The country reported a trade deficit of USD 13 million in January, the lowest figure recorded since last year.
Colgate and foodpanda join forces to unlock q-commerce accessibility for customers in Asia
Colgate and foodpanda have started a collaboration to expand customers’ access to Colgate products in more than 400 cities across 11 markets within Asia Pacific
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 9 March 2023 – Global home and personal care brand company Colgate-Palmolive (“Colgate”) today is bolstering its Asia Pacific (APAC) digital strategy and giving consumers across the region even greater access to its range of products with a three-year partnership with Asia’s largest delivery player[1], foodpanda. By leveraging foodpanda’s established quick commerce (q-commerce) capabilities, the worldwide leader in oral care aims to drive its leadership within the health and wellness space forward.

Image attributable to foodpanda
The partnership follows prior successful collaborations which have shown a strong demand of Colgate’s core range of oral, personal and home care products on foodpanda via pandamart including the key markets of Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong, amongst others.
Expanding on-demand Colgate deliveries with foodpanda
Consumers are able to easily purchase a wide range of Colgate products on-demand and have them delivered within an hour anytime of the day through foodpanda, Asia’s largest q commerce player. Popular products purchased on the platform includes Colgate’s core range of products such as Colgate Toothpaste and Mouthwash, as well as products from personal care and home care brands like Palmolive, Ajax, Glo and Softlan.
In 2023, the partnership will focus on piloting commercial, marketing and advertising initiatives based on a core range of products across all markets. This partnership will not only allow Colgate to reach more customers and bring an extra convenience to them, but it will also provide the company with deeper insights into consumer purchasing habits to inform Colgate’s business and marketing efforts.
“Quick commerce is witnessing strong growth in Asia Pacific and we are confident that our partnership with foodpanda will enable us to better meet customers’ needs in a more efficient and effective way, having our products delivered right to their doorstep within minutes.” said M Chandrasekar, VP Customer Development, Colgate-Palmolive APAC. “Colgate-Palmolive’s digital commerce strategy has driven significant growth for our business and greater integration of q-commerce will further strengthen our leadership across the region.”
The demand for q-commerce in the Asia Pacific region has grown rapidly especially in the last few years. Customers have since gotten used to the convenience of q-commerce services. foodpanda has seen a rise in demand across product categories, with a steep increase of Health and Wellness products rising by 216 per cent in the first half of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021.
“As customers’ demands for on-demand deliveries continue to grow, we are committed to ensure that our offerings are in line with what our customers want. We are very excited to partner with a leading brand like Colgate to further support the daily needs of our customers,” said Julien Tessonneau, Senior Director of Q-Commerce at foodpanda. ” By coming on board pandamart, Colgate can leverage our robust q-commerce network and technology to enable even more convenience for customers.”
Hashtag: #Colgate #foodpanda
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Colgate-Palmolive Company
Colgate-Palmolive Company is a caring, innovative growth company reimagining a healthier future for all people, their pets and our planet. Focused on Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care and Pet Nutrition, they sell their products in more than 200 countries and territories under brands such as Colgate, Palmolive, elmex, hello, meridol, Sorriso, Tom’s of Maine, EltaMD, Filorga, Irish Spring, PCA SKIN, Protex, Sanex, Softsoap, Speed Stick, Ajax, Axion, Fabuloso, Soupline and Suavitel, as well as Hill’s Science Diet and Hill’s Prescription Diet. We are recognized for our leadership and innovation in promoting sustainability and community well-being, including our achievements in decreasing plastic waste and promoting recyclability, saving water, conserving natural resources and improving children’s oral health through the Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures program, which has reached more than 1.4 billion children since 1991. For more information about Colgate’s global business and how we are building a future to smile about, visit www.colgatepalmolive.com.
About foodpanda
foodpanda is a leading delivery platform in Asia dedicated to bringing consumers a wide range of food, groceries and more, quickly and conveniently. Powered by technology and operational excellence, foodpanda is spearheading the growth of quick-commerce (q-commerce) across the region with its network of retail partners, as well as pandamart cloud stores to provide more on-demand options beyond the millions of food delivery options. foodpanda operates in more than 400 cities across 11 markets in Asia – Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Pakistan, Taiwan, Philippines, Bangladesh, Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar.. foodpanda is a subsidiary of Delivery Hero, a global leader of the food delivery industry. For more information, visit www.foodpanda.com
Epicor Drives Significant Cloud Adoption Across Asia
Key Investments and Customer Successes Underpin Growth in the Region
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 9 March 2023 – Epicor, a global leader of industry-specific enterprise software to promote business growth, today discussed significant momentum in customer cloud adoption in Asia for 2022 at the company’s 2023 Asia ReConnect Customer Day held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Cloud adoption by Epicor customers across the region increased by more than 190 percent year-over-year in 2022, with businesses migrating or choosing to implement Epicor Kinetic in the cloud – a purpose-built, flexible, and scalable platform that helps manufacturers better compete and grow their businesses.
“Epicor customers in Asia prioritised cloud last year to take advantage of the security, flexibility and scalability that cloud delivers,” said Vincent Tang, Epicor Regional Vice President, Asia. “We’re also expanding in the region and making investments across markets including China, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam to help our customers modernise and future-proof their solutions, whilst benefitting from deep industry expertise and a company that understands its customers’ challenges.”
The customer day was also an opportunity to celebrate and award standout customers who have leveraged Epicor solutions to transform their businesses and bring about positive, innovative, and impactful outcomes.
The winners of the awards included:
Journey to the Cloud Excellence Award: Mobility Werk Advantech was recognized for taking the journey to the cloud to better automate processes and stay current with the latest technology to meet their smart factory objectives. With Epicor Kinetic in the cloud, they can more easily share data and connect with their customers and suppliers.
Business Transformation Excellence Award: Custom Molded Products transformed their business operations by implementing Epicor Kinetic and Epicor Advanced MES – which has supported their business in driving multiple operational efficiencies. Their molding rate has increased significantly, and their export sales revenue has nearly doubled.
Digital Transformation Excellence Award: Wise Ally Holdings took advantage of Epicor Kinetic to support the compliance, tracking and traceability requirements of medical and healthcare devices. They have been able to significantly speed up their quotation process through automation with less manual errors, supporting cost management and more accurate real-time financial reports.
Technology Innovation Excellence Award: Cat Thai has been using Epicor technology for 10 years and continues to adapt, evolve, and innovate to remain competitive in the market. Using Epicor Kinetic, they have strengthened their operational excellence and reduced planning versus production variance to almost zero.
Andy Coussins, Epicor Senior Vice President and Head of International Sales added, “Customer recognition is hugely important to Epicor, and it has been wonderful to celebrate these successes in person. Hearing our customers’ stories demonstrates how our solutions enable them to keep the world turning, even during challenging times. We thank our customers for their continued commitment to Epicor and look forward to helping them deliver future success.”
Hashtag: #Epicor
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Epicor
Epicor Software Corporation equips hard-working businesses with enterprise solutions that keep the world turning. For nearly 50 years, Epicor customers in the automotive, building supply, distribution, manufacturing, and retail industries have trusted Epicor to help them do business better. Innovative Epicor solution sets are carefully curated to fit customer needs and built to flexibly respond to their fast-changing reality. With deep industry knowledge and experience, Epicor accelerates its customers’ ambitions, whether to grow and transform, or simply become more productive and effective. Visit www.epicor.com for more information.
Lao Man Commits Suicide in Thailand to Avoid Sexual Abuse Charges
A Lao man took his own life after assaulting his ex-wife and a young girl in Bang Sao Thong District, in the central province of Samut Prakan, Thailand on Tuesday.
Oscars 2023: raising the curtain on the recovery and risks in the entertainment industry
- Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) has insured five of the 10 movies nominated in the Oscars’ Best Picture category this year
- The recovery of the entertainment sector is well underway after the pandemic, but it is not immune to the current challenging economic environment
- Health and safety protocols, crowd safety, more extreme weather and technology risks are key industry concerns while ESG has a growing influence.
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 9 March 2023 – With the Oscars taking place on March 12, all eyes are on the global entertainment industry. The glamour, revenues and audiences may all be returning post-pandemic, but the movie and live events business has yet to fully recover from the Covid crisis and is having to constantly evolve in a new environment driven by economic, technology and sustainability risk trends, according to insurer Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS)’ new outlook for the sector. AGCS is a major player in the global entertainment insurance market and has insured five of the 10 movies nominated in the Oscars’ Best Picture category in 2023, continuing a long tradition of partnership with the film industry that goes back as far as the movies of Charlie Chaplin 100 years ago.
“The entertainment industry had a very positive year in 2022 and a welcome recovery is definitely underway, but we are not out of the woods yet,” says Michael Furtschegger, Global Head of Entertainment at AGCS. “In the three years since the coronavirus first hit the headlines, the world has changed. The sector must continue to evolve in line with new technologies, proliferating platforms, and seismic shifts in patterns of consumption, as well as changes in the public mood, particularly among younger generations.”
Despite the headwinds, consumers are heading back to their favorite entertainment venues or platforms in encouraging numbers. Global box office receipts hit $25.9bn in 2022, reports Gower Street Analytics, a 27% gain on 2021, but still 35% behind the average for the three years before the pandemic (2017 to 2019). Live music revenue is expected to exceed pre-pandemic levels in 2024, with digital music streaming subscriptions fueling growth in recorded music, where revenues are projected to reach $45.8bn in 2026, up from $36.1bn in 2021, according to PwC. Live theater is also staging a comeback with rising receipts and attendances, while the global sports industry is proving particularly resilient supported by media rights, sponsorship deals, and a calendar of fixed international events and tournaments.
The big picture
However, as with other industry sectors, the entertainment sector is not immune to economic trends such as rising costs or staff shortages. “Our entertainment clients are feeling the effects of inflation, with increased production and live-event costs.,” Furtschegger explains. “Staffing costs have risen following the skills shortage that occurred in the wake of the pandemic when many left the industry. Venues are scarcer than they were because there are still many shows postponed from the pandemic that need to take place in addition to new events and festivals. Bigger events may be thriving, but smaller events are more challenged by factors such as venue, transportation, and energy costs. We expect to see more consolidation in the industry, with smaller, struggling production companies and venues being bought by larger operators.”
Quality not quantity
Technology has lowered the barriers to entry for content creators, when almost anyone can upload to TikTok, YouTube or Instagram, while at the other end of the scale, the major studios and tech businesses are launching their own platforms. The sheer volume of content that is now being created and distributed makes quality a key differentiator in a crowded market.
“We see a move towards quality in film production, but this doesn’t come cheap,” says Wanda Phillips, Head of North America Entertainment Insurance at AGCS. “Businesses need to know they have sufficient insurance cover for sophisticated productions. Where costs increase, so, too do exposures because the costs are higher with each day of shooting, and this could be reflected in any insurance loss.”
Getting vigilant about sustainability
There is a growing influence of ESG, or environmental, social, and governance issues on the sector. This year’s Oscars ceremony will see green dresses on the red carpet as the Academy encourages a more responsible approach to awards-season fashion. In live events, British band Coldplay has pledged to halve the carbon emissions associated with its current ‘Music of the Spheres’ world tour, compared to 2016-2017, and has made a raft of sustainable commitments, including paying a surcharge for aviation fuel, sourcing ethical, sustainable merchandise, and planting a tree for every ticket sold.
“Younger generations are particularly concerned about sustainability, and festival organizers are responding to this,” says Furtschegger. “More and more entertainment organizations are committing themselves to sustainability targets to reduce the emissions associated with live tours.”
The virtual future
With streaming now fundamental to the entertainment and media landscape, virtual conferences are a particular growth area. The global virtual events market was valued at over $114bn in 2021 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 21.4% from 2022 to 2030. Even without a live audience, virtual conferences still carry risks, including transmission failure because of a weather event or natural catastrophe, fire affecting the broadcast unit, or network issues impacting broadcasting infrastructure. Rented equipment and studio space can also be vulnerable to property and casualty liabilities.
Reality and live content are also continuing to grow, facilitated by on-demand services and social media platforms. Virtual reality (VR) is the fastest-growing entertainment and media segment, reports PwC, with global VR growth between 2021 and 2026 expected to bring the segment to $7.6bn. Gaming is forecast to be 85% of total VR revenue by 2026.
“As the worlds of gaming, music and entertainment continue to converge, gaming platforms such as Fortnite and Roblox are increasingly serving as entertainment and social hubs, while gaming content is crossing over to social media and streaming platforms,” says Furtschegger. HBO debuted ‘The Last of Us’, a video-game adaptation set in a post-apocalyptic world, in January 2023 to critical acclaim. Meanwhile, video games continue to develop as a spectator sport, with the total number of esports viewers worldwide possibly exceeding 640 million by 2025 according to a recent report.
Emerging risks on the scene
Health and safety protocols, particularly in the event of future pandemics, increasing weather hazards and crowd safety are some of the key risk concerns that the entertainment industry needs to monitor closely. “The Covid crisis and the recent tragic shooting incident on a film set have shown that the industry needs to remain vigilant about its health and safety protocols,” says Furtschegger. Climate change is another cause for concern. “We’re seeing more abnormal weather-related events – heavy storms and flooding in Europe and bushfires in California, for example. These inevitably cause havoc for live events, both in terms of cancellation exposure but also damages and human safety.”
“Crowds have always carried inherent risks,” adds Kurt Miner, Managing Director, Entertainment, at Allianz Risk Consulting, North America. “Event organizers are now better able to monitor large groups of people and keep them safe, as well as artists, with the use of real-time video monitoring. Safety experts can remotely monitor two or three events, which could each be taking place over 15 acres or more, spotting risks concerns such as blocked exits or damaged barriers. They can also monitor social media to pre-empt gate-rushing and prevent stampedes, sending a security contingent to the location before the situation gets out of hand.” Slips and falls are the most common cause of claims from live-event policies, so organizers should ensure medical staff and transport to local medical facilities are on site.
Hashtag: #AGCS #BusinessInsurance #Oscars2023 #Allianz
https://www.linkedin.com/company/allianz-global-corporate-&-specialty-agcs-/
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty
Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) is a leading global corporate insurance carrier and a key business unit of Allianz Group. We provide
risk consultancy,
Property-Casualty insurance solutions and
alternative risk transfer for a wide spectrum of commercial, corporate and specialty risks across nine
dedicated lines of business and
six regional hubs.
Our customers are as diverse as business can be, ranging from Fortune Global 500 companies to small businesses. Among them are not only the world’s largest consumer brands, financial institutions, tech companies and the global aviation and shipping industry, but also floating wind farms or Hollywood film productions. They all look to AGCS for smart solutions to, and global programs for, their largest and most complex risks in a dynamic, multinational business environment and trust us to deliver an outstanding
claims experience.
Worldwide, AGCS operates with its own teams in more than 30 countries and through the Allianz Group network and partners in over 200 countries and territories, employing around 4,200 people. As one of the largest Property-Casualty units of Allianz Group, we are backed by strong and stable
financial ratings. In 2021, AGCS generated a total of €11.2. billion gross premium globally.
For more information please visit our website www.agcs.allianz.com
Top PH FinTech GCash banners financial inclusion story at Mobile World Congress

Before a global audience of industry leaders, Sazon highlighted that, “GCash is now a National Champion that helps transform a nation, and gives hope to many Filipinos. Powered by game-changing innovation, and driven by a burning platform.”
The leading e-wallet and financial services app in the Philippines has been aggressively launching innovations aimed at making its vision of Finance for All a reality.
“GCash is an everyday super app: for payments and transfers; fair lending for all; affordable investments; accessible insurance; empowering a green and digital lifestyle– all of these are anchored on customer’s needs, with them as our north star for all our innovations,” said Sazon.
She shared how the e-wallet has become ubiquitous in the Philippines with over 76 million registered users, evolving into a verb for many, “‘i-GCash mo na yan!’ translating to ‘Just pay with GCash!'”. GCash is the first and only duacorn in the Philippines and, “one of the very few financially sustainable fintechs in the world.”
Likewise, the platform’s net promoter score (NPS), a gauge measuring customer experience and predicts business growth has been best in class at 83.9%, surpassing globally loved brands.
Sazon culminated the session following separate presentations from Tjodolf Sommestad, president of Candy Crush mobile game developer King and Lauren Kunze, CEO of conversational AI developer Iconiq.
GCash, along with its parent the Globe Group, represented the Philippines at the MWC in Barcelona, as they showcased how the tech conglomerate has been leading progress and innovation in the Southeast Asian nation.
Hosted by GSM Association, a global organization unifying the mobile ecosystem, the MWC is the world’s largest and most influential exhibition for the connectivity industry.
According to GSMA, this year’s theme, Velocity, highlighted five key discussions on 5G acceleration, Reality+, OpenNet, FinTech, and Digital Everything.
This is the second in-person MWC since the event was canceled during the pandemic. The annual gathering reached a record 109,000 attendees in 2019 while this year saw total attendees of 88,500.
Hashtag: #GCash
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
abrdn Islamic World Equity Fund marks its 10-year anniversary
Shariah-compliant fund offers diversity, sustained growth and stability to face dynamic market conditions
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach – 9 March 2023 – abrdn today marked the 10th anniversary of abrdn Islamic World Equity Fund. The fund is well diversified across multiple sectors and countries, providing investors with a combination of growth and stability in sectors such as IT, communications, consumer discretionary and health care.
Gerald Ambrose, CEO for abrdn Islamic Malaysia Sdn Bhd, said: “Amid increasing geopolitical tension and economic uncertainty, we believe that it is important to invest in a globally diversified portfolio which can ride market volatility and capture growth potential. With compound growth of 7.2% per annum over the past 10 years, abrdn Islamic World Equity Fund has delivered sustained growth for Malaysian investors and allowed them to achieve long-term savings goals. I am confident that our award-winning team will continue to bring value for investors through all conditions for many decades more.”
Launched in February 2013, the Malaysia-domiciled global Islamic fund seeks to achieve long-term capital appreciation through investments in Shariah-compliant equities and equity-related securities. The MYR 577 million strategy[1] has dedicated resources in place including a Shariah compliance officer, plus Shariah screening and monitoring by an independent Shariah Adviser. Shariah-compliant companies typically have less debt compared with conventional firms, and companies that have less debt, particularly during downturns, can focus on their businesses with fewer concerns about their cash flows, hence are better positioned to offer steady growth for investors.
abrdn’s bottom-up stock-picking approach allows the fund to invest in high quality companies that produce less volatile earnings streams, have greater margins of safety and can better navigate an uncertain future. This is achieved by drawing on the Group’s expertise of a 120+ strong equity investment team operating across 13 markets worldwide [2], combining local insights with global perspectives. Research is fundamental to our investment process and the significant majority of our fundamental stock research is produced by our own investment professionals.
Martin Connaghan, co-manager of abrdn Islamic World Equity Fund and Investment Director of Global Equities, said: “As we continue to face a challenging backdrop globally, we seek to maintain a diversified portfolio focused on businesses best positioned to manage financial pressures through to times of greater market stability. We believe periods of market weakness represent an opportunity for the long-term investor. Therefore, we reiterate the importance of a diversified portfolio with a bottom-up investment approach focused on quality characteristics. Come rain or shine, the portfolio aims to offer sustainable growth and stability when it matters most. Market downturns are unavoidable, however we embrace a team-based approach in an effort to capture the best Shariah-compliant investment opportunities for our clients, regardless of the external environment.”
abrdn opened its Kuala Lumpur office in 2005 and has over a decade of experience in managing global, regional and domestic Shariah portfolios, reaching an AUM of USD 800 million[3] .
Hashtag: #abrdn
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About abrdn
At abrdn, we enable our clients to plan, save and invest for their futures.
We structure our business into three areas – and together they reflect our focus on enabling our clients to be better investors:
- Investments: We work with clients to create solutions across asset classes, regions and markets globally – combining multi-layered research and market insights with technology and diverse thinking.
- Adviser: We offer market-leading platform technology and tools that enable UK wealth managers and financial advisers to create more opportunity for their business and their clients.
- Personal: We help people throughout the UK plan for their financial futures – through our financial planning business and our digital investing services.
Across our investments, adviser and personal businesses we manage and administer £500 billion of assets for our clients, and abrdn plc has over 1 million shareholders. (Figures as at 31 December 2022)
abrdn.com
Disclaimer
Investors should read and understand the master prospectus dated 25 April 2022 in respect of abrdn Islamic World Equity Fund (collectively, “Master Prospectus”) as well as the Product Highlights Sheet in respect of AIWEF which can be obtained at our office or from any of our approved distributors, or seek relevant professional investment advice, before making any investment decision. A copy of the Master Prospectus has been registered with the Securities Commission of Malaysia (“the SC”). Investors should consider the fees and charges involved before investing. Investments in the unit trusts are not deposits in, obligations of, or guaranteed or insured by abrdn Islamic Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. (the “Manager”), and are subject to investment risks, including the possible loss of the principal amount invested. Unit values and income therefrom may fall or rise. Past performance is not indicative of future performance. Units will only be issued on receipt of the application form referred to in and accompanying the Master Prospectus, subject to the terms and conditions therein. Investors are advised to read and understand the contents of the unit trust loan financing risk statement before deciding to borrow/seek financing facility to purchase units.
The information herein shall not be disclosed, used or disseminated, in whole or part, and shall not be reproduced, copied or made available to others. The Manager reserves the right to make changes and corrections to the information, including any opinions or forecasts expressed herein at any time, without notice.
The registration of the Master Prospectus dated 25 April 2022 with the SC does not indicate that the SC recommended or endorsed the product and service. This document has not been reviewed by the SC.
abrdn Islamic Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.
Registration Number: 200801026015 (827342-W)
Okta Appoints Clarence Cheah as Head of Growth Strategies, APJ
Cheah will oversee Okta’s strategic growth initiatives and drive regional business development and expansion.

Cheah was pivotal to the successful business launch and market expansion in Japan. He has over two decades of experience in the technology industry, leading sales and engineering teams and executing sales strategies to foster business growth. He was most recently Identity Lead, Asia Pacific and Japan for Okta and has also held senior sales leadership and consulting positions at global IT firms, including Oracle, IBM, and Novell.
Ben Goodman, Okta’s Senior Vice President and General Manager for Asia Pacific, said: “Demonstrating strong business acumen and leadership skills, Cheah has been pivotal to Okta’s expansion in APJ over the years. His deep understanding of the industry, technology, and customers’ identity needs puts him in a prime position to help launch Okta on its next phase of hyper-growth.”
“In today’s fast-evolving digital environment, the need for innovative, robust, and dependable identity solutions has never been greater,” said Cheah. “I am proud to be at the forefront of Okta’s efforts to help customers turn their identity investments into a business asset that can truly deliver impact to their bottom lines.”
Hashtag: #Okta
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Okta
Okta is the World’s Identity Company. As the leading independent Identity partner, we free everyone to safely use any technology—anywhere, on any device or app. The most trusted brands trust Okta to enable secure access, authentication, and automation. With flexibility and neutrality at the core of our Okta Workforce Identity and Customer Identity Clouds, business leaders and developers can focus on innovation and accelerate digital transformation thanks to customizable solutions and more than 7,000 pre-built integrations. We’re building a world where Identity belongs to you. Learn more at okta.com.