AEC Feed

Tech giant Google, which has often been rated one of the most desirable employers in the world, is on a hiring spree in Singapore.
It wants to set up its first large team of software engineers in the country to support its goal of reaching the next billion Internet users. There were an estimated 3.2 billion Internet users worldwide as of last year.
The planned Singapore engineering hub will be the latest addition to Google’s three engineering hubs in Hyderabad, Sydney, and Mountain View in California.
“We are establishing a large engineering presence in Singapore,” Google said on the recruitment page of its website. “With its central location in Asia, diverse demographic and a strong pool of technical talent, Singapore is well suited to be a key engineering hub.”
It is not known how many software engineers will be hired.
The Singapore hub’s initial focus will be to develop software that works on the Google Android operating system, which powers many of the smartphones and tablets in the world.
The Singapore software engineers will also work on next-generation technologies in areas such as mobile data management, local communities, payments and commerce. Other areas include connectivity, job search and education. – The Straits Times

Air Asia opens Penang,
HCM City route
Malaysian airline AirAsia has launched a direct route connecting Penang city in Malaysia to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.
The flight will take one hour and 40 minutes one way and will operate on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
It departs from Ho Chi Minh City at 1.35pm and arrives in Penang at 4.15pm. On the return trip, it departs from Penang at 12.20pm and arrives in Ho Chi Minh City at 1.05pm.
The deputy director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, told baodautu.vn that the new route would better meet the growing travel demands of people in the two nations.
To mark the launch, the carrier is offering discounted fares that must be booked by tomorrow, with a travelling period that extends until February 28. – Viet Nam News

‘Welcome news’ for SMEs
and start-ups
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak’s decision to inject another 6 billion ringgit (Bt51.6 billion) into government agencies to help small and medium-sized enterprises and start-ups has eased concerns from business owners, according to the government.
The minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Dr Wee Ka Siong, said “this is very happy news” as many SMEs were previously worried that allocations for the industry would be cut in view of the turbulent economy.
“During this time of difficulty, the prime minister has decided to add in funds to help SMEs. This is a welcome move,” he told reporters at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre.
The government said the 6 billion ringgit would be channelled to SMEs and start-ups via development financial institutions and the government’s venture-capital arms.
In a statement, Wee said he would ensure that the Secretariat for the Advancement of Malaysian Entrepreneurs, an agency under his ministerial purview, continued to assist SMEs eligible for the funds.
“They need to obtain these essential funds for their expansion plans, research and development, and also to launch them into the international market to take advantage of the regional economic blocs like the Asean Economic Community and the upcoming TPP,” or Trans-Pacific Partnership, he said. – The Star