The second round of opt-in for the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccination will open on May 23 with priority given to senior citizens. Along with the Klang Valley, the registration for opt-in will now include red-zone states of Johor, Penang and Sarawak, which have been recording a high number of COVID-19 cases daily. The second round of AstraZeneca opt-in, doses that are not taken up by senior citizens after May 26 will then be open to those below 60.

Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Khairy Jamaluddin today clarified that the current available data shows that only the Pfizer-BioNTech is suitable for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. This, however, does not extend to the Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines, with current safety data still limited.

Central Bank recently released reports on the Malaysian economy which registered a smaller decline of 0.5% in the first quarter compared to 4Q 2020 which declined by 3.4%. Accordingly the growth performance was supported mainly by the improvement in domestic demand and the robust exports performance, particularly for E&E products. It also stated that growth was supported by some of the continued policy measures which has eased the stress on the economy.

Organized by the Malaysian Institute of Corporate Governance (MICG), this Forum brings together a panel of distinguished speakers to discuss Governance matters (including anti-corruption) from the business sectors and regulators' perspectives.

AMCHAM's CEO, Siobhan Das will be appearing as a panelist on the Panel Discussion – Good Governance As A Starting Point For SMEs.

The U.S. Commercial Service, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s export promotion arm, and its strategic partner USA Healthcare Alliance (USAHA) invite you to join a Virtual Med-Tech Trade Forum with Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand. The forum will focus on Medical Devices and Health IT and will take a deep dive into the best prospects for increasing the sales of U.S. health technologies in these fast-growing markets.

AMCHAM is also recruiting members for a Healthcare and Life Sciences Committee. Should you be interested to join the committee, please email Elaine Wong at elaine@amcham.com.my.

RHB Asset Management Bhd has launched the RHB Sustainable Global Thematic Fund, the first conventional fund in the market with a focus on ESG through a thematic approach. The Fund enables investors to participate in long-term sustainability-focused investment themes including climate change, healthcare, and empowerment such as education and employment services, financial security and inclusion, information and communication technologies and sustainable infrastructure.

The big data analytics (BDA) market in Malaysia is expected to grow to US$1.9 billion (about RM7.85 billion) in 2025, from US$1.1 billion in 2021, according to Malaysia Digital Economy Corp’s (MDEC) commissioned study by IDC. The study noted that the services sector will contribute 64% of total data-driven spending, with the banking and telecommunications sectors contributing nearly a third, MDEC noted in a statement on May 10.

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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 May 16, 2021. Further lockdowns for Malaysia and Singapore, severely limiting avenues for domestic tourism revenue even further. Philippines and Thailand loosen their lockdowns. Thailand announces it will push ahead with its 1 July Phuket Sandbox reopening - but Phuket must reach zero cases first. More robust vaccine dose procurement for Cambodia, Philippines and Vietnam.

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 passed 163 million globally, according to Johns Hopkins University. The number of confirmed deaths stands at more than 3.37 million. More than 1.45 billion vaccination doses have been administered globally.