Latest news with #UniversitiTunkuAbdulRahman
The Star
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Esther overcomes biggest fear to clinch title on home soil
PETALING JAYA: National triathlete Esther Joy Chen stole the show at the World Triathlon Development Regional Cup, delivering a dramatic comeback to clinch the women's title on home soil – her second international triumph in just two months. Racing in front of a supportive local crowd at the scenic Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) campus in Kampar, the 22-year-old overcame her biggest fear – the swim – before powering through the bike and producing a storming final surge on the run to snatch a memorable victory. Cancel anytime. Ad-free. Full access to Web and App. RM 13.90/month RM 9.73 /month Billed as RM 9.73 for the 1st month, RM 13.90 thereafter. RM 12.39/month RM 8.63 /month Billed as RM 103.60 for the 1st year, RM 148 thereafter.
New Straits Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Esther conquers fear, claims triathlon title on home soil
KUALA LUMPUR: : National triathlete Esther Joy stole the show at the World Triathlon Development Regional Cup on Saturday, delivering a dramatic comeback to clinch the women's title on home soil — her second international triumph in just two months. Racing in front of a supportive local crowd at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) in Kampar, the 22-year-old overcame her biggest fear — the swim — before powering through the bike and producing a storming final surge on the run to snatch a memorable victory. "I'm quite happy. My fear has always been the swim, so I've been training a lot on it," said Esther, who clocked 1:07:18s to beat Indonesia's Renata Berliana Aditya (1:07:36) and Singapore's Herlene Natasha Yu (1:08:01). "Although we don't have many open-water places to train in Malaysia, I've just been swimming a lot in general. The bike was as good as it could get — four of us on the bike trying to drop each other — and I just tried my best to hold the gap. "I really didn't expect to catch anybody on the run. I was just happy to catch the first person. Then the crowd kept shouting 'one more!' and I had the shock of my life when I came back and was first!" Saturday's win added to her recent gold at the Southeast Asia Triathlon Federation Championships in Lumut last month, and marked her final international outing before the SEA Games in December, where she hopes to earn national selection. In the men's race, Isaac Tan reinforced his status as Malaysia's top male triathlete by emerging as the fastest home finisher, placing 12th overall in 1:01:29. However, the 20-year-old admitted to feeling disappointed after falling short of expectations, especially after his victory at the World Triathlon Development Regional Cup in Tam Chuc, Vietnam in April. "I feel it's a five out of ten," said Isaac. "Particularly didn't do well on the bike. The swim and the run were good. Timing-wise, I'm not sure if I'm happy or not, but the effort is important. Anyway, we're going to continue to buckle up strong. "It was a lot different than in Vietnam. There were a lot of strong competitors here, especially the Koreans. I'm still not sure what will be my next race, but I'm going to prepare well for the SEA Games." Indeed, South Korea were a dominant force in Kampar, sweeping the men's podium through Kim Seong-sik (58:09), Choi Gyu-seo (58:15) and Jeong Woo Sik (58:22), while also topping the junior women's race through Park Seo-eun (1:06:11). "We decided to bring a large team this time because many of our junior athletes are already familiar with this event — some of them raced here last year as well," said South Korea manager Mok Lee. "Our focus is on giving our athletes as many opportunities as possible to compete in international events like this. The more experience they gain, the better their performances will become. "Korea last qualified a triathlete for the Olympics in 2012. Since then, we've been working hard to grow our talent pool so that we can return to the Olympic stage." RESULTS World Triathlon Development Regional Cup Men: 1. Kim Seong-sik (Kor) 58:09s, 2. Choi Gyu-seo (Kor) 58:15, Jeong Woo Sik (Kor) 58:22; Best Malaysian: 12. Isaac Tan 1:01:29. Women: 1. Esther Joy (Mas) 1:07:18, 2. Renata Berliana Aditya (Ina) 1:07:36, 3. Herlene Natasha Yu (Sgp) 1:08:01. Asia Triathlon Junior Cup Men: 1. Ramazan Ainegov (Kaz) 58:46, 2. Seymur Anthony Caglayan (Tur) 58:56, 3. Yelmurat Kanay (Kaz) 59:02; Best Malaysian: 19. Yap Qi Yi 1:01:37. Women: 1. Park Seo-eun (Kor) 1:06:11, 2. Kayla Nadia Shafa (Ina) 1:06:22, 3. Diana Biktimirova (Uzb) 1:07:16; Best Malaysian: 21. Koh Pao Yee 1:21:03.
The Star
13-07-2025
- Health
- The Star
Advancing post-transplant care
Triumphant: Dr Sharifah Shahnaz with her award. SURGERIES carry the risk of infections – including transplants. In Malaysia, where cytomegalovirus (CMV) prevalence is high, hospitals face the challenge of CMV infections following haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Recognising this, Dr Sharifah Shahnaz Syed Abd Kadir, a consultant haematologist at Hospital Ampang, conducted research on the topic, which she recently presented at the 28th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Malaysian Society of Transplantation. Her effort clinched first prize in the Best Paper Oral Presentation category, earning her a trophy, a certificate, and a cash prize of RM1,000. Themed 'Compassion to Cure: The Transplant Journey', the conference, held from May 22 to 24 at a hotel in Selangor, convened experts and scholars committed to improving transplantation outcomes. Dr Sharifah Shahnaz – a third-year Doctor of Philosophy (Medical Science) student at the Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) M. Kandiah Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences – expressed gratitude for the honour. 'This award affirms the significance of our work in advancing transplant-related care, especially in resource-limited settings. 'It motivates me to pursue impactful research that bridges immunology and clinical practice, and opens doors to collaboration and further innovation,' she said in a press release. Titled Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Infection/Disease and CMV-Specific Cell-Mediated Immunity (CMI) after Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation (SCT) in a High CMV Seropositivity Rate Population, Dr Sharifah Shahnaz's research project involved a study at Hospital Ampang, where she followed 72 transplant patients and employed the QuantiFERON-CMV assay to evaluate immune responses post-transplant. Her research found that early impaired immunity and the presence of gut graft-versus-host disease were key predictors of CMV infection – insights that could significantly inform post-transplant care. These findings underscore the importance of immune monitoring and point towards the integration of immunological markers into clinical risk models for better patient outcomes. Her success is also a reflection of the mentorship provided by her supervisors, Assoc Prof Dr Leong Pooi Pooi and Emeritus Prof Dr Cheong Soon Keng from UTAR, as well as Dr Tan Sen Mui from Hospital Ampang, the press release read. It added that the achievement illustrates UTAR's ongoing commitment to fostering high-calibre medical research that addresses real-world healthcare challenges.
NDTV
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Who Is Lishalliny Kanaran, Miss Grand Malaysia 2021 Who Has Accused Indian Priest Of Molestation?
Lishalliny Kanaran, the winner of Miss Grand Malaysia 2021, has raised serious allegations against an Indian priest in Malaysia. The actress and television host accused the Malaysia-based priest of molesting her under the pretext of blessings. The incident occurred last month at Mariamman Temple in Sepang, Malaysia, as per a report by the South China Morning Post. Lishalliny has now shared an elaborate note on Instagram, citing the misconduct she had to face. The beauty pageant title holder also accused the priest of touching her inappropriately after pouring what he claimed was "holy water from India". Who Is Lishalliny Kanaran Lishalliny Kanaran, from Selangor in Malaysia, was a student of Architecture at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR). She was studying when she won the Miss Grand Selangor 2020 title, according to Yamcha Time. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lishalliny Kanaran (@lishallinykanaran) Due to the Covid-19 restrictions at that time, the selection for Miss Grand Malaysia 2021 was held virtually. The pageant happened in July, in three stages of elimination. At the end of the competition, Lishalliny Kanaran was crowned the new Miss Grand Malaysia 2021. She finished all the stages gracefully as a top performer. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lishalliny Kanaran (@lishallinykanaran) The organisation announced that Lisha has secured a final score of 80.2% in the final round. Next on the list was Malveen Kaur, who received 72.2%. Meanwhile, Lisa's fellow participant Poorani Rajoo earned 71.8%, and Anya Kimberly bagged 68.3% along with Kelly Cahill, who secured 68.0%. After winning her title, Lisha expressed her wish to advocate for poverty and children's education. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lishalliny Kanaran (@lishallinykanaran) Lishalliny Kanaran appeared in the Malaysian TV series Jeeyum Neeyum, which was released in 2023. She was last seen in the web show Thigil, currently streaming on the Malaysian platform Astro Vinmeen. What Happened On June 21, Lishalliny Kanaran alleged that she went to a temple in Malaysia. She was alone. "There's a priest there who would usually guide me through the rituals, since I'm new to all this. I don't know much, and I've always appreciated his help," she recalled. "On that day, while I was praying, he approached me and told me he had some holy water and a protective string to tie for me; a blessing, he said. He asked me to see him after my prayers," Lisa wrote. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lishalliny Kanaran (@lishallinykanaran) She claimed that the priest splashed her with a "very strong-smelling liquid". Lisa added that when the liquid stung her eye, the priest groped her chest. He allegedly told her to undress, insisting "it was 'for my good,'" she said. When she refused, she said, the priest scolded her for wearing tight clothes. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lishalliny Kanaran (@lishallinykanaran) Things took an unpleasant turn when the priest put his hands inside her blouse and started touching her inappropriately. "He said it would be a 'blessing' if I did 'it' with him because he serves God," she wrote. "My brain knew everything about that moment was wrong and yet I couldn't move. I couldn't speak. I froze. And I still don't understand why," she added. Kanaran said in her post that she filed a police complaint against the priest on July 4. However, by the time the police reached the temple, he had already fled. The Malaysian police have now launched a manhunt against the priest.
The Star
18-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Experts say: Don't tie GST to wage threshold
PETALING JAYA: Setting a RM4,000 minimum wage as a condition for reintroducing the Goods and Services Tax (GST) is not economically sound and inconsistent with Malaysia's broader national goals, say experts. According to tax expert Datuk Koong Lin Loong, the government should focus on strengthening the country's tax fundamentals instead of tying GST to an arbitrary wage threshold. 'RM4,000 is still a long way off, especially for unskilled workers. Raising wages without addressing root causes could backfire,' he said. Koong noted that over 50% of Malaysia's revenue is from direct taxes – mainly corporate and personal income tax – but this model has limitations, especially for a nation aiming to attract more foreign investment. 'GST, introduced in 2015, was a more efficient and refined form of indirect taxation. Relying heavily on direct tax is not sustainable,' he said when contacted. Koong added that claims of GST burdening the poor are often overstated. Under the previous system, essential items such as school uniforms and basic foods were zero- rated. A household earning RM1,700 and spending mostly on essentials would pay only around RM100 a month in GST – an amount offset by current cash aid programmes, Koong said. 'In contrast, under the Sales and Service Tax (SST), many items consumed by lower-income households are taxed at 5% to 10% and businesses can't claim back input tax, making products costlier,' he added. Koong stressed that GST is a consumption-based tax that allows greater control – those who do not buy non-essentials pay less tax. 'If you earn RM1,700 but avoid luxury items, your tax exposure remains low,' he said. Koong also noted that GST's single invoice and input-output credit system offer greater transparency and efficiency compared with SST, which lacks such mechanisms and often involves multiple invoicing. On Sunday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the government is not ready to implement GST as it will unfairly burden low-income Malaysians. He said it will be feasible to implement GST if the country's economy grows stronger and the minimum wage is RM4,000 and above. Anwar said SST targets imported and luxury goods rather than daily necessities. Prof Dr Wong Chin Yoong, from Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman's Teh Hong Piow Faculty of Business and Finance, Department of Economics, said the RM4,000 minimum wage benchmark is arbitrary and economically unjustified. 'Why RM4,000? Why not RM3,000 or RM2,500? It seems like an ad hoc figure with no clear basis,' he said. Prof Wong added that tying GST to wage levels contradicts Malaysia's goal of becoming a high-income nation and top-30 global economy by 2030. 'At the current pace – RM300 increments every two years – it would take 15 years to reach RM4,000. That would delay GST until 2040, well beyond our high-income target,' he said. Prof Wong said Malaysia is already economically and fiscally prepared for a value-added tax, noting that over 90% of taxable manufacturing goods are now covered under the expanded sales tax. 'Despite broader coverage and higher rates, SST still generates less revenue than GST. That limits funding for development and welfare programmes,' he added. Commenting on the Prime Minister's recent remarks, SME Association president Chin Chee Seong said the RM4,000 minimum wage threshold set as a condition for reintroducing the GST appears arbitrary and could delay tax reform for decades. 'It's unclear where the RM4,000 figure comes from. The real issue is that the government urgently needs revenue to support development and essential services,' he said. Chin added that GST allows businesses to claim input tax, reduce costs and improve competitiveness. In contrast, SST and rental costs become direct business expenses, which puts local manufacturers at a disadvantage compared with countries using GST, he said. Chin also questioned the idea that only high-income nations should implement GST, pointing out that countries like India, Thailand and Indonesia have already adopted it. 'Even a 4% GST is manageable. The argument that the poor shouldn't pay tax is flawed. 'Instead, targeted aid like the Rahmah Cash Aid (STR) could help lower-income households manage the impact,' he added. The Malay Chamber of Commerce Malaysia, however, supports the government's cautious stance on reintroducing the GST, calling it a pragmatic move that reflects concern for the people's economic well-being. Its secretary-general Abd Halim Husin said GST should only return once the economy strengthens and wages rise, noting that a fair, transparent and efficient tax system is vital for investor confidence and small and medium enterprise (SME) sustainability. 'GST is more comprehensive and less prone to leakage than SST, but its implementation must not burden small businesses or consumers. 'With the economy still recovering and operational costs high, SST remains the better option for now,' he said. However, Abd Halim believes a future transition to GST is necessary once economic conditions and SME support structures improve. He urged the government to prepare a detailed transition plan that includes automation incentives, digital training and tax compliance support to help bumiputra SMEs adapt.
