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The Star
7 days ago
- Business
- The Star
SEED 2025 brings wellness, services under one roof
The Star employees donating blood at the National Blood Bank booth. — Photos: AZLINA ABDULLAh/The Star THE Star Employee Enrichment Day (SEED) 2025 transformed a regular workday into a vibrant hub of wellness, fun and convenience. The annual two-day event organised by Star Media Group (SMG) Bhd's Group People Department is part of an ongoing initiative to provide meaningful experiences that prioritise employee wellbeing and boost morale. With more than 50 booths set up at Menara Star in Petaling Jaya, employees could consult government agencies, undergo wellness screenings and shop from various vendors. One of the standout features this year was the expanded wellness centre, which offered a wide range of services focused on both physical and mental health. Hazlin Aminudin, from the Content Department, said the wellness aspect kept improving with more health screenings introduced annually. 'I noticed that every year there are more of these health tests and screenings, and I think it's really helpful,' she said. 'These are the things most of us wouldn't usually go our way to check otherwise. (From left) SMG Internal Audit general manager Chai Ming Jye, Group People project lead Joshua Joel, Print, Circulation & Subscription senior general manager Goh Kok Soo, The Star managing editor Brian Martin, Chan, Terence, Digital senior general manager Wan Syahirah Mohammad Zubir, Technology senior general manager Kevin Seng, senior general counsel Soh Sze Jean, Group People project lead Lee Jun Yen and senior group company secretary Kimberly Hoh at the SEED 2025 launch. 'It also helps normalise seeking support for mental health. It's really good for awareness,' she added. An exciting new addition this year was the neuro-AI emotional wellness screening provided by Alpro. The cutting edge tool uses artificial intelligence to help people better understand and manage their stress levels. Beyond wellness, SEED also served as a practical one-stop centre for personal errands, with the participation of multiple government agencies, which were also open to the public. Participants supported the community by donating blood at the National Blood Bank booth. SMG employee Sia Hong Kiau shared her thoughts on the importance of donating blood. 'I believe donating blood is beneficial, not only for yourself but for saving the lives of others. Everyone should do it if they are eligible,' she said. Among the most visited agencies was the National Registration Department (JPN) which offered services such as MyKad renewals, MyKad applications for 12-year-olds as well as registration for birth or death certificates. JPN assistant registrar Zurina Soleh said the JPN mobile van received a strong response. 'Almost every minute, there would be someone at our booth,' she said. Zurina added that there was a balanced turnout for both identity card matters and birth and death certificate registrations. Another initiative was the HR information counter, which gave employees a dedicated space to consult on topics regarding recruitment, performance and rewards, learning and development and employee engagement. Employees making enquiries at the JPN mobile service during SEED 2025. The event was officially launched by SMG group chief executive officer Chan Seng Fatt who highlighted the convenience SEED offered employees. 'From the healthcare setup to the government agencies that we have here, it really is a convenience for staff who do not have the time to do what is necessary for them,' he said. SMG Group People senior general manager Terence Raj said SEED was also about bringing the workplace community together. 'Sometimes we are separated by various floors, and this kind of events bring everybody together. 'It's about encouraging interaction and collaboration between different departments,' Terence added. During the launch on the first day of SEED 2025, participants were treated to a nostalgic cup of Milo from the popular Milo truck. Meanwhile, the second day kicked off with a morning physiotherapy session by Alpro and a Nestum giveaway. SEED 2025 featured vibrant performances by Suria FM and staff along with interactive games like 'Guess the Voice'. Free goodie bags were also given out to employees at the two-day event.
Free Malaysia Today
15-07-2025
- Free Malaysia Today
Protect family from falling victim to sham marriages, says immigration DG
Immigration director-general Zakaria Shaaban said syndicates target vulnerable elderly women to consent to marriage with foreign partners in exchange for thousands of ringgit that is paid monthly as an allowance. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : The immigration department has told the public to be more vigilant amid growing concerns over sham marriages involving foreign nationals and older local women. Immigration director-general Zakaria Shaaban said syndicates are targeting vulnerable elderly women to consent to marriage with foreign partners in exchange for thousands of ringgit paid monthly as an allowance, Berita Harian reported. 'We need to raise awareness about this in the community. 'If you have ageing family members, such as a mother or older sister who lives alone, ensure they are not taken advantage of by syndicates offering financial incentives,' he was quoted as saying. Immigration authorities recently smashed a syndicate believed to be offering immigration services, including applications under the 'foreign spouse of a Malaysian citizen' category, and marriage registration services through the national registration department (JPN). The syndicate reportedly targeted vulnerable elderly women, often those who were financially dependent or lacked family support. According to the Malay daily, in most cases, the elderly women were only required to consent to the marriage. In exchange, they received thousands of ringgit every month as an allowance, while the foreign partner used the marriage to obtain legal status in Malaysia. Zakaria said that while marriages conducted legally and in accordance with Malaysian law are not considered offences, authorities are concerned about the rise in the so-called 'marriages of convenience' that are used to gain residency status. He also warned that the department will not approve long-term social visit passes if investigations suggest that the marriages were carried out purely for immigration benefits. 'There have been cases of foreign men in their 20s marrying local women in their 60s or 70s. The age gap alone raises suspicion of ulterior motives,' he said. 'If a 25-year-old foreign man marries an elderly woman just to get legal status in Malaysia, that's not a genuine relationship. Immigration will conduct thorough checks to verify the authenticity of such marriages.' He said these cases, though not new, present an ongoing social concern, especially when elderly individuals are exploited.
New Straits Times
07-07-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
NexG bags four Home Ministry contract extensions worth RM45.5mil
KUALA LUMPUR: NexG Bhd, formerly Datasonic Group Bhd, has secured four contract extensions from the Home Ministry for the continued supply and maintenance of passport and identification card services. Two of the extensions, awarded to its subsidiary Datasonic Technologies Sdn Bhd, are valued at a combined RM45.54 million. The other two are time-only extensions with no additional contract sum, the company said in a filing with Bursa Malaysia. A six-month extension, effective until May 31, 2026, was granted for the supply of MyKad, MyTentera and MyPOCA raw cards and consumables to the National Registration Department (JPN), with a third ceiling contract value of RM29.68 million. Meanwhile, the company's contract to maintain card personalisation centres at JPN received a 14-month extension with an additional ceiling value of RM15.86 million. The remaining two contract extensions involve the supply of Malaysian passport documents and polycarbonate biodata pages to the Immigration Department. All contract extensions will take effect from Dec 1, 2025.
Malaysian Reserve
07-07-2025
- Business
- Malaysian Reserve
NEXG secures contract extensions from Home Ministry worth over RM45m
NEXG Bhd (formerly known as Datasonic Group Bhd) has secured three contract extensions from the Ministry of Home Affairs (KDN) via its wholly-owned subsidiary, Datasonic Technologies Sdn Bhd (DTSB), for the continued supply and maintenance of national identity and travel document systems. The company announced today that DTSB received and accepted letters of extension (LOE), all dated July 2, from KDN on July 7, 2025. The first extension involves comprehensive maintenance services for card personalisation centres at the National Registration Department (JPN) for a period of 14 months, from December 1, 2025 to January 31, 2027. The additional fifth ceiling contract value is RM15.86 million, inclusive of 8% sales and service tax (SST). The second contract covers the supply of MyKad, MyTentera and MyPOCA raw cards and consumables to JPN. It has been extended for six months from December 1, 2025 to May 31, 2026. The additional third ceiling contract value amounts to RM29.68 million, bringing the total cumulative value of the contract to RM146.03 million. The third contract relates to the supply of Malaysian passport documents and polycarbonate biodata pages to the Immigration Department (Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia). Both scopes have been extended for a further six months from December 1, 2025 to May 31, 2026, with no changes to the contract ceilings or quantities. As part of the terms, DTSB is required to maintain performance bonds with extended validity periods until May 31, 2027. This includes RM2.23 million for the passport documents contract and RM3.53 million for the polycarbonate biodata pages. NEXG said the contracts are expected to contribute positively to the group's earnings and net assets per share for the financial year ending March 31, 2026 and the duration of the respective contracts. NEXG has been a longstanding technology partner to the Malaysian government in delivering secure personal identification solutions, including biometric passports and national identity cards. –TMR
New Straits Times
05-07-2025
- New Straits Times
Immigration busts syndicate exploiting senior citizens for fake marriages
KUALA LUMPUR: A syndicate that exploited senior citizens for marriage arrangements with foreigners has been dismantled by the Immigration Department following a special operation conducted in Putrajaya last Thursday. Its director-general, Datuk Zakaria Shaaban, said the operation, which began at 9.19am, was carried out following two weeks of intelligence gathering by the Intelligence and Special Operations Division based at Immigration headquarters in Putrajaya. He said five Malaysian men, aged between 30 and 66, were arrested during the raid. "Four of them are believed to be the main masterminds of the syndicate, while one acted as an intermediary," he said in a statement today. Among the items seized during the operation were six Malaysian passports, 22 Chinese passports, seven Bangladeshi passports, three Indonesian passports, two Vietnamese passports, one Myanmar passport, and one Macau passport. Also confiscated were a laptop, two printers, two backpacks, RM3,070 in cash, and two vehicles, a Perodua Bezza and a Honda CR-V, believed to have been used by the syndicate. "In addition, 26 folders containing documents from the department and the National Registration Department (JPN) were also seized," he added. Zakaria said the syndicate is believed to have been offering immigration-related services, such as applications under the category of "foreign spouse of a Malaysian citizen", as well as JPN applications for marriages between Malaysians and foreign nationals. The syndicate is believed to have been in operation for about a year. "Its modus operandi involved targeting local senior citizens in the Klang Valley who were seeking to marry foreign nationals, charging between RM50 and RM500 for each application," he said. All five suspects were detained on suspicion of committing offences under the Passport Act 1966 and were taken to the Immigration Office in Putrajaya for further action. Zakaria added that the department remains committed to strengthening enforcement efforts in line with the Madani Government's emphasis on integrity in governance and national security.
