Some Memories

Need to have at least minimum 12 characters and with at least one uppercase https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/12/passwords-safety-cybercrime/

Separately, from September 2023, Singapore will offer a five-year pass specifically for some jobs in the tech industry, compared to the current two to three-year passes. Government agencies will decide in the coming months on the five-year pass, and workers would require a minimum monthly salary of S$10,500 (US$7,500). https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3190584/singapore-rolls-out-new-visa-top-global-talent-tech-sport-and

Ex-Malaysian PM Najib's wife Rosmah gets 10 years' jail, fined $303m for corruption KUALA LUMPUR - Rosmah Mansor, the wife of former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak, was sentenced to 10 years' jail and fined RM970 million (S$303 million) for graft on Thursday, just over a week after her husband was  jailed when Malaysia's highest court affirmed his corruption conviction. Rosmah, 70, was found guilty by Malaysia's High Court of soliciting a total of RM194 million in bribes to help solar energy firm Jepak Holdings secure  a RM1.25 billion solar hybrid project  for hundreds of schools in Sarawak in 2016. The sentence is stayed pending her appeal against conviction. She is allowed to remain out on bail, which has been maintained at RM2 million. https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/malaysian-court-finds-ex-pms-wife-rosmah-guilty-of-corruption

Malaysia ex-PM Najib begins 12-year jail sentence after failing to overturn 1MDB conviction The Federal Court's verdict followed one by the High Court that in July 2020, found Najib guilty of receiving about RM42 million (S$13 million) from SRC International in his personal bank account. The High Court sentence was upheld by a three-member Court of Appeal in December last year. But Najib, 69, was allowed to post bail and live freely, pending his appeal, allowing him to make a political comeback and play an influential role in his party Umno.   The five-member Federal Court bench led by the Chief Justice, Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, ruled against Najib on Tuesday, after a week in which his defence team - which saw a revolving door of lawyers -  refused to make any written or oral submissions in defence of their client. https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/malaysia-ex-pm-najib-to-serve-jail-sentence-after-failing-to-overturn-final-1mdb-appeal

Live: Dow rebounds to flat, clawing back 200-point loss in volatile trading following strong jobs report Stocks wavered Friday in a volatile trading session after the July jobs report was much better than expected, as investors assessed what a strong labor market would mean for the Federal Reserve's rate tightening campaign. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 76.65 points, or 0.23%, to end at 32,803.47. Even with Friday's gains, however, it fell on the week. The S&P 500 shed 0.16% to end at 4,145.19, and the Nasdaq Composite lost 0.50% Friday, falling to 12,657.56. Still, both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq ended the first week of August higher. Losses were offset by bank stocks, which rose on hopes that interest rate hikes will continue at a solid clip. Energy stocks also gained, but technology companies slumped. The labor market added 528,000 jobs in July,  easily  beating a Dow Jones estimate  of a 258,000 increase. The unemployment rate ticked down to 3.5%, below t

40% of workers are considering quitting their jobs soon Nearly half of job-leavers are switching industries  About 48% of people who quit have pursued new opportunities in different industries, the report found.  Dowling points to two factors driving this exodus: pandemic-induced burnout and better odds of securing a higher-paid role in a tight labor market. 

Nasdaq gains boosted by Tesla shares, dollar decline Meanwhile, the dollar declined following a surprise interest rate hike Thursday from the European Central Bank, which raised rates  for the first time in 11 years . The central bank increased benchmark rates by 50 basis points. A weakening dollar could  boost shares of tech companies , as several major companies in the space get a chunk of their revenues from outside of the U.S.

Mapletree Industrial Trust, CapitaLand Investment and OCBC By Royston Yang, The Smart Investor https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/3-singapore-blue-chip-stocks-100000953.html

Singdollar holds steady against US dollar, rises against peers after MAS surprise move It is also higher against the Malaysian ringgit - at about 3.17 - but still shy of the 3.1986 high on May 26. Despite Thursday's gains, the Singdollar is still down about 4 per cent against the greenback this year. Economists said the MAS' latest move is an attempt to dampen imported inflation: A stronger Singdollar would potentially make imports cheaper and help to alleviate inflationary pressures that show no signs of abating. https://www.straitstimes.com/business/economy/singdollar-holds-steady-against-us-dollar-rises-against-peers-after-mas-surprise-move

The group has paid out a consistent dividend over the last 12 years amounting to S$1.8185 per share. Your 3,000 shares would have netted you a total of S$5,455.50 in dividends from 2010 to 2021. Add this to the S$12,400, and your total will come up to S$17.855.50 for a 78.6% total return. Over 12 years, this translates to a 4.9% compound annual growth rate, which beats the long-term inflation rate of around 2% to 3%. https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/much-d-end-had-invested-100000296.html

* MAS re-centres mid-point of exchange rate policy band * Says move should help slow inflation momentum * Policy move marks fourth tightening in nine months * Central bank raises full-year inflation projections (Adds more comments, GDP and inflation data) By Anshuman Daga SINGAPORE, July 14 (Reuters) - Singapore's central bank tightened its monetary policy on Thursday, in an off-cycle move, saying the action would slow inflation as the city-state joins other economies scrambling to fight mounting price pressures. The Singapore currency jumped broadly after the news and was last up almost 0.7% to S$1.3963 per dollar, with economists expecting further tightening in October. The tightening was the Monetary Authority of Singapore's fourth in the past nine months and comes hot on the heels of Canada's surprise 100 basis point interest rate hike on Wednesday and just before an out-of-cycle 75 basis point hike in the Philippines on Thursday. "Clearly, MAS is very concerned ab

INTERACTIVE: How the pandemic hit foreign labour in Malaysia

Creativity, education and learning beyond IR4.0 Stepping into the era of IR 5.0, the tech world is embracing collaborative robot systems – Cobots. It is about integrating human efforts with smart technology. Humans will no longer be scared of robots, but regard them as working partners. In tandem with the emergence of the most disruptive technologies – 4D printing, quantum Internet, miniature AI, brain-computer interface, smart robots, neuromorphic hardware – there is a growing need to develop talents that can ride along with the wave of digital transformation. https://www.thestar.com.my/starpicks/2022/07/06/creativity-education-and-learning-beyond-ir40

Suggested solutions to tackle food shortages https://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/health/2022/07/12/suggested-solutions-to-tackle-food-shortages

The group of sectors comprising the information and communications, finance and insurance and professional services sectors expanded by 4.1 per cent on a year-on-year basis in the second quarter. All sectors within the group posted expansions. The remaining group of services sectors - accommodation and food services, real estate, administrative and support services and other services sectors - expanded by 8.2 per cent year-on-year in the second quarter, accelerating from the 3.5 per cent growth in the previous quarter. Most sectors within the group expanded, with activities supported by the easing of COVID-19 measures, including border restrictions. Growth in the food services sector was bolstered by the removal of dine-in size limits at the end of April.

Am enjoying listening to the viewpoints from Prof Walter Theseira in this CNA Podcast. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/listen/heart-matter/high-inflation-singapore-why-it-biting-us-harder-time-2812046

Singapore ranks at 8th

Benchmark 10-year Treasury yields hit their highest since 2011 on Monday and a key part of the yield curve inverted for the first time since April as investors braced for the prospect that Fed attempts to stem soaring inflation would dent the economy. The yield on benchmark 10-year Treasury notes rose to 3.3466 per cent compared with its US close of 3.371 per cent on Monday. The two-year yield, which rises with traders' expectations of higher Fed fund rates, touched 3.3804 per cent compared with a US close of 3.281 per cent. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/asian-stocks-slide-fed-hike-fears-tip-wall-street-bear-market-2744971

Free RapidKL rides for a month in conjunction with Putrajaya MRT launch By January next year, Phase two of the Putrajaya MRT completed and trains will pass through the entire route from Kwasa Damansara to Putrajaya, marking the end of the line. https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2022/06/16/free-rapidkl-rides-for-a-month-in-conjunction-with-putrajaya-mrt-launch

Fed Chair Jerome Powell said it was "essential" to lower inflation, and policymakers "have both the tools we need and the resolve it will take to restore price stability on behalf of American families." He stressed that the goal is to achieve that without derailing the US economy, but acknowledged there is always a risk of going too far. The Fed's policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee raised the benchmark borrowing rate to a range of 1.5 to 1.75 per cent, up from zero at the start of the year. It was the first 75-basis-point increase since November 1994. Powell told reporters the move was "an unusually large one," but he does not expect "moves of this size to be common."

The real danger comes when business and consumer confidence start taking a hit, economists added. CIMB Private Banking economist Song Seng Wun said even though prices of goods and services have been rising, pent-up demand and "revenge spending" have so far helped to sustain consumer demand. But if prices continue rising - fuelled by the war in Eastern Europe or further supply chain snarls due to lockdowns in China - to the point where people feel that living costs have outpaced wage growth, they may become more cautious and pull back on spending. Likewise, businesses have been able to pass on rising costs to consumers and keep on hiring on the back of continued demand. But once the latter wanes, firms worried about the future may turn to cost-cutting measures, such as paring back investments, hiring or worse, layoffs. This spiral down in economic activities is "when things start to get serious", Mr Song said. "This is where we may see the start of slow

The interest rate is raised by half percentage point (0.5%) on 5 May 2022. Increased of 0.25% in Mar. The next increase expected in Jun. US Fed makes biggest rate increase since 2000 to fight inflation - CNA To achieve that aim, he said "additional 50-basis point increases should be on the table at the next couple of meetings", however, a more aggressive three-quarter point hike is not under consideration. The Fed's goal is to engineer a "soft landing", reining in inflation while avoiding a contraction in economic activity, and Powell said that outcome is likely. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/us-federal-reserve-biggest-rate-increase-fight-inflation-2664736

"The wearing of masks outdoors is optional, but is still encouraged," he said during a press conference on Wednesday (Apr 27). The minister said that people are also encouraged to wear masks outdoors in crowded places such as at Ramadan bazaars, stadiums and night markets. Mr Khairy also announced that all testing protocols for travellers into the country - pre-departure and on-arrival tests - will be dropped for those who are fully vaccinated, those who have recovered from a COVID-19 infection six to 60 days before their date of departure, as well as travellers aged 12 and below. However, those who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 still must undergo these tests and observe a five-day mandatory quarantine, said Mr Khairy. He added that travel insurance will no longer be a prerequisite for foreigners to enter the country. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/malaysia-lifts-outdoor-mask-mandate-drops-covid19-tests-fully-vaccinated-travellers-khairy-2

KUALA LUMPUR: His own team of coaches and support service, choosing the tournaments he wanted to play in and acquiring his own sponsors. These were the three "unrealistic" requests made by world No. 7 Lee Zii Jia that Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) could not meet and which eventually led to his decision to quit the national team. The BAM deemed these requests as "impossible to fulfil" and eventually turned him down. "Since he handed his resignation letter (on Jan 11), many concerted efforts were made by us through several informal discussions with Zii Jia to reconsider his decision. "However, it was not successful," said BAM deputy president II Datuk Seri Jahaberdeen Mohd Yunoos, who's also the chairman for the legal advisory committee. "Zii Jia stood by his decision and he gave the following reasons. "Firstly, he said that he cannot stand the pressure in the national squad, and that the l