News by Cindy Yeap

Gamuda Bhd has won the coveted The Edge Billion Ringgit Club (BRC) 2024 Company of the Year award, while Public Bank Bhd managing director and chief executive officer Tan Sri Tay Ah Lek was named this year’s Outstanding CEO & Value Creator.

It seems that higher interest rates and tight credit in the US may have had a hand in the collapse of Genting Malaysia Bhd’s billion-dollar Miami waterfront real estate sale in June, though indications are that interest on the prime property remains strong.

Cash transfers and financial support will be among “wow” factors, Ismail said. 

"We call for the G20 to share doses, provide financing to close the residual gaps and remove all barriers to export and import to finished vaccines."

Khairy Jamaludin, who heads the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, also said he is in favour of providing ‘carrots’ before wielding a ‘stick’ at those who have yet to register to support the national vaccination drive towards achieving herd immunity for Covid-19.

“I have to borrow to buy food because the assistance is not enough… I really don’t have money. I don’t even have savings,” a 44-year-old single mother with school-going children known only as “Ms Z” was quoted in the survey.

With increased withdrawals and reduced contributions amid Covid-19, it is no surprise that outgoing CEO Tunku Alizakri Alias said the savings adequacy of more of its members are expected to deteriorate due to Covid-19.

Outgoing CEO, Tunku Alizakri Alias: Tiered dividend is a very complex structure, it has both its pros as well as its disadvantages. We [the EPF] have always operated from an ‘everybody gets the same dividend’ base philosophy. Tiered dividend would actually suggest that there will be ways for us to go and deliver our dividends to our members in very different ways in the future, so again, this is a very complex issue and this is something that the EPF will have to go and touch base with our members at the end of the day because our members need to have a say in how the dividends that they will be receiving in the future should be structured.

EPF chairman Tan Sri Ahmad Badri Mohd Zahir said in the statement that the pension fund managed to safeguard its members’ retirement savings well while meeting their immediate needs to deal with the current challenges. 

Only 8.8% do not want the vaccine