IN THE KNOW


25 SEPTEMBER, 2024

Worked to death, oil tanker rescue, snail races and HR triumphs

As a respected insurance intermediary in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, we know that behind every piece of news there’s almost always an insurance story. Here are some recent news stories with an insurance angle.

When working too hard, for too long, proves deadly
Can you imagine working as a food delivery driver until 3am every morning, then sleeping for three hours before starting all over again? Worse still, imagine how you’d feel after spending your precious three hours’ sleep nodding off on your electric bike rather than going home to bed?

The tragic death of a 55-year-old Chinese delivery man, who died napping on his bike, has led to new discussions about the working hours, welfare and legal rights of delivery drivers.


Employees deserve to be properly looked after by their employees, which is why our Employee Benefits Insurance is so popular with businesses. But employee welfare should begin with the basics, and one of the most basic things of all is reasonable working hours.

We have an ongoing skills shortage in Malaysia, which makes employees more valuable than ever. Because it’s expensive, challenging and time consuming to find and hire new people, it makes sense to treat existing staff well so they stay with you.

Progress moving a Greek oil tanker stranded in the Red
A Greek registered oil tanker stranded in the Red Sea after a Houthi militant attack is finally being towed away. The 274m long MV Sounion presents a risky challenge to salvage experts, having caught fire after it was repeatedly attacked in late August. The next job is to transfer the cargo of around a million barrels of crude oil, a task which will involve expertise from Saudi Arabia. Oil spills at sea always result in catastrophic environmental damage, but this time around the area where the ship got stuck is also dangerous, stopping an earlier salvage attempt in its tracks. For this second attempt at least two Greek-owned tugs were involved, supported by the EU’s naval mission in the Red Sea, there to protect the vessels in an operation it called ‘complex’.


Depending on the incident Marine Cargo Insurance, Increased Value and Freight Interest Insurance, Hull and Machinery – War and Strikes Insurance, Marine Freight, Demurrage and Defence Insurance or Marine Kidnap for Ransom and Hijack Insurance will put the ship owners back in the same financial position as they were before the loss happened.

The dramatic rise in TikTok sea snail races
Siput sedut races, or sea snail races, are a big deal, and the trend is spreading fast on TikTok. In Malaysia we usually eat sea snails, the heart of a tasty dish called masak lemak cili api, where we cook up the creatures with spices, herbs, and coconut milk. But 29 year old Langkawi tour guide Muhammad Aswat Azdha Idris had a different idea.

https://www.tiktok.com/@anyss03/video/7406624350327098640

His TikTok snail races, nicknamed ‘Olymput’, have attracted millions of likes and the live sessions are now a huge internet hit. It all started when Muhammad Aswat was offered 3kg of sea snails for just RM20, plus another bag of snails for free. His first live TikTok session had just 10 viewers. Then it shot up to fifty. By late August he’d attracted more than 12,000 people who watched his races in real time, and now he has more than 1.3 million likes.

If Muhammad Aswat’s snail races get any more popular, he’ll probably need Event Insurance ;)

The HR Excellence Awards 2024 Malaysia
Some companies go the extra mile for their people. In mid October we celebrate the HR teams whose pioneering employee initiatives have achieved extraordinary things, at our country’s HR Excellence Awards 2024. The event celebrates the finest in HR innovation and leadership, and the finalists have been chosen.


We’d like to congratulate these great companies for their transformative HR tactics and progressive policies. Well done to Asia Pacific Aircraft Component Services, BASF Malaysia, Cravito Group, Feruni Ceramiche, Hakko Products, Handal Indah, Kerzner International, Maybank, Moët Hennessy Asia Pacific, Nexperia Malaysia, NUR Power, Philip Morris International, ReGen Rehab Hospital, TDCX, Teleflex Medical and Traveloka Group. We assume they all treat their employees well and have the right insurance policies on board to protect their people, property and the business itself.

We sell business, marine, construction and engineering, personal and speciality insurance to organisations of every shape, size and type. Can we help you with great quality cover at a fair price, plus risk management and claims management services?

 

Sources

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