Dane sentenced to two years for kicking temple

Dane sentenced to two years in prison in Bali for kicking a house temple

A55-year-old Danish man has been sentenced to two years in prison in Bali. He is convicted of kicking a sacred temple after an altercation with the ex-girlfriend who filmed the entire incident and reported him to the police, media Ekstra Bladet reports.

Ekstra Bladet writes that the case started in October 2019, when the 55-year-old Dane reportedly argued with his ex-girlfriend. During the argument, the Dane kicked a sacred temple at an address in the Kalibukbuk region in the northern part of Bali. After a long period of investigation, the police chose to arrest and charge the Dane for blasphemy and vandalism in May 2021, and according to NusaBali.com, he has now received his sentence.

Chief Justice Anak Agung Ngurah Budhi Dharmawan confirmed the ruling and according to the Singaraja District Court, the defendant has been convicted of blasphemy and has been sentenced to two years in prison minus the period the defendant has already served.

The Dane could have reportedly received up to seven years in prison for kicking the Hindu temple, but because the Dane regretted his deed and was polite during his trial the case was handled with a mediating circumstance.

According to Ekstra Bladet’s article, several media reports that the Dane has explained that he was not aware that he was doing anything wrong by kicking the temple. He has explained that he thought it was an old and dilapidated temple, but at the same time, he regrets his action.

Nyoman Suryanata, the legal adviser to the ‘victim’, who in this case is the ex-girlfriend, has said, “I hope it can have a deterrent effect on the convict so that he does not repeat his action. He can use the verdict as a lesson.”

The Dane must serve his twoyear prison sentence in a prison in Bali.

News brief K+N appoints Danish Peer Gjoew Rasmussen to head Singapore and Malaysia

Peer Gjoew Rasmussen is the new Managing director of Kuehne + Nagel’s Singapore & Malaysia branch - Photo: Alex Lennane via The Load Star Danish Peer Gjoew Rasmussen has been appointed by Kuehne + Nagel International AG as managing director of Kuehne + Nagel Singapore & Malaysia.

Peer Gjoew Rasmussen has been with the Switzerland-based global transport and logistics company for 17 years. During that time he has held several leadership positions across the Asian Pacific region including managing director of Kuehne+Nagel India, general management roles in China and he has also worked extensively in Thailand, Malaysia, Denmark, and the US.

Peer Gjoew Rasmussen is based in Singapore and will be responsible for overseeing the company’s operations in Singapore and Malaysia.

Jens Drewes, president of K+N Asia Pacific, is delighted to have Peer on board to steer the company’s Singapore and Malaysia business.

“His proven leadership combined with his rich knowledge of the trade will ensure continued strategic growth and success to the company,” he says.

Poul Weber awarded Icelandic order for his service as Honorary Consul in Thailand

Icelandic president Mr. Guðni Th. Jóhannesson has awarded The Order of the Falcon to Danish long time resident in Thailand, Mr. Poul Weber for his service as the Honorary Consul of Iceland in Thailand for about 30 years.

Mr. Poul Weber has a long distinctive executive career in Thailand spanning more than 6 decades both in the private and Government sector.

Together with his current position as the Honorary Consul of Iceland in Thailand and Honorary Member of the Scandinavia Society Siam, he has been President of Danish Thai Chamber of Commerce, Bangkok Riding and Polo Club, and Vice President of Rotary Club.

Mr. Poul Weber has also held various executive positions including, “East Asiatic Company Ltd., Denmark, Italy, Thailand, 19531970; senior vice president industry, manufacturing, trading, Berli Jucker Company Ltd., Bangkok, Thailand, 1970-1995; advisor, Thai Asahi Glass PCL, Bangkok, Thailand, since 1995; managing director, Glassway Ltd., Bangkok, Thailand, since 1995; advisor, EAC, Yangon, Thailand, since 1995. Board directors Fitness Clinic Ltd., Bangkok, TWF Company Ltd., Bangkok, Tropicwood Company Ltd., Bangkok.”

In an announcement on the occasion, the Board of Scandinavian Society Siam congratulates Mr. Poul Weber on this tremendous achievement with the award of the Icelandic Order of the Falcon.

Malaysian media critical of why Ericsson was awarded Malaysia’s entire 5G roll-out

Malaysian media are critical of why government-owned Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB) has awarded a single vendor, Swedish telecom giant Ericsson Malaysia, with contracts amounting to RM11bil to roll out the 5G network in Malaysia.

In a recent article, The Star reports that it is the biggest project given out to the private sector for a very long time and that it is rare for any telecoms operator or a government body to choose just one vendor for such a crucial network infrastructure.

Ericsson’s bid was RM700mil lower than the next bidder.

Critics argue that the rollout of Malaysia’s entire 5G network should not be decided by DBN alone. They also say more vendors should have been awarded the contract as the global norm even for the smallest countries is to have at least two players for 5G development which drives competition, redundancies, and provides jobs to more than one vendor. A spectrum auction would also have generated more income for the country especially in light of the financial crises that the pandemic has caused.

The Star also questions the very little information that has been issued on the project given the large amount of money involved and challenges DNBs statements regarding the financing of the project. Moreover, the article covers several reasons given by DNB for selecting Ericsson and the process involving the awarding but continues to question why the statement has not explained why many other vendors have been left out although they had been operating in Malaysia, employing many Malaysians.

The article also raises questions about the regulatory framework when asking why Malaysia would want to depend on just a foreign vendor in terms of the security issue and states that the Global System Mobile Communications (GSMA) has also raised questions over this deal. GSMA represents the interest of mobile operators worldwide uniting over 750 operators with nearly 400 companies and according to The Star Online, GSMA has also highlighted concerns over the surrounding governance of DNB.

News brief H&M to open first store in Cambodia next year

The Swedish multinational clothing retail company H&M plans to open its first store in Cambodia next year, according to a recent article by local media Phnom Penh Post.

H&M has not disclosed the specific date and location of its first store but Phnom Penh Post writes that the opening will be part of the fashion giant’s business expansion in the region, at a time when world economies are starting to emerge from Covid-19 crisis mode with accelerating coronavirus vaccine rollouts. In H&M’s first-half report, CEO Helena Helmersson said, “With our much-appreciated collections, our ongoing transformation and the fact that markets are gradually being opened up, our recovery is strong”. Helena Helmersson noted, “As more and more people are vaccinated and restrictions are eased, the world is gradually opening up and customers can once again visit our stores. With the combination of much-appreciated collections, rapid adaptation, and further improvements, our recovery is strong. Despite continued restrictions, sales increased significantly compared with the previous year. The third quarter has started well and we are almost back at the level we were at before the pandemic.”

According to Ken Loo, secretary-general at the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia, H&M has been a long-term supporter of Cambodia’s export-oriented garment industry and would continue to be so for many more years to come, as long as the country can maintain and improve its competitiveness.

“As for the store opening in Cambodia, it signifies strong economic growth with increased domestic consumption by local Cambodians. It would also help improve the state of fashion in the country, particularly for the young generation,” he said.

H&M already has a large presence in the region with 11 stores in Vietnam and 43 in Thailand. The company has been manufacturing its products in Cambodia since the 1990s.

Copenhagen and Singapore among the safest cities

Copenhagen is the world’s safest city while Singapore is on the third place according to a new survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).

The Safe Cities Index 2021 covers 60 major urban areas and measures five pillars of urban security — digital, health, infrastructure, personal and environmental.

Copenhagen scored especially high on personal safety, where the city ranks as number one. Copenhagen also scored 89 points under infrastructure security but Singapore scored higher with 92.1 points. Infrastructure security for example means how well roads are lit in the night and how visible police are in the city space.

Staying within the top 10 safest cities in the world, Hong Kong scored 78.6 points overall ranking the city as the 8th most city in the world while Stockholm scored 78 points overall ranking it as the 10th safest city in the world for 2021.