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The Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council: Celebrating World Hepatitis Day With New Hope

World Hepatitis Day is around the corner. Malaysia offers Hepatitis C sufferers a new ray of hope as a Hepatitis C treatment hub in Asia.

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach – 28 July 2022 – Hepatitis C is a silent disease that affects over 50 million people and claims hundreds of thousands of lives annually. The good news is that when caught at an earlier stage, it can be treated fairly easily. Malaysia has been making waves on the Hepatitis C treatment front since 2017, chalking up numerous firsts over the years and establishing itself as a prominent force in the battle against the disease.

Malaysia, the Hepatitis C Treatment Hub of Asia

Malaysia, the Hepatitis C Treatment Hub of Asia

In 2021, the country made headlines as the first in the world to grant conditional registration for a new Hepatitis C treatment, which was a culmination of a South-South collaboration that includes the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH), Malaysian pharmaceutical company Pharmaniaga Berhad, not-for-profit research and development organisation Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), Egyptian pharmaceutical company Pharco, and non-governmental organisation Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF). Today, it is offering Hepatitis C patients a treatment option with a cure rate of 97% at a significantly lower cost.

In supporting the World Health Organization’s (WHO) mission to eliminate this disease as a public health concern, the country has been stepping up its efforts to increase global awareness of Hepatitis C with the theme ‘Test, Treat, Cure’. To date, there are numerous private healthcare establishments in Malaysia under the Treatment Hub programme specifically for the treatment of Hepatitis C. Patients are therefore assured of easy accessibility to the treatment, in addition to the competitive treatment cost and high success rates.

With Malaysia Healthcare, getting screened and treated for Hepatitis C has never been more smooth-sailing. If the disease is caught early enough, treatment can be an outpatient process where patients just need to consume the necessary medication for an approximate duration of 12-24 weeks.

“Hepatitis C treatment is available in Malaysia for all. In conjunction with World Hepatitis Day, Malaysia Healthcare is excited to take this opportunity to welcome healthcare travellers from around the world to come and take advantage of our first-in-the-world capabilities to ‘Test, Treat and Cure’ them. Patients will be able to explore the beauty of Malaysia while undergoing treatment under the watchful eye of our specialists,” said Mohd Daud Mohd Arif, Chief Executive Officer of the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC).

All healthcare travellers heading over to Malaysia can have peace of mind knowing that they are in good hands. Thanks to its attention to providing high quality, safe, affordable, friendly and seamless healthcare experience for all, the country has gained a solid reputation as a trusted healthcare destination, a feat that has seen it garner the coveted Destination of the Year award by the International Medical Travel Journal (IMTJ) four times: from 2015-2017 and again in 2020.

More recently, the appointment of the country’s Minister of Health, The Honourable Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar, as one of the five Vice Presidents of the 75th World Health Assembly (WHA) further shone the spotlight on the country’s healthcare prowess.

“The appointment of Mr. Khairy to the WHA indirectly allows Malaysia to showcase our world-class healthcare system to the world. One of the things that he touched on was the importance of building resilient healthcare systems that are able to facilitate the holistic wellbeing of people. This is something that Malaysia has been working tirelessly on, especially throughout the pandemic, which has further enhanced the robustness of our healthcare. We were one of the first countries in the world to establish a medical travel bubble, which allowed Malaysia Healthcare to help over 900 international patients seeking urgent medical treatments in a safe and efficient manner. We continue to follow strict protocols today to ensure that both the wellbeing of the patients and the people are properly safeguarded,” said Mr. Daud.

Malaysia Healthcare is a collaborative effort that also includes 77 globally accredited member hospitals as part of its ecosystem. This reinforces its goal to ascertain that all healthcare travellers to the country are able to experience a comprehensive and cohesive healthcare journey here.

“Come embark on a healthcare journey with us and let us curate a seamless experience so that you are assured of quality healthcare for your peace of mind while enjoying the myriad of attractions that Malaysia has to offer,” concluded Mr. Daud.

For more information on Malaysia Healthcare and its services, please visit https://malaysiahealthcare.org/.

Hashtag: #TheMalaysiaHealthcareTravelCouncil

About The Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council

The Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) is a government agency that has been entrusted with the responsibility of curating the country’s healthcare travel scene. Founded in 2009, MHTC works to streamline industry players and service providers in facilitating and growing Malaysia’s healthcare travel industry under the brand “Malaysia Healthcare” with the intended goal of making Malaysia the leading global healthcare destination.

Lockdown Escape Has Launched Its Newest Virtual Reality Game

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 28 July 2022 – Lockdown VR: Circus of the Dead is the latest virtual reality escape game designed and released by Lockdown Escape. The game has been launched in over 30 VR arcades located in the United States, Canada, and Europe. It is only the second game to have been developed by the company, the first one having been released in late 2020.

The game features Lockdown Escape’s highly recognisable bear mascot as the VR avatar. Upon starting, the player is thrust into an immersive virtual environment where the goal of the game is to escape. Unlike regular escape room games, virtual reality escape games emphasise effective storytelling, realistic and cutting-edge special effects, and an undeniable sense of immersion.

Lockdown Escape is one of Singapore’s premier destinations for escape room games – both real and virtual. They specialise in the development of intellectually stimulating, immersive, and meticulously crafted escape games. Lockdown VR: Circus of the Dead, the latest of these games, had to undergo an extended period of animation and development, followed by months of rigorous testing to ensure peak performance. As a result of the ongoing pandemic, most of the development had to occur via video calls or within the VR environment itself.

Lockdown Escape is one of the only companies in the world that designs its own VR games and board games. The company welcomes anyone who enjoys the puzzle of solving escape rooms or who is interested in the world of VR to give their newest game a try. The experience of attempting an escape room in virtual reality is a distinctive one, the likes of which are unheard of in Singapore. Take advantage of this unique opportunity and bond with friends and family through a gaming experience unlike no other.

A third game is currently in its final stages of development, with Lockdown Escape projecting the game’s release to take place somewhere in November of this year.

For more information on Lockdown Escape, visit https://lockdown.sg/

Hashtag: #LockdownEscape

WeTV Accelerates Growth in Southeast Asia by Bolstering Local Commitment with Partners and Content Offerings

Building on strong momentum in the first half of the year, WeTV expands its partnerships with telecommunication service providers and zeroes in on delivering localized content originals.

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 28 July 2022 – WeTV, Southeast Asia’s leading video-on-demand (VOD) and over-the-top platform (OTT), today announced key business momentum updates for Southeast Asia, including accelerated growth in viewership, subscriptions and partners. As demand for OTT services continue to surge, the company reaffirmed its commitment to investing in high-quality, local original content and bringing the best of Asian entertainment to its viewers in the region.

With one in three of Southeast Asian viewers now streaming OTT, audiences here have become the backbone of the global streaming industry. In fact, the region has seen a 22% increase in OTT consumption over the course of 2021, fuelled by the evolution of telecommunications infrastructure and an increasingly mobile-savvy population. In the first half of the year (H1 2022), WeTV experienced strong regional growth with a 60% leap in monthly active users year-on-year (YoY), along with a significant hike in both its existing subscriber base and relative income. The company’s robust performance has helped WeTV retain its position among the top 3 OTT platforms in Southeast Asia in terms of daily active users.

“We have always been user-first and the prospects for WeTV in Southeast Asia is evergreen with its youthful and mobile-savvy population,” said Jeff Han, WeTV Director and Vice President of Tencent Video. “Our strong performance in H12022 is testament to our continuous efforts to adapt our content propositions to the diverse needs of our users and partners. Looking ahead, we will continue to welcome and collaborate with more partners to provide superior streaming experiences for all of our users.”

With smartphone penetration set to reach 90.1% by 2026 in Southeast Asia, WeTV looks to address the growing market for mobile-first OTT services through enhancing existing networks and building new partnerships. Most notably, its collaborations with electronics providers like Samsung, LG and TCL Televisions ensure a more seamless and connected user streaming experience across different platforms – including mobile, tablet and Smart TV.

Recently, the company has also established partnerships with local telecommunication service providers in Southeast Asia, such as Thailand’s 3BB, AIS, and TrueMoney and Indonesia’s largest operators Telkomsel and Indihome, to offer WeTV-exclusive bundles. WeTV has plans to further expand its partner network in the region, such as its upcoming partnership with Indonesian Internet provider XL Home.

“Providing localized content that resonates with our users is core to our strategy in Southeast Asia. Hence, we see the importance of empowering local creative industries and supporting local productions to go global via our platform,” Jeff continued. This is evident from the resounding success for past WeTV Originals produced locally, including the “Layanga Putus” series in Indonesia which garnered over 2,000 million views.

Exciting WeTV Originals in the pipeline include Thai campus romance “Love Mechanics” and melodrama “The Wife” as well as Season 2 of Indonesian hit “My Lecture My Husband”. Audiences can also look forward to regional in-demand titles, including “The Longest Promise”, starring “The Untamed” star Xiao Zhan, and “Three-Body”, adapted from the award-winning Chinese science fiction trilogy.

Hashtag: #WeTV

ABOUT WeTV

WeTV is an Asian streaming service that sees the creation of premier video-on-demand (VOD) and provides over-the-top (OTT) local content. The streaming service provides content from around the region, inclusive of selected Chinese, Indonesian, Korean, Malaysian, Philippines and Thai series and movies. Operating as a freemium service, viewers can access some content without the need for a paid subscription and premium content at a small fee. The basic features also include free subtitles. WeTV is available on the browser at , or on the WeTV application that can be downloaded from the Apple Store for iOS users and the Google Play Store for Android users.

Illegal Loggers Invade Forestry Areas in Xayaboury

Xayaboury authorities discovered that illegal log pieces were collected and processed in Phaing district.

Hong Kong Chronicles Institute Debuts First Volume of English Edition of Hong Kong Chronicles on 7,000 Years of Local History in a Dedicated Ceremony

Mr John Lee Ka-chiu and Mr Liu Guangyuan deliver keynote speeches in the presence of over 40 consuls based in Hong Kong

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 27 July 2022 – Hong Kong Chronicles Institute (HKCI) today marked the historic launch of the first volume of the English edition of Hong Kong Chronicles in a ceremony at the Government House with the release of Overview & Chronology as part of a bilingual book series on Hong Kong’s local history. HKSAR Chief Executive Mr John Lee Ka-chiu and Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC in the HKSAR Mr Liu Guangyuan were keynote speakers in the presence of HKSARG principal officials, Central government officials based in the HKSAR, more than 40 consuls general/deputy consuls general, over 10 representatives of international chambers of commerce and global institutions, among local community leaders and scholars, in Hong Kong.

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HKCI marked the historic launch of the first volume of the English edition of Hong Kong Chronicles in a ceremony at the Government House about Hong Kong’s 7,000 years of history. From left to right in the first row, officiating guests at the ceremony are: Mr Sun Yu, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of BOC Hong Kong (Holdings) Limited; Mr Ronnie Chan Chi-chung, Chairman of Hang Lung Group Limited; Mr Philip Chen Nan-lok, Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Mr Chan Kwok-ki, Chief Secretary for Administration of HKSAR; Ms Lu Xinning, Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR; Mr John Lee Ka-chiu, Chief Executive of the HKSAR; Mr Liu Guangyuan, Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC in the HKSAR; Mr Li Jiangzhou, Deputy Director of the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China in HKSAR; Mr Bernard Charnwut Chan, Vice Chairman of Our Hong Kong Foundation and HKCI Executive Committee Chairman; Dr Tung Chee-chen, Representative of The Tung Foundation; Ms Pansy Ho Chiu-king, Group Executive Chairman and Managing Director of Shun Tak Holdings; and Mr Daryl Ng Win-kong, Deputy Chairman of Sino Group and Chief Convenor of Development Committee at HKCI.

Guests in the second row from left to right are: Dr Li Feng, Chairman of China Mobile Hong Kong Company Limited; Mr Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, Vice President of the Fok Ying Tung Group; Mr Augustus Tang Kin-wing, Director of John Swire & Sons (H.K.) Limited; Mr Christopher Kwok Kai-wan, Executive Director of Sun Hung Kai Properties and HKCI Convenor of Development Committee; Mrs Eva Cheng Li Kam-fun, President of Our Hong Kong Foundation; Prof. Lawrence J. Lau, Vice Chairmen of Our Hong Kong Foundation; Prof. Lee Chack-fan, HKCI Chief Convenor of Academic Review Committee; Prof. Elizabeth Sinn Yuk-yee, HKCI Chair of Translation Committee; Prof. Wong Yuk-shan, HKCI Chief Convenor of Promotion Committee; Mr Oscar Chow Vee-Tsung, Non-Executive Director of Chevalier Group; Ms Gao Ming, Chairman & Executive Director of ICBC; and Mr Deng Renjie, Executive Vice President of China Merchants Group Limited.

Mr John Lee Ka-chiu and Mr Liu Guangyuan were joined by Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR Ms Lu Xinning, Deputy Director of the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People’s Government of the PRC in the HKSAR Mr Li Jiangzhou, HKSAR Chief Secretary for Administration Mr Chan Kwok-ki, as well as Vice Chairmen of Our Hong Kong Foundation and HKCI Executive Committee Chairman Mr Bernard Charnwut Chan in officiating at the ceremony under the theme “Chronicling the Ages, Connecting with the World” – dedicated to telling a global audience about 7,000 years of Hong Kong history from its early days to becoming a cosmopolitan city with prestigious international status under the framework of “One Country, Two Systems.”

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HKSAR Chief Executive Mr John Lee Ka-chiu delivers a keynote speech in the launch ceremony of the first volume of the English edition of Hong Kong Chronicles.

Among the guests in attendance were diplomatic missions in Hong Kong, including 41 consuls general and deputy consuls general from Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Canada, Dominican Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Netherlands, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, Venezuela, Vietnam and Zimbabwe.

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Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC in the HKSAR Mr Liu Guangyuan delivers a keynote speech in the launch ceremony of the first volume of the English edition of Hong Kong Chronicles.

“The first English volume, Overview & Chronology, traces the footsteps of the 7,000-year history of Hong Kong – replete with folktales and cultural stories on local traditions and customary practices. The sweeping history tells the stories of Hong Kong’s roots, and its political, social and economic development into the ‘Pearl of the Orient’ and gateway to China,” said Mr Bernard Charnwut Chan, Vice Chairmen of Our Hong Kong Foundation and HKCI Executive Committee Chairman. “Hong Kong Chronicles – both the Chinese and English versions – seeks to recover the collective memories shared by the people of our dynamic city we call home.”

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Mr Bernard Charnwut Chan, Vice Chairman of Our Hong Kong Foundation and HKCI Executive Committee Chairman, said in his welcome remarks, “Hong Kong Chronicles – both the Chinese and English versions – seeks to recover the collective memories shared by the people of our dynamic city we call home.”

Overview & Chronology – comprising an “overview” on Hong Kong’s local history and a “chronology” of more than 6,500 major historical events spanning 7,000 years – is the first volume in the first and largest translation project of any Chinese local chronicles in history.

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The ceremony, under the theme “Chronicling the Ages, Connecting with the World,” is dedicated to sharing with the world 7,000 years of Hong Kong history from its early days to becoming a cosmopolitan city with prestigious international status under the framework of “One Country, Two Systems.” Hong Kong-based consuls, representatives of global institutions and guests visit an exhibition at the Government House.

Hong Kong Chronicles as a book series consists of 54 volumes with 25 million words in 10 content categories, namely Overview, Chronology, Nature, Economy, Culture, Society, Politics, Notable People, Appendices and Special Topics. The series is funded by private donations from more than 50 corporations, charitable foundations and NGOs, including the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust as the principal benefactor.

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HKSARG principal officials, Central Government officials based in the HKSAR, more than 40 consuls general/deputy consuls general, over 10 representatives of international chambers of commerce and global institutions, as well as local community leaders and scholars, witness the historic launch of the first volume of the English edition of Hong Kong Chronicles.

Hong Kong Chronicles is the first series of local chronicles to officially adopt name ‘Hong Kong’ in its title. It is the largest of its kind in Hong Kong and reflects significant historical and cultural value,” said Prof. Lee Chack-fan, Chief Convenor, HKCI Academic Review Committee. “It is a community-wide academic project with the participation of nearly 370 scholars, historians and experts under the guiding principle of recounting historical facts without interpretation.”

“The compilation of local chronicles is an age-old Chinese tradition. However, the making of an English edition of is not part of that tradition – or any tradition. It is a unique and unprecedented venture,” said Prof. Elizabeth Sinn Yuk-yee, HKCI Translation Committee Chairman and Academic Review Committee Convenor. “Being an integral part of Chinese tradition and, yet, having room to bring in new elements, is a reflection of Hong Kong’s own unique position as a part of China and a key player of the global community.”

Hong Kong Chronicles is available on a global basis through worldwide distribution. Hard copies are available for purchase from bookstores under Sino United Publishing Holdings, including Chung Hwa Book Company (Hong Kong) Limited, and its online portal My Book One. E-books are available in more than 30 countries/regions through platforms such as Amazon Kindle, Google Book, Huawei Books, JDRead, Kobo, Overdrive, Rakuten, Readmoo, and Yuewen. The book series is also viewable for all readers and downloadable for universities, public libraries, national archives, government agencies and think tanks worldwide upon registration at www.hkchronicles.org.hk.

Hashtag: #HongKongChroniclesInstitute

About Hong Kong Chronicles Institute

Hong Kong Chronicles Institute was established by Our Hong Kong Foundation in August 2019. The Institute brings together community leaders, experts and scholars to undertake the historic mission of compiling the first-ever Hong Kong Chronicles. The book series covers a period from the ancient era about 7,000 years ago to the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR on 01 July 2017. It consists of 10 content categories and is scheduled for completion by 2027. An English edition of the entire series is also scheduled for completion by 2032.

More information is available at or by connecting with the Institute on:
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Laos Develops Three New Rice Varieties with Assistance from Thailand

On Friday, Laos announced the successful development of three new rice varieties that are expected to display increased resilience against climate change.

Trend Micro Maintains Strong Lead in Cloud Workload Security Market

Industry leader’s market share nearly triples its nearest competitor

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 27 July 2022 – Global cybersecurity leader Trend Micro today celebrated its continued leadership role in the fast-growing global market for cloud security, according to the latest the IDC market share report on Cloud Workload Security*.

To read a full copy of the IDC report, “Worldwide Cloud Workload Security Market Shares, 2021: Prepare for a Wild Ride,” please visit: https://www.trendmicro.com/explore/idc-cloud-workload-security

Throughout two years of global crisis, enterprise leaders invested in cloud infrastructure and services to streamline business processes, lower costs and create innovative new customer experiences. They also turned to trusted partners to manage and mitigate the resulting cyber risk. That’s created a market for cloud workload security which surged 36% year-on-year in 2021, according to the IDC market share report.

Trend Micro Cloud One was built for this. As business-critical cloud-native applications increase complexity and broaden the corporate cyber-attack surface, Trend Micro offers cloud builders visibility into cloud security and operational posture, enables discovery of threats, risks, and misconfigurations in open-source pipelines, and provides security for:

  • File and object storage
  • Workloads and virtual machines
  • Cloud networks and virtual private cloud
  • Cloud-native applications


Kevin Simzer, COO at Trend Micro: “According to the IDC market share report, global organizations spent $2.2bn last year on cloud security and nearly 18% of them partnered with us. Our automated, flexible, all-in-one platform delivers the simplicity and powerful protection they need to secure critical digital transformation initiatives. This commitment to cloud security has kept Trend Micro on top for over a decade.”

According to Trend Micro’s data, the company experienced 53% customer growth in the AWS marketplace in 2021, leading to a 134% year-on-year revenue increase in the marketplace. Revenues from cloud workload security were greater than the second and third largest players combined, according to the IDC market share report.

The independent market analysis also noted Trend Micro’s continued focus on the channel and marketplace-centric selling:

“Frankly, customers like to buy cloud security much like they buy cloud, which means buying security through cloud marketplaces,” it says. “In addition, buying through a cloud marketplace provides customers transparency of the spend and enables security units to pass the cost of security to individual business unit application owners. It is a win for security.”

*IDC, Worldwide Cloud Workload Security Market Shares, 2021: Prepare for a Wild Ride, doc #US49295722, July 2022

Hashtag: #TrendMicro

About Trend Micro

Trend Micro, a global cybersecurity leader, helps make the world safe for exchanging digital information. Fueled by decades of security expertise, global threat research, and continuous innovation, Trend Micro’s cybersecurity platform protects hundreds of thousands of organizations and millions of individuals across clouds, networks, devices, and endpoints. As a leader in cloud and enterprise cybersecurity, the platform delivers a powerful range of advanced threat defense techniques optimized for environments like AWS, Microsoft, and Google, and central visibility for better, faster detection and response. With 7,000 employees across 65 countries, Trend Micro enables organizations to simplify and secure their connected world.

Laos Ranks 72 in Global Mobile Data Pricing Survey

mobile data

Laos has one of the highest internet costs in Southeast Asia, ranking 72nd in the world and eighth among ASEAN nations, according to a new study.