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By SHYAFIQ DZULKIFLI PETALING JAYA: The current flu season has put the spotlight on school students, with over 6,000 down with influenza. However, attention is also needed for another vulnerable group - the elderly. Authorities have not released figures on how many seniors have been infected. However, health experts say more needs to be done to encourage them to get flu shots. This is because studies have shown that the vaccination rate in Malaysia is very low among individuals aged 60 and above. For instance, a 2023 study by researchers at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Medical Molecular Biology Institute found that only 5.5% of 13,110 elderly participants in the study had received influenza vaccinations. The vaccination figure falls far below the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended coverage rate of between 50% to 90%. The study defined the elderly as individuals aged 60 and above. “The influenza vaccination coverage rate among M...

By SHYAFIQ DZULKIFLI PETALING JAYA: The current flu season has put the spotlight on school students, with over 6,000 down with influenza. However, health experts say another vulnerable group also needs attention—the elderly. Authorities have not given figures on how many seniors have been infected,  but said more effort is needed to encourage them to get flu shots. Health experts said studies have shown that vaccination rates in Malaysia are very low among individuals aged 60 and above. A research study titled “Hepatitis B and influenza vaccination coverage in healthcare workers, the elderly, and patients with diabetes in Malaysia”, found that only 5.5% of 13,110 elderly participants in the study had received influenza vaccinations. The vaccination figure falls far below the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended coverage rate of between 50% to 90%. The study defined the elderly as individuals aged 60 and above and 85.5% of the...

    By SHYAFIQ DZULKIFLI PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s multi-billion-ringgit furniture industry can’t easily cushion the impact of the United States’ tariffs by selling more to other markets. At least not in the short term, say manufacturers. Muar Furniture Association (MFA) president Steve Ong said no other export market comes close to the United States in terms of market size and demand for Malaysian wooden furniture. Trying to reduce reliance on the United States by growing sales in other countries or finding new markets would need time, government support and assistance, he said. “While we export to 160 countries, it is undeniable that the United States remains the largest consumer market. “Singapore, the United Kingdom, and Japan are also Malaysia’s key export markets, but none comes close to the scale and consistency of demand seen from the US,” he said. According to Malaysia’s External Trade Statistics figures, the country exported RM8.68bil w...

By SHYAFIQ DZULKIFLI PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s multi-billion-ringgit furniture industry can’t easily cushion the impact of the United States’ tariffs by selling more to other markets. At least not in the short term, say manufacturers. Muar Furniture Association (MFA) president Steve Ong said no other export market comes close to the United States in terms of market size and demand for Malaysian wooden furniture. Trying to reduce reliance on the United States by growing sales in other countries or finding new markets would need time, government support and assistance, he said. “While we export to 160 countries, it is undeniable that the United States remains the largest consumer market. “Singapore, the United Kingdom, and Japan are also Malaysia’s key export markets, but none comes close to the scale and consistency of demand seen from the US,” he said. According to Malaysia’s External Trade Statistics figures, the country exported RM8.68bil w...

By SHYAFIQ DZULKIFLI PETALING JAYA: Malaysia has been named in a United Nations (UN) report as one of several major tourist destinations that has recorded a surge in arrivals in the first six months of this year. According to the UN World Tourism Organisation’s World Tourism Barometer report, international tourist arrivals to Malaysia rose by 9% from January to June compared to the same period last year. “Some of the highest growth rates among large destinations in H1 2025 were recorded in Japan and Vietnam (both +21%), the Republic of Korea (+15%) and Morocco (+19%), as well as Mexico and the Netherlands (both +7%). “Malaysia and Indonesia both reported 9% growth and Hong Kong (China) 7%, though arrivals in these destinations remained somewhat below 2019 levels,” the report said.   The report noted that arrivals in Asia and the Pacific grew 11% during this period, which is 92% of the pre-pandemic levels as the region continues to recover. ...

By SHYAFIQ DZULKIFLI PETALING JAYA : Malaysia is named among the fastest-growing tourist destinations worldwide, according to United Nation Tourism.  In its World Tourism Barometer report, international tourist arrivals to Malaysia rose by 9% in the first half of 2025 compared with the same period last year.  This placed Malaysia alongside Indonesia (9%), and ahead of Hong Kong, Mexico and the Netherlands, which each saw 7% growth. Japan and Vietnam led the growth chart with 21% each, followed by Morocco (+19%) and South Korea (+15%). Nearly 690 million tourists travelled internationally in the first half of 2025, marking a 5% increase or 33 million more than in the same period last year.  In terms of regional, South East Asia ranked sixth among global regions for international tourist arrivals in the first half of 2025, recording a 5.5% growth. Northeast Asia led the global tourism rebound with a 20.1% jump in arrivals, followed ...