General

Malaysia’s already elevated political risk has further ratcheted higher, following the current government's handling of the pandemic, with Fitch Solutions recently revising downward Malaysia’s Short-Term Political Risk Index score to 65.2 out of 100, from 66.7 previously.

Darren Tay, Senior Country Risk Analyst with Fitch Solutions, explains.

Image credit: adam yusof - Shutterstock.com

As several countries (US, UK and Singapore) have approved the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for teenagers aged between 12 to 15, we ask Emeritus Prof PT Thomas, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences from Taylor’s University whether this should be a strategy in Malaysia. We also ask him if vaccine hesitancy will become a major issue when it comes to vaccinating children.

Image Credit: Shutterstock.com

Financial markets have largely dismissed blowout US inflation data, postponing taper talk at the Fed even as global bank regulators at the Basel Committee sideline Bitcoin.

Jeffrey Halley, Senior Market Analyst, OANDA, discusses.

左滑 / 右滑？感兴趣 / 不感兴趣？现今大部分交友应用程序软件，普遍都只需要动动手指头，就能一秒 “定生死”——让身为用户的我们决定是否对眼前的对象感兴趣、是否要进行更进一步的对话… 其实，作为判别感兴趣与否的基础，往往却只是那一张平面头像而已。智能大时代，科技愈渐发达，人与人的交流却是因为掌上设备慢慢地忽视了：玲珑的个性和立体的人格才是优质交流的根本。因此，相信采用专员对接才能有效配对男女的 Lunch Actually，从客户需求到安排饭局，都由专业的配对员操办；而非简简单单地仰赖大数据的 “科学精准计算”。翻看爱情幸运币，凡事都存在两面——正值疫情，近距离接触的饭局和现实生活中的温度对话都变得举步维艰… 究竟 Lunch Actually 如何融入新常态，让丘比特戴着口罩继续发送爱心呢？本期节目有 Lunch Actually 执行长 Violet 林笑岏洞悉科技时代有温度的浪漫交流，并分享疫情新常态下的防疫与爱情两不误。

Our resident heritage conservation expert, Elizabeth Cardosa joins us to reflect on Coliseum Cafe’s closure, after almost 100 years of serving patrons from all walks of life. Does this mark the end of an era for the old Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, formerly known as Batu Road? We ponder.

IMAGE SOURCE: Coliseum Cafe

Everyone loves a hero. Whether they're squeaky clean like Superman or slightly more questionable like John Rambo, we enjoy watching these characters kick *bleep*, take names, and look good while doing it. But is that all a hero is? On this Supercut, we discuss our favorite heroic archetypes and what makes them tick, the difference between a hero and a regular protagonist, and why some of these characters are able to last a lifetime.

The Star reports that many companies are considering the decision to make Covid-19 vaccinations compulsory for employment, even after the pandemic. We look into the legalities and ethics of making jabs mandatory for both existing employees and job applicants.

Image Source: Steven Cornfield, Unsplash

After 100 years in operation, the iconic Coliseum Cafe in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman is closing down due to the pandemic. First, we look back at the restaurant’s heritage value and how iconic businesses and buildings might be preserved. Then, we discuss the Coliseum’s significance to Malaysian food culture. And finally, we talk about how we can help local businesses stay alive during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Image Source: Dave Siva, Shutterstock

Resort towns and regional communities near natural amenities in the US are attracting remote workers due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Shawn Tanis tells us more.

Image Source: cottonbro, Pexels

Following the dip in quality and profit of the delivery service sector, The Communications and Multimedia Ministry announced a new plan called PAKEJ (Pelan Accelerator Kurier Negara) to help upgrade the quality and reliability of the courier and delivery service sector. We hear from Dr Fadhlullah Suhaimi Abdul Malek about this new initiative.

Image Source: Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC)