CNA Correspondent Podcast: Shifting tides of political Islam in Malaysia and Indonesia

Muslims in Malaysia turn to the Islamic Party of Pakistan and powerful spiritual leaders for instruction as a result of corruption controversies and changing lifestyles, while Indonesia’s recent presidential poll suggests that political Islam is waning it. &nbsp,

Arnold Gay speaks with CNA’s Nivell Rayda and Amir Yusof to learn what’s driving these spiritual changes. &nbsp,

Continue Reading

CNA Explains: Non-reclining seat? Compensation options if your flight experience falls short

MORE TROUBLE THAN WORTH?

Filing and serving a state is a lengthy and time-consuming approach, despite also being quicker and less expensive than if the events had gone to a legal trial.

” As a matter of process, functions in an SCT action must first attend conversation, where a secretary attempts to resolve the dispute”, said Ms Ng.

If the dispute cannot be settled, the state moves to a receiving before a judge. The court will rule on the declare in accordance with the terms of the contract between the flight and the client and appropriate contract law principles.

” Alternatively, a court action can also be brought in the Magistrates ‘ Courts or District Courts. “

Although they can be hired to deliver legal counsel, solicitors are not permitted to represent parties in SCT trials.

Additionally, buyers will have to pay a price, depending on the state number. A customer would need to pay S$ 10 for claims up to S$ 5,000 and S$ 20 for claims above S$ 5,000 but up to S$ 10,000. For claims above S$ 10,000, a customer would have to pay 1 per cent of that amount.

However, even if the customer receives a ruling in their favor, they will still need to file an execution or enforcement case in the civil courts if the other party does n’t follow the court’s order, because the SCT cannot carry out the order on the customer’s behalf.

” Achieving an order does not guarantee a result.” You may weigh the pros and cons before moving,” read the Singapore Courts site.

There is no assurance that you will be able to recover anything from the police appellant, and you will have to invest time and effort to make the required software to enforce the order. “

Additionally, the police person would have to pay a fee for enforcing the purchase.

“COURT” OF PUBLIC Mind

Customers may just take a dispute to court as a last resort, according to Ms. Ng, and that is exactly what she meant. an out-of-court affectionate quality, whether directly with the airport or via CASE, would be the most appropriate.

This is given that the time and resources spent on pursuing such a state, along with any potential legal fees, perhaps ultimately outweigh the problems that are awarded, she said.

Large companies like carriers may like that problems go to court rather than dealing with the irate customer given the relatively low say amounts and the presence of a promise of a favorable decision.

” That said, the Courts of Singapore are much less likely to order, or to be as good as the Hyderabad’s District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, in ordering payment for’mental agony and physical struggling’ suffered by the client,” said Mr Tan.

He added that in order to force larger companies, customers might be better served posting their concerns on social media.

After receiving negative feedback on social media, SIA reinstated appetisers for business school meals and reversed its decision to use papers serviceware.

” In the circumstances, it may at times become more productive ( in terms of achieving the desired outcome ) for the aggrieved customer to vent the problem in the’court’ of public opinion than in a court of law in such conditions,” said Mr Tan.

” It may get them further than court proceedings. “

Continue Reading

For passengers on the first bus, a unique bond forms between driver and rider

LIKE FAMILY 

The typical interactions among travellers, as well as between driver and passengers, on a second vehicle are surprisingly less melancholy.  

The community spirit means bus captain Tan Kok Peng, also from Tower Transit ,  double as a timer for his regular customers. The 52-year-old even drives the primary vehicle of Service 143, starting at 5. 30am on weekends, although his trip starts from Toa Payoh vehicle exchange instead.  

Mr Tan, who has been plying the vehicle 143 path for 16 times, said his customers are “relaxed and assured” that he will wake them up if they doze off.

“Since we’re the second vehicle, we know their normal routine. We occasionally warn them before we even arrive at the halt. Like if they don’t come over, you know they’ve fallen asleep, ” he said in Mandarin.  

Mr Tan’s regulars try to reward him with items, especially during Chinese New Year. He acknowledges having customers request a visit to his house in Johor Bahru, Malaysia during the holiday season, but he also admits no knowing how to respond to such kindness.

My number was again requested by a Malay aunt. She used to promote cake puffs and may give me two whenever she would take my van every day, he recalls.   “She would give me hongbao ( red packet ) whether it ’s on Chinese New Year or Hari Raya. This kind of relationship has lasted for more than ten times. ”

For Chinese New Year last year, Mr Tan received around S$ 900 in full from people.  

“They ask me to keep the money, but if I don’t maintain it, it ’s like I don’t regard them,” he said. ” Sometimes I don’t want to take it, but they will put it into my shirt pocket. And when I tell them that they’re even old and they need the cash, they may suggest ‘No, this is for you’.  

“Sometimes in one hongbao, there’s S$ 100. That’s a lot ( of money ) for the elderly. ”

Continue Reading

'We know their schedule': Bus drivers on the first shift and their unique bond with regular passengers

LIKE FAMILY 

The normal interactions among travellers, as well as between driver and passengers, on a second vehicle are surprisingly less melancholy.  

The community spirit means bus captain Tan Kok Peng, also from Tower Transit ,  double as a timer for his regular customers. The 52-year-old even drives the primary vehicle of Service 143, starting at 5. 30am on weekends, although his voyage starts from Toa Payoh vehicle exchange instead.  

Mr Tan, who has been plying the vehicle 143 path for 16 times, said his customers are “relaxed and assured” that he will wake them up if they doze off.

“Since we’re the second vehicle, we know their normal routine. We may occasionally warn them before we even arrive at the stop. Like if they don’t come over, you know they’ve fallen asleep, ” he said in Mandarin.  

Mr Tan’s regulars try to reward him with items, especially during Chinese New Year. He acknowledges having customers request a visit to his house in Johor Bahru, Malaysia during the holiday season, but he also admits no knowing how to respond to such kindness.

A Malay aunt again emailed me for my phone number. She used to promote cake puffs and may give me two whenever she would take my van every day, he recalls.   “She would give me hongbao ( red packet ) whether it ’s on Chinese New Year or Hari Raya. This kind of relationship has lasted for more than ten times. ”

For Chinese New Year last year, Mr Tan received around S$ 900 in full from people.  

“They ask me to keep the money, but if I don’t maintain it, it ’s like I don’t value them,” he said. ” Sometimes I don’t want to take it, but they will put it into my shirt pocket. And when I tell them that they’re even old and they need the cash, they may say ‘No, this is for you’.  

“Sometimes in one hongbao, there’s S$ 100. That’s a lot ( of money ) for the elderly. ”

Continue Reading

‘Loneliness seems to hit the hardest’: The defectors who struggle with life outside North Korea

AN ACADEMY JUST FOR Dissenters

Another dissident, Ms. Nam Yeong Hwa, was hired to move an academy specifically for them because of the knowledge and experience gaps that North Koreans had.

In 2003, Ms. Nam arrived in South Korea. A century later, she established the H Nuri Education Centre to teach students to become licensed accountants, but she only started accepting North Koreans because they had trouble catching up with regular sessions.

She continued,” North Korean defectors frequently submit their resumes to various companies but never get interviews or responses because no matter how many resumes they submit, they ca n’t get interviews or responses.”

“As a result, there are n’t many defectors who are employed and working. So I thought: ‘This must be what I need to accomplish. ’ ”

Defensemen are not familiar with English and have learned the Russian language again home, according to Ms. Nam. They end up repeating the same terms repeatedly because of this.

The issues are made worse by modifications in the Korean language after years of division. They are often confused by “Konglish”  a popular use of Korean and English in the South.

Perhaps after they land a job, these issues expose defectors to scorn and loneliness.

“They generally try to leave the organization within three to six months, ” Ms Nam noted.

“People might think their speech is a bit awkward, and when they ask questions, their colleagues often look at them like: ‘ Why do n’t you even know that? ’ It makes them feel like they ca n’t fit in. ”

There is a “huge difference ” between what she imagined South Korea to be, according to Ms. Heo Jin Hwa, a student at H Nuri Education Centre who fled North Korea 12 years ago.

“ When North Koreans come here, we are adults, but we are like newborns, ” she told CNA.

“If we ca n’t communicate at all, we’ll learn everything from the beginning. Life, society, things like that. ”

Continue Reading

Gaming firm Razer ordered to pay over US$1.1 million in US for advertising Zephyr mask as N95-grade

SINGAPORE: &nbsp, Gaming technology firm Razer will have to pay more than US$ 1.1 million ( S$ 1.5 million ) to deposit customers in the United States after it misrepresented the efficiency and effectiveness of supposed N95- level face masks known as Zephyr. &nbsp,

Under the proposed settlement, it must also pay a civil penalty&nbsp, of US$ 100, 000 along with its affiliated entities involved in the development, marketing and sale of the masks, said the&nbsp, Federal Trade Commission in a news release on Monday ( Apr 29 ).

” These businesses falsely claimed, in the midst of a global ( COVID- 19 ) pandemic, that their face mask was the equivalent of an N95 certified respirator”, said Samuel Levine, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. &nbsp,

The Zephyr masks were labeled as N95-grade by the FTC, &nbsp, despite never submitting them for testing to the FDA or the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health ( NIOSH). The faces, which were launched in 2021, were likewise always certified as N95.

According to the FTC,” The complaint alleges that Razer just stopped the false advertisements after negative press coverage and customer outcry against the false claims.”

Following alert and recommendation from the FTC, the US Department of Justice filed the event.

In response to CNA’s questions on Tuesday, a Razer director said:” We disagree with the FTC’s claims and did not admit to any crime as part of the negotiation.

It was never our intent to deceive anyone, and we chose to settle this dispute to minimize the strain and disturbance of litigation and keep our efforts to produce excellent items for gamers.

At the time, the Zephyr was conceived to” offer a unique and innovative encounter- covering opportunity for the community”. &nbsp,

FTC’s statements against the firm concerned” minimal portions of some of the claims relating to the Zephyr”.

” More than two years ago, Razer actively notified buyers that the Zephyr was hardly a N95 mask, stopped profits, and refunded clients,” the spokesperson said. &nbsp,

Razer is twin- headquartered in Irvine, California, and Singapore, according to the organization on its site.

During the COVID- 19 crisis, Razer set up a production line for mouth faces, including biodegradable people, in Singapore.

But the Zephyr, according to a product evaluation on&nbsp, Singapore- based technologies website HardwareZone in 2021, was touted as” the country’s smartest mask”. &nbsp,

It had supposed N95- level filters, which were interchangeable, on each part of the respirators and below the helmet.   The enthusiasts under the respirators can be configured to rewrite at various speeds. &nbsp,

By definition, N95 respirators may filter at least 95 per cent of ambient air molecules between 0.1 and 0.3 micrometres in length, with even higher filters amounts for larger allergens. &nbsp,

Razer never sought or received NIOSH’s permission to use the term N95 in marketing and selling its goods, according to the FTC. &nbsp,

Continue Reading

Malaysia's KFC closes over 100 outlets amid boycotts linked to Gaza conflict

In Malaysia, over 100 fast food restaurants owned by Kentucky Fried Chicken ( KFC) have been “temporarily closed” as a result of a months-long economic boycott linked to the conflict in Gaza.

According to Nanyang Siau, 108 National outlets have stopped operating, according to the Chinese regular Nanyang Siau. Kelantan position was the worst- hit, with almost 80 per cent of their businesses, or up to 21 shops, affected. &nbsp,

According to the statement, based on information from Google Maps, 15 shops in Johor were also briefly shut, as well as 11 businesses each in Selangor and Kedah, 10 shops in Terengganu, 10 shops in Pahang, 9 stores in Perak, 6 stores in Negeri Sembilan, 2 stores in Perlis, 2 stores in Malacca, 5 stores in Penang, 3 stores in Kuala Lumpur, two in Sarawak and one in Sabah. &nbsp,

QSR Brands– which owns and operates KFC across Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and Cambodia&nbsp,- said that in response to tough financial conditions, it had taken strategic measures to briefly shut outlets as means to manage increasing business costs and focus on large engagement trade zones.

As part of the company’s re-optimisation efforts, employees from affected outlets were given the opportunity to relocate to busier operating locations, according to a statement released on April 29. &nbsp,

” As a company that has been serving Malaysians for over 50 years, the focus remains on providing quality products and services to customers, while contributing positively to the Malaysian economy through job security for 18, 000 team members in Malaysia, of which, approximately 85 per cent are Muslims”, they said.

However, neither the number of outlets nor the affected workers were disclosed. &nbsp,

According to the QSR website, there are over 600 KFC outlets in Malaysia, with the first outlet opening in Kuala Lumpur back in 1973. &nbsp,

Checks by CNA on three outlets within a 5km radius in Shah Alam, Selangor, found two outlets with” closed” signs while the other outlet was open but empty.

Yeah Kim Leng, an economics professor at Sunway University, claimed that the country was now experiencing more negative effects as a result of the boycotts, which started in October, and that they had had an impact on both the supply chains of these restaurants. &nbsp,

Consumers have a right to boycott products, he said, but we need to be aware that these boycotts have a greater impact on the economy than the intended goal. &nbsp,
 

Continue Reading

Why do some people sweat a lot? Does sweating help you detox? Why does it feel sticky after it's dried up?

HOW much sugar do I make each day?

It depends on your level of exercise and the environment in which you are. Usually, a good, average- small person produces 500ml of sweat every hour when performing a lower- intensity activity ( such as yoga or walking ), said Dr Kok Wai Leong, a senior consultant and dermatologist at StarMed Specialist Centre. With high-intensity exercise, which means you ca n’t say more than a few words without gasping for air, this rate can double to about 1 litre per hour.

” In runners and heavier persons, the sweat price can reach 2 gallons per hour. In a day, the full breath result can be as high as 10 gallons, especially in hot and humid parameters”, said Dr Kok. &nbsp,

WHY DO I Flush MORE THAN MY FRIENDS?

There is a number of factors, said Dr Wang Ding Yuan, a specialist with National Skin Centre. People who have a large body mass, much physical fitness, and are more accustomed to warm weather generally tend to sweat more. Age is another cause, for example, older people tend to breath less than younger people.

One may experience malignant causes that cause one to sweat unnaturally little or more than others, according to Dr. Wang. ” These can include the use of certain medications, neurological diseases, alcoholism, other systemic disorders ( thyroid problems, heart failure or lymphoma ) and rare genetic disorders”. And oftentimes, there is simply no reason for the increased sweating, he added.

CAN I SWEAT OFF Poisons?

This clear this away: Sweating’s primary objective is to cool you down, not to help you cleansing. You lose more waste through blood than sweat, while a small amount of biochemical waste, such as nitrogen and ammonia, is excreted through sweat.

For example, a drop of perspiration is about 99 per cent water with the remaining 1 per cent containing traces of ammonia, acid and other materials. Urine, on the other hand, consists of 95 per cent waters, 2.5 per cent ammonia and 2.5 per cent various waste products.

Many people believe this to be true, perhaps because, according to Dr. Wang, breath is” an excretable physical fluid” similar to blood. The widespread belief that sweating is a method of overcoming headaches and the popularity of baths and their alleged” sweating it out” benefits are likely signs of this.

Continue Reading

Multi-currency e-wallets can do more in fraud prevention and customer support, experts say

SINGAPORE: Multi- money electronic- wallets have grown in popularity by touting ease and cost savings, but they can even do more to tackle concerns about fraud prevention and resolution, experts said.

A multi- money e-wallet allows users to change and hold various currencies on a mobile game, as its title suggests.

In the write-up- epidemic travel bubble, the likes of YouTrip, Revolut and Wise have seen more users, mainly due to their aggressive exchange rates compared with conventional banks or moneychangers. They are also cheaper to use than record accounts, with lower or zero fees for international purchases.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore ( MAS ) revised its cap on e-wallet purchases late last year, giving these e-wallets a boost.

Under the revised rules that took effect on Dec 15, users can hold up to S$ 20, 000 ( US$ 14, 700 ) in their e- wallets, up from S$ 5, 000. The annual saving reduce also went up from S$ 30, 000 to S$ 100, 000.

The primary travel budget to increase the user restrictions in accordance with the new regulations was YouTrip. In order to meet the authorities ‘ expectations regarding mitigating fraud threats, it also implemented new security measures, such as a “kill change” for users to defrost their account.

Different people have said they will follow suit.

However, authorities told CNA that despite having their own security measures and procedures for customer support in the event of scams, multi-currency e-wallets may still be less secure and effective than traditional financial institutions, which are subject to stricter requirements.

Aurobindo Ghosh, an associate professor of finance at Singapore Management University, said banks usually have huge teams monitoring user data and patterns to identify deceptive transactions in real time. These abilities are also being enhanced by advances in technology like artificial knowledge.

However, he claimed that these costs are” costly,” and that banks will have to pass some expenses on as fees to cardholders in order to maintain the features and safety that are offered.

On the other hand, multi- money cards mainly “act more like online wallets and bank facilities”. They typically operate with less workforce and are typically less regulated, according to experts, making them less expensive to run.

Asst. Prof. Ghosh explained that whenever we are choosing a multi-currency digital wallet, we sacrifice some of the increased security features for the less expensive option.

Continue Reading