A Safe@Work initiative to allow the continuity of operations for those in the manufacturing sector affected by COVID-19 infections, by forming a safe work bubble, was announced by Senior Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali today. The initiative, Azmin said, would allow close contacts of workers who have tested positive to continue working within the premises, provided they remain within the safe work bubble.

The government has introduced new initiatives and extended existing ones for tourism, retail and other sectors that are affected by COVID-19 under the PEMERKASA stimulus package announced by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on 17 March. To further encourage domestic tourism, the government has extended the exemption for tourism tax and services tax for hotel accommodation until Dec 31, 2021.

The Immigration Department of Malaysia is introducing the e-Special Pass (eSP) submission through Expatriate Service Division (ESD) online. This process is currently ONLY applicable to Employment Pass (EP) renewal application submission through ESD online, and takes effect from 15 March 2021 onwards.

Please note that this renewal method is only applicable to expats with expired EPs who are still in Malaysia.

The U.S. Senate on Wednesday voted unanimously to confirm veteran government trade lawyer Katherine Tai as the first woman of color to serve as U.S. Trade Representative, putting her to work enforcing trade deals, confronting China’s trade practices and patching up ties with U.S. allies. Tai will immediately get to work on a range of issues, including festering disputes with European Union countries over aircraft subsidies and digital services taxes and prodding China to comply with World Trade Organization rules.

On 18 March, AMCHAM, in collaboration with the British Malaysian Chamber of Commerce Berhad (BMCC), held a webinar, "Navigating Through Tax Audits." Five subject matter experts were brought together to provide insights and practical considerations on how organizations can be better prepared for tax audits and investigations.

AmCham Singapore, in collaboration with the other AmChams in the ASEAN region, will be presenting the findings of the 18th ASEAN Business Outlook Survey (ABOS) on 24 March 2021. AMCHAM's CEO, Siobhan Das is scheduled to speak at this event.

Standard Chartered Malaysia has collaborated with integrated business solutions provider Tricor Services Malaysia Sdn Bhd in a bid to adopt documents with digital signature in place of physical ones. Tricor Malaysia, a member of Tricor Global, recently signed a collaborative agreement with MSC Trustgate.com Sdn Bhd (MSC Trustgate) to support the Tricor Digital Signature platform.

The Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) has appointed Shanti Ramu as the new Director of MDEC’s Legal Department, in its continuing efforts to augment the agency’s ‘Reinvent’ agenda. Shanti will manage and oversee the agency’s legal affairs and drive organisational compliance by providing legal guidance, in-depth analysis and recommending solutions.

The BMCC in collaboration with The British High Commission Kuala Lumpur (BHCKL) will be organising a webinar titled “The time is now: Race to Zero”. This webinar aims to highlight that the shift to a zero-carbon future is underway.

Since AMCHAM is a supporting partner, AMCHAM members will have a complimentary access to this webinar.

Join us for a webinar with our panel of experts. We will discuss the topic of mental health and nutrition and understand how women face their greatest challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic and how we can support each other to overcome it.

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Business leaders should examine their organization’s identity in order to thrive in a post-pandemic future, says McKinsey. The global management consultancy has found that many organizations are too bureaucratic, too slow and too siloed. Even prior to COVID-19, executives often were concerned that their companies were organized for a world that is disappearing.