Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob is expected to announce more relaxations to the existing standard operating procedures (SOPs) soon. The matter was discussed during the COVID-19 Quartet Ministers Meeting earlier today, 14 September. The relaxations to the SOPs were discussed and agreed in principle during the meeting and will be announced by the Prime Minister soon.

More than 66 per cent of the total population, representing around 21.57 mil individuals in the country have been inoculated with one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. 17.48mil individuals (53.5 per cent) completed their vaccination cycle as of 11.59pm on Sept 13. A total 2,476,453 individuals are currently waiting for their first dose, while the remaining 8,607,599 individuals representing 26.4 per cent of the total population did not register for the COVID-19 vaccination.

The time taken to process a MyTravelPass (MTP) application has to be increased to 14 days from seven due to the high number of applications received. The increasing number of business travellers followed the reopening of many more economic sectors. The MTP was introduced by the Immigration Department on October 7, 2020 whereby the applications to enter and exit this country for Malaysian citizens and foreign nationals must be made through the system.

Malaysia will continue to be an open economy, with pro-business and pragmatic policies that will help to improve the country's investment climate as it has been for decades. Malaysia's ongoing efforts have successfully kept the country on the map of prospective foreign investors.

In time, more and more devices will come with the ability to grasp, contextualize, and recognize images, acquire and build knowledge through deep learning, and teach themselves how to comprehend speech and understand us when we communicate with or using AI. Industry analysts and governments believe that AI can be a great transformer for both developed and developing economies.

Invest Selangor Bhd, the investment arm of the Selangor government, is seeking 1,000 acres of land in the state to house European aircraft maker Airbus’ first aircraft teardown facility in Southeast Asia. On Aug 19, Invest Selangor, through its aerospace investment division, Selangor Darul Ehsan Aerospace Industry Coordination Office (S-DAICO), conducted a virtual briefing with a list of landowners on the potential investment by Airbus.

Standard Chartered Bank (StanChart) said it has executed its first green trade finance facility to support Amplus Energy Solutions FZE in its solar generation business. Amplus Energy is a subsidiary of Amplus Solar, which is a member of the Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) group and a provider of low-carbon energy solutions.

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 224.6 million globally, according to Johns Hopkins University. The number of confirmed deaths stands at more than 4.63 million.