MOSTI: Govt to decide on COVID-19 vaccines by early 2021
According to Khairy Jamaluddin, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, the government will decide on which COVID-19 vaccine would be used by early next year as several vaccine tests need to be analysed by the end of 2020.
Khairy added on to say that his Ministry is discussing with the Health Ministry, Finance Ministry and the Attorney General's Chamber on the legal implication and procurement model for the vaccine.
"We are also in direct discussion with other pharmaceutical companies for direct supply without having to undergo the Covid-19 Vaccine Global Access (COVAX). I have also requested for an agreement with China to be finalised as soon as possible as the draft is almost completed," he said.
When asked about COVAX, he said that negotiations are currently ongoing. The COVAX Facility is a global risk-sharing mechanism for pooled procurement and equitable distribution of eventual COVID-19 vaccines.
Among the companies that have started their final COVID-19 vaccine tests are Moderna, AstraZeneca, Pfizer and BioNTech, University of Oxford and Johnson & Johnson.
Sneak peek from Issue 2: Why Do I Have Less Rights? - A Malaysian Mother
According to Malaysian laws, Malaysian mothers who are married to non-Malaysian men will not have citizenship automatically granted to their children if the children are born overseas. They must apply for it.
THE MALAYSIAN CITIZENSHIP LAWS 101
The Malaysian citizenship laws are part of the Federal Constitution. It’s covered in Part III under Article 14 to Article 31. Acquiring Malaysian citizenship is discussed in Articles 14 to 22. Some of the titles included in these articles are citizenship by operation of law, citizenship by registration and citizenship by naturalization. Malaysians commonly inherit their citizenship from their father through Article 14 which covers citizenship by operation of law.
DIFFICULTIES IT POSES TO MALAYSIAN WOMEN
There are some difficulties that the citizenship law poses problems to Malaysian women, mostly it’s the length of time it would take to process citizenship for their children. In comparison, the child of a Malaysian man who married a non-Malaysian and is born overseas will automatically be granted citizenship.
THE SAD REALITY, THE WORLD WE LIVE IN
Malaysia is not the only country with unequal citizenship laws. More than 50 countries in the world have citizenship or nationality laws that aren’t in favour of the women. In some of those countries, the women aren’t only prohibited to change or maintain their nationality, they are sometimes refused education, health services and employment. In Malaysia, there are already up to 32,000 stateless children and with the pace of authorities, the numbers may still increase.
Curious to know more? Read the full story on MWAW Issue #2!
Women leaders in Malaysia: YB Datuk Wira Hajah Mas Ermieyati Binti Samsudin
Do you know who YB Datuk Wira Hajah Mas Ermieyati Binti Haji Samsudin is? She is a politician from the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (BERSATU) which is a part of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition. She currently serves as the Deputy Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (MEDAC) and as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Masjid Tanah seat in Malacca.
She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Laws from Universiti Kebangsaaan Malaysia (UKM). Prior to her political career, she worked as an advocate and solicitor for the legal firms, Khairul Latif & Associates and Adillah A. Nordin Advocates & Solicitors. Then, she became an advocate and solicitor at her own legal practice, Ermiey Nizam & Ho. Later, she was a Member of the Supreme Working Council of the Gerakan Belia 4B (GB4B) Malaysia.
Ermiey has been involved in the political world since 2001, from being a lawyer for UMNO to being the Chairwoman of Puteri UMNO of the Alor Gajah Division. Her notable appointments were when she won the Masjid Tanah seat for the 2013 and 2018 general elections as an UMNO representative.
Let’s hope that there will be more ladies who come forward and represent the females in the political world, no matter which educational background they came from.
How To Manage Multiple Jobs
Nowadays, it’s common to see people taking two jobs or more. Most times, they do it to pay the bills. Other times, they want to do something that they enjoy. Managing a life with multiple jobs needs you to consider a few aspects of your life. Here are a few aspects to look out for in order to manage more than one job.
Time management is essential
When you work more than one job, you will be busier than ever so it’s wise to discuss with your superiors to schedule your working hours. Keep track of your daily schedule with a planner and stick to it.
Understanding the stress
Let’s face it - the life of someone handling multiple jobs is fast-paced and busy. Accept the fast pace as a norm, stick to a healthy sleep cycle and keep a positive mindset about it. Always set aside one day of the week to destress or reconnect with friends and family.
Benefitting from the second job
Choose a second job that you genuinely enjoy and beneficial to you. Before you go for your second job from your first one, it’s important to take a short break instead of jumping straight into it. Don’t do work from the first job in the second one. Focus on one job at a time.
Fun Facts (Authors)
Fun Fact #1
Did you know that George Eliot was an alias used by the late Mary Ann Evans? The English writer from the Victorian era used the pen name as female authors back then weren’t as respected as men. Years later, she is known for writing novels that illustrate the English rural life with in-depth characters.
Fun Fact #2
One of England’s popular novelist, Jane Austen almost died when she was seven. Back then, she’d caught diphtheria with her sister while they were in Oxford. If not for her mother speedily taking them home and nursing them to health, the author wouldn’t have grown up and written Pride and Prejudice later!
Fun Fact #3
American novelist, the late Toni Morrison began writing in her thirties. She joined a writing group for fun while working as a professor for Howard University. Her idea for the writing group bloomed into her first novel, The Bluest Eye which was published years later. She was also the first African-American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993.
Fun Fact #4
Did you know that Man Booker Prize author, Arundhati Roy used to write screenplays before she wrote the popular novel, The God of Small Things? In fact, the author did a number of odd jobs from writing for TV dramas to selling cakes in Goa with her husband. While her novel is famous for being a semi- autobiography, now her work is included in the curriculum for many colleges and universities.
Dos and Don'ts of Online Interviews
A survey from Gartner Inc. revealed that 86 percent of organizations are choosing to conduct online interviews ever since the pandemic started. While the pandemic has brought new trends like working from home and reduced office hours, nailing virtual interviews is also a new skill to learn. Here are a few dos and don’t of online interviews.
Do dress appropriately
A virtual interview is still a job interview. It doesn’t matter if you set up your laptop at
home or an outside office, always dress the part.
Do rehearse and check the technicalities
Be sure to practice your speech before the agreed time. At the same time, check the wi-fi connection and other technicalities like the microphone and camera angles.
Don’t get distracted
Eliminate anything that can distract you from the online interview. Keep your children or pets in a separate room and switch off the notifications from your laptop and handphone.
Don’t read or recite your practice answers
When interviews go virtual, job seekers tend to put up certain practice answers on their laptop screens or notebook. Using your space may be a smart move, but it’s also important to answer their questions as naturally as possible.
How Work Diversity Can Lead to Profitability
Diversity can be a kingmaker for the workforce. Having a diverse workforce goes across the board - gender, ethnicity, belief, age and even sexuality. An article from Barrons showed that having a diverse set of staff led to improved productivity and better profitability. Here are a few ways that diversity can lead to profitability.
Attracts more talents
Organizations with a diverse workforce will naturally appeal to a greater range of talents. Not only will they have a better pick of the best candidates among jobseekers, they will also have a better advantage than companies that aren’t as diverse.
Brings more innovation
When every team member comes from different walks of life, their worldviews and ideas will vary greatly. Having this group of unique talents come together leads to enriching discussions and better creativity.
Improves customer satisfaction
A diverse team can bridge the gap between the organization and its customers. With a team that comes from all walks of life, they can relate to the customer’s needs and can offer a better solution compared to a homogenous group.
Resonates with investors
An organization with a range of gender, age and ethnicity will have a better Environmental, Social and Corporate (ESG) profile. That means the company abides by international standards, hence will attract investors for its future.
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