DANAVEST

(Bernama) Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and Penang International Airport did Malaysia proud by winning in two categories at the 2009 Asian Freight and Supply Chain Awards (AFSCAs). At the 23rd edition of AFSCAs held in Hong Kong recently, KLIA was named Best Green Airport while Penang International Airport was named Best Emerging Airport.

(The Edge) The country has seen a drop in the number of retrenched workers as at May 8, with the figure falling to 31,895 from 41,056 as at March 31, on improved market conditions, Deputy Human Resources Minister Datuk Maznah Mazlan said. She also said the improved figures were the result of better performance in the manufacturing sector as well as a much better economic landscape.

(Business Times) CHEVRON Malaysia Ltd has warned members of the public about fraudulent job offers and promotiom scams. In a statement, Chevron said it had come to its attention that unauthorised individuals were using the Chevron and Caltex name, logo and letterhead to solicit funds from the public.

(Bernama) INTI Education Group made several key changes to its management team by placing industry veterans in strategic positions ahead of its expansion and development plans. In line with the changes, it has appointed Zulaifah Abdul Ghani as the chief financial officer, Anucia Jeganathan as the executive vice president and Oma Sewhdat as senior vice president.

(Business Times) HONG Leong Assurance (HLA), the insurance arm of the Hong Leong group, expects a double-digit growth in premium for its financial year ending June 30, 2009. “We have a strong double-digit growth. Up to last month, we have 45 per cent growth in regular premium,” its chief operating officer for the life division, Loh Guat Lan, said today. In the previous financial year, the company managed to cross the RM200 million mark for premium, she said.

(Business Times) RAPIDPENANG Sdn Bhd (RapidPenang) is the first bus company in Malaysia to have WiFi facility in its buses in a move to get more people to use public transportation. Its chief executive officer, Azhar Ahmad, said for a start, the company was installing the facility in two of its buses, one plies between Balik Pulau and the Bayan Lepas International Airport and the other plies the Teluk Bahang-Batu Feringgi-Weld Key route.

(Bernama) Six Malaysian seafood companies will resume the export of seafood products to Europe after they have met the requirements set under the European Union (EU) health standard. Malaysia’s Ambassador to the EU, Datuk Hussein Haniff, said the companies concerned would be given the green light again after positive results from the visit of a team of inspectors from the EU Food and Veterinary Office to Malaysia last March.

(Bernama) Sirim Bhd is planning to set up a battery laboratory in Malaysia going forward, says its senior general manager for marketing and business development, Dr Abd Rahim Saad. He said the laboratory would have a full range of battery testing facilities to assist producers with testing and certification. Asked as to the cost of the laboratory, Abd Rahim said based on the feedback of industry players, it would involve a few hundred million ringgit.

(Business Times) PERWAJA Holdings Bhd will defend the suit with regards to its dispute with Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) involving claims amounting to RM85.8 million. The company, in its filing to Bursa Malaysia today, said it received a writ of summons and a statement of claim from Petronas for the sum of RM85,795,957.30 together with a claim for interest with reference to the total amount invoiced but disputed by it. This difference was in principle due to Perwaja’s natural gas price computation based on the negotiations with the Malaysian government (including the international price and relevant discount) and Petronas’ own price, Perwaja said.

(Business Times) AN international arbitration tribunal has ordered PT Ayunda Prima Mitra (PT APM) to immediately discontinue civil suits against Astro All Asia Networks Plc, its subsidiaries and group chief executive officer and executive deputy chairman Ralph Marshall. Alleging that PT APM, among others, had failed to complete a proposed joint venture in PT Direct Vision, Astro said it had exercised its right to arbitrate the dispute pursuant to a written agreement relating to the proposed joint venture.

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