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Malaysian Reserve
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Malaysian Reserve
Egyptian conservators give King Tut's treasures new glow
by MENNA FAROUK AS A teenager, Eid Mertah would pore over books about King Tutankhamun, tracing hieroglyphs and dreaming of holding the boy pharaoh's golden mask in his hands. Years later, the Egyptian conservator found himself gently brushing centuries-old dust off one of Tut's gilded ceremonial shrines — a piece he had only seen in textbooks. 'I studied archaeology because of Tut,' Mertah, 36, told AFP. 'It was my dream to work on his treasures — and that dream came true.' Mertah is one of more than 150 conservators and 100 archaeologists who have laboured quietly for over a decade to restore thousands of artefacts ahead of the long-awaited opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) — a US$1 billion (RM4.25 billion) project on the edge of the Giza Plateau. Originally slated for July 3, the launch has once again been postponed — now expected in the final months of the year — due to regional security concerns. The museum's opening has faced delays over the years for various reasons, ranging from political upheaval to the Covid-19 pandemic. But when it finally opens, the GEM will be the world's largest archaeological museum devoted to a single civilisation. It will house more than 100,000 artefacts, with over half on public display, and will include a unique feature: A live conservation lab. From behind glass walls, visitors will be able to watch in real time as experts work over the next three years to restore a 4,500-year-old boat buried near the tomb of Pharaoh Khufu and intended to ferry his soul across the sky with the sun god Ra. But the star of the museum remains King Tut's collection of more than 5,000 objects — many to be displayed together for the first time. Among them are his golden funeral mask, gilded coffins, golden amulets, beaded collars, ceremonial chariots and two mummified foetuses believed to be his stillborn daughters. 'Puzzle of Gold' Many of these treasures have not undergone restoration since British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered them in 1922. The conservation methods used by Carter's team were intended to protect the objects, but over a century later, they have posed challenges for their modern-day successors. Coating gold surfaces in wax, for instance, 'preserved the objects at the time', said conservator Hind Bayoumi, 'but it then hid the very details we want the world to see'. For months, Bayoumi, 39, and her colleagues painstakingly removed the wax applied by British chemist Alfred Lucas, which had over decades trapped dirt and dulled the shine of the gold. Restoration has been a joint effort between Egypt and Japan, which contributed US$800 million in loans and provided technical support. Egyptian conservators — many trained by Japanese experts — have led cutting-edge work across 19 laboratories covering wood, metal, papyrus, textiles and more. Tut's gilded coffin — brought from his tomb in Luxor — proved one of the most intricate jobs. At the GEM's wood lab, conservator Fatma Magdy, 34, used magnifying lenses and archival photos to reassemble its delicate gold sheets. 'It was like solving a giant puzzle,' she said. 'The shape of the break, the flow of the hieroglyphs — every detail mattered.' Touching History Before restoration, the Tutankhamun collection was retrieved from several museums and storage sites, including the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square, the Luxor Museum and the tomb itself. Some items were given light restoration before their relocation to ensure they could be safely moved. Teams first conducted photographic documentation, X-ray analysis and material testing to understand each item's condition before touching it. 'We had to understand the condition of each piece — the gold layers, the adhesives, wood structure — everything,' said Mertah, who worked on King Tut's ceremonial shrines at the Egyptian Museum. Fragile pieces were stabilised with Japanese tissue paper — thin but strong — and adhesives like Paraloid B-72 and Klucel G, both reversible and minimally invasive. The team's guiding philosophy throughout has been one of restraint. 'The goal is always to do the least amount necessary — and to respect the object's history,' said Mohamed Moustafa, 36, another senior restorer. Beyond the restoration work, the process has been an emotional journey for many of those involved. 'I think we're more excited to see the museum than tourists are,' Moustafa said. 'When visitors walk through the museum, they'll see the beauty of these artefacts. But for us, every piece is a reminder of the endless working hours, the debates, the training,' he added. 'Every piece tells a story.' — AFP This article first appeared in The Malaysian Reserve weekly print edition
The Star
18-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
Upside potential for ringgit
PETALING JAYA: The ringgit is likely to close at RM4.10 against the US dollar by the end of this year and RM4 by the end of 2026, amid a continuous softening of the US dollar and portfolio inflows. Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank) head of foreign-exchange (forex) research Saktiandi Supaat said the ringgit's performance in 2025 so far has been supported by a broad decline in the greenback, which stemmed from fading US 'exceptionalism' and tariff-driven concerns on US growth. He noted that Federal Reserve rate cuts had also been priced in, which in turn made global investors shift away from the United States. 'The broad decline in the dollar will still be on track for the next six months and most of 2026. Generally, tariffs will be the key theme on top of others,' he said at Maybank Investment Bank's second half of 2025 (2H25) Market Outlook virtual media briefing yesterday. Currently, US$1 equals to around RM4.25. He reckoned that the ringgit was still fairly valued at this stage, with upside potential. Ongoing domestic initiatives such as government-linked companies forex conversions, resident investor programmes and promoting the ringgit in cross-border trade are steps in the right direction, he added. Saktiandi also noted that foreign currency deposits in Malaysia had grown, particularly among corporates. Meanwhile, Standard Chartered, which also held its second-half market outlook briefing yesterday, expects the ringgit to trade within a narrow range of 4.20 to 4.30 against the US dollar over the next 12 months, also supported by a broadly weak greenback. Senior investment strategist Yap Fook Hien said the US dollar's weakness had largely been priced in, and the currency is expected to stay soft – at least for the next 12 months. 'Most of the weakening has already happened and we do not expect a bounce back. At the moment, our view is that at least for the next 12 months, it will be weak,' he said at the bank's 2H25 Global Market Outlook briefing. 'But also important to note, we're not looking at a collapse of the US dollar.' He noted that the US Dollar Index (DXY), which has hovered between 100 and 110 since 2022, slipped below 100 in April amid 'Liberation Day' tariff concerns, and now trades around 98. Standard Chartered's 12-month target for the DXY is 96. On the local economy, Maybank group chief economist Suhaimi Ilias said he was maintaining Malaysia's 2025 real gross domestic product growth forecast at 4.1%. It has been revised downwards twice this year from the original 4.9% as a result of the reciprocal tariff announcement in April and lower-than-expected first-quarter growth. The prolonged uncertainties plus overhangs in US trade policy and tariff actions, as well as the outcome of Malaysia's negotiations with the United States will continue to be in focus, he said. 'There is still resilience in domestic demand, especially consumer spending and investment,' he said, adding that the country's investment upcycle appeared intact. Head of equity research Lim Sue Lin said Maybank's year-end FBM KLCI target remained at 1,660 points, 14.4 times the 2026 price earnings ratio. 'Three sector thematics to explore for the rest of 2025 are plantations, utilities/renewable energy and ports,' Lim said. Although 'neutral' on banks, Lim noted that they remained a 'crucial driver' in terms of the direction of the stock market benchmark index. Lim is also positive on the consumer, healthcare and real estate investment trust sectors. 'The (newly imposed) sales and service tax will only affect the consumer discretionary sector,' she said, adding that she remained positive on consumer staples. At its briefing, Standard Chartered Malaysia head of managed investments and advisory Ng Shin Seong added that the narrowing interest rate gap between the United States and Malaysia could support the ringgit, although 'there's just a couple more percent in our 12-month view'. 'There has been a pre-emptive cut in Malaysia's overnight policy rate, and the US Federal Reserve is expected to cut rates further,' he said. Despite market uncertainty from US trade tensions, Ng said the macroeconomic data for Malaysia remained resilient. 'Once uncertainties are alleviated, that could help the market. Based on the hard data, the country is doing okay.' Yap said a weak US dollar typically supports equities and favours non-US assets, prompting the bank to upgrade its view on emerging market local currency bonds and Asia ex-Japan equities. 'We expect a soft landing in the United States, which is positive for global equities, but the tilt is towards non-US assets,' he said. 'Asia ex-Japan valuations are attractive, and we prefer China and South Korea due to ongoing stimulus and artificial intelligence developments.' Within China, Yap said Standard Chartered adopted a barbell strategy, favouring high-dividend state-owned enterprises for stability and technology stocks for growth. In South Korea, he said improving corporate governance and fiscal stimulus are expected to attract more inflows. As for Asean, Yap said the region remained defensive and resilient, but may underperform in a strong global rally. 'Asean tends to outperform in weaker markets. At the moment, we prefer other markets for outperformance potential,' he said. He added that gold and alternative assets remained relevant in a diversified portfolio, especially amid global uncertainties, while reiterating that the US dollar remained the world's most liquid currency despite its weakness. On tariff developments, Yap said further delays are likely, given the complexity of reaching consensus across multiple countries. 'It's quite likely you'll see a bit more postponement further down the road because to get agreement from so many countries is actually very difficult. Each country has its own specific tariff, and how they calculate that number can be a mystery,' he said.
New Straits Times
11-07-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Malaysia channels US$1mil to UNRWA and Palestinian Red Crescent
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has announced a US$1 million (RM4.25 million) contribution to be channelled to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the Palestinian Red Crescent. Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said this is in addition to the US$16 million that had already been channelled for the Palestinian people since September 2023. He said this was conveyed during the Fourth Ministerial Conference on Cooperation among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development (Ceapad), attended by Palestine Planning and International Cooperation Minister Dr Estephan Salameh. "We reaffirmed our strong support for Palestinians' right to self-determination, amid the dire humanitarian and human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly Gaza, with the adoption of the Kuala Lumpur Action Plan 2025. "Through the Kuala Lumpur Action Plan, collective regional assistance will be galvanised to urgently address Palestinians' needs. "This Action Plan will guide members of Ceapad in assisting Palestine in areas, among others, humanitarian aid, reconstruction and state-building through capacity-building and technical cooperation," he said in a press conference here tonight following the conclusion of the 58th Asean Foreign Ministers' Meeting and related meetings. He also reaffirmed Malaysia's long-standing principled position on Palestinians' right to self-determination through the swift establishment of a sovereign State of Palestine, based on pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. Mohamad also called upon the remaining 46 states that have yet to recognise Palestine to do so without any preconditions, and to support Palestine's admission as a full member of the United Nations without any further delay. "Malaysia is committed to assisting Palestine through targeted assistance, focusing on humanitarian aid, reconstruction and state-building as well as youth development.
New Straits Times
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
Humanoid robot says not aiming to 'replace human artists'
GENEVA: When successful artist Ai-Da unveiled a new portrait of King Charles this week, the humanoid robot described what inspired the layered and complex piece, and insisted it had no plans to "replace" humans. The ultra-realistic robot, one of the most advanced in the world, is designed to resemble a human woman with an expressive, life-like face, large hazel eyes and brown hair cut in a bob. The arms though are unmistakably robotic, with exposed metal, and can be swapped out depending on the art form it is practicing. Late last year, Ai-Da's portrait of English mathematician Alan Turing became the first artwork by a humanoid robot to be sold at auction, fetching over US$1 million (RM4.25 million). But as Ai-Da unveiled its latest creation – an oil painting entitled "Algorithm King", conceived using artificial intelligence – the humanoid insisted the work's importance could not be measured in money. "The value of my artwork is to serve as a catalyst for discussions that explore ethical dimensions to new technologies," the robot told AFP at Britain's diplomatic mission in Geneva, where the new portrait of King Charles will be housed. The idea, Ai-Da insisted in a slow, deliberate cadence, was to "foster critical thinking and encourage responsible innovation for more equitable and sustainable futures." Speaking on the sidelines of the United Nations' AI for Good summit, Ai-Da, who has done sketches, paintings and sculptures, detailed the methods and inspiration behind the work. "When creating my art, I use a variety of AI algorithms," the robot said. "I start with a basic idea or concept that I want to explore, and I think about the purpose of the art. What will it say?" The humanoid pointed out that "King Charles has used his platform to raise awareness on environmental conservation and interfaith dialog. I have aimed this portrait to celebrate" that, it said, adding that "I hope King Charles will be appreciative of my efforts." Aidan Meller, a specialist in modern and contemporary art, led the team that created Ai-Da in 2019 with artificial intelligence specialists at the universities of Oxford and Birmingham. He told AFP that he had conceived the humanoid robot – named after the world's first computer programmer Ada Lovelace – as an ethical arts project, and not "to replace the painters." Ai-Da agreed. There is "no doubt that AI is changing our world, (including) the art world and forms of human creative expression", the robot acknowledged. But "I do not believe AI or my artwork will replace human artists." Instead, Ai-Da said, the aim was "to inspire viewers to think about how we use AI positively, while remaining conscious of its risks and limitations." Asked if a painting made by a machine could really be considered art, the robot insisted that "my artwork is unique and creative."
New Straits Times
01-07-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Petrol, diesel smuggling slows as authorities clamp down at border
TUMPAT: Heightened enforcement by border security agencies along the Malaysia-Thailand border has led to a significant decline in petrol and diesel smuggling activities. A check at several petrol stations in the district revealed that the once-frequent activity of purchasing subsidised fuel for illegal cross-border trade has slowed noticeably, despite continued demand for fuel across the border. A source said many fuel smugglers have either temporarily suspended operations or shifted to alternative forms of smuggling following persistent enforcement efforts by agencies, especially the General Operations Force. "The enforcement presence is much tighter now. "Many regular smugglers have gone quiet. "Some are taking a break, others have moved on to smuggling different goods, and a few have quit the trade entirely," the source said. Checks also showed that only a handful of 4WD vehicles, commonly used by smugglers, were observed refuelling at stations near the border. "These are believed to be repeat buyers, who now make smaller purchases to avoid detection. "Those still active in smuggling are buying in small quantities per trip to reduce suspicion. "But overall, the volume of such activity has dropped," the source added. It is understood that while demand for Malaysian subsidised fuel remains high in neighbouring Thailand due to price differences, increased border patrols and roadblocks have made smuggling riskier and less lucrative. Meanwhile, Kelantan Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry director Azman Ismail confirmed the trend, attributing the decline to consistent enforcement actions under the Control of Supplies Act 1961. Last year alone, he said the ministry recorded 240 arrests, with the seizure of nearly 127,600 litres of petrol worth about RM276,400. Meanwhile, about 247,600 litres of diesel worth nearly RM600,000 were also seized, and 460 vehicles valued at RM4.25 million were confiscated last year. As of June this year, he said 102 arrests had been recorded, with the seizure of 25,781 litres of petrol valued at about RM55,365 and 21,353 litres of diesel worth RM61,180. "A total of 221 vehicles valued at about RM1.18 million were seized. "All cases are being investigated under the Act. "Some arrests were made based on referrals from other enforcement agencies, while others were initiated directly by the ministry. "The decrease in this activity is also due to the ban on illegal crossings enforced by the police effective from Dec 1 last year," said Azman.
