Author: jezzabellemente

PUTRAJAYA, Dec 2 (Bernama) — Judges of the Maybank Foundation – Perdana Leadership Foundation ‘Empowering Youth for a Better ASEAN’ Writing and Photo Contest 2020 are in for a tough time as the contest, themed “Climate Action”, attracted over 7,000 written and photographic submissions from young Malaysians as of its closing date of 30 November 2020.

Open to all Malaysians between the age of 13 and 23, the contest invited works of short fiction, essays, as well as photographs. Written entries range from dystopian sci-fi to serious reflections on environmental issues, while Instagram entries with the theme “Save the Environment” depict images that ranged from lush landscapes in need of protection to endangered wildlife. This year’s contest judges include fiction authors Tunku Halim, Hanna Alkaf, Arman Jazee, and Tina Isaacs, non-fiction authors Khairul Abdullah, Lydia Teh, Alexandra Wong, and Johan Irwan, professional photographers Che Ahmad Azhar, Trisha Toh, and Mahen Bala, academics Dr Salinah Ja’afar and Dr Hasmidar, teacher Cikgu Hailmi, as well as TV talk show host Terrence Dass. With the many creative entries submitted by our young leaders, they now face the daunting task of determining the contest winners!

Tan Sri Nik Mohamed Nik Yaacob, Executive Director, Perdana Leadership Foundation, said, “Given the challenges of Covid-19 and multiple movement restrictions, we are delighted by the response of the contest, especially from secondary school students. Through this contest, we hope to encourage critical thinking on the very pressing issue of the environment, as well as emphasise the continued importance of communication skills to good leadership. We thank all entrants for their submission and thank also the parents, teachers, and lecturers who encouraged their students to take part.”

With more than RM150,000 in cash and prizes such as iPads and e-book readers up for grabs, the contest offers Malaysian youth the chance to articulate their visions of the future whether through stories, essays, or photos. This is the third Perdana Leadership Foundation and Maybank Foundation collaboration and the second time that we are inviting fiction and photo submissions, making it one of the few contests for young fiction writers and photographers in Malaysia.

“Despite the many challenges we have faced this year, we are pleased that many young Malaysians were able to express their ideas concerning the issue of climate change which will impact the future of our planet. Maybank Foundation is a strong supporter of initiatives that encourage creativity and empowerment of the youth. We believe that this writing and photo contest will inspire our young leaders to contribute and be a part of the change-makers for a better nation. We look forward to meeting the winners soon!” said Encik Shahril Azuar Jimin, the CEO of Maybank Foundation.

The contest ran from April to November 2020. Throughout the contest period, numerous articles and videos were produced as part of its initiatives in raising awareness on the Climate Action as well as guiding young participants on the principles of good writing and photography via various digital platforms.

The results of the contest will be announced in February 2021 and a prize giving ceremony will be organized in March. For more information, visit

www.empoweringaseanyouth.com.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=38842

BURTON-UPON-TRENT, England, Dec 2 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) — Clinigen Group plc (AIM: CLIN, ‘Clinigen’), the global pharmaceutical and services company, has launched its Malaysian business with an office in Kuala Lumpur. The new office is part of Clinigen’s strategy to expand its footprint in Southeast Asia, an important market for the Group.

The Group’s strategy in Malaysia is to become the vendor of choice for the sourcing and supply of medicines to its customers, providing additional infrastructure to support its mission to deliver the right medicine to the right patient and the right time.

The immediate aim is to expand access to unlicensed medicines by extending the reach of the Group’s Unlicensed Medicines exclusive supply agreements and on-demand service, as well as offering Clinigen’s Clinical Services to its customers.

Longer term, Clinigen’s presence will increase its capability in the supply and distribution of products from the Group’s portfolio of licensed medicines and makes Clinigen a more attractive partner for pharma companies looking to commercialise their products outside of their home geographies, using Clinigen’s regulatory expertise.

Clinigen employs over 1,150 people globally, across 14 international locations. The opening of the Malaysian office further expands its international supply chain and operational network.

Shaun Chilton, Group Chief Executive Officer, Clinigen, said:

“We continue to build on our market leading positions in the supply and distribution of unlicensed medicines in key geographies, which will drive sustained organic growth and helps address unmet patient needs for access to critical medicines.

“Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are increasingly looking for specialist partners to work with them in Asia. The opening of our Malaysian office provides Clinigen with greater opportunities to offer our customers at both a global and local level.”

– Ends –

Notes to Editors

About Clinigen Group

Clinigen Group plc (AIM: CLIN) is a global pharmaceutical and services company with a unique combination of businesses focused on providing ethical access to medicines. Its mission is to deliver the right medicine to the right patient at the right time through three areas of global medicine supply; clinical trial, unlicensed and licensed medicines. The Group has sites in North America, Europe, Africa and the Asia Pacific.

Clinigen now has over 1,150 employees across five continents in 14 countries, with supply and distribution hubs and operational centres of excellence in key long-term growth regions. The Group works with 21 of the top 25 pharmaceutical companies; interacting with over 18,000 registered users across over 115 countries, shipping approximately 6.5 million units in the year.

For more information on Clinigen, please visit www.clinigengroup.com

View source version on businesswire.com: 
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201201006170/en/

Contact

Clinigen Group plc
+44 (0) 1283 495010
Shaun Chilton, Group Chief Executive Officer
Nick Keher, Group Chief Financial Officer

Instinctif Partners
+44 (0) 20 7457 2020
Melanie Toyne-Sewell / Phillip Marriage / Nathan Billis
clinigen@instinctif.com

Source : Clinigen Group plc

–BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 (Bernama) — Manulife Malaysia has been awarded the 2020 Sustainability and CSR Malaysia Award. This is the second time for Manulife to win this award following its 2018 recognition.

The Company’s flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme held in 2019 was the Orang Asli Education Programme that supported the educational needs of 133 Orang Asli children from five villages: Kg. Sg. Ruai, Kg. Ulu Ruai, Kg. Sg. Kelang, Kg. Satak and Kg. Bertang. The financial support provided by Manulife enabled transportation arrangements to be made for the Orang Asli children to attend school as well as participate in after-school learning activities.

In receiving the award, Manulife Insurance Berhad’s (MIB) Chief Marketing Officer, Jason Lim Yeong Tah said, “Winning this award solidifies the Company’s CSR culture of giving back to the community in which we operate. We have a strong values-driven culture, whereby one of our Values, “Share Your Humanity”, emphasises that our business is conducted in a manner that is socially and environmentally accountable to our stakeholders by practicing responsible ethics. This forms part of our commitment as an active and caring corporate citizen in Malaysia that focuses on helping people lead every day better and more financially secure lives.”

According to Datuk R. Rajendran, CSR Malaysia Chairman, “More often than not, the focus on recognition for sustainability and CSR excellence has not been sufficient. It must be remembered that private sector companies are the driving force of the nation’s economy and they are well placed to carry out meaningful and significant CSR activities.”

The annual Sustainability and CSR Malaysia Awards is a joint project by CSR Malaysia publication and Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility Malaysia Welfare Society. The Award recognises corporations that have excelled in corporate sustainability and social responsibility that boosts socio-economic transformation in the country. Among the judging criteria for the Sustainability and CSR Malaysia Awards are clear purpose and goals of the company for the CSR initiative, the impact created, and the frequency of CSR events held.

Lee Seng Chee, the Managing Editor and Co-Chairman of CSR Malaysia said, “Corporate Malaysia’s aspirations should always go beyond mere profits or building world class buildings or infrastructures.” He added, “Corporations and organizations will need to promote sustainable economies by helping marginalised communities and making environmental efforts to preserve our heritage for future generations.”

About Manulife https://www.manulife.com.my/en/individual/about-us/about-manulife-malaysia.html

SOURCE: Manulife Insurance Berhad

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Name: Asha Devi
Manager, Brand & Communications
Manulife Insurance Berhad
Tel: (603) 2719 9294
Email: asha_devi@manulife.com

–BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 (Bernama) — CEOs from FINCO’s Board of Directors recently took on the role of virtual volunteers in primary and secondary schools across Malaysia. To kick start its CEO Volunteering Month, the Financial Industry Collective Outreach (FINCO), a collaboration between all financial institutions in Malaysia with the guidance of Bank Negara Malaysia, invited  members of its’ Board to lead talks and activities which aimed to inspire primary and secondary school students to strive to achieve their full potential in life.

Financial industry volunteers are a core element of FINCO’s flagship FINCO Reads and FINCO Mentor programmes and, despite restrictions on in-person volunteering in schools, FINCO’s first CEO Volunteering Month went ahead as planned with over 120 students dialling in to ask questions and get advice from seasoned leaders from Maybank, Standard Chartered Bank, Prudential Assurance, AIG Insurance, RHB Islamic Bank and Maybank Investment Bank.

Mr. Antony Lee, CEO of AIG Malaysia Insurance joined a FINCO Mentor Life Aspiration Workshop where students from SMK Sg. Paoh, Sarawak were eager to ask questions and gain insights into what it takes to achieve personal and professional success. Mr. Lee advised students, “Be open to change. The world is full of opportunities. Sometimes you need to take a step backwards to move 2 steps forwards.” Whereas students dialling in from Kelantan, Sabah and Selangor posed more personal questions to Mr. Abrar Anwar, CEO of Standard Chartered Bank, asking him, “How do you handle people who look down on you?”

Tan Sri Azman Hashim, Chairman of FINCO’s Board of Directors said, “The financial industry shares a similar belief that education is crucial to enhancing the lives and livelihoods of youths from B40 communities. Over the past three years, financial institutions have encouraged hundreds of staff members to volunteer for FINCO programmes in schools across the country.  I’m pleased that our Board members were able to connect with students and provide advice and the encouragement to be resilient and persevere with their studies, particularly during these long school closures”. 

Since FINCO’s Life Aspiration Workshops are designed to encourage students to explore their personal values and life and career goals, each FINCO Mentor CEO volunteering session was very much driven by students’ own questions and interests. Key takeaways from sessions with Mr. Gan Leong Hin, CEO of Prudential Assurance and Dato’ Adissadikin Ali, CEO of RHB Islamic Bank, varied from, ‘have self-confidence’, ‘have self-discipline’ to ‘follow your passion and be happy’.

15-year-old Nabil from SMK Sungai Ara, Penang reflected on a session with Datuk Abdul Farid Alias, Group CEO of Maybank, “I did not know that he was from a small town and not from a big city. It means it is possible for me to be successful too”.

Volunteering for FINCO Reads, an English proficiency initiative, Encik Fad’l Mohamed, CEO of Maybank Investment Bank, led a Show and Tell on favourite books. Sharing his personal takeaways from his favourite book, A Driver’s Son by Tan Sri Abdul Kadir, students were encouraged to be disciplined and never give up.

After joining the session Haleisya from SK Sungai Danga, Johor told us, “I felt so nervous in the beginning but now that it is over, I can’t believe that I spoke to a CEO and learnt so much!”

About the Financial Industry Collective Outreach

The Financial Industry Collective Outreach (FINCO) is a collaborative initiative pioneered by all financial institutions (FIs) in Malaysia with the guidance of Bank Negara Malaysia to provide underprivileged children and youth with the guidance and educational tools they need to achieve their life goals.

FINCO seeks to achieve these objectives through the collective development of flagship programmes in English Proficiency and Life Aspiration, as well as coordinated efforts on Financial Literacy and Disaster Relief and shared programmes supported by individual financial institutions.

FINCO Website: www.finco.my
Instagram:finco_my

SOURCE: AmBank Group

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Name: Ms. Clare Walker
Chief Executive Officer, FINCO
Tel:  012 232 5831
Email: clare.walker@finco.my

Name: Ms. Tham Yin Yee
Programme Director, FINCO
Tel: 017 205 6183
Email: yinyee@finco.my

–BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 — The 2020 Dongguan Citizen Photography Week themed ‘City – Quality’ held by the Information Office of Dongguan Municipality, has kicked off in Dongguan, China.

Friedrich Engels’ Hometown Wuppertal Photo Exhibition marks one of the activities, according to a statement.

The Exhibition works as a ‘window’ for Dongguan citizens to learn about the sister city of Wuppertal and show the friendship, and a way to commemorate 200 years of the great philosopher Engels’ birth.

It is also a great way to further strengthen exchanges and promote mutual understanding between the two cities.

In 2015, Dongguan and Wuppertal became sister cities and they have carried out exchanges and cooperation in various fields including economy, culture, science and technology.

Against the backdrop of the sudden onslaught of COVID-19 this year, the Exhibition surpasses space to strengthen cultural exchanges between China and Germany.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of China-EU diplomatic relations and the 200th anniversary of Engels’ birth. Wuppertal, his hometown, has designated this year as the Year of Engels.

Meanwhile, Dongguan, together with its sister city Wuppertal, hold the Exhibition, in ways to strengthen civilisation exchanges in a more open and inclusive manner, inspiring people in terms of the fight against COVID-19 and economic recovery.

In this year’s event, Dongguan also launched its brand new bilingual city album ‘Quality Dongguan’, which will be released and sold nationwide, in order to make readers at home and abroad know more about Dongguan.

— BERNAMA