Daily Briefing: Manpower, health ministries apologise for worker's COVID-19 test result delay; Percipient raises $6.94m from Stat Zero

And Muji's Singapore and Malaysia operations claim to be unaffected by US bankruptcy protection filing.

From Channel News Asia:

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) have apologised for an administrative error that led to a migrant worker being informed of his positive COVID-19 test result three weeks after he was swabbed.

“We apologise for the error and consequent delay in conveying the test results to (the worker) and to his employer. We have since reached out to the employer to explain the situation,” said the ministries in a joint statement.

A resident at Toh Guan Dormitory, identified as Worker A, had his test on 22 June, but was informed that he tested positive for COVID-19 by the authorities only on 13 July.

The incident was made known to the public by the worker’s employers, Tsjin Chandra Dolly and Kelly Soh, who made two separate Facebook posts about the issue last week.

In their posts, the two women also said that as of 15 July, the worker still continued to live in the same room with his 11 other roommates after his positive test.

This was despite being informed by MOH on 13 July that the ministry required 24 hours to arrange for the worker to be moved out of the dormitory.

Read more here. 

From DealStreetAsia:

Singapore-based fintech startup recipient has raised $6.94m (US$5m) from Silicon Valley-based impact fund Stat Zero, according to a company statement.

Founded in 2015, Percipient helps banks and insurers with traditional and clunky legacy systems create a lightweight and API-ready representation of enterprise data and processes.

Its product, TWINNTM, allows corporates to execute AI-powered digital services, partnerships, and customer experiences without retiring their legacy systems.

Percipient co-founder and CEO, Navin Suri notes that the funding will help them reach many financial services companies that are looking for faster, simpler, more cost-effective, and future-compatible solutions.

The startup claims to have a UAE-based bank as pilot partner for its product, which it expects to complete by the end of October.

Read more here. 

From Channel News Asia:

Home-goods chain Muji said that its business in Singapore and Malaysia will be as usual despite the United States arm filing for bankruptcy protection.

A spokeswoman for Muji Singapore said that while the US business suffered continuous losses due to factors such as high rents that were a bottleneck in terms of profitability, the Singapore operations were helped by the government’s COVID-19 relief measures.

The Singapore spokesperson said owner Ryohin Keikaku voluntarily filed for protection for the US arm to ensure future health, growth and viability of the company. Ryohin Keikaku does not plan to submit similar applications in other countries, she added.

During the circuit breaker period, Muji took email orders and now also sells its wares on eCapitamall and Shopee.

Read more here.