total imports was 9.4%. This increased to 23.6% in 2023. However, the ACFTA is not a one-way agreement. Although ASEAN products can also benefit from exports to China, the result is that China has many products with a comparative advantage. Yang Chengwei, 26, from Shaanxi, China, promised to bring five Rolex watches to China from Thailand with a reward of RM9,900. (15,000 yuan) When Yang was in Thailand, he was either knocked out or drugged before sending him to the scam syndicate in Myanmar. Through WeChat , Yang contacted his friend Xiao, a Chinese national who is studying in Universiti Malaya to borrow RM33,000 ( 50,000 yuan) for his release on 7 Apr. The syndicate also asked for RM152,000 ( 230,000 yuan) from Yangs parents in China to free him. The syndicate threatened Xiao, 20, from Chengdu that she would be tailed in Kuala Lumpur. Xiao had lodged a police report and contacted the Embassy of China in Malaysia. She contacted SinChew Daily to reveal her friends ordeal to alert others, especially students from China who are studying in Malaysia to be alert about such scam. Xiao said she knew Yang, in a part time job that both were working together. On 1 April, Yang told her that he would be flying to Thailand to pick up Rolex watches to bring back China. Yang said he would be rewarded with 15,000 yuan with free flight ticket to Thailand. I think the trip is risky and suggested Yang to fly back China directly, she said. However, Xiao said Yang needed the money and he had never been to Thailand. Xiao said Yang regretted his move after he woke up in Myanmar. Xiao said she saw Yangs partial face through the video call and asked if she could borrow money from her parents for him. Xiao also said Yangs parents had also lodged a police report in China and did not pay ransom on the advise of the police.

Festival from 3-7 Apr, where they gathered in Kuala Lumpur then charted a bus to visit cemeteries in the coastal area in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Johor to offer prayers for fellow Vietnamese who passed away as refugees and buried in local non-Muslim cemeteries from 1975 to early 1990s. They visited Bidong island off Terengganu, an island used to be one of the refugee camps to house the boat people pending their applications to migrate to western countries on humanitarian ground. They also paid a special tribute to local businessman, the late Alcoh Wong by visiting his grave in Merang, Terengganu on 4 April. Wong is a businessman active in MCA and community work who took the initiative to compile the records and traced the cemeteries of the Vietnamese after he came in touch with some of them, who returned to Terengganu in early 2000s, a place once served as a transit point in their lives. By speaking to village heads, community leaders, buddhist monks and the seniors in the Chinese community, Wong subsequently published a book on the Vietnamese Boat People in 2004, which later became an important guide for the Vietnamese to trace the location and names of the graves. Unfortunately, Wong passed away two years later and only a small number of Vietnamese had the book. The Vietnamese had never stopped visiting the cemeteries over the years during Qing Meng Festival and Wongs wife Teo Beng Lay subsequently involved as a contact person for them. Notwithstanding, every person warrants respect and his or her dignity must not be allowed to be impugned by misfortune, illness, or vulnerability or pure aggression. Teo became the co-ordinator for their visit to the cemeteries and temples in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Johor and Bidong Island this year where she helped to organise the logistics and liaise with authorities. This year, community leaders, Chinese information officer under the PAS government, village heads who had helped Wong to compile the records many years ago were invited to attend appreciation dinners held in Kuala Terengganu on 3 April, Kota Baru on 5 April and Kuantan on 6 April. Some brought along gifts for Teo to handover to locals who helped them when they were refugees. Van Nguyen, 73, a Vietnamese now living in Sydney, Australia, said he visits Malaysia more than 20 times since 2005. Originated from Ho Chi Minh City, he recalled 150 people from different parts of Vietnam leaving the country in several boats back then. Many were in Bidong Island while he spent eight months in Batam, Indonesia. Teo said one of them in the delegation was born in the Sungai Besi refugee detention camp. It was reported that about 252,390 Vietnamese refugees landed in Malaysia and 4,535 babies were born in Malaysia. Now, many of the Vietnamese referred Teo as mama as she helped them with refurbishing of the graves and tombstones. I see helping the Vietnamese as an incomplete task left by my husband for me, she said. Teo recounted many touching moments when accompanying them to the cemeteries. They kneel down before the grave the moment it is identified as a grave of the Vietnamese. They return to visit the graves regularly over the years, she said. Some continued to contact Teo whenever they came to Malaysia. Outside Malaysia, Teo met some of them in United States, Vietnam and other places whenever she travelled.

director of Waikiki Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd said safety was the priority and tourists would not be visiting areas affected by the earthquake. Tours to Hualien have been diverted to other places, said Pan. The worst case from the byproduct of this political opportunism of one political figure is the rise of religious vigilantism. There were two cases reported, one in Kota Kinabalu and the other in Kuala Lumpur. It was reported that a group of Malay Muslims, complete with silat or martial art teacher confronting people who were said to be insulting Islam in the stocking case. It was a mercy that these two victims of gangsterism were not hurt. I wonder how Akmal would feel if these two victims were hurt, maimed or killed. Whose fault would it be? What price should we pay for political opportunism? Malaysians have signed up for tour packages to visit Taiwan during the Hari Raya break next week. On Wednesday, Taiwan has been hit by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake off its eastern coast with some severe demage reported in Hualien County. The earthquake was said to be biggest in 25 years, where buildings collapsed and people were still experiencing aftershocks. Mint Leong, the Deputy President of the Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association (MITA), said April is not a peak season for Malaysian tourists and the impact is minimal. She has not received news of Malaysian tourists stranded in Taiwan. Wisma Putra also issued a statement to state no Malaysians were affected by the earthquake in Taiwan.

reduce the burden of their loved ones. Wee shared in his post of the one-day experience where he thanked those who cared for him and pointed out those who rubbed salt in the wound. I am fortunate to witness my funeral. This leads me to have a profound understanding of life, he wrote. Wee also said he planned to produce a documentary for the farewell ceremony to convey the message of life planning. He accused some of the media for irresponsible news reporting, claiming that the media created and spread fake news. Expressing his disappointment with the media, Wee said he had not involved in improper acts and refused to response to fake news and comments. Many negative news originated from the irresponsible reporting by the media, he said. To his fans who were disappointed with him for putting up a fake death, Wee said those are not genuine fans and he referred them as fake fans. A true fan will definitely understand the significance of this episode and will be able to understand the campaign organised earlier, which are even more extraordinary. These are stuff that Wee will do, no surprise, he wrote. Wee, 40, uploaded on social media a photo of him on social media with the phrase 1983-2024 after midnight on 1 April, followed by an obituary and announcement of a wake and a farewell ceremony at Nirwana Centre in Kuala Lumpur. His parents were taken to the hall by staff of Nirvana Centre where they spoke during the farewell ceremony, without Wee. The media was present and unable to verify the purported death while news of his passing went viral. On 2 April, Wee posted a photo of him with a guitar at his "wake". In the post, he said to look out for his new work and music video set to be released on April 4, 2024 at 4.44pm or as he surmised, 444444

one. The Malay pupils also do not speak Chinese at home, thus making slow progress to grasp the language, she said. Beh took up the suggestion by the headmistress to teach Malay pupils Chinese language in tuition class without charging fees. Due to the increasing number of Malay pupils and the decreasing number of Chinese pupils, the school has been working hard to maintain its academic performance. SJK (C) Khay Beng currently has a total of 54 pupils and 33 of them are Malay pupils. The large number of pupils declined over the years as the number of Chinese pupils continued to drop, while the number of Malay pupils increased. Beh witnessed the schools development over the years, from a dilapidated building short of classrooms to a school equipped with a computer lab, science room, library, music room, school hall, etc After spending 27 years teaching Chinese language in the school, Beh retired last September. In a ceremony, some of Behs pupils presented a video clip to her for her dedication. One of the pupils said Beh has never failed to correct the pronunciation to make sure that her pupil speaks well.

marked 10 years since the plane vanished in the Indian Ocean with 239 people aboard. "I don't think it's a technical issue. It's an issue affecting the lives of people and whatever needs to be done must be done," he said. Malaysia Airlines flight 370, a Boeing 777 aircraft, disappeared from radar screens on March 8, 2014, while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Despite the largest search in aviation history, the plane has never been found and the operation was suspended in January 2017. About 500 relatives and their supporters gathered Sunday at a shopping center near Kuala Lumpur for a "remembrance day," with many visibly overcome with grief. Some of the relatives came from China, where almost two-thirds of the passengers of the doomed plane were from. "The last 10 years have been a non-stop emotional rollercoaster for me," Grace Nathan, whose mother Anne Daisy was on the flight, told AFP. Speaking to the crowd, the 36-year-old Malaysian lawyer called on the government to conduct a new search. Transport Minister Anthony Loke told reporters that "as far as Malaysia is concerned, it is committed to finding the plane??? cost is not the issue." He told relatives at the gathering that he would meet with officials from Texas-based marine exploration firm Ocean Infinity, which conducted a previous unsuccessful search, to discuss a new operation. "We are now awaiting for them to provide suitable dates and I hope to meet them soon," he said. An earlier Australia-led search that covered 120,000 square kilometers in the Indian Ocean found hardly any trace of the plane, with only some pieces of debris picked up. In Melbourne, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the loved ones of those passengers were suffering "ongoing grief" as he expressed deep "regret" that it could not be located. "We understand that at this time, it will be a very difficult time for people because they weren't given the certainty that would come with a successful search mission."

gusto. Malay parents actively participate by decorating the venue and preparing for the celebrations. This unique school boasts a large Malay student population. However, it remains true to its identity as a Chinese school by using Mandarin as the primary medium of instruction. The dedicated teaching staff has developed their own methods to guide Malay students through their learning journey in Chinese. Their innovative approach even garnered interest from The United Chinese School Committees Association of Malaysia (Dong Zong), which sent researchers to study their methods. SJK(C) Chi Sin has come a long way from experiencing a drastic decline in enrolment a decade ago, when the school population dropped to 20. In recent years, its welcoming and effective teaching methods have gained acceptance among Malay parents, making it a preferred choice for those who want their children to learn another language. This is evident in the steady growth, with the current student body comprising 20 in Year One, 11 in Year Two, 10 in Year Three, 12 in Year Four, 4 in Year Five, and 9 in Year Six.