Phase two of the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) will kick off on April 19, with appointment reminders sent out to eligible recipients two weeks ahead. A total of 2 million people — senior citizens, high-risk groups, the chronically ill, and people with disabilities — have so far registered for vaccination under the second phase.

According to Senior Minister (Economy Cluster) and MITI Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, the RCEP brings opportunities for Malaysia to be more competitive globally. Based on the deliberations that ran for eight years, the ministry had also engaged many stakeholders to ensure that Malaysia benefits from the agreement.

The Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Strategic Trade Secretariat in collaboration with the U.S. Department of State, Export Control and Related Border Security Program and U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration will be organising the Strategic Trade Act 2010: 10th Anniversary Celebration and Conference from 8 - 9 April 2021.

AMCHAM's CEO, Siobhan Das is scheduled to speak at this event.

Philip Morris (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (PMM) has been recognized as a Top Employer in Malaysia and the Asia Pacific region for the second year in a row by the Top Employers Institute. PMM Managing Director Naeem Khan says: “These recognitions are testaments to our amazing people at PMM, whose resilience have brought us closer to the smoke-free future we envisioned for Malaysia despite a turbulent year".

MACC’s first prosecution under the corporate liability provision (Section 17A of the MACC Act) came about within 9 months of the enforcement of the said provision in June 2020, in contrast the equivalent legislation in the UK (Bribery Act 2010) took at least 5 years before its first prosecution.

Vice President of Sales of Marketing and Operations at Microsoft Asia Pacific, Ricky Kapur has highlighted that Malaysia is on the right path to become a highly-driven and competitive tech-based nation. Recently, Malaysia launched the MyDigital Blueprint to create a new and comprehensive approach to existing information and digital technology initiatives including the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC).

The majority of processors are currently manufactured in the region, with Taiwan's TSMC and South Korea's Samsung the dominant players. US-based Intel plans to set up a new division to make chips for other companies based on their own designs. Until now, its focus had been on manufacturing its own chips in its factories across the world.

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Pear Anderson has been keeping track of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Southeast Asian travel industry. This is the latest update as of March 28, 2021. From 1 Apr, vaccinated travellers arriving to 6 regions in Thailand will be able to quarantine for just 7 days, and from 1 Jul, skip quarantine altogether in Phuket. Indonesia bans the Eid homecoming, dashing hopes for a domestic tourism industry revival.

This daily round-up brings you a selection of the latest news and updates on the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, as well as tips and tools to help you stay informed and protected. Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have now passed 125.5 million globally, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. The number of confirmed deaths stands at more than 2.75 million. More than 489 million vaccination doses have been administered globally.