said. Syed Mohamad Hasrin noted that the programme served as a platform to introduce the arts, culture, and to strengthen bilateral relations continuously. However, it is no longer active, leaving a gap in the once-close cultural ties. "It is time to revive the era of closeness between Malaysia and Indonesia. Through various creative initiatives, we can build new bridges that further strengthen the sense of kinship and the Nusantara spirit," he said. The most successful local production to penetrate the Indonesian market so far has been the animated series Upin & Ipin, which has captured the hearts of young viewers and become a cultural icon representing Malaysia across Indonesia. "The success of Upin & Ipin proves that high-quality content that resonates with regional values has great potential for international acceptance," he added. Malaysia can now also take pride in the latest television series Bidaah, produced by Erma's Rumah Karya Citra, which has the potential to be another important platform for enhancing cultural ties with Indonesia. "We hope that local works highlighting shared values will form the foundation for strong Malaysia-Indonesia relations and renew the spirit of cultural cooperation in this modern era," Syed Mohamad Hasrin said. Since its premiere last month, Bidaah has become the most-watched drama on Viu, an online streaming platform, garnering over 2.5 billion views across digital platforms and social media in Malaysia and Indonesia. - Bernama
The Star
28-04-2025
- Business
- The Star
Nestle Malaysia posts encouraging 1Q results
Nestlé (M) Bhd chief executive officer Juan Aranols. —ONG SOON HIN /The Star PETALING JAYA: Nestle (M) Bhd kicked off 2025 with encouraging results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2025 (1Q25). The company recorded a turnover of RM1.77bil for the quarter under review, matching the robust sales figures in 1Q24 and reflecting a 20.1% growth compared to 4Q24. 'The strong sales momentum was broad-based across brands, which reflects the successful planning and execution of Chinese New Year and Ramadan Hari Raya activities,' the food and beverage company said in a statement. Alongside domestic sales, the company's export business recorded a 2.6% growth. 'Nestle Malaysia continues to build on the international competitiveness of its industrial infrastructure, which is further enabled by the company's role as the largest Halal manufacturing hub for the Nestle group worldwide.' For the quarter under review, Nestle Malaysia delivered a profit before tax of RM213mil and profit after tax of RM161.3mil, more than tripling the preceding 4Q24 profits and confirming the path to profit normalisation after a challenging 2024. 'This performance reflects the company's ability to navigate through a still complex operating environment with sustained pressure on commodity prices through focused efficiency measures and cost optimisation initiatives, as well as solid brand investments to further strengthen its market shares. 'While 1Q25 profit was solid, it moderately contracted against the strong baseline of 1Q24, reflecting an earlier phasing of marketing investments versus 2024, as well as the prudent approach to pricing amidst soaring prices of key commodities, as the company remains mindful of mitigating as much as possible the impact on the purchasing power of the Rakyat.' Nestle Malaysia chief executive officer Juan Aranols said the first quarter results were encouraging and represented an important step in the group's journey back to healthy growth levels and profit normalisation after some challenges in the previous quarters. 'Amidst market volatility and intense competition, we continue to drive solid brand plans with effective execution across all channels online and offline. 'We have seen solid performance throughout the Chinese New Year and Ramadhan / Raya seasons across business segments.' As the company navigates through 2025, Aranols said Nestle Malaysia remains vigilant of the multiple factors of volatility in the global market that may impact business conditions, while staying committed to its promise of providing nutritious, great-tasting Halal products that meet Malaysians' needs across all life stages. 'Additionally, we are driving automation and digitalisation within our organisation as key enablers of agile decision-making and savings, which in turn fund brand investments and innovations to strengthen market leadership. 'This is what we call the virtuous circle of profitable, sustainable growth, always anchored on a strong understanding of Malaysians' value expectations.' While the operating environment continues to present challenges, Aranols said the signs the company is observing in terms of improved consumer sentiments are encouraging. 'As guided earlier, we are confident in returning to healthy growth levels by the first half of 2025, and consolidate the normalisation of our profitable and sustainable growth path. 'We will continue to invest in product innovation and in enhancing our capabilities at all levels - manufacturing, logistics, commercial, etc.' As the group has done throughout its 113 years in Malaysia, Aranols said Nestle Malaysia will continue to be a positive force contributing to the wellbeing of the Rakyat. 'Building on our strong foundation in the nation, we are confident on this outlook, while we carefully monitor global geopolitical and market developments that may affect broader economic conditions.'
The Star
22-04-2025
- Business
- The Star
Experts predict visa-free extension will boost economy
Higher draw: Tourism players and business groups say the move will widely benefit the hospitality and retail sectors. — ONG SOON HIN/TheStar PETALING JAYA: The five-year visa-free extension for Chinese tourists to Malaysia will be more than just a tourism boost as it will potentially have a positive impact on the nation's economy, say tourism players and business groups. Apart from stability, which allows tourism stakeholders to plan their products well ahead, they say positive spillovers can be anticipated for the hospitality and retail sectors. Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents president Nigel Wong said the move allows the industry to better develop the Chinese inbound market. ALSO READ: 'There is stability for the industry to plan ahead and boost efforts to attract more Chinese tourists,' he said, adding that there is increasing demand for Chinese travellers looking for experiential tourism products. 'It's no longer just about the conventional tours. Instead, innovative and creative experiences like culinary tourism, heritage and culture, as well as ecotourism products, are popular with foreign tourists,' he said. He also said the benefits of this move will go beyond the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign. 'Tourism tends to spike after Visit Malaysia campaigns and this move will tie in very nicely,' he said, referring to the free visa for five years and potentially for another five years for tourists from China. Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association president Mint Leong said the move gives industry players a clear direction when promoting Malaysia to Chinese tourists. 'Malaysia will also have the opportunity to attract more business events and business travellers due to this,' she said. She said Malaysia is also a popular destination for Chinese nationals wanting to escape the winter season, noting how the Heilongjiang province can reach temperatures below 0°C. 'During winter, which lasts from late October to February, they can travel to Malaysia for its warmer climate,' she said. Leong also noted a potential 'thrust' of economic activity for the hospitality sector and long-term rentals. Industry players, she said, can promote niche tourism products such as community and sustainable tourism to woo Chinese tourists. 'This way, they can immerse themselves in the local cultures as they have adequate time to do so,' she said. She added that peak periods for Chinese travellers to Malaysia are during the first 10 days of Chinese New Year celebrations as well as May, July and October. Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia treasurer-general Datuk Koong Lin Loong said the move can further spur the national gross domestic product. 'Chinese tourists will feel that there is less hassle due to the visa-free conditions and when they arrive, they will definitely be spending on goods as well as food and beverage. 'The hospitality industry is also set to benefit,' he said. He said visa-free travel can also see Chinese professionals coming over to survey potential business prospects informally.
The Star
22-04-2025
- General
- The Star
Sign language trainers to be accredited, says Sim
Fostering inclusion: Sim meeting with attendees at his ministry's monthly assembly in Putrajaya. — ONG SOON HIN/The Star PUTRAJAYA: The Human Resources Ministry will look into Training of Trainers (ToT) accreditation for sign language interpreters through the Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp), says Steven Sim. The Human Resources Minister said he had instructed HRD Corp to introduce an accreditation system to further empower persons with disabilities (PwDs). 'I met with representatives from the sign language interpreters association a few weeks ago, in which they had expressed their plight. 'From the working environment and protection, there is still a low level of awareness (about deaf people) in the workplace – this included a lack of opportunities to become an accredited sign-language trainer, ' he told reporters after his ministry's monthly assembly here yesterday. Following the meeting, Sim said he received the suggestion to issue sign language interpreters with trainers accreditation, which he agreed to, adding that there was no such accreditation offered by the agency currently. He said this accreditation would be a starting point for the ministry to introduce similar schemes for other categories of PwDs, such as the blind. 'When the ministry said that we want to advocate for 3Ks (Kebajikan, Kemahiran and Keberhasilan or welfare, skills and achievements) of the workforce, it includes everyone, regardless of their physical abilities. 'We want to make sure that all workers are taken care of,' he added. Earlier, Sim had attended the soft-launching of the Labour Day Carnival organised by his ministry, where three sign language interpreters translated the national anthem as it was played. They are Deaf Advocacy and Well-being National Organisation president and co-founder Sariah Ibrahim, National Organisation of Malaysian Sign Language Instructors president Ong Hwei Ling, and Interpreters and Translators Association for Selangor and Kuala Lumpur Deaf Community secretary Calysta Tay Yilynn. Sim said this was as part of an early exposure for his ministry to be more aware of the PwDs. Elsewhere, he said about 10,000 job opportunities will be offered throughout the Labour Day Carnival this year, with the vacancies coming from government-linked companies and private companies. 'There will be various activities and programmes throughout the three-day event at Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil, including a career fair, exhibitions and Himpunan Hari Pekerja that will be launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim,' he said, adding that the government will be announcing several new policies and programmes during the carnival from April 28 to May 1. There will be featured pocket talks, interactive booths by government agencies, skills demonstrations, and Labour Day Award 2025 to celebrate the Malaysian workforce. The ministry will also be launching a digital initiative through the introduction of MYFutureJobs mobile apps, a strategic and progressive initiative in supporting an inclusive, responsive and sustainable workforce ecosystem. Other benefits of attending include having discounted police traffic summons payments of up to 50%, along with other services by the Road Transport Department, with the organisers expecting to receive over 10,000 visitors over the four days.
