Month: September 2021

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Malaysia COVID-19 Memorial website created in remembrance of victims

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 16 – A website known as ‘Malaysia COVID-19 Memorial’ to remember and honour the individuals who died from the viral infection has been developed by a multiracial and multireligious group of volunteers.

The volunteer team said in a statement today that the website, which could be accessed via http://c19memorial.my, posted pictures and information on the deceased shared by their next-of-kin through the website which was announced on Aug 31.

“Data are also obtained from news reported by the local media and public posts on social media.

“This website also provides reference on mental health and links to agencies that offer assistance in dealing with this pandemic. Therefore, the 19th day of each month is set as a day to commemorate the victims of COVID-19,” it said.

The team said the initiative of developing the website started from a tweet by Twitter account owner Aidila Razak on Aug 6 who expressed the idea of developing a memorial for the COVID-19 death toll which at that time had reached 10,000.

“More than 12 individuals volunteered and the first discussion was held online on Aug 10.

“Although they had just met, the discussions and cooperation throughout the memorial’s development went smoothly as each volunteer involved was enthusiastic and had something to offer such as the technical skills in developing a website, in graphic design, data collection, writing, translation and editing, as well as in managing social media,,” said the team.

In developing the website, they also received advice from Bolehspace, a group that actively fights for fair access for people with disabilities.

“We’ve tried our best to make this website accessible to all groups. As a result, the memorial is able to offer dyslexia-friendly display options, alternative texts and display settings suitable for those with visual impairment.

“Hopefully, this memorial can be a symbol of lasting memory to every individual who left us as a result of the pandemic,” the team said.

Malaysians are welcome to share stories with their loved ones on this date through their respective social media by using #c19memorialmy or tag covid19memorialmy.

Any comments and ideas for improvement can be sent via email to info@c19memorial.my.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

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COVID: New cases dip to 18,815; S’wak records highest daily figure at 3,660 — Noor Hisham

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 16 — New COVID-19 cases in Malaysia dropped slightly to 18,815 today from 19,495 yesterday, said Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

In infographics shared on his Twitter and Facebook accounts, he said this brought the cumulative number of positive cases to 2,049,750.

According to him, Sarawak still recorded the highest daily number of cases with 3,660, followed by Selangor (2,718) and Johor (2,206).

Five states also recorded more than 1,000 new cases, namely Sabah with 1,982 cases, Penang (1,777), Perak (1,446), Kedah (1,233) and Kelantan (1,222).

The states which recorded cases below four figures were Terengganu (814), Pahang (712), Kuala Lumpur (493), Melaka (269), Negeri Sembilan (170), Perlis (80), Putrajaya (22) and Labuan (11).

Dr Noor Hisham also said that the bed occupancy rate in the intensive care unit (ICU) of COVID-19 hospitals nationwide as of yesterday was 81 per cent of 1,579 beds, while that for non-ICU beds was 71 per cent of 17,155 beds.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

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Perseverance pays off as fisherman’s mushrooms business booms

PARIT BUNTAR, Sept 16 — A fisherman’s perseverance in wanting to get out of poverty has paid off after venturing into mushroom cultivation at his house in Kampung Raja Bashah Kuala Kurau since July.

Mohd Radzi Said, 51, said he ventured into mushroom cultivation after being exposed to the iMistroom system (smart mushroom house) introduced by a senior lecturer at the School of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Penang, Dr Hamid Yusoff.

“With a capital of RM24,000 through the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) withdrawals through i-Lestari and i-Sinar, I made my own mushroom house with an area of 37-feet (11.3 metres) x 18-feet (5.5 metres) next to my residence.

“The Agriculture Department also donated 2,000 pieces of mushrooms and crop racks and I also received assistance from non-governmental organisation (NGO) Sahabat Alam Lestari Parit Buntar and the SIG Admech UiTM Penang research group.

“I started by planting two types of mushrooms, grey oyster mushrooms and white oyster mushrooms, through the IMistroom method and now have 6,000 pieces of mushrooms of both variants,” he told the media at his residence in Kampung Raja Bashah Kuala Kurau, near here, today.

According to him, the crop was marketed using social media platforms and via online in addition to the support of family members, adding that within three months, the results were very encouraging because “this mushroom is in high demand”.

“The mushroom harvest is 15 kilogrammes (kg) a day and I market it at an average price of RM12 per kg at the Kuala Kurau, Parit Buntar and Bagan Serai markets. I intend to expand this project by turning the mushrooms into various mushroom-based products in the future, such as mushroom chips,” said Mohd Radzi, who managed to earn RM4,200 through mushroom sales in the first month.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

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Iskandar Malaysia Studios PPV staff wear ethnic attire to celebrate Malaysia Day

ISKANDAR PUTERI, Sept 16 — Wearing the Sarawak ethnic attire while working at the Iskandar Malaysia Studios vaccination centre (PPV) in conjunction with Malaysia Day today brought back hometown memories for a staff here.

Yana Anak Balun, 31, who hails from Sibu, Sarawak, said although she had to leave her two children at home on a public holiday, she was proud to fulfil her responsibility to help the community get vaccinated.

“Today is a little special because I can wear my Sarawak ethnic clothes. I don’t get to do this all the time and I am so proud that I got the opportunity to do so today. This is the uniqueness of our multi-racial and multi-ethnic country,” said Yana who has been working at the PPV for the past three weeks.

Gleaneagles Hospital Medini senior resident medical officer Dr. N. Thirunavakarasu, 38, said working on a public holiday was not a problem but he was proud to fulfil his responsibility as a Malaysian to help the local community get vaccinated.

“As Malaysians, I and everyone on duty are responsible for the community.

“I feel very happy, proud, and as well, a sense of patriotism when many people sang the song ‘Saya Anak Malaysia’,” he said when met at the PPV, here today.

Meanwhile, Gleneagles Hospital Medini chief executive officer Dr. Kamal Amzan, who also acts as the Health Care Operator (HCO) at the PPV, said the special programme was a way for frontliners to express their patriotism in conjunction with Malaysia Day.

“We would like to call on everyone who has a vaccination appointment to come and get the vaccine to help everyone to continue the fight aginast the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

From as early as 8 am, staff at the PPV who donned their traditional and ethnic clothes, distributed over 1,500 Jalur Gemilang to vaccine recipients as souvenirs, before the ‘audience’ was presented with a lively dance performance.

More than 150 frontliners including hospital staff and Malaysia Vaccine Support Volunteers (myVAC) who worked at the PPV also sang the song ‘Jalur Gemilang’ and ‘Saya Anak Malaysia’.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

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Green Zone parking areas for delivery riders in KL

JELEBU, Sept 16 — The Federal Territories Ministry will create special ‘Green Zone’ areas in 10 locations around Kuala Lumpur specifically as motorcycle parking lots for food and parcel delivery riders.

Federal Territories deputy minister Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias said the initiative would help facilitate and speed up the delivery of food and parcels by the riders.

“We already have a pioneer Green Zone area at Menara Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur that can be used by delivery riders.

“In addition, I have also discussed with the Kuala Lumpur mayor to implement this project immediately at 10 other areas, including in front of Pavillion, the Petronas Twin Towers (KLCC) in Jalan Ampang and Sunway Putra,” he told reporters after a community event in conjunction with the 2021 Malaysia Day celebration here today.

Jalaluddin said the ministry would expand the pioneer project to Putrajaya and Labuan, adding that they would serve as examples to other states to implement such projects.

The Jelebu MP also voiced his support for government efforts to implement the Undi 18 initiative at the 15th General Election.

“I don’t think implementing Undi 18 is a big problem, rather it provides 18-year-olds the chance to elect their own leaders by making their best decision for the betterment of the country,” he said.

Jalaluddin also launched the Aduan Waghih Jelebu programme via WhatsApp at 017-2953550 to allow Jelebu residents to channel social welfare problems or suggestions.

He said the programme involved a vehicle convoy ferrying 250 food baskets to four locations, namely Pekan Titi, Simpang Durian, Air Hitam and Pekan Pertang, involving the state constituencies of Pertang and Sungai Lui.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

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Singapore-Based Global Schools Foundation Announces Strategic Partnership With Dwight School Seoul

GSF Certificate of recognition

SINGAPORE, Sept. 15, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Singapore-based Global Schools Foundation has announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Dwight School Seoul, one of South Korea’s top international schools, popular with expatriates and locals.

Dwight School Seoul is the first International Baccalaureate (IB) World School in Seoul with authorisation in all three IB Programmes for students aged 3-18 years. The Seoul campus spreads across 200,000 sq. feet, with facilities that kindle student interest in innovative pursuits to make them inquisitive, informed, self-aware and ethical citizens.

GSF, founded and headquartered in Singapore, is a not-for-profit entity focussed on the K12 education sector. It owns and operates a network of 23 premium international schools across eight countries, which offer multiple curricula from IB to Cambridge IGCSE, through a data-driven, technology-intensive approach.

In 2021, GSF was recognised as the “World’s Most Awarded Network of Schools” by World Book of Records, UK & Switzerland, for being a recipient of 235 awards in different categories from Innovation to Sustainability.

The partnership between GSF and Dwight School (Seoul) marks GSF’s entry into South Korea’s K12 market, which will help expand its reach and ideology. In return, Dwight School can expect to benefit from the synergies, learning technologies and innovation capabilities of GSF.

Welcoming the partnership, GSF Chairman Mr Atul Temurnikar said: “We are delighted to work with Dwight leadership to support their vision of high academic standards to students. In the next few years, we plan to establish a second K12 campus in South Korea, as well as expand across North Asia and South-East Asia.”

Dwight’s Head of School for Seoul, Mr Jason Hayter, said the team was thrilled to partner with GSF. “This partnership will help build our ideology of igniting the spark of genius in every child. We look forward to working closely with GSF to strengthen our capabilities in preparing our students for the 21st century.”

GSF’s entity, Global Schools Holdings, is part of the Scale Up SG Programme by Enterprise Singapore (ESG), which focuses on the growth of home-grown, high-potential entities and helps them increase their global reach to become leaders in their field. GSH was among the 25 handpicked organisations to be included in the pioneer batch of the Scale Up programme.

About GSF

Founded in 2002, Global Schools Foundation is a community-oriented institution whose mission is to nurture young minds into global leaders of the future. Students of GSF schools have been recipients of several top accolades in IB & Cambridge curricula.

About Dwight School Seoul 

Specially selected by the Seoul Municipal Government to open a model IB World School in Seoul, Dwight’s global network spans across five global campuses in New York, London, Dubai, Shanghai and Seoul. Its goal is to create world leaders through academic excellence and develop student passion through an individualised, strategic approach.

Media Contact:
Ms Rupali Karekar
rupali.karekar@myglobalschool.org

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Image 1: GSF Certificate of recognition

The Certificate by World Book of Records

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

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Degreed adds embedded skills and learning analytics through strategic partnership with Visier

Deal will provide advanced analytics on skill data so Degreed clients can plan learning and development strategies to support evolving and transformative business priorities

PLEASANTON, Calif., Sept. 15, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Workforce upskilling platform Degreed announced a strategic partnership with Visier, the globally recognized leader in people analytics and planning, to deliver business-relevant insights around workforce skills and future skill needs. Visier’s analytics engine will be embedded in a new, optional offering inside Degreed’s learning experience platform and is planned for general availability in Q4 of this year.

Skill data is essential to managing digital transformation and staying ahead with competitive innovation. Companies that quantify the gap between skills they have and those they need are 1.7x more likely to succeed in transformations. But a lack of insight into workforce skills is hindering over half (53 percent) of workforce transformations. One big reason why: over 45 percent of talent leaders feel they lack the technology to assess and track their workforce skills.

Degreed and Visier are collaborating to provide a simple and intuitive solution inside the user-friendly Degreed experience that helps L&D teams and their stakeholders understand and visualize the skills and capabilities inside organizations so they can make data-backed decisions about their upskilling initiatives.

Rob Wellington, Director of Experience Partnerships at Degreed, said, “Having timely data on workforce skills is vital for every organization today. Without it, learning, talent and HR leaders are working blind. Degreed’s partnership with Visier will bring much-needed clarity on skill data, making it actionable and ensuring that businesses have the skills and learning where they need them most.”

“This partnership is an exciting opportunity for Degreed customers to get actionable insights into business-critical skills,” said Dave Weisbeck, Chief Strategy Officer at Visier. “Our combined forces pair together learning experience data, skills data and Visier’s robust analytics engine. With Degreed, customers will have a real-time and complete picture of what skills are in demand, where skills exist in an organization and what skill development to prioritize to meet coming business needs.”

If you would like to learn more about the partnership and how advanced skills insights can help you make your learning and development programs more impactful, visit our landing page to talk with a Visier + Degreed expert.

About Degreed

Degreed is the workforce upskilling platform for one in three Fortune 50 companies. We connect all your learning, talent development, and internal mobility opportunities to intelligence on the skills your business needs next. And we do it all in one easy, fluid, skill-building experience powered by your people’s expertise and interests. So you can transform your workforce from within. Founded in 2012, Degreed is headquartered in Pleasanton, California, with additional offices in Salt Lake City, New York, London, Amsterdam, and Brisbane.

Learn more about Degreed: Website | YouTube | LinkedIn | Twitter

About Visier

Visier is the recognized global leader in people analytics and workforce planning. Founded in 2010 by the pioneers of business intelligence, Visier focuses on what matters to business leaders: answering the right questions, even the ones a person might not know to ask. Questions that shape business strategy, provide the impetus for taking action, and drive better business outcomes through workforce optimization. Headquartered in Vancouver, BC with offices and team members worldwide, Visier has 11,000 customers in 75 countries around the world, including enterprises like Adobe, BASF, Bridgestone, Electronic Arts, McKesson, Merck KGaA, Uber and more.

For more information, visit www.visier.com.

Media contacts:

Sarah Danzl, Head of Global Communications at Degreed | sarah@degreed.com, +1.303.817.7137