PETALING JAYA – US investment bank Goldman Sachs and Malaysia has agreed for a US$3.9 billion settlement over the multibillion-dollar 1MDB corruption scheme. According to Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Azi, the group also agreed for the cash payment in order to resolve outstanding charges and claims related to the three bond transactions that Wall Street bank …

Recently, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) launched a campaign to round up hundreds of abandoned cars in the city. This survey marks D-Day, the day City Hall begins to take control of abandoned cars said Deputy Bangkok Governor Sakoltee Phattiyakul as he oversaw the first vehicles to be towed away at 10 a.m. in Suan Luang district. In fact,  Bangkok …

Predee Daochai, co-chair of Kasikornbank and chair of the Thai Bankers’ Association, expected to become Deputy Prime Minister and at the same time serve as Finance Minister, resigned on Friday. In related news, PTT Global Chemical Plc (PTTGC) on Friday told the Stock Exchange of Thailand of the resignation of its director Supattanapong Punmeechaow. The potential minister, now 60 years …

MANILA – The Department of the Interior and Local Government has issued an advisory urging local governments not to issue rally permits during the President Duterte’s fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday. The advisory issued by DILG was in accordance with health protocols issued by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases. …

MANILA  – President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered for an investigation on the alleged anomalies in the Philhealth regarding overpriced procurement of an information technology system. pic.twitter.com/3G4ZYhVlNM— Harry Roque (@attyharryroque) July 24, 2020 Presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said in a statement that three PhilHealth officials resigned from their respective posts because of corruption allegations within the government agency. Roque confirmed …

The University of North Sumatra (USU) conducted a campus lockdown of all activities following a number of lecturers who tested positive for the coronavirus (Covid-19). One of them has died from the coronavirus disease. The campus closure will be conducted for one week, from 27 July to 2 August 2020. The decision was stated in the Circular Letter of Rector …

The limitation of medical devices is one of the obstacles in handling coronavirus outbreaks (Covid-19) in Indonesia. Although Indonesia received a number of ventilator assistance from the United States and Australia recently, a number of parties did not remain silent and tried to overcome these limitations by creating a local ventilator. The Indonesia Ventilator (Vent-I) development team at the Bandung …

Myanmar is planning to deliver its first ever rocket, entering an unlikely group of emerging space nations aimed at saving millions from environmental disasters. Future micro-satellite “mega telescope” from nine Asian countries will monitor typhoons, earthquake activity and water flows, as well as include data on land usage, crop production and disease outbreaks. It is Myanmar’s first space mission, in …

PETALING JAYA – Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has hinted that if the court decision on Aug 7 regarding his removal from Bersatu did not go in his favour, he might form a new political party. The former prime minister said that if they were to be expelled from the party, he might have to consider having another party.   …

KUALA LUMPUR – Pemod Nasional Bhd (PNB) launches a micro-investing mobile application known as Raiz, the country’s first ever spare change investing app in an effort to bring greater awareness of the importance of savings and investing. According to PNB president and group CEO Ahmad Zulqarnain Onn, the concept was in line with PNB’s effort to empower and encourage Malaysians …