JOHOR: His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, has warned that efforts to combat corruption must be carried out without compromise across all departments and agencies under the Johor government. His Majesty, who is also the Sultan of Johor, stressed that integrity and administrative transparency are fundamental to safeguarding the state’s well- being and sustained prosperity. Also in attendance were Pasir Gudang City Council Mayor Datin Paduka Hazlina Jalil and Johor Land and Mines director Mohammed Shakib Ali. Describing graft as a betrayal of public trust, the King said such acts will not be tolerated in the country’s administration under any circumstances. “Do not think the fight against corruption is only focused on a handful of departments or those who give and receive bribes.

KUALA LUMPUR: Every Chinese New Year, G. Vassagi, 75, makes it a point uphold a meaningful family tradition – attending the festive open house at Wisma MCA. “In Malaysia, all festivals are celebrated together, filled with warmth and mutual respect among the various races.”Vassagi described the open house as lively with energetic lion dance performances and fireworks. Family time: Vassagi (centre) and her family celebrating Chinese New Year at the MCA open house at Wisma MCA in Kuala Lumpur. For housewife Putri Dewi Astuty, 41, her maiden visit to the MCA open house was motivated by her eight-year-old daughter’s curiosity. The celebration also left a strong impression on a foreigner experiencing the open house for the first time.

PETALING JAYA: The supply and prices of goods at Ramadan and Aidilfitri bazaars will be monitored to ensure no profiteering or hoarding, says the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry. Minister Datuk Seri Armizan Mohd Ali (pic) said that an operation called Ops Pantau will be carried out from today to March 20, in preparation for Hari Raya Aidilfitri. “We are also monitoring Ramadan bazaars and Aidilfitri bazaars to ensure there is no sale of counterfeit goods or online sales that violate the laws. “KPDN enforcement officers nationwide will be deployed to strategic locations and targeted areas such as Ramadan bazaars, Aidilfitri bazaars, public markets, wet markets, morning markets, night markets, farmers’ markets, hypermarkets, supermarkets, mini-markets, grocery stores, and online sales platforms. Last year saw a total of more than 96,500 stalls operating at Ramadan and Aidilfitri bazaars nationwide, with Selangor recording the highest number of stalls at around 15,000.

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 19): The Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) has appointed Dr Abdulkader Thomas as its inaugural Sultan Nazrin Shah Fellow to help drive thought leadership and innovation in Islamic finance. In a statement on Thursday, the SC announced that the appointment, effective Nov 1, 2025, follows the endorsement of the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, who is also the royal patron for Malaysia’s Islamic finance initiative, earlier this month. Abdulkader is an established author in the field of Islamic finance, having served senior roles, including as the publisher and chief executive officer of the American Journal of Islamic Finance. The Sultan Nazrin Shah Fellowship, commenced in November 2025, was founded on the long-standing relationship between the SC and the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies (OCIS), spanning over 15 years. Since 2010, this partnership has fostered sustained dialogue on the evolution of Islamic finance through the annual SC-OCIS Roundtable, shaping thought leadership and forward-looking perspectives for innovative solutions in the Islamic capital market.

The result — not exactly calming but not overly concerning — comes after investors have been unnerved by setbacks for Southeast Asia's biggest economy, putting the bond market and rupiah under the microscope. On Thursday, the currency softened 0.3% to 16,933 as the US dollar firmed ahead of a Bank Indonesia policy decision later in the day. Foreign sentiment for bonds seen stableIndonesia raised a higher-than-targeted 40 trillion rupiah (US$2.4 billion) from its regular bond auction on Wednesday in its first bond offering since Moody's downgrade. "Foreign sentiment for rupiah bonds has remained largely stable," said Winson Phoon, the regional head of fixed income research at Maybank. "No sign of a drastic change in foreign positioning although foreign holdings have dipped slightly over the past one week."

Gates, facing questions over his ties to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, withdrew just hours before his speech to "ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit's key priorities", the Gates Foundation said. The AI Impact Summit is the fourth annual international gathering focused on the rapidly advancing field, following previous summits in Paris, Seoul and Britain's wartime code-breaking hub Bletchley. Another Gates Foundation official will take the place of Gates, who said this month he regrets "every minute" he spent with Epstein. Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is in town to attend the AI summit and hold talks with Modi, including on rare earths. Some say the broad focus of the event and vague promises made at previous global AI summits mean that concrete commitments are unlikely.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian-born actress Michelle Yeoh, who has made a name for herself in Hollywood, continues to bring pride to the nation. Yeoh's name was immortalised on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles on Wednesday (Feb 18), in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the international film industry. The 64-year-old actress graced the red carpet in an elegant yellow gown with minimal accessories, radiating sophistication throughout the prestigious event organised by the Hollywood film community. In an Instagram post, Yeoh reflected on her journey from Malaysia to Hollywood, acknowledging that it was far from easy and full of challenges before reaching her current status. "The star may carry one name, but it represents so many people who made this journey possible.

KUANTAN: Three Vietnamese nationals, including two siblings, have been fined a total of RM128.9mil million and given jail terms ranging from 15 months to 12 years for illegal possession of wildlife parts. Sessions judge Maimoonah Aid handed down the sentences on Bui Thi Ngan, 56, her brother Bui Van Noi, 48, and a male friend, Bui Van Anh, 38, after finding the trio guilty of the offences on Thursday (Feb 19). She also ordered that they serve the prison sentences concurrently from the date of their arrest. The accused will also serve an additional eight years and six months’ jail if they fail to pay the fines. They were jointly charged with committing the offences at a residential premises in Jalan Sungai Lembing, Kampung Sungai Charu, Panching here at 7pm on Nov 15, 2023.

In Johor Baru, that alignment is now taking shape at the RM5bil integrated Coronation Square, spanning 9.6 acres, where urban redevelopment meets the RTS. For decades, Johor Baru has lived in the long shadow of its neighbour across the Causeway. Coronation Square’s direct integration with it, offers a chance to rewrite that narrative, and give Johor Baru better optics. When Johor Baru is connected by fast, reliable rail, movement becomes predictable and almost everything evolves. The shopping mall at Coronation Square should not be another retail outlet but as social infrastructure.

Compiled by DIVYA THERESA RAVI and TAN SIN CHOWWHAT began as a simple fishing hobby at the age 25, has grown into an international business crafting handmade wooden fishing lures, Sinar Harian reported. Mohd Abdullah Said, 46, also known as Pak Tam, has expanded his Kuantan business into Indone-sian, Brunei and Singaporean markets. “At first I followed my friends and saw how Thais made wooden bait and attempted to make it too. “Among the designs produced include lizards and frogs that are adapted to local fishing techniques,” he explained, adding that prices range from RM15 to RM40. > For nearly two decades, Norida Akmal Ayob has not been able to spend Ramadan in Malaysia, but this year, she’s coming home, Kosmo!

SIBU: Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) handled more than 8,000 tourist arrivals within two hours on the first day of Chinese New Year (CNY), said Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing. Speaking to reporters at his CNY open house at Pulau Li Hua Commercial Centre on Thursday (Feb 19), Tiong said KLIA recorded about 6,500 arrivals at Terminal 1 and 1,500 at Terminal 2 during that period. The surge in arrivals underscores the growing momentum of the Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) campaign, which is being actively promoted. On tourism development in Sarawak, he said the ministry plans to deepen collaboration with the state government and Tourism Sarawak. Tourism Malaysia has also been instructed to take a more aggressive approach in promoting travel across all states nationwide," he said.

PETALING JAYA: Twelve police personnel, four of them from Bukit Aman headquarters, have been arrested for allegedly stealing about RM200,000 in cryptocurrency. It is learnt that the suspects, including one Inspector and six koperal, are aged between 24 and 47. The raid was reportedly on a suspected scam operation, but the complainants claimed they were not involved in such activities. Selangor police chief Comm Datuk Shazeli Kahar confirmed the matter when contacted on Thursday (Feb 19). The case is being investigated under Section 395 of the Penal Code," he said.

NEW DELHI: An Indian professor has sparked ridicule after falsely suggesting a Chinese-made robot dog displayed at a major AI summit in New Delhi was developed by her university. The silver mechanical dog – a model sold by Chinese startup Unitree – appeared at a booth run by the private Galgotias University at this week's AI Impact Summit. "This has been developed by the centres of excellence at the Galgotias University," Singh said, touting the institution's investments in artificial intelligence technology. Under fire for her comments, Singh told reporters on Wednesday that "things may not have been expressed clearly". In the ongoing AI summit, Chinese robots are being displayed as our own," the party wrote in a post on X.

TOKYO (Feb 19): Oil prices rose on Thursday as the US and Iran attempted to ease a standoff in talks over Tehran's nuclear programme while both sides heightened military activity in the key oil-producing region. "Oil prices are rallying as the market becomes increasingly concerned over the potential for imminent US action against Iran," said ING analysts in a Thursday note. "For oil markets, the concern is clearly what action would mean not only for Iranian oil supply, but also broader Persian Gulf oil flows, given the risk of disruption to shipments through the Strait of Hormuz." About 20% of the world's oil supply passes through the waterway. "US President Donald Trump does not want a sharp rise in crude prices, and even if military action occurs, it would likely be limited to short-term air strikes," Kikukawa added.

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 19): Government-backed impact investment firm VentureTECH Sdn Bhd has invested RM28 million in Delta Spike Asia Sdn Bhd and IX Telecom Sdn Bhd, reinforcing Malaysia’s cybersecurity and cross-border digital infrastructure capability. In a statement, it said the investment in Delta Spike will support the continued development of Delta Spike’s cybersecurity platform, strengthen operational capacity, and support regional expansion, reinforcing Malaysia’s cybersecurity ecosystem amid increasingly complex digital threats. As for the investment in IX Telecom, it said this will support IX Telecom’s regional scaling and platform commercialisation, strengthening Malaysia’s position as a regional digital connectivity hub while enabling enterprises to access seamless cross-border connectivity. “Both Delta Spike and IX Telecom operate in sectors that are critical to national resilience — from strengthening cybersecurity readiness to enabling seamless digital connectivity across borders. “By supporting bumiputera-owned companies with clear commercial pathways and scalable capabilities, VentureTECH plays a catalytic role in strengthening Malaysia’s long-term capacity, while positioning local companies to compete regionally and globally,” he said.