Malaysia Airlines (MAS) announced a partnership with Interglobe Technologies Pvt Ltd (IGT) to enhance its customer service capabilities via social customer service support.

The partnership will enable the airline to provide 24/7 responses to passengers queries on Facebook as well as Twitter and in English, Bahasa Malaysia and Mandarin.

“Our customer is at the centre of everything we do and this collaboration will enable us to respond to our customers faster and more efficiently.

“We have been expanding and improving our customer service offering and this collaboration is an important component of that with constant support now provided for most issues they face,” said Malaysia Airlines chief commercial officer Arved von zur Muehlen.

“Digital development has been the forefront of our customer experience and I am very pleased to announce this partnership with IGT, a leader in travel technology. This innovative solution will provide a five-star digital experience for our customers worldwide,” he added. – The Star

Indonesia could lead in decorative fish exports

Indonesia’s Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti says Indonesia has huge potential to overtake Singapore in the export of decorative fish, taking into account of the country’s large maritime territory.

“Data from 2016 shows that Indonesia is the fifth-biggest decorative fish-exporting country with [global] market share of 7.13 per cent, lower than Singapore’s market share of 12.44 per cent,” Susi said in Jakarta on Tuesday as reported by kompas.com.

She said Singapore’s decorative fish exports from 2007 to 2016 had declined by about 4.47 per cent annually, while Indonesian decorative fish exports had grown by 15.17 per cent annually.

Susi said her ministry was ready to cooperate with businesses and other relevant government institutions to boost decorative fish exports.

“How come a country 100 times larger than Singapore depends on the smaller country for marketing [decorative fish]? We, in the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry, are ready to help other institutions [to boost decorative fish exports],” she added.

Susi said the government could facilitate decorative fish businesses in increasing their exports through various programs like establishing a decorative fish business forum, helping display decorative fish at various events and marketing them abroad. – Jakarta Post

China firms to invest $7 bn in Cambodia

Chinese companies have pledged $7 billion to further investment in Cambodia during Prime Minister Hun Sen’s visit to Beijing, according to a government statement released late last week.

A series of formal agreements solidifying the pledge, which is expected to create 20,000 jobs, is scheduled to take place before China’s Prime Minister Li Keqiung visits the Kingdom in January.

The new investment projects by Greenland Holding Group Co and Henan Transport Investment Group may include construction of a satellite city and vocational training centre near the capital, tourism and recreational facilities, highways and a large-scale commercial bank. – The Phnom Penh Post

November inflation in RP eases to 3.3%

Inflation in the Philippines slightly eased to 3.3 per cent in November on slower increases of food prices and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas on Tuesday said it expected to hit the 3.2-per cent forecast for the year.

The Philippine Statistics Authority reported that the rate of increase in the prices of basic goods last month slowed from the three-year high of 3.5 percent in October, although it was faster than the 2.5 percent recorded in November last year.

As of November, headline inflation averaged 3.2 per cent.

“The easing of inflation in November was expected following October’s peak. We’re still on track with 3.2-percent inflation for 2017, just about the midpoint of the target range,” BSP Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr said. – Philippines Daily Inquirer