Category: Uncategorized

KUALA LUMPUR, March 14 (Bernama) — SME Bank is extending financial assistance to flood-affected customers in several cities in Malaysia, as listed in the disaster area according to the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA).

SME Bank Group President / Chief Executive Officer, Datuk Wira (Dr.) Aria Putera Ismail said: “We understand the plight of the businesses affected by the current flooding situation. We are ready to offer financial assistance to our customers and will also consider utilising the Disaster Relief Facility by Bank Negara Malaysia, which offers maximum financing amount of RM700,000.00 for SMEs and RM150,000.00 for micro enterprises with financing period up to 7 years at a rate of 3.5% per annum, including guarantee fee.”

Datuk Wira Aria added, “SME Bank has been reaching out to our customers since the pandemic and flooding incidents in the previous year. This was done through SME Recovery Plus, a special targeted assistance for MSMEs in the tourism, passenger transport, and education sectors. 250 customers with a total outstanding value of RM938.79 million have benefited from this assistance.”

This initiative is driven by the aspiration of the Minister of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development (MECD), YB Datuk Ewon Benedick, to ensure that all MECD agencies will extend their support to MSMEs to support business continuity, especially during this calamity. This concerted effort will allow MSMEs to continue to flourish and produce spillover effects on the socio-economic development of Malaysians, which aligns with MECD’s 2023 Strategic Plan to be Progressive, Transformative and Responsive. 

SME Bank urges all of its customers who require assistance due to the flood to come forward and contact their respective Relationship Managers as soon as possible. For more information, other entrepreneurs who are also affected by the flood disaster can call the Bank’s Customer Contact Center at 03-26037700 or visit the Bank’s official website http://www.smebank.com.my and social media for more information.

Link for SME Bank photo : https://bit.ly/41LeOqx
Note: SME Recovery Plus is not to be translated in to Bahasa Melayu 

About SME Bank

SME Bank, established in 2005 is an agency under the supervision of the Ministry of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development (MECD). We aspire to be the leader in Development of Financial Institutions (DFIs) by providing the best services that go beyond the concept of financing to the SME sector.

In line with the National Entrepreneurship Policy (DKN) 2030, SME Bank aims to contribute to the country’s economic growth through high-impact initiatives such as the adoption of digital technology and the Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0). For more information, please visit www.smebank.com.my. 

Issued by:
SME Bank Group Strategic Communication 

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=45642

SAN DIEGO, March 10 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) — Crown Bioscience, a global contract research organization (CRO) and JSR Life Sciences company, today announced the opening of a new site in Singapore to expand the company’s capacity to support both global and local biotech and pharma companies engaged in preclinical and translational oncology drug discovery and development.

The new facility will initially offer a broad portfolio of high-demand cell line-derived xenograft (CDX) and syngeneic models, alongside supporting analytical biomarker capabilities including flow cytometry and pathology services. The Company is also collaborating with the established biomedical community in Singapore to bring not only the foundational capabilities of Crown Bioscience’s preclinical services to Singapore but also novel technologies and services.

To support the growth goals for the Singapore site, and with a particular focus on the burgeoning local biotech industry, Crown Bioscience is pleased to announce it has entered into a distribution agreement with Biosys Corporation Pte Ltd., a specialized commercial partner with unique contacts within the Singaporean life sciences ecosystem.

Commenting on the opening of the new laboratory, Keefe Chng, PhD, executive director, and general manager of the Singapore facility, commented; “We are extremely excited to join the local biomedical community. Our core capabilities and experience will help the booming local biotech industry advance their preclinical and translational studies, while at the same time enable Crown Bioscience to bring unique high-end technologies to our global partners.”

Mr Ivan Fu, Director of Biosys Corporation,added: “We believe that Crown Bioscience’s new facility in Singapore will inject a new standard for quality and innovation in the local preclinical market. As a distributor of Crown Bioscience in Singapore, our aim is to accelerate our customers research to improve the future of cancer treatment.”

The investment in Singapore reflects a broader strategy to increase Crown Bioscience’s ability to support APAC-based clients with a local presence. In 2022 the Company announced a joint venture launch with sister company MBL in Japan, alongside facility expansions and upgrades to the Company’s Chinese presence. These investments coincide with the fast-growing biotechnology sector across the region, while recognizing the importance of local understanding and language in support of the company’s client base.

To mark the official site opening, a ribbon cutting event was held in February with executives from Crown Bioscience and Biosys Corporation in attendance.

###

About Crown Bioscience

Crown Bioscience, a JSR Life Sciences company, is a global CRO that provides preclinical and translational platforms to help our customers advance their R&D in oncology, immuno-oncology, and immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. Crown Bioscience is the exclusive preclinical CRO to offer tumor organoid services with the well-established Hubrecht Organoid Technology. We have developed the largest commercially available PDX collection. We focus on helping our customers develop novel therapies to maximize the chances that patients receive the right treatment at the right time. Founded in 2006, Crown Bioscience has 12 facilities across the United States, Europe, and Asia.

For more information or to get in touch, please visit www.crownbio.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: 
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230309005059/en/

Contact

Media Inquiries:
Crown Bioscience
Louise Stenson
pr@crownbio.com

Source : Crown Bioscience

GUIYANG, China, March 10, 2023 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/–

News from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Guizhou Province reveals that a Rapeseed Flower Festival will be held from 11 to 13 March in the northeastern city of Tongren, Guizhou Province, southwest China.

Spring is in full bloom everywhere. And farmers in Guizhou Province are not only turning rapeseed into edible oil, but also into paint. In Bijiang District, Tongren City, and Pingba District, Anshun City, farmers have painted the most enthusiastic look of spring with blossoming rapeseed flowers.

They even hold a rapeseed flower festival to celebrate spring. Who doesn’t love festivals in spring? Especially spring is a beautiful and intoxicated season.

People can shuttle through the sea of flowers to find the hidden ancient peoples, visit the unique villages scattered like stars among the flowers, chat with the locals, taste local food and tea, and try barbecue camping and farming practices. These experiences will offer people a different life and a different view.

Guizhou is home to world natural heritage sites of Fanjing Mountain and Huangguoshu Waterfall. Although they are far away in southwest China, they are linked with the rest of the world through high-rise bridges. Despite its geographical remoteness, Guizhou is actually an easily accessible region. To those who are just starting a journey to find the mysterious Garden of Eden in eastern China, the rapeseed flowers of Guizhou are a must.

Source: Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Guizhou Province

Image Attachments Links:

Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=438813

Caption: (Top) The sea of rapeseed flowers in Wawu Township, Bijiang District, Tongren City, Guizhou Province, southwest China; (L) The Sea of rapeseed flowers in Pingba District, Anshun City, Guizhou Province, southwest China; (R) The Sea of rapeseed flowers in Wawu Township, Bijiang District, Tongren City, Guizhou Province, southwest China.

–BERNAMA

FUZHOU, China, March 9, 2023 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/–

Recently, the promotional video of Fuzhou of Fujian Province, titled “Discover Fuzhou — Nighttime Economy”, was released through overseas social media accounts including “Paris Oriental Center”, “Discover Fujian” and “Discover Fuzhou”. In the dynamic and cheerful melody, the sleepless city of Fuzhou is swathed in brilliant and colorful lights and once again attracts the world’s attention, according to the Publicity Department of the CPC Fuzhou Municipal Committee.   “Fuzhou at night is like the reflection of the Milky Way in the sky”. In the video, the new landmark projects of Fuzhou, the key sections of the “Two Rivers and Four Riverbanks” landscape belt — The Heart of Min River, Three Lanes and Seven Alleys Historical and Cultural District, Shangxiahang Historical and Cultural District, Minyue Water Town and other scenic spots look radiant and gorgeous during the night. Cultural offerings abound in these areas, such as night markets, concerts, theatrical performances, street performances, etc. The thousand-year-old city of Fuzhou is still bustling with huge crowds of people even when dusk falls, glowing with new vitality, new colors and new fashions.   Over the years, Fuzhou City has rolled out a range of supportive policies and measures to encourage innovative growth of its nighttime economy and created post-dusk economic blocks by integrating cultural tourism experience and building commercial facilities to light up the brand of “Sleepless Fuzhou, Happy City”.   Source: The Publicity Department of the CPC Fuzhou Municipal Committee

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=45610

KUALA LUMPUR, March 7 (Bernama) — All eyes are on Hong Kong this month as the city welcomes back visitors by hosting its largest line-up of mega events in recent times while also ending the last of its pandemic-era restrictions.

Beginning with the sold-out return of arts and music festival Clockenflap in March 3-5, Hong Kong welcomed visitors from near and far to join a stand-out showcase of world-class arts, culture and sporting events that will return in full force.

The 2023 edition saw over 100 international and local acts performing over multiple stages with festival-goers from all around the world gathered to experience this long-awaited weekend with music under the light breeze and stunning view on Victoria Harbour.

According to the Hong Kong Tourism Board in a statement, the spotlight of the art world will once again be on Hong Kong this March, thanks to its suite of world-class events, including the biggest edition of Art Basel Hong Kong (March 21-25) since 2019.

This year, the global art fair will welcome more than 170 of the world’s leading galleries from over 30 countries and territories over its five-day run at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and will return with each of the special sectors, making it a must-attend event for the international art community.

Taking place concurrently will be Art Central (March 22-25), Hong Kong’s homegrown art fair that has established itself as one of the region’s most significant platforms for emerging artists.

As one of Asia’s most popular annual sporting events, Hong Kong Sevens returns in full force from March 31 to April 2 and this year’s iteration will be held without stadium social distancing caps or food and beverage constraints as well as a full complement of tickets, promising its signature combination of non-stop rugby and an electric, festival-like atmosphere.

Visitors will be able to take advantage of all the city has to offer and Hong Kong is set to return to its electrifying best, and is ready to welcome back international travellers seeking world-class experiences with a diverse suite of events taking place throughout March.

— BERNAMA