NCIA setting up new technology and innovation hub in Bayan Lepas by year 2023

New tech and innovation hub for northern region 

  

An artist’s impression of the proposed NCER Technology Innovation Centre in Bayan Lepas, Penang.

IN an effort to build a strong and sustainable ecosystem in Penang’s industrial and economic landscape, Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA) will be establishing a technology and innovation hub called the NCER (Northern Corridor Economic Region) Technology Innovation Centre (NTIC).

NCIA chief executive Datuk Seri Jebasingam Issace John said the centre, which will be built in Bayan Lepas and completed by 2023, will have a newly developed programme under the NCER Single Campus initiative that focuses on activities related to research, design, technology, innovation and commercialisation.

“The Single Campus initiative promotes collaboration and cooperation among key manufacturing areas in Penang, Kedah and Perak through the facilitation by NTIC while positioning Penang as the catalyst hub focused on technology and innovation.

“This hub will provide services and facilities for product innovation, linkages with local and international experts, local talent development, design and consultancy and a one-stop solution provider management system.

“NTIC will serve as a platform for small and medium enterprises, local large companies, multinational companies, technocrats and young entrepreneurs, as well as start-up companies to conduct high value-added activities in the northern corridor,” he said in an online event on Friday.

Issace John added that through NTIC, NCIA is collaborating with Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and Collaborative Research in Engineering, Science and Technology Centre (Crest) to develop high-skilled local talents to meet the demands of the industries within NCER.

“With the signing of a memo- randum of collaboration (MoC) between NCIA and USM, a programme has been launched to enhance talents’ marketability by developing their Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR4.0)-related knowledge and skills that are highly sought after by the industry.

“The Professional Excellence Programme or PreX is developed by combining academic and industry inputs on industry needs and expectations, industry professional assessment and employability.

“The MoC with Crest, on the other hand, will see collaborations with world renowned multi- national companies such as Intel Microelectronics (M) Sdn Bhd and Motorola Solutions (M) Sdn Bhd, and local technology companies such as Orionplex Sdn Bhd, Exiatec Technology Sdn Bhd and Sensoft Technologies Sdn Bhd,” he said.

Issace John said NCER Talent Enhancement Programme (NTEP) will also support the Engineering Software Talent Programme (EnSofT) to address the engineering software talent gap in the fields of embedded system, android applications and embedded android operating system.

“EnSofT will be a catalyst to other types of high-end training programmes to generate industry- relevant talents that meet current and upcoming market demands.

“Such collaborations with academia and industry players will help Penang to further grow into a high-income and developed state as well as help it recover quickly from the pandemic as more job opportunities especially in software engineering are created,” he said.

He said NCIA helped attract a total of RM8.56bil of approved investments and created 5,155 approved job creations to date this year.“We have, in fact, already exceeded our target of RM7.2bil of 2021 approved investments. As for job creation, we are also on track to meet the 8,644 approved job creation targeted for this year.”

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, who attended the online event, said the strategic partnership between NCIA and the state government had given birth to a high-value talent ecosystem that will further boost the state’s position as a world-class regional technology hub.

This will also reinforce the development of highly skilled local talent in various high end technology related areas, he added.

“In collaboration with Penang and federal governments, NCIA is continuously enhancing the state’s attractiveness to investors in the electronics and electrical, and manufacturing and engineering sectors.

“We are continuing to strengthen our position as a leader in the region for advanced technology and as a high-value talent and technology hub.

“With more than 300 multinational companies already having established operations in Penang, there is a need for more highly skilled talent to address the demand from the industry here.

“We are fortunate that Penang has an abundance of fresh graduates that industries can tap into, and our position as the ‘Silicon Valley of the East’ can be further strengthened by upskilling and enhancing the quality of our graduates through initiatives introduced by NCIA,” Chow said.

NCIA is a regional development authority responsible for establishing directions, devising policies and strategies related to the socio- economic development of NCER.

Incorporated in June 2008 under the Northern Corridor Implementation Authority Act 2008 (Act 687), NCER encompasses the four northern states of Kedah, Penang, Perak and Perlis in peninsular Malaysia.

NCIA drives the growth of NCER towards becoming an excellent economic region while catalysing and implementing high value-added development programmes in six economic clusters namely manufacturing, agribusiness, petrochemical, mining, green economy and services (including tourism, logistics and connectivity, and digital economy).

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Learn biodiversity conservation from China

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Green effort: The scenery at a wetland restoration project on the edge of dianchi Lake in Kunming, yunnan province.— Reuters

BEIJING: china has made remarkable achievements in its biodiversity conservation and has made efforts to share its ideas and experiences to support other developing countries, said Qin Tianbao, an environmental law professor.

Qin, director of the Research institute of environmental Law at Wuhan University in Hubei province, said the country has achieved economic growth while protecting its environment.

“china avoids the pattern of treatment after pollution and can provide its solution to the world, especially to developing countries who are faced with the dilemma of balancing their economies and environments,” he said during the 15th meeting of the conference of the Parties to the convention on Biological Diversity, or COP 15, held in Kunming, capital of Yunnan province, from yesterday through Friday.

In terms of biodiversity, china will contribute both ideas and funds to other nations.

President Xi Jinping reiterated the concept of ecological civilisation that features the harmonious coexistence of man and nature in a keynote speech at the Leaders’ Summit of the meeting via video link from Beijing on Tuesday.

Qin said: “This concept offers the world a vital idea that addresses problems caused by industrialisation.”

Xi announced china’s plan to set up a Kunming Biodiversity Fund to support biodiversity protection in developing countries.

china is taking the lead by investing 1.5 billion yuan (Rm972mil) and is calling for contributions from other nations, Xi said.

Qin said: “The fund and china’s large amount of investment demonstrate the country’s determination to be responsible for connecting different countries to curb the trend of biodiversity loss.”

He added that the fund will “lay a solid foundation for global cooperation in biodiversity conservation”.

A white paper on biodiversity conservation released on Oct 8 said that china has established about 10,000 nature reserves, accounting for about 18% of its land area.

He said biodiversity affects our daily lives in terms of food, clothing, transportation and housing.

“For example, no one likes to stay somewhere with only cement buildings,” he added. “We all enjoy colourful sceneries formed by various plants and animals.”

Qin said it’s important to predict risks and prepare for them before it’s too late, so pragmatic goals are needed for biodiversity conservation.

“extreme weather brought on by climate change often happens suddenly, while the loss of biodiversity is a slow change that people don’t pay too much attention to,” he said.

At COP 15, china announced that new environmental protection goals should be both ambitious and pragmatic, and a balance needs to be struck between the two. — china Daily/ANN

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•  -Jun 17, 2021, Shenzhou-12 was successfully launched 

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Closely following the heart-stopping and spectacular launch of the Shenzhou-13 manned spacecraft on Saturday, China has made another breakthrough in its aerospace technology, as researchers at the Academy of Aerospace Solid Propulsion Technology (AASPT) announced on Tuesday they conducted a successful running test of a domestically developed solid rocket engine, with a thrust of more than 500 tons, in Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, setting a world record in the field, 

 

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The Americans and British accuse China of being “warlike.” Isn’t this funny? What New Space Capability With Hypersonic Missile tested?

 The Americans and British accuse China of being “warlike.” Isn’t this funny?

 

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“Warlike” is a new label given to China by the US and the West. This label is based on imaginations and misinterpretations of China’s behavior. New China has not made any new territorial claims. 

 

China Tested New Space Capability With Hypersonic Missile

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China in August launched a nuclear-capable missile that circled the Earth at low orbit before descending toward its target. 

What we are defending is national sovereignty and territorial integrity

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Sources say Long March rocket launches are usually announced, though the August test was kept under wraps. (Reuters pic)

WASHINGTON: China has tested a new space capability with a hypersonic missile, the Financial Times reported on Saturday.

The report, citing multiple sources familiar with the test, said Beijing in August launched a nuclear-capable missile that circled the earth at low orbit before descending toward its target, which three sources said it missed by over 32km.

FT sources said the hypersonic glide vehicle was carried by a Long March rocket, launches of which it usually announces, though the August test was kept under wraps.

The report added that China’s progress on hypersonic weapons “caught US intelligence by surprise”.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said he would not comment on the specifics of the report but added: “We have made clear our concerns about the military capabilities China continues to pursue, capabilities that only increase tensions in the region and beyond. That is one reason why we hold China as our number one pacing challenge.”

Along with China, the US, Russia and at least five other countries are working on hypersonic technology.

Hypersonic missiles, like traditional ballistic missiles which can deliver nuclear weapons, can fly at more than five times the speed of sound.

But ballistic missiles fly high into space in an arc to reach their target, while a hypersonic flies on a trajectory low in the atmosphere, potentially reaching a target more quickly.

> Crucially, a hypersonic missile is manoeuvrable (like the much slower, often subsonic cruise missile), making it harder to track and defend against.

While countries like the US have developed systems designed to defend against cruise and ballistic missiles, the ability to track and take down a hypersonic missile remains a question

China has been aggressively developing the technology, seeing it as crucial to defend against US gains in hypersonic and other technologies, according to a recent report by the US Congressional Research Service (CRS).

The reported test comes as US-China tensions have mounted and Beijing has stepped up military activity near Taiwan, the self-ruling US-aligned democracy that Beijing considers a province awaiting reunification. - AFP

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China denies it recently tested hypersonic missile

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 West-hyped ‘nuclear-capable hypersonic missile’ is a spacecraft in reusability test; peaceful use of space stressed: Chinese FM

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian

It was a routine spacecraft experiment to test the technology of spacecraft reusability, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Monday, responding to the Western media hyping of what they claimed China's launch of a "nuclear-capable hypersonic missile" in August.

Zhao made the remarks on Monday during a regular press conference. He was commenting on a Financial Times report that said China launched such a missile which circled the globe before speeding toward its target. The report said the test demonstrated "an advanced space capability that caught US intelligence by surprise."

The report cited "five people familiar with the test" who said the Chinese military launched a rocket that carried a hypersonic glide vehicle which flew through low-orbit space before cruising down toward its target.

Zhao said it was a regular test of the technology of spacecraft reusability, which carries significance to lower the cost of the use of spacecraft, and is expected to offer mankind a new way of affordable and convenient space travel.

Many firms in the world have conducted similar experiments and the separating part of the spacecraft was its accessory part, and it would burn and break up in the atmosphere and the debris would fall into international waters, Zhao said.

China will work with other countries for the peaceful use of space for the benefit of mankind, Zhao noted.

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Shenzhou-13 crew

The three taikonauts onboard the Shenzhou-13 spaceship entered the country's space station core module Tianhe on Saturday, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

After Shenzhou-13 successfully completed a fast automated rendezvous and docking with the orbiting Tianhe module, the Shenzhou-13 crew Zhai Zhigang,Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu entered the orbital capsule of Tianhe, marking the country's second crew to have entered China's Tianhe space station core cabin.

Just like everyone else when they first enter their new home, the first thing that the Shenzhou-13 crew did was to check out their sweet cozy bedrooms and connect to the Wi-Fi. A livestream video shows that Zhai, who was the first to enter, was so involved and excited to settle in that he was floating upside down in the air. The three then set up the wireless headphones for space-Earth talks.

After a brief conversation reporting their safety to the ground control center, the crew will soon have their very first lunch in their new home, Yang Liwei, director of the China Manned Space Engineering Office and the country's first astronaut said.

Among the three new residents, there are the country's first spacewalker Zhai Zhigang, first female taikonaut to have stepped inside its own space station Wang Yaping, and first taikonaut who was trained in an international space agency Ye Guangfu. They will stay in space for six months, double the time of the Shenzhou-12 crew.

They are expected to return to earth in April 2022, which means they will celebrate a special, unforgettable Chinese Lunar New Year in space.

They are tasked to carry out two to three extravehicular activities, better known as spacewalks. Wang Yaping will participate in at least one spacewalk, becoming the first Chinese woman to achieve such a feat, the Global Times learned from mission insiders.

According to the CMSA, they are also expected to install transfer gears linking the big and small robotic arms and related suspension gears for future construction work.

The Shenzhou-13 manned spacecraft successfully docked with China's Tianhe space station core cabin on Saturday early morning, after quick automated rendezvous, or as researchers call it, the 'space waltz.'

The rendezvous and docking happened at 6:56 am on Saturday morning, six and a half hours after traveling on a Long March-2F carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China's Gansu Province, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said in a statement sent to the Global Times.

Docked at the bottom of the Tianhe core cabin from a radial direction, the spacecraft safely and smoothly delivered the second batch of residents to China's space station.

A combination flight has been formed, consisting of the Tianhe core cabin at the center, and Shenzhou-13 manned craft, Tianzhou-2 and -3 cargo craft on the side, the CMSA said.

According to the spacecraft developers with the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), they have designed a new rendezvous path and circling flight mode to support fast-docking in the radial direction.

As beautiful as the "space waltz" was, it was a lot more difficult than the front and rear docking with the Tianhe core cabin as the Shenzhou-12, Tianzhou-2 and -3 missions had exercised. "For front and rear dockings, there is a 200-meter holding point for the craft, enabling them to maintain a stable attitude in orbit even when engines are not working. However, radial rendezvous does not have such a midway stopping point, and it requires continuous attitude and orbit control," the CAST said in a note to the Global Times.

It added that during the radial rendezvous, the spacecraft needs to turn from level flight to vertical flight with a wide range of attitude maneuvers, posing tough challenges for the "eyes" of the craft to see the target in time and ensure that the "eyes" will not be disturbed by complex lighting changes.

The success of this new docking method would be another sign of China's spacecraft docking capabilities, experts noted.

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Budget 2022 likely to be friendly to house buyers

 

https://youtu.be/YsuhuxDTjIA

Rerating of property sector justified

“We do not anticipate any new dramatic tightening policies, as this would derail the recovery of the property sector.” TA Securities Research

PETALING JAYA: Budget 2022 will likely contain elements that make home ownership and financing more accessible, according to TA Securities Research.

“Following the full reopening of all economic sectors this month, we expect that better market sentiment along with stronger recovery in economic and business activity to contribute to better developers’ sales prospects ahead, which will eventually translate into stronger earnings going forward,” said the research unit.

TA Securities Research maintained its “overweight” rating on the property sector, and said a rerating is justified, considering developers’ encouraging sales growth and attractive valuations.

“We do not anticipate any new dramatic tightening policies, as this would derail the recovery of the property sector,” it said.

Taking a cue from the recently announced 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), it also opined that Budget 2022 would primarily focus on ensuring adequate, quality, and affordable housing, improving the living standard of poor households and monitoring and evaluating efforts as well as achieving urban sustainability.

It is anticipated that the focus of Budget 2022 would be to ease the burden of the B40 and M40 as their livelihood was largely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Also, Budget 2022 should be primarily helpful to low-to-middle-income earners as well as to first-time home owners.

TA Securities Research is also hopeful for more measures to ease the burden of property owners by extending the real property gains tax (RPGT) exemptions along with lower RPGT rates.

Based on its channel checks, it said property developers’ wish lists and expectations for Budget 2022 include promoting homeownership among the low-to-middle income group, reiterating and broadening existing public housing schemes, making home ownership and financing easier, extending the Home Ownership Campaign to 2022, and a tax relief for mortgage interest.

Property developers are hoped for incentives such as a relaxation of requirements for the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme.

Despite the fact that the MM2H programme only accounts for a fraction of the overall number of homebuyers in Malaysia, it can nonetheless contribute to reducing the overhang of unsold properties.

“We note the recent adjustments to the MM2H programme criteria for new applicants could be extremely stringent, discouraging foreigners from settling and working in Malaysia,” said TA Securities Research.

Additional incentives are needed to promote green development in Malaysia and to encourage developers to adopt accredited green certification tools during the construction and operation phases of development projects.

The government should grant additional tax incentives to developers of green-certified buildings, allowing them to claim income tax deductions equal to the additional capital expenditure required to obtain green certification.

On top of that, the government may consider offering stamp duty exemptions to purchasers who acquire properties that have been certified as environmentally friendly in order to stimulate demand.

“This is primarily to address the higher cost of green building construction in comparison to conventional buildings, which may deter potential buyers from making the investment,” said TA Securities Research.

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Malaysia Government Budget

 

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  Summary Forecast Stats Download

 

Government Budget in Malaysia increased to -3.20 percent of GDP in 2020 from -3.40 percent of GDP in 2019. source: Ministry of Finance Malaysia

Malaysia Government Budget

 

Government Budget is an itemized accounting of the payments received by government (taxes and other fees) and the payments made by government (purchases and transfer payments). A budget deficit occurs when an government spends more money than it takes in. The opposite of a budget deficit is a budget surplus.

 

Compare Government Budget by Country

Malaysia	Last	Unit	Reference	Previous	Highest	Lowest
Government Budget	-3.20	percent of GDP	Dec/20	-3.40	2.40	-6.70

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Interstate rush: Penang expecting an influx of 50,000 tourists this weekend and MBPP freezes staff leave ...

 

Penang Mayor Datuk Yew Tung Seang says the island welcomes both visitors and locals returning home to meet their families after a long travel hiatus. – The Vibes file pic, October 13, 2021

 

GEORGE TOWN – The Penang Island City Council (MBPP) is bracing for an expected influx of 50,000 tourists this weekend and has frozen leave for 78% of its staff.

Mayor Datuk Yew Tung Seang said the island welcomes both visitors and locals returning home to meet their families after a long travel hiatus.

Many will be taking the opportunity to travel as the Tuesday after the weekend is a public holiday to celebrate Prophet Muhammad’s birthday.

“We are not only expecting an influx of tourists. From what is reported by the Malaysian Meteorological Department, Penang will also be expecting a heavy downpour this weekend with 300-500mm of rain.

“When that happens, we will need to be on alert for possible landslides and flash floods,” he said at a press conference here today.

“We will be working closely with police to monitor hotspots such as the Esplanade and action will be taken if there are any breaches of SOPs.”

There has already been a significant increase in traffic and use of urban services since the interstate travel ban was lifted on Monday, Yew said.

Therefore, he said, it is necessary that city council staff remain working to ensure the island’s safety and cleanliness.

Out of 3,019 staff, 2,342 are expected to come back to work from October 15 to 19. Leaves that were approved beforehand for workers required for this period are being annulled.

https://www.thevibes.com/articles/news/44427/interstate-rush-penang-freezes-mbpp-staff-leave-as-50000-tourists-expected-this-weekend

Many other workers are expected to be on standby as they may be called back to work if the need arises.

Yew also reminded the public that the city council’s Intelligent Operation Centre, which has almost 1,000 closed-circuit television cameras functioning as “eyes in the sky” will be in full swing as the authorities will be on the lookout for those who do not comply with SOPs.

He urged those coming back to see their loved ones to observe the “green bubble” precaution and self-test for Covid-19, entering the state only if the result is negative.

The MBPP hotline and WhatsApp numbers at 04-2637637 and 016-2004082 respectively will continue operating on a 24-hour basis to tend to any complaints or issues that may crop up. – The Vibes, October 13, 2021

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Singapore and Japan passports tied for most powerful in the world, Vaccination rates for Asean

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Singapore and Japan passports tied for most powerful in the world, Vaccination rates for Asean

 

Holders of Singapore and Japan passports can travel without a prior visa to 192 destinations.PHOTO: ST FILE

SINGAPORE - Singapore and Japan have the most powerful passports in the world, according to the latest update of a global index.

Holders of passports from the two countries can travel without a prior visa to 192 destinations, it noted last week.

This is a change from April, when Japan outstripped Singapore in having the world's most powerful passport, with Japanese passport holders able to travel to 193 destinations without a prior visa, while Singaporean passport holders had such access to 192 destinations.

In the latest update, South Korea and Germany are tied for second place, with such access to 190 countries. The two countries had been tied for third place in April, with access to 191 destinations.

Finland, Italy, Luxembourg and Spain are in third place, with access to 189 nations; while Austria and Denmark are in fourth, with access to 188 countries.

The index, administered by Henley & Partners and updated throughout the year, ranks passport power according to how many destinations their holders can travel to without a prior visa.

The global citizenship and residence advisory firm noted that the gap in travel freedom is at its widest since the index was started in 2006, with Singaporean and Japanese passport holders able to visit 166 more destinations than Afghan citizens, who can travel to only 26 nations worldwide without acquiring a visa in advance.

Britain and the United States have been facing eroding passport strength since they held the top spot in 2014. Both remain tied in seventh place, but have a score of 185, down from 187 in the first quarter of the year.

Egypt is ranked 97th, with its citizens having access to 51 countries without a prior visa, while Kenya is 77th, with access to 72 destinations visa-free.

Meanwhile, Singapore will be allowing vaccinated travellers to travel to nine more countries and return without quarantine, the authorities announced last Saturday (Oct 9).

From Oct 19, vaccinated travellers from Singapore will be able to fly to Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Britain and the US.

The scheme will be extended to South Korea from Nov 15, it was announced last Friday.

These are in addition to Brunei and Germany, which Singapore had already approved for quarantine-free travel for those fully vaccinated.

In total, there will be 11 countries that Singapore approves for quarantine-free travel.

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Based on data from the International Air Transport Association, the index showed that countries in the global north with high-ranking passports have enforced some of the most stringent inbound Covid-19 travel restrictions.

On the other hand, many countries with lower-ranking passports have relaxed their borders without seeing this openness reciprocated, it noted.

Henley & Partners chairman Christian Kaelin said: "It is pivotal that advanced nations consider revising their somewhat exclusive approach to the rest of the world, and reform and adapt to overcome the competition and not miss the opportunity to embrace the potential."

 

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S'pore & Japan have most powerful passports for visa-free travel to 192 countries

 

Vaccination rates for Asean (%)

Source: Centre for Strategic & International Studies, Aminvestment Bank

 

Malaysia is ranked the 3rd highest among Asean countries. 

 This paves the way for more economic activities to resume although it may not be a full recovery, matching that of pre-covid times.

Analysts are positive on this as the high vaccination rate is a leading indicator that economic activities should recover faster in Malaysia as compared to most countries in Asean.