iPhone 12 Malaysia Prices Start From RM3,399, But Will Not Come With Charger & Earphones

Apple has officially unveiled the four new phones in its iPhone 12 series: the iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max. While the release date for Malaysia is yet to be confirmed, all four iPhone 12 models will be made available here, and the company has already announced the retail prices for the Malaysian market.

The new iPhone 12 models don’t stray too far from the tried and trusted, but there are some noticeable new features to get excited about. All iPhone 12 models support 5G networks, while Apple further increases its semiconductor lead with the new A14 Bionic chipset, the world’s first 5nm chip. There’s a new MagSafe magnetic feature at the back of the phone for easier wireless charging connection as well as attaching new accessories. Finally, the iPhone 12 models also get a new 12MP main rear camera alongside other upgrades in software.

The official Malaysian pricing for the iPhone 12 series are as below:

iPhone 12 Mini

iPhone 12

iPhone 12 Pro

iPhone 12 Pro Max

64GB

RM3,399

RM3,899

–

–

128GB

RM3,599

RM4,099

RM4,899

RM5,299

256GB

RM4,099

RM4,599

RM5,399

RM5,799

512GB

–

–

RM6,299

RM6,699

In comparison to the iPhone 11 series, this year’s iPhone 12 Mini is priced exactly the same as last year’s entry-level iPhone 11. The iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max models also began at RM4,899 and RM5,299 respectively, although the storage capacity for the Pro and Pro Max in 2019 started at 64GB – compared to this year’s 128 GB.

However, one thing that you should note is that Apple will no longer be providing the power adapter and earphones that used to come with their iPhones; all you get inside the box is a fast-charging USB-C to Lightning cable and the iPhone itself. According to Apple, this is an environmentally-friendly move to shrink packaging and reduce the tech giant’s carbon footprint. Unfortunately, if you need either, you’ll need to purchase them separately: Apple’s wired EarPods and its 20W USB-C power adapter cost RM99 each, while the faster-charging 30W adapter is priced at RM189.

The iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 are available in five colours: white, black, blue, green, and (Product)RED, whereas the Pro models come in graphite, silver, gold, and Pacific Blue.

The new iPhone series will hit first-wave markets in two phases: the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro models will open for pre-order on 16 October, whereas the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 Mini and larger 6.7-inch iPhone Pro Max can be pre-ordered later on 6 November. While neighbouring countries such as Singapore and Brunei are in the first wave, Malaysians looking to upgrade to the iPhone 12 will need to wait a little longer.

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Malaysia Public Holidays And Long Weekends In 2023

2023 is here, and we’re sure that many of you are thinking of ways to maximise your annual leave by planning them around upcoming public holidays – especially those that fall near the weekends! And with both the world and international travel having gradually returned to normal since mid-2022, you may also be looking to indulge the travel bug in you that’s been forced to lay dormant throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Alternatively, some of you may also just want to travel within the country, or take some time off to rest and recharge.

Whichever the case, we’ve got your back! Here are the long weekends that you can look forward to in this coming year – along with some suggestions as to which days to apply for leave to get the most out of the public holidays.

Sadly, some public holidays will fall on Saturdays this year, such as Nuzul al-Quran and Malaysia Day, which means you don’t get the additional day off if you are working a Monday-Friday work week. That said, there are a couple of long breaks that you can look forward to, just by applying for three or four days of annual leave.

For instance, those who are celebrating Chinese New Year can have a nine-day break if they take three days of annual leave at the end of January. Individuals working in Kuala Lumpur can actually also get a ten-day break in February if they are willing to take four days of annual leave, given that the Federal Territory Day and Thaipusam are happening so closely to each other. Similarly, there is another nine-day break in May that you can enjoy with three days of annual leave, thanks to Labour Day and Wesak Day taking place in the same week.

Other than these extra-long breaks, there are also several four-day weekends that you can enjoy in other months by taking one day of annual leave.

With this, we hope that you’ll once more be able to plan your leave and trips wisely this year – especially if you’re planning to travel abroad! As you travel internationally, make sure to always check the latest entry requirements of your destination country carefully – in case there are updates – and also consider getting a
travel insurance with Covid-19 coverage
. With that said, have a great 2023!

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Alex Cheong Pui Yin

Alex Cheong Pui Yin

Previously covered recruitment-related stories and had a short stint as a copywriter for the property industry. She subsequently developed an interest in investment and robo-advisors.

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3 Areas Business Owners Can Look At To Speed Up Digital Transformation

Nowadays, it’s commonplace to see neighbourhood shops offering QR code payments and we continue to see people around us using delivery and courier services, even after the lockdown was lifted. As we advance further in the nation’s digital transformation, local businesses will need to explore frontier technologies like Big Data, the internet of things, artificial intelligence (AI), and more in order to stay ahead.

With that, the Huawei Spark Accelerator programme has returned once again this year to expedite the growth of digital startups. For those who have not heard of the Huawei Spark program, it is a global initiative from Huawei with the purpose to incubate and accelerate the growth of startups in Malaysia. The focus industries this year include banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI), healthcare, education, office automation, marketing automation, AI, or machine learning analytics. A total of  more than RM150,000 worth of benefits will await participants of the Huawei Spark program. These benefits include training resources, mentoring, business match-making, going to market with Huawei as well as opportunity to sell through Huawei App Store and Cloud Marketplace, giving startups access to 600 million Huawei mobile and cloud users globally.

Read on to find out why the Huawei Spark Accelerator program is your preferred platform in boosting your company’s digital journey.

1.
Know What Digital Grants You’re Eligible For

The government has recognised the importance of new technologies in helping small-and-medium enterprises thrive during and beyond the pandemic. Whether it’s financing from the government or private sector, there are plenty of initiatives or products offering financing support for businesses of all sizes.

For example, the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) is giving small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs) up to RM5,000 for digitalisation purposes in key areas like payroll, accounting, procurement, marketing, and so forth.

As mentioned earlier, the Huawei Spark programme provides digital startups with the opportunity to leverage on Huawei technologies and expertise. Digital startups with an innovative and scalable business model are welcome to apply for the programme.

Last year, local tech startup Innov8tif emerged as the winner in the Huawei Spark competition for its solution, the OkayDoc platform, an e-KYC (electronic know your customer) tool that automates ID authentication and prevents fraud. As the winner of the competition, the company got to walk away with financial support in the form of USD 125,000 worth of Cloud credits for the company to build their technology stack.

2.
Train Up Talents And Outsource

With a shortage of skilled talents in the IT labour market, business owners can turn to automation and technologies to reduce the need for specialist manpower. Business owners can subscribe to solutions like Device as a Service (DaaS) that help companies manage and maintain their technological devices.

In addition, Huawei Cloud services, for example, provide products like the ModelArts is an AI development platform that enables developers and data scientists of any skill level to rapidly build, train, and deploy models anywhere for production purposes and so forth. Meanwhile, FunctionGraph allows you to run your code without provisioning or managing servers, while ensuring high availability and scalability. All you need to do is upload your code and set execution conditions, and FunctionGraph will take care of the rest.

Selected participants of the Huawei Spark programme will undergo training on Huawei Cloud services and will be provided with tools and resources to build their product. As mentioned earlier, Innov8tif emerged as the winner in the Huawei Spark competition for its solution, the OkayDoc platform. Powered by AI, OkayDoc automates the authentication process to check for visual compliance and prevent fraud during the eKYC check. This feature uses machine learning capabilities. Innov8tif has developed nearly 12 sets of algorithms to cater for its OkayDoc platform.

3.
Be Part Of A Tech Community

As digital transformation in the nation is still in its early days, it may not be easy to find an established community where you’re able to explore advanced technologies together. Huawei Spark is held in collaboration with top tech agencies in the nation including MDEC, TM One, Cradle, and more.

Participants of the Huawei Spark programme will get to attend workshops conducted by industry leaders in their area of expertise. The top winners of the Huawei Spark 2021 programme – Innov8tif, DoctorOnCall, and MHub – all received one-on-one mentoring and networking opportunities with industry experts, online and offline training resources, dedicated technical support, go-to-market (GTM) support, and more. Hence, the programme does not only offer monetary rewards, but also crucial resources like market access, mentorship, and more.

***

As a digital startup, it’s important to expose oneself to new technologies and interactions with industry experts, and what better way to catapult your company to new heights than through the Huawei Spark programme.

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99 Speedmart Now Accepts American Express Cards At All Outlets

We’ll preface this article with an admission that this isn’t “breaking news”, but rather a discovery that we only just made recently: 99 Speedmart, the popular convenience/minimart chain, accepts American Express cards – and has done so since 1 May 2023.

From past experience, the minimart chain previously only accepted Visa and Mastercard networks alongside a host of e-wallets. However, we began spotting the “American Express Cards Welcome” stickers in some outlets, before confirming it ourselves in-store (side note: they still used the same orange card processing devices as before).

We reached out also to 99 Speedmart’s Facebook page to check, which was when we were told that Amex acceptance rolled out on 1 May 2023 – just about a month ago. We also found 99 Speedmart being listed as an
Amex merchant in Maybank’s list
 – but we weren’t able to verify when that list was updated.

Given the reputation surrounding Amex acceptance, this is definitely good news for those who frequent 99 Speedmart, which is popular in Malaysia thanks to its extensive
network of over 2,000 outlets (as of November 2021)
 and a reputation of fair prices. It also means Amex cardholders can stretch their Ringgit further by taking advantage of the various perks of Amex cards, from
weekend cashback
 to accumulating
TreatsPoints for air miles redemptions
.

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Pang Tun Yau

A seasoned tech journalist who now focuses on his other passion, Pang is a firm believer in old-school DCA and optimised spending.

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Versa Officially Launches Digital Cash Management Platform

Versa has officially launched its digital cash management platform in collaboration with Affin Hwang Asset Management, in the form of a mobile app. First announced back in
August 2020
, the new Versa platform is derived from the concept of money market funds and allows you to deposit your cash to earn interest rates of up to 2.0% p.a..

According to the platform, Versa is a “beneficial low-risk and high liquidity investment model” that works as an alternative to fixed deposits, helping Malaysians weather through the current low interest rate environment. It seeks to provide every Malaysian with the opportunity to tap into money market funds, making them more readily accessible to the average Malaysian investor.

You can get started with Versa with a deposit as low as RM100, with no sales or withdrawal charges, transfer fees, or exit fees. You will have to pay an annual management fee of up to 0.3% and a trustee fee of up to 0.05%, but these are already included in the FD-like returns quoted to you by Versa. The money that you deposit into Versa will be invested into Affin Hwang’s Enhanced Deposit Fund, with returns re-deposited and re-invested until you decide to withdraw them.

Versa has obtained full approval and licensing from the Securities Commission Malaysia and states that it is the first recognised market operator (e-service platform) to do so. In a similar vein to Versa, you can also find other cash management solutions on the market including
StashAway Simple
 and those from investment banks. Find out more about
Versa
 on its website here.

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Affin Bank Introduces Affin Avance Banking Membership

Affin Bank has launched Affin Avance, a new banking membership that offers its members a range of financial privileges. This includes benefits such as preferential interest and profit rates, fee waivers, and on-demand financial consultations.

According to the bank, Affin Avance members will have access to several solutions and services, one of which is the
Affin Avance Savvy account
 – a deposit account that gives them exclusive interest rates and rewards. Presently, the rates offered are as follows:

Deposit band

Rate (% p.a.)

Less than RM2,000

0.00

RM2,000 – RM49,999.99

0.65

RM50,000 and above

1.25

The Affin Avance Savvy account allows initial deposits starting from RM100, and it comes with a Visa debit card. Accountholders will also be able to conveniently carry out online transactions via AffinOnline.

Of more interest, however, are the on-demand financial advisory services provided for Affin Avance members, giving them access to a dedicated personal financial consultant. Not only will the members be able to benefit from financial consultations and get advice tailored to their specific circumstances, they will also receive regular market and product updates to help them make informed financial choices.

Aside from that, Affin Avance members can tap into financing facilities with preferential rates, as well as an array of investment solutions catering to different risk profiles and portfolio types.

On its website, Affin Bank further noted that the Affin Avance membership is “reserved for professionals and esteemed clients”. If you’d like to apply for the Affin Avance membership, you must meet one of the following eligibility criteria:

Total assets under management (AUM) of more than RM50,000 in Affin Bank (including deposit, investment, and insurance products)

Minimum monthly salary income of RM7,000

An affiliated professional member

The bank also clarified that there are no membership or sign-up fees for Affin Avance itself, although the products offered via Affin Avance are subject to their own fees and charges.

For more information about
Affin Avance
, you can head on over to the bank’s website. Alternatively, you can
submit your details
 here so that the bank can get in touch with you for an appointment.

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    WAN AHMAD BIN ABDULLAH

    2 years ago

hi… what facltes I can get  for deposit 300k ..

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What Happens If Your Parcels Are Damaged In The Floods?

(Image: Malay Mail/Shafwan Zaidon)

Various news sources have, by now, confirmed that the recent flooding – which took place following torrential rains over the weekend – has devastated and displaced more than 60,000 Malaysians. Damages to the properties that were submerged in water were immense, with
losses estimated to reach hundreds of millions of ringgit
 at the very least.

However, these victims are not the only ones to be impacted by the floods. Many Malaysians, while not directly affected by the catastrophe, may be impacted in various other ways – such as having to pay more for certain goods due to shortage in supplies. Another indirect consequence is the disruption caused to the e-commerce industry and online order deliveries, with many buyers being concerned over their recent purchases, especially those made during the recently ended 12.12 and Christmas sale events.

Key concerns among customers include delays and cancellation of orders, as well as whether refunds will be allowed. Both Shopee and Lazada – as two of the biggest e-commerce platforms in the country – have quickly responded to these concerns, and this is what they have to say:

Shopee

Shopee’s statement
 noted that many of its local sellers have been impacted by the floods, and implored its customers to be patient and supportive as affected sellers strive to get their operations up and running again.

“As such, Shopee regrets to inform you that your parcels may be delayed, while some may be cancelled and issued full refunds. Additionally, we will be extending return dates for buyers. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and would like to thank you for your patience and kind understanding,” the platform further said, without sharing more specifics on the matter.

In an
update notice for Shopee sellers
, however, Shopee clarified that it is allowing buyers to ship back their return parcels by 26 December 2021. This is provided their
return and refund request has been approved
 with the submission of relevant evidences, such as photographs. For context, customers are usually required to return the items to the seller
within a period of five days
 after their request for a return is approved (non-
Shopee Mall products
).

Finally, the e-commerce platform said that it will continue to monitor the situation and update as and when necessary.

Lazada

(Image: Reuters/Darren Whiteside)

Meanwhile, Lazada reassured that its team is working to ensure that orders are being delivered as soon as possible. Its Customer Care team will also be contacting affected customers via selected channels, including SMSes and emails, to inform them of delayed deliveries or damaged parcels. “Customers who did not receive any notifications will receive their orders as per normal,” it noted in a statement.

Lazada further clarified that it will immediately begin a full refund process for any parcels that have been damaged during this period. Depending on your payment method and refund destination, the refund process may take
between a few hours to 30 working days
.

Additionally, the platform said that customers can track their order status
via their Lazada app
, or reach out to its Customer Care team to verify their order status via its virtual assistant, CLEO.

***

With this, we hope that buyers across Malaysia will have better clarity as to how both Shopee and Lazada are handling the aftermath of the flooding. In the meantime, you can continue to show your support for the sellers – and other flood victims – by contributing to the flood relief effort
via both platforms and selected e-wallets
.

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Previously covered recruitment-related stories and had a short stint as a copywriter for the property industry. She subsequently developed an interest in investment and robo-advisors.

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    Anonymous

    1 year ago

We have goods that we damaged at our forwarder warehouse in Klang. They have since ask our supplier to take back thd damaged goods and sign a letter. The letter states that the supplier is to claim damages from their insurance. Which our supplier disagree. The goods are pick up by the forwarder under our account and all our supplier document are ex works based.

How do we claim damages?

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People Who Made the Most Money After They Died

While they sadly did not realise the full scope of their profits, their estates and those who bought rights to their works continued to reap immense financial gains from the fruits of their genius.

Here are five people who made more money posthumously:

Henry Darger

In his lifetime, nobody really knew Henry Darger as an artist and author. Now, he is recognized as an influential and original figure in modern art and literature. His landlord discovered some three hundred paintings, two manuscripts for a novel and one for an autobiography among his belongings.

According to
Jim Elledge
, he never earned more than USD3,000 in any given year, but today his paintings are valued at over USD750,000.

Nick Drake

As a singer-songwriter who didn’t enjoy much commercial success during his lifetime, all three of his major studio albums have been listed on the Rolling Stone’s
Top 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
.

In his final years, the shy musician only received £20 pounds-a-week from his record label. Since his death, his albums have been re-released with over 2.4 million records sold.

Jeff Buckley

Having only USD7,000 in his bank account at the time of his passing, musician Jeff Buckley’s estate, executed by his mother is now worth millions.

Though he only completed one major studio album during his lifetime, posthumous release of unheard recordings, as well as royalties from album sales has earned, in his name, more money now than it did when he was alive.

Paul Cézanne

Widely regarded as the world’s first Impressionist painter, Paul Cézanne lived in relative obscurity; his paintings weren’t well received at the time. Money fluctuated for Cézanne throughout his lifetime and if it wasn’t for his inheritance at age 47, he may have struggled financially as his paintings were rarely showed.

Over 100 years after his death, his creation,
The Card Players
, sells for USD259 million and is now considered the most expensive painting ever sold. Sadly, Cézanne isn’t the only artiste to not see his monetary potential realised. Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Modigliani and Vermeer suffered similar fates; their paintings are worth millions today.

Edwin H. Armstrong

Considered the pioneer of FM radio, engineer Edwin Howard Armstrong died practically penniless without knowing the power his invention would hold for future generations.

Even though he could have sold the rights to his patents; he declined a million-dollar pay out from a major record label and lent his invention, royalty-free, to the US navy in the Second World War. In the years following his death, his widow filed lawsuits against those who infringed on his patent rights and won millions in his honour.

Even though the people on this list did not make bank in their lifetimes, the beauty of the creations they left behind remains invaluable.

If you’re inspired to follow your dreams and create something you truly care about, be sure to have healthy reserves to tide you over in times of need. Start saving now with these
high-interest savings accounts
!

Have anything to add to this article? Do share your thoughts with us in the comment section down below!

Image credits:
Sterogum

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Chatime vs Tealive: The Legal Drama Brewing in Malaysia

Over the last 18 months, you may have heard about a legal battle between two of Malaysia’s most popular bubble tea brands: Chatime and Tealive. The standoff between the brands’ owners, La Kaffa International Co Ltd and Loob Holding Sdn Bhd respectively, have left some people thoroughly confused. After all, weren’t there rumours of Tealive shutting down before? Or was that Chatime? Wait, didn’t Chatime rebrand as Tealive? Are they not the same thing?

If you have only heard of this legal drama in passing, or would like a refresher on what actually happened between the two companies, here’s a timeline of what took place since 2017.

January 2017: The initial fallout between La Kaffa and Loob Holding

The dispute began in January 2017 when La Kaffa, the Taiwan-based company behind Chatime, terminated Loob Holding’s contract as the franchise holder for Chatime in Malaysia based on an alleged breach of contract on Loob’s part. Despite having more than 20 years to go in the contract, La Kaffa alleged that Loob had begun sourcing unapproved raw material, which violated the terms of the master franchisor contract, prompting the company to act.

Loob accepted the termination, but here’s where things took a remarkable twist: it “rebranded” virtually all Chatime outlets in Malaysia into its own brand, Tealive, and ran the outlets as usual. Naturally, La Kaffa sued Loob in the Malaysian courts, seeking an injunction to stop the Tealive outlets from operating.

February 2017: Loob Holding and Tealive

(Image: The Hive Asia)

What Loob Holding did to rebrand Chatime into Tealive almost literally overnight was honestly a remarkable feat, masterminded by CEO Bryan Loo. When news of the franchise termination broke in January 2017, Bryan Loo went on a series of charm offensives, delivering interviews, engaging social media, and releasing statements to make Loob Holding’s side of the termination public knowledge in Malaysia. Here’s an excerpt of
an interview Loo did with Inside Retail Asia in February 2017
:

“We want to be the brand that protects the weak and isn’t afraid of the strong; but also the brand that embraces changes. On the other side, with our hands untied, I believe that over the next quarters there is going to be a lot of innovation in terms of products, which we couldn’t do before.

“When we used to collaborate with local brands, we were served warning letters; so moving forward that’s something we don’t have to worry about, so we can be innovative. I would also like to establish a regional R&D centre to come up with more creative drinks that will excite the market. Also, we’re looking to carry on with our aggressive expansion and move into other regions. We were already planning to do that with the previous brand, but now we get to do it with Tealive.”

Meanwhile, Taiwan-based La Kaffa did poorly in this respect, failing to communicate their narrative to their Malaysian customers.

(Image: Vulcan Post)

Loo didn’t stop there. By the end of the month, he announced that now that the master contract with Chatime was ended, 161 of the existing Chatime outlets (or 95% of all Chatime outlets in Malaysia) would be rebranded and operating under Tealive. Overnight, the familiar Chatime brand changed face – but Tealive’s menu was virtually identical.

La Kaffa, clearly outraged, immediately began proceedings to seek a court injunction to stop Tealive from selling similar products to Chatime. These proceedings were heard in the High Court on 28 March 2017.

March 2017: Chatime takes Tealive to court… and loses

What Loob Holding CEO Bryan Loo basically did was to set up Tealive as a rival to Chatime, which is against both the terms of the master franchise agreement as well as the Franchise Act 1998. When La Kaffa brought this case to the High Court, it sought a mandatory injunction and a prohibitory injunction against Loob Holding.

The mandatory injunction was for Loob to return all the confidential information and documents related to Chatime back to La Kaffa.

The prohibitory injunction was to restrain Loob from continuing its trade as a competitor of La Kaffa for two years, as agreed in the post-termination terms of the franchise and in accordance with the law.

La Kaffa was successfully granted the mandatory injunction, but failed in obtaining the prohibitory injunction. The judge said that forcing Tealive to shut down its business would negatively affect the livelihood of over 800 employees of Loob, as well as the suppliers, landlords, and families of the employees. The judge also believed the damages that Tealive would have to pay Chatime in compensation would make up for any loss Tealive has inflicted on Chatime’s business.

Thus, at this point of the legal battle, Tealive triumphed over Chatime.

(Image: Tealive Asia (Facebook))

Tealive continued to operate in competition with Chatime, which was still running what was left of its remaining operations in Malaysia, having found a new franchise holder to run the outlets that had not been taken over by Tealive, and slowly regrow the brand. It would take over a year before things would…bubble over.

October 2017: Tealive goes international

Taking advantage of the lull in the courtroom, Loob Holding begins expanding into international markets.
Vietnam was first
, marking Tealive’s international expansion before the brand was even a year old. It soon
made moves to enter Australia
, and announced an ambitious goal of entering 15 markets by 2020.

Part of the reason behind this aggressive international push appears to stem from economic conditions in Malaysia. In
an interview with The Edge
, CEO Bryan Loo said:

“Rents are rising, the currency is going down and the cost of raw materials is going up … we want to grow the local market, but the situation is not encouraging at all. It becomes a motivation for us to go abroad. We will continue to strengthen our local market, but half our effort will be on getting into other markets.”

June 2018: Court of Appeal decides on Chatime win

(Image:
Free Malaysia Today
)

A year has passed since the High Court ruling on Tealive’s legality. The media and online chatter about the matter have died down since, and Malaysians have now accepted both Tealive and Chatime as established players in the bubble tea market. In the meantime, more and more bubble tea brands from the region make their entry into Malaysia – after all, with no dominant brand in the market, the industry was ripe for anyone to grab market share.

However, La Kaffa didn’t just roll over after their loss in the High Court. It made full use of the Malaysian legal system by applying for leave to appeal to a higher court, in the hopes that the higher court will find in its favour and reverse the previous ruling. La Kaffa appealed to Court of Appeal, and its effort paid off when the court decided that the previous judgment was wrong – and granted Chatime the prohibitory injunction it sought for.

On 27 June 2018,
the Court of Appeal said
 that it was clear that Loob Holding was in breach of its legal obligations in the franchise agreement as well as franchise law. It did not agree with the High Court’s view that shutting down the Tealive business would affect the livelihood of Tealive’s employees, saying that the reason was not justifiable given Tealive had, “in crude terms”, changed Chatime to Tealive overnight against its legal obligations to the contract and to the Franchise Act.

The conclusion of the prohibitory injunction is that Tealive is no longer legally allowed to continue its business. News of this quickly spread online, reigniting interest among curious Malaysians.

July 2018: Tealive struggles to regain upper hand

(Image:
Free Malaysia Today
)

Following Chatime’s success in the Court of Appeal, Tealive was quick to release a statement saying that it would file for a stay of execution and leave to appeal to the Federal Court, the highest court of the nation. As explained earlier, a higher court can reverse the decision of a lower court. A stay of execution would give Loob Holding the clearance to continue its operations while the company appeals to the Federal Court.

However, on 5 July 2018, the Court of Appeal rejected Tealive’s stay of execution. The Court of Appeal said that despite Loob applying for a stay that would be in effect while it makes an appeal to the Federal Court, there are no records of there actually being a pending appeal made by Loob at the time of the decision for the stay.

The judge also said that “courts should not lend its hand to persons who on the face of record are seen to be cheats.”

Yes,
he actually said that
.

Snarky official comments aside, Loob can still hang tight and take the last resort of appeal to the Federal Court, if they are given leave to do so. According to the company, it has already filed for this leave to appeal to the Federal Court on the morning of 5 July 2018. However, until anything else changes, the legal outcome is that Tealive is still bound under the injunction to cease operating its business.

Meanwhile, Chatime has offered to re-employ staff who may be affected by the injunction to close the Tealive outlets. Aliza Ali, group managing director of Chatime Malaysia, has said that Chatime was mindful of the repercussions the court decision would have on the livelihood of employees, outlet owners, and customers. “Within the scope allowed by the relevant laws, we would welcome former Chatime franchisees and employee, who have been affected by the whole ordeal, to contact us should they require assistance from us,” she said.

(Image: QSR Media)

Later in July 2018: Tealive still alive and kicking

After its rejection by the Court of Appeal, Tealive took to the higher avenue of the Federal Court and has met with initial success. Although no official word has been released about the status of Loob Holding’s actual appeal to the Federal Court, Tealive said in a statement on 16 July that the Federal Court has granted its application for a stay of execution, something the lower Court of Appeal had rejected a mere two weeks ago.

As a result of the stay, Tealive has the okay to carry out business as usual until there are any further final developments in the Federal Court.

What’s next?

The ruling in favour of La Kaffa at the Court of Appeal definitely swings a huge hammer into Loob Holding in this battle, but the war isn’t won just yet. If Loob is granted leave to appeal to the Federal Court, it has one last chance to fight its case – and this time, a ruling for either party will be final with the Federal Court being the highest court in the nation.

(Image: Marketing Interactive)

Should the Federal Court judge rule in La Kaffa’s favour, it will be fascinating just how the outcome would impact the Tealive brand especially considering its presence in other markets. A victory for La Kaffa essentially means Tealive is illegal from day one, so will it be required to cease operations entirely?

Meanwhile, a Loob Holding victory will likely see the Tealive brand grow even stronger. CEO Byran Loo is a hugely ambitious entrepreneur, and the end of this legal distraction will likely see him double down on establishing Tealive as a global brand.

Now that the Federal Court has granted Loob the legal all-clear to continue operating until a final decision is reached, the only thing to do now is hang tight and watch the Federal Court for any further developments. Until then, thanks to the Federal Court and the valiant efforts of Tealive and its lawyers, you can still get your regular bubble tea fix from any neighbouring Tealive outlet.

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    Sonya

    3 years ago

Oh my! i was afraid,that i might not able to taste TEALIVE products in near future. However, seemingly TEALIVE is definitely still Malaysian favorite.Knowing there are many competitors out there in famous bubble tea business.Not to be bias both parties have their strengths probably CHATIME just need to change it’s promotion strategies and marketing dynamics. For me as long i get my bubble tea i’m at ease lol!!! Ringgit plus,good article..

-1

Reply

    Shahrul Nizam

    3 years ago

so what happened then?

will Malaysian company triumph over Taiwan company?

-2

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    Jean Grey

    1 year ago

    Reply to

        Shahrul Nizam

A cheat used our flawed legal system to breach a contract, subevert the law and exploit the successes of its parent franchisor. But of course, you are well within your rights to see this as a “Malaysian company’s triumph over a Taiwanese Company”. Good luck to all our hopes of attracting FDI’s in Malaysia with this kind of substandard treatment

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Malaysians Can Soon Use MyDebit ATM Cards To Make Payments In Singapore

Besides the announcement of the
Combi Card
, the 9
th
 Malaysia-Singapore Leaders Retreat also saw an update from the partnership between NETS and PayNet. From Q3 this year, Malaysians can use their MyDebit ATM cards to make payments in Singapore.

Currently, the NETS-PayNet partnership allows Singaporeans to use their NETS ATM cards to make payment at over 3,500 acceptance points in Malaysia. It is the first time that NETS ATM cards could be used to make payment outside Singapore.

(Image: LiveItLively)

But from Q3 2019, Malaysians will enjoy the same benefits in Singapore, as MyDebit-supported ATM cards will be accepted for payment in Singapore.

Given that debit card payments charge lower foreign transaction fees and have lower currency conversion rates compared to credit cards, enabling cross-border debit card payments in Singapore means Malaysians can potentially save quite a bit of money when paying for items down south.

(Source:
Channel News Asia
)

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Pang Tun Yau

Pang Tun Yau

A seasoned tech journalist who now focuses on his other passion, Pang is a firm believer in old-school DCA and optimised spending.

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TM To Migrate All Existing Streamyx Users To Unifi Lite; Introduces Unifi Air

(Image: Soyacincau)

TM has revealed that it would be automatically migrating all Streamyx customers to a new affordable plan called Unifi Lite from September onwards.

Unifi Lite would be replacing all Streamyx plans, and existing customers pay a flat rate of just RM69 a month regardless of what plan they were on previously. Meanwhile, the rate for new subscribers is RM89 monthly.

The new Unifi Lite plan will run at the maximum theoretical speed in the Streamyx infrastructure, which is 8Mbps. Where technically possible, all Unifi Lite plans will run at 8Mbps.

For Streamyx users, the Unifi Lite plan represents a huge reduction from the RM160 TM has been charging for the same 8Mbps speed. In fact, the RM69/RM89 rates are even lower than the cheapest Streamyx plan previously (RM110 for 1Mbps). In essence, Unifi Lite is TM’s response to offer better value for its Streamyx customers – more than a year after
it slashed prices and increased speeds for the fibre-based Unifi broadband plans
.

Alongside Unifi Lite, TM also introduced a new wireless home broadband service called Unifi Air. Designed for those not in Unifi’s fibre network coverage as well as those who require an internet service that does not require installation, Unifi Air is TM’s plug-and-play solution. This plan offers unlimited internet for just RM79 a month with speeds of around 20Mbps.

This price reduction is in response to the
Minister of Communications and Multimedia, Gobind Singh Deo, giving TM an ultimatum
 on 19 June to resolve the public’s complaints about Streamyx’s high prices and slow speeds.

(Source: Soyacincau (
1
), (
2
))

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PLUS Will Soon Accept E-Wallets, Credit, And Debit Cards For Highway Tolls

Drivers on the North-South Highway users will be able to pay toll charges with their e-wallets, credit cards, and debit cards. PLUS will be introducing a new RFID (radio-frequency identification) based technology that accepts a variety of payment methods, and is expected to be launched by the end of this year.

Work is already underway to upgrade the highway’s infrastructure, which will give users more payment options for tolls, especially its toll booths. PLUS will also be upgrading 1,400 existing CCTV cameras along the highway to Ultra High Definition (UHD) models. These new cameras would provide the public with traffic data via the PLUS mobile app.

Once the upgrades are completed, users can link any of their e-wallets as well as cards to the PLUS RFID. While similar in nature, PLUS RFID is not the same as the
TNG RFID that was launched last year
 – the
TNG RFID
 sticker will not be compatible with the PLUS RFID sticker, and vice versa (at launch, at least).

This upcoming change means two things. First and foremost, users would no longer have to queue at kiosks, counters, or toll lanes on the highway to reload their Touch ‘n Go cards, which is the biggest inconvenience of the card. Secondly, it will also eliminate instances of congestion due to insufficient Touch ‘n Go card balance. With multiple digital payment options supported and no need for physical devices beyond an RFID sticker, this seamless payment option looks like a win-win situation for both drivers and highway operator.

(Source:
Lowyat.NET
)

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iPhone SE Phone Plans

The latest Apple iPhone has been released in the Malaysian market at RM1,949 for the 16GB model and RM2,449 for the 64GB model. Along with that launch, the competitive offerings from all the different telco companies have followed suit. Instead of splurging for a phone on its own, why not take a look at what the telco companies are offering and see how much you could probably save in the process if you sign up for a contract.

Here is a comparison of the plans indicating the device prices, monthly commitments, contract term as well as data allowance provided by each of these companies for both the 16GB and 64GB models.

Plan Name

Contract Term (Months)

Monthly Commitment

Data Allowance

iPhone SE 16GB

iPhone SE 64GB

Digi Postpaid- 48 More Internet

12

RM 48

3GB

RM 1,665

RM 2,090

Digi Postpaid- 68 More Internet

24

RM 68

6GB

RM 1,209

RM 1,634

Digi Postpaid- 98 More Internet

24

RM 98

10GB

RM 993

RM 1,418

Digi Postpaid- 148 More Internet

24

RM 148

14GB

RM 681

RM 1,106

Digi Postpaid- 238 More Internet

24

RM 238

30GB

RM 0

RM 482

CelcomFIRST Blue

12

RM 45

4GB

RM 1,665

RM 2,090

CelcomFIRST Gold

12

RM 80

10GB

RM 1,548

RM 1,968

CelcomFIRST Platinum

6

RM 150

18GB

RM 1,665

RM 2,090

CelcomFIRST Platinum

24

RM 150

18GB

RM 998

RM 1,100

U Mobile i40

24

RM 40

1.5GB

RM 1,425

RM 1,850

U Mobile i60

24

RM 60

5GB

RM 1,305

RM 1,730

U Mobile i90

24

RM 90

7GB

RM 1,065

RM 1,490

U Mobile i130

24

RM 130

10GB

RM 705

RM 1,130

MaxisOne Plan 128

24

RM 128

10GB

RM895

RM 1,320

MaxisOne Plan 158

24

RM 158

15GB

RM895

RM 1,320

MaxisOne Plan 188

24

RM 188

20GB

RM895

RM 1,320

How to Choose a Plan

Some people are afraid of being tied to a contract as they may lose out if there are better phone plans that may pop up in the future. Ask yourself, how many times have you really swapped telco services in the past year? That could help you determine how long a contract you should tie yourself in for.

In a realistic and economical sense, people normally use their phone for a year or two before switching. So why not sign up for a plan and save some money on the device since you are bound to have a standard monthly commitment on your phone bill anyway?

If you are wondering which is the best deal, it is very subjective matter. Different people value their service providers differently. Some require a line which has a wider coverage area while others may just want the cheapest combination for the highest data.

If you would like to compare these plans along with other phones in the market, be sure to use the
comparison tool on our website
 and sign up for one.

Which plan would you opt for? Tell us in the comments below

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kiplePay E-Wallet Gets BNM Approval For Three New Features

Kiplepay Sdn Bhd (KPSB), which is a subsidiary of Green Packet Bhd, has received the go-ahead from Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) to roll out three new features for its kiplePay e-wallet. The new features are an increased e-wallet limit of RM10,000, the approval to issue a scheme prepaid card, and the electronic know-your-customer (e-KYC) feature.

As an e-money issuer, the central bank’s approved e-KYC feature is a crucial aspect for kiplePay to enforce when offering its e-money products to the market, the e-wallet provider said in a statement. “The approved e-KYC feature will be able to digitally identify a customer by performing due diligence and risk assessment by analysing the information gathered. It will also be able to perform continuous monitoring of customer behaviour as the e-wallet is used,” said kiplePay.

kiplePay can also now issue virtual and physical prepaid cards linked to the e-wallet, enabling users to make payments to any merchant both offline and online that accepts digital payments.

(Image: The Star)

Moreover, users can enjoy a higher e-wallet limit of up to RM10,000 using the kiplePay mobile application or kiplePay  prepaid card. By allowing users to perform higher-value transactions, the increased e-wallet limit will pave the way for new services such as remittance, opening of a salary account, and recruiting large merchants.

“There has been a rise in the use of contactless payments and adoption of e-wallets during the movement control order,” said KPSB acting CEO Ricky Lew. “This shows that e-wallets are not only convenient but also integral to contributing to the flattening of the pandemic curve and particularly helping small and medium enterprises (SMEs) continue their business during this time.

“Therefore, we are pleased to receive approval from Bank Negara for the new features offered by KPSB. We feel the e-KYC is a perfect solution to provide non-face-to-face onboarding of customers to facilitate payment services, ensuring security and data integrity for users and merchants alike. KPSB aims to be an e-money issuer who is able to provide a smooth and seamless digital onboarding experience to customers in a safe and effective manner,” concluded Lew.

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TNG Visa Prepaid Card Is Currently Available To Apply For Some TNG eWallet Users

(Image: Lowyat.NET/aniq8676)

Touch ‘n Go Digital appears to have enabled applications for its long-awaited TNG Visa Prepaid Card via the TNG eWallet app for some users. This comes following an earlier leak of the design of the card over the weekend, featuring an artwork of colour splatters.

A member on popular local forum Lowyat.NET posted that a “Visa Card” tile has popped up on his app’s main page, as well as under the “Financial Services” section within the app. Upon tapping into it, the user was then able to tap on “Get Card Now” to start the application process.

(Image: Lowyat.NET/aniq8676)

Additionally, the product disclosure sheet shared during the application process also revealed that the new TNG Visa Prepaid Card comes with some fees, namely:

Card application fee
: RM10

Annual fee
: RM8

Card replacement fee
: RM10

Card cancellation fee
: N/A

Card Reload fee
: N/A

Domestic ATM cash withdrawal fee
: RM1.40

Cross-border ATM cash withdrawal fee
: RM15

Currency conversion fee
: 2% of transaction value

That said, the forumer stated that he only paid RM5 for his application instead of the RM10 listed in the product disclosure sheet, so it could be possible that the details in the document are still not finalised. Another TNG eWallet user noted on Twitter that the annual fee is listed as RM18 in his application instead of original RM8 – which further hints at the probability that details have yet to be firmed up by TNG.

Finally, Touch n'go visa card Already available in the app
#touchngo
#tngo
#tng
#touchngovisacard
#visacardtouchngo

pic.twitter.com/ye3LA1FUyu
— NEWS CHANNELS (@NEWSCHANNELS01)
December 26, 2022

Aside from that, it is noted that delivery of the TNG Visa Prepaid Card will take between seven to ten working days after approval. Users who apply for the card will also be able to add their names on the card if they wish.

TNG had announced its plan to roll out a
prepaid card with Visa
 more than a year ago in October 2021. At that time, it also shared that the card will be tied to the TNG eWallet – which means that users can conveniently top up the card through their eWallet – and that it will be rolled out some time in 2022. However, little was said about it since then, until the
temporary appearance of its FAQ document
 on the TNG eWallet Help Centre recently (which was subsequently taken down), along with an
image of the card’s design
.

(Image: TechNave)

Given that some users are already seeing the “Visa Card” tile in their apps, though, the actual launch of the card might just happen within this last week of 2022. We will continue to keep an eye out for further developments.

(Source:
Lowyat.NET
)

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Alex Cheong Pui Yin

Alex Cheong Pui Yin

Previously covered recruitment-related stories and had a short stint as a copywriter for the property industry. She subsequently developed an interest in investment and robo-advisors.

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5 Ways to Catch up on Your Savings

You’ve done it all in your twenties: vacationed every 3 months; hit the hottest bars and bought every new gadget you could comfortably charge on Easy-Pay. But the life of carefree spending has caught up and now you’re 30 but still living paycheque to paycheque.

Some people are totally okay with this. They figure family, spouses and life will always find a way to work it out for them. Some people aren’t so sure. That’s when the cold sweats begin and every bill is a reminder of your dwindling bank account. Thank God for EPF or you’d have literally nothing to show 70 year old you.

But here’s the truth: you can catch up. It’s just going to take some tough going to make up for the slack thus far. Roll up your sleeves, folks. We’ve got 5 ways you can fire up those savings and be on top in no time.

Sell Your Skills or Your Stuff

If you have clutter in every corner – consider cashing it in for money you can pad your account with. Unless you have some serious collectibles, don’t expect to make a profit off your cost but even a fraction of money back from an item sitting in the corner is a good trade off.

We’ve got a guide with all the info you need to
get you started with cleaning out your clutter
. It might sting a little to let go but you just might love what your bank account looks like after you’re done!

If you aren’t the hoarding type; you can always sell your skills via freelance or part-time jobs. As your bills will be paid by your full-time job, it leaves you to funnel all your part-time money into your savings. Even a couple of weekends of barista duty will give you a couple of hundred ringgit to kick-start that future fund.

Let Your Money Earn More Money

Earning more money alone isn’t enough if you really want to maximise the time you spend saving. Once you have a sizable amount, consider putting this money into a fixed deposit or unit trust if you feel so inclined.

Fixed deposits
 can be started with as little as RM500 so let it do the work for you. Every time you have more; you can put it in too.

You won’t have to work as hard if your money is doing part of the work for you by earning an interest all on it’s own!

Contribute More to Your EPF or Consider PRS

Every month, you will be contributing 11% of your income to your EPF and your employer will be contributing more. But if you could manage it, you can put in
more if you wanted to
. EPF usually offers good interest rates but they also make it difficult for you to withdraw your money for spending making sure it is saved until you retire.

If you want to try something else; you could opt for funneling additional money into the Private Retirement Scheme (PRS). To find out more about PRS, we’ve got a
simple guide to help you
.

Relook at Interest Rates

If you have a mortgage, credit cards and other loans, you’re probably paying interest on all of them. These interest charges are costing you a bit of salary every month: money that could instead be saved rather than paid to a bank.

Take a look at the rates of interest you are paying on all your banking products. Are they offering you good value? If not, you can reduce them by remortgaging your home under a
lower rate home loan
; get a
balance transfer
 for your credit card; or consolidate your loans under
one low interest rate
.

Make Lifestyle Changes

We saved the hardest for last. This is only if you are really ready to downsize and make drastic changes in order to see your bank account grow. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart!

Lifestyle changes that should see you growing your account in no time include:

1)
Saving first
. Create a standing instruction with your bank to have a portion of your salary deducted and funneled to a savings account that you cannot touch.

2)
Downsizing your living
. Consider moving to a smaller home or getting subtenants, or roommates to split the costs with.

3)
Ditch the car
. If your home is sufficiently connected to public transportation or you have colleagues you could carpool with; this will help you save a tonne on petrol and toll. You can keep your car for weekend use or emergencies but reducing your driving will surely reduce your costs.

4)
Trim entertainment budgets
. This does not have to be a permanent measure but perhaps it is something you can do until your account is sufficiently padded. Keep entertainment spends to a minimum until you’re back on track.

5)
Consider a new job
. Have you been scared to take your career up a notch and have as such been accepting a lackluster pay package because you aren’t confident enough to up your game? There’s no harm in trying. Send out resumes and test the market. You could also take a short course or certification to make you more desirable in the market.

Whatever you decide to do will require commitment and some discomfort so be ready for that before you take the plunge.

It’s Possible

The best thing you can do for yourself is to believe that it is possible and achievable. It surely is. Late is better than never so don’t be discouraged by comparing yourself to how far everyone else may seem to have gotten.

Concentrate on getting back in the saving game and you’ll be just fine.

Do you have any saving tips to share? Let us know in the comments.

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Credit card ideas for Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is just around the corner and if you’re at a loss as what to get for that special lady in your life don’t fret. With a little help from your credit card, we’ve compiled a list of gift ideas that are bound to put a smile on mom’s face.

Holiday Getaway

Everyone needs a break from their daily routine. Treat mom to a mini-holiday break at the 1885 Dining Area at the
Eastern and Oriental Hotel
 and experience an elegant English-style tea session complete with starched linens and silver service. After soaking in the colonial influenced ambience she can retire to one of the hotel’s luxury suites where she can relax on the balcony overlooking the Straits of Malacca. If you are an OCBC credit cardholder you are also entitled to a
15% discount on accommodation and dining
 at 1885.

A Day at the Spa

Pamper mom with star-treatment at
Body Perfect Ladies Beauty & Slimming Spa
. If you’re a Citibank credit cardholder you are eligible for a RM188 special offer which entitles you to two beauty treatments. In fact why not make it a mother-daughter outing and purchase a session for yourself as well since the spa is giving out
complimentary foot spa sessions
 for mothers and daughters who sign up together. Advance booking is required .

Wine and Dine

No Mother’s Day is complete without a family get-together for lunch or dinner and let’s face it, Malaysians love to eat. If you’re a Public Bank credit cardholder you’ll be spoilt for choice with discounts of up to 50% at Esquire Kitchen, Fish & Co, Soul Thai and many more. Check out Public Bank’s site for the full list and
Terms & Conditions
. CIMB credit cardholders can opt for
Chocolate Hi-Tea
 at Grand Millennium KL and receive 25% off their bill or go Mexican at
Fresca Kitchen & Bar
 at the Gardens, Midvalley for a 10% discount.

All That Sparkles

If you’d rather shower your mom or wife with gifts, UOB is offering
Thomas Sabo charm bracelets and Gucci handbags
 to existing principal credit cardholders at special prices. If she’s into gadgets maybe a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 or Samsung Galaxy Camera will put a smile on her face. Speaking of cameras Fotokem is promoting a range of cameras at
discounted prices exclusive to Public Bank
 credit cardholders. Capture the happy moments without breaking the bank.

For new moms and moms-to-be there’s the
Mum & Baby Expo
 at Midvalley, KL which happens to coincide with Mother’s Day weekend on 10 – 12 May 2013. Not only will there be a wide range of branded baby products but AmBank credit cardholders will also stand a chance to win Pierre Cardin travel bags, Toys R us vouchers and AmBonus points totalling 1.45million from the
lucky draws
.

Supplementary Cards

Sometimes nothing beats the convenience of a credit card regardless of whether you’re shopping for groceries, paying house bills or grabbing a cup of coffee with friends. If you’re planning on getting a new credit card a supplementary card would make a great gift. The
OCBC Titanium
 has a robust package with 5% cash rebates for purchases on groceries, petrol, dining and utility bills plus 1% cash rebate for everything else that does not fit in that category. If you and your mom share the same passion for fashion check out the
UOB Lady’s Card
 which is currently offering a
20% cash rebate
 on your favourite shoe brands (Terms & Conditions apply of course). This card also doubles as a rewards point card and comes with special perks in beauty, fashion and entertainment products. On the other hand, if mom is the kind of person who uses her plastic for family groceries a loyalty card from a grocer she frequents will be more appropriate.
Citibank Giant credit card
,
Tesco-RHB Visa
 or
AEON credit cards
 are just a few examples each with their own features and store privileges.

If you need help researching the credit cards that were mentioned in this article you can find an exhaustive list on
RinggitPlus.com
.

To all moms and mother-figures, here’s to a special weekend this Mother’s Day!

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Fotokem

Fresca Kitchen & Bar

Grand Millennium KL

Mother's Day

Mum & Baby Expo

OCBC

OCBC Credit Cards

OCBC Titanium MasterCard

Pierre Cardin

Public Bank

Public Bank Credit Cards

Samsung

Samsung Galaxy Camera

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2

Tesco RHB Visa

Thomas Sabo

Toys R Us

UOB

UOB Lady’s Card

About THE AUTHOR

Brendon Lee

Brendon Lee

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Report: 80% Malaysian Investors Set New Financial Goals To Fight Inflation

A recent survey by Standard Chartered said that 80% of Malaysian investors have set up new financial goals and are actively engaging with their finances more frequently as a result of global uncertainties. Their new financial behaviours are influenced by factors such as the rising inflation and a threat of recession.

In its annual Wealth Expectancy Report 2022, Standard Chartered highlighted that the three main goals that most Malaysian investors are now saving and investing for include:

A comfortable retirement (54%)

Keeping up with rising costs (48%)

Holiday and major life experiences (45%)

Meanwhile, 40% of Malaysian investors surveyed said that inflation is a major concern in managing their finances, followed by the uncertain global economy (28%) and the threat of recession (23%).

In a bid to combat inflation, specifically, 53% of Malaysian survey participants further said that they are ready to reduce cash holdings in their portfolios; this is in comparison to 61% global investors who said the same. This has also led to Standard Chartered’s prediction that global investors’ allocation of cash in their portfolios is likely to fall from 26% in 2022 to 15% in 2023.

(Image: Hubbis)

Aside from discussing the new financial goals for investors, the report also revealed Malaysian investors’ opinion of digital assets; 67% of Malaysian participants continue to believe that such assets remain an important part of any investment portfolio. However, 48% also went on to say that they do not have long-term confidence in digital assets.

“This suggests that Malaysians view them (digital assets) as a short-term means to increase funds rather than a long-term asset to retain. However, it is important to note this survey was conducted before the
FTX crash
, and the events in recent times may have dampened this sentiment,” the bank elaborated.

Meanwhile, for sustainable investing, Standard Chartered found that there is an even split in the percentage of investors who have and have not placed money in sustainable funds at present (48%, respectively). Moving forward, 49% of investors in Malaysia indicated that they expect to increase their sustainable investments this year, while 11% said they will invest less.

(Image: The Malaysian Reserve/Razak Ghazali)

Ultimately, the head of consumer, private, and business banking of Standard Chartered Malaysia, Sammeer Sharma noted that Malaysian investors are typically quite receptive towards new types of investment, with many willing to diversify to try things out. To complement this bold spirit, however, professional advice from experts continues to remain important in ensuring that investors’ decisions align with their objectives, he said.

“We believe diversified portfolios with multi-asset income generation strategies and personalised advice will provide some of the best opportunities today,” Sammeer said.

(Sources:
Standard Chartered
,
New Straits Times
)

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About THE AUTHOR

Alex Cheong Pui Yin

Alex Cheong Pui Yin

Previously covered recruitment-related stories and had a short stint as a copywriter for the property industry. She subsequently developed an interest in investment and robo-advisors.

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Enjoy Affordable Protection In The Palm Of Your Hand With PRO-Health Medical

The advancement of technology and digital services has come a long way and today it’s easy to get most of our daily necessities just through the taps on a smartphone. If we can simply order our groceries, apparel, or even medication online – why should a service as important and necessary as one’s health insurance be any different?

Introducing PRO-Health Medical, a 100% online health insurance plan that’s available exclusively on the Tune Protect app and website. Whether you’re looking to purchase health insurance for the first time or just want to supplement your current coverage with a few extra benefits, let’s dive into why PRO-Health Medical’s affordable and convenient plans are worth a closer look
.

Furthermore, signing up for PRO-Health Medical not only protects you but also the community. Until December 2021, Tune Protect has pledged to donate RM6 for every PRO-Health Medical Policy purchased directly from the app or website to Madhya’s gift, a health fund by Yayasan Chow Kit. Madhya’s Gift by Yayasan Chow Kit is a children’s health fund that supports easy access to medical health services for children in need.

From easy sign up to an even easier claims process, PRO-Health Medical will keep you protected like a “PRO” against unforeseen medical circumstances with up to RM150,000 coverage and a convenient in-app e-medical card that will never get lost.

Find out more about PRO-Health Medical here.

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    Wong Chee Seng

    2 years ago

Is this owned by AirAsia?

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Save More With Credit Card And Bank Promo Codes During Shopee's 4.4 Brands Festival And Lazada's 8th Birthday Sale

With most Malaysians now staying indoors due to the movement control order (MCO), you’ll be happy to know that online shopping platforms, Shopee and Lazada, are both holding online sale festivals to help you get by with some retail therapy. Both the Shopee 4.4 Brands Festival and the Lazada 8
th
 Birthday Sale will be officially kicking off tomorrow.

You can already expect a whole lot of discounts through the sale festivals, but to help you further save on your purchases, here’s a list of bank promo codes that you can use for the two events. Some must be claimed beforehand, while some can only be used when during the checkout of your items.

Lazada 8
th
 Birthday Sale Credit Card & Bank Promo Codes

Lazada’s bank promo codes can be collected from 25 to 27 March 2020, and are limited in quantity. Given that it is disbursed on a first-come-first-served basis, you may want to start collecting the moment the slots are open! Note also that these codes are only valid on 27 March 2020.

Aeon

Promo code:
collect here

Discount: RM12 off with minimum spend of RM120

Quantity: 1,400

AmBank

Promo code:
collect here

Discount: RM8 off with minimum spend of RM80

Quantity: 500

Bank Simpanan Nasional

Promo code:
collect here

Discount: RM8 off with minimum spend of RM80

Quantity: 1,500

CIMB

Promo code:
collect here

Discount: RM12 off with minimum spend of RM100

Quantity: 2,500

Citibank

Promo code:
collect here

Discount: RM15 off with minimum spend of RM100

Quantity: 7,000

Hong Leong Bank

Promo code:
collect here

Discount: RM10 off with minimum spend of RM100

Quantity: 1,500

HSBC

Promo code:
collect here

Discount: RM12 off with a minimum spend of RM100

Quantity: 4,000

Maybank

Promo code:
collect here

Discount: RM12 off with minimum spend of RM100

Quantity: 2,500

OCBC Bank

Promo code:
collect here

Discount: RM8 off with minimum spend of RM80

Quantity: 500

Public Bank

Promo code:
collect here

Discount: RM8 off with minimum spend of RM80

Quantity: 1,500

RHB

Promo code:
collect here

Discount: RM12 off with minimum spend of RM100

Quantity: 1,800

UOB

Promo code:
collect here

Discount: RM8 off with minimum spend of RM80

Quantity: 500

Shopee 4.4 Bank & Credit Card Promo Codes

Note that these codes are limited in number, and are available on a first-come-first served basis. They are also applicable only for purchases made on the Shopee mobile app, and on Shopee Mall or Shopee Preferred Sellers only. Additionally, these vouchers are not valid for baby diapers, potties, formula, food and supplements, ticket and vouchers, top-ups, automotive merchandises, and S-Mart’s Milo.

AEON credit cards

Promo code: AEON44

Discount: RM10 off with minimum spend of RM120

Validity: 25 March – 27 March 2020

Quantity: N/A

Promo code: 44AEON

Discount: RM14 off with minimum spend of RM150

Validity: 2 April – 4 April 2020

Quantity: N/A

Shop now!

AmBank credit cards

Promo code: AMB44

Discount: RM10 off with minimum spend of RM120

Validity: 25 March – 27 March 2020

Quantity: N/A

Promo code: 44AMB

Discount: RM14 off with minimum spend of RM150

Validity: 2 April – 4 April 2020

Quantity: N/A

Shop now!

BSN credit cards (existing Shopee users)

Promo code: BSN44

Discount: RM10 off with minimum spend of RM120

Validity: 25 March – 27 March 2020

Quantity: First 1,000 redemptions

Promo code: 44BSN

Discount: RM14 off with minimum spend of RM150

Validity: 2 April – 4 April 2020

Quantity: N/A

Shop now!

Bank Islam credit cards

Promo code: BI44

Discount: RM10 of with minimum spend of RM120

Validity: 25 March – 27 March 2020

Quantity: N/A

Promo code: 44BI

Discount: RM14 off with minimum spend of RM150

Validity: 2 April – 4 April 2020

Quantity: N/A

Shop now!

CIMB credit cards

(Existing Shopee users only)

Promo code: CIMB44

Discount: RM10 off with minimum spend of RM120

Validity: 25 March – 27 March 2020

Quantity: First 2,500 redemptions

Promo code: 44CIMB

Discount: RM14 off with minimum spend of RM150

Validity: 2 April – 4 April 2020

Quantity: First 2,500 redemptions

Citibank credit cards (existing Shopee users)

(New Shopee users only)

Promo code:
NCITI44

Discount: RM10 off with minimum spend of RM40

Validity: 20 March – 4 April 2020

Quantity: First 1,500 redemptions

(Existing Shopee users only)

Promo code:
CITI44

Discount: RM10 off with minimum spend of RM120

Validity: 25 March – 27 March 2020

Quantity: First 2,500 redemptions

Promo code:
44CITI

Discount: RM14 off with minimum spend of RM150

Validity: 2 April – 4 April 2020

Quantity: N/A

Shop now!

Hong Leong Bank credit cards

(
New Shopee users only
)

Promo code: NHLB44

Discount: RM10 off with minimum spend of RM40

Validity: 20 March – 4 April 2020

Quantity: First 2,500 redemptions

(
Existing Shopee users only
)

Promo code: HLB44

Discount: RM10 off with minimum spend of RM120

Validity: 25 March – 27 March 2020

Quantity: First 2,500 redemptions

Promo code: 44HLB

Discount: RM14 off with minimum spend of RM150

Validity: 2 April – 4 April 2020

Quantity: First 2,000 redemptions

Shop now!

HSBC credit cards

(
New Shopee users only
)

Promo code: NHSBC44

Discount: RM10 off with minimum spend of RM40

Validity: 20 March – 4 April 2020

Quantity: First 2,500 redemptions

(
Existing Shopee users only
)

Promo code: HSBC44

Discount: RM10 off with minimum spend of RM120

Validity: 25 March – 27 March 2020

Quantity: First 2,500 redemptions

Promo code: 44HSBC

Discount: RM14 off with minimum spend of RM150

Validity: 2 April – 4 April 2020

Quantity: First 2,000 redemptions

Shop now!

Maybank credit cards

Promo code: MBB44

Discount: RM10 off with minimum spend of RM120

Validity: 25 March – 27 March 2020

Quantity: First 2,500 redemptions

Shop now!

OCBC Bank credit cards

(
New Shopee users only
)

Promo code: NOCBC44

Discount: RM10 off with minimum spend of RM40

Validity: 20 March – 4 April 2020

Quantity: First 1,500 redemptions

(
Existing Shopee users only
)

Promo code: OCBC44

Discount: RM10 off with minimum spend of RM120

Validity: 25 – 27 March 2020

Quantity: First 1,500 redemptions

Promo code: 44OCBC

Discount: RM14 off with minimum spend of RM150

Validity: 2 April – 4 April 2020

Quantity: First 1,500 redemptions

Shop now!

Public Bank credit cards

Promo code: PBB44

Discount: RM10 off with minimum spend of RM120

Validity: 25 March – 25 March 2020

Quantity: First 2,000 redemptions

Promo code: 44PBB

Discount: RM14 off with minimum spend of RM150

Validity: 2 April – 4 April 2020

Quantity: N/A

Shop now!

RHB credit cards

(
New Shopee users only
)

Promo code: NRHB44

Discount: RM10 off with minimum spend of RM40

Validity: 20 March – 4 April 2020

Quantity: First 2,500 redemptions

(
Existing Shopee users only
)

Promo code: RHB44

Discount: RM10 off with minimum spend of RM120

Validity: 27 March 2020

Quantity: First 2,500 redemptions

Promo code: 44RHB

Discount: RM14 off with minimum spend of RM150

Validity: 2 April – 4 April 2020

Quantity: First 2,000 redemptions

Shop now!

Standard Chartered Bank credit cards

Promo code: SCB44

Discount: RM10 off minimum spend of RM120

Validity: 25 – 27 March 2020

Quantity: N/A

Promo code: 44SCB

Discount: RM14 off with minimum spend of RM150

Validity: 2 April – 4 April 2020

Quantity: N/A

Shop now!

UOB credit cards

Promo code: UOB44

Discount: RM10 off minimum spend of RM120

Validity: 25 – 27 March 2020

Quantity: N/A

Promo code: 44UOB

Discount: RM14 off with minimum spend of RM150

Validity: 2 April – 4 April 2020

Quantity: N/A

Shop now!

***

With this, we hope that you will be able to save more and have a more enjoyable shopping experience!

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AmBank

Bank Simpanan Nasional

BSN

CIMB

Citibank

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Hong Leong Bank

HSBC

Lazada

Lazada 8th Birthday Sale

Lazada Birthday Sale

Lazada Promo Code

Maybank

OCBC Bank

Public Bank

RHB

Shopee

Shopee 4.4 Brand Festival

Shopee Promo Code

UOB

About THE AUTHOR

Alex Cheong Pui Yin

Alex Cheong Pui Yin

Previously covered recruitment-related stories and had a short stint as a copywriter for the property industry. She subsequently developed an interest in investment and robo-advisors.

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MAS’ Bank Points Conversion Campaign Offers Up To 25% Bonus Enrich Points, Exclusive Travel Package

Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has returned with its Bank Points Conversion Bonanza campaign, enabling customers from participating banks to convert credit card points to Enrich Points with up to 25% bonus points. Running from today until 17 August 2022, you also stand a chance of winning an exclusive travel package to Bali, which includes a three-day-two-night (3D2N) stay at Hard Rock Hotel and flight tickets.

Open to Enrich members with an active Enrich account, this campaign has two deals on offer, one of which is an early bird special that lets eligible customers earn either an additional 25% bonus Enrich Points (CIMB Enrich cardholders) or 20% bonus Enrich Points (cardholders from other banks). After that, you will be entitled to 10% bonus Enrich Points for conversions made during the remaining campaign period. Here’s the full schedule for your reference:

Offer
Period
Early bird special
:
– Additional 25% bonus Enrich Points (CIMB Enrich cardholders)
– Additional 20% bonus Enrich Points (other participating banks)
18 – 20 July 2022
Additional 10% bonus Enrich Points
21 July – 17 August 2022

With a total of 16 banks and financial institutions participating in this campaign – including American Express and Danamon Bank – you can be sure that many customers will benefit from it. Do be aware that each bank will have its own conditions and minimum points conversion requirement, so be sure to check before you put in any conversion requests.

That said, the overall conversion process for this campaign is actually pretty straightforward; customers who wish to convert their credit card points will only have to contact the call centre of their banks to put in a request. The banks will then forward the request to Enrich, and if approved, the customer’s Enrich Points will be credited into his or her account within 14 working days.

Note that participants are allowed to make multiple conversions from any participating banks. Also, these converted Enrich Points are
valid only for three years
, but MAS has introduced
Lifetime Enrich Points
 for Platinum members in 2021 – so do double check with the airline operator whether your Enrich Points are eligible for it.

Aside from the bonus Enrich Points, MAS’ Bank Conversion Bonanza campaign actually has another special prize to be won as well: a travel package to Bali that includes a 3D2N stay at Hard Rock Hotel and 40,000 Enrich Points worth two return flight tickets. To be in the running for this prize, you’ll need to convert a minimum of 100,000 Enrich Points (either via one bank, or accumulated from multiple banks). The winner will be selected and notified via email three weeks after the campaign period ends.

(Source:
Malaysia Airlines
)

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Alex Cheong Pui Yin

Alex Cheong Pui Yin

Previously covered recruitment-related stories and had a short stint as a copywriter for the property industry. She subsequently developed an interest in investment and robo-advisors.

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Find Travel Destinations You Didn't Know You Can Afford with This Web App

It’s nearing June, which means the school holidays are just around the corner. Have you planned out your holidays yet? With the global economic downturn, the weakening Ringgit, and the usual way Malaysians are about spending too much money, it can be tough to decide where to bring the family out for holidays.

We’ve covered some tips on
how to take a vacation on a budget
, tips on
saving money while travelling
, and even
how to plan your entire trip
 from a single browser tab. However, what if the only thing you know for now is your budget and nothing else? It would be a lot easier to just tell somebody how much you plan to spend and have them let you know how far across the oceans your budget can take you.

Wherefor

Wherefor
 is a free-to-use web app that does exactly that. All you need to do is fire it up on your browser, input your budget, number of travellers, dates, and the city you’re departing from, and the web app takes care of the rest.

It takes a bit of loading time, but once that’s done you’ll be presented with potential destinations on a map, some of which you may not even think you’d be able to afford on your budget. It certainly takes the headache out of figuring out where to go.

The web app also lets you sign up via Facebook (you don’t have to) so you can share and invite your friends to see or book the same flights and hotels so you can travel together. Handy.

However…

The web app is still in beta and sometimes the “best deals” final price go over by about 10 to 20 dollars. Oh, and yes you have to convert your budget into USD before putting it into the web app for their algorithm to use. Besides these two niggles though, Wherefor is definitely a handy tool for you to use to discover travel destinations that fit your budget.

As with all services like this, we suggest you use it as a handy jumping-off point to begin your research instead of treating it as the start and end of your research. While Wherefor may be able to point to destinations you didn’t know you had the money for, it’s still important for you to do the price comparisons yourself to be sure you’re really getting the best deals and for the price that’s stated on the web app. It’s still in beta after all.

Speaking of travelling and comparisons, you can check out our
credit card comparison tool
 as well to see which credit cards offer the best rewards for travel junkies like yourself. Our final tip? Take part in this
Travel Getaway Campaign
 to get more value out of your travels. Bon voyage and safe travels!

Do you have any other tips on how to find the best travel destinations on a budget? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section down below!

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Travel Deals

Trips

Vacation Plans

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Wherefor

About THE AUTHOR

Ahmad Mudhakkir

Ahmad Mudhakkir

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Malaysia’s First Life Insurer In The BNM Sandbox Offers Affordable, Simple, and Accessible Protection

One of the biggest challenges that Malaysia’s governing bodies have tried to address is the low insurance penetration rates among the population. The numbers are certainly a worrying sight:
only 36.5% of the population
 have life insurance or family takaful coverage, and
just 22% have personal health insurance
.

What exacerbates things is that Malaysia – which already has one of the highest healthcare costs in the Asia Pacific region – will continue to see rising healthcare costs in the coming years. The rising medical costs are already evident pre-pandemic; Covid-19 serves yet another highlight of the importance of being adequately protected. So why aren’t more Malaysians doing so?

There are a variety of factors, of course, but they can mostly be filtered to three main ones: cost of insurance, the seemingly complicated nature of insurance products, and the inconvenience of the application as well as the claims process.

As Malaysia’s First Life Insurer In The BNM Sandbox, DearTime is driven by the belief that life insurance is a fundamental right of every life, not a privilege. Thus, DearTime has stepped up to make insurance affordable, simple, and accessible – all via its DearTime mobile app.

So, how does DearTime work? Let’s find out.

Effortless Protection with DearTime Mobile App

Recently launched, DearTime is Malaysia’s 1st life insurer in the BNM Sandbox that provides a fully digital process of buying, editing, and claiming your DearTime insurance.

Accessible to all Malaysians at their fingertips, DearTime makes it easy for eligible Malaysians to purchase insurance underwritten by DearTime in approximately 5 minutes. User verification is done via the app with no medical check-up required.

Purchase the Insurance that You Need with No Frills

With DearTime, you don’t have to worry about complicated insurance jargons or unnecessary plans that are bundled together in an insurance package.

DearTime offers straightforward and pure protection insurance products which are: Medical, Critical Illness, Death, Disability, and Accident* – comprehensive protection that can be purchased separately so you can buy only what you need.

As a life insurer that operates 100% digitally without intermediary costs, DearTime offers the convenience of buying, editing, and claiming your DearTime insurance fully digitally. Hence, being covered by DearTime saves time and money.

DearTime offers insurance products with coverage and benefits as follows:

Insurance Products
Details
Medical
• Coverage: A yearly renewable term plan that covers medical bills for hospitalisation and treatments
• Annual Limit: RM100,000
• RM200 Daily Cash Allowance for Government Hospital Stay or Deductible for Private Hospital Stay
• Premium: Average of RM47/month (varies according to age, gender, occupation, and deductible chosen)
• Eligibility: Aged 2 weeks old to 55 years old, renewable up to 70 years old
Critical Illness
• Coverage: A yearly renewable term plan that offers a lump sum coverage amount if diagnosed with 1 of the 45 critical illnesses
• Premium: Average of RM11/month for every RM100,000 coverage amount (varies according to age, gender, and occupation)
• Eligibility: Aged 2 weeks old to 60 years old, renewable up to 100 years old
Death
• Coverage: A yearly renewable term plan that offers a lump sum coverage amount for death due to any causes
• Premium: Average of RM7/month for every RM100,000 coverage amount (varies according to age, gender, and occupation)
• Eligibility: Aged 2 weeks old to 65 years old, renewable up to 100 years old
Disability
• Coverage: A yearly renewable term plan that offers a lump sum coverage amount for Total Permanent Disability (TPD) due to any causes
• Premium: Average of RM2/month for every RM100,000 coverage amount (varies according to age, gender, and occupation)
• Eligibility: Aged 2 weeks old to 65 years old, renewable up to 70 years old
Accident
• Coverage: A yearly renewable term plan that offers a lump sum coverage amount for death or suffering from TPD due to accident, whichever happens first
• Premium: Average of RM3/month for every RM100,000 coverage amount (varies according to age, gender, and occupation)
• Eligibility: Aged 2 weeks old to 65 years old, renewable up to 70 years old
• *Purchase of Death plan is required

Edit Your Insurance Coverage to Fit the Different Stages of Your Life

What is unique about DearTime’s insurance products is the ability for the policy owner to easily edit their insurance coverage according to their current financial status or situation.

This is especially convenient, because it is good practice to review and potentially upgrade your policies after a big life change: a new job, getting married, having children – these life events usually mean a change to your financial commitments and as such, so should your insurance needs.

Naturally, editing your insurance coverage can easily be done via the DearTime app.

All it Takes is Just a Scan to Claim

When an unwanted life event happens, claiming your insurance benefits from DearTime is simple and effortless – there are more important things at hand, after all.

True to its business model as a life insurer that operates 100% digitally, every step of processing your claim is done entirely digitally as opposed to the traditional way of making a claim that involves the printing of many physical papers.

To initiate a claim, the DearTime app requires a facial recognition scan for verification – either you or your nominee can do this. A unique claim code will be generated for you to flash it to any of DearTime’s panel hospitals. After that, you just need to wait to receive your approved claim payout to be transferred directly into your bank account.

The process of claims disbursement for all DearTime products usually takes within seven working days upon receipt of the medical report from the panel hospital.

Pay It Forward – Help Restore the Quality of Life of Fellow Malaysians

In line with its efforts to make insurance accessible to all Malaysians, DearTime also introduces the first-of-its-kind Sponsored Insurance to benefit the B1-B2 segment within the B40 household income group who earn RM3,170 and below.

When you purchase insurance from DearTime, you can allocate up to 10% of your premiums to the DearTime Charity Fund as Thanksgiving. The DearTime Charity Fund will automatically sponsor the first person in line from the B1-B2 segment with insurance.

Therefore, when you get covered by DearTime, you are not just buying insurance for yourself; you are sponsoring someone who cannot afford it too.

On the other hand, if your household income falls under the B1-B2 segment and cannot afford to purchase insurance, you are eligible to apply to be sponsored with insurance from DearTime. The application will open soon. Please stay tuned.

***

Purchasing your first insurance should not be intimidating. Insurance is a fundamental right of every life and not a privilege, hence all the more reason why getting insurance should be made affordable, simple, and accessible.

Check out how DearTime makes insurance processes of buying, editing, and claiming effortless for every Malaysian through the DearTime mobile app. You can download the app now at
www.deartime.com
.

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accident insurance

BNM Sandbox

charity insurance

Critical Illness Insurance

DearTime

DearTime mobile app

death insurance

Disability Insurance

Life Insurance

Medical Insurance

About THE AUTHOR

ringgitplus

ringgitplus

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HSBC To Discontinue SMS OTP For FPX Transactions Of RM10,000 Or Less

(Image: Malay Mail/Hari Anggara)

Starting from 4 June 2023, HSBC customers who wish to perform FPX transactions of RM10,000 or less will need to authorise their money transfers using a re-authentication code that is generated from the bank’s Mobile Secure Key. This comes as the bank continues to beef up its online banking security to better combat financial scams.

In its notice, HSBC said that this update means customers performing FPX transactions of such amounts will no longer receive transaction authorisation codes via SMS (also known as SMS OTPs) come June. Meanwhile, there is no change in the way you authorise FPX transfers of more than RM10,000; you can continue to use transaction verification codes that are generated from HSBC’s Mobile Secure Key to perform these transactions (and
not
 the re-authentication code).

HSBC had first
rolled out the Mobile Secure Key on its mobile banking app back in 2020
 as a digital security feature to replace the physical Security Device that customers were using for their internet banking back then (the Security Device has been
phased out since June 2021
). Following Bank Negara Malaysia’s (BNM) call for banks to
adopt additional online banking safeguards
 last year, HSBC confirmed that it has moved away from SMS OTPs to adopt security codes generated via the Mobile Secure Key as its preferred verification method for conducting transactions or banking activities.

Existing HSBC customers will also be familiar with HSBC’s practice of using different types of security codes for different types of transactions or banking activities. The transaction verification code, for instance, is typically used for payments or transfers made to another person or company. Meanwhile, the re-authentication code is usually used to update the customer’s personal details or to adjust online banking limits (but not necessarily limited to only that, as you can see in this upcoming update).

Finally, HSBC urged all customers to activate their Mobile Secure Key on their HSBC mobile banking app if they have not done so. This is to ensure that their banking activities can be performed smoothly moving forward. Here’s a
quick guide from the bank
 on how to activate your Mobile Secure Key, as well as how to generate a transaction verification code or a re-authentication code, depending on your needs.

“Our app is compatible with iPhones with iOS version 13 or above and Android phones with Android OS version 7 or above,” the bank further reminded, adding that customers can visit the nearest HSBC branch or call its customer service at 1300-88-1388 for assistance if their mobile device is below the supported version.

(Source:
HSBC
)

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FPX Transactions

HSBC

HSBC Bank

HSBC Mobile Secure Key

About THE AUTHOR

Alex Cheong Pui Yin

Alex Cheong Pui Yin

Previously covered recruitment-related stories and had a short stint as a copywriter for the property industry. She subsequently developed an interest in investment and robo-advisors.

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