PETALING JAYA: Many consumers are taking steps to manage their electricity bills with the implementation of the new tariff structure by the government. For example, many homeowners are considering having solar photovoltaic (PV) systems installed on their roofs, while others are looking at the “Time of Use” scheme, which offers lower rates during off-peak hours, now defined as starting from 10pm to 2pm on weekdays, and the entire day on weekends. Under the new tariff announced by the Energy Commission, domestic consumers using less than 1,000kWh (kilowatt-hours) per month will also continue to enjoy subsidies, effective yesterday. In Johor Baru, sales operations executive Ereena Karen Lim Abdullah, 47, and her husband are thinking about rooftop PV. “My husband and I are thinking of installing solar panels, but we are unsure whether it is possible to do so at our apartment,” she said, adding that she would raise the matter with the building management soon. “I used to pay around RM100 for electricity monthly but it had crept up to RM150 even though it is just me and my husband living in our apartment without much changes to our routine.” Events planning manager Evelyn Lee, 34, said she was hoping to apply for the newly expanded Time of Use (ToU) tariff as soon as possible since it matches her lifestyle. “My husband and I are seldom at home during the day, so it’s perfect for us since we are typically home only by 10pm. “We also like to spend our weekends at home together, just relaxing with our dogs with the air conditioning on, so it makes sense,” said Lee, who lives in Puchong. In Seremban, Tong Sim Old Folks Home secretary Jessie Chan said they had already been cutting back usage before the new tariffs. “The 18 elderly and special needs folks at the centre have been told to cut down (on their use), resulting in our monthly bill going down slightly from the over RM400 previously,” she said. Ramesh Patel, who runs the Vivekananda Home in Rembau, has also told the children under his care to start conserving. “We went from switching on four lights throughout the night previously, to only one now to further reduce the monthly bill which totals about RM800.” Retiree N. Manimaran from Perak said he would start consolidating his chores. “We now do the laundry only once every two days, while clothes are ironed once per week. I’m also cutting down the hours the air conditioner is on from six to four,” said the 67-year-old. Father-of-four Wan Fahmi Ahmad said getting his household to change their habits would be difficult as they do not know how the new tariff structure would affect their bill. “We are used to using around 1,500kWh to 2,000kWh, and paying over RM1,000 every month, so convincing them will be hard, especially if our bill increases only by a small amount,” the 51-year old pilot said. Wan Fahmi, who lives in Putrajaya, added that he would consider the ToU scheme […]
2 d ago
SEOUL : South Korea’s cosmetics exports have climbed to second place globally, surpassing those of the United States for the first time this year and now trailing industry powerhouse France, data showed Monday. According to the Korea International Trade Association, Korea exported RM15.14 billion ($3.61 billion) worth of cosmetics from January to April, narrowly edging out the United States’ RM14.97 billion ($3.57 billion). This marks Korea’s first time overtaking the US in beauty exports, after its exports in the January–March period, which totaled RM10.82 billion ($2.58 billion), had lagged behind America’s RM11.40 billion ($2.72 billion). Korea’s cosmetics exports have been rising at a blistering pace. Last year, Korea’s cosmetics exports totaled RM43.19 billion ($10.3 billion), outpacing Germany’s RM38.07 billion ($9.08 billion) to become the world’s third-largest exporter, behind France and the US. While France and the US recorded growth of 6.3 percent and 1.1 percent, respectively, Korea’s exports surged by 20.3 percent. This upward momentum has carried into this year, with monthly exports climbing from RM3.15 billion ($750.8 million) in January to RM3.71billion ($885.9 million) in February, RM3.941 billion ($939.9 million) in March and RM4.32 billion ($1.03 billion) in April. The ongoing rise of K-beauty is set to push further into emerging markets in Europe and the Middle East, including Poland, Ireland, Belgium and the United Arab Emirates. According to data from the KITA, exports to Poland from January to May surged 121 percent to RM468.78 million ($111.8 million), up from RM211.33 million ($50.4 million) a year earlier, while exports to the UAE rose 74 percent to RM416.36 million ($99.3 million) from RM239 million) $57 million over the same period.
3 d ago
IPOH: Born in Vietnam and only learning Chinese and Malay after moving to Malaysia 10-year-old, Nguyen Tran Thao An, now known as Ng Zi Qing, has overcome language and cultural challenges to score a CGPA of 3.67 in the Malaysian Higher School Certificate (STPM). Zi Qing, 19, a student from SMK Jalan Tasek in Ipoh, left her familiar hometown in Vietnam at age 10 to start a new life in Malaysia with her parents, enrolling in SJK(C) Bercham. Prior to that, she only spoke Vietnamese and started learning Chinese and Malay when she moved back with her Malaysian father and Vietnamese mother. Learning was difficult for her, apart from coping with a different culture. She started with kindergarten before going to SJK(C) Berchan, Ipoh to pick up the basic language. “I’m very grateful to my year 6 class teacher. She knew I was struggling and patiently taught me how to write strokes, pronounce words, and construct sentences. My Chinese improved significantly thanks to her,” said Zi Qing. After two years of hard work, she managed to pass all language subjects in UPSR (Primary school achievement test), enabling her to move on to secondary school. In secondary school, she found the school environment enriching and motivating where she had to cope with three languages – Malay, English and Chinese. With the support of her teachers and tuition instructors, her language skills steadily improved, and she eventually scored 2 As in SPM (Malaysian Certificate of Education). Zi QIng found Malay language was easier to learn which sparked her interest in the language where she scored a B+ in her STPM. At form six, she chose to focus on self-study and school lessons without attending extra tuition, making full use of every class. Under the dedicated guidance of her teachers, she achieved excellent STPM results: 2 As and 2 B+. But her excellent STPM result may not be the pathway for her to attend public university due to her stateless status of not having an identity card. Zi Qing plans to study information technology, but she can only apply to private universities, which will be a hefty financial burden for her parents who are hawkers. She had applied for citizenship but was rejected. Zi Qing is still looking forward to be a Malaysian in future, where she will be able to apply for student loan from Higher Education Loan Fund Corporation to lower her parents’ financial burden.
3 d ago
Age is not a barrier when it comes to learning artificial intelligence (AI). A total of 230 participants aged between 40 and 87 attended the “Have fun learning AI” workshop at the Perak Hainan Association on Sunday. Five of the participants are over 80-year-old and 36 of them exceed 70-year-old where they spent two hours to learn how to use AI tools – ChatGPT and Deepseek to look for information from checking out delicious dim sum outlets to tracing the contact numbers of restaurants in Ipoh. Organised by Sin Chew Daily and Perak Hainan Association for the first time, Lim Zi Chung, who teaches AI at Nan Hwa High School in Ayer Tawar, Manjung, taught the participants from basics of AI to identify fake news and photos created by AI. The participants also learned about cyber security and how to detect online scams. The workshop, which cost RM10 per person, was targeting at 200 participants but received overwhelming response with 230 turning up. The oldest participant, an 87-old businessman in the construction industry said he did not want to give up learning opportunities. Foo Kok Kin, 83, owner of Kok Kin Photographic & Colour Lab Sdn Bhd, came with his daughter to attend the workshop. “I want to know photography techniques using AI, the pros and cons of the photography equipment,’’ he said.
4 d ago
PETALING JAYA: Apple Vacations founder Lee Ee Hoe, also known as Leesan, describes Chua Lam as the beacon in his life. Both share many common views in life. Lee was introduced to Chua Lam by a colleague at Chua’s 70th birthday in Kuala Lumpur on Aug 18, 2011. Chua Lam arrived at Kuala Lumpur to promote a brand on his birthday where he had a grand dinner that night. “ I was one of the guests at his birthday dinner, “ Lee said. They later became friends and partners in six exclusive tours for close to 10 years. Having Chua Lam as the beacon in his life meant he was cruising smoothly, said Lee. Lee spoke to Sin Chew Daily that Chua Lam was invited to write a calligraphy at the launch of his first book in Hong Kong on July 17, 2015. Chua Lam came as a special guest and shared funny discoveries in travelling, prompting the audience to laugh and clap non-stop. The duo ended up joining hands in organising six tours together. The first was taking Malaysian travellers to Hokkaido in Japan – savour typical local food and experience hot spring – reflective and thought- provoking tours to enjoy the slow pace in life. “The tour members are surprised to have Chua Lam in the tour,” Lee said. Some of them continued in subsequent tours and described the opportunity to travel with Chua Lam as a blessing. During the fourth tour, Chua Lam arranged for a visit of an old restaurant in Japan that he used to frequent for tour members to experience Omotenashi, a philosophy of sincere care and attention to details practiced by the Japanese. In Taiwan, Chua Lam took the group from Taipei to Taichung, Tainan, and even tasting snacks at roadside stalls. The gourmet tour showcased the variety of Taiwan cuisines and hospitality of Taiwan, where he had lived in Taiwan when he was a film producer in the entertainment industry. The Lee San and Chua Lam tour started on Dec 14, 2013 and ended on the sixth tour in Hong Kong on Dec 10, last year. “Chua Lam is serious at work but he know how to enjoy life and he knows what is life. “We used to explore how to have a better interpretation of tour. He also asked what constitutes comfort food and how to have a relaxed yet reflective tour. “In fact, answers are not necessary. One discovers and feels for himself during the tour, “ said Lee. Chua Lam, a food critic and a writer, passed away in Hong Kong on June 25 where his aide announced the death on social media two days later after he was cremated.
5 d ago
Hong Kong : Chua Lam, renowned food critic and a prolific writer, popularly known as Chai Lan, has passed away on June 25. Surrounded by family and friends, the famous cultural icon in the Chinese-speaking world passed away peacefully at Hong Kong Sanaterium & Hospital. He was 83. The death was announced by his assistant Yang Ao on Weibo on Friday. “No ceremonies and his body has been cremated as he wishes to avoid disturbing others. We would like to thank everyone for their care and concern for Chua,’’ Yang wrote. Chua Lam, born in Singapore and lived in Hong Kong, was named as one of the four greatest talents of Hong Kong with Cantopop lyricist James Wong Jim, and novelists Jin Yong(Louis Cha) and Ni Kuang. Wong passed away in 2004, Jin Yong in 2018 and Ni Kuang in 2022. Chai Lan published over 200 books, known for his deep knowledge, love, and commentary on food. He hosted numerous culinary programmes and was widely regarded as a prominent food critic in Hong Kong. Two years ago, Chua Lam had an accidental fall which fractured his hip, requiring surgery and resulting in him needing a wheelchair after being discharged. In late April this year, there were rumours that his health had deteriorated, and he had been hospitalised, with some reports claiming he was critically ill and had been admitted to the ICU. At the time, his assistant clarified on Facebook that while Chua Lam had some minor health issues, they were not serious and he was recovering. Chua Lam himself also reassured fans on Facebook: “Thank you all for your concern. I’m not critically ill, so there’s no need to worry. Just smile.” Chua also served as the chief consultant for the popular documentary “A Bite of China” and was the honorary chairman of the World Chinese Healthy Eating Association. Aside from being a gourmet, he was also a well-known figure in the Hong Kong film industry, having worked for major studios like Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest as a film producer, with many friends in the entertainment circle. Restaurants are fond of displaying a photo of him in the restaurant as a famous food critic. He visited Malaysia many times where he tasted local cuisines and attended events related to publication, cultural activities and others. A durian lover, he held a calligraphy exhibition in Sin Chew Daily, the first time in Malaysia, in September 2023. Chua Lam was in wheel chair due to a fall earlier when he was in Kuala Lumpur to launch the three-day exhibition showcasing 100 pieces of his calligraphy. At the launch of the exhibition in Sin Chew Daily, he was asked what would he tell Ni Kuang and Wong if they were to meet. Chua Lum was quick to give a witty response in Cantonese : ” You mean if they are back alive? Starting his reply with a curse, he said : ” Dear buddies, why did you leave so early? l have […]
7 d ago
PETALING JAYA: Parti Hati Rakyat, a new national party, will be launched on Friday. Frederick Ng, the secretary of Parti Hati Rakyat, confirms that a press conference will be held to announce the launch of the new party on Friday. Ng, former president of Direct Selling Association of Malaysia, said it is a multi-racial party where the central committee is made up of Chinese, Malays and Indians . “The 13 central committee members are new in politics and they are without political background,’’ he said. Ng and veteran lawyer Chan Tse Yuen are good friends who have decided to form a new political party where Chan will be the founding chairman of Parti Hati Rakyat. Chan joined MCA in 1979 and he was a former deputy chief of MCA youth from 1990 to 1993. Chan was a Barisan Nasional candidate under the MCA ticket in 1986 and 1990 elections. In a party election in 2005, he lost to Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy contesting deputy presidency of MCA. Since then, Chan did not contest in party election and announced leaving MCA on June 19.
1 w ago
While helping to write one of the articles in the “A confusing path to higher education” series, I interviewed several friends from my hometown. We had sat for the Malaysian Certificate of Education (SPM) in the same classroom, but after Form Five, we made different choices and took diverging paths in life. Some were successfully admitted into matriculation programs, taking the fast track to public universities through government-sponsored pathways. Some remained in local schools to complete STPM, enduring two more years of hard study for a shot at university admission. Others opted to self-fund their foundation courses or A-Levels, each exploring different routes to a future they envisioned. In every conversation, we would inevitably ask ourselves: “What if we hadn’t made that choice back then—would life have turned out differently?” I believe that if we could simply turn back time, we might still make the same decisions. But if we could return to that pivotal moment knowing how the system truly works, the answers might not be the same. Following the publication of “A Confusing path to higher education”, the series sparked widespread attention and debate. Deputy Minister of Education Wong Kah Woh publicly criticized the article for citing “inaccurate data,” suggesting it could undermine the government’s credibility and erode voter trust. It’s true that the data used in our reporting did not come from official sources. Instead, it was compiled by a volunteer group that has long monitored the admission trends of public universities. While their data may not be perfect, it helps fill a glaring gap left by the lack of official transparency. The article made it clear that while the data is unofficial and based on limited samples, it still reflects general trends. We did not cite the data to fuel controversy over the system, but to answer real questions asked by students, parents, guidance counsellors—by everyone striving along the higher education path. This is the core question : Is the current system truly fair? Sin Chew Daily acknowledges that it can be criticized for using non-official data, and the public concerns about data reliability. But in the face of long-unanswered doubts, where else can the public obtain answers? The statistics compiled by the voluntary group were merely the entry point. The series sought to explore whether hidden inequalities exist in the design of the system, in resource allocation, in the opaque mechanisms that govern admissions. We interviewed students from diverse educational backgrounds: – A matriculation student with a perfect CGPA who missed out on a dentistry placement due to low extracurricular scores; – An STPM student in the first batch under the new three-semester format, who commuted daily across districts for tuition; – Students who paid hefty fees for private foundation programmes in exchange for the freedom to choose the courses they wanted; – Others who gave up matriculation offers to pursue studies abroad. These are not fictional accounts. They are slices of reality shaped by the system. Though not quantitative data, these experiences are […]
1 w ago
More
