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SAMENTA Urge Liquidity-Focused Stimulus as Middle East Conflict Drives Costs Up

KUALA LUMPUR, 30 March 2026 — Malaysian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are calling on the government to prioritise liquidity support in an upcoming stimulus package, as escalating conflict in .... read more

MINDET Strengthens Regional Partnerships with ASSEAN JCI, NGOs to Boost Sabah’s Investment Appeal — Ewon

KOTA KINABALU, March 28, 2026 — Sabah’s Ministry of Industrial Development, Entrepreneurship and Transport (MINDET) will continue strengthening collaboration with regional organisations such as the Association of JCI Senator in .... read more

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s transition towards electric vehicles (EVs) is likely to gain momentum בעקבות rising global crude oil prices, particularly among buyers in the premium internal combustion engine (ICE) segment, according to CIMB Securities Sdn Bhd. In a research note released today, the firm projected that EV adoption across the country will accelerate in 2026, driven in part by the anticipated launch of the Proton e.MAS 5. Continued tax incentives for locally assembled (CKD) EVs are also expected to support this growth. At the same time, CIMB Securities noted that the recent temporary adjustment to the BUDI95 fuel quota is unlikely to significantly impact the mass market segment. This is because most national car models are designed with smaller engines and are more fuel-efficient. Based on estimates from the Malaysian Road Safety Research Institute, private vehicles in Malaysia average about 28,000 kilometres annually. Looking at the country’s top-selling models in 2025—Perodua Bezza, Axia, Myvi, Alza, and Proton Saga—the firm estimates yearly fuel consumption to range between 1,100 and 1,500 litres. Even when accounting for higher usage, CIMB Securities said the revised BUDI95 quota still provides sufficient capacity for most drivers. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim recently announced that the monthly individual limit for BUDI95 fuel purchases will be temporarily reduced from 300 litres to 200 litres starting April 1, citing ongoing geopolitical tensions in West Asia. He added that the adjustment is expected to have minimal impact on the public, as average monthly fuel consumption is حوالي 100 litres, with nearly 90 percent of consumers using less than 200 litres per month.

Rising Oil Prices Expected to Boost EV Adoption in Malaysia, Says CIMB Securities

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia’s transition towards electric vehicles (EVs) is likely to gain momentum rising global crude oil prices, particularly among buyers in the premium internal combustion engine (ICE) segment, .... read more

KUALA LUMPUR, March 27 (Bernama) — Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong has placed “Hebatkan Perniagaan Malaysia” as the central thrust of his first 100 days leading the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry (KUSKOP), highlighting a series of key achievements aimed at strengthening the nation’s business landscape. Sim said the ministry’s early progress includes expanding access to financing, empowering micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and enhancing the national entrepreneurial ecosystem. “A hundred days in KUSKOP together with Malaysian entrepreneurs. Thank you KUSKOP staff, you delivered. I have only a single focus: Hebatkan Perniagaan Malaysia. We want to ‘Power Up’ Malaysian businesses, regardless of race and religion — Power Up, Jalan Teruih!” he said in a Facebook post today. Among the highlights, financing for Bumiputera entrepreneurs under Tabung Ekonomi Kumpulan Usaha Niaga Nasional (TEKUN Nasional) was increased from RM300 million to RM500 million. A new RM100 million financing scheme was also introduced through SME Bank and Bank Rakyat to support Chinese MSMEs. Additionally, funding for Indian entrepreneurs under the Indian Community Entrepreneur Development Scheme was raised from RM30 million to RM50 million. The minister also rolled out targeted financing initiatives, including the RM50 million Ramadan dan Perniagaan Rakyat Financing Scheme (BARAKAT) for Bumiputera MSMEs, the RM30 million Chinese-owned Micro Entrepreneur Special Financing Programme (BERKAT) for Chinese New Year, and the RM3 billion Women Entrepreneur Economy Fund (DEWI), which is expected to benefit 300,000 women entrepreneurs nationwide. On the international front, a business agreement worth RM2 billion was secured during the Makkah Halal Forum 2026, while participation in Japan Foodex generated RM90 million in sales. Efforts to strengthen the cooperative sector were also intensified, with RM254 million allocated — the highest in history — alongside the introduction of the Business School Malaysian Skill Certificate (SKM) to transform school cooperatives into business learning platforms for students. — MinutesMY / Igneseous Noris — PHOTO: FB Steven sim

‘Hebatkan Perniagaan Malaysia’ Main Focus Of First 100 Days In KUSKOP – Steven Sim

KUALA LUMPUR, March 27 (Bernama) — Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong has placed “Hebatkan Perniagaan Malaysia” as the central thrust of his first 100 days leading .... read more

Diesel subsidy in Sabah and Sarawak a necessity, not a privilege — Chan Foong Hin

KOTA KINABALU, March 27 — Sabah DAP Deputy Chairperson and Kota Kinabalu MP Chan Foong Hin has expressed strong support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s decision to maintain the diesel .... read more

Sabah Entitled to Diesel Subsidy, Says Ewon Benedick

KOTA KINABALU, March 27 — Sabah is justified in receiving diesel subsidies given its longstanding role as one of Malaysia’s main oil and gas producers, said Ewon Benedick. The Sabah .... read more

KUALA LUMPUR — The Malaysian ringgit opened higher for the fourth consecutive day, following the government’s announcement of a measured approach to fuel subsidies aimed at balancing fiscal discipline with cost-of-living concerns amid ongoing West Asian tensions. At 8am, the local currency rose to 3.9855/4.0050 against the US dollar, up from Thursday’s close of 3.9920/3.9955. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, in a special message yesterday, announced that effective April 1, the individual monthly quota for the BUDI95 fuel programme will be temporarily reduced from 300 litres to 200 litres per month due to the geopolitical situation. The adjustment is expected to have minimal impact on most Malaysians, as average consumption remains around 100 litres monthly, with nearly 90 percent using less than 200 litres. Anwar also confirmed that Iran has permitted Malaysian oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, easing supply concerns. Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd Chief Economist Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said the move demonstrates the government’s commitment to balancing fiscal responsibility with household welfare amid global market pressures. “This is a positive development for the ringgit, reflecting timely government action in response to the fallout from tensions in West Asia,” he said. SPI Asset Management’s managing partner Stephen Innes noted that the temporary reprieve granted by US President Donald Trump on potential attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure has eased safe-haven demand for the US dollar, providing further support to the ringgit. The local currency also strengthened against other major and regional currencies. It rose against the Japanese yen to 2.4951/2.5077, the British pound to 5.3143/5.3403, and the euro to 4.5969/4.6194. Against ASEAN currencies, it gained against the Singapore dollar at 3.0994/3.1148, the Thai baht at 12.0868/12.1566, the Indonesian rupiah at 235.7/237.0, and the Philippine peso at 6.61/6.65. The ringgit’s sustained momentum reflects market confidence in Malaysia’s proactive economic measures despite ongoing global uncertainties.

Ringgit Strengthens on Government’s Pragmatic Fuel Subsidy Adjustment Amid West Asia Tensions

KUALA LUMPUR — The Malaysian ringgit opened higher for the fourth consecutive day, following the government’s announcement of a measured approach to fuel subsidies aimed at balancing fiscal discipline with .... read more

Health Summit Asia 2026 to Host 30+ Global Healthcare Leaders

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, March 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Health Summit Asia (HSA) 2026 has confirmed more than 30 distinguished speakers from across the globe, underscoring the event’s scale and significance .... read more

Kota Belud Industrial Park Master Plan to Be Tabled at Sabah Cabinet — Ewon

KOTA BELUD, March 26, 2026: The master plan for the Kota Belud Industrial Park will be presented to the Sabah State Cabinet at its upcoming meeting, said Deputy Chief Minister .... read more

Sabah, China Eye Stronger Sister-City Ties to Boost Tourism and Investment

KOTA KINABALU, 26 March 2026: The Chinese Consulate office here has expressed support for revisiting sister-city partnerships to strengthen tourism, cultural, and economic ties with Sabah, including exploring new avenues .... read more

Latest News

PARIS, June 16 -- Vusion (VU - FR0010282822), the global leader in AI-powered digitalization solutions for physical commerce, today announced the expansion of its long-standing partnership with JYSK, one of Europe's leading home furnishing retailers, through a major new agreement supporting the retailer's next phase of store modernization and cloud transformation strategy.   The agreement includes the upgrade of electronic shelf labels across JYSK's already deployed 450 Nordic stores, the roll-out of Vusion solutions in 750 additional stores across Europe, and the full migration of JYSK's legacy on-premise platform to VusionCloud. By 2027, the deployment is expected to scale to approximately 2,500 stores across the Nordic, DACH and BENELUX regions. Through the transition to VusionCloud, JYSK will benefit from a more scalable and centralized platform enabling faster deployment cycles, simplified store operations, improved performance, and greater flexibility to support future retail innovation at scale. The cloud-based architecture will also strengthen operational consistency across markets while reducing infrastructure complexity. The project further reinforces Vusion's strategy to accelerate the migration of its installed base toward cloud-native solutions while deepening long-term customer relationships through operational excellence, local support, and continuous innovation. "JYSK has partnered with Vusion for more than 10 years, and this new agreement reflects both the strength of our collaboration and the value we see in moving to a more advanced cloud-based platform," said Carsten Nørgreen Weinkouff, Executive Vice President Retail Development, Marketing, E-commerce & Omnichannel at JYSK. "As we continue to modernize our stores across Europe, we are investing in solutions that provide greater scalability, operational efficiency, and flexibility for the future. Vusion's technology and teams have consistently demonstrated the reliability and support needed to accompany us at this scale." "This new milestone with JYSK demonstrates the strength of long-term customer partnerships and the accelerating shift toward cloud-native retail platforms," said Sébastien Fourcy, SEVP EMEA at Vusion. "By transitioning to VusionCloud, JYSK gains a scalable infrastructure designed to continuously improve operational efficiency and support innovation across thousands of stores. We are proud to support JYSK with a combination of technology leadership, local execution and long-term commitment." More about Vusion : www.vusion.com  -- PRNewswire -- Source: Vusion  

Vusion extends partnership with JYSK Across Europe

SINGAPORE, June 16, -- Galaxy Data Center ("Galaxy DC") today announced that it has secured US$250 million in an initial strategic financing round from a renowned international investment institution. The proceeds support the company's data center platform development in Southeast Asia, project execution, and deployment of high-density infrastructure for the AI era.    Galaxy DC is strategically leveraging its regional hub in Singapore to advance the multi-country deployment of GW-scale AIDC campuses across Southeast Asia. By employing diversified capital models and industrial ecosystem synergy strategies, the company delivers customized hyperscale AIDC infrastructure services to a broad range of clients. Galaxy DC believes that the demand for AI computing power is reshaping data centers from traditional facility assets toward a new phase of deep collaboration among energy strategy, engineering execution, operational resilience, and customer growth. The company will continue to strengthen its comprehensive capabilities in GW-scale AIDC across technology adaptability, power resources, green energy, localized rapid delivery, and low-carbon operations. It will also further enhance strategic capital partnerships, leveraging diversified capital models to position Southeast Asia as a key hub for global sustainable digital infrastructure. Arthur Yang, Co-founder and CEO of Galaxy DC, said: "This financing further strengthens Galaxy DC's regional platform capabilities. We are seeing rapidly evolving requirements from AI and cloud service clients — focusing not only on capacity, but also on delivery certainty, energy efficiency, operational resilience, and long-term scalability. Galaxy DC remains committed to leveraging cutting-edge, ever-evolving technology and synergistic sustainable energy solutions as its core, building future-ready GW-scale green computing infrastructure for our clients." Representatives from a world-renowned investment institution stated: "Galaxy DC has a clear development path in Southeast Asia as well as differentiated technical capabilities. We see long-term value in the company's high-density, green, and scalable data center platform, and look forward to supporting its role in regional digital infrastructure development." About Galaxy Data Center Galaxy Data Center (Galaxy DC) is a next-generation digital infrastructure platform built for the intelligent era, committed to becoming a continuously evolving global digital service provider. The company focuses on the growing computing demands of artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing, with hyperscale AI data centers (AIDCs) at the core of its offering. Galaxy DC builds digital infrastructure that is highly efficient, highly reliable, and highly scalable. Leveraging its unique strengths in sustainable design, resource-efficient deployment, and long-term operations, the company balances rapid compute capacity growth with environmental responsibility and lasting asset value. -- PRNewswire -- Source: Galaxy Data Center

Galaxy Data Center Secures US$250 Million in an Initial Strategic Financing Round to Build Next-Generation Green Compute Infrastructure in Southeast Asia

TANJUNG MALIM, JUNE 16 -- The establishment of a new political party in the country will not affect the chances of Barisan Nasional (BN) in the upcoming Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections. BN Secretary-General Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir said his party had made thorough preparations to face the two state elections by focusing fully on work in the areas that will be contested. He said that in a democratic system, every party has the right to establish a new political party, but BN remains consistent with the strategy and level of preparedness that has been planned. "UMNO and Johor BN have made thorough preparations. I am confident that the establishment of the new party will not affect BN based on the focus given to the work that has been arranged," he said. He said this to reporters when asked whether the existence of the National Vision Party and the United Malaysia Party (BERSAMA) could threaten BN's position in the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections. Earlier, Zambry, who is also the Minister of Higher Education, officiated the National Service Training Pilot Programme (PLKN) 3.0 at the Public University Level before attending the launch of the book titled 'Nahas Gerik: UPSI Berduka' at the Sultan Idris Education University (UPSI) here today. The Johor state election will be held on July 11, while the Negeri Sembilan state election will be held on August 1. The Johor State Legislative Assembly (DUN) has 56 seats with BN controlling 40 seats, followed by Pakatan Harapan (PH) with 12 seats, Perikatan Nasional (PN) with three seats and MUDA with one seat. For the Negeri Sembilan state assembly, PH has 17 out of 36 seats, followed by BN with 14 seats and PN with five seats. -- BERNAMA

BN not threatened by the existence of new political parties – Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir

GEORGE TOWN, JUNE 16 -- Penang is working closely with the Federal Government and security agencies to ensure that the management of nearly 20,022 Rohingya refugees and asylum seekers in the state is carried out in an orderly, registered and controlled manner. Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said that based on data from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) as of August 2023, an estimated 20,022 refugees and asylum seekers from the Rohingya community are in Penang and living in several areas in the state. "They live in the areas of Kepala Batas, Tasek Gelugor, Bagan, Permatang Pauh, Bukit Mertajam, Batu Kawan, Nibong Tebal, Bukit Bendera, Tanjong, Jelutong, Bukit Gelugor, Bayan Baru and Balik Pulau. "The state government has always taken a pragmatic, prudent and responsible approach in dealing with the issue of refugees and asylum seekers in the state, in line with the policies and decisions set by the Federal government," he told reporters after the 26th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of PBA Holdings Bhd (PBAHB) here today. He commented on the current situation and the number of Rohingya communities in Penang. Chow explained that matters relating to the entry of foreigners, recognition of refugee status, border control and immigration enforcement, fall under the jurisdiction of the Federal Government through the Ministry of Home Affairs (KDN), the Malaysian Immigration Department (JIM) and the National Security Council (MKN). Therefore, he said the state government always gives full support to the implementation of MKN Directive No. 23 (Revision 2023), including the Refugee Registration Document (DPP) mechanism which aims to ensure that refugee management is carried out in a more systematic, registered and controlled manner. "The DPP is not seen as a policy to increase the number of refugees in Penang, but as a mechanism for the Federal government to find out who they are, where they are and how they can be monitored more effectively," he said. He also stressed that the state government will not compromise on violations of the law with any criminal activity, misuse of documents, human trafficking, involvement in immoral activities or violations of immigration conditions, which will be dealt with by the authorities in accordance with the provisions of the law in force, without any exceptions. In another development, Chow described the memorandum of understanding (MoU) announced between the United States (US) and Iran to end the conflict between the two countries as a positive development that is expected to benefit the global economy, including Malaysia and Penang. He said the conflicts that had erupted previously had had a significant impact on various sectors of the world economy including energy supply, logistics, commodity prices and global supply chains due to geopolitical uncertainties. On Sunday, US President Donald Trump announced that a deal with Iran had been finalized and he ordered the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of US naval blockades. -- BERNAMA

Penang to cooperate with Federation to handle issue of 20,022 Rohingya refugees – Chow

ISTANBUL, JUNE 16 -- FIFA said on Monday that it found no evidence of a breach of the FIFA Disciplinary Code after Video Assistant Referee (VAR) official Shaun Evans made a hand signal before a recent World Cup match, Anadolu Ajansi reported. "FIFA's Independent Disciplinary Committee can confirm that after examining the matter involving Video Assistant Referee (VAR) officer Shaun Evans, it found no evidence of a breach of the FIFA Disciplinary Code," the organisation said. Evans, an Australian official, was seen on the broadcast of Germany's match against Curacao on Sunday making the "OK" hand sign, a gesture associated with white supremacy and classified as a hate symbol by the Anti-Defamation League in 2019. Evans strongly denied any malicious intent, describing the move as an "unconscious and unintentional reflex". He expressed regret over the perception that arose following the gesture, but stressed that he did not make the symbol "knowingly or intentionally", which first gained attention after it was used by attackers in the Christchurch mosque incident in 2019 that killed 51 Muslims. -- BERNAMA-ANADOLU

World Cup: Referee hand signal controversy, no evidence of disciplinary code violation – FIFA