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KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia Bhd has announced that its order for 150 Airbus A220 aircraft will cost around US$19 billion, according to its advisor Tan Sri Tony Fernandes. Fernandes, who is also the CEO of Capital A, expects the first delivery of the aircraft to arrive no later than the first quarter of 2028. He said the Airbus A220 would open up new market potential and routes, bringing them closer to building the world's first low-cost airline network. "So, with this 160-seat aircraft, it allows us to increase our profit margin by around two to three percentage points, in addition to building a much wider network. "This aircraft can also fly for up to seven hours and in Asia, it has a very high value for us," he told reporters after the signing ceremony of the Airbus A220 order agreement which was broadcast live from Mirabel, Quebec, Canada. Earlier in his speech, Fernandes also expressed interest in possibly purchasing another 150 aircraft if the aircraft manufacturer builds a longer version, known as the Airbus A220-500, which can accommodate around 185 seats. "This is a US$19 billion deal, which could go up to US$38 billion if we could have the longer version," he said. When asked why he needed a longer version of the A220 programme, Fernandes said the existing A320 aircraft were now nearing the end of their service life and the 180-seat aircraft would be a perfect replacement. "People may wonder why we are buying so many planes during this latest crisis, but the crisis is an opportunity to make bold decisions. "We have built AirAsia by making bold decisions at the right time, not the easiest. This order reflects our long-term discipline and the scale of our ambition," he said of the multi-billion dollar deal. "Our partnership with Airbus has spanned more than two decades and has been the backbone of all our achievements. Today marks another milestone in that journey and many more to come in the future," he said. Earlier, Lars Wagner, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Airbus Commercial Aircraft Business, confirmed the historic agreement, which saw the A220 model surpass 1,100 orders. Also present at the event was Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. -- BERNAMA

Airbus A220 aircraft order deal will cost US$19 billion, says Fernandes

KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia Bhd has announced that its order for 150 Airbus A220 aircraft will cost around US$19 billion, according to its advisor Tan Sri Tony Fernandes. Fernandes, who is .... read more

KUALA LUMPUR: Highway construction continues to be an important catalyst for the country's economic growth through job creation, strengthening supply chains and opening up business opportunities, according to the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM). LLM Director General, Mohd Hadzmir Yusoff said that highway projects not only open up job opportunities for contractors, but also stimulate the use of local labor as well as supporting industry activities. "When the highway is completed, facilities such as Rest and Care (R&R) areas will also be developed, thus opening up space for traders to conduct business and boost local economic activities," he said. He said this to Bernama after being a guest on Bernama TV's Ruang Bicara programme titled "Needs and Challenges in Building Highways in Cities", here last night. Commenting on the current needs, Mohd Hadzmir said that the construction of highways within the city is still critical due to the increasing number of vehicles and high levels of congestion. "The city's road network is now increasingly congested with daily traffic flow estimated at between 5.5 million and six million vehicles," he said. He said the increase in new vehicles was also putting pressure on existing road capacity, with about 600,000 new vehicles registered last year. "If there is no increase in highways, the existing road capacity will no longer be sufficient to accommodate this increase in vehicles," he said. Meanwhile, he explained that highway development is implemented through a public-private partnership (PPP) model, where construction costs are borne by the concession company and returned through toll collection. However, he admitted that highway construction was not the sole solution to long-term congestion and needed to be supported by the use of public transport. "In the long term, congestion can still occur even if the highway is built. Therefore, users are encouraged to use public transportation such as the LRT (Light Rail Transit) and MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) to reduce congestion," he said. Meanwhile, IJM Corporation Bhd Toll Division Chief Executive Officer Chua Lay Hoon said Malaysians still rely on private vehicles, thus demanding continuous improvements to road infrastructure. "With the continued increase in vehicles, the lack of new highway development is likely to worsen congestion," he said. He said that highway development not only meets the current needs of users, but also supports overall economic and social growth. -- BERNAMA

Highway construction drives national economic growth – LLM

KUALA LUMPUR: Highway construction continues to be an important catalyst for the country’s economic growth through job creation, strengthening supply chains and opening up business opportunities, according to the Malaysian .... read more

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth is expected to moderate to 4.2 percent this year compared to 5.2 percent in 2025, driven by increasing domestic demand alongside remaining resilient external demand, according to MBSB Investment Bank Bhd (MBSB IB). The investment bank said the outlook for foreign trade remained cautious as weaker global demand in a high inflation environment could dampen export momentum.\ However, continued energy price shocks and potential disruptions to trade flows in West Asia could put pressure on global supply chains and increase the risk of shortages of petroleum-related products. “In addition, tighter United States (US) trade policies could continue to affect external demand, particularly if new tariffs are imposed on semiconductor products, thus posing a downside risk to Malaysia's electrical and electronics (E&E) exports. “Domestically, growth prospects may also face pressure from weaker consumer and business sentiment as well as rising pricing pressures, with companies expected to pass on higher production costs to consumers,” said MBSB IB in its research note. According to the investment bank, although domestic growth remains strong, the ringgit continues to face challenges against a strong US dollar. At the same time, the “higher rates for longer than expected” narrative in the US is gaining traction, with demand for dollar-denominated assets increasing. Some market players expect the likelihood of higher interest rate hikes following renewed inflation concerns in the US to potentially support the US dollar index in the short term, as supply-side inflationary pressures remain a concern. Going forward, MBSB IB expects the local currency to strengthen throughout 2026, as the ringgit's recent resilience reflects increased confidence in Malaysia's macroeconomic management as well as stronger economic fundamentals. “However, this prospect (further ringgit strengthening) faces challenges from a resurgent US dollar as market participants factor in a 'no rate cut' scenario for this year, driven by ongoing oil price shocks and rising geopolitical tensions in West Asia. "Currently, we maintain our ringgit forecast for 2026, with an expected stronger average of around RM3.92 and closing at around RM3.85 by year-end," he said. -- BERNAMA

Malaysia’s GDP growth expected to moderate to 4.2 percent in 2026 – MBSB IB

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth is expected to moderate to 4.2 percent this year compared to 5.2 percent in 2025, driven by increasing domestic demand alongside remaining .... read more

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia needs to expand green financing, strengthen local technology capabilities and increase participation across sectors and regions to fully capitalize on the global transition towards sustainability, thus turning climate risk into a competitive advantage in the green value chain. In its recently published Climate and Country Development Report, the World Bank stated that significant obstacles such as low investment in research and development (R&D), workforce skills gaps and weak industry-academia collaboration risk limiting innovation as Malaysia accelerates the country's green transition. “Although Malaysia has introduced green policies and fiscal instruments, domestic private sector investment remains cautious and the innovation ecosystem is still in the development phase. "To accelerate this transformation, Malaysia also needs to increase investment in sustainability-related services and the knowledge-based sector," the bank said in the report. The World Bank also noted that global demand for activities supported by strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards is increasing, with green financing, climate risk analytics, sustainable certification and environmental auditing emerging as new growth areas. According to him, Malaysia has a competitive advantage in ESG due to its mature financial sector, robust digital infrastructure and multilingual workforce. "Developing capabilities in these high-value services will diversify exports and integrate sustainability elements into the supply chain," said the bank, adding that states such as Penang and Selangor have the potential to become green industrial clusters that can attract sustainable investment and talent. At the same time, the bank stressed that rural and small-scale states need to be empowered to also reap the benefits of low-carbon growth, whether through green agro-processing, circular economy enterprises or ecotourism. According to him, support for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), investment in regional innovation hubs and empowerment of local governance will ensure that Malaysia's green transition is inclusive, resilient and forms the basis for shared prosperity. Impact of Climate Change The World Bank has announced that climate change is expected to cost up to 8.3 percent of Malaysia's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2050 under the most pessimistic scenario, with greater losses possible. According to him, about half of the predicted costs have already been realised through a decline in GDP, driven by crop losses, floods and reduced productivity due to heat stress. The World Bank has stated that the agriculture sector alone faces the risk of a decline of up to 18 percent in its production value by mid-century, with knock-on effects that will affect business continuity, employment, health outcomes and overall economic stability. "If a once-in-20-year flood hits after a prolonged heat wave, GDP losses could exceed 20 percent in a single year, making climate resilience an economic imperative," the bank said. According to the bank, adaptation measures have the potential to offset up to half of the expected climate-related economic losses, with efforts to address heat stress as a key strategy. The World Bank has stated that increasing the coverage of air conditioning in workplaces from 42 to 75 percent by 2050 could maintain workforce productivity at a modest annual cost of around US$40 million. "However, more comprehensive action is needed. Climate-resilient land-use plans can reduce the risk of floods and landslides, while climate-smart agriculture and integrated water resources management will help maintain food and water security," the bank said. -- BERNAMA

Malaysia needs green finance surge, strengthen technology for global competitiveness – World Bank

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia needs to expand green financing, strengthen local technology capabilities and increase participation across sectors and regions to fully capitalize on the global transition towards sustainability, thus turning .... read more

KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit opened almost unchanged against the United States (US) dollar from yesterday's close as the market awaits the latest decision from Bank Negara Malaysia's (BNM) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) scheduled to be announced on May 7. At 8am, the local currency was at 3.9540/9590 against the US dollar at 3.9540/9575 when it closed on Monday. Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd Chief Economist, Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said that although the market is taking a wait-and-see approach ahead of the MPC meeting, the fighting in the Persian Gulf between the United States (US) and Iranian forces has the potential to affect the ceasefire. "Elevated tensions in West Asia resulted in global oil benchmark prices, WTI and Brent crude oil, jumping by 4.39 percent and 5.80 percent to US$106.42 per barrel and US$114.44 per barrel respectively. At the opening of trading, the ringgit traded higher against a basket of major currencies. The local unit rose against the Japanese yen to 2.5151/5184 from 2.5186/5210 at yesterday's close, rose against the British pound to 5.3498/3565 from 5.3612/3660 and gained against the euro to 4.6230/6289 from 4.6329/6370 previously. Meanwhile, the local currency is trading higher compared to the currencies of ASEAN countries. The ringgit rose against the Singapore dollar to 3.0963/1005 from 3.1019/1049 at Monday's close, gained against the Thai baht to 12.0740/0963 from 12.1460/1631, gained against the Indonesian rupiah to 227.3/227.6 from 227.3/227.6, however was unchanged against the Philippine peso at 6.42/6.43. -- BERNAMA

Ringgit stable against US dollar ahead of MPC decision

KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit opened almost unchanged against the United States (US) dollar from yesterday’s close as the market awaits the latest decision from Bank Negara Malaysia’s (BNM) Monetary Policy .... read more

MyDigital ID Gains Major Boost As 29 Organisations Join Digital ID Partnership

eputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (centre) and Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil (sixth, left) in group photo at the MyDigital ID: Powering Trusted Access Across Malaysia’s .... read more

Agrobank Boosts Community Access To Financial Services With New Kuala Perlis Branch

KANGAR, April 30 2026– Agrobank continues to expand access to financial services for local communities with the opening of its new branch in Kuala Perlis near here, officiated yesterday by .... read more

J&T Express Malaysia Strengthens ESG Commitment Through Green, Talent And Community Initiatives

KUALA LUMPUR, April 29 2026– J&T Express Malaysia has reaffirmed its commitment to sustainable development following the release of J&T Express Group’s 2025 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report, which .... read more

Govt Strengthens Measures To Tackle Global Supply Crisis

KUALA LUMPUR, April 28 2026– The government remains committed to safeguarding the welfare of the people through various targeted subsidies and assistance, despite challenges arising from the global supply crisis .... read more

BUDI95 Quota Maintained At 200 Litres Monthly For Now

KUALA LUMPUR, April 28 2026– The government will maintain the temporary monthly quota for the BUDI MADANI RON95 initiative (BUDI95) at 200 litres for now amid the global supply crisis, .... 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