Featured in the Media – Page 22 – Asia School of Business

This article first appeared in Digital Edge, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on January 22, 2024 – January 28, 2024

There have been renewed calls for improved artificial intelligence (AI) governance and legislative oversight to address the ethical application of the technology including limiting bias. Countries like China, the US and those in the European Union have come up with AI regulatory frameworks. In the latest series of initiatives to shape the development of AI, the US, UK and several other countries including Singapore, Australia, Germany and Chile signed on to a new framework in November 2023 to create AI systems that are “secure by design”.

In Malaysia, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation is developing a code of ethics and governance — to be ready by this year — that would form the basis of AI regulation for the country. The government has outlined the principles of responsible AI in the Malaysia AI Roadmap 2021–2025. These include fairness; reliability; safety and control; privacy and security; inclusiveness; the pursuit of human benefits and happiness; accountability; and transparency.

Those familiar with AI governance say the overriding goal should be protecting the stakeholders, beginning with consumers and individuals. Asia School of Business CEO, president and dean Sanjay Sarma says issues such as customer privacy, liability, and safety and security need to be addressed.

“A second stakeholder category is creators. We are well and truly into the creator economy through platforms such as YouTube and TikTok. Perhaps we need ways for AI to acknowledge where its generative capacity is sourced from,” he says, acknowledging that though this may prove difficult, at the very least creators should be able to mark their work with a “do not mine” request that reputable AI engines will have to respect.

Read the full article HERE.
Originally published by The Edge.

There have been calls for Malaysia to work harder to be a green investment hub, even more so as we face strong competition from our ASEAN neighbours. One way is the reformation of the power sector to accommodate the potential export of renewable energy. We speak to Dr Renato Lima de Oliveira, Senior Fellow at Institute of Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) to understand what direction Malaysia needs to take as it pivots towards becoming a leader in sustainable development on a global scale.

Listen to the full interview below.

Originally published by BFM.

Setiap negara bergantung kepada perlindungan undang-undang tempatan serta antarabangsa untuk memelihara kedaulatan, sekali gus berusaha memelihara sempadan daripada dicerobohi dan mengawal kegiatan dalam wilayah kedaulatannya. Langkah penting diambil termasuk membabitkan pendaftaran individu berada dalam sempadannya. Ini bukan sahaja menjadi tanda kuasa dan kedaulatan, bahkan membolehkan sumber ekonomi terhad diagihkan mengikut tatatingkat hak individu mendiami di sesebuah kawasan.

Read the full article HERE.
Originally published by Berita Harian.

Setiap negara bergantung kepada perlindungan undang-undang domestik serta antarabangsa untuk memelihara kedaulatan. Sesebuah negara yang berdaulat bukan sahaja akan berusaha untuk memelihara sempadan daripada dicerobohi pihak luar tetapi juga akan mengambil langkah untuk mengawal kegiatan yang berjalan dalam sempadannya. Langkah yang penting bagi sesebuah negara berdaulat adalah untuk mengambil keputusan mengenai pendaftaran individu yang berada dalam sempadan.

Read the full article HERE.
Originally published by Utusan Malaysia.

When used with the best of intentions, social media can be a powerful tool to share wonderful human stories and stay informed about what’s happening in our world. It is also a great place to seek inspiration on what we can do, individually and collectively, to create a better future for everyone.

Climate Voices on Social Media features inspiring climate ambassadors around the globe who use their social media for good. They are all around us: activists, students, actors, artists, writers, photographers, content creators or even you! Here is a roundup of 12 inspiring voices we got to know last year:

1. Antonio Ripoll

A young man with Asperger’s Syndrome born in Montevideo, Uruguay, Antonio Ripoll combines his studies in natural resources conservation with passion for photography. He then fulfilled his dream by starring in National Geographic series Bichero, exploring nature and biodiversity, while using his social media to share content about nature and the importance of protecting it. “When I was little, I felt misunderstood.

I was bullied and I couldn’t connect with other people in a way that made me feel comfortable. At that point, animals saved my life and gave me a reason to keep going. So, all of my nature outreach work is a way of giving back that beautiful gesture that animals had for me. My goal is that we can learn from them so that we can all live together better,” Antonio said.

Follow Antonio on Instagram

2. Bea Dolores

A nature-loving Filipina with diverse advocacy work locally and internationally since 2016 who maintains a low-carbon lifestyle, Bea advocates for biodiversity and cultural identity. She is now doing research on improving walkability in local urban spaces through a year-long youth transport fellowship program. Using her social media, Bea shares her own eco-lifestyle hacks, transport concerns, and updates about the climate crisis.

She also has been a social media manager for different organisations throughout her 7 years of advocacy work. One of them is Renacimiento Manila (Rebirth Manila), the heritage and urban renewal organisation she helped start in early 2020, now has over 24,000 followers online.

Follow Bea on Instagram

3. Cynthia Houniuhi

Growing up in the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific and seeing how the islands and livelihoods are being threatened and their basic human rights being undermined, it has moved Cynthia Houniuhi to act. “I want to be able to have my children live on the islands my ancestors have lived and walked on and the environment I grew up in,” said Cynthia.

She is the President of Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change (PISFCC) who campaigns to seek an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on climate and human rights. She believes that stories move hearts. That is why she uses social media to bring attention to PISFCC’s climate campaigns and share their stories, also to learn from and share with the other young climate activists around the world.

Follow Cynthia on X

4. Dylan Kava

Dylan is an environmental advocate and political activist from Fiji. He is a proud Pacific climate warrior and climate communicator using social media to highlight innovative solutions and initiatives coming out of the Pacific, showing the world that Pacific people are not merely victims but also solution holders.

He currently works with the Pacific Islands Climate Action Network specifically on the push for a global fossil fuel phaseout and a just transition in the region, as well as supporting the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion on Climate Change Campaign. #WeAreNotDrowningWeAreFighting

Follow Dylan on Instagram and X

5. Ganesha Pillai

With experiences in the fields of sustainability, climate change mitigation and renewable energy, Ganesha uses his LinkedIn profile to share his voices and initiate discussions about climate. Now he is the Senior Research Associate in Asia School of Business, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. “I would say I try to fill the knowledge gap by posting relevant materials (about climate and sustainability) in social media to create more awareness and strike up interesting conversations with people,” he said.

Find Ganesha on Linkedin

6. Isao Sakai

Born in 2001 in Tokyo, Isao co-founded Fridays For Future Japan and has been involved with action and strategy planning to demand changes in the local government’s energy policy. Currently, Isao is studying Environmental Humanities and Peace Studies at Earlham College, United States, also working on publishing an independent magazine about decoloniality & East Asia, while using his social media channels to raise awareness about colonialism as one of the root causes of the climate crisis. He was on Forbes Japan 30 Under 30 in 2021.

Follow Isao on Instagram and X

7. Jonathan Berlin

Since 2019, Jonathan Berlin has combined his profession as an actor with climate activism. Most notably, he pleaded for a national climate emergency and initiated a letter to stop coal mining in the German village of Lützerath together with other colleagues at the German Bundestag (German federal parliament). Jonathan regularly uses his voice to draw attention to the climate crisis through social media, interviews and broadcasts. In the Arctic, he also filmed a short documentary on the state of glaciers as a seismograph of the climate crisis.

Follow Jonathan on Instagram

8. Kasan Kurdi

Driven by immense passion for photography, Kasan Kurdi, born and raised in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, has been working as a freelance videographer for 20 years. He is now actively involved in the local social community Akar Padi that has an annual event called “Ngaran Kite Festival” to talk about youth, agriculture, environment and climate through kites.

“In my work, I often witness how human greed has destroyed our environment. I hope that sharing my visual experiences through the power of social media can capture the hearts and minds of the people so they realise that our Earth is not doing well, so that they will reduce or even stop consuming products which have the potential to exacerbate the climate crisis. For the sake of our future generations after us, enough is enough!” said Kasan.

Follow Kasan on Instagram

9. Lamiaa Biaz

Lamiaa Biaz is a French-Moroccan activist who has been living plastic and waste-free since 2019. She uses art and engages in conversations with experts to raise awareness about plastic, waste, and agriculture crises on social media. She also founded the Captain Forest movement which aims to promote sustainable living in the community. Lamiaa stated: “Build a strong connection with nature, then start your ecological journey. Why? Because your actions should come from a place of love. Not fear. LOVE.”

Follow Lamiaa on LinkedIn

10. Louisa Schneider

A German journalist, climate activist, and storyteller, committed to fight the climate crisis and its consequences, Louisa Schneider is now the host of grad.jetzt, a project by Greenpeace Germany that aims to show connections between climate, tipping points, and biodiversity. In this project, she travels to global climate tipping points to show and explain the beauty of the planet as well as the dangerous effects of current climate developments. On social media, she shares her experiences and amplifies the voices of those who are already suffering the most from the effects of the climate crisis.

Follow Louisa on Instagram

11. Rodolfo “Jun” Sabayton Jr.

Rodolfo “Jun” Sabayton Jr. is a filmmaker, curator, cultural worker, and also a member of several artist collectives and non-government organisations in the Philippines. An environmental advocate for almost two decades, Jun is known for his long-running collaboration with Greenpeace Philippines on various campaigns to promote plastic-free future and climate justice.

He said, “my work aims to cultivate a global community that embraces environmental stewardship and preservation of the earth. Through social media, I am able to share my art as well as show the beauty of our planet as well as the devastating impacts of human activity. This gives the opportunity to spark conversations, raise awareness and inspire collective action towards a sustainable future.”

Follow Jun on Instagram

12. Samela Sateré Mawé

Samela is a young Indigenous of the Sateré Mawé people. Born as an Amazonian, she uses her social media as a tool of struggle and resistance in defence of the Amazon biome and also all the people who live there. “The internet and social media channels for us, indigenous peoples, have become an important tool for deconstruction, decolonization, demystification and denunciation, especially talking about the indigenous and environmental agenda,” Samela stated.

Follow Samela on Instagram

Originally published by GreenPeace.

As Malaysia stands at the crossroads of an evolving economic landscape, the intricacies of pension systems and retirement planning have never been more critical. The conventional “pay-as-you-go” system, a staple in many countries, is facing challenges that make it seemingly unsustainable. Financed by the working population through taxation or government debt issuance, the cost burden of this system is exacerbated by demographic shifts, especially in a nation with a top-heavy population pyramid. In the Malaysian context, the challenges of a “pay-as-you-go” system are pronounced.

One academic estimate places the cost at more than RM40 billion per annum just to provide a basic wage of RM2,700 per month up to the 70th percentile of retirees. The economic strain is evident. The question that arises is clear: How can Malaysia navigate these challenges and create a sustainable retirement ecosystem? A viable alternative lies in the concept of a self-funded, pseudo-government-guaranteed public pension or social security savings fund — an approach successfully implemented by Malaysia’s Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and Singapore’s Central Provident Fund (CPF).

These self-funded pension plans operate on a co-contribution model, where both employees and employers contribute to the scheme. Individual ownership of accounts ensures a sense of responsibility, while a government guarantee sets a floor for returns, preventing them from falling below a specified level. In both Malaysia and Singapore’s case, the legislated minimum is 2.5% per annum in dividend or interest income respectively. While EPF employs a liability-driven investing (LDI) scheme, CPF follows an asset-liability management (ALM) approach. The nuanced differences in investment strategies highlight the need for continuous refinement and adaptation.

For example, ensuring a balance between risk and return in the LDI scheme becomes paramount, particularly in the context of globally interconnected financial and capital markets. Whereas in the case of CPF, all proceeds raised from the Special Singapore Government Securities (SSGS) issued to CPF from member subscriptions as part of the ALM scheme are handed over to GIC to manage in a total returns context. Singapore’s CPF, often lauded as a successful model and hailed by the Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension Index as the best in Asia, presents specific elements that could be seamlessly adapted for Malaysia’s retirement savings framework.

CPF LIFE, Singapore’s life annuity scheme for retirees upon retirement, offers a compelling income-in-retirement blueprint for Malaysia’s EPF. The automatic conversion of a Singapore retiree’s self-funded accumulated sum at the point of retirement into a lifelong steady income stream mirrors the functionality of traditional pension systems. Another noteworthy feature is the CPF/HDB Lease Buyback Scheme, allowing retired homeowners to monetise home equity into a lifelong retirement income stream. The success of these government-backed retirement initiatives lies in both their low-cost and subsidised nature, thus making them sufficient and efficient for retirees.

Market-based pricing checks emerge as a critical component in designing a robust retirement system. Platforms like ImmediateAnnuities.com in the US (previously known as Annuity Shopper Buyer’s Guide), where insurers bid for retirees’ annuity business, provide insights into the market pricing for annuities under free market competition. Access to such auctions, and the resulting price discovery and information, allows Malaysia to establish a market-based pricing mechanism for annuities, hence aligning premiums and payouts with market realities.

Safeguarding the integrity of individual pension contributions and preventing political interference is also imperative. While Malaysia’s retirement savings system is sound, the challenge lies in protecting against unforeseen events. Learning from global counterparts and adopting measures to fortify the system can ensure its resilience. The role of reverse mortgages in unlocking home equity for retirement, as was recently introduced in Malaysia by Cagamas, is noteworthy. However, integrating and pooling the reverse mortgage programme with the EPF savings scheme, akin to Singapore’s CPF Lease BuyBack programme, can potentially pool risks more efficiently and hence enhance payout rates.

Effective risk pooling becomes the linchpin for maximising the risk-return benefits of such schemes, ultimately securing more robust retirement income for Malaysians. Healthcare costs in retirement represent a significant concern globally, and Malaysia can take proactive steps to integrate healthcare coverage into its retirement savings framework. Creating a separate tax-advantaged Medisave account within EPF can cover insurance premiums for healthcare costs, with surpluses available for co-payments or enhanced private care.

The proposal for a goals-oriented approach to publicly mandated retirement savings offers a paradigm shift. By aligning investment strategies with the individual’s needs for retirement, Malaysia can create a more dynamic and personalised approach to members’ retirement savings. Relying solely on a balanced lifecycle fund in your EPF Account 1, which is the account that allows you to withdraw eligible funds to invest in mutual funds and unit trusts, might not suffice, especially in the face of market downturns, as witnessed during the 2008 global financial crisis.

As the conversation expands to encompass the recent developments in the Malaysian retirement planning dialogue, including the Flexible EPF, a nuanced perspective is crucial. While flexibility is akin to a financial option and holds intrinsic value, the impact of such flexibility, as seen in the multiple special withdrawals during the Covid-19 pandemic, and the attendant depletion in members’ retirement account values, necessitates careful consideration. Balancing flexibility with the long-term sustainability of retirement savings is paramount.

Private pension schemes emerge as a promising avenue, offering a self-funded and privately managed alternative. Countries like Malaysia, Singapore and the US have successfully implemented supplemental retirement schemes, which provide tax benefits and the potential to invest in diversified and cost-efficient products. The advantages of private pension schemes over pay-as-you-go systems become apparent with the passage of time. The latter offers individuals more control over their retirement savings and portfolios.

In conclusion, the future of Malaysia’s retirement conundrum lies in comprehensive reform. Drawing inspiration from successful models, integrating innovative approaches and prioritising individual needs can reshape the retirement landscape. Malaysia has the opportunity to create a sustainable, flexible and goal-oriented retirement system that meets the diverse needs of its citizens. The time is ripe for a transformation that ensures financial security and dignity for retirees in the years to come. To enable that, an EPF-led advisory panel on retirement should be set up to evaluate the best way forward for Malaysia’s retirement savings system, such that the principles of adequacy, sustainability and integrity are assured.

Originally published by The Edge.

Isu berkaitan rakyat tanpa warganegara sebenarnya wujud di hampir setiap negeri di negara ini dan banyak memorandum diserahkan oleh pelbagai pihak termasuk pertubuhan bukan kerajaan (NGO) kepada Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN) untuk meminta satu keputusan jelas bagi menangani isu yang mendapat perhatian masyarakat dunia. Malah ia pernah tular di media sosial apabila media lur negara memainkan isu ini di Sabah sekali gus memberi tamparan hebat di Malaysia.

Read the full article HERE.
Originally published by Utusan Malaysia.

During Startup Week Malaysia 2023 last week, we had the opportunity to sit in and engage with various industry stakeholders to learn more about the nation’s startup landscape. This included insights on how to curate a good brand story, the harsh realities of managing a large global team, and funding advice from 1337 Ventures’ CEO, Bikesh Lakhmichand.

All of which we’ll be sharing with you soon in coming articles. But aside from such talks and workshops, we also attended Startup Week Malaysia’s Marketplace which was held at Asia School of Business. There, we got to meet a mix of established and budding startups, 12 of which caught our eye. Here’s who they are.

1. Tanoti

Tanoti, which means weave in Sanskrit, was established back in 2012. As the name suggests, the brand is dedicated towards the preservation of weaving, particularly songket weaving. A social enterprise based in Kuching, Tanoti houses young ladies from the local Penan community and fosters their weaving skills. This provides them with more opportunities to earn a viable income.

But aside from songket, the brand has expanded their products beyond just textiles. There’s also homemade food like kasturi lime jam and engkabang butter. At the marketplace, though, we saw handmade rattan weaved bags and hats, mengkuang hand fans, and rattan-weaved felt Christmas ornaments.

Where to buy: You can visit them at Tanoti House in Kuching or purchase from their website here.
Contact: +608-223 9277

2. FirstSeed

Made for children aged 5 to 17, FirstSeed is a marketplace for kidpreneurs to promote their products and services in real-world environments. Instead of classes, children are taught on-the-job experience in a kid-friendly environment. The platform’s founder explained that FirstSeed is meant to be a stepping stone for kidpreneurs.

Specifically, it’s to help with discovering their interests and transitioning to more mature online marketplaces. At the marketplace we visited, we were introduced to two of their students’ businesses, namely ACTors and Simple Meals.

Where to buy: You can check out the brand’s SeedMart website here.
Contact: +6017-228 6778

3. Showwcase

Started by a Malaysian, Showwcase is a community platform for software developers, by software developers. Noticing the struggles of finding a viable networking space for those in this niche, Rong Liew (co-founder) decided to create his own. Aside from being a community platform, though, Showwcase also doubles as a global tech job portal. During one of his sessions as a panel speaker, Liew shared that the brand allows companies to hire developers around the world.

Where to find: You can check out the website here to connect with software developers.
Contact: team@showwcase.com

4. Snackright

One of the few F&B startups that we came across, Snackright was started by a couple who liked snacking. But not at the cost of their health. As such, they came up with their own brand serving healthy treats like nuts, dried fruits, and crackers. The twist is that they don’t sacrifice taste in the process.

You can find packets of their nuts in flavours like chili lime and Korean BBQ, whereas their rice multigrain crackers are made to taste like tom yum and teriyaki. Currently, there’s a Christmas Magical Party Box on sale at RM55, where you can get 10 mini packets of their bestsellers.

Where to buy: You can check out the online website here to purchase their snacks.
Contact: +6012-976 7917

5. Infinite Minds Academy

A school for special needs people, Infinite Minds Academy conducts digital tech programmes for upskilling. The goal is to help these individuals sustain themselves economically by obtaining the necessary digital tech skills. According to their website, their students are mainly those with autism, Asperger’s syndrome, dyslexia, Down syndrome, slow learners, ADHD, cerebral palsy, and those who are deaf and mute.

To showcase the talents of their students, the social enterprise sells a variety of products designed by them at the marketplace under a brand called Beamworks. At the bazaar, we saw their prayer mats, coasters, reusable tote bags, and calendar cards for 2024.

Where to find: You can check out the catalogue here to purchase their designs.
Contact: hellobeamworks@gmail.com

6. Matt Made Studios

A newcomer to the entrepreneurial scene, Matt Made Studios is a new venture offering personalised paper crafts. Once a videographer, the brand’s founder launched the business to shed light on paper crafting in Malaysia. As of now, Matt Made Studios is still in their infancy and undergoing daily R&D.

But some of the current offerings that you can already find are popup cards and kirigami (a variation of origami). An example of the latter is the Spotify Christmas cards. If you’d like something more unique, the brand also takes customised orders. For this, a 50% deposit is required to confirm the booking.

Where to buy: You can purchase from the website here.
Contact: mattmadestudios@gmail.com

7. Seven Tea One

Established in 2016,Seven Tea One is another local social enterprise that’s committed to helping persons with disabilities. The brand focuses on equipping disabled teens with basic employment skills, including data recording, calculations, and organisation. Along with that, teens are taught living skills such as communication, teamwork, and decision-making.

While speaking to us, the founder shared that they’ll be moving from Setia Alam to Kapar. This is so that Seven Tea One can be closer to the community and make a bigger positive impact on their lives. For now, the brand largely creates F&B products with the help of their beneficiaries.

Where to buy: You can check out the website here to purchase their products.
Contact: +6016-238 5060 / +603-308 29211

8. carching

“Turning your KM to RM”, that’s the slogan of carching. You’ve probably seen some of their services while out and about. But if not, carching is a platform that allows car owners to earn cash by driving. Launched last year, the startup wraps users’ cars with partnering campaign advertisements. Upon signing up with carching, you’re basically a brand ambassador and can choose your preferred campaigns. On a monthly basis, users of carching can earn up to RM500. But do note that you’ll need to hit a minimum travel distance in order to qualify for the payout.

Where to find: You can check out the website here to find out more about its services.
Contact: 321go@carching.co

9. Vive

Started in 2015, Vive is a local bean-to-bar chocolatier that can be found in various partnering stores around Peninsular Malaysia. According to their LinkedIn page, the brand collaborates with chocolate farmers that practice organic and sustainable methods to plant the cacao trees. This ensures that the cacao beans harvested are of good quality. Currently, you can find a range of Vive’s products, such as cacao nibs, dark chocolate bars, cacao husk tea, and pure cocoa powder.

Where to buy: You can visit them at Vive’s physical store in Seri Kembangan or purchase their cocoa-related products from the website here.
Contact: +6013-488 4191

10. Jerry

Created by the team behind Colony, Jerry is a budget-friendly, self-service coworking space brand. At the time of writing, they’re open in eight locations around the Klang Valley. Customers can opt to book their own private workspace for as short as one day for RM30 with their Day Pass. And if you like the consistency of being in one place, there’s also the option of a Monthly Pass for RM610. But if you prefer somewhere in between, there’s a flexible Prepaid Pass where you can choose any six days for RM150. So you’re able to reschedule your booking at no extra cost.

Where to find: You can check out all its locations and its details here.
Contact: +6012-241 7828

Highlighting up-and-coming businesses

Aside from the 10 businesses above, we also came across two other local brands that are still in the early stages.

MyRehat is a local accommodation platform that connects travellers with homeowners who act as professional hosts. On the other hand, Swap.A.Gas provides customers like housewives with “explosion-proof” cooking gas canisters.

All in all, we’re excited to see how all of these businesses will grow in the future and possibly innovate their respective business landscapes. So we’ll definitely be keeping an eye on them.

Separately, for the social enterprises that are interested in showcasing their brands, ASB will actually be hosting a monthly Social Impact Marketplace. We don’t have much information on this yet as it’s a new initiative, but its social media page should release more details soon.

Originally published by Vulcan Post.

A group of Malaysian independent smallholders obtaining the RSPO Independent Smallholder (ISH) Standard Certification have commemorated their sustainability journey in the book, “The Road to Certified Sustainable Palm Oil: A Sustainability Journey from the Fields of Johor”, which was launched at the recently concluded RSPO Annual Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RT2023) in Jakarta, Indonesia. The book details the sustainability journey developed by the Center for Sustainable Small-owners (CSS) at the Asia School of Business (ASB) in Kuala Lumpur to facilitate the RSPO Certification of 407 independent smallholders under the Procter & Gamble (P&G) Smallholder Programme.

In August 2021, the programme successfully saw the certification of the inaugural group of 101 independent smallholders in Malaysia, awarded to Pertubuhan Tani Niaga Lestari Negeri Johor (PERTANIAGA) as Group Manager. The book describes in detail the flow of activities mapped to RSPO ISH Standard requirements, and provides guidance on developing documentation and training curriculum to support the journey towards achieving or facilitating certification. P&G Chemical’s Sustainability Director Francis Wiederkehr shared, “The P&G Smallholder Programme, which started in 2019, aims to act as a force for good to enable our smallholders to progress in their sustainable farming journey, gain recognition and achieve RSPO Certification.”

Within four years since the Smallholder Programme began, P&G partnered with independent smallholders to help them establish PERTANIAGA as their own independent smallholder association in 2021. To date, the programme has supported and guided 407 ISHs towards achieving RSPO’s ISH certification. In 2023, the programme introduced an initiative creating awareness on Sustainable and Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and has trained over 1,000 smallholders to date. Another 400 PERTANIAGA members who are part of the programme are expected to be RSPO Certified in 2024.

Guntur Cahyo Prabowo, RSPO Head of Smallholder Program (Global), remarked, “This book pays tribute to smallholders’ inspiring journey towards certification and sustainability. Certified against the RSPO’s rigorous ISH Standard, smallholders protect, conserve and enhance ecosystems and the environment by ensuring that oil palm production is sustainable. They are integral to our overall quest to achieve greater levels of sustainability within the sector.” As of September 2023, over 35,000 independent smallholder farmers have been certified under the RSPO ISH Standard, covering a certified production area of 100,078 hectares across 7 countries.

CSS Director, Dr. Asad Ata said, “Being certified helps smallholder farmers become aware about sustainability as a shared responsibility, while increasing the marketability of their produce. It also allows them to benefit from RSPO premiums, of which our group of certified independent smallholder farmers from the districts of Batu Pahat and Pontian in Johor, have collectively received over US$42,000 in 2021 and 2022.”

Wiederkehr added, “With the sharing of our combined experiences in this smallholder journey in Johor, P&G-CSS hopes to inspire other companies and industry stakeholders to pursue certification initiatives for ISHs. While challenging, they are greatly rewarding in terms of creating a positive and hopefully long-term impact.” Access the eBook “Road to Certified Sustainable Palm Oil: A Sustainability Journey from the Fields of Johor” by clicking here.

Originally published by RSPO.

KUALA LUMPUR: A concept paper on integrating government services in a single digital platform will be presented at the coming National Economic Action Council (NEAC) meeting in December, says Rafizi Ramli. The Economy Minister said the GovTech concept paper was a critical step towards integrating technology into government processes, illustrating the commitment to digital transformation and modernisation of the public sector.

“The ministry, the Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (Mampu) and related government agencies are currently finalising the first concept paper on GovTech. “This will pave the way forward for the use of GovTech by the government,” he told a press conference at Asia School of Business here yesterday.

Read the full article HERE.
Originally published by The Star.

Category: Featured in the Media