Since being posted earlier this year as U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia, Brian McFeeters has been confined mainly to the capital city and Selangor with the various Movement Control Orders in place. In a virtual interview with Sunday Star, the good-natured envoy speaks of his trip down memory lane as the United States’ chief diplomat, and what he describes as the most satisfying day in his 30-year Foreign Service career.

1. A person can be infected within 15 seconds.

2. Has a higher value of infection (Rt) anywhere between 5 to 8 compared to other variants which has an Rt between 2.5 and 3.

3. Highly contagious in narrow places and areas with poor ventilation.

You are encouraged to continue practicing the specified SOPs:

With the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) in several parts of Selangor and Kuala Lumpur lifted, an updated set of SOPs have been updated for the areas in Malaysia undergoing Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the National Recovery Plan (NRP).

The vaccination centre (PPV) at Jabil Circuit is officially live as of today, 19 July 2021. The newly launched vaccination site was visited by the Penang Chief Minister YAB Tuan Chow as well as YB Dato Haji Abdul Halim.

Click on the 'Read More' tab to view the photos as well as a detailed guide on the vaccination process when at the Jabil PPV.

The Selangor government will increase the number of Covid-19 vaccine doses dispensed in the state to 300,000 a day by the end of this month. the new target could be achieved through the simultaneous implementation of the Selangor Vaccination Programme (Selvax), PICK and Public-Private Partnership COVID-19 Industry Immunisation Programme (Pikas) in the state.

The COVID-19 Immunisation Task (CITF) Force told Malaysians and others with vaccination appointments today to follow those and not to attempt walk-ins at any vaccination centres on August 1. Walk-in vaccinations for August 1 were strictly for those unaccounted for by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), as well as those who are undocumented.

The government will announce what exemptions it will give to those fully vaccinated against COVID-19 after the Hari Raya Aidiladha celebrations tomorrow, 20 July 2021. The Special Committee for Ensuring Access to COVID-19 Vaccine Supply (JKJAV) was evaluating what restrictions could be rolled back for this group and will present these to the Cabinet shortly.

Applications for The UN Women 2021 Asia-Pacific WEPs Awards are now open until 31 July 2021! The WEPs Awards honours Asia-Pacific private businesses that champion gender equality in the workplace, marketplace, and community in alignment with the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs).

The COVID-19 infections in Malaysia show no signs of abating despite the accelerated national roll-out of vaccines. The spike in positive coronavirus cases has led to the reimposition of MCO 2.0 in January 2021, followed by MCO 3.0 and full lockdown (FMCO) since May 2021. The reopening of the economy is expected to be gradual as the vaccination drive continues to be ramped up under the four-phase National Recovery Plan (NRP).

RHB Banking Group promotes cashless donations to non-profit organisations through RHB #JomDerma, a digital platform that connects various types of non-profit organisations with prospective donors. The RHB #JomDerma digital platform provides a simple and convenient channel for contactless donations to be made to almost all types of registered non-profit organisations in the country including charitable organisations, welfare homes, and religious bodies.

Hospital Kuala Lumpur is currently in urgent need of hospital equipments due to overwhelming number of COVID-19 patients. AMCHAM is seeking support from any of our member companies who is able to contribute.

If anyone is able to assist, please contact Kevin at kevin@amcham.com.my or Elaine at elaine@amcham.com.my

Hospital Ampang has close to 150 COVID patients now in, and for the past few weeks the hospital has been expanding the wards in terms of manpower, equipment, and proper isolation spaces.

Both patients and clinicians need equipments urgently to be able to do their work.

If anyone is able to assist, please contact Kevin at kevin@amcham.com.my or Elaine at elaine@amcham.com.my

Hospital Kepala Batas has set up the new Hospital Medan to cope with the rising numbers of ICU patients since May 2021. They are currently in urgent need of medical equipment. AMCHAM is seeking support from any of our member companies.

If anyone is able to assist, please contact Kevin at kevin@amcham.com.my or Elaine at elaine@amcham.com.my

AMCHAM is HIRING! Are you looking for a challenging and rewarding career in corporate affairs and policymaking? Are you enthusiastic and passionate about business and policy matters, especially related to Malaysian and U.S.?

If this is you, apply today to join the team as a Government Affairs Manager.

The COVID-19 pandemic ushered in the opportunity to rethink how we work. It’s a sea change that occurs less than once in a generation and has the potential to reshape society in countless ways. This week, McKinsey examined the need for humility as leaders, organizations, and employees grapple with learning best practices, testing solutions, and admitting that nobody has all the answers in hand.