Razia sultan 72

JOHOR BAHRU: Johor Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar has revived the "Chinese Major" title which was first introduced in the 19th century to forge ties between the Johor royal family and the Chinese community in the southern state. In a press statement on Tuesday (Sep 1), President of the Johor Council of Royal Court Abdul Rahim Ramli said that Sultan Ibrahim wishes to revive the title to ensure "continuity of modern Johor history". Dr Abdul Rahim added that the sultan has appointed Mr David Wong Khong Soon as "Chinese Major" effective from Tuesday. Mr Wong is the manager of Mado palm oil plantation, and is a descendant of Mr Wong Ah Fook, one of the founding fathers of the Chinese community in Johor who was an immigrant builder and entrepreneur. Mr Wong Ah Fook, who died in 1918, constructed iconic buildings such as the Victoria Concert Hall in Singapore and the Istana Besar in Johor. A main street in downtown Johor Bahru is named after him. The press statement also said: "Chinese … [Read more...] about Johor Sultan revives ‘Chinese Major’ title, new appointee to work with royal foundations on community initiatives

SINGAPORE: Sultan Mosque in Kampong Glam will be closed on Friday (Aug 28) for "thorough disinfection" after an individual who visited the mosque last week tested positive for COVID-19. The individual visited the mosque between 2.33pm and 3pm on Aug 18, said the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) in a Facebook post on Thursday. "The infected individual did not exhibit any symptoms when he visited the mosque, and was only subsequently tested positive for COVID-19," said MUIS. Contact tracing by the Ministry of Health is ongoing, and the man's close contacts have been placed under quarantine. READ: Most events should remain virtual for now, even as more COVID-19 restrictions are eased: Gan Kim Yong Congregants who were at the mosque during the same period should monitor their health until at least Sep 1, and see a doctor immediately if they feel unwell, said MUIS. Bookings for Friday's congregational prayer will be automatically voided, and those who had … [Read more...] about Sultan Mosque to close for disinfection after visitor tests positive for COVID-19

REUTERS: South American football's premier club competition kicks off this week after a six-month hiatus caused by the new coronavirus pandemic but the restart has caused complaints and consternation in a region where the sport is not yet fully up and running. A total of 32 teams from 10 countries will play matches in the Copa Libertadores on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, even though domestic football is still to restart in three of them, including regional giants Argentina. "Argentine teams have been called upon to compete at a disadvantage and they are not ready for it," said Nicolas Russo, the president of Lanus and a director of the Argentine Football Association. The South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) is celebrating the return of the continent’s equivalent of the Champions League, and its second-tier competition the Copa Sudamericana, the South American version of the Europa League that will restart on Oct. 27. But with different nations restarting their … [Read more...] about Copa Libertadores returns but not all clubs are happy

REUTERS: U.S. stocks ended sharply higher on Monday as signs of progress in developing a COVID-19 vaccine and a spurt of multibillion-dollar deals lifted investor optimism. Gains were broad-based, with all of the S&P 500 sectors ending in positive territory and real estate and technology leading gains. Drugmaker AstraZeneca resumed its British clinical trials of its COVID-19 vaccine, one of the most advanced in development. Also, Pfizer Inc rose 2.6per cent after the drugmaker and German biotech firm BioNTech SE proposed to expand their Phase 3 pivotal COVID-19 vaccine trial to about 44,000 participants. "The market loves anything with a vaccine because that is the ultimate solution here. And we'll see more and more headlines," on that going forward, said Tim Ghriskey, chief investment strategist at Inverness Counsel in New York. Merger-related news also lifted the market, and tech shares performed well but value-related sectors did as well, he said. That suggests … [Read more...] about Wall Street closes broadly higher on deal news, vaccine hopes

ISKANDAR PUTERI: Johor is looking to build an air-conditioned walkway that will stretch about 350m along its side of the Malaysia-Singapore Causeway. The Johor state government has requested RM30 million (S$9.88 million) in funding from the Malaysian federal government for the walkway, said Johor public works, infrastructure and transport committee chairman Mohd Solihan Badri on Sunday (Sep 13). The allocation request earlier this year was doubled from an initial RM15 million after a redesign to include escalators and air-conditioning, he added on the sidelines of the Johor state assembly proceedings at the Sultan Ismail Building. READ: From malls to hotels, the Singaporean haunts that have gone quiet in Johor Bahru amid COVID-19 Under the proposal, the walkway will stretch 350m and end at the border with Singapore, said Mohd Solihan. "For Singapore, I’m not sure how long the distance is going to be," he added. It is estimated that hundreds of pedestrians crossed … [Read more...] about Johor looking to build air-conditioned walkway on Malaysia-Singapore Causeway