University of Reading to offer free UK-based online courses

Malaysia is not only a popular destination for medical tourism, Malaysia is becoming a popular destination for higher education further boosted by more and more foreign universities setting up their campus here in the country.

Recently it was announced that the University of Reading will soon be providing free UK-based online courses from partner institutions accessible to prospective students directly through their computers and mobile devices.

The University of Reading is in the course of setting up its Malaysian campus in Johor.

From The Star..

THE University of Reading, regarded as one of the better known universities in the United Kingdom (UK), will be providing free online courses soon.

The varsity will launch the initiative as part of Futurelearn together with some of UK’s top tertiary institutions, which British Prime Minister David Cameron announced recently when he led a trade mission to India.

Futurelearn, he said will establish the UK as a global leader in online higher education, offering world-ranking UK university courses to students throughout the world. The online courses will be available to students in the latter part of the year.

The news comes as the University of Reading prepares for its ground-breaking ceremony on the site of its Malaysian campus at EduCity@Iskandar in Johor.
More..Free UK-based online courses

Happy Chinese New Year!

Today is Chinese New Year or Spring festival, i.e., the first day of this most important Chinese festival. It is also the first day of the Year of the Snake. Chinese New Year is celebrated for fifteen days.

You can read about what we do on the First day of Chinese New Year and about the Reunion dinner on Chinese New Year eve.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Auspicious days to start work after Chinese New Year festival

It is exactly a week from today when the Chinese community all over the world celebrates the most important festival of the lunar year, i.e., the Chinese New Year or Spring festival.

Chinese families are busy going about cleaning up their home and shopping for Chinese New Year goodies. The latter includes shopping for new clothes to wear to usher in the new year, decorative items including tangerine plants, pussy willow stalks and other flowering plants to adorn the home, and foodstuff synonymous with the happy occasion.

In Malaysia, more than 30% of the population are of Chinese descent so Chinese New Year is widely celebrated here. If you visit Malaysia this time of the year, you will notice the air of festivity everywhere and a hive of activity all over the country, from villages and small towns to big cities like Kuala Lumpur, Georgetown (Penang) and Johor Bahru down south, neighbour to Singapore.

Another aspect related to Chinese New Year is the annual exodus of people making their way back to their hometown to celebrate the festival with their family. In a few days time, roads all over the country will see more traffic than usual as people begin to make their journey home.

Chinese New Year is celebrated for fifteen days but people start getting back to work towards the end of the week. It is believed that the day one starts work after the Spring Festival will determine whether one will have a good year ahead. What is an auspicious day to start work then?

This article on Auspicious days and dates to start work after Chinese New Year 2013 in Year of the Snake can give you an idea in picking a best day to go back to work.

I wish you all a Happy and Prosperous Chinese New Year of the Black Water Snake!

GONG XI FA CAI!

Foreign workers to pay levy instead of employers with immediate effect

With the introduction of minimum from RM600 - RM700 per month to RM900 monthly, the Cabinet has decided that foreign workers to pay levy instead of employers with immediate effect. Read The Star article below:


PUTRAJAYA: The Cabinet decided on Wednesday that foreign workers should pay the levy instead of employers.

The decision is to be enforced with immediate effect on new foreign workers and those who wish to renew their work pass, employment pass or temporary work visit pass.

The move is to alleviate the hiring cost for employers, said Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah.

“The minimum wage, which came into force this year has raised the salary for all workers on an average of between 30% and 50%, or from RM600- RM700 per month to RM900 monthly.

“The Government's move to impose a levy on foreign workers will not be a burden to them as the levy paid is between RM34.16 and RM154.16 per month as compared to a salary increase of between RM300 to RM500 per month,” Ahmad Husni said in a statement Wednesday.

The collection of levy for foreign workers was introduced in 1992 and was fully borne by the workers until 2009 when the Government decided to shift the levy burden to employers.

The 2009 decision was aimed at controlling the increase in the number of foreign workers in the country at that time.


MCA President, Dr Chua Soi Lek, is also pursuing the proposal to the Human Resources Ministry that foreign workers pay their own levy, transport and housing costs as a way of easing the burden on industries following the implementation of the minimum wage policy.

Johor set to become an international film-making hub

The southern state of Peninsula Malaysia, Johor, has seen much development in the last few years. In future, you will see movies that will be shot in studios in that area. Read The Star article below:

JOHOR BARU: Johor is set to become an international film-making hub in the region with the opening of the Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios (PIMS) in Nusajaya this May.

PIMS chief executive officer Michael Lake said Tuesday that nine film production companies from Australia, Germany, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the USA had expressed keen interest in doing their pre-production shooting at the studio.

He said two feature films and three telemovies for international audiences would be produced at the studio in the first year but declined to give more details.


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Malaysian corporations bidding for UK Stansted Airport

Malaysia may be a small nation but Malaysian corporations have acquired huge assets in other countries. Following last year's acquisition by the SP Setia-Sime Darby-Employees Provident Fund consortium of the Battersea Power Station project, yet another bid has been made to acquire another iconic UK asset, the Stansted Airport, the third busiest in London and fourth busiest in Britain.

YTL Corp Bhd and Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) are putting together a firm bid for London's Stansted Airport in an 80:20 equity structure, sources told StarBiz, confirming earlier reports.

The low-cost carrier terminal is being offered for sale by UK airports operator Heathrow Airport Holdings Ltd, formerly BAA, to satisfy competition concerns after a four-year battle with regulators. The reported figure is £1bil (RM5bil).

More: The Star.. YTL, MAHB in combined offer for RM5b UK airport